It’s a great time to be a book lover. Not only are we graced with libraries and bookstores full of all kinds of stories and information, but we also have the vast catalogues of online info and eBooks. Any book you want to find, you can purchase and read within seconds. Many applications exist to help us access and read this information. These apps are available on many devices, including smartphones. However, digitalbookworld.com says that many people don’t use their phones for reading at all because of how the small the screen is as well as the amount of strain that it puts on their eyes. It’s no doubt there are many drawbacks to using a reading application that discourage many from using them, but believe it or not, there are many benefits to using these apps when you want to curl up with your favorite book. Here are four reasons why you should download a reading app on your smartphone. You Will Always Have Your Books With You In today’s world, we can’t afford to not have our phones with us at all times. No matter where we go, it is key that we always have some way to be contacted in case of an unexpected emergency or friendly request. eBookfriendly.com states that when you leave the house, taking your Nook with you isn’t the first thing on your mind, but your phone is. So, if you have Nook free reading apps for android on your phone and neglect your tablet or eReader, you won’t have to wait to read that next exciting chapter, and this comes in handy especially when you’re stuck in a long line at the BMV. It will be right there when you want it. They’re Formatted For the Benefit of Your Eyesight Those who love books growing up are all too familiar with the phrase from their parents, "Don’t try to read in the dark, it will damage your eyes." While reading in the dark won’t necessarily do harm to your eyesight, it will strain your vision and in turn cause you headaches and "eye aches." Reading on an electronic device however, can damage your eyes, especially if you frequently visit various websites to read articles. Sure the sites reformat to fit your phone screen better, but it’s still not an optimal condition for reading. When you download a reading app however, all documents are expertly formatted to be much easier on the eyes, according to pcworld.com. They make your vision last longer and reduce the amount of headaches. Synced With Your Devices This is one of the things that will definitely be taken for granted for one day (if it hasn’t been already). If you are reading a book on your tablet through an app and have the same app on your smartphone, you can stop reading on your tablet and pick up where you left off through your smartphone. This helps you feel like you never missed a second and you can pick up the action no matter where you are. This goes along with purchasing new books. The moment you buy a new copy, the file is instantly synced across all of your devices that have said app. Then all you have to do is download it to your respective device to be able to view it without an internet connection. They Are a Great Way To Find New Books One of the hard things about being a book lover is expanding your horizon. If you frequent the library or local bookstore, you typically operate with a narrow focus or you may end up getting overwhelmed. Because of this, you miss out on many books that you could potentially grow to love and add to your collection. This is where reading apps are at an advantage. By keeping track of the kinds of things you read, the apps then pull a list of books that are similar, assuming that you would like them as well. So instead of having to scour shelf after shelf, you have a small tab of recommendations right there at your fingertips, no matter where you are. Getting a reading app for your smartphone is an incredibly smart decision to make if you love books. By no means should you rely solely on your phone for all of your reading needs, but having it along with a tablet or eReader that is set up with the same app adds a significant amount of convenience while making sure you always have your books with you. There are many free reading apps for android and other operating systems that are available now, so go download them, and open your world to a whole new library of books.  

Download Listen in a New Window iTunes Stitcher SoundCloud Leave a Review Clammr It Subscribe via RSS Subscribe on Android Follow @TeacherCast Leave a VoiceMail In this Episode, we discuss and demonstrate our favorite Google Apps for Education Tips, Tricks, and Chrome Extensions.  The TechEducator 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 Jennifer Judkins - TeachingForward.net - @JennJudkins David Saunders @DesignSaunders Josh Gauthier @mrgfactoftheday Jennifer Scheffer - JennScheffer.com @JLScheffer Google Apps for Education Tricks Mentioned on Todays Show Word Cloud (Chrome Extension) Turn any Google Doc or item in your Google Drive into a fantastic looking WordCloud.Tweet This Wise Stamp Learn How to Create a Professional email signature that links to social media accounts.Tweet This Great way to incorporate digital citizenship Checker Plus for Google Calendar Easily access your Google Calendar with this powerful extensionTweet This Quick Tweet for Multiple Twitter Accounts One Click Google On-Air Hangout Instantly and easily start a Hangout On Air with just the click of this one button extension!Tweet This Remove ads from YouTube videos Interested in removing ads and suggested videos from YouTube? Tweet This How about creating unique links to YouTube videos with a specific start and end time so that kids see the exact clip you want them to?  Learn more about YouTube Tools Every Teacher Should Know here:  http://teachingforward.net/2014/04/09/youtube-tools-every-teacher-should-know/ Save Time Grading using these great Keyboard Shortcuts Time-Saving Tips for Grading with Google Docs using keyboard shortcutsTweet This For a comprehensive video tutorial and more details on how to set up keyboard shortcuts to save time grading Google Docs, check out Jennifer’s post at http://teachingforward.net/2015/11/11/1375/ Thank You For Your Podcast Reviews Are you enjoying Educational Podcasting Today or other shows on the TeacherCast Network, please share your thoughts with the world by commenting on iTunes today.  I enjoy reading and sharing your comments on the podcast each week. Ask Me Your Podcasting or WordPress Question Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Do you need help creating an awesome WordPress website?  I am available for 1:1 consulting.  Please visit my homepage and I will help you launch your personal brand today! Contact Me 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 Check Out More TeacherCast Programming TeacherCast Podcast (http://www.teachercast.net/tcp) TeacherCast App Spotlight (http://www.teachercast.net/appspotlight) Educational Podcasting Today (http://www.educationalpodcasting.today) The TechEducator Podcast (http://www.techeducatorpodcast.com) View LIVE Professional Development from TeacherCast Watch LIVE: http://www.TeacherCast.tv | Broadcasting Schedule (http://www.teachercast.net/showcal) TeacherCast Broadcasting Community: http://www.TeacherCast.net/broadcastingcommunity Need a Presenter? Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) is available as a Keynote Speaker, Presenter, or to Broadcast your conference LIVE!

Reading Time: 5 minutesIf our learning technologies should change then shouldn't our roles in supporting it? A response to a post by Lawrie Phipps.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Check out this great list !

We don't want our kiddos to lose what they have learned all year in the 3 months they are off this summer! Here are some great tools for students to practice those reading skills this summer! Some of the resources are free, but some have a very low cost. Sometimes its worth spending a few dollars on Apps so you don't worry about all of the ads that pop-up.Apps for Phonological AwarenessDora Rhyme $1.99  Practice Rhyming Words with DoraThe second in the Nickelodeon Literacy Suite, Dora ABCs Vol 2: Rhyming Words focuses on your child’s emerging literacy skills. By matching rhyming words and more with Dora and Boots in this educational application, your child will become aware of individual sounds (phonemes) in words and how they are sequenced and changed to make new words. The ability to hear, discriminate and manipulate phonemes is highly associated with reading readiness in early childhood and considered a critical skill for the development of reading skills.Rhyming Words- $.99 A wonderful app to help kids to start rhyming wordsThe goal of this application is to give parents and teachers a new interactive tool that helps children further develop these critically important skills in a fun and engaging new way. Rhyming PCS- Free Students can use the Picture Communication Symbols (PCS™) Rhyming Flash Cards App to practice rhyming in a fun, mobile way. This App is great for students learning to read, those students already reading and students learning patterns in words. Spelling Bug- FreeKids learn to spell the most needed words as they play. Application presents each word by displaying a picture and pronounces the word and presents the letters that are needed to make the word. Kids use there hand to arrange the letters in the right order to make the word. Using this not only your kid will learn to spell the common words, he/she will also learn how to say them.Phonics Vowels- Free Learn phonics vowel sounds, and letter combinations with this fun kids' game.Knowing vowel letters and their sounds is an important step in learning to read.MORE   Spelling GameStarfall Abc's Starfall MELetter QuizOne of the best online Resources for Reading READwritethink.org has many tools such as:  Construct-A-Wordhttp://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/construct-word-30003.htmlConstruct-a-Word provides a simple, engaging way for students to generate dozens of different words by first choosing an ending (for example -an, -ed, -at, -op) and then adding a beginning letter or blend. When a correct word is created, the word is stored in a Word Bank where students can read and review their words. Picture MatchPicture Match is designed to give new readers practice with identifying beginning-letter and short- and long-vowels sounds through a simple, fun game.Puzzle Me WordsKids like to solve puzzles. In this game, puzzles take the shape of words! Phonemic awareness—or the sounds letters make—is an important skill for early readers.Word Family SortThis online activity is designed for beginning and struggling readers to help them recognize word patterns and learn about onset and rhyme.Word WizardThis highly interactive activity supports critical thinking and problem solving while also building students' comprehension and spelling skills.Alphabet OrganizerAlphabet Organizer has numerous applications for classroom instruction. Students have the option to enter one word, more than one word, or a word and related notes for each letter of the alphabet.PBS Kids hosts some terrific educational material for children and their Between the Lions reading games and interactives are among the best. http://pbskids.org/games/rhyming.htmlhttp://pbskids.org/games/reading.htmlMany Games to Offer hereSpecific Games to try...Electric Company Say WhatElectric Company Chain GameKids Theo's PuzzlesPBS Kids- Monkey MatchCheck out more hereBe sure to check out other games and apps available on those sites to keep your kids reading!

With the recent expansion of mobile learning through various teaching tools such as iPads, laptops, ipod touches, and various other tablets, it is important for educators to know how to strengthen their instructional practices using these practical tools. After all, they are not going anywhere, so you might as well jump on the bandwagon. However, with a teacher's busy schedule, it is not always possible to spend hours researching apps, or finding the best practices. Don't worry, that's what I'm here for :)Not sure how to get started, here are some places to start...Mobile Learning Starting Places:Tony Vincent of Learning in Hand a former educator turned mobile learning guru, has researched based methods, strategies, and tips for using mobile devices in the classroom. Check out his blog, site, and twitter feeds.Looking for Apps that fit with Bloom's Taxonomy? Kathy Schrock has produced Bloomin' Apps that help make finding apps easier. She's done all the research for you!Appitic is one of the best websites available that organizes Apps researched and tested by Distinguished Apple Educators. You can search for apps by theme, multiple intelligence, BLOOM, NETS, and more.IiPads in Schools LiveBinder- A one stop shop for iPad information. There are new apps and information added often.iPad Curriculum- A great database of apps organized by grade level, device, price, subject, or Bloom's level.Have an iPad touch too? Check out iPod Touch & iPad Resources  live binder.So you don't have an iPad, but instead you have an android tablet. Check out Androids 4 Schools, This blog lists good educational apps for Android devices.Kindergarten is the perfect grade level to use mobile devices. Explore Adventures in Kindergarten blog where a teacher shares how she integrates iPads into her classroom.Apps for Children with Special NeedsOther great starting places: 40 Secret iPad Features, Best Apps for Kids, iPad Academy, iPad in Education, GraphiteApps Gone FreeApps that are usually paid often show up in this app for free. Apps are added daily to this list.And let's not forget my favorite source for gaining valuable educational tools, Twitter. If you use a  hashtag like #ipadchat, or #ipaded, you can join in the conversation educators are having all around the world about iPads.Some great Apps to try today!TinyTap - Game creation tool; can create simple games for students with voice over; locate tools like locate the state, province, body part, etc.Kids Journal - Free - Use as a learning reflection tool; kids cycle through one 1 iPad; create on the same iPad up to 32 students; can export one entry or all entries; good as portfolio or conference tool. iDiary - password feature on the journals; exporting not as easy; same as Kids JournalThinking Blocks - Gives students a word problem and the they label the picture, then place factors and the students then solveBill Nye Free& Paid -some free and some paid science explorations and some games. You can pay for the movies. Word Warp - 2 minutes to make as words as possible from a word; great to show as projection, single iPad, etc. - iphone version; can use dictionary to look up words you don’t know. Discover your body - Explore the skeletal and muscular systems of the body. Excellent intro to the human body for young learners. Number Pieces Easy to use App that allows kids to count, combine, add, and subtract, via virtual manipulatives. They can use manipulatives like 100, 10, and 1 blocks without getting messy; take screen shot an then kids describe how they got their answers. Students can do more, measure their number pieces, do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with large numbers. Math Duel - a split screen mathematics game that pits two players against each other on the same device! Change settings for each player to level the playing field. New single player mode is great for fun math practice! Lobster Diver - Free - Kids dive at numbers; number recognition; seems minimal objectives, but fun; adjusts level of difficulty; no way to control settings Kakooma - very cool for logical thinking in Math. There is also a website gregtangmath.com Oh No Fractions - Great tool for teaching fractions. Ask questions about fractions, greater than and less than and then prove how they know that’s rightChicktionary - free version - 120 puzzles - , cute with chickens and eggsToday's Document - View famous and historical documents from the National Archives.So ask yourself? Which site will you explore first? Will you subscribe to their blog, or website?How can you use these tools in your classroom?Want more, check out my website for more of my favorite apps. Or my blog post http://www.msedtechie.blogspot.com/2013/10/an-educators-challenge-ipads-in.html

Educators need to create a Personal Learning Network, but our students need an authentic audience too. How do you do this? By introducing new concepts and activities to your students using creative measures, such as Google Apps. Google Apps for Education is changing how people, including our students interact with the world. This makes way for changes in the strategies and tools we use for teaching and learning. Follow me on this journey as we explore tools like Google Hangout, Google Drive, and other Apps in the Marketplace we can use to truly transform learning for our students, and at the same time transform how we teach!Why do we need to transform how we teach? Listen to the Voice of An Active LearnerThis is why we do what we do!Why do we collaborate?Our Goals are to be able to implement Google Apps in meaningful ways in your classrooms to increase efficiency, collaboration and engagement for your students.How do you Use Google Apps to Connect with the community? Share your thoughts here, and see how others are using it. Google DriveAn ideal place to share and collaborate with studentsGoogle DocsHow can you use it in your classroom?Student collaborative assignmentsLesson plansSignupsHave students work collaboratively from anywhere Give students ongoing and simultaneous feedbackUse revision history to hold students accountable for their workPublish student workFeaturesColor-coded TextCommentHyperlinkResearchRevision HistoryResearch(Web, Images, Scholar, Quotes, Dictionary, Tables)Collaborate Lesson Planning- Work on the same lesson plan at the same time with a colleague using Google Docs.     Store important docs in your school's shared Doc list so that anyone at your school can find and access them.  Create a folder for your grade level to share resources. Instead of lugging home 30 reading response journals every week to comment on, have students keep their journals in a shared Google Doc.  You can give your comments while students continue to write in their journals!  Translate letters home to parents by using the translate feature in Google Docs. Google SpreadsheetsUse spreadsheets to track student homework.  Give each student a anonymous number and share the sheet with parents.Use spreadsheets to make scheduling parent-teacher conferences really easy. Google FormsGoogle Forms is a useful tool to help me plan events, send a survey,  give students a quiz, or collect information in an easy, streamlined way.Use Google forms and spreadsheet to:Collect dataShare dataAnalyze dataGraph dataGraph data across variables Have students complete their reading record online line through a Google Form. Tests/QuizzesHint: Use Flubaroo to grade your form: http://www.flubaroo.com/Grade online assignments in a single step!Get reporting and analysis on student performance!Email students their scores.Designed by a teacher, for other teachers!Create a site for your class.  Embed a class calendar, videos, and presentations. Do More With Google AppsVirtual Field Trips With Google HangoutsHow cool is that?or You Could Do a Mystery Skype.. but use Google HangoutsGoogle Earth is a very powerful tool, and integrating into the reading curriculum makes it even more powerful! Use Google to search KMZ (or KML) to find tourshttp://www.googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit/Home.html Using Video in The Classroom is a great way to engage students in the learning processis a very easy to use tool for teachers and studentsAre you flipping your classroom? Try using Present.me How Educators are Using Present.MeHow are you using Google Apps To Communicate with your school community? share here also see how what other educators are doing.Bottom line! Let's engage our students, give them choice, a voice, and an authentic audience

What a fabulous day of sharing and learning at the Google Apps for Education Summit in St. Louis. My mind is literally blown! A day of everything Google, and  I'm feeling quite "Google-ly"I really enjoyed sharing in my session the different ways you could use Google Apps to communicate and collaborate with students and other educators, like Google Hangouts, Google Lit Trips, and some fun ways to create videos and presentations with the tools like WeVideo, Video.Notes, and Present.MeI had the opportunity to present... Using Google Apps to Communicate Inside and Outside of the Community from msedtechie I also walked away with an enormous wealth of NEW resources that I am so excited to share with you!Here we go!Convert all your tabs into one list with  OnetabHow many times have you had 30 or more "very important" tabs open in your browser at one time? Making bookmarks for each link can be a tedious task. Onetab is an extension for Google Chrome that allows you take all of those tabs and convert them into one list. It even makes a QR code for you! You can save the list, restore the list anytime you want, or send that list to others by sharing it as webpage. Onetab also works in Firefox. You can drag and drop tabs in your OneTab list to change their order. You can also hold down the Ctrl or Cmd key while restoring tabs and they will remain in your OneTab list (meaning you can use OneTab as a way of quickly launching a set of commonly used tabs).You will not lose your list of tabs if you accidentally close the OneTab window, if your browser crashes, or if restart your computer.To install OneTab into Google Chrome, click hereBuild reading comprehension with Informational text through Newsela Newsela is creative way to build reading comprehension with informational text that's always relevant: current events. It's easy and innovative. Newsela is free through Google Apps, and allows for unlimited use of articles. There are about 4 published articles per day on a current event. The beautiful thing about this tool is it allows you to take one article and differentiate it to up to 5 different lexile levels. All of your students can read the same content, just at the level just right for them. Amazing... The website has a bank of articles, and it will automatically change vocabulary and sentence structure.Save paper and help the environment with CleanPrintThis Google Chrome extension saves paper and helps the environment by allowing you the capability to print just what's important. It reduces page sizes, and let's you remove images. You can even delete parts of the document you don't need printed. Save as PDF, or dropbox.Watch the video below CleanPrint/CleanSave Tutorial from Format Dynamics on Vimeo.Get the chrome extension hereCreate your own gallery and share with others through Google Cultural InstituteGoogle has partnered with hundreds of museums, cultural institutions, and archives to host the world’s cultural treasures online. Explore art from the around the world, examine pieces close up, even view it in the galleries (like a "street view")Take a Journey with characters through a Google Lit Trip In simple terms, Google Lit trips are downloaded files (free) that take you on the journey of characters from famous books/novels through Google Earth. Each time a character marks a specific location, a pop-up window opens containing media, web resources, discussion questions, and links to additional information for the reader. This tool is used in a way to make a real-world connections for the students, and it allows them to have a 3D view of their reading, by visualizing the story, and traveling alongside the characters. Google Lit trips are creating engaging experiences for students.  There are ton of downloadable files, and new ones are being created everyday. Google Lit Trips can also be created using Tour Builder. Create your Personal Story with Tour Builder This online version of Google Earth, allows you to create  Lit Tours, or even your own tour. With Tour builder, there is no need to download files, all of the information is stored online. Check out this one on Anne Frank Make your videos come to life with EdPuzzleCreate the perfect lessons with videos.  With EdPuzzle, you can crop videos, (use only what you need), add your voice, embed quizzes, and open ended discussion questions. Find videos directly on the site through Youtube, Khan Academy, etc. You can also upload your own videos. You can give immediate feedback to your students, and also receive immediate data for yourself. You can set it so that students can't skip parts of the video, and the best thing is you can embed your videos to places like edmodo, schoology, blackboard, and more.Insert wording that you use a lot through Permanent ClipboardThis easy Google Chrome extension allows you to save text you use over and over, by creating a friendly name and have it at your fingertips. Click on the extension right within your google doc, and add it to the comments section, or within your google doc. Use it to store common comments on student work, or an answer template for discussion forums. Give immediate feedback with Doctupus A spreadsheet add-on for giving immediate feedback to students through Google Docs. Folder creations for students, and send an email directly to students with their grade. It works great with Google Classroom.  Create Notes synced automatically  through Videonot.es VideoNote.es allows you to annotate video, while synchronizing your notes taken within the embedded video. When reviewing the notes, just click on a line for the video to jump to the relevant part.  Videonot.es is integrated with Google Drive to simply manage, and share with students. Organize your twitter feed with Twitter Curator Twitter Curator lets you to search, save and add specific tweets right in your Google Docs window. Search by hashtags, mentions, or specific words. Make fabulous presentations with PowToonCreate some amazingly cool presentations online with a simple clickCheck out one I did    Just a few more add-onsGoogle Apps For Education is changing how we communicate with the world. Not an Apps user yet? Sign up here

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Edtech has created learning opportunities for kids to gain valuable experiences through a teaching style that speaks their language as digital learners. Many districts are embracing a non-traditional approach to educating children through the infusion of technology--and parents are expressing a mix of emotions.Recently, I engaged in a conversation with a few parents on Facebook who expressed apprehension to this new approach to learning through technology, and how it impacted learning for their children. Most were striking it down, and calling for an end to Common Core, because in their opinion, it excludes the "basics."What technology goals does the school have this year? Is technology a top priority?Now, I would agree that there are definitely still some broad areas of concern with the implementation of technology in education, but this change is not all bad. True technology integration speaks to preparing our students to be entrepreneurs and leaders, by developing creators, critical thinkers, and problem solvers.Parents are huge stakeholders, and have an extremely important voice in the edtech discussion. As parents, we want to be a voice, but don’t always know how to begin the conversation. So, here are eight questions to get you started.1) What technology goals does the school have this year? Is technology a top priority, and listed in the district strategic plan?Each school should have specific goals related to technology that should be aligned with a districtwide plan. Perhaps a goal would be to increase the amount of devices in the hands of students and teachers within the next few years, or, creating more technology enriched lessons that reach redefinition levels in the SAMR Model that infuse STEAM based scope and sequence curriculum.2) How does the school/district communicate with parents and community? How will you receive important information? Find out whether you will receive electronic newsletters, emails, or automated phone calls. Or, find out whether information will be communicated through a district or school website, or through social media sites like Twitter or Facebook. You’ll then know what to check on a daily/weekly/monthly basis.3) What type of devices will my child be using? What type of access will my child have to technology tools? Will students have access to carts, 1-1 devices, or a computer lab environment? Districts have a wide variety of technology devices to choose from, including MAC or PC, Chromebooks, or hand-held devices. Knowing the type of device your child will have access to is key to knowing how you as a parent can support them at home.4) What digital citizenship curriculum are students exposed to? What’s your policy on cyberbullying?Will you provide opportunities for parents to learn more about raising digital citizens? What can I do as a parent to prepare my child to compete in the global society? With increased use of technology inside and outside of the classroom, it is important to educate students and parents on being good digital citizens. Intentional lessons on teaching digital citizenship through platforms like Common Sense Media and Netsmartz are important and necessary. Districts should take an active role in promoting good citizenship with zero tolerance for cyberbullying--and you, parents, can help stress that.5) What is the campus policy on cell phones and personal devices brought to the school? Be proactive and be aware of district and school level policies on personal devices. Ask for information in writing, so that you can discuss the policies in great detail with your children.6) What online tools/apps can I download at home that will help me support my child? Many schools pay for online subscriptions for learning that are also accessible to parents at home. Find out what’s available, and how you can lend your support, by providing an opportunity for your child to continue that learning at home.7) My child is interested in coding, robotics, etc.. How can the school support him/her? Many schools participate in the Hour of Code, which provides introductory lessons for students interested in coding, and usually sparks the interest of students who have not been exposed to it. Coding has many benefits for students, including creating problem solvers, creators, and analytical thinkers.8) How does the technology enhance what my child does in your classroom?What opportunities do teachers have to learn ways to integrate technology? Teachers should be able to express why they are using specific technology tools in their classrooms, and how it is helping students reach learning goals, and higher level thinking. School districts should provide ongoing learning opportunities for teachers to enhance their teaching toolbox.The true power of edtech is the ability to facilitate and extend children's awesome natural abilities and drive to... learn independently, building curious and confident learners.As strong of a proponent for technology as I am, I also understand that technology has it’s place. Technology is never a teacher replacement. The true power of edtech is the ability to facilitate and extend children's awesome natural abilities and drive to create, explore, experiment, evaluate, draw conclusions--in short, learn--independently, building curious and confident learners.The educational agenda should be to prepare our students to compete in a global society. We need to believe in developing a society of entrepreneurs, and not teaching a set of skills to get a job. If your child is at a school that is not teaching fundamentals as a starting point, and the focus is just technology, then you should meet the principal at the front door, with a letter of complaint.But before you jump to conclusions, realize that the method/process of how it might be being taught in this digital age is different than the way we were taught, and that is okay. Education is evolving, and believe me, that is a good thing. We live in a technology-driven society, and we all rely on it and benefit from it--so why do we want to go back to basics when it comes to education?Embrace it folks! Technology’s here to stay. And it’s not going anywhere--so get your questions answered.Patricia Brown is a technology integration coach, a professional development specialist, an adjunct graduate professor, and an edtech consultant. She is also an official EdSurge columnist.This post was originally posted on edsurge.com

I began to think about the 15 years in education and my various experiences. I remember being that shy little girl in my elementary class who would sometimes know the answer, or had a question, but didn’t feel comfortable speaking out. I used to experience so much test anxiety. I wish my teachers had access to the digital tools and resources available in our classrooms today. There are so many ways that kids can creatively show you their learning in a timely and efficient manner, and ways teachers can conduct assessments that take away the testing anxiety that plagues so many kids.Creative Formative Assessments Can Help: Save time assessing students. Provide and adapt digital tools for assessment that make sense and are appropriate for a particular learning style.  Help students creatively demonstrate learning in unique waysHave fun by celebrating their learning through formative assessments. We are living in a very unique and digital world, which is much different from the way our teachers accessed and shared information. Now, Information is literally at our fingertips. So why not use it. How can you prepare students for workplace experiences that don’t exist yet? As an educator in this digital age, that’s one of my biggest challenges. 20 years ago we never would have imagined that the position as a Social Media Manager would be an actual job, and just about every company or organization would need to have someone manage their social media accounts.Our students now in elementary school have never had a time in their lives where mobile technology wasn't present. Look at the most innovative technology we have today, you are literally looking at the worst piece of technology our students will see in their lifetime. One of these days, we will find an iphone 6 in the thrift store, and our kids will remember that their parents used to own one of those. Technology will only get better, because we are constantly working to make it better. As educators, we need to embrace this reality, and allow our classroom learning experiences to mimic what our students encounter everyday.The data and results that come from testing can show powerful trends about student achievement. We need that Concrete information about what students know and don’t know, so can then go back and tweak lesson plans and learning environments to better meet student needs. This is particularly important in an age when technology is constantly changing, I often wonder do the powers that be realize there are many ways our students can creatively show their learning, in a timely, and efficient manner?When we look at the old, or for some teachers the current workflow of how we assess students, and how we get work to students, it usually consists of you creating a worksheet, or finding something on Teachers Pay Teachers, and then printing it out. Next spending a few minutes, or a few hours (sometimes we come in on the weekends) by the copier. Then you  distribute papers, grade papers, then finally, return papers/ tests to students to give them feedback. Sometimes that process could be a few weeks, depending on the amount of classes and/or students. In most cases, not all cases. This method does not allow for the opportunity for students to develop those 4C’s or Super Skills - Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, and Critical Thinking.  We also don’t give students the opportunity to show their learning through their various learning styles. Here are some interesting statistics. Over 60% of humans are visual learners. 90% of the information the brain transmits is visual. The brain processes visual information 60,000x faster than text.  Youtube is the 2nd largest search engine. However when you look at classrooms across the country, specifically in urban settings, educational institutions are still teaching to the test via paper and pencils, and not tapping into the learning styles of the students in this generation. In the inner city schools the focus is constantly on testing, and skills. You hear things like, "we have to give these kids skills so they can get a job." However in more affluent districts the focus is on developing creators and producers, entrepreneurs and publishers. There are too different agendas in education based on where you live, what you look like, and how much money your parents make. How do you give your students the opportunity to develop their 4C’s?In 2015, we have the opportunity to have a new teacher workflow, in which we can push out content to our students at a rapid pace, and have students push information back to you, and you can give immediate feedback. There are very simple ways you can quickly assess students in creatively, because the emphasis on assessment in education isn’t going away anytime soon.  Even though in recent news we have heard some changes introduced by President Obama, on the No Child Left Behind policies.  But I can assure you that testing is not going away, and that’s a good thing.  So as educators let’s change the focus from tests, to opportunities for students to celebrate learning. Let’s help students celebrate learning with formative assessments that are fun, flexible and informative. There are so many Digital tools available to engage students and provide teachers with quick feedback they can use to personalize learning experiences for their students. Having a wide variety of tools and techniques at your disposal allows you to better assess student learning. This really helps our students who don’t always do well on written tests. Here are a few of my favorite digital tools that help teachers do just that.Using Quick tools like Plickers, Google Forms, Padlet, Poll Everywhere can quickly allow you access to data in a quick and fun way, sometimes so fun, students have no idea they are being assessed. Such creative approaches appeal to today’s learners. Any time you can take a tool that students use every day and use it for learning, you’ve got a win. Social Media is a huge way to incorporate technology that students use everyday in the classroom. Use Twitter to quickly and easily assess students’ learning at the end of a lesson, this can be a class twitter account, or individual accounts for older students. You can have students tweet out what they learned in class that day, and use it as an exit slip as they leave your classroom.Plickers is another great option for classrooms with very little tech available, like a one iPad classroom. You can even use your phone as a scanner. Use Google Forms to create a quiz, then have Flubaroo grade them right inside of Google Apps. Flubaroo is a Google sheets add-on that grades quizzes simply, scores them and publishes them to a spreadsheet.Poll everywhere allows you to create quick polls, and the results are instant, in word clouds, or graphs, and charts.  Today’s Meet as a back channel for discussion, or questions and answers sessions. The key is using tools that come naturally for students to grab data quickly and efficiently. What are some digital tools that you use to to assess students in a fun way? Anybody ever played Kahoot? Adults love it more than kids. I think just about every training session I attended this year somebody threw in a Kahoot game.  Kahoot is really simple,  but what sets this response system apart from other tools is that students are in competition to see not only who gets the answer right, but who answers first. At the completion of each question, it ranks the participants in order of who clicked the answer the fastest. You can add images, videos or text as questions. Students can use computers, laptops and mobile devices such as tablets and cell phones. There is also a survey feature. No need to register students: they sign into the game page with the game pin you provide. It takes minutes to set up! Another one of my favorites is Quizziz. Very similar to Kahoot,  but instead students take quiz at their own pace, and the test questions and answer choices are right on their device. I also love it because it creates these really funny memes for students to give them feedback when they answer the questions. Socrative gives immediate feedback, you have a choice in the type of questions, and you can see students answers in real time. A new one I just came across is Quizalize, it seems to be very similar to other game based assessments. Go Formative Allows you to create assignments, quizzes, etc.. and get live results right then and there. You can see the answers as students input them. Class Kick is very similar to Go Formative, where you can get real time results of what the students are working on. EdPuzzle & EduCanon are both similar sites that collects data as students watch and interact with the video. Take a video from Youtube, Khan Academy or TeacherTube and crop it to use only what you need for your lesson, record your voice on top to explain, add clarifications, or add a video introduction. Embed quiz questions along the way, to check for student understanding, track who watched the video, prevent skipping, and see quiz results through the simple to read student reports. Allow your students to create their own video lessons, to create a deeper learning experience. Students can view the videos on the website, or the app, or you can can embed the lesson on your website. It’s also a perfect tool for flipping your classroom.Are you looking for a portfolio options? The Seesaw APP Learning Journal  captures learning with photos and videos of physical work, or by adding digital creations. Students can take pictures, video, etc directly through the app, and it is automatically sent to their individual portfolio.Brainrush: allows you to create and share your own games. Brainrush has four quiz-like game templates to choose from, including options for flash cards, labeling/sorting and hotspots diagram matching. You can upload your own images and add your own text. The even cooler feature is that Brainrush automatically differentiates the assessment based on the answers the student gives. Here's an example: say a student labels certain states incorrectly on a map. The quiz will automatically assess the student on those missed questions until they achieve a higher accuracy rate.Jeopardy Labs: Have you ever tried creating a Jeopardy game from scratch using PowerPoint? What a daunting task! Jeopardy labs simplifies the game creation process, allowing you to focus on creating challenging questions, rather than making sure links work. This online game website allows you to create your own template online, or browse their library for templates made by others.So now let’s start talking about ways our students can show what they know in more creative ways. Let me warn you, you might have to step back a little bit and let students explore.  If you have mobile devices, you can allow students to have unique projects.  Why not let students create simple projects through video projects, blogging and images. Awhile ago, I wrote a post on 5 minute projects with iPads. here are a few of my ideas. Have students tell stories with pictures using various apps. here are just a few apps to try. Or why not have them make their pictures talk? If you want to get real fancy, why not APP smash with PicCollage, and Thinglink, or PicMonkeyLet students blog with Kidblog or Blogger  We are currently participating in a Blogging East to West challenge with our elementary students. Creating quick video projects  through iMovie, or 30 hands,  or iBooks, with Book Creator. Is a sure way to get students to show all that they have learned. Also using Microsoft Sway, Adobe Voice, or Adobe Slate, or Even Google Tour Builder to tell stories about places they have been, or places they have learned about. Instead of focusing our time and energy complaining about systems we can’t change, we educators can flip the script and use more innovative ways to collaborate and use formative assessment as a natural and ongoing part of a student’s daily workflow. I recommend trying different options to discover which works best for the structure of your classroom and the level of your students. There are so many options to choose from, so choose the one that works best for you. Let’s captivate students, and get them excited about learning. What other digital formative assessments do you find most effective? Check out more ideas here

Now we are all professionals and have never actually done this during a PD session (well I hope not) but I have certainly had the feelings to do so.. So here we go, my top 10 ways to deliver the worst PD ever.. and no particular order…. One of the worst experiences is listening to a non-educator telling a teacher what they should and should not do in their classroom. If you are going to train teachers, you should have experience with instruction.Have you ever sat in a 3 hour PD where the speaker read each line of their 175 slide presentation of text verbatim? then included images that weren’t relevant to the slide, and animation that made you dizzy? nah me either.Sit and Get PD where the participants never get the opportunity to try it. No opportunity to play with the tools, and explore. This is really powerful for kinesthetic learners. The speaker does not engage the learners. No opportunity for discussion or collaboration. Speaker makes assumptions, and doesn’t know the audience. Learner never gets the opportunity to reflect and discuss.There is nothing worse than receiving training on a tool that you don’t have access to, or will never get to use. Training teachers on a product that is not in the school or district budget, and getting teachers excited about something they will never have.Trainer using outdated technology to present, or presenting on a topic that is obsolete and not needed. Ex: using a overhead projector, training on a product that is old and has replacement.One of my big ones: Not having any prizes or incentives for teachers.. Teachers LOOOVE to win prizes, and we like to snack too.Mandating that teachers attend a specific training, and never surveying them to ask what they need, or what they would like to learn.The trainer may be engaging, fun, and even entertaining, but if the topic has no relevance to you, it's still a waste of time.and finally, One size fits all PD- professional development that is not differentiated by content, expertise, grade level or delivery.  Why is it that we constantly stress the need to differentiate learning for our students, but bundle all teachers into the same learning environment. Why are we constantly revamping educational programs but we deliver the same PD for teachers? So how do you do that?Instead of "professional development," we need authentic, personalized "professional learning opportunities" that improve workflow and foster creativity. They should allow for teachers to make connections with content, and most importantly each other. Teachers need the same level of engagement as students, and they are more engaged when they participate in professional learning opportunities that give them ownership, and a personalized experience. Teachers need choice just like our students, and experiences that enhance and develop the 4C’s: critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration.What I have found is many teachers get overlooked and fall through the cracks just like our students, resulting in poor implementation in the classroom. Meeting this challenge is a huge task.Teachers need the opportunity to collaborate, they need to have a sense of ownership in their learning, and they need to feel valued. Their professional learning should be personalized. Most districts don’t have funding to send teachers to national conferences, or to host keynote speakers, but instead have found ways to revamp the look of Professional Learning to meet the needs of their staff in non-traditional ways. Here are few of the unique ways educators are given opportunities to expand their learning environment through creative measures.One PL strategy that seems to work well are Edcamps. based on an unconference model. these are free discussion based sessions., and they are happening all across the world. The participants create the schedule and topics by writing their ideas on sticky notes, index cards, or whiteboards. The topics are organized into sessions. You attend the session your write down, and become the facilitator by leading the conversation. Participants can use the rule of two feet, and float between different sessions depending on their needs.Saving time by emailing information ahead of time, creating videos, and online courses to disperse information. The time during PD can be spent on what matters most, tutorials and setups are sent ahead of time, so the focus of training can be on the integration and curriculum planning. Setting up accounts, logging in, and basic tutorials. Online communities are a perfect way to expand learning and your personal learning networkGamification relates to applying game thinking to a non-game context. Teacher execute challenges, level up and and complete competitions to earn recognition, in-house certification. Gamification can personalize learning for teachers. Prizes, Teachers can show their learner through a quiz, performance task or implementation in a lesson.Our district has created a leadership academy for teachers. this year long training model creates a small cadre of about 15 teachers that learn and work together. They connect across district grade levels and content. Other opportunities for collaboration is through cafe, tech talks and playdates. These are just informal sessions that educators can meet up to talk about whatever they want. Setting learning goals that are individualized for teachers is ideal because it puts them in charge of their professional development. Teachers can choose how they they want to meet their goal, rather it be by attending a conference, workshop, or online tutorial, or face to face. Teachers set goals, and can create PLC’s with others with similar or the same goals. Create a survey using a simple Google drive or survey monkey survey.The key to successful PD is creating professional learning experiences that support teachers to make learning faster, long-lasting and transferable. Changing the way we view professional development as a whole can certainly create impactful learning experiences for teachers, which has a domino effect in the classroom.What works for you? 

What's the first image that comes to mind when you hear "Academic Reading?" Personally, I have flashbacks from my undergrad days lugging around the 1,000 page plus Norton Anthology of English Literature.When I ask my students, they typically use words like "boring, business" and/or "scientific" to describe what they have to read in their IEP/Test-Prep classes.That the material they have to read is uninteresting or even boring doesn't really surprise me: honestly, who really wants to read academic texts?Does it really have to be like this?However, just because the material is boring, it doesn't mean the class has to be. Instead of just telling students to read and answer a list of questions, how about we make it a little more interactive, social, competitive and (gasp) fun?Read more »

In most cases, my eLearning authoring tool of choice (Articulate Storyline), is relatively stable. I know I can depend on it. In most cases, all of the people in my network of colleagues are stable (!?), and I trust them. I’ve been fighting with a new quizzing concept for a few days, and have spent hours debugging and checking, yet still I could not bottom out why a series of quizzes, (10 in one course, everyone only takes one from a selected stream, all pointing to a final Results slide that submits to the LMS), was failing. For an 80% pass rate I was getting Fails of 77.77%, and passes of 88.88%. All very weird. Wondering if this really was a bug after about 3 hours of testing I asked a colleague if they could have a look. They found the error in about ….ooh……6 seconds. Something that had been staring me in the face for 3 months was incorrect, and I was too close to see it. Articulate Storyline, (and now Articulate Storyline v2), give me almost everything I need to create online learning for clients, and I was almost at that point of dis-trusting it, however, sometimes all it needs is a fresh eye from someone who you trust totally. Trust your product, trust your network, and you can solve most issues.

Somehow, based on "Social Appeal", this little blog reached #2 in the rankings at http://elearningfeeds.com/top-elearning-blogs/ So - I just wanted to say THANK YOU to anyone and everyone that might have looked, circulated, retweeted or any other social thing. Hugely appreciated. I’ll try and keep useful and provocative (?) thoughts coming.

Google Apps has finally made the difference. And with its offline applications your productivity will boost incredibly. Go on reading…Google Apps is a bunch of office-like applications, as docs, slides or sheets. If you have a Google account then you can go directly to drive.google.com and sign in. It's free!Even though its functionality can look scarce in comparison with other applications, as OpenOffice, there are plenty of advantages to make the shift:Integrated tools: research, dictionary...Easy way to embed links, images, citations, graphs...Compatibility across Google apps.Compatibility across multiple devices (I'm writing this article using my mobile device while I'm lying on my towel tanning under the sun).Offline working mode.The offline functionality option has been, in my opinion, the key to beat Google’s competence. To enable it go to Chrome Web Store and look for offline apps. Install docs, sheets and slides (you could also install Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Drawings…). From this moment on you can create,view and edit documents/slides/... using your Chrome browser. Offline applications are gathered inside a new icon on the bottom bar. Next time you go online Chrome will synchronise everything automatically. In the meanwhile your data will be saved to your computer.As you can see it's a great way to work while going to the school by train, when at the beach... You don't have to worry any more about saving your work, taking your memory sticks with you, or even fear of losing your data.

You mightn't know there’s a colourful spectrum of web fonts available for free and supported by Google. Pick them for your  blog, website, Google Docs texts or even for keeping them in your laptop for other uses.There’s not much to say about this splendid project. You can check the website at https://www.google.com/fonts and roam about. Teaching this method to your students will empower them to give a personal touch to their blogs, sites and documents.The site gives you the option to review any font, bookmark and obtain the correspondent HTML code to be inserted inside your pages. You can also get a speed impact measure, so you can know the loading time associated with them.To use it in your blog just insert two lines of code provided by the page after selecting the font: the HTML code and the CSS one.For the HTML code: click on edit and insert your code before the HEAD tag.For the CSS code: go to Template/advanced/add css and paste it.How to use them? I usually write my posts on Google Docs, so I do all the formating there (fonts, bullets, pictures, colors…) and then copy&paste it into Blogger. Obviously the chosen fonts have to be inserted in both places (Docs and Bloggers). If not it could happen that you see them but others don’t.

With just 13 posts I’ve been paid over 1000 visits. Thank you all!This blog was started as a way to communicate specific information to certain students. With The reading corner I began my path as a blogger, and I realized it could be interesting to transmit my knowledge about technology and education to other people.All the posts published here are based on day-to-day school experience and personal research. If you need any help about a specific topic or you’d like to collaborate with me don’t hesitate to drop a line! If you like this blog subscribe! If you like a post share it! Your friends could find it of value too!Thank you for your support!andonisanz.com

Gamification. Let’s get down to work!Simply said: the application of game elements in a system to better engage its participants. That is, you don’t transform your lessons into games, but you introduce game elements to ensure engagement.ELEMENTSThe most commented elements to be used are the PBL triad: points, badges and leaderboards:Points: valuable units you earn when doing certain things. They have to be connected to rewards, like real points for your grade. Years ago I enrolled in a course inside a Moodle platform. Each action (as checking links, commenting in a forum, submitting documents, etc) was rewarded with points , and with them badges were earned.PRO: students can see their participation is rewarded.CON: doing actions just for earning points.Badges: representation of achievement. They give some social status.PRO: the proud and effort of achieving one.CON: discrimination and categorization inside classroom. Leaderboards: take the previous two and make an ordered list from top to down to know who’s winning.PRO: knowing where you are, competitivity, bragging rights.CON: creating a gap too big in classroom’s social structure; lazy students giving up.xxxThere are more elements to be used:Progress bars, maps, and the like: to know where you are in the process.Easter eggs: strategically placed items to be found so you attract students to specific places.Random/sudden rewards: the more time you invest in the system, the bigger likelihood to obtain a random prize.Unlocking elements: keys opening treasure chests. Finish a task to unlock the next one.Webquests.Feedback: behaviour infused elements in your system.Storytelling: wrap up a boring lesson inside a story.Avatars:I believe these help in entering the magic circle, which is the locked environment where the game is played and its rules are naturally followed by students. Level-ups: similar to pokemon evolution. After assimilating some new abilities you get transformed into something more powerful. Certificates of achievement: similar to badges.Checklists of accomplishment: similar to progress bars.GAMESI’ve already said gamification doesn’t deal with game design, but that can be useful when designing our lessons. Three features are to be taken in count:Player’s journey:Onboarding: tinny tutorials to help students start. New knowledge is given as new rules are introduced, so first-time long explanations are avoided. Participants just know what they need.Scaffolding: progressive levels of difficulty.Paths to mastery: the road to students’ skill growth.Balance: equilibrating the rules so plummeting and rocketing are avoided.Experience creation: it has to be as real as it can. That way the magic circle gets stronger.THE GAMIFIED LESSONIf we put everything in place our gamified lesson will have these features:Onboarding.Scaffolding.Social.Multifeedback.Map.Exchangeable rewards.Gamification also deals with psychology: self determination, player models, engagement loops, progression loops, motivation, etc. Also with player types: killers, achievers, socializers and explorers. A lot to say about the previous, but it’s not this article’s point. You can find several MOOCs on gamification:I’ve personally done these two. There are good teachers, explain everything in a straightforward manner and the contents are really of great value. Check them! Coursera, by Kevin Werbach (@kwerb).Iversity, by Victor Manrique (@VictorManriqueY).There’s another one I can’t comment about:Openlearning.HOW TO’S: MOODLEThere’s an LMS which includes some features for gamification and that’s Moodle:Badges: PBL model, included in version 2.5.Points: try Level up!, a plugin design to score points as you get involved in different activities.Conditional elements: Progress bars: you have an ad-hoc plugin, or you can devise your own. Create several progress bar images (as photograms). Put each in a label, hide them and make them appear consecutively as tasks are being finished. Students will see just one bar changing its state (as in an animation film). Something similar is the lesson objectives module.Maps: it’s the same as in progress bars. You can open Photoshop or a layer based editing software, load a rectangular landscape (LOTR style) and a hero on another layer. Save the picture several times with the hero appearing in different spots of the landscape. Use those pictures as photograms.Random rewards: use the restrict access option. Quick example: create a hidden label with a treasure picture. Program it to appear at some time. Students will see the treasure as if it were random. With activity completion students can gather the treasure clicking on the check box.Easter eggs: tell your students some eggs have to be found. Place them in spots you want your students to go to. When clicking use a similar strategy as in random rewards.Element unlocking: use restrict access. Onboarding: place knowledge pills in hidden labels and make them appear as students go on accomplishing tasks.Activity completion: control how activities are accomplished (by seeing them, by obtaining a grade or by submitting them). It’s embedded in the system, so just activate it to get it in motion.Checklist: There’s an interesting plugin called Checklist to help students control their activities.Level-ups: make a level change label appear after finalizing some task.Games: even though gamification is not about games per se you can introduce some to reinforce the use of your glossaries (e.g through classic games as Hangman, Crosswords, etc.)Social: forums and chats.AESTHETICSThis is a term I repeat over and over. A gamified lesson can lose power if it looks dull. To spice it up a little bit you can use these tricks:Use graphical labels instead of mere text.Decorate your course page with icons and images.Use dynamic and full of images resources as videos, presentations or animations: issuu, slideshare, pininterest, easel.ly, ted-ed, khan academy, phet, visual.ly, prezi. Check my Symbaloo boards (#1, #2) for more information.Consider embedding resources in labels on the course page instead of just placing the links. That gives it more color, but it also overloads it.

In the digital era of Education, Learning Management Systems are delineating themselves as good allies for the teaching practice, providing a canvas to place contents, PLE curating tools, a secure environment to work in, different collaboration modes, activity control systems and several ways of assessment.But, what LMS would suit you best? That depends on your needs, your audience, your digital abilities, the LMS’s complexity and your budget. There are multiple options, as Moodle, Edmodo or Google Classroom, among many others. This article is going to focus on the free edition of Google Apps. During the last years they have been put to an enhancement process, and, nowadays, they can be effectively used for educational purposes. To do so, they have to be synergistically constellated to create a consistent and coherent system. If you aren’t familiar with them (or don’t know how to use them), have a look at Google’s documentation: http://learn.googleapps.com/home Go on reading the full article in EDTECHREVIEW.IN

I gave a presentation about how to effectively gamify your Moodle in the Moodle MOOT (Bilbao, Basque Country SPAIN) held on the 19th of June, 2015.The Slide document, videos and the rest of materials have been published in my personal webpage (andonisanz.com). Also here: http://www.slideshare.net/andonisanz/moodle-gamificationFor more information about the event: mooteu.moodlemoot.netWhat happened in Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=%23mooteu15Some mentions: