Technology and Learning

THE Journal magazine, which talks about transforming education through technologies,  has once again come up with their 2016 Readers' Choice Awards.  Here is what they have picked for various categories:)!!!! Most Valuable in You Schools : 1. Lexia Learning 2. Google Chromebooks 3. Edsby Top 10 Favorite Technologies Currently Used: 1. All Things Apple - mostly iPads, but also MacBooks and iPhones; and all things Google, particularly Apps for Education 2. Interactive Whiteboards - particularly from SMART and Promethean 3. Lexia 4. More computers, tablets, desktops, carts 5. Renaissance , especially Star 360 and Accelerated Reading and Math 6. Google Chromebooks 7. Microsoft Office and Office 365 8. Projectors - especially EPSON's and Boxlight Mimio 9. Schoology and Edsby 10. Document cameras Best Reading Programs: 1. Lexia Learning 2. Renaissance Learning - Accelerated Reader 360 3. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Read 180 Best Math Programs: 1. iXL ...

My nephew shared this app with me - and it was SO POWERFUL that I thought I better blog about it!  Cyberbullying is happening EVERYWHERE - this is nothing new for any of us in the world of technology.  What kids have to deal with nowadays is tough to say the least.  They can't escape the mean comments and remarks made to them because they constantly have a device in their hands and immediate access to EVERYTHING.  Trisha Pabhu, a 14 year old girl from Illinois, has create a GEM!  She was SO touched by and tired of hearing about the story of Rebecca Sedwick , that she finally started doing something about it!  She created an app called ReThink !   This app is a keyboard extension that you download.  Anytime that you are using your keyboard, it tracks what you are typing as it has "hurtful" words in it's bank.  When a word comes up that is hurtful or damaging (and it CAN differentiate between "I hate Chicago," and "I hate Holly."), a littl...

When I first took this job - the ONE thing that I was excited about was the flexibility and the NOT having to be accountable for little ones and their "stuff."  I mean everything from parent complaints, to manners, to tying shoes, to cleaning desks - everything!  However, as I sit here subbing today, as they were short because our football team and coaches are headed to play at US Bank Stadium - WHOOP WHOOP! - I realized that I DO indeed miss kiddos and the classroom!  I have had the chance to sit and chat with these kiddos and really am enjoying myself.  Too often in the role I play I am putting out fires and "punishing" kiddos for things they shouldn't be doing on their iPads - often missing the things they are doing that are super GREAT on them!  I miss kids like THIS - he JUST emailed me this and asked me to please remove these apps as they are taking up storage and he doesn't need them anymore.  HOWEVER - it's the comments he has on the sides that...

  I have been browsing for some good websites and ideas for math since that is our curriculum that is up for review and I came across THIS GEM!!!!  I don't know if you have seen this already, but I found this site called Interactive Sites for Education - and IT IS AWESOME!!!  It has already compiled interactive sites and games for you to use with your students and it's in ONE place and there are SO SO many there:)!!  BAD NEWS = you can't use most of them on iPads, as they are mostly flash based.  GOOD NEWS = you can ALWAYS take your kiddos into the media center or computer lab and still use these with them - YAHOO:)!!  Here is a quick snapshot of what's available: SERIOUSLY - check this one out - it's WORTH THE TIME:)! Happy Monday all, Mrs. I:)

Mrs. Tonsfeldt, a third grade teacher here, shared this website with me to check out.  We are currently in the process of implementing a new math curriculum and supplements that we may need.  She discovered I Know It - a math based website for practice of various skills.  This website is COMPLETELY FREE NOW, as it's in beta form and incomplete, but it's SUPER easy for kids to use and SUPER clean and laid out right.  CHECK IT OUT!! Here are a few screenshots from the site to get an idea of the simplicity of it:  Have a great Wednesday all, Mrs. I:)

Mrs. Askegaard, a fifth grade teacher here, asked me to see if I could find some resources to teach Microsoft Word and word processing.  This is ONE skill that I really feel kids are in DESPERATE need of, and we don't do a great job here.  We have a class that students have to take at some point in grades 9-12, but they can take it any of those four years - so really, when they are seniors, they take a class on Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, when they SHOULD be taking it before so they can USE those skills all through high school (again, just MY opinion here).  We have tried to add things here, as years ago we cut a business teacher, so this is the option that Mr. Askegaard, our business teacher, can teach, as he also has other classes that need to be offered.  So until then, we are trying to find more ways to incorporate keyboarding and Microsoft Word into grades and classes.  Fifth Grade doing more will help, which is why Mrs. Askegaard is looking for s...

I understand the ever changing world of technology, it's what I do daily.  I hear the complaints daily, I get the concerns, and I put out fires EVERY day, but here are a few things that I am frustrated about TODAY:) - 1. Tech Support - EVERYONE should have the ability to escalate cases - Can they PLEASE know what they are doing.  I am calling them because I NEED HELP!  I have already Googled, call someone I know and YouTubed a possible answer because I am that way.  So when I call tech support, I have TRIED things that most wouldn't know what to do - because they forget about Google and YouTube, or maybe don't have connections in the field.  However, PLEASE don't put me on the phone with someone that DOESN'T know what they are doing.  I want my case escalated right away, and I tell them that, don't waste 20 minutes of MY time walking me through things I have ALREADY TRIED - UGH!! 2. New Products - SUPPORT THEM - Casey JUST put up new Smart Televisions....