App: Santa's World

"Help Santa and his elves make toys in the workshop, learn the Alphabet, choose ornaments for the tree, and even pack the toys for the sleigh! Santa's World is the perfect app for kids ready to celebrate the holidays." 

Merry Christmas 🎄🎄

References:

Santa's World: An Educational Christmas Game for Kids and Elves

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/santas-world-educational-christmas/id480760273?mt=8

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, Christmas Game, Educational App, Santa's World

Math Basketball Game

Teach your students addition, subtraction, multiplication and division while playing basketball. Ask them to shoot the ball into the basket that shows the correct answer!

You can find the game on the following link: http://www.roomrecess.com/pages/ShotClock.html

References:

RoomRecess

http://www.roomrecess.com/pages/ShotClock.html

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, Educational Game, Basketball, Preschool, Math

August 2016: Pokémon Go in the classroom

Kathy Schrock, August 2016: Pokémon Go in the classroom, Discovery Education

"How can you utilize the game “PokemonGo” into your classroom in a meaningful way? Harnessing student excitement of this game can easily be used to support all kinds of fun and pedagogically-sound lessons and activities.

Before we start, and if you have not yet played the game, there are some vocabulary words you might need.

VOCABULARY

Screetshot from game

• Pokemon Go: an augmented reality, GPS-based, mobile device game which uses real-world locations to gather virtual items
• Pokemon: the characters in the game you seek to capture and use for other purposes
• Pokeball: the item you need to capture Pokemon
• Pokestop: Place you locate in the game and visit to gather Pokeballs
• Pokedex: A incomplete encyclopedia given to you in the game that is populated with details of the Pokémon as you capture them
• Gym: a specific place in the game where you can have your Pokemon battle for control
• Journal: a time-based list of your activity in the game
• Pokemon trivia: Pokemon is short for “Pocket Monsters”
• APA style guide for “Pokemon Go” information. 

VIRTUAL REALITY IMAGES

Many of the Pokestops in the game showcase a local business, attraction or historical site. Since students  already have their phone in their hands, have them use the Google Street View app to take a 360° spherical panoramic image of the Pokestop. Having these images to share with others will both promote community pride as well as allow immersion in the Pokestop via a Google Cardboard Viewer or via the Ricoh Theta S app. By taking the time to create and share the 360° images, students will become familiar with some of the cool sites in their community." [ Read More ]

References:
Discovery EDUCATION
http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/2016/07/13/pokemongo/

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, Augmented Reality, Pokémon, Pokémon in Education

Five Reasons Why Pokémon Go Will Change Education, and One Reason Why It Won't

John Warner, Five Reasons Why Pokémon Go Will Change Education, and One Reason Why It Won't, INSIDE HIGHER ED

"Five reasons why Pokémon Go is the future of education…

1. It’s popular.

2. It’s fun.

3. It’s on phones and kids like their phones, so education of the future will have to be on phones.

4. It utilizes augmented reality, which is better than reality because as Jane McGonigal tells us, “reality is broken,” so if we can fix reality be augmenting it, we should.

5. Disruptive technology is coming for education, and if previous disruptive technologies such as MOOCs, adaptive software, Instagram, Uber, Snapchat, Twitter, badges, Candy Crush, the Kardashians, microcredentials, Comet Hale-Bopp, and so on haven’t managed to disrupt education, then surely Pokémon Go will because something has to eventually.

…and one reason it won’t.

PowToon: Create Animated Videos

Use PowToon to bring AWESOMENESS TO YOUR CLASSROOM!

With PowTown teachers can easily create animated videos and presentations by manipulating pre-created objects, imported images, provided music and user created voice-overs.

PowToon in Education

Tutorials

PowToon Mini Tutorial 1

KidsClick: Search Engine for Kids

“Helping younger children stay safe while searching for valuable information on the internet can be challenging. Fortunately, there are search engines designed exclusively for kids that can reduce the risks of online information gathering.” (ISTE, 4 safe search engines for kids)

KidsClick is a web search site designed for kids by librarians - with kid-friendly results!

References:

KidsClick

http://www.kidsclick.org

ISTE

https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=730&category=In-the-classroom&article&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=TECST&utm_campaign=Books

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, Search Engine, KidsClick, Preschool

STEM in 30: Live Webcasts for Middle School Students

STEM in 30, an interactive classroom program consisting of 30-minute live webcasts that engage middle school students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) topics.

During the live webcasts, students can chat with experts, submit their questions to be answered live, take a poll, discover related content, and participate in follow-up activities. Educators are provided with additional content and follow-up activities to extend the experience beyond the live webcast.

STEM in 30 brings in Museum curators, astronauts, and experts in the field to connect classrooms with real-world, relevant content. Webcasts combine animations, interviews with experts, and unique locations to show students that SCIENCE EXTENDS BEYOND THE WALLS OF THEIR SCHOOL!

Teachers can also access the archived episodes.

The episode below shows the benefits and challenges of living and working in space:

References:

STEM in 30

https://airandspace.si.edu/

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIShQK2C5Wo

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, STEM, Webcasts, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

Literature-Map: Find an Author on the Map

Literature-Map is a tool that makes the process of finding books easier. Type in an author's name into the search box and you will get names of other authors that you might like. The closer another author's name is to the one you entered, the more you might like their work.

Literature-Map could be useful for students that are looking for new books to read.

Results of typing Paulo Coelho into the site:

References:

·   Free Technology For Teachers: 

Literature Maps Helps You Find Authors You Might Like

·   Runeman: 

http://runeman.org/books/literature-map/literaturemap.html

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, Literature-Map, Authors, Books

TinEye: Reverse Image Search

What is TinEye?

TinEye is a reverse image search engine. It allows users to search not using keywords but with images: A user uploads an image to the search engine or provides a URL for an image or for a page containing the image and the search engine will look up other usage of the image in the internet, including modified images based upon that image, and report the date and time at which they were posted.

What kind of images can a user use on TinEye?

·         File type: JPEG, PNG and GIF images are all acceptable.

·         Image dimensions: TinEye works best with images that are at least 300 pixels in either dimension, but can accept images as low as 100 pixels in either dimension.

·         File size: 20 megabytes is the maximum file size.

·         Watermarked images: For best results, visibly watermarked images should be avoided as TinEye may search for the watermark and not the image itself.

·         Subject matter: Submitted images must adhere to their Terms of Service.

Why use TinEye?

There are many uses for TinEye, but here are a few:

·         Find the Copyright holders of an image

·         Find out where an image came from, or get more information about it

·         Research or track the appearance of an image online

·         Find higher resolution versions of an image

·         Locate web pages that make use of an image you have created

·         Discover modified or edited versions of an image

·         Debunk an image

·         Help with image attribution

References:
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TinEye

TinEye
https://www.tineye.com/faq#how

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, TinEye, Reverse Image Search

Animaps: Create Animated Maps

Animaps allows users to create Animated Maps with markers that move, images and text that pop up, and colorful lines and shapes that change etc. At the end, users can save their animated maps as videos and share them. 

Teachers can use Animaps to create animated wars' battles, tours of historic events, trips, etc. to their students.

Image by Richard Byrne via Free Technology for Teachers

Watch the following quick tutorial:

References:

Animaps

http://www.animaps.com/#!home

Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=5bdKVVCO53E

Picture

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/06/animaps-create-animated-google-maps.html#.Wa5s4jb6y0g

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, Animaps, Animated Maps

How to Use WhatsApp on your Desktop

"Michael Crider, How to use WhatsApp on your desktop or laptop, Digital Trends"

In order to use WhatsApp Web, follow these steps:

Step 1: On your computer, go to http://web.whatsapp.com

Step 2: On your phone, go to WhatsApp and then:

- Tap the Menu button, then tap “WhatsApp Web. (Android)

- Tap the Settings tab, then tap “WhatsApp Web. (iOS)

- Tap the Menu button, then tap “WhatsApp Web. (Windows Phone)

- Tap “Chats,” then “Menu,” then “WhatsApp Web. (Blackberry 9 or older)

- Swipe down from the top of the main screen and tap “WhatsApp Web. (Blackberry 10)

- Tap the Menu button, then tap “WhatsApp Web. (Nokia S60)

- Swipe up from the bottom of the main screen and tap “WhatsApp Web. (Nokia S40)

After this step, your app will open a screen with a camera window.

Step 3: Point the camera window at your computer screen, scan the the QR code and your WhatsApp account and contacts will appear in the WhatsApp Web screen on your computer.

Enjoy!

References:
Digital Trends
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-use-whatsapp-on-your-desktop-or-laptop/

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, WhatsApp, WhatsApp Web

Why Cellphones Belong in our Classroom

Nancy Amlin, Why cellphones belong in our classroom, eSchool News

"As the principal of Hudson High School of Learning Technologies in Manhattan, I know firsthand how cellphones can both help students stay in touch in today’s world and how they can be a valuable teaching and learning tool in the school setting. The New York City Department of Education’s recent decision to lift the cellphone ban in schools—a decision I support—acknowledges and affirms this notion.

At Hudson HSLT, we strive to create an academically rigorous and personalized environment that prepares all of our students to be college- and career-ready. We want our students to be critical thinkers, ones who practice the art of questioning and are able to deconstruct, reconstruct, and communicate information in today’s society.

We believe that the use of technology, including cellphones, when implemented purposefully to support classroom instruction, can help foster these skills.

Hudson HSLT is a digitally-focused and device-agnostic one-to-one computing school; we look at technology as a support for teaching and learning. Day-to-day, our teachers might use mobile devices in class for their daily drop-everything-and-read (DEAR) activity or to let students work on their class blogging assignments.

But we don’t ignore the larger issues surrounding technology’s role in the classroom, and students aren’t expected to navigate through using technology by themselves."

References:
eSchool News
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/03/17/cellphones-classrooms-287/?platform=hootsuite

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, Mobile in Education

Happy New Year 2016

A special greeting from TechnologyEDUC; a video about GoogleYesterday and GoogleToday to wish you all a Happy New Year!
May the beginning of this year fill you with new strength, bravery and faith necessary to achieve your DREAMS and reach new heights of‪ SUCCESS‬ !!

Keywords:

TechnologyEDUC, EdTech, Technology in Education, Education, Technology for Teachers, Technology for Students, Technology Tools, EdTech Tools, New Year