It’s been a while since we posted paper textures. Here’s a set of 5 HQ scanned colored paper textures that you can use as you want. You can download each texture by clicking the preview image, or grab them all by using the download link (25Mb) at the bottom of the post. Enjoy the textures! Download all textures as ZIP from copy.com (26Mb) Did you like these textures? Let us know by leaving a comment, and you can even post a link if you used them in your artwork. Related Posts Free Texture Friday - Color Stained Paper Free Texture Friday - Color Stained Paper 2 Free Texture Friday - Color Stained Paper 3 Free Texture Friday - Abstract Grunge 4 Free Texture Friday - Grunge Metal 2

Emerging Technologies for Online Learning International Symposium April 22-24, 2015, Dallas, TX Follow @OLCToday for updates! #ET4Online Sloan-C has been newly rebranded as the Online Learning Consorutium and this April, the Emerging Technologies for Online Learning International Symposium will convene in Dallas, TX for its 8th annual event. This year’s symposium, which is a joint event with MERLOT, is shaping up to be dynamic! Keynote & Plenaries Mimi Ito is confirmed as the keynote speaker. Ito (@Mizuko) has contributed ground breaking research about the impact of digital media on today’s youth. Gardner Campbell (@GardnerCampbell) and Bonnie Stewart (@BonStewart) will be presenting the plenary talks at the symposium. Together, these presentations will engage in a mindful exploration of how emerging technologies are reshaping formal and informal learning, as well as impacting the nature of identity for us all. More Hands-on Experiences! Also included in this year’s program you’ll find the Technology Test Kitchen, where brief hands-on sessions will be conducted to introduce you to an array of new technologies that hold potential for reshaping and improving the way we teach and our students learn online. The Technology Test Kitchen was introduced at #Blend14 and will also be part of the OLC’s International Conference in Orlando at the end of October. I’m really looking forward to this new program feature! EdTech Startups Return with a Revamped Launch Pad The Launch Pad will also be back again this year with a new feature — the Teacher Tank, which will provide our Launch Pad participants with an opportunity to pitch their product to a panel of online educators. Anchored in the context of formative feedback and learning, this event will be fast-paced and high energy! Join us! Submit Your Great Ideas: CFP Opens 10/1! If that whets your appetite, mark your calendar for the Call for Proposals which will be open from October 1-December 1 (no extensions will be provided). YOUR participation will make this symposium more diverse and representative of how emerging technologies are reshaping online teaching and learning. I hope to see you in Dallas! Jason Rhode, @jrhode #ET4Online Assistant Conference Chair, 2015

I have been doing a great deal of research on gamification, using technology in the classroom with students and providing quality training for teachers. In order to implement current trends and initiatives with various technology hardware and software, teachers need training and time to practice using the technology with support. Teachers need to debrief and discuss their experiences and have support personnel to walk them through the process This has become evident and research confirms this. On September 10th, 2014, a report titled, "Using Technology to Support At-Risk Students’ Learning" released by the Alliance for Excellent Education, confirms the significant results that using technology makes a difference and greatly reaches and appeals to the at-risk student population. This coupled with quality teachers that have attended professional development that is meaningful and relevant to the technology integration initiatives teachers are asked to implement will make a dramatic improvement and difference in student achievement.  Without technology access, student performance is significantly hindered. The Pew Internet report indicates that teens use their mobile devices and/or cell phones to access the internet more than any other piece of technology hardware. Allowing cell phone usage in the classroom alleviates the lack of technology equipment including bandwidth overload. The key to success is creating learning activities that are engaging, challenging and support content. Gamification is one strategy that meets all of those conditions and continues to teach content if the game is developed and structured so that there is repetitive learning, immediate feedback and rewards and consequences for learning attempts. Games like Angry Birds are very effective at developing problem solving but there are content games that support every content area and level. It just takes a bit of research to find what fits best with your content, equipment and teaching style. And then we come full circle back to the need for quality professional development to implement engaging and interactive content learning activities.

As a current member of the advisory council for the UPCEA Center for Online Leadership and Strategy, I’m passing along this special update below from Bob Hansen, UPCEA CEO, releasing the 2014 UPCEA Federal Policy Brief. I highly recommend all those involved in online learning to read the briefing and stay abreast of the federal policy landscape that is influencing higher education and specifically online education today. ~ Jason Rhode @jasonrhode The UPCEA Center for Online Leadership and Strategy is pleased to announce the 2014 UPCEA Federal Policy Brief. This document is a result of the 2014 UPCEA Online Leadership Roundtable and focuses broadly on online education policy at the federal level. Developed with direct input from membership and the UPCEA Policy Committee, these recommendations provide a framework for the federal government to address the needs of contemporary learners and those who serve them. Topics covered include State Authorization, financial aid, gainful employment, costs of compliance, and the importance of collecting meaningful data that reflect the fundamental demographic shift toward non-traditional-or "contemporary"-students. Click here to view the UPCEA Federal Policy Brief. We encourage you to read it, and share it with others - including your institution’s internal government affairs staff, and your members of Congress. Our elected representatives must understand the importance of these issues, and the impact that they have on the students we serve. You can find the contact information for your members of Congress here. We encourage you to contact your members and schedule a meeting to discuss these issues if you are in Washington. If you are interested in increased UPCEA advocacy efforts, please fill out this form. You can learn more about these policy issues during a session at the 2015 Summit for Online Leadership and Strategy, January 20-22, 2015 in San Antonio, Texas.  Learn more about the Summit, hosted in partnership with the American Council on Education (ACE), and register here. Also, remember to take advantage of the services and expertise offered by UPCEA’s Center for Online Leadership and Strategy. We know that balancing all of the facets of a successful online initiative can be challenging, which is why all members have complimentary access to the Center’s Second Opinion service. Second Opinion is an opportunity to ask questions or discuss pressing issues with the Center’s founding director, Ray Schroeder. To keep abreast of developments related to State Authorization and state licensing issues, UPCEA’s expert partner, Cooley LLP, offers services to help schools navigate an increasingly dynamic environment. I’d like to give a very special thanks to Chris Murray and Ken Salomon at Thompson Coburn for their expertise in helping develop the UPCEA Federal Policy Brief. To learn more about Thompson Coburn’s services and products, please click here. I hope you’ll join us in raising awareness of these important issues! Sincerely, Bob Hansen CEO  

Rocks are some of the most commonly encountered objects around us. They exist in a variety of types, shapes and sizes, from tiny grains to giant boulders. There are 3 main types of rocks, such as igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. The type depends on the way in which the rock is formed, but all rocks consist of a collection of minerals into a solid mass. Rocks have been used from everything from constructing buildings, to creating tools, and being sources of artistic expression through etching, painting, or sculpting. Rocks also work well in photography, both as the subject, and also to help frame a composition, or to catch, trap or focus light through a rock formation. Here’s some examples of rocks both big and small: pebbles By Les Forrester Pebble Beach By Gary McParland Pebbles in ice… By Arild Heitmann The Tyrrhenian Sea shore II By Jacek Stefan Golden Sands By Gary McParland Fantastic Voyage By Russ Barnes pebble By Korkut Dogan Poetry in Motion By Mridul Sharma Round frame stones By laurentiu iordache Beach Pebbles By Stuck Pixel pebbles By Kate Eleanor Rassia time to unwind By Ray wise Pebbly Beach - Forster By David Lam Stillness By Kornél Majsa Crossing the green By Rok Podlogar pebbles on the shore By dominique walterson Pebble Beach at Seaham By Mark Finkel Pebble - Bateen Bridge By Nadeem Wajahat Underarm By Sergey Krotov Pink Sunrise By Benoît Felten Pebble By Alan Coles Footstep By Vencislav Stanchev The Lost Buoy By Gary McParland Monument By J Schapel The bus rock. By Federico Bottos Rise up By Colin McDonald Fetch By Jonathan Clark Balance In Nature By Muhammed Basil Walk The Line By Iain Blake Paw Print By Iain Blake Related Posts Duck Photography Bright and Sunny Photography 30 Majestic Photographs of Horses Out of this World Starry Photographs The Most Useful jQuery Scrolling Plugins

Apple recently released a complete guide book of all the new features of iOS 8 for the iPhone 6 and older devices. iTunes describes the book as, Here’s everything you need to know about iPhone, in a handy digital format. Get to know iPhone and discover all the amazing things it can do, and how to do them. It’s the definitive guide for getting the most from your new iPhone, straight from Apple. The iPhone User Guide covers iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, and iPhone 4s. It’s an essential part of any iBooks library. You can download the guide from iTunes here. The book can be read on a Mac desktop/laptop or any iOS device. Beware that there is a rumor there is already a bug in the iOS. I still downloaded it because I am excited about the new features. I am currently in the process of downloading as the first time through the download failed saying it lost its connection. We will see if it works for me!

Becoming a tech-savvy teacher isn’t easy and it actually takes quite a long time. The 10 Signs You Are a Tech-Savvy Teacher Infographic helps you find out just how much technology has become integrated with your life by presenting a few of the many signs that show that you’re a plugged-in and connected educator. The below are just a few of the many signs you’re a plugged-in and connected educator. What are some of the big signs we’ve missed? Share them with us down in the comments or by mentioning @DailyGenius on Twitter. We’ll be sure to retweet, share, and use your input for future graphics! Your students read your blog. Your students know that you share homework help, useful apps, your other favorite blogs, and a whole lot more on your teaching biog. They comment or at least monitor it to stay up to date. Your real professional development happens online. You know that the structured professional development that your school district performs is not really where you’re learning new skills. You turn to social media and online skill-building platforms to really enhance your skillset. Time to update the Linkedln profile! You’ve made an online PLN. Whether you call it a ‘professional’ or a ‘personal’ learning network is up to you. The key part is that you have taken the time to develop online relationships with colleagues, mentors, and many others who might be able to help you learn something useful. Doesn’t always have to be about teaching, just something you might want to know. You share your life with colleagues you’ve never met. You take selfies on vacation and share them not only with your family and friends - but with online colleagues you’ve never actually met in person. You love sharing your life and adventures with them! Your weekly schedule involves twitter chats. You know when you need to be by a computer or smartphone so you can monitor #edchat or your other favorite hashtag chat. It lets you learn on the go! Summer breaks means ISTE and other conferences. As soon as the final bell rings, you don’t race to the nearest beach! You make sure your bags are packed and ready for a few can‘t-miss conferences where all your online colleagues and friends are going. You know the vocabulary. It’s a lot like a second language. You know terms like 1:1, BYOD, PLN, Personalized Learning, Flipped, and decamp. You turn to colleagues in other countries when in need. You have a great group of colleagues in the building but they’re also quite busy and may not have the answers to all your questions. They’re only human. So you’ve networked and built a group of online contacts you can turn to when you need an answer 24-7. They are all around the world so you never know who will be awake and able to answer your call for help! You’re a digital citizen. First, you know what being a proper ‘digital citizen‘ means. You know it’s critically important that you treat others with respect, know what cyber-bullying is, act in a positive manner, and are trying to always be a useful member of your community. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Trolls and many others can distract and provoke you. But you are smart enough to not take the bait. And so are your students. You’re always hungry to learn, try, and tinker with new tech. Every new Apple announcement is a special time. A new Android update means your lunch hour just got booked up. When any new education technology movement is made, you are always ready to try out a new app, test a web tool, read an e-book, or just take some time to tinker! via DailyGenius

jQuery is the best way to add dynamic, animation effects to your website. While many people think that jQuery simply adds unnecessary complications to a website, in fact, jQuery effects can both boost performance and also improve user experience. One of the effects that jQuery can really assist with is scrolling. Whether it’s a back-to-top smooth scroller, or a snap-to-section scrolling effect, jQuery has a plugin for it. In this post, I’ve gathered up some of the best jQuery plugins for scrolling effects and improvements. jQuery Parallax Scrolling Plugin Multiscroll jQuery Plugin ALS - Any List Scroller jQuery Plugin Scrollmagic Effect Controller jQuery Plugin Cool Kitten jQuery Plugin Scrollify Snap-To-Sections jQuery Plugin Animate Scroll Effect Easing jQuery Plugin ScrollUp Back-To-Top jQuery Plugin Sly Item-Based Scrolling jQuery Plugin StickUp jQuery Plugin Related Posts jQuery Date and Calendar Plugins Useful jQuery Menu Plugins and Scripts Awesome New CSS3 Tutorials to Try Out Creative Examples of Animated Web Design Elegant CSS3 Menus to Download and Use

With the domestic violence incidences in the news lately, I wanted to share an app created by Dr. Phil McGraw’s wife called The Aspire News App. The app is part of ‘The Aspire Initiative‘ created to help those directly or indirectly affected by domestic violence. The app is disguised to look like a regular app in case someone is using the app but doesn’t want the want the abuser to know about the app or that it is being used. The icon doesn’t indicate that is has anything to do with domestic violence to protect the user as well. There are many safeguards in place to safely use the app without notifying one’s abuser. A description of the app is as follows: ASPIRE News is a free application which contains summaries of top stories in world, sports, and entertainment news, from the When Georgia Smiled: Robin McGraw Foundation (and powered by Yahoo!). Additionally, if someone you know is in an abusive relationship—or if that someone is you—the Help Section of the application contains resources for victims of domestic violence. This app does not serve as a replacement for emergency services—in any situation where you feel that you may be at risk, please dial 911 or your local emergency number. The app can be downloaded at https://www.whengeorgiasmiled.org/the-aspire-news-app/#.VBtMAeeryVo. You can also download from the iTunes Store at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aspire-news/id733163167?mt=8. Some of the features include: Tap top of the screen 3x to inform selected individuals and notify them you need help and need them to show up Find local shelters quickly Learn about domestic violence. Many don’t feel they are in an abusive relationship or want to face the danger they are in. Many more features to help keep you safe and informed. You can view information about the app on Dr.Phil.com, on the ‘When Georgia Smiles’ website (Georgia was Dr. Phil’s wife’s name) and the iTunes store. The actual app is called ‘The Aspire News App’. The app has features that can literally save one’s life. There is curriculum associated at the app’s website that is acceptable for tweens, teens, and adults and comes with information in Spanish as well. There is no age that is immune to domestic violence and physical abuse in romantic relationships.    

Todays set of textures is a mix of grunge and painted metallic backgrounds that you can use for your next project. The images are free for personal and commercial usage. Enjoy! Download all textures as ZIP from copy.com (32.7Mb) Did you like these textures? Let us know by leaving a comment, and you can even post a link if you used them in your artwork. Related Posts Free Texture Friday - Abstract Grunge 4 Free Texture Friday - Grunge Screens Free Texture Friday - Vintage Stone Wall 2 Free Texture Friday - Vintage Book 3 Free Texture Friday - Color Stained Paper 4