Posted by Gay Grissom Labels: , , ,


Integrating Poll Everywhere into your Flipcharts

It seems that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon--embedding HTML into Flipcharts.  The great thing about this is you need never understand the code, just copy and paste.  The newest use is with Poll Everywhere.

Steps are easy:
1.   Make sure you have the latest version of ActivInspire. 
2.   After creating a poll, copy the embed code from Poll Everywhere.  This can be   found under the ‘Share and Publish’ menu……Live Chart Widget.
3.   In Inspire open the Insert menu, go to ‘Link’ and select ‘Embedded HTML’.
4.   Success!  The embedded poll will receive and display live votes as long as you have an internet connections.

For further information on Poll Everywhere check out their blog.
http://blog.polleverywhere.com/good-news-for-promethean-activboard-and-activ

 Website of the Week:
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/topics


For a little summer learning try this website.  It gives you tutorials on so many topics. Not only do you get step-by-step slide shows, but there are interactives, and videos on many of the topics.  Here is an example of a lesson on iPads.  Check it out!


at Monday, May 21, 2012 Links to this post

Summer Professional Development Opportunities

Posted by Kristie Johnson Labels: , ,

The end of the school year is quickly upon us. Summer is when we refresh, rejuvenate, and recharge ourselves. Spend time this summer learning, reading, writing and enjoying time to yourself. Take time to explore all the summer professional development opportunities listed below.

CISD Summer 2012 PD Catalog
(http://snack.to/fu3q1sl9) 

CISD Virtual Conference August 2012 Brochure
(http://snack.to/fzk9qutr)


Summer Website to Explore:
Take time this summer to explore Make Use Of website. Downloads found there are FREE. Use the code "makeuseof" to download items. This is what you will find on the site:
  • How to's and tips for Mac, Windows, Android devices, Apple devices, Browsers, Blogging, Social Networks (Facebook/Twitter), and much more.
  • Best of Apps for Android devices, iPod devices, iPad devices, best websites, best extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
  • Cheat Sheets and Guides for a multiple of sites and software packages (example: Guides for Microsoft Office Suite, Google+, Photoshop, Google. Cheat Sheets for Dropbox, Outlook, Skype, YouTube, Twitter, iPhone, iTunes, Browser Shortcuts)

at Tuesday, May 15, 2012 Links to this post

Be a Genius with this App of the Week

Posted by Sherry Brott Labels: , ,



 Genius Scan

Recently, while waiting for my tires to be rotated, I wasn’t able to finish a great gardening article I had been reading.  No problem.  I used the free Genius Scan app on my iPhone to scan the last few of pages of the article and save them into one PDF document to read later in iBooks.  Genius Scan detected the page orientation, let me adjust the sides of the image to include a whole page or crop only a portion, enhance the image, and combine multiple scans into just one document.  I also had the option of emailing the scans to myself as a JPGs or PDFs or uploading them to other apps like Kindle, AppToolkit, Evernote and Dropbox. With Genius Scan + ($2.99), I could have also exported to Google Docs, Twitter and Expensify or printed them with an Air Printer.  In the past, I would have simply used my phone’s camera, but with Genius Scan’s ability to correct the keystone effect of snapping a photo from an angle and its ability to create multiple page PDFs, it will be my app of choice in most similar circumstances. If you don’t have an iPhone, there are other similar apps available for Android, Blackberry, and WindowsPhone 7.  Genius scan should be coming to Android very soon and you can sign up here to be notified when it available. 
  
My Top 5 uses for Genius Scan
  • Scan receipts for expense reports 
  • Scan articles to read later.
  • Scan recipes, notes on a bulletin board, displays etc.
  • Scan student work and or artwork.
  • Since iPhones have a limit of 5 photos for email, create a PDF with as many photos as needed. 
What can you scan today?

 Tip of the Week

Before you head off to summer conferences or an island vacation, visit SnapMyInfo and enter any contact information you might want to share with others that you meet. Click the “Create VCard QR Code” button and voila – you have your own contact QR Code.  If you do this on your phone or tablet, you can save the resulting QR code as an image in your photos. To share your contact information, have the other person use the QR code reader app of their choice to read the code. The contact information is immediately available to be added to their contacts.  It worked great with these free scanners: Qrafter, ATTScanner, and i-nigma.

at Monday, May 07, 2012 Links to this post

Tired of PowerPoint? Try Prezi!

Posted by Lisa Young Labels: , , , , , ,

Death by PowerPoint
Try Prezi

There are times we all have a need to communicate. Research shows that including a visual when trying to communicate aides in the comprehension and retention of the information, especially when color and graphics are involved. As teachers, we have competition for our students' minds. Today’s students are inundated with visuals and videos that seize their attention and engross their minds. What do we do? [Insert PowerPoint.] We try to communicate using a traditional, linear, outline type presentation tool. That is a first step. If you are ready to try another tool, try Prezi. Click on the link below to view an introduction to Prezi. If you are interested in a training session, sign up in Eduphoria Workshop to attend a session on June 7, 2012 to learn this free, easy tool! Follow @Prezi_edu on Twitter to learn more each day.

Click here to see how Prezi can be used as a teaching tool.



Tip of the Week
Apps in Education
This is a site where many educators have combed through the plethora of apps available for all content areas and listed the best and most effective apps.

http://appsineducation.blogspot.com


at Sunday, April 29, 2012 Links to this post

The Ultimate Educational Technology Resource

Posted by Jennifer Reiken Labels: , ,

Look no further...technology resources for the classroom found all in ONE place!!
EXPLORE - resources and webtools
WATCH - webisodes on eduTecherTV
SEARCH - over 1,000 web resources
CONNECT and SHARE - through email and Twitter

Website of the Week: 
Check out the eduTecher website at http://www.edutecher.com/ and sign up for a FREE teacher account. This site contains many useful features and also includes video tutorials to help you build your profile and customize your settings. Click HERE to see it in action!


Tip of the Week - Explore, Share, Contribute
Download the eduTecher Backpack App from iTunes for FREE today and put the best web tools and reviews of educational websites at your fingertips!
Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later. Also available for Android.

For more information visit http://www.edutecher.com/



at Monday, April 23, 2012 Links to this post

Class Dojo Will Put the Mojo Back Into Your Class

Posted by About Angie Bakke Labels: , , , , ,



Behavior Management and Student Engagement Software

Whether it's the third grader that just can't seem to focus or the senior with a bad case of senioritis, Class Dojo is an interactive site that  engages those students in the classroom by recognizing positive behaviors as they happen in a fun and colorful way!  What is really great is the simplicity of the site. Using a computer or a smart phone, the teacher sets up the classes and students and then determines what types of behaviors to reward or the types of behaviors to discourage. Students accumulate points (or have points deducted) based on the parameters set. The class can be setup with reward sounds and the teacher can manipulate the class settings to create a running total or end the points for the day. Additionally. ClassDojo provides behavior-tracking analytics, dashboards and reports for parents and administrators, all at one-click. No extra data entry required! A demo class is set up so you can just copy it and move on if you don't want to personalize your class.  Teachers can get really creative with this and use it as a tool to encourage interaction and participation and make behaving in class FUN! Students could work on accumulating participation points for a grade, extra credit or class reward. It's up to you! 

 Right now it's still free so be sure to sign up today, even if you aren't going to use it until next year! Click here to join: http://bit.ly/HZT8GA
 

Website of the Week: Niceletter

As the end of the year approaches, many of us are asked to write letters of recommendation or perhaps we need to thank a special parent or co-worker. Niceletter is a super easy site for creating different types of letters. These letters can be cover letters, thank you, or any other type of letter you need to write. Your students could even use this site to create letters of their own.  Simply fill out a template and then download it as a PDF or RTF file. Niceletter is nice and easy and FREE! Hint: Be sure to scroll down to get to the letter generator. You don't need to download anything.

at Tuesday, April 17, 2012 Links to this post

Edmodo: An Interactive Classroom

Posted by Kristie Johnson Labels: , , ,


Edmodo can turn your classroom into a fun, interactive, and engaged environment for students where learning is real and authentic. Watch students flourish in this social environment.

What is Edmodo? (via Thomas Scheeler...follow him on Twitter @tscheeler)
  • Edmodo is a FREE, secure, social learning platform for teachers, students, parents, and schools.
  • Edmodo provides teachers and students with a secure and easy way to post classroom materials, share links and videos, and access homework, grade and school notices.
  • Teachers and students can store and share all forms of digital content - blogs, links, pictures, video, documents, presentations, and more.
What CISD teachers and students using Edmodo have to say:
  • 6th grade DIS math teacher Chris Underwood says:
    • "Edmodo has been an absolutely amazing extension to my classroom. It allows for additional collaboration between students as well as keeping me in touch with my students when we are not in the same classroom. I have been looking for a platform to extend the learning beyond the time I see my students everyday and Edmodo has been the answer to that dream. This was my first year implementing it and my students have fully embraced it. I look forward to continuing to use this medium to enhance the learning that takes place in my classroom."
  • 6th grade math students of Mr. Underwood say:
    • "I like Edmodo because I can always get an answer if I have a question and we can talk about things that are happening in our classroom. We can just talk and communicate to grow in our relationships with our classmates. Edmodo rocks!! ~Alyssa M.
    • "It has definitely helped me because I can remember a lot of times when I didn't understand our homework and I used Edmodo to contact Mr. Underwood and ask questions. Edmodo really helps me. Hopefully, we'll have a website like this in 7th grade. ~ Trinity B.
    • Everyone likes it; Doing your homework with ease; Making helpful comments: Our peers are very nice; Depositing info into reply boxes; Oh my gosh, it's an Acrostic poem. ~Harry P.
  • 6th grade EIS math teacher Kim Anderson says:
    • Edmodo is a fantastic tool to help students connect after the school day has ended. My students immediately saw the benefit of posting a homework question and then receiving help or helping another student. I would highly recommend Edmodo!"
  • 6th grade math students from EIS say:
    • "It is much easier to get help and hints, and it is also fun to use.  You don't have to go in early to get help, you can use Edmodo!"  ~Whitney C.
    • "It's a great way to get help on homework.  You aren't getting help from a strangers, so you know it's safe." ~Ainsley P.
    • "I like the idea that you can ask for help from a teacher or other students from home!" ~Chandler H.
    • "I love Edmodo because it really helps me with homework and ever since I starting using it my homework grades have been phenomenal."  ~Annie M.
    • "Really simple to use, and it has helped me a lot, just like a teacher being right by my side helping me." ~Gretchen C.
Tip of the Week:
Download the Edmodo App from iTunes or the Android store for FREE. Use your mobile device to send notes, submit assignments, post replies, and check messages while away from the classroom. Click here to download the iOS app.



Website of the week:
Be sure to check out the Edmodo website to sign up for a FREE teacher account. Watch this parent presentation video to learn more about the basics of Edmodo:
Edmodo Parent Presentation
View more PowerPoint from scholar

at Monday, April 09, 2012 Links to this post
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