Podcasts (audio) and vodcasts (video) are resources made available to download via the Internet and designed to be used on mobile devices or computers. Podcasts can take learning beyond the classroom encapsulating a wide range of content for example traditional broadcast media, whole lectures, short project updates or personal reflections after a conference. Tutors can communicate ideas effectively and students can even create their own podcasts to record placement logs, conduct interviews for research projects or to use in their assessment submissions. Podcasts are also great revision aids giving students the opportunity to reuse them as often as required.  This can be especially helpful for international students. The full guide can be accessed on this topic can be accessed here.

Download the guide for podcasting

M-Lab Tools Website M-Lab provides tools to test your Internet connection and perform diagnostics. What do you think of M-Lab Tools?

Picmeleo Website Picmeleo is a free online photo editor that you can embed on your website letting your users upload and edit images on your site. What do you think of Picmeleo?

TestMy Website TestMy is a bandwidth speed test and Internet connection comparison tool. TestMy offers the ability to log speed test results, test upload speed and automatically test connection speed. What do you think of TestMy?

Unitag QR Code Website Unitag lets you create a customised QR code. Choose your colours and size as well as adding a logo. What do you think of Unitag QR Code?

Bandwidth Place Website Bandwidth Place provides an Internet speed test with the aim of examining actual broadband connection speeds - upload and download. What do you think of Bandwidth Place?

Google Apps Webinars Website This page provides links to forthcoming and archived webinars on topics relevent to using Google Apps for education. For more videos and webinars, visit the Google Apps YouTube channel. What do you think of Google Apps Webinars?

Google Apps for Education Website This website provides links to webinars, events, and usergGroups enabling you to connect with Google's Education team, their partners, and other educational institutions using Google Apps. What do you think of Google Apps for Education?

Rizzoma Website Rizzoma is a collaborative tool that tracks the context of your conversation automatically, allowing you to grow a conversation wherever you need and keep track of all the changes and additions in one place. Structure your documents in ways that make sense to you. What do you think of Rizzoma?

iPiccy Website iPiccy provides many easy to use photo tools. Edit pictures, apply beautiful photo effects, add text and even paint! What do you think of iPiccy?

Testmoz Website Testmoz is a test generator that supports 4 question types (true/false, multiple choice, multiple response, fill in the blank questions), automatic grading, simple interface and detailed reports. No registration required. Password protect enabled. What do you think of Testmoz?

gClassFolders gClassFolders is a Google-Spreadsheet-based add-on for Google Apps for EDU that creates class folders for students and teachers to simplify and streamline their experience of using Google's world class productivity and collaboration tools in the classroom.What do you think of gClassFolders?

The Great Language Game WebsiteThe Great Language Game challenges you to distinguish between some eighty or so languages based on their sound alone.What do you think of The Great Language Game?

Varsity Tutors WebsiteVarsity Tutors provides free flashcards and practice tests. Detailed results and statistics provided. The site contains over 35,000 professionally written problems and thousands of practice tests across 120 subjects. What do you think of Varsity Tutors?

There are many, many pockets of excellence in classroom/student blogging out there. These blogs are driven, coached and nurtured by educators who "get it". They get how blogging makes a difference in student learning, supports 21st century modern learning skills and literacies and at the same time basic reading and writing skills. These educators understand blogging FOR their students. [insert a screeching sound of breaks] …then it STOPS!… Why? The students move on from those teachers classes to the next grade level or school with a teacher who: has never heard of blogs (hence does not use them) sees blogs as an add on and too much work (Who has time to moderate and comment on so much student writing???) uses blog posts as a digital space to collect typed up homework assignments (Instead of a new writing genre, capable of multi-layers, higher order thinking/writing skills and multi-dimensional) You can visibly see the engagement, ownership and learning curve when you look at pockets of excellence, such as Linda Yollis’ 2nd/3rd grade blog or Kathy Cassidy’s 1st grade classroom and student blogs.  We can assess the learning taking place of a set of students (during one grade level) with a committed-to-quality-blogging teacher. What we CAN’T do with pockets of excellence is to track and identify LONG TERM gains in blogging as a LEARNING PLATFORM. I see how the  Yokahama International Middle School  (Grades 6-8), has laid the foundation with their student blogs for a CONTINUOUS effort to document, reflect and assess their students progress ACROSS time. My current school, Martin J Gottlieb Day School also has an opportunity to implement student blogfolios across ALL grade levels (K-8) and build on skills from year to year. George Couros on The Principal of Change blog wrote in a post titled 5 Reasons your Students Should Blog about his school division and effort to developing blogs as portfolios with their students. They are bringing blogs to approximately 10,000 students! How are they/we: coordinating efforts across grade levels to help teachers and students BUILD ON  skills (ex. hyperlinked writing) continuing to weave a thread that CONNECTS reflections (ex. self-portraits art pieces with a reflective text/audio/video piece attached) giving evidence of learning at one particular moment in time and show growth ACROSS TIME  (ex. presentation skills, math number sense, gross-motor skills, etc.) In an effort to provide a framework for our teachers from Kindergarten to 8th grade, I attempted to make my own thinking visible in regards to our classroom blogs and student blogfolios. Each page addresses one grade level. I have divided the page into 2 main sections with the following subsections: classroom blog teacher responsibilities student responsibilities (on classroom blog) student blogfolios skills (new skills introduced at particular grade levels are highlighted in yellow) categories (trying to standardize categories to be used across grade levels. Ex. writing, reading, presentation, Science, Math, etc.) Reflection (examples of media that could be used to create a reflection in response to learning artifact) Examples of learning artifacts (Ex. Science fair presentation, About Me page, Self-portrait art work, visible thinking of solving a Math problem, etc.) This framework was not created to be written in stone, but as a starting point for teachers to refer to, as they students are building skills of writing in digital spaces, become reflective learners and establish a positive digital footprint. It is meant to allow a progression of learning artifacts coupled with reflection paint a picture of each student’s learning journey throughout our school. The framework is to guide teachers in providing a smooth transition from one grade level to another and ensure a continuation AND growth in skills. Where are other schools who are creating maps for continues use of the blogging framework for learning, reflecting and sharing? Can we put our heads together, as we are tracking and assessing the continued use of blogs FOR learning? Please connect with this blog or via Twitter. Download the Blogging Framework as a pdf file.      

It sounds so cool to say "We have/use iPad in our school/classroom".  Parents, community members and stakeholders might equal hearing such a statement with the assurance that the teacher/school is on the cutting edge of technology and their students are being prepared for a new world.  iPads (just as Smartboards used to) are a visual, easily counted and recognizable icon for such assurance.  Many schools around the globe are jumping on that proverbial "iPad bandwagon" iPads are being handed out to faculty. a small number of devices or a class iPad cart is made available for classrooms to checkout. students might be asked to bring, lease or use school owned devices to create a 1:1 environment You might be one of the teachers who is excited about the possibilities or apprehensive and fearful of the seemingly overwhelming task in front of you how to manage your classroom, students and the devices AND at the same time use them to improve student learning. You might be thinking… I HAVE iPADS IN THE CLASSROOM! NOW WHAT? Having the device in the classroom is NOT EVEN half the battle (not even close…).Understanding how the device will serve as a tool to help create a new learning environment for your students is the real objective. Chris Crouch, as a guest blogger on Scott McLeod’s Dangerously Irrelevant blog in a post titled We Have a BYOD porgram, but now what? expresses his concerns I’m concerned that educators are trying to adapt 20th century practices and experiences to the future we can’t even define yet. This phenomenon manifests itself typically by the rapid and ill-advised adoption of any and all technological products [...]  the instructional shift that must happen to fully capture the power of this movement is grossly behind the crest. As Chris points out the instructional shift in BYOD classrooms in general, I am trying to define and chisel around the concept of fluency/ workflow/learnflow as it pertains to iPads. It is about pedagogy, the art and science of education, that we must keep in the forefront of minds, not the apps, not a substitution of the way we have done things for years and decades. What are the considerations that must be present as we plan, explore and implement?  How does the "instructional shift" that Chris mentions above manifests itself in teachers’ lesson plans, "delivery" and assessment? Take a look at my slidedeck below, where I try to point to educational models that support an instructional shift classroom management considerations find a balance when to use the device and when to close it going beyond the bells and whistles at different constellations of iPads in the classroom examples from the classroom that try to model beyond the substitution of paper and pencil I don’t have the answers, but am willing to SHARE my thoughts and explorations. What can you contribute to the conversation? I have iPads in the Classroom. Now What? from Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

Professional Learning Board just released a Self-study  iPads in the Classroom course I wrote. It is a  self-directed course to take in your own time and at your own speed. "You have an iPad in your classroom, now what?" The iPad helps us prepare today’s student for today’s world in more ways than we could ever do using traditional teaching strategies. However to achieve heights in teaching and learning, teachers need to understand much more than just how to use an iPad. This course has been specially designed for teachers who are just beginning to use iPads or those who are considering using them. Rather than a focus on learning to operate an iPad, this course will help teachers gain knowledge about different ways by which the iPad can be integrated into the process of learning. In addition to practical learning activites and ideas, it helps the teacher prepare the classroom environment and schedule for the introduction of iPads. It helps teachers to plan and organize iPad use, so that it is efficient and smooth. At the end of this course teachers will be able to: Learn to use an Ipad Find and use apps for teaching Organize iPad activities in the classroom Set up the classroom environment to encourage efficient iPad us Manage technical tasks related to iPad maintenance including charging, updating and storing. Use iPads to teach and practice 21st century skills including communicating, collaborating, connecting, creating and critical thinking. And so much more! If you are interested, I have a few promotional codes.  I will send a code for 50% off the course (regularly $39) to the first few readers who contact me . First come first serve.    

The following slidedeck was prepared for AdvancED Latin American Administrators‘ conference. The theme of the conference was Cultivating Learner Success Learning How To Learn: Let’s talk about LEARNING, not technology! from Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano Further Resources: A 21st Century Education Degrees based on what you can do, not how long you went Clarifying the Shifts in 21t Century Education 7 Most Powerful Idea Shifts in Learning Incoming Process

There is more to blogging with your students than simply creating a blog and starting to copy and paste work, that traditionally was done on a paper journal or worksheet in the classroom, into that digital space. Blogging is about quality and authentic writing in digital spaces with a global audience in mind, observing digital citizenship responsibilities and rights, as one documents, reflects, organizes and makes one’s learning and thinking visible and searchable. Not a small endevour… but worth it in the end…

Thanks to Maggie Hos-McGrane, I learned about a MOOC (Massive Onine Open Course) on Coursera by Match Education titled Coaching Teachers- Promoting Changes That Stick. The course is taught by Orin Gutlerner I have never taken a MOOC and thought this might be a good opportunity to try in order to experience a new type of learning, observe and be aware of the different structure and framework of teaching in such a course and in the meanwhile actually learn about coaching teachers as well. I am also trying to hone my skills in sketchnoting and will take notes in forms of sketches throughout the 5 week course. My goal is to compare my recall and articulation of the information learned via sketches versus summarizing via my traditional blog post writing.   Week 1 (May 9th - 16th) This week’s content will introduce you to our big ideas about effective teacher coaching. In particular, we will draw a distinction between what is sometimes thought of as "good" coaching, and what we consider to be "effective" coaching that promotes meaningful change in the classroom and more student learning. You will also be introduced to our Effective Coaching Formula, the variables of which will be the topics for the subsequent three weeks. Week 1 (May 9th - 16th) This week’s content will introduce you to our big ideas about effective teacher coaching. In particular, we will draw a distinction between what is sometimes thought of as "good" coaching, and what we consider to be "effective" coaching that promotes meaningful change in the classroom and more student learning. You will also be introduced to our Effective Coaching Formula, the variables of which will be the topics for the subsequent three weeks. Week 2 (May 17th - 23rd) The Fixed Mindset Tax is the learning penalty a coach pays when working with a teacher who does not believe that they are capable of growing their practice or mastering a particular teacher skill. This week offers practical solutions for overcoming what Carol Dweck refers to as "fixed mindset" in a teacher coaching session, as well as tools for promoting a "growth mindset" that will allow teachers to be motivated and optimistic about improving their practice. Week 3 (May 24th - 30th) The Clarity of Instructional Vision is the extent to which coach and teacher agree and can communicate about what constitutes excellent instruction. This week will make the case for the importance of developing a common instructional language, and will also introduce you in great detail to the Match Teacher Residency vision for an optimal learning environment. Week 4 (May 31st - June 6th) Quality of Feedback is all about organizing an effective teacher coaching meeting. You will learn the Match Teacher Residency protocol for structuring your debrief cycle by watching examples of the protocol in action. Week 5 (June 7th - June 13th) Time to show what you know! This week is for completing the final assessment, the Coaching Debrief Annotation Assignment. The assignment will ask you to view a teacher coaching meeting and annotate the conversation by indicating the various best practices you have learned during the previous four weeks. After the assignment is due (6/13), you’ll have one week to review and grade the work of four of your peers.  

Following Week 1, I am continuing to sketchnote my take-aways from the MOOC: Coaching Teachers- Promoting Changes That Stick. This week was a continuation of looking deeper at characteristics exhibited by a fixed mindset and recommendations on how to help teachers move towards a growth mindset. The videos and support material suggest to make coachees aware of the different characteristics, develop a common language to be able to talk about them and to work towards overcoming them. The instructor, Orin Gutlerner, suggests to watch the sample videos together with coachees, in order to practice recognizing potential "Horesemen characteristics" in their own behaviors.

I am in week 3 of the MOOC Coaching Teachers- Promoting Changes that Stick. You can take a peek at my sketchnotes from Week 1  and Week 2. This week focused on the variable "Clarity of Instructional Vision". It was stressed that a "coach’s job is not just to get teachers to change behaviors but to promote changes that will have meaningful impact on student experiences. The student facing rubric called "the Kraken" was introduced.  I like the term "student facing", because we can’t forget that in the end the "greatest teacher" is not necessarily an effective teacher if their students are not learning. [ The same type of thinking needs to apply when using shiny, cutting edge technology tools. We need to be looking at students. Do the devices or tools impact student learning? ]

This is Week 4 of the MOOC-Coaching Teachers: Promoting Changes that Stick by Match Education. Week 4 talks about Quality of Feedback and follows Week 1:Big Ideas about Effective Teacher Coaching, Week 2: Fixed Mindset Tax and Week 3: Clarity of Instructional Vision See my sketchnotes below. I am seeing the benefits of organizing, summarizing, sketching the main points of my notes. The process of sketching, the time spent thinking about the content as I am sketching, seems to cement the content, the relationships and connections of the content at a different level than text note taking alone. I am wondering if 6 months down the road, I still will be able to recall more details of the information from the MOOC by simply looking at the sketchnote?