Jeff sits down with Torsten Stauch from AppShed to discuss how school districts and classrooms can create amazing mobile apps for their communities. About Mobile App Building AppShed allows people to become creators of technology, not just consumers. AppShed is a free online app-creation tool where users design, create and publish mobile apps. Everyone gains a huge sense of achievement, having been able to produce something tangible they can share with others. The app-building environment is intuitive and adaptable to your needs. Apps can be tested in real-time either on a mobile device or in a browser. Creative Apps Generation Using AppShed anyone (with no technical knowledge) can generate their own smartphone apps. Advanced students can take it much further using web technologies (JavaScript, HTML, CSS) or programming (PHP) to create fully interactive high-level apps. We are all part of the "creative apps generation". AppShed is delighted to be equipping people for an exciting future in our digital world. AppShed Academy AppShed Academy is a versatile and comprehensive online tool to facilitate student development of apps in education. Intuitive, step-by-step learning allows teachers to include app development in the ICT curriculum without the need for an in-depth understanding of the app creation. This exciting technology allows students to express their creativity through a powerful app building tool which can be tied in with school projects and assignments as well as extra-curricular activities like sports teams. Featured Links AppShed Homepage AppShed on Twitter AppShed on YouTube   Featured Guest Torsten built his first computer game at age 12 and has gone on to start 3 companies and build a wide variety of software products. He is a popular speaker in the ed-tech sector with a strong focus on creativity and entrepreneurship. Torsten is the CEO of AppShed. AppShed was started in 2009 as a content management system for native apps, targeting the SME market. It pivoted during 2011 to become an ed-tech company focusing on the use of app development as an education tool. Torsten has helped grow AppShed to almost 100,000 users and thousands of schools & colleges, both in the UK and abroad. AppShed is the most versatile free tool available for students to create mobile apps. Students can easily create using a wide range of tools and then deploy their projects as web-apps in a matter of minutes. The next hot product is AppShed Academy - an in-line learning environment to facilitate student development of apps. Intuitive, step-by-step learning allows teachers to include app development in the classroom without the need for an in-depth understanding of app development. Teachers have the ability to create their own e-learning content and distribute it across all mobile and desktop platforms. Torsten is also a founder and technical director of Red C, a 12-year-old digital consultancy based in London’s Tech City. Red C boasts many large corporate clients including Thames Water, The Independent, Mitsubishi Securities, Société Générale & Fabergé. Torsten oversees the technical solutions and product development with a primary focus on the financial services sector. As a developer Torsten built a variety of web and app products including "Plug and Play CMS" (a web-content management system) and Bus Guru which provides 100k+ London bus users with real- time bus information. The post Podcast: Learn how @Appshed can transform your students into app developers! appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

The Tech Educator Podcast is a weekly round table discussion about current topics in educational technology.  For more information, please visit www.techeducatorpodcast.com. Many great ways to participate in the TechEducator Podcast. TechEducatorPodcast.com Follow us Live on Video: http://www.TeacherCast.tv Leave a Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail Email: feedback@Teachercast.net Twitter: @TechEdShow (http://www.twitter.com/techedshow) Hashtag: #TechEducator Hosts: Jeff Bradbury - TeacherCast.net - @TeacherCast Jeff Herb - InstructionalTechTalk.com - @InstTechTalk Sam Patterson - MyPaperlessClassroom.com - @SamPatue Chris Nesi - Education the Nesi Way - @MrNesi David Saunders @DesignSaunders -designsaunders.com Josh Gauthier @mrgfactoftheday -Mr Gauthier’s Tech Chat Guests: Show Information Tara Linney  coding in the curriculum https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gTRSQ2_Wnia22MKwdn9YoKm5DUUgbG0zzX6-ucQKaHw/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000 Treehouse http://teamtreehouse.com/join/first-week-free?utm_source=google&cid=1027&as_clid=297355d4-6045-4844-8f45-bcbd75433c5b:treehouse%20programming🅱g:1t1&gclid=CIKfiKG9y8ECFZNbfgodSg8A2g lIGHTBOT https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lightbot-one-hour-coding-14/id927711285?mt=8 Vocareum  http://instructionaltechtalk.com/021-coding-classroom-vocareum/ Tickle app https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/705926089/tickle-learn-to-code-using-scratch-to-make-iphone  http://www.tickleapp.com/ Coding resources http://bit.ly/1zxiWu4 Please join the TechEducator Podcast LIVE every Sunday night at 7:00 P.M. EST on http://www.TeacherCast.tv Please contact TeacherCast with any Questions or to become a guest on the show Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal)TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out our Educators Guide to Podcasting today! | Video | Slideshare Presentation Hire TeacherCast to Speak or Broadcast at your conference Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!  Contact Jeff Today! Check out more TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network Shows TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/the-teachercast-app-spotlight/) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com) The post Podcast: Preparing for the #HourOfCode . . . Student Coding Opportunities | #TechEducator 72 appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

It’s hard out there for a creative person trying to make their passion their job. In some ways being a professional crafter has gotten easier than ever; it’s now simple to set up an online store so that you can generate sales even when you’re not driving to craft fairs and trade shows. This steady income can help tide you over between those big convention hauls so that you’re not left wondering where and how you’re going to make ends meet until the next one. It used to be that this was a cash only business. It increased the risk of you being robbed, and added to the difficulty in organizing your inventory and your schedule. There are still some hardcore crafters who use a pencil and ledger to sort out their inventory and sales, and to those brave souls, good luck. For everyone else, there’s a far better way. A mobile point of sale system, coupled with a barcode reader and printer could be all you need to get things off the ground. Makes Online and in Person Stock Sync When you’re working as a crafter you can’t afford to split your inventory. Everything that you have should be for sale in your booth at conventions, and also available for purchase at your website. You need a system that’s going to sync your inventory purchase by purchase so that you don’t wind up double selling an item. Some, you might be able to replace, but when you’re dealing with handmade crafts, each one is going to be a little different. If you used up all the wool yarn of a particular dye batch finish those hats and you sell out, you’re not going to be able to replace them exactly, just give the next best thing. You don’t want to be required to explain to your online customers that you sold the stock out from under them before you realized they’dpurchased it online. A mobile barcode scanner, offered by Shopify, can be set to tick off each item when you sell it in person, meaning that it can be pulled from your website easily and without fuss. Picking the right software is one of Entrepreneur’s the ten steps to organizing your online and offline store. This will put you in a much better position with customers. People will accept something being sold out more easily than they would accept you accidentally double selling the same item. Quicker Service Means More Customers In a perfect world, everyone would patiently wait in line while you counted back change for everyone who paid with cash, or ran their card through your third-hand card scanner. In a busy and crowded place like a crafts fair, however, that’s just not the case. People will pay for convenience, as many studies show. When someone can pay digitally with a tap and then press a button to tip, the average tip size goes from about 12 percent to about 20 percent, according to Bon Apetit. People aren’t responding to how cool and fun the scanner is. They’re noticing that things are a lot easier for them when they can tap and go. A mobile point of sale system will keep their checkouts to a single swipe or tap, and having your own barcode reader means that you won’t have to spend forever trying to remember how much something cost. One scan and you’ll have the breakdown from the price to the products that go into it. Can Show You What’s in a Product Storing product information is one of the big three functions of a barcode system, according to Wired; the other two being asset tracking and creating sales orders. This means that when you’re building your barcodes, you can stick in codes for yourself. One number can mean that everything attached to an item is cruelty-free, while another could mean that it’s all handmade, from the dyes that the wool was dipped in, down to the bow that you bundle it up in. This is a great help if you’re the kind of crafter who can’t control all the things they get into. If you only knit wool hats, for example, it’s pretty easy to remember how you make them and the materials that you use. If you’re always changing your stock and trying new things this could be a lot harder. Having this information at your fingertips will impress the potential customers who come by. The longer you can detain them in conversation the greater your odds of making a sale, and the simpler the process is, the fewer chances that things will go wrong. When a payment goes wrong you run the risk of the customer possibly not wanting the item anymore. Your expertise and a quick checkout makes it difficult for them to have second thoughts, which in turn means more profit in your pocket. The post How a Mobile Barcode Reader Helps Crafters out Class the Competition appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Recently, I was having a PLC meeting with teachers in my high school.  The teacher was telling me that they were shooting video for a film project and she was having the students draw out different scenarios for the project.  She was eager to show me the work, but kept apologizing for the way that the drawings looked because "she wasn’t an artist."  I took a look at these sketches and introduced her to possibly the best tool imaginable for this type of application . . . StoryboardThat.com! StoryboardThat.com is a great way for teachers and students to brainstorm ideas for projects. It is a free application (with premium features) that allows users to create amazingly detailed storyboards for any occasion. At the heard of StoryboardThat is the Storyboard Creator Simple & Fun Interface:The storyboard creator uses a familiar drag and drop interface that users of all ages pick up in seconds. Our creator allows you to fully customize numerous aspects of your storyboard; from coloring in your own character, to adding text, we have everything you need to get the story straight! Detailed Image Library:Creating a beautiful and expressive storyboard is easy with our extensive and well curated library of over 325 characters, 225 scenes, and over 45,000 images in search. If that still isn’t enough we offer another powerful tool; the ability to upload your own images! Focus is on The Story: By using a storyboard like a graphic organizer it helps structure students work into a linear and concise story. Although it feels easy at first, breaking down ones thoughts into just a few cells works critical skills in prioritizing the right information and creating a good story flow. Registering for StoryboardThat.com Singing up for StoryboardThat is very easy.  To register, simply create a username, supply a login email and set your password.  From here, users will select their pricing plan.  The free version of StoryboardThat allows users to have a free account with access to more than 45,000 free images.  For only $9.95 a month, StoryboardThat offers an educational pricing plan that allows for private storyboards, extra administrative tools, the ability to export your storyboard to Powerpoint and Google, and the ability to upload your own personal images. After users register, they can create a new Storyboard.  Users are presented with three blank squares from which they can design in an unlimited number of ways. StoryboardThat has some great Teacher Features! If you are an educator, you can’t go wrong by checking out StoryboardThat.  Once you sign up for a Teacher account, you have access to a very dense StoryboardThat dashboard that allows you to view and organize your created storyboards, and the storyboards that are created by your students (more on this in a future blog post).  One of the best features of the StoryboardThat dashboard is the lesson planing section.  StoryboardThat provides educators with tons of examples for how to use it in your classroom with your students. Throughout the next few weeks, TeacherCast will be diving into the inner workings of StoryboardThat.com to showcase it’s great features and help you create dynamic lessons and projects for your classroom.  Interested in signing up for StoryboardThat?  TeacherCast and StoryboardThat have teamed up to provide you a great discount… by clicking on THIS LINK, you will be taken to our partner portal where you will receive a great discount for singing up today on StoryboardThat.com!  Check it out today!! In part 2 of our StoryboardThat series, we will dig into the interface of StoryboardThat and show you how to create your first Storyboard. The post Learn why teachers are turning to @StoryboardThat to create amazing lesson plans! appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Jeff sits down with Barbara and Tina, the creators of LiveBinders to disgust this revolutionary free web tool that is sweeping the educational universe. Topics Covered: What is LiveBinders? How do LiveBinders work? Creating an account Bookmarking your LiveBinder account Keeping your LiveBinder organized Sharing your LiveBinder Following other LiveBinders Helpful Tutorials Why should teachers be using LiveBinders? How should teachers be using LiveBinders? What types of resources can be found on LiveBinders?" How can students use LiveBinders? How to add things to your live binder Integrating your live binders with your social networks Taking LiveBinders with you on the road The Future of LiveBinders Websites and Apps Discussed: LiveBinders About our Guests: Barbara Tallent has a real passion for creating products that customers love and products that help them communicate. With over 25 years in the Information Technology Industry, Barbara was President/CEO of BoldFish (email marketing software), which she sold to Siebel Systems (now Oracle) She has held executive positions at a number of Internet startup companies and spent six years with NCD, eventually running the Z-Mail division which was one of the first internet email clients. She volunteers with her local schools where she focuses on technology integration and support. She also volunteers for Astia (Formerly Women’s Technology Cluster) where she coaches women on business planning for their start-ups. Tina Schneider is passionate about creating technology that connects people and ideas; her mission is to enhance digital communication through new forms of narrative. As an MFA graduate student at SF State she applied art theory practice to digital mediums. Tina continued to develop that perspective as in intern at Xerox PARC and then as software researcher with FX Palo Alto Laboratory.  In 2003 she received the prestigious Fuji Xerox Innovative Technology Award for her work addressing the communication behaviors of digital natives.  Today Tina is focusing her attention on educators, providing a platform that empowers them and their students to be knowledge leaders.   The post Learn how to curate the web using @LiveBinders | A TeacherCast Classic Podcast appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

What is a Social Media Manager? Schools today are interested in sharing their voices with not only their local community, but their global community as well.  No more is it the norm for school districts to have a simple website that brings information to it’s people in a passive format.  Items such as Facebook Pages, Twitter accounts and Mobile Apps are becoming common place amongst educational institutions. What does it take to manage all of these accounts?  A Good Social Media Manager. A Social Media Manager is someone with the mindset and drive to be the virtual voice for the school district as well as being the voice for the community inside of the conference rooms. First we will examine some of the skill sets needed to be a Social Media Manager in an educational environment. Confidential:  A Social Media Manager must be someone that is trusted and respected by the school district.  Why? Because the Social Media Manager should have access to information about the districts current plans, future plans, and understand how the district is implementing them so they can provide the best information to the community when called upon.  This means having a good line of communication with district administration.  When something great happens in the school, the Social Media Manager should be one of the first to hear about it to alert the community. When something happens that needs strategic attention, the Social Media Manager should also be in the loop to accurately provide vital information in a time of emergency. People Friendly: Your Social Media Manager should know how to get things done, and get them done quickly.  We live in a world of seconds, not minutes, and certainly not hours.  When your football team wins the big game, your twitter feed needs to be moving and moving fast.  It’s not news on Monday.  To have a successful social media strategy means that your Social Media Manager needs to be able to work with a district appointed team to bring in the needed content and bring it in quickly for accurate reporting. Community Aware: What types of devices do your community members use on a daily basis? How do they access their informaiton? What do they want to hear from the school district? How often do they want to hear it? These are some of the things that a good Social Media Manager needs to be familiar with.  There is no need to build a mobile app for your district if most of your community has no wireless access or smart phones.  If your community isn’t on Twitter (yet) you shouldn’t be tweeting as your primary source to share emergency informations.  A good social media manager works WITH the community to learn how they wish to be given the information about their students and school system. Persistence: A friend of mine once asked me "Did you see my tweet about…." This was the only tweet that my friend tweeted over a 6 month time.  He thought that by tweeting once, everyone would have seen it.  A tweet, a Facebook post, and most other forms of social media fall into the category known as "A Tree in the Woods."  If you send out one tweet, and nobody reads it… did it really exist?  A good social media manager needs to understand that the best way to build up a social following and profile is by communication repetition.  This takes… well… time and energy. These are just several of the qualities that companies and school districts should look for in a good social media manager.  Knowing how to organize everything is the other half of the battle. The last two, and most important qualities that a good social media manager needs to have is speed and patience.  Implementing a solid social media plan in a community for the first time takes planning, preparation, education, and this is a time consuming responsibility.  Things need to be done quickly and efficiently with the cooperation of several educators.  A Social Media Manager does not work alone.  They require the commitment from every building in the district as well as a commitment from their coworkers to supply content, submit videos, photos, and much more to fully realize a successful social media plan.  The Social Media Manager is only the captain of the ship… but a captain with a huge responsibility and dedication for their school and community. What is the Name of the Game? The responsibility for the Social Media Manager overwhelmingly is communication.  Your job is to speak on the level of those you are speaking to.  True, the internet has developed a code, a language, and several other gimmicks to differentiate those who are "connected" and those who "aren’t." A good Social Media Manager understands the community better than they understand themselves and is always a step ahead of the game.  Remember those little square digital boxes?  Well, now, most people understand them as Quick Response, or QR Codes.  It’s becoming common place to find them in stores all around to help promote a product.  The same goes with things such as URL’s or Hashtags.  It is the responsibility of the district, through the Social Media Manager to train their community, through communication, rather than push away through intimidating "new" tech terms. Links of interest: What is a Social Media Manager So You Want to be a Social Media Manager What is a Social Media Manager: HubSpot Social Media Manager Job Requirements and Description: Engadget 6 Must Have Attributes of a Social Media Manager What does it take to become a Social Media Manager Social Media Manager Salary Guide 6 Things your Social Media Manager Must Do to improve your Online Presence  The post Does your school district need a Social Media Manager? appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

In today’s fast-moving world, education is more important than ever. Nearly 70 percent of high school graduates are attending university according to Time, a dramatic increase over the numbers of the past decades. More and more people are graduating, and, as a result, individual degrees mean less today than they have in the past. Perhaps this is due to lowering standards. Perhaps it’s just a natural side effect of a flooded market. Or maybe it’s something else entirely. One thing is certain though, the normal model for education doesn’t guarantee a job anymore. It just doesn’t accurately model the real world, at least not in an economically viable sense. Sure, those looking to learn for learning’s sake can still read to their heart’s desire in the ivory tower, but for those who look to move the world, to organize and conquer, a new model is needed, one that convincingly prepares students for the necessities of real life. Proposed Amendments to the Current Education Model According to the Commission on Institutions of Higher Learning, change is a constant part of the education process. Innovation needs to start in the classroom if it will make its way out into the world. That’s a statement that most educators would agree with. Just how to bring that change about is another story. Many point to rising class sizes, a common feature of public and even private universities, as the cause. Some schools now have lectures that seat over 700 students at once. There is no chance for any meaningful student-professor interaction in that setting, and as a result, it is almost impossible for instructors to give students the freedom necessary to develop their ideas and collaborate in real time. Think of any business meeting or planning session in the real world, collaboration and creativity are critical. Another issue is the rising rates of tuition. The price of the average college degree rose at an average rate of 5.2 percent per year in the decade starting from 2002, reports the College Board. These high numbers mean that an enormous amount of stress is placed on students looking to succeed, and opportunities for the sort of growth and social ability that a real-world business situation demands get sacrificed for study time. Not that studying is bad, of course, but a well-rounded education needs to extend beyond the classroom and beyond books. Students need to learn how to build positive personal and productive relations, both with their peers, their professors, and their employers if they expect to succeed when classes end. Furthermore, this debt leaves a workforce that is crippled, prevents recent graduates from settling down, starting families, and buying homes. Thus, the future of many economies beyond those of universities is in serious danger. Real-World MBA Programs Luckily, a number of educators like the Hotchalk education network have recognized the growing need for an education model based on the real-world that will prepare the students of America for the challenges of the future. This model includes rigorous academics of course, as there would be no point in education without academics. However, a real-world education model goes beyond books, working to build experience in settings that model, or are, the settings that business people find themselves in every day. The President, in a message geared toward the current crisis in higher education, promised to help steer the nation towards a brighter future by implementing measures that will help graduates and universities obtain the resources necessary for success. Not surprisingly, that plan mentions the innovation currently underway in the higher education world. A White House press release points to approaches including accelerated degrees, Massive Open Online Courses, and hybrid classrooms such as online classes. These approaches certainly are growing, and they’re meeting with great success in the educational world. Students often struggle to balance work and school, along with any extra-curricular and personal activities. Thus, the prospect of flexible, online classes is an appealing one. Solutions and the Future Today’s educational landscape, although plagued with issues, offers many tangible solutions. One is the rise in schools offering M.B.A. programs online from Concordia Online Education. These programs have great appeal for people who already have a degree, participate in the workforce, and have found that their current education level is not adequate for work in the real world. The combination of flexible schedules and real-world focus is one that resonates with many who are dissatisfied with current trends. The future of education is turbulent, without a doubt. But in such times of chaos, the positive potential is often greater than during static years of stability. When everyone is comfortable, there is no impetus for change, even when comfort becomes stagnation. Thus, the future of education may not be as dark as many people think. However, it will take a good deal of conscious design to re-order the current system and allow those seeking for work to find an education that equips them for life in the real world. Additionally, companies like HotChalk Education Network are beginning to help change the education landscape by offering customized education solutions and accelerated learning programs. The post Finding a Real-World Education appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Just in time for November, Microsoft rolled out a brand new version of their popular email platform, Outlook, for users of their Office 365 platform. According to Microsoft’s website, the new Outlook delivers improved performance and reliability and a fresh look and feel that is unmistakably Microsoft Office. At the current time, there is no news in sight as to when the full release of Office 2015 (or whatever it might be called) will be released.  Users of Office can download the new Microsoft Outlook by clicking on the links below.   The following is from Microsoft’s Blog: http://blogs.office.com/2014/10/31/new-outlook-mac-available-office-365-customers/ The new Outlook for Mac includes: Better performance and reliability as a result of a new threading model and database improvements. A new modern user interface with improved scrolling and agility when switching between Ribbon tabs. Online archive support for searching Exchange (online or on-premises) archived mail. Master Category List support and enhancements delivering access to category lists (name and color) and sync between Mac, Windows and OWA clients. Office 365 push email support for real-time email delivery. Faster first-run and email download experience with improved Exchange Web Services syncing.   The new Outlook for Mac is available to Office 365 commercial customers and Office 365 Home, Office 365 Personal and Office 365 University subscribers. Office 365 Commercial customers can get the new Outlook for Mac by accessing their Office 365 Portal, (Gear icon > Office 365 Settings > Software > Outlook for Mac icon) or visiting the Software page. Office 365 consumer subscribers can get the new Outlook for Mac by going to their My Account page. For people who already have Office for Mac 2011 and Outlook for Mac 2011 installed on their Mac, check out this help article for guidance. The post Microsoft releases a brand new version of Outlook for the Mac appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Jeff sits down with Steven Anderson and Eric Sheninger to discuss how they are educating a generation of digital learners. Topics Covered: What are we looking forward to as the new school year approaches? How are we getting ready for school differently this year as opposed to in years past? Suggestions for starting our students on the right track this year? Empowering Integration How should technology be introduced into our classrooms? How can we help our teachers learn about these technologies? What types of PD should we be giving our teachers. What types of technology should be introduced into our classrooms? (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Blogs, Wiki’s, Podcasts, iPads, iPhones, internet devices) What types of accounts should we be asking our students to have? (twitter, dropbox, google…etc..) Internet Safety and Security…. Keeping students, teachers and school districts safe Should teachers use more Google in the classroom? How should we be inviting our students to share files between home and school? Having phones in school vs having iPads in schools (both students and teachers) Encouraging our students to help teachers prepare for lessons…. (finding topics online and submitting them for research materials…. livebinder activities) Are we as teachers preparing our students for the current future or the future yet to come? How are schools using and managing table devices and app purchases Websites and Apps Discussed: Poll Everywhere Text Message (SMS) Polls and Voting, Audience Response System Edmodo Secure Social Learning Network for Teachers and Students Wordle Beautiful Word Clouds Blogger Moodle open-source community-based tools for learning Ning Create a Social Networking Site with Ning, the Best Social Site Platform Twitter PD 360 The world’s first and largest online, on-demand professional development platform for educators. SimpleK12 Educational Technology Made Simple Atomic Learning  Education: Professional Development, Technology Integration and Software Training and Support Solutions - Atomic Learning Teachscape: K12 Effective Teaching | Teaching Strategies | School Performance | School Improvement | Student Achievement Groupboard Evernote Remember Everything Dropbox  Cloudbased File Storage Diigo Web Highlighter and Sticky Notes, Online Bookmarking and Annotation, Personal Learning Network. Delicious Online Bookmarks http://twitterrific.com/ Twitter Client Feeddler RSS Reader for iPad and iPhone Documents To Go® Office Suite About our Guests: Steven Anderson holds a Bachelors of Science in Middle Grades Mathematics and Science Education from Western Carolina Universityand aMaster ofArts In Education In Instructional TechnologyfromEast Carolina University. He is currently persuing an Add-On Licsenure in Administration fromAppalachian State University. Steven began teaching in 2003 theGateway Prep. Academyat theKennedy Learning Centerin theWinston-Salem/Forsyth County Schoolsin Winston-Salem, NC. There he worked with 7th and 8th grade students who were more than 2 years off of grade level in the hopes they could return to their regular school to be successful. He then moved to Clemmons Middle Schoolin the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools where he taught 7th and 8th grade Science for 5 years. He was part of a pilot program that "looped" his 7th and 8th grade students. While at Clemmons he served as Team Leader, Grade-Level Chairman, Department Chairman, School Improvement Team Member and School Improvement Team Chairman. He left Clemmons Middle to serve as the District Instructional Technologist forStokes County Schools. There, he was responsible for all technology professional development programs in the district. In January, 2010, he returned to Clemmons Middle School as the Instructional Technologist, working with teachers and students on technology integration. Currently he is a District Instructional Technologist, working with district and school administrators on how to harness the power of technology to enhance learning. He has been a presenter at several area technology conferences and meetings including NCTIES, North Carolina’s largest educational technology conference. Most recently he was selected to be a panelist at the#140 Conferencein Los Angeles, organized by Vonage founder,Jeff Pulver, where he discussed the impact of Twitter and other social media on education. As part of the conference he was one of the first recipient of the NOW Award, recognizing the "Movers and Shakers" in the world of Social Media. He returned to the #140 Conference in 2010 as a featured speaker, this time in New York City. Also in 2009 Steven was voted the Most Influential Tweeter as part of the Annual Edublog awards and was a co-recipent of the Most Influential Series of Tweets for his part in helping to create #edchat, a weekly education discussion on Twitter that boosts over 500 weekly participants. Twitter: Web20Classroom Blog: http://web20classroom.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html Eric Sheninger is the Principal at New Milford High School located in Bergen County, NJ. He is passionate about establishing and fostering learning environments that are student-centered, collaborative, flexible, and prepare all learners to succeed in the 21st Century. As an educational administrator he firmly believes that effective communication, listening, support, shared decision making, and the integration of technology are essential elements necessary for the transformation of school cultures. Eric has emerged as an innovative leader in the use of social media and web 2.0 technology as tools to engage students, improve communications with stakeholders, and help educators grow professionally.  Eric is a Google Certified Teacher, ASCD 2011 Conference Scholar, co-author of "Communicating and Connecting With Social Media: Essentials for Principals", writer for the Huffington Post, and was named to the NSBA "20 to Watch" list in 2010 for technology leadership.  He now presents and speaks nationally to assist other school leaders embrace and effectively utilize technology.   His blog, A Principal’s Reflections, earned first runner up in the Best Administrator Blog category in 2010 from Edublogs. Eric began his career in education as a Science Teacher at Watchung Hills Regional High School where he taught a variety of subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Marine Biology, Ecology) and coached several sports (ice hockey, football, lacrosse). He then transitioned into the field of educational administration as an Athletic Director/Supervisor of Physical Education & Health and Vice Principal in the New Milford School District. During his administrative career he has served as District Affirmative Action Officer and is the current president of the New Milford Administrator’s Association.  For more information on Eric visit http://ericsheninger.com http://edupln.ning.com/profile/EricSheninger http://ericsheninger.com/esheninger?sid=28 The post Boosting Student Productivity with Technology | A TeacherCast Classic Podcast appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

The Tech Educator Podcast is a weekly round table discussion about current topics in educational technology.  For more information, please visit www.techeducatorpodcast.com. Many great ways to participate in the TechEducator Podcast. TechEducatorPodcast.com Follow us Live on Video: http://www.TeacherCast.tv Leave a Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail Email: feedback@Teachercast.net Twitter: @TechEdShow (http://www.twitter.com/techedshow) Hashtag: #TechEducator Hosts: Jeff Bradbury - TeacherCast.net - @TeacherCast Jeff Herb - InstructionalTechTalk.com - @InstTechTalk Sam Patterson - MyPaperlessClassroom.com - @SamPatue Chris Nesi - Education the Nesi Way - @MrNesi David Saunders @DesignSaunders -designsaunders.com Josh Gauthier @mrgfactoftheday -Mr Gauthier’s Tech Chat Yosemite Features mentioned in this show Quicktime Record Audio Record Video Screen Capture your iOS Device iTunes Add Podcasts iTunes Match Yosemite Spotlight Please join the TechEducator Podcast LIVE every Sunday night at 7:00 P.M. EST on http://www.TeacherCast.tv Please contact TeacherCast with any Questions or to become a guest on the show Host: Jeff Bradbury @TeacherCast Email: info@teachercast.net Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal)TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out our Educators Guide to Podcasting today! | Video | Slideshare Presentation Hire TeacherCast to Speak or Broadcast at your conference Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!  Contact Jeff Today! Check out more TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network Shows TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/the-teachercast-app-spotlight/) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com) The post 10 FREE Features of #Apple #Yosemite for the Classroom Teacher | #TechEducator 73 appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Jeff sits down with Jason Glass, the Director of Education from Iowa to discuss the state of education and how teachers can prepare students for their futures. Topics Covered: The State of Education Describe our countries educational system today What are some of your favorite things to do as Director of the Department of Education Are teachers, schools, school districts ready to embrace todays technology? Working within a shrinking budget How schools are meeting the needs of our students today What technologies should we be embracing? Leaning away from? Should Technology be driven by the students, or by the teachers? (or by the community?) At what age should students be learning social technologies… and how? Should we be teaching "basic skills" in school? (long division, cursive, etc…) Websites and Apps Discussed: Twitter Evernote About our Guests: Governor Terry Branstad appointed Dr. Jason Glass as the director of the Iowa Department of Education on December 29, 2010. He was confirmed by the Iowa Senate on April 11, 2011. Director Glass has pledged that the Department of Education will focus on the values of demonstrating courageous leadership, promoting innovation in education, and acting as a servant to schools and communities in Iowa. As Director, he works with the Governor, legislators, the State Board of Education, and people across the state in supporting efforts and initiatives to restore Iowa’s tradition as a national leader in education and to lead transformative change. Born and raised in a family of educators, and married to a teacher, Director Glass’s career in education spans more than 15 years where he has worked in a variety of roles and diverse settings. After teaching at the high school and university levels in Kentucky, Director Glass worked for the Colorado Department of Education in ensuring a quality education for students with disabilities. Director Glass served as vice president of Qualistar Early Learning in Denver, Colorado where he helped develop an early childhood education quality rating system and raised funds to help providers make needed improvements. He was the Director of Human Resources for Eagle County Schools in Colorado, a pioneering district in innovative human resources strategies including performance-based compensation. In 2010, Director Glass joined Battelle for Kids as Senior Director of Human Capital, providing states and districts counsel in implementing transformational change as part of the federal Race to the Top program in Tennessee and Ohio. Director Glass is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where he received a Bachelor’s degree and two Master’s degrees, and holds a Doctorate in Education from Seton Hall University. The post How do I become the Director of Education of an entire state? | A TeacherCast Classic Podcast appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Have you ever wanted to download a creative commons video from YouTube to work with your students on a great project?  Here’s a great way to do it.  Select a creative commons video you wish to use (or even a video that you already posted to your own YouTube Channel) and simply type "ss" before the "Y" in YouTube.  This will then transport you to a downloading site called SaveFrom.net where you can download the creative commons video to your hard drive. The post Download Creative Commons Videos from YouTube for Class Projects | #GoogleDriveInUnder5 appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Jeff sits down with Dr. Bill Brennan to discueshis views on education, social media, parent involvement and much more.  For more information, please visit www.TeacherCast.net. About Dr. Brennan Dr. Bill Brennan (@DrBillBrennan) is Lead Innovator in Farmingdale Public Schools. A graduate of Fordham University’s Doctoral program in Educational Leadership, Bill led a National Study of School Principals, Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning. Dr. Brennan continues to teach, write and speak on building digital age learning organizations. He challenges school leaders to re-design organizations to better cultivate human and social capital in the Digital Age. Topics Covered Farmingdale School District What is a Lead Innovator? Growing a Social Media Presence in your School District and Community How do you Unlearn something? Public Speaking: Keynotes / TEDx etc Professional Development Opportunities in the NYC area Long Island Links of Interest @DrBillBrennan BrennanLearning.com Please contact TeacherCast with any Questions or to become a guest on the show    * Host: Jeff Bradbury@TeacherCast    * Email: info@teachercast.net    * Voice Mail: http://www.TeacherCast.net/voicemail    * YouTube: http://www.TeacherCast.net/YouTube    * iTunes: http://www.TeacherCast.net/iTunes Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal)TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity Interested in starting your own podcast? Check out our Educators Guide to Podcasting today! | Video | Slideshare Presentation Hire TeacherCast to Speak or Broadcast at your conference Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!  Contact Jeff Today! Check out more TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network Shows TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/education/teachercast-broadcasting/the-teachercast-app-spotlight/) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com) The post A Conversation with Dr. Bill Brennan (@DrBillBrennan) appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

In this presentation, we will take a look at what a 21st Century Classroom might look like.  We will discuss and demonstrate: Website Creation, Audio/Video creation and distribution, Teaching in a Mobile Environment, Student Content Creation and more. Learn how to create a website and add dynamic Web 2.0 content to enrich your classroom and engage your students. Website Creation WordPress Weebly Blogger Kidblog Wikispaces Google Sites Photography Services Flickr Photobucket Photoshelter Picasa Video Creation YouTube Editor WeVideo JayCut Apps Audio VC Audio Pro BossJock Studio Dropvox Quick Voice to Text Mixlr Garageband Podcasts PodCruncher Video iMovie Tout UStream YouTube Vimeo Pinnacle Videolicious Splice ReelDirector Super 8TM Viddy Magisto Udemy Blogging WordPress Kidblog Blogger Blogpress Creative Apps Scan (QR Code Reader) Genius Scan (Create PDF’s of Documents) 360 (Take 360 Degree Photos) Story Creator Pro eBook Creator Digital Storage Dropbox Box Memory Stick Educator Productivity Keynote Pages Bento Skype GooglePlus Dragon Dictation Team Viewer Teachers Assistant Pro Google Maps iFiles MindNode TinyVox RGB/HSB/HEX GV Connect Tango Google Voice Google Earth Google Search GoDocs Google Drive CardMunch Google Chrome Remind101 TeacherKit Attendance Schoology Student Content Creation Websites LiveBinders SchoolTube Links of Interest Why should students watch videos? Using SchoolTube in the Classroom Ladue Broadcast Technology The post Creating a Paperless Classroom | A @TeacherCast Workshop Presentation appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Are you interested in video editing? Are you looking to take control of your imagination?  In this workshop, we will examine Apple’s Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor applications and teach you how to take your video projects to a whole new level! Workshop Objectives In this workshop, we will explore Final Cut Pro from a classroom perspective.  We will learn how to use this simple, but powerful video editing tool to it’s fullest potential with your students and share some classroom activities you can do in almost any grade level. Topics Covered Capturing Video on a mobile device Capturing Video on a desktop or laptop Importing Video from a mobile device Importing Video from your desktop Organizing video in your FCPX Libraries A Tour of FCPX Simple Editing Adding Titles and Transitions Working with Photos What are Metadata and Keywords? Creating Motion Graphics the easy way Working with Audio Hidden Features of FCPX Apple Motion and Compressor Exporting your project Archiving your projects when finished Teachercast Created Resources TeacherCast Final Cut Pro X Online Learning Center Learn how to use Final Cut Pro X in 30 minutes or less (FCPX) 20+ Effective ways to use Final Cut Pro X in the classroom | #TechEducator Podcast #47 FCPx Learn How to use Apple Final Cut Pro X in YOUR Classroom! (FCPX) Podcast: Learn how to teach your students about video production in #apple #motion from @deysonortiz | #TechEducator 61 Websites of Interest Final Cut Pro Homepage: https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/ Video Series | Final Cut Pro X in under 5 minutes: http://www.rippletraining.com/categories/macbreak/under-5-series.html http://www.fcp.co The post Is Final Cut Pro X the right tool for my classroom video projects? | A @TeacherCast Workshop #FCPX appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Jeff sits down with Patrick Larkin from Burlington High School and Jessica Johnson to discuss how they use iPads and technology in their schools. Topics Covered: Starting the school year off with a bang… How to prepare for the new semester What are todays expectations for our students? Graduates? Teachers? Schools? Administrators? Using Social Media in our schools and classrooms Should Teachers blog/tweet?, Should Schools blog/tweet? How can schools develop safe methods for using Social Media in the classroom How to use todays technology to communicate with parents How to teach todays parents about what their kids are learning Safe ways to continue educating after the bell has rung How to make the most use of our iPad….. How to use the iPad to maximize productivity in yourself… and in your staff How to run a class… or school using an iPad and what apps to choose Personal Learning Networks Creating a 1:1 environment for our schools Websites and Apps Discussed: Splashtop Remote ScreenChomp Evernote Google Apps Flipboard Blogger About our Guests: Jessica Johnson is the Elementary Principal for the Dodgeland School District in Juneau, Wisconsin.  She has previously served as a teacher, instructional coach, and Assistant Principal in Minnesota and Arizona.  When she made the move from a large urban Phoenix school district to rural Wisconsin she found the isolation of the administrative role to be like an island.  She was fortunate enough to discover twitter and continue to learn from others in her Professional Learning Network, which continues to grow each day.  She has begun presenting the power of twitter to educators/administrators at conferences in Wisconsin (along with other Wisconsin principals she found on twitter). In addition she is a co-moderator for the #educoach chat on twitter.  You can find her on twitter as @PrincipalJ or follow her blog at www.PrincipalJ.blogspot.com. Patrick Larkin is the Principal of Burlington High School in Massachusetts where he is in his 14th year as a high school administrator and seventh as a building Principal. Prior to serving as a school administrator, Patrick was a high school English teacher. As an Assistant Principal, Patrick was named Assistant Principal of the Year in the state of Massachusetts. He also is a former Executive Board member in the Massachusetts Secondary Schools Administrators Association (MSSAA) and he recently completed a two year term as a member of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Public Secondary Schools. Patrick’s school will be making the transition to a 1:1 environment for the 2011-2012 school year. He is active presenting to colleagues on the power of social media for administrators, teachers, and students.  In addition, he is an avid blogger and a proponent of social media to better engage teachers, students, and parents in the education process. Patrick is one of the founders of theConnected Principals Blog and #cpchat on Twitter. He is one of the authors of the Super Book of Web Tools for Educators, an avid blogger and a proponent of social media to better engage teachers, students, and parents in the education process. Both Burlington High School and Patrick have been highlighted in national and regional publications during Patrick’s tenure at BHS. T.H.E. Journal - When Students Run The Help Desk Fox 25 Boston Checks Out Our iPad Deployment USA Today - Students Cast Wide Net For Mentoring With PLN’s Edutopia - How My School Is Transitioning to Digital Textbooks (Organizing: Step 1 of 5) Edutopia - A Web 2.0 Class: Students Learn 21st Century Skills, Collaboration, Digital Citizenship Converge Magazine - Principals Learn Through Social Media Converge Magazine - Four Ways To Transform Your School Culture   T.H.E. Journal - Tweets For Teachers Boston Globe - Laptop Learning "I have learned more from my Personal Learning Network (PLN) in less than two years than I did in my previous decade in education," says Larkin. "This is the most exciting time in history to be involved in education and I am enjoying every minute of it! Patrick is a graduate of Assumption College and he received his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Framingham State College. You can find Patrick’s blog here. The post How do principals use iPads in their school? | A TeacherCast Classic Podcast appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Saying that college paper writing could be made easy is a little pretentious. There are many problems you encounter when you need to write on a boring topic and the deadline is pressuring you. Maybe you don’t have enough ideas, you don’t understand what the topic of the paper calls for, you cannot find the right resources or you simply cannot construct a properly-structured academic paper. Regardless of the challenges you are facing, these tools will help you find a solution: Notesy You may think that academic writing is the most complicated thing in the world, but you’ll understand that it’s easier than it first appears as soon as you go back to simplicity. Notesy is a simple text editor that will help you take important notes and stay away from distractions while working on that paper. The app enables you to preview files, search for information, view links, and do much more than the usual note-taking apps allow you to.   NinjaEssays When all attempts fail and you are certain that you cannot complete that project all on your own, it’s time to bring out the big guns. NinjaEssays enables you to hire professional writing and editing assistance and rely on a real expert from the niche. There is no better way to complete a well-researched, authoritative paper no matter how short the deadline is. TED If the particular topic doesn’t spark any ideas, then TED is the perfect place to start looking for them. Today’s college students can hardly imagine their lives without this website that holds an immense amount of resources provided by experts in various fields. Encyclopedia.com Since your professors do not consider Wikipedia to be a relevant academic resource (who could blame them?), you need to find another place that holds information on any topic you need to research. That’s Encyclopedia.com. At this website, you will find valuable links to authoritative reference books that you can feel free to rely on. HippoCampus If you missed few classes or you simply don’t understand the course material properly, then you’ll appreciate this website. HippoCampus offers lectures from the fields of sociology, economics, psychology, biology, algebra, earth science, history and government, and other niches. Google Docs This is where you write the actual content. Google Docs enables you to create and save all your papers, calendars, spreadsheets, and other types of documents. The best part is that you can use it for your team projects and collaborate with your teammates in the quickest, easiest manner. Evernote Academic writing calls for some serious note-taking. Evernote is the best resource you could use during the brainstorming and research phases. You can organize your notes and access them at any time.Writing Kit This iPad app is unbelievably helpful during the research and writing stage. It syncs your documents to Dropbox and enables you to work on the paper whenever you get inspired. Tablets are not that comfortable and reliable when it comes to writing academic content, but Writing Kit changes that. Outliner Skipping the outlining stage of academic writing is not a smart thing to do. The outline will keep your paper organized and your arguments connected to the main thesis. Instead of outlining the paper in your usual word processor, you can use Outliner - an app that enables you to create a clean outline and rearrange the different parts with the easy-to-use drag-and-drop feature.     Dictionary.com When an academic term confuses you, Dictionary.com is the right place to turn to. This website provides you with more than simple definitions of terms; it links you to other useful tools and can serve as a reliable style guide. Now that you have the right tools, it’s time to write that paper! You might not be aware of the importance of academic writing, but practice will improve your communication skills regardless of the career you are going to pursue. You won’t complain when you start getting higher grades, so use the above-listed tools and start writing better papers.           The post Tools That Make College Paper Writing Easy appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

There’s an old business saying along the lines of "Never annoy anyone on your way to the top, because you may need their help when you are on the way down". Basically, I take that to mean try and treat everyone right, and they will treat you right when you need them, (even if you are still on the way up). Earlier this week I got a call from a very influential/well-known UK Institute. They had a problem. They had contacted me because I have 2 specific skills - #Articulate #Storyline and #Sparkol #Videoscribe - two products that are essential for their project rollout. They need nearly 100 short, 10/12-slide, 10-minute courses produced - originally the deadline was sometime early in 2015, it is now late August 2014. It is almost the end-June now. There will be around 30-40 standalone Videoscribes to produce after that. I went to see them, to see what I could do to help, if anything. To cut a long story short, after the meeting I placed a call to a Storyline colleague, to see if he could help, because there is no way I can do this on my own. He told me that he had diversified from Storyline, and had entered the Video Marketing world too using a new product - had I heard of a product called "Sparkol Videoscribe"? He also knows of another resource who can help us with these skills. Sometimes - the planets just align perfectly. In the meeting, both the client and I accepted the project dates were bordering on insanity, however, after a couple of hours, some laying down of the production "rules", and some networking, this project has become completely realistic. I’m not saying it will be easy, but 1 person has become 3, and the light at the end of the tunnel is certainly brighter than it was. In contacting this colleague, and giving some work AWAY, a project is now more likely to happen, with me at the middle, managing it, and client panic (hopefully) turning to client delight and future repeat business. I believe that effective Freelancer networks are ESSENTIAL, especially in my own eLearning business world . There are so many products and tools, no-one can be effective in them all. Work with REAL people, contact REAL people, and do not just be "Social Media Friends". Be REAL friends and REAL colleagues. I am totally sick and tired of social media contacts to "Like" and "Friend" and so on - where they just ask, but offer no explanation WHY they want me to like, friend, buddy, connect and generally add to my Inbox. That way, a massive piece of business, crazy to look at on paper MIGHT just become a workable reality with one phonecall. Freelancers often on PC/mobile tools to be effective, but do not, ever forget the value of ongoing contacts, and the occasional social call just in case you need their help.

Like you, I get bombarded by feeds from social media, and frankly, I’m getting bored by most of them. For me - social media is about sharing thoughts, sharing observations, helping other freelancers, perhaps give away the odd company secret and/or technique for success. I am bored of getting endless re-posts, re-tweets, recommendations, and posts purporting to share knowledge that hide under a thin veil of "Buy my/our product". I appreciate the concept of "curating", but it does NOT just mean "Here’s a collection of stuff that you could probably find yourself if you learned how to use a Search Engine correctly". Many instructional designers, and many freelancers live in 1-person worlds, where communication time is short, and valued. I’d much rather receive a post from a co-worker, colleague or friend that asked an original question than get an In-Box full of content that was supposedly showing me the "52-best ways…" to do something, or covertly advertising something I do not need. I’d love to see more questions, more engagement, and more relationships formed rather than the same information going round and round. Let’s give more - more of us, not more of others.

Jeff sits down with Jeffrey Bennett to discuss his new book On Teaching Science and how your students can have an astronaut read to them from the International Space Station. About Big Kid Science Big Kid Science (www.bigkidscience.com) offers fun and scientifically accurate educational products, including award-winning books, school programs, author visits, and activities and resources for individuals, families, and classroom teachers. On Teaching Science: Principles and Strategies That Every Educator Should Know Math for Life: Crucial Ideas You Didn’t Learn in School (Updated Edition) Max Goes to the Space Station Max Goes to Mars Max Goes to Jupiter Max Goes to the Moon The Wizard Who Saved the World Links of Interest Website: http://jeffreybennett.com | www.bigkidscience.com | www.storytimefromspace.com Twitter: @JeffreyOBennett Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeffrey-Bennett/159547380906805 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BigKidScience About Dr. Bennett Dr. Jeffrey Bennett (http://jeffreybennett.com) is an astronomer and educator in Boulder, Colorado. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in astrophysics and a B.A. in biophysics. He is the recipient of the 2013 American Institute of Physics Science Communication Award and the Entertainment Industries Council Science Engineering and Technology (SET) Award. He is the author of On Teaching Science, Math for Life, and What Is Relativity? He is also the author of five award-winning children’s books about science, which are currently onboard the International Space Station being read by astronauts as a part of Story Time From Space (www.storytimefromspace.com). The post Learn how to have an astronaut on the International Space Station read to your students | (@JeffreyOBennett) appeared first on TeacherCast.net: Educational Blogs, Podcasts, App Reviews and more. … Read more

Apart from the fact that a good Instructional Designer should probably not begin ANY sentence with "and", this blog post celebrates the triumphant return of The Monty Python Team, (nearly all of them…) to the London stage last night, and some complete silliness from a Skype discussion I had earlier. I was trying to discuss the merits of 14:9 Articulate Storyline slide dimensions with a colleague versus 4:3. When I type :3 something wonderful happened…. It interprets :3 as a cat licking its paw. I never knew that, and I suspect you did not either. Unless you are cleverer than me and understand social media more. Or talk about eLearning or PowerPoint slide dimensions a lot in your Skype-life. If you did NOT know this, promise me that next time you Skype someone, at an opportune moment you will just type :3, and then pretend you have no idea what you did. We all have to right to be silly once in a while - and on that note "Hurrah for Monty Python!" I just need to slap someone with a fish now…..  

I was recently at an event looking at how to use a "Crowdsourcing model" for #eLearning. Broadly, there seemed to be 2 perspectives. "Crowdsourcing is a way for groups of networked individuals in a Crowd to create content for clients, and the crowd benefits". "A Crowd enables clients to quickly assess individual skills in the group, and choose individuals for their projects". The first focused on benefits for the Crowd, the second focused on benefits for individuals IN a Crowd environment. I see the second option as more valid and workable. Like Star Trek - we are still individuals, and do not have a Borg "Hive-mind", (yet!) The Crowd (for me) is a way to link people with similar skills and aspirations, and make that accessible to clients. The end activity may not benefit the entire group, there is still a "competitive" element. Even Crowd funding still only benefits the ones that successfully. These 2 positions were amplified in a discussion on Portfolios. I suggested they should be on a subject of the Crowd member’s choosing, of a fixed length. Everyone would have a similar chance to shine, demonstrating their talents and vision to prospects. Some people recommended the subject should be what "the creator was passionate about", such as a sport. I am just not convinced by this argument. Do commercial prospects REALLY want to see this? Another view was that Portfolios should show the "skills of the Crowd" - benefitting "the whole". I do not see this as workable or scalable. A "portfolio by committee" could be a huge and lengthy undertaking, and secondly, as soon as (say…) another 100 people join the crowd, you would have to repeat the process again. In any herd (real or virtual) - there are leaders and followers. In any online community there are "lurkers" and "doers". Being in a Crowd does not guarantee anyone will require the skill you offer, Crowds, for me, benefit the member IF they possess skills the rest of the herd need, and it becomes a skill-exchange from people with known skills and shared values. As they become more prevalent, the skill as I see it, is joining the correct group/community. The Crowd provides benefits to clients if they reduce purchase time, and provide access to a community of tried and tested (?) individuals. If I were a client, I would want the Crowd to demonstrate diversity of approach, so that I could choose what I thought would work. I would just not be interested in "the Crowd" as an entity. If I audition for 4 different voiceovers I need for some eLearning, I do not want people to audition as a Barber-Shop Quartet unless I specify it. I want to use the Crowd to provide me with INDIVIDUALS as options. I do not see a model where the Crowd benefits everyone in that Crowd, especially for eLearning. This is still a market where the INDIVIDUAL is what matters, not a Crowd of individuals. Perhaps an individual like me then goes as a client TO the Crowd, and chooses a few people to help them, but I am still unsure of how the Crowd works as a concept other then this. I just can’t see the Crowd benefiting everyone in it. It’s another mechanism to benefit the (single) Buyer, and the few SINGLE individuals in the Crowd that end up servicing the project. Please help me understand more - am I missing something?

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I cooked a steak for supper yesterday, and finished off the mushroom, onions and red wine sauce with some umami powder. Some what? Umami - the taste of "savoury meatiness", found in parmesan cheese, lemon peel, mushrooms, and synthesized as monosodium glutamate, or "flavour enhancer". Scientifically identified in 1908, yet we still mainly teach that there are 4 tastes - sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Why over 100 years later is the term still in its infancy? What’s this got to do with Instructional Design? Well… We still talk about "learning styles" - perhaps they should just be viewed as preferences? Many people still let SMEs give us bullet points, but how often do we explain what bullet points ACTUALLY ARE? (…how many of us know?) We still mainly "tell" in courses, rather than let people discover their errors, and then learn how to solve problems. We are scared of people feeling as though they "failed", (even if they DID, but we then explain WHY and let them practice for success, in a safe, online environment). How long will it be before we have the courage, as a profession, to constantly and assertively let our Subject Matter Experts and customers know that there IS another way, that there is an alternative to linear courses? Changing perceptions and comfort zones is a hard road to follow, but it IS our job to do it. Challenging can be scary, especially when the next invoice is riding on it, but ultimately, it is HUGELY rewarding, both for us, and our clients.