Using Dropbox in the Classroom When I mention Dropbox to friends and colleagues, I usually get one of two responses – a knowing smile and nod, or a puzzled and quizzical look. Whether you know what the program is, you have likely heard the name. But really, what is Dropbox? Dropbox is many things — a multifaceted tool that’s so powerful, you’ll continue to discover new ways to use it. How Dropbox works So, how can you use Dropbox as an educator? Additionally, many applications that you likely use (Evernote, Things, 1Password, Elements, to name a few) have a Dropbox sync option. Using Dropbox with students In addition to making your life a lot easier, Dropbox can be a great teaching/learning tool – and this is why I introduce it to my students. You can call this folder anything. Next step: Put your mouse over the folder and click on the arrow to the right – a drop-down menu will appear. Next, you will get the window shown below. Once you have invited students, this becomes a “Shared Folder.” Students catch on quickly
Special Education Law & the IEP special education laws give children with disabilities and their parents important rights. Specifically, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) gives families of special education children the right to: have their child assessed or tested to determine special education eligibility and needsinspect and review school records relating to their childattend an annual "individualized education program" (IEP) meeting and develop a written IEP plan with representatives of the local school district, andresolve disputes with the school district through an impartial administrative and legal process. Eligibility Under IDEA Every school district is legally required to identify, locate, and evaluate children with disabilities (20 U.S.C. §1412(a)(3)). After the evaluation, the district may provide the child with specific programs and services to address special needs. For your child to qualify for special education under IDEA, it is not enough to have one of these disabilities.
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: Teachers Easy Guide to The Most Important Web Tools in Education When it comes to using web resources with our students, time plays a decisive role.It is next to impossible for a busy teacher restricted by curriculum constraints, day to day lesson preparations, assignment corrections, to mention but a few of his chores, to effectively search the web and find the adequate resources to share with his/ her students. Most people just do not have the time to learn all these technologies and some educators pick just one or two websites of interest and start exploring them. This is definitely not the right thing to do particularly if you want to leverage the huge potential of technology into your classroom.There is, however, a simple roudabout to this problem. Look for educational technology blogs ( such as the one you are reading now ) and subscribe to their feeds to stay updated about the latest web tools to use in your instruction. 1- A List of The Best Video Editing Tools for Teachers 2- A List of The Best Digital Story Telling Tools for Teachers
UDL Toolkits: Teaching Every Student The Planning for All Learners (PAL) process builds upon two prerequisites: A basic understanding of Universal Design for Learning, andCommitment of participating educators to make the curriculum and learning accessible for all learners. The PAL process begins with the formation of the PAL team, comprised of general education and special education teachers and other appropriate educational specialists at one grade level or with a content specific focus. The team meets regularly during the school year to focus on the foundation of instruction — the curriculum. The PAL process includes four steps, based upon the principles and concepts of UDL, proven professional development strategies, and effective teaching practices. Goal setting is essential to ensure that all learners have access to the goals; be sure to separate means from goals. Establish a context - Provide background information regarding the content and topic for the lesson. TeachEvaluate lesson/unitRevise lesson/unit
5 Ways You Should Integrate Digital Citizenship Into Your Classes Recently, I was told by a teacher that she doesn’t have time to teach digital citizenship because she has to cover too many other content-specific standards. I get it... the Common Core-state tests-AP/IB/SAT/ACT madness eats up so much of our time. Still, there is no excuse for allowing students to enter into the digital world without a toolkit for not only safety but also success. Beyond that, there is such a wide range of options for truly integrating digital citizenship objectives that the argument given by teachers who claim a lack of time is simply unfounded. Here are a few ways we all can bring digital citizenship to our classrooms seamlessly. Digital Teaching Tip 1: Use an LMS Edmodo and Schoology are free learning management systems which provide teachers with platforms for discussions, resource sharing, grading, messaging and networking. Helping students develop their technology in the classroom Internet search... Here's how to motivate students by giving them choices.
The 20+ Apps To Know About In 2013 Education got a lot more mobile in 2012 as in-school iPad initiatives , the iPhone 5 launch and online learning providers in general made classroom experiences more interesting—and don’t expect to see teaching head back to desktop PC’s in 2013. In fact, as MOOCs and hybrid programs continue to evolve, mobile should have an ever more significant role to play. Looking back at some of 2012′s most significant app launches and updates, Education Dive assembled a list of a few of the best apps on iOS and Android devices that we think educators should know about for 2013. Some of these are already out in the wild, and some are still twinkles in their developers’ eyes. All of 23 of them stand to be important, however, in the new year: 1. Spin is bringing interactive learning into the 21st century—the TogetherLearn mobile app allows online learners to virtually recreate traditional classroom elements. 2. 3. Desire2Learn’s suite of options for its campus apps is always evolving. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Using @Evernoteschools for Lesson Planning Since I started this Experiment to use Evernote in every aspect of my classroom, I wasn't really sure what I was going to discover. I was sure there would be some way that Evernote was not going to meet my needs and I would be forced to add another tool to my chest while I continue the experiment for the school year. One way I was weary of was lesson planning. I have used the the traditional planner book for years and it has always been very good to me. I could easily flip back and see what I what I did the year before as I planned the upcoming school year. I'm not a big fan of trying to fix things that are not broken, but I figured I needed to give it a try in the name of the Experiment. Here is a shot of my desktop version of Evernote. Within the notebooks for the specific classes, I have scanned and uploaded various assignments I had in paper form only and added them to new notes. I have also created notebooks that contain notes on tech tips for using the various tools.
iPads Making assessment meaningful After spending two hours a day this week watching seventh graders fill in bubbles on our state's standardized test, I am finding myself thinking about assessment. Specifically, I am thinking about the many ways the iPad has enriched and strengthened our daily assessment practices -- and the value I see in authentic, embedded, process-rich assessment that informs and improves instruction. Technology like the iPad offers incredible ways to gather meaningful data that shows student thinking and creates a rich and detailed picture of learning. It can also make assessment more efficient, save teachers time, and open opportunities for more responsive teaching. The iPad makes new assessment practices possible. As I explained in an earlier post, the camera also adds a new layer to the assessment process. Using tools such as Google Forms allows for an additional method of embedded, just-in-time assessment. Other web 2.0 tools can help teachers gather critical assessment data.
22 Top Blogging Tools Loved by the Pros Do you blog? Looking for exciting new tools to simplify the blogging experience? If so, keep reading. We decided to get the scoop on today’s hottest blogging tools. We asked 22 pros to share their favorite new finds. #1: InboxQ Mitt Ray @MittRay A great blogging tool I discovered a few months ago is InboxQ. InboxQ lets you create campaigns with different keywords. You can work on these questions and come up with better blog topics in your area of specialty. When people type in questions with these keywords, I get an update. Use InboxQ to find the questions people are asking on Twitter. Mitt Ray, founder of Social Marketing Writing, author. #2: Content Idea Generator Rich Brooks @TheRichBrooks The Content Idea Generator (v2) is a Google Doc that will automatically find news and related stories for your blog from a variety of sources… everything from Google News to Reddit, from tweets to public Facebook updates and more. You can get started here. Rich Brooks, president of Flyte New Media. #3: Diigo
iPad classroom examples BrainPop UK Bring learning to your fingertips with the BrainPOP Featured Movie app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Watch a different animated movie every day, then test your new knowledge with an interactive quiz – free! School wide subscriptions can be purchased to have full access to all the videos. Edexcel Past Papers Edexcel Past Papers allows you to download past papers directly to your mobile device, allowing you to revise anywhere at any time. Evernote Peek Evernote Peek is a learning app designed for the iPad 2 Smart Cover. Simply peek under the cover to prepare for a quiz, practice a language or strengthen your memory. iMindMap HD iMindMap HD is the ONLY Mind Mapping app that is endorsed by inventor of Mind Maps, Tony Buzan, allowing for truly organic Mind Maps and freedom to draw as if by hand. Khan Academy Khan Academy allows you to learn almost anything for free. My Exams Create your own personal exam timetable using SQA’s Exam Timetable Builder. My Study Plan Quizlet YouTube
The 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools Chosen By You 100 Web 2.0 Tools Every Teacher Should Know About 44.24K Views 0 Likes We're always trying to figure out the best tools for teachers, trends in the education technology industry, and generally doing our darnedest to bring you new and exciting ways to enhance the classroom. 20 Free and Fun Ways To Curate Web Content 23.98K Views 0 Likes What's the best way to organize it all into at least some reasonable manner? It’s Time To Crowdsource Your School’s Social Media Policy 12.53K Views 0 Likes Every school has a different policy when it comes to social media.