Chrome Extensions for Teachers and Students

 I have several Chrome Extensions that I have downloaded and use, but these are three of my favorite Chrome Extensions!  Do you have a favorite?  Share them with us!

SnagIt

I am a big fan of SnagIt. You can clip images and take videos from within your browser.  Everything you do saves automatically to Google Drive.  Want more information on SnagIt, check out the resources below.

~ SnagIt for Chrome

~ screencasting with SnagIt

MoveIt

MoveIt is a great resource for teachers to get kids up and moving!  MoveIt provides quick movement breaks on the intervals you select. The movements include pushups, arm rotations, and wall sits.

 

Clearly

Clearly is part of EverNote.  Clearly allows the user to remove the "extra stuff" on a website for an easier read. You can also print out the easier read. This is a great resource for teachers who want to use current web articles, but want the students to focus on the article and not the side ads.

What is your favorite Chrome Extension?

 

just be a good role model

Last weekend, I took my 10 year old daughter to a birthday party.  Twenty minutes into the party, one of the girls pulled out her cell phone and they all got together for several group photos.  My immediate thought was "I hope these girls are good digital citizens". I then looked around at the adults and felt ashamed and annoyed!  We ALL were playing on our cell phones.  We weren't watching our children skate or talking with each other. We were too involved in our phones and not in the moment.

We can talk about lessons, posters, videos, and activities that help students better understand what it means to be a good digital citizen ..but.. are we modeling what we say?

Our actions speak volumes to the world around us.  At that party, the actions of the moms (including myself) was the phone was more important than interacting with each other and watching our own children.

We have to be good role models when it comes to being a good digital citizen. We have to show our children and students there is a time and place for cell phones (and technology) and that time and place is not 24/7.  We have to show our children and students that limits need to be set and enforced not only for them but for us as well. 

We have to show our children and students WHAT we post and share is just as important as how often we pick up the device.

We have to be role models and let our actions speak louder than our lessons, posters, videos, and activities.

Android Resources for PreK-Kindergarten Classrooms

Recently, my district added Nexus Tablets into the Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms. Below are a few Android apps that would fit nicely in a Pre-K/K classroom. Added bonus, these apps are available on iPad too!

  
Alphabet Organizer by the International Reading Association is a free app for Android (and iPad). This app allows for multiple users, so students can save their work and not worry about the work disappearing.  Students can create two projects: words only or one word & picture per letter. The projects allow the students to create electronic word walls.

Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame by the Sesame Workshop is a free app for Android (and iPad). This app provides activities for the students to interact with while learning how to calmly problem solve. This is a good resource for teachers to suggest for parent to download and use at home. Teachers could also use this app to help students understand how to calm down and solve day to day problems.

   

  
Scratch, Jr is a great, free app for students to get engage with coding.  Scratch Jr is available for Android (and iPad).  You can also access Scratch on the web.  Scratch is for students 8 and up while Scratch Jr is for younger students.

 

  
Peppa's Paintbox by Entertainment One. This is a free app for Android and iPad. This is a nice app to let your students' artist side out. Students can paint with a variety of colors, add stickers, and effects to their art work.

There are several apps out there made by Eggroll Games. Those are available for Android and iPad.  They do have free and paid versions, but are worth the download. 

Do you have any great Android apps you use in the classroom? Share them with us!

two months... really?!

Has it really been two months since my last blog post??  Really?!  So much has happened this summer.

ISTE
This was my third ISTE I had the awesome opportunity to attend.  I had the chance to facilitate two snapshot sessions.  I enjoy working with teachers and helping them blur that line between curriculum and technology. Connecting with my PLN as well as growing my PLN energizes me for the school year.  I'm still going through notes from the conference.  The collaborative notes rock!

Job Change
I have been with the Pascagoula-Gautier SD since Jan 2002.  I am a proud PGSD employee! I started out in a classroom with some awesome 2nd grade students.  In 2009, I had the opportunity to become our district's first Technology Integration Specialist.  Working with teachers was the best.  I was constantly learning new resources and tools for K-12 teachers. In July, the district selected me as the next Director of Technology for PGSD.

So... why haven't I blogged this summer??  I hate to say it, but no time.  Time should not be my excuse.  Brad Currie says it's simple, 20 minutes a day for PD. Click here to read his blog.

This is my way to remind myself to get back to daily PD and blogging.  Break time over!

teachers who don't share ~ Wait, do what??

I was told by one teacher that good teachers don’t share.

This sentence from Steven Anderson and Tom Whitby, The Relevant Educator, struck a chord with me.

How can an educator NOT share their best practices, their failures, and their successes with other educators?!

When I started using Twitter, I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew there was a lot of information out there for me, at the time a 2nd grade teacher. I had the opportunity to hear Will Richardson and David Warlick speak at MECA (MS Educational Computing Association), and their keynotes got me excited about and pondering education. This excitement forced me to dive into Twitter even more. Today, I am able to connect with authors, edtech leaders, fellow technology integrators, teachers, and administrators. I share what I know and learn about what they know. I am connected!

So I go back to my question... How can an educator not want to be connected and share?!

- the unknown
- time

These are two big reasons I see as obstacles for educators becoming connected, or more connected.

So what can I do to help, I don't know just yet but for the moment I will continue to share my excitement and story of why it's so vital to be a connected educator.



These were my thoughts while flying to FETC 2015 in January. I wanted something to read and decided to download The Relevant Educator.  Little did I know that download and the Twitter post about it would lead to some YAY moments for me!  That is another blog post though!

While at FETC, I had the opportunity to hear the authors, Steven and Tom, discuss the book.  There are days that I don't feel very relevant at all, but then there are others.

The statement "I was told by one teacher that good teachers don't share." still makes me wonder. Why are teachers afraid to share.  Are they afraid of coming off as bragging? Are they afraid someone will criticize their work?  I do not have the answer to those questions and I really wish I did!

Sharing is not a bad thing.  Just look at how many teachers share items on Teachers Pay Teachers! Look at all of the teachers on Twitter who share on a daily basis.  Sharing is not a bad thing.

How can we get teachers to realize when they share with others, they are growing and helping someone else grow too.

- the unknown
Sometimes you just have to jump into the water feet first!  Everyday is an unknown, especially with the introduction of new innovations. Just today, I saw a video for Corning Glass.  WOW! We have to embrace the unknown, cautiously embrace the unknown, and make it known.

- time
Well, Brad Currie wrote a great blog post about 100 minutes a week.  Time is not a problem if you look at in smaller chunks.  Think of it just like you would a large pizza.  You can't eat the whole thing at once, you have to take small bites.  Do the same thing with becoming connected.

Open your classroom door and share something!

Eva Harvell

Don't be afraid of the screencast!

How-to videos are everywhere!  Just Google "how to...." and you will come across multiple links. 

In fact, just a few weeks ago, a how-to video on YouTube saved our Play Station from a piece of pepperoni!

     

How-to videos are made by everyday people and most of the time with simple resources.  Educators can follow these how-to video examples and apply it to their classroom. This is where the screencast comes in!  A screencast, according to Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything, is the capture of the action on a computer screen while you are narrating. A screencast can be used as a step-by-step video for students made by teachers or a "show what you know" video made by students for teachers to assess.


There are some great tools out there teachers can choose from when entering the world of screencasting.  TechSmith creates two that I especially like - Jing and SnagIt.  I like these because the are free and simple, yet effective.  Jing is a program you can download onto your PC or Mac.  SnagIt is a Chrome app/extension you can add.

SnagIt allows you to record images and videos from within the Chrome browser.  You do have a few editing options, like cropping and the addition of text and arrows. The images are saved in your Google Drive account within a folder named "TechSmith".  You can also download the image to your computer or copy the URL.

         

In order to record a video, you will need to make sure you have the SnagIt extension.  Just like the images, videos are saved in Google Drive. You can also get a Google Drive link to the video or send it to YouTube.

I have found myself using SnagIt on a daily basis.  I currently use it more for the images, but I am finding a need for the video capture more and more.

There are other tools out there as well.  Screencast-O-Matic and Screenr are two websites that allow you to record a video without having to create an account or download anything.  Double check your Java, because both websites use it.

If you need to make a screencast of your iPad, check out Reflector.  They recently came out with Reflector 2, which allows you to reflect your android tablet too.


So why make a screencast?

- instructions for students when you are out sick
- step-by-step guides for parents when it's homework time
- how to guides for difficult concepts
- instructions for your visual learners

And don't forget to let your students make a screencast or two to show their understanding of a concept.
 
Do you make screencasts?  What resources do you use?  Share your thoughts with us!  Click here for another blog post I wrote about recording yourself.

Anytime, Anywhere Learning .. with an iOS app

Podcast app by Apple

This one app can be a powerful anytime, anywhere learning tool for educators!

I began listening to Podcasts years ago. I started off with the Tech Chicks Tips podcast. I would always learn something new with every podcast. As I started to add other methods of personalized PD, podcasts fell off of my list, until recently!

I had heard about the BAM Radio Network on Twitter and participated (and lurked) in various Twitter chats, but never put the two together until I had to drive to Atlanta, GA .. by myself!

 

I sat in the Starbucks parking lot somewhere in Alabama and downloaded as many #edchat and #edtechchat podcasts as I could. For the rest of the drive I listened, I learned, and I talked to myself.

The #edtechchat and #edchat podcasts are not longer than 15 minutes and continue the conversation from the previous Twitter Chat.  During my drive, I listened to podcasts about parent involvement, Future Ready, and using Twitter as PD (or PL).

Podcasts have become a part of my personalized learning again.  I have recently added the #satchat podcast to my list. I can never seem to get up in time for that weekly chat!

So, where can you go to find these 15 minute jewels??  You can go to the BAM Radio Network's website or do a search on the Podcast app on your idevice.

Do you have a favorite podcast? Share with us!

Eva Harvell

Formative Assessment Resources - Socrative and Plickers

Teachers use formative assessment strategies through out the day to assess his/her class's understanding of the concept being discussed. You can find multiple articles, websites, presentations, etc on different formative assessment resources and strategies.

There are online tools out there for teachers to use, including KaHoot, NearPod, Socrative, The Answer Pad, and Plickers.  Even though each one can be used to assess students throughout a lesson, they each have a uniqueness about them.

Last week, we explored KaHoot and NearPod. You can find that post here. This week, we are going to dive into Socrative and Plickers.

www.plickers.com

Plickers is unlike the other formative assessments tools, because the students do not need a piece of technology to participate. They only need a piece of paper!

To start off, teachers go to the Plickers website, create a free account, and create classes. You only need the student's first and last name to create the student accounts. Once the classes are made, you can print off the cards. These are how the students will answer the multiple choice or true/false questions you ask through out the lesson.

The cards look like QR codes (but they aren't) with a number on each corner. This number matches each student in the class you set up. There is also an A, B, C, D on each side.  When a student wants to select an answer, they hold the card with the answer pointing upward. The teacher uses the app to capture the cards.  As you scan each card, you can see if the students answered correctly or not.  You can scan multiple cards at one time, so it is not as time consuming as it might sound. The Plickers app is an iPhone app, but you can download it onto your iPad too.

Plickers does have support materials available for teachers here. You can access my Plickers Quick Guide here.

www.socrative.com

Socrative is a formative assessment resource that could also be used for summative and even diagnostic. Teachers can create a free account on Socrative and start using the resource within minutes!

When the teacher account is created, you are assigned a "room number". This is the number the students will use to join the quizzes and activities you create. The students can join using any device with Internet access on the website or using the downloadable student app.  Teachers can create "on-the-fly" questions or prepare a quiz for future use.  The created quizzes can be teacher-led or student-led. This is where the summative and diagnostic connections come in.  Student-led quizzes allow the students to work at their own pace. Questions can be in various formats, including multiple choice, true/false, and short answer.  Reports can be accessed in multiple formats as well.

Socrative does have support materials available for teachers here. You can access my Socrative Quick Guide here.  

Do you use either one of these resources in your classroom? Share your thoughts with us!

Formative Assessment Resources - KaHoot and NearPod

Teachers use formative assessment strategies through out the day to assess his/her class's understanding of the concept being discussed. You can find multiple articles, websites, presentations, etc on different formative assessment resources and strategies.

There are online tools out there for teachers to use, including KaHoot, NearPod, Socrative, The Answer Pad, and Plickers.  Even though each one can be used to assess students throughout a lesson, they each have a uniqueness about them.

Today, I'm going to talk about two of those resources - KaHoot and NearPod.

www.getkahoot.com

KaHoot has taken the edtech world by storm!  Were you one of the participants in largest KaHoot game at FETC 2015?

KaHoot is one of those resources that pull you in from the get-go and I think it has something to do with the competitive nature in all of us.

KaHoot is a free resource that students can participate with on any web accessible device. Teachers can create multiple choice quizzes, two answer discussions, and two answer surveys.  The quizzes are most popular with students. Students earn points for answering correctly and the quickest.  After each question, the top 5 point earners is displayed along with a graph of how many people answered A, B, C, or D. The students love the points, but the teachers love the graph. You can see immediately if the class understands the question being asked or not.

After each KaHoot game, teachers can dive deeper into the reports, looking at how each student did on each question.  The reports can be downloaded or saved to your Google Drive account.

KaHoot does have support materials available for teachers here. You can also check out my blog post about KaHoot here. You can access my KaHoot Quick Guide here.

www.nearpod.com

NearPod is a resource I first saw in action a few years ago in a gifted classroom.  The teacher was reviewing information about their theme and wanted to make sure the students understood before they started their projects.  NearPod was the perfect resource!

NearPod is available for free and subscription.  NearPod is web-based, but you can also download their app on an iOS device and through Google Play.

Teachers created a lesson on NearPod using either content screens or activity screens.  On the free account, the content screens include a single slide, a video, or a slide show and the activity screens include open response, poll, quiz, or draw it.

To start the lesson, the students use the session code provided by the teacher.  Once in the session, the teacher can control which screen the students see.  When an activity screen appears, the teacher can see how each student responds. This information lets the teacher know if she/he can move forward or needs to reteach. After the session ends, the teacher can review the data further within the reports area of NearPod.

NearPod does have support materials available for teachers here. You can access my NearPod Quick Guide here.

What are your thoughts on Kahoot and NearPod? Do you use them in the classroom?  Tell us about your experience!

personalized learning - #edtechchat thoughts

#edtechchat happens every Monday night from 7-8CST on Twitter.  I thoroughly enjoy this hour! Sometimes I just lurk and sometimes I participate.  This last week I was an active participant.  The guest moderator was @bhwilkoff (Ben Wilkoff) and the topic was on personalized learning (PL) and how school districts can support PL.
Because of my job, I have had to rely on personalized learning to stay current and informed. I can't just go to what you would consider "normal" CEU course and get what I need. Joining #edtechchat, for example, is just one way I learn and grow in my profession.

So, the questions we discussed made all of us ponder personalized learning for ourselves and our teachers within the district.

So, lets go back to the questions:

Q1: What does personalized PD mean to you?
Q2: Is it up to the individual to personalize their own PD or should districts play a role? Why?
Q3: How are districts/schools currently helping to personalize pd?
Q4: What should districts/schools do to improve the way they personalize pd and how can teachers better advocate for change?
Q5: What types of tools work well (or could work well) to personalize pd?
Q6: What role should technology play to help districts (or individuals) personalize pd? When should we put the tech away? 



For me, personalized learning should be just that - personalized.  What I need in terms of educational growth will not be the same as the person next to me. This is one big reason why experts say one-size-fits-all PD just doesn't work. If all you offer is workshops on math, how will this help your music, PE, and ELA teachers? 

Some districts play a big role when is comes to offering PD or PL opportunities, but this shouldn't be the only way educators grow and learn.  There is so much out there!  Unfortunately, the first question asked is "Will I get CEUs for this??". This question makes me, personally, say UGH! CEUs should not be the reason why you want to attend something, the reason should be what new information you will get from the session. CEUs are my soapbox topic, but I won't jump on it today! I think this is one reason why teachers shy away from things not offered by a district or educational group. Twitter is a great example!  I learn more during a one hour Twitter Chat than I do in a one hour conference session sometimes. I don't earn CEUs for Twitter though! I don't earn them for reading edtech books, either but that doesn't stop me! I use Twitter and edtech books to grow in my profession!

Creating a PL session takes time to put together, I know, I am working on two right now! (one on digital tools and one on Twitter use - YAY!!) There are other ways to offer and provide PL for teachers.  A book study is a great idea!  Teachers are able to read a book of interest, on their own time, and talk with others about it through the reading process.  How great is this!  Schools do book studies often, but why not do district-wide book studies or better yet, find (or start) a book study via social media. Google Hangouts and Skype also provide great avenues for PL. Bring experts to you for an hour. There are several edtech minds I would love to question from Twitter, and GHO/Skype give me the opportunity to do just that! You can't get more personalized than that!

Is technology always the answer -- NOPE! Technology is there to enhance the PL. Think about edcamps -- These are a PERFECT way to talk and share ideas with other educators.

Last week's Twitter chat topic goes perfectly with the book I am currently reading - Leading Professional Learning: Tools to Connect and Empower Teachers by Thomas C. Murray and Jeff J. Zoul. You can also read the archive from last week's chat here.

So what do you do for PL?

Lets Make a Movie.... With Our Interactive Board?!

iMovie
Educreations
Explain Everything
Swivl
cell phone

These are just a few of the resources you can use to create an instructional video for your classroom.  There is one resource you probably have hanging in your classroom right now that you won't add to your list - the interactive board.

Promethean's ActivInspire and Mimio's Mimio Studio software have a recorder located in the tools/application feature.

This simple to use feature allows you to record your voice and what you are doing on the board and/or computer screen.  In fact, the videos in the "How-To Videos" section where made with Promethean's recorder and a Mac.  Which reminds me.. I need to make a few more of these!

So, when will the recorder feature come in handy?

- make an instructional video on a new topic for students and parents
- make a quick homework help video and post to your website/blog/social media
- make a step-by-step video for student/parent reference
- make a "here are the instructions..." video for students
- let students make a video to how mastery of a topic

You can find four different hand-outs here on how to create a video with either ActivInspire or Mimio Studio.

Eva