Take 5! Integration Update - January 27, 2011 (Vol.2/#15)

Issue #15

“Take 5” is a weekly update containing information related to teaching and learning for today and beyond...

Take just 5 minutes (or less) to look over these resources and see what might be helpful for your and/or your students. Better yet, set aside at least 15-30 minutes a week (yes, that's been increased from last year!) to focus on finding resources and ideas that will improve student learning and prepare them for their future!


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Tips and Tools for Teachers 

• Got Goals? Try Joe's Goals – A public goal-setting site for you and/or your students... for homework/studying goals, fitness, nutrition, or anything else you're trying to improve 

• SMART Gallery Collections – Looking for more images for your lessons? Search and download new gallery collections for SMART Notebook at SMART Exchange. (This is updated regularly, so return to this link every month or two to see what SMART has added 

• Glogster Premium "SALE" - only $59 (not $99) until February 28th for GlogsterEDU Premium that has more features. Check it out here: http://edu.glogster.com/product-informations/ 

Ponderings

• Kids Today - Here's one perspective... from AVG, so the results (or survey pool of respondents) might be a bit skewed, but it gives some food for thought... or pondering... Some highlights:
  

  • Children on average have an online footprint by the time they are six months old.
  • More young children know how to play a computer game (58%) than swim (20%) or ride a bike (52%)
  • 28% of young children can make a mobile phone call, but only 20% know to dial 911 in case of an emergency
  • 69% of children aged 2-5 can operate a computer mouse, but only 11% can tie their own shoelaces 

Learning Opportunities

• 1. Ohio FreeTech Conference (hosted by SmartEd Services) - It's FREE and held in "Toledo" (Sandusky) (Jan. 25 & 26), Cincinnati (Feb. 2 & 3), Columbus (Feb. 9 & 10), and Cleveland (Feb. 17 & 18). Ashland grad credit is also offered. See the sessions HERE.
• 2. Apply for National Board Certification by Jan 31st - Go HERE
• 3. Ohio eTech Conference (Columbus, OH) January 31 - February 2
  
• 4. NWO's STEM Education Inquiry Series (at Rossford High School!) - Thurs., February 17th - a low-cost, local opportunity for elementary teachers and JH/HS science, math, and technology teachers offered 7 times from September 23 - April 14, 2011.
•  5. In the right margin of this blog, enter your email to receive future postings into your email Inbox (Take 5s and more!) -- plan on 1-3 posts per week.

;-) Just for Fun! (and a little learning, perhaps)

• Need some R & R? Try doing nothing for 2 minutes! No, really... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING... give it a try at "Do Nothing for 2 Minutes" -- How did you do?

SPECIAL NOTE... this site was just one of MANY new things I learned about while at the Ohio Free-Tech Conference over the last two days. More info will be coming about some great ideas and resources that presenters shared. Eventually, presenter's resources will be posted online and I'll leave a link to those as well. If you can, try to make one of the 3 other Free-Tech Conferences over the next few weeks or even the Ohio eTech Conference in Columbus, OH next week!  

 

iPad Switch - Lock Position to Mute

The switch on the side of the iPad used to lock the screen in either portrait or landscape position so it doesn’t flip-flop back and forth. As of the iOS 4.2 upgrade, the switch now acts as a mute switch to quickly turn off sounds. Both are fabulous features, of course, but how do you now lock your screen position, you ask? Here’s how... From Apple Support:

Use the following steps to enable screen rotation lock: 

1. Rotate iPad so the display is in the desired orientation.  
2. Double-click the Home button to display recently used apps.
3. Flick from left to right along the bottom of the screen.  
4. Tap the rotation lock button on the bottom left of the screen.  
5. A padlock will appear in the rotation lock button.

Enjoy your new-found stability!

Take 5! Integration Update - January 20, 2011 (Vol.2/#14)

Issue #14

“Take 5” is a weekly update containing information related to teaching and learning for today and beyond...

Take just 5 minutes (or less) to look over these resources and see what might be helpful for your and/or your students. Better yet, set aside at least 15-30 minutes a week (yes, that's been increased from last year!) to focus on finding resources and ideas that will improve student learning and prepare them for their future!


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Tips and Tools for Teachers 

• Create Animations with Do Ink – Have students animate a scientific process, narrate a story, or review math problems... or whatever else you or they think of! There's even a "Bazaar" that houses images or "Props" you can use... many are free, but some are for a fee.

• Mac Tip: Screen Capture Image – I've been using the keyboard keys (Apple or Command + Shift + 4) to select an image or screen shot of various things to show teachers something, make a graphic for a test, worksheet, or project sample, or even to use on a web page. (NOTE: You can also use these keys... "Apple or Command + Shift + 3" to take a full shot of the entire page). These processes are nice, but each time, it will create a Picture file on your desktop. If you know you won't need to save that screen shot for later, consider this tip from Apple themselves -- it allows you to just Copy, then Paste the screen shot! Yeah!!! (Just add a 4th key, the Control key... Control+Command+Shift+3 (or 4)

• Productivity Tip: Switch Quickly Between Programs – on a Mac or Windows PC, you can quickly switch between programs by using 2 keys and cycle through all open programs to quickly get to the one you want. 
• On Windows/PC - press Alt+Tab (hold down Alt, then press Tab key once or several times to cycle through, letting go on the one you want) - VIDEO of this
• On Mac - press Command(or Apple)+Tab (hold down Command, then press Tab key once or several times to cycle through, letting go on the one you want)

Ponderings

• Math Rap Videos - Teachers at Westerville South near Columbus, OH are trying a different spin on some HS math lessons through the creation of rap songs. See the article and news video or view some their videos
  
  

  • Teach Me How to Factor
  • Getting Triggy Wit It 

Learning Opportunities

• 1. Ohio FreeTech Conference (hosted by SmartEd Services) - It's FREE and held in "Toledo" (Sandusky) (Jan. 25 & 26), Cincinnati (Feb. 2 & 3), Columbus (Feb. 9 & 10), and Cleveland (Feb. 17 & 18). Ashland grad credit is also offered. See the sessions HERE.
• 2. Apply for National Board Certification by Jan 31st - Go HERE
  
• 3. NWO's STEM Education Inquiry Series (at Rossford High School!) - Thurs., February 17th - a low-cost, local opportunity for elementary teachers and JH/HS science, math, and technology teachers offered 7 times from September 23 - April 14, 2011.
•  4. In the right margin of this blog, enter your email to receive future postings into your email Inbox (Take 5s and more!) -- plan on 1-3 posts per week.

;-) Just for Fun! (and a little learning, perhaps)

• Educational Jargon - NBCT Roxanna Elden recently wrote a post on EdWeek that may enlighten some to our world. At the very least, may make us all think carefully about the words we use and the true intention of those words. Here's the article: 5 Words and Phrases that Sound Different to Teachers and a few highlights:  

--> "Failure is not an option": Actually, failure IS an option...
--> "Paradigm Shift"... Here are some moments in history that might be appropriately described as paradigm shifts:
• "Lo and behold, Copernicus, you might just be right about the whole 'Earth orbiting the sun' thing. Sorry I called you a heretic. No hard, feelings, right?"

Take 5! Integration Update - January 11, 2011 (Vol.2/#13)

Issue #13

“Take 5” is a weekly update containing information related to teaching and learning for today and beyond...

Take just 5 minutes (or less) to look over these resources and see what might be helpful for your and/or your students. Better yet, set aside at least 15-30 minutes a week (yes, that's been increased from last year!) to focus on finding resources and ideas that will improve student learning and prepare them for their future!


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HAPPY 1-11-11-11-11 (one less 1 than in November later this year!)

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Tips and Tools for Teachers 

• Scribble Maps – (Thanks, Shelley B.) - A "quick and easy way to create and share maps"... including being able to write (or scribble) on them! More “how to” and samples at their blog - http://scribblemaps.blogspot.com/  And there's WOW maps too! (World of Warcraft) 

• Math Playground – A site full of quick review games and online practice for elementary and middle school math. One negative... lots of ads, but some good, free tools/practice otherwise. The image below is just one area... of many!

Ponderings

• Animates: "Visualized Speeches" - Check out these "animates" of edited speeches by famous authors or thinkers of today. The pondering comes as you listen to not only the words being said, but the images created that help solidify the auditory content/message. Each one is about 10 minutes long... ALL are VERY GOOD (so make time to view each one)!

  
  Sir Ken Robinson – Changing Education Paradigms
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
  
  Dan Pink: Drive (about motivation)
  http://www.youtube.com/user/theRSAorg#p/u/2/u6XAPnuFjJc
  
  Barbara Ehrenreich: Smile or Die (the power or pain of “positive thinking” vs. realistic)
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5um8QWWRvo

  
  

Learning Opportunities

• 1. In-District Professional Development Opportunities - COMING SOON!
• 2. Ohio FreeTech Conference (hosted by SmartEd Services) - It's FREE and held in "Toledo" (Sandusky) (Jan. 25 & 26), Cincinnati (Feb. 2 & 3), Columbus (Feb. 9 & 10), and Cleveland (Feb. 17 & 18). Ashland grad credit is also offered. See the sessions HERE.
• 3. NWO's STEM Education Inquiry Series (at Rossford High School!) - Thurs., January 13th - a low-cost, local opportunity for elementary teachers and JH/HS science, math, and technology teachers offered 7 times from September 23 - April 14, 2011.
•  4. In the right margin of this blog, enter your email to receive future postings into your email Inbox (Take 5s and more!) -- plan on 1-3 posts per week.

;-) Just for Fun! (and a little learning, perhaps)

This one should really be under the heading "Learning, Fun, & Serendipity." Learn things you never thought you needed to know (or never knew you were even missing) from the Instructables website. Share some with your students and see what they come up with -- for cooking, outdoors, organization, health, and more! Here are a few samples:

Add a snuggle-tight pocket to a binder:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Duckduct-tape-Folder-Book-Pocket/

Re-purpose that old whisk:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Multi-purpose-holder-from-kitchen-whisk/

Cheap iPad cover/holder:
http://www.instructables.com/id/iPad-Notebook-Safe/

For your New Year’s resolution to exercise AND work more:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Fancy-Ikea-Treadmill-Desk/

Snow sculpting idea for our next big snow:
http://www.instructables.com/id/SpongeBob-SquarePants-Snow-Sculpture-in-Color/

Cleaner Simpler YouTube Viewing

These sites present YouTube videos with less or even no clutter... 

YouTube XL
-- Just a larger version with less clutter (from YouTube themselves); still shows some related videos on the side... Not sure if “inappropriate ones” will still show up or not (I didn’t know what to try to test it!)

 

quietube - (follow directions at this site)
-- Add the box to your bookmark/favorites tab, then click it to view YouTube as a “QUIETube” -- Watch this video (1 min.) to see exactly what quietube does.