Jason and I are in Bellevue, Washington this week learning with Microsoft Innovative Educators. Becky Keene @beckykeene showed us TTribune, a great daily magazine by the Smithsonian showing current events rewritten for k-12 students. What is TTribune: TeenTribune, TweenTribune, TTEspañol and TTJunior is a free online educational service offered by the Smithsonian for use by K-12 grade Teachers and students. TTribune consists of daily news sites for kids, tweens, and teens, and includes text, photos, graphics, and audio and/or video materials prepared by the Smithsonian and others about current events, history, art, culture and science. TTribune also includes lessons, instructional and assessment tools, and opportunities for the registered users to communicate with other participants. TTribune is a moderated comment sharing community where registered Teachers can assign educational content (like news stories) to students and the students using a screen name have the ability to create comments which, if approved by their Teacher, are then published either to the other students within the Teacher’s TTribune classroom page, or publicly on TTribune. TweenTribune pulls its content from reputable news sites and then tailors those articles for the K-4, 5-8, 9-12 grade levels. A Lexile score is given to each article.  The site also gives one click access to articles written at a certain Lexile. As an example the current article: "Youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner stresses education" has an entry at the Lexile of 830, 930, 1050, and 1410. This is a great way to bring current events at an age appropriate and reading level into your classroom. The post TTribune: Free k-12 Online Magazine appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.

Embedding YouTube videos into PowerPoint - Thank you TubeChop! I always loved the PowerPoint feature that let me embed YouTube videos into a presentation. That way I wouldn’t have to leave an IE window open during my presentation, fumble with ALT-TAB keystrokes, and then get back to my presentation. Too much! But I noticed a few years ago that the embedding got harder and harder, to the point that it just didn’t work. So I’m super excited that I tested out TubeChop - and it worked! TubeChop is better known for taking YouTube videos and only streaming the clip you want to show. This is a good way to just show a snippet of a longer film or eliminate parts that may not be suitable to your audience. It’s different than Viewpure which lets the user show the video in a window with no suggested videos or ads. We’ve all had (I’m sure) an embarrassing moment with the suggested videos drawing more interest than the one we were showing. TubeChop couldn’t be easier. Head to YouTube to grab the URL for your video. At the TubeChop page, just paste the URL and start chopping. You get to determine the start and end point of the clip, and get a unique URL for showing or sharing. Most people will find this useful enough, and you could end your use of the service there. But there’s more! Take that embed code over to your PowerPoint presentation. On the ribbon, find the " Insert" tab and choose video. Select "Video from Web Site" and past the TubeChop embed code. A dynamic content box is pasted on your slide, which you can resize and move as you like. When you view the slideshow - presto! Your video streams. The benefits are great. No setting up your presentation early to make sure the YouTube clip is loaded. No toggling between IE and the PowerPoint. No minimizing/maximizing/jazzercising moves to make things appear seamless. One and done steps for embedding. Now - to be fair - I do include the direct URL that TubeChop gives me, just in case. But this method works, and I hope you find it useful. Need step by step instructions? Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HULhbmBw_yU Richard Snyder, NBCT Librarian NCCE Board President-Elect Twitter: techsavvylib Instagram: mrsnyderman73 The post Embedding YouTube videos into PowerPoint - Thank you TubeChop! appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.

We love Cheryl Steighner!  As a third grade teacher in in Washington, she provides an excellent vision on how technology can be use to inspire and drive younger learners to be the tech-savvy students of today and tomorrow!  We recently asked Cheryl to share with us some of her technology and teaching secrets… and this is result!  Enjoy! Name: Cheryl Steighner Location: Tacoma, WA Current job(s): 3rd grade teacher, Camelot Elementary (Federal Way Public Schools) Current computer: MacBook Pro Current mobile device(s): iPhone 5, iPad 2, Nexus 7 One word that best describes how you teach or work: Creatively What apps/software/tools can you not live without? Google Apps and Google Maps help me streamline and be more efficient throughout my day. I use Apps for just about everything, and I enjoy being able to choose the fastest routes to and from school (this is important when you have a long commute!). I use Dropbox to access files and lesson plans, and Evernote to jot down ideas and keep my anecdotal notes in one spot. I also listen to a lot of music throughout the day and love the variety Spotify can give me. Other than your phone and computer, what gadget can you not live without? My VitaMix blender. I like to make smoothies with fresh fruits and veggies as a healthy treat, Using the VitaMix also saves me a lot of time when I’m making my daughter’s baby food. What is your favorite organizational tip, app or advice? I try to clean up my workspace every day before I leave and make a list of tasks that need to be accomplished the next morning. I am much more focused when my desk is free of clutte r, and I like having a "plan of attack" waiting for me so I can use my time wisely. I budget about 10 minutes for each task, which usually keeps my morning "to-do" list around three items. Having a list of only three tasks also helps me balance the fine line between "busy" and "overwhelmed." Another tip is to keep the mindless stuff, like sharpening pencils and making copies, for the afternoon. Organization and time-management are certainly not my strong suits, but having established routines throughout the day helps me stay on top of things. What is your workspace/classroom like? I’ve been in my current classroom for the past 7 years. While I make changes to the layout every year, my foundation remains the same: spaces for books (I have over 3,000 books in our classroom library!), a space for whole group discussion, spaces for independent work, and spaces for collaboration. I use flexible seating options with my students and work with them to make responsible choices for their learning styles. Students love having non-traditional options when working, and I’ve found it helps maintain their focus for longer periods of time. They enjoy being able to sit on yoga balls, stools, lounge-chairs, ottomans, and our mini-couch. Of course, some students like the traditional classroom desk and chair, too. This year, I have added a small maker space where students have access to lots of different types of materials and supplies. Students rotate through as part of our literacy stations. I love to see the creations my students make on a daily basis, as well as see their academic skills improve through their creative endeavors. I like to think that our classroom is a place where active learning, collaboration, and creativity are at the forefront and where kids can have fun. What is your best time-saving trick? Do the least-desirable task first.  [Editor Note: That’s excellent advice!] If you had $1,000 to spend on classroom tools and wanted to make the greatest impact on student learning, how would you spend it? I would create a Maker Space in the school library and stock it with items for students to create, build, and explore. Maker Spaces promote creativity, ingenuity, problem solving, and collaboration (in addition to core academic skills), and allow students opportunities to build resilience and confidence. What is your favorite avenue to connect with social media? I gravitate toward Twitter because it is quick, easy, and enables me to connect with a vast network of educators and experts. I like that it provides personalized and informal professional development that is relevant and useful for my personal interests and career. Twitter is just the best! When you are not living the glamorous work life, what do you like to do in your spare time for fun? I love spending time with my daughter and husband. We spend a lot of time making music, reading, and enjoy taking walks together with our Boston Terrier. I also play the tuba and like to oom-pah every once in a while. As a tech-savvy teacher, what everyday thing do you feel you excel with/at versus other teachers/administrators/mentors? I am a connector and I get great joy from finding resources for others and connecting people with each other. What is the best teaching advice you have received? You are enough.  Connected educators often get caught up in the "not enough" trap: not "tech-y" enough, not innovative enough, not Tweeting or blogging enough. Teaching is hard work and as long as you are trying your best and staying true to who you are as an educator, you are enough. What fantastic tech-savvy educator would you like to refer to us? I would suggest to follow any of the the Google Teacher Academy hashtags on Twitter and I am POSITIVE you will find some amazingly innovative and creative educators. I met some wonderful people doing fantastic work at the Mountain View GTA this past summer. (#GTAMTV) The post Meet a Tech-Savvy Teacher: the Always Awesome Cheryl Steighner appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.

We are happy to announce a new Friday feature on the Tech Savvy Teacher blog - Keep Kids Coding! We are honored and privileged to be working with the amazing Kiki Prottsman to bring you this weekly feature. As you will remember from our Hour of Code feature with Kiki last month, she is a big advocate for keeping kids coding year round. We couldn’t agree more and our shared passion for children coding was the catalyst for this feature. Each week we will feature a site from Kiki’s own CSisfun.com website, which provides educators a single repository to the best coding resources on the internet. Kiki’s YouTube channel KikivsIT will be adding an overview of the featured site with her guidance on the best ways to use the site with your classroom! You may wonder: Why start with Typing? Well Kiki answers those questions and more in our first edition of Keep Kids Coding Have questions about how to implement this in your classroom, ask us your question in the comments section below! Interested in working with Kiki? Join us at NCCE 2015 in Portland, Oregon March 18-20! Kiki will be at the Gaming/Coding Summit, one of the Make your Future Summits at NCCE 2015! The post Keep Kids Coding! DanceMat Typing appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.

In January Microsoft released the HoloLens, a new technology like nothing we have seen before: http://compass.xboxlive.com/assets/b2/15/b215c2a2-1c5b-4707-9a92-fffca6fb82fe.mp4?n=Microsoft_HoloLens_TransformYourWorld_816p23.mp4 Your Writing Prompt: If you were to own a HoloLens, what features from the video would you use the most? Pretend you are a developer for the HoloLens. Name three detailed uses that you would propose that were not included in the video. Why would people what to use your idea? If you get a great response that you want to share please post it in our comments section below! The post Tech Savvy Writing Prompt: Our Hologram Future? appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.

This week in our Keep Kids Coding! series we will be looking at Logic.ly. CSisFun.com categorizes Logic.ly as a grade 6+ application. Logic.ly teaches logic gates + digital circuits in a hands on and interactive interface. It offers a simple drag-and-drop user interface for editing and simulating digital circuits. With Logic.ly you can: Design circuits quickly and easily with a modern and intuitive user interface with drag-and-drop, copy/paste, zoom & more. Take control of debugging by pausing the simulation and watching the signal propagate as you advance step-by-step. Let students experiment in a "no worries" simulation where undo is a click away — before building physical circuits. Encapsulate and avoid duplication by creating custom integrated circuits that you can drag and drop… just like gates. Customize Logicly for your curriculum by building libraries of custom circuits that students can "import" into their work. If you are like me and not exactly sure where to start with this program, Kiki’s video will be your savior. In her breakdown this week, Kiki does an amazing job of showing us all how to get started using this program with students. You and your students will feel smarter after watching this:   Logic.ly has provided example lessons focusing on logic gates to help you get you started:                       As Kiki mentioned in her video, share links to your students Logic.ly board in our comment section below. Remember to subscribe to KikivsIT YouTube channel for many more great videos! The post Keep Kids Coding! Logic.ly appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.

Malbert SMITH III, PH.D.  PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER OF METAMETRICS® Malbert Smith III, Ph.D., is a leading expert in educational reform. He is the president and co-founder of MetaMetrics®, the developer of the widely adopted Lexile® Framework. Malbert is a senior investigator on a US National Center for Education Statistics research study to examine National Assessment of Educational Progress benchmark scores in relation to university and career readiness. He also serves on the boards of the UNC School of Education Foundation, Public School Forum of North Carolina, National Summer Learning Association, North Carolina Virtual Public Schools, and LEARN NC. Malbert is also a research professor at UNC - Chapel Hill. He speaks frequently around the globe on issues related to educational research, measurement, and technology.   THURSDAY 3.19 ǀ 8:30AM COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS IN A COMMON CORE WORLD Since the release of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), there has been a great deal of attention devoted to the concept of college and career readiness. Now more than ever, we are equipping educators with tools in their toolbox to personalize instruction and help their students graduate college and be career ready. With tools like the Lexile Framework, educators are able to monitor literacy growth and differentiate instruction during the K-12 career of a student. Learn how the Lexile Framework is helping educators and parents quantify college and career readiness and the strategies that are being used to guide them on a path towards success. SPONSORED BY:   WHAT IF? High powered rockets, robotics, 3D printers, laser cutters, college credit for high school courses; all of these started by the power of asking "What if…" If it can be done in Zillah, Washington, then it can be done in your school. The bigger question is: When your "what if" comes true, will you be ready? Jeff Charbonneau, the 63rd National Teacher of the Year, has taught high school chemistry, physics and engineering at Zillah High School in Zillah, Washington for the past 12 years.  Join us at NCCE 2015 The post Keynote lineup for NCCE 2015! appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.

Are you or your students working on digital projects with an eye on design?  Let me ask… what font are you using?  Font choice is often seen as an afterthought as opposed to pictures and other graphics.  Often, default choices are used, or, worse, a less-than-innovative choice can bring the illusion of originality.  Witness the "ban comic sans movement" that attempts to shame digital designers into avoiding the font as "tacky." However, how do we encourage our students to use good typography without getting to distracted by the many options?  This infographic might help: (Click the graphic above to go to a share-able version of this page!) This quick reference chart gives students an excellent flowchart for picking a font family depending on the need in your project without the need to test several options. In your classroom, you can simply provide a link to this page on Visual.ly as part of your project instructions (or even use a QR code if you are so inclined!) and call it good. What tools do you like to use to encourage good digital design in the classroom?  Hit us up in the comments below or see us on Twitter! The post Infographic: Picking a Font for your Digital Design Projects appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.

The Library of Congress is now accepting applications for its week-long Summer Institutes for K-12 educators. Held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., these professional development events provide educators with tools and resources to effectively integrate primary sources into K-12 classroom teaching, with an emphasis on student engagement, critical thinking, and construction of knowledge. The Library is offering five Institutes this summer.  Three of the Institutes are open to teachers and librarians across the content areas, one focuses on civil rights, and one concentrates on primary sources for science education. Open Institutes Open to K-12 teachers and school librarians across the content areas Institute Session 1: June 22-26 Institute Session 2: July 6-10 Institute Session 3: July 27-31 Civil Rights Institute Open to K-12 teachers and school librarians with teaching responsibilities related to the Institute focus Civil Rights Institute: August 3-7 Science Institute Recommended for K-12 educators who teach science or collaborate with science teachers Science Institute: July 20-24 Applications are due March 24th and require a letter of recommendation. Read more and apply now: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/teacherinstitute/ The post Apply Now! Library of Congress 2015 Summer Teacher Institutes Teaching with Primary Sources appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.

Remember that life-sized skeleton in the corner of every Science room? What if a digital version existed that you could manipulate in 3D, add the muscular system, or any system? It does exist and it is called The Biodigital Human. This interactive, medically accurate virtual body enables users to learn about anatomy, health conditions, and treatments in visual format that resembles life itself. BioDigital is fulfilling their mission of making health and wellness understandable to everyone through the first ever cloud based virtual body platform, the BioDigital Human. More about the BioDigital Human: For most educators the free version will give you everything you need to integrate the BioDigital Human into you classroom. For Biology or advanced Science classes it may be worth investing in the premium version as it gives you access to an additional 5,000 Anatomy &  Health Condition Models. There is an accompanying app and interactive quizzes to add additional value to this site. Are you using the BioDigital Human? Let us know your experience in the comments section below. The post The Biodigital Human appeared first on NCCE's Tech-Savvy Teacher Blog.