A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 29, 2015

“ Your digital footprint paints a portrait of who you are as an educator, leader, school, or district. Make sure it conveys your true values and work.” – Eric Sheninger In the age where billions of people have taken both their personal and professional lives online you better be cognizant of your digital footprint. With each Facebook post, email, Instagram photo, comment on a blog, YouTube video, Skype call, etc. you are leaving a trail that can be seen, searched, or tracked.

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Social Media Facebook Android Twitter 245

Ed Tech from the Ground Up

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

An ed-tech startup from Hawaii explores what it takes to innovate outside of a large, urban area without access to investors or vast numbers of students. Click the headline to read the full post. Questions? Email websupport@epe.org.

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Accessibility EdTech 239

Neo LMS

DECEMBER 3, 2015

It’s December, it’s almost the end of the year and it's time to talk about the 2016 e-learning trends. We always love to greet the new year with a bang, both literally and figuratively. So, to get you straight to the point - I’m here to point out, what I deem, will be the ed tech trends for the next year. Just to get things going, here’s a recap of 2015.

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Trends Gamification BYOD Learning 239

The CoolCatTeacher

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

Great teachers self-assess. Poor teachers change nothing. Test yourself. Is your teaching solid? Don’t take for granted that students are learning. Give yourself a regular check up. Great teachers learn. They learn about their pupils. They understand their classroom. They make it better. Great teachers become a better educator every day. I can tell a great teacher with one question.

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Education Assessment Classroom Meeting 228

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How can we actively engage learners 24/7, on their level and according to their interests, while respecting their learning styles? It’s not impossible. In this guide: Explore how to transform traditional, one-way videos into two-way interactive learning experiences Understand different types of artificial intelligence (AI), including - Generative vs.

Personalized Learning

The Journal

DECEMBER 1, 2015

No question: the future of educational technology is blended learning enacted in 1-to-1 classrooms. But: exactly what instruction will be delivered? In the past, textbooks played the role of providing teachers with the day-by-day, week-by-week, instructional roadmap. Current lesson marketplaces, however, provide supplemental lessons; there is a huge need for basal/comprehensive, blended learning curricula.

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Blended Learning Meeting Learning Technology 186

Catlin Tucker

DECEMBER 2, 2015

I had the pleasure of delivering the keynote at Mass CUE this year! Creatively Teach the Common Core Literacy Standards with Technology . Available NOW on Amazon ! .

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Common Core Technology Learning 192

The CoolCatTeacher

DECEMBER 3, 2015

Get into Nature to Nurture. “The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.” Ralph Waldo Emerson. One of the most beautiful things about living in the country is being able to see all the stars. You can enjoy the sky even more when you ‘ve got the right apps. 9 Super Apps for Stargazers. Augmented Stargazing. Augmented Stargazing is looking at the stars through a cell phone as the phone overlays constellations, stars, planets, satellites and more.

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Software Microsoft Google Data 199

The Web20Classroom

DECEMBER 4, 2015

This post is sponsored by Samsung. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I will freely admit that Pinterest is one of those services that I haven't been a big user of. When it first appeared my wife took to it instantly. Now, she is a teacher but she didn't go in the hunt of resources for the classroom. She was looking for recipes, design ideas and oddly enough, wedding dresses (we were already married so I'm still not really sure about that one).

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Education Social Media Resources Meeting 156

Teacher Reboot Camp

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Help us inspire teachers worldwide for 2016 by suggesting one of the 30 Goals for Cycle 7 ! We have a grand mission to transform the world and that is overwhelming. We need the support of a community of compassionate and empathetic educators to help drive us. The 30 Goals Challenge began in 2010 to meet this need. We are a community of teachers across the globe accomplishing 1 to 30 goals to improve our instructional practices and keep our learners motivated.

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eBook Facebook Education Twitter 156

EdTech Magazine

DECEMBER 2, 2015

By D. Frank Smith A K–12 network expert shares key advice on picking the right device and ensuring it supports your district’s goals.

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Classroom Mobility 176

Speaker: Andrew Cohen, Founder & CEO of Brainscape

The instructor’s PPT slides are brilliant. You’ve splurged on the expensive interactive courseware. Student engagement is stellar. So… why are half of your students still forgetting everything they learned in just a matter of weeks? It's likely a matter of cognitive science! With so much material to "teach" these days, we often forget to incorporate key proven principles into our curricula — namely active recall, metacognition, spaced repetition, and interleaving practice.

Training

The CoolCatTeacher

NOVEMBER 29, 2015

November 2015 November has been a busy month. Not only are teachers using new tools, but they are struggling with burnout and old-fashioned interpersonal skills. We are needing inspiration and simple edtech advice as shown by the top blog posts here on the Cool Cat Teacher Blog and shows this month. Top 10 Blog Posts of November 2015: The Cool Cat Teacher Blog. 10 Ways to Flip a Kid and Turn Their Day Around.

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Common Core Game-Based Learning EdTech Classroom 157

Ask a Tech Teacher

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

Collaboration is the new rigor in the classroom. Who hasn’t been mesmerized by children gathered at a table engaged in a high-level discussion, making shared decisions, and demonstrating deep, scaffolded learning? When students share organic ideas and peer review projects, they build authentic knowledge that everyone takes ownership in, but the saying is easier than the doing.

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Digital Citizenship Groups Tools Elementary 153

Neo LMS

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Following up on my previous post on social media as a tool for learning, I want to write something about social learning and gamification. Because really, this is so relevant these days – we spend hours and hours on social media and gamers spend billions of hours levelling up on their favorite video games. And who wouldn’t like the idea of learning by socializing and gamifying the learning experience?

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Gamification Social Media Learning Video 152

Digital Promise

DECEMBER 4, 2015

Patti is the Director of Adult Learning Initiatives at Digital Promise and has over 20 years experience developing products for adults. You can follow her on Twitter @patticonstan. On Nov. 18, Digital Promise held its first ever Designing a Better Future for Adult Learners design challenge in five locations across the country via simulcast web conference.

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Blended Learning Mobility Conference Examples 139

This white paper examines and proposes revisions to the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" introduced by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson in 1987 for today's technology-driven world.

Technology

FuelEd

DECEMBER 2, 2015

Contributor: Kelli Hicks Wednesday, December 2, 2015 - 11:45am I have heard a lot of people say that they don’t think that online schooling works well because there isn’t in-person interaction between a student and their teacher. This belief is a myth. When both teachers and students participate the same way they would in a face-to-face setting, amazing things happen in the online world—just as often as they do in the traditional classroom.

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Classroom 157

Ask a Tech Teacher

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Here are some great projects to keep your children tech-involved over the holidays. They take lots of critical thinking, problem-solving, and are worth the effort! Let me know how these go: 19 Holiday Websites For Your Students. Holidays. Book Review: 16 Holiday Projects. Holiday Newsletter. A Holiday Card in KidPix. A Holiday Memory in Word or KidPix.

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Digital Citizenship Elementary Resources Technology 152

Voyager Sopris Learning

DECEMBER 2, 2015

A Better Approach for Struggling Readers. At the end of October, I attended and spoke at the annual International Dyslexia Association (IDA) meeting in Dallas. IDA remains the best interdisciplinary conference for all professionals, advocates, and families concerned with reading, writing, and language difficulties. IDA meetings, over the past three decades, are where I’ve obtained my real education.

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Conference Meeting Education Technology 153

Ditch That Textbook

DECEMBER 3, 2015

If you visit a coffee shop, restaurant or ice cream shop that has a variety of furniture, what type of furniture draws you in most? Do you gravitate toward the plush, overstuffed chairs? The high bar stools? A basic table with chairs? I have a teacher friend named Matt Miller. (Funny story … we’re both [.].

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Twitter Learning Classroom 133

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Managing a K-12 campus with constant pressure to meet performance metrics is challenging. And tardiness can significantly limit a school from reaching these goals. Learn more about why chronic lateness matters, and key strategies to address the following impacts: Data errors caused by manual processes Low attendance and graduation rates that affect a school’s reputation Classroom disruption, which leads to poor academic performance High staff attrition and “The Teacher Exodus” Unmet LCAP goals t

Classroom

EdTech Magazine

DECEMBER 2, 2015

By D. Frank Smith Three challenges are holding back school districts from reaching broadband goals.

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Broadband Mobility 163

Ask a Tech Teacher

DECEMBER 4, 2015

Creating a macro is a quick, easy programming exercise that students fifth grade and up can accomplish with moderate supervision. By fifth grade, students appreciate technology for how it can speed up their homework and class projects and seek out ways to use it to make their educational journey easier. Take advantage of this by introducing pre-programming skills like creating macros.

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Digital Citizenship Exercises Video Resources 151

Digital Promise

DECEMBER 4, 2015

Aubrey is the Research Director at Digital Promise. You can reach her on Twitter at @aubreyfrancisco. Kelsey is the Research Communications Manager at Digital Promise. You can reach her on Twitter at @kelseye144. Technology offers a huge opportunity for schools to personalize learning for each student, but there is limited high-quality evidence to show which products are effective.

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Study Tools Twitter Personalized Learning 126

Brilliant or Insane

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Brilliant or Insane. The title of an Edutopia blog post — “When Grading Harms Student Learning” — hooked me instantly. Wonderful, I thought, a reputable source is lending credence to an idea that has been gaining traction for some time now: Grading is indeed harmful to learning. I couldn’t start reading fast enough. Sadly, about 10 seconds into the post, I […].

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Assessment Learning 100

Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions

There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.

Comparison

EdTech Magazine

DECEMBER 3, 2015

By EdTech Staff Amid rumors of change, Google explains why ChromeOS isn't going anywhere.

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Chromebook Google EdTech System 153

Ask a Tech Teacher

DECEMBER 3, 2015

As a tech teacher, I see a lot of student websites. I’m always impressed with the effort, the tenacity, and often the skill, but most require ‘some additional work’ to be published. And then I got an email from Stephen Byrne. In his quest to better learn history, he blended it with his love of of programming and built a website. It’s called History for Kids.

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Common Core Digital Citizenship Assessment Examples 151

Hapara

DECEMBER 4, 2015

The shift towards digital workflows, the move towards assessment and the adoption of standards has transformed schools into a data rich environment. There is a wealth of knowledge to uncover from the intersection of student assessment data, attendance records, demographics from the SIS, feeds from instrumented classrooms, and a variety of other sources.

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Data EdTech Assessment Classroom 100

Battelle for Kids

DECEMBER 2, 2015

Volume 2, Issue 14, Number 3. Driving Question: What Does Faculty-Driven, Collaborative PD Look Like at a High Tech High? This photo-post follows the written description of High Tech's full-year description of its professional learning program from yesterday. Pictures are a thousand words. They tell the story of what we value in our professional learning journey through the school year.

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Professional Learning Learning 100

Speaker: Amanda Davis, Chief Experience Officer and Liam O'Malley, VP of Association Solutions

The "new normal" is now a little less new, a little more normal. Does that mean your current LMS strategy is in need of a refresh? Is your organization or association leaning into the always-evolving eLearning environment to ensure you have the tools and content to remain relevant through all this change? There are many complex decision-making processes within your learning & development strategy and LMS lifecycle management, including: Selection.

LMS

Class Tech Integrate

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

As we approach Computer Science in Education Week this year. I wanted to share 3 iPad apps that are great for your young students to use for their Hour of Code. The age/grade ranges are suggestions, you may have to differentiate accordingly for your students. REMEMBER: "Hour of Code" doesn't mean that a child needs to be on an app for a solid hour non-stop.

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iPad Classroom Education EdTech 112

Ask a Tech Teacher

DECEMBER 2, 2015

65+ Great Gifts. For teachers. Don’t know what to get? Choose one of the 65 ideas here ranging from $1.99-$199 (or more). Everything from lesson plans to curricula to student workbooks to online classes and more. Need help deciding? Talk to one of our curriculum specialists. They’ll help you figure out what’s best. Our holiday gift to you: When you make your selection, use this coupon code and get 15% off: HAPPYHOLIDAY15.

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Common Core Assessment Strategy 150

21st Century Educational Technology and Learning

NOVEMBER 28, 2015

Welcome to the third article in a series devoted to facilitating proper student internet interaction in the classroom. This classroom might be 1 to 1 or might be using technology to leverage student centered learning. In this post I would like to explore resources that are available for facilitating proper digital citizenship in the classroom. This post provides 10 resources and the next will deliver 10 more.

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Digital Citizenship Resources Classroom Internet Safety 94

Battelle for Kids

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

Volume 2, Issue 14, Number 2. Driving Question: Where does Professional Learning Fit in High Tech High's Commitment to Deeper Learning? In order to foster its aim of deeper learning, High Tech High teachers must become adept at building relationships, designing authentic work, and reflecting on their practice. It's a many step journey. An internal document called The High Tech High Teacher is used throughout the organization to communicate the attributes we hope to see emerge within our teachers

Professional Learning 100

Professional Learning Learning 100

This whitepaper explores integrating the PowerTeaching pedagogical approach within a HyFlex (Hybrid Flexible) educational model, focusing on employing cooperative learning strategies and efficient classroom management techniques.

Education