Trending Technology

In my lifetime the advances in technology are almost beyond belief.  I think I may have mentioned before, sometimes it's easy to feel like you might be living inside an episode of The Jetsons.  We've gone from rotary dial phones with party lines to smartphones, blackboards to interactive whiteboards, 16mm films to DVDs and records to CDs.  Audio and video can be accessed from the Internet and played on any number of devices.  Connectivity has never been higher.  The keys, in my opinion, are equal access and instruction in appropriate and meaningful use.

The American Association of School Librarians Best Websites for Teaching & Learning 2013 under the heading Content Resources, Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, 2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information, 2.4.4 Develop directions for future investigations and 3.1.2 Participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners selected a website noted for being a one-stop-shop for all things technology for students and teachers.  When first accessing the Edudemic website it's clear the committee's assessment was spot-on.  I decided to begin at the beginning or the top of the page.

Across the top, a tool bar offers:

• Trends
• How To
• Updates
• Tools
• Social Media
• News
• Submit A Post
• My Profile
• Create Account and
• Log In.  

Trends, How To, Updates, Tools, Social Media and News are separate web pages within the site.  Each is designed in the same manner as the home page.  At the top one article appears in a large box on the left, four others in smaller boxes to the right.  Underneath these are a list of other articles with the title, author's name, date posted and a short description.  This information is revealed in the top boxes with a mouse over.  At the bottom of all the pages are three columns of articles labeled, Recent Articles, Featured Articles and For Students.  

To Submit A Post you must be a registered user.  To register you enter in a username and email address.  A password is emailed to you.  Guidelines for writing a post are given at this page.

On the second tool bar left to right The Teacher's Guide is a portion of the site dedicated to providing guides easy to read, easy to use and easy to share.  Currently Edudemic has gathered links for The Teacher's Guide To:

• Twitter
• Flipped Classrooms
• Copyright & Fair Use
• Google Glass
• Badges In Education
• The Library of Congress
• Keeping Students Safe Online
• Choosing The Best Digital Content
• Digital Scavenger Hunts and
• Pinterest.

Underneath each guide is an explanation of the contents and an offer to add to the guide in the comments section.

Each guide is loaded with explanations, tips, charts, infographics, videos or links.   For example the guide to Pinterest contains headings such as:  a quick guide via an infographic, how teachers are using Pinterest, other ways to use Pinterest, inspiration, lessons, professional, fun, a student's guide, good boards to check out, education technology boards, home schoolers using Pinterest, social, resources, organization, final tips, education category, creating your own boards, providing reading lists and more resources, finding projects with materials, and student use for research.   These guides will provide educators with enough information to feel confident in using a specific technology.

Included in the tab, The Best EdTech, are suggestions for the best Education Apps (iOS), Education Apps (Android), Tablets For Education, and Laptops For Teachers.  They are listed in numerical order on Listly, curated by Jeff Dunn, with links for access.  Users are again invited to add possible items for each list.

Online Learning, Startups, Social Media and Tools are topics contained within the For Students section.  These pages are organized just like the home page.  All the articles have the same features.  Identical articles appear under the same subject headings in the student and teacher areas, making this site most valuable for upper middle plus students.

Several of the headings at the top of the website, How To, News, Social Media, Tools and Trends are listed in the For Teachers category.  Additions are Online Learning, Startups, and Videos.  You can also do a keyword search in the box to the right of this final tab.   

When opening up a specific article such as The 10 Most Popular Teacher Tools shown at the top of the home page, the title, author and date posted are seen at the top.  Directly underneath are icons for sharing this article on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Buffer and Pinterest.  This particular story lists the top sites and applications with a short description and links to each of them.  At the conclusion of an article are related items headings, links to the previous and next stories, you may also like articles and a comment section.  

If you're not careful you could stay at Edudemic for hours and hours.  There is so much information, valuable and timely, of benefit to educators and their students at all levels.  There is a box for entering in your email address so daily features can be sent to you.  This is a more than worthy additional to the AASL's Best Websites for Teaching & Learning 2013.

If They Could...What Would They Say?

Speculation about possible conversations between historical figures and fictional characters springs up from time to time in professional networking chats as well as in discussions with students.  Thinking about notes possibly exchanged between Leonardo da Vinci and Orville and Wilbur Wright on the theory of flight would be fascinating.  Maybe tips on survival in northern climates could be shared between Brian Robeson, the main character in Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, with Johnny Raven, Gabe Rogers and Raymond Providence, protagonists in Will Hobbs' Far North.

About three weeks ago I previewed a new application designed by Russel Tarr, Head of History at the International School of Toulouse and author of ActiveHistory called BrainyBox.  BrainyBox, along with Fakebook (reviewed here) are only two of many teaching tools Tarr has available at ClassTools.net . Just a few days ago Richard Byrne, educator and blogger at Free Technology for Teachers tweeted about another new item to be found at ClassTools.net, the SMS Generator! Now writing and research skills can be honed to selecting the best words to convey the most meaningful thoughts through the sending of fake text messages.

Free to use without registration, it's perfect for the classroom.  When accessing the home page click on Fake SMS to get to the workspace.
The image above appears.

Along the bottom from left to right the icons represent:  message from person A, save your message by entering in a password, creation of URL link, HTML embed code, QR code image, or download web shortcut, start a new chat and message from person B.  To begin click on either of the icons on the far left or right.  Once a message is created it can be moved around.  Place your mouse over it until the "cross" icon appears and drag it to a new position.  By selecting the small pencil a message can be edited or by choosing the "x" it can be deleted.  These appear when the mouse is moved over a text box.

If you happen to click on the new icon instead of the right message button, all will be well.  It does start a new message but in a new window.  (Whew!)  I recommend saving your text as soon as possible.  Once you have a password you can save any changes again and again by selecting the save icon. Click the save icon (floppy disk image).

You will be asked to enter in a password.  When the password has been entered, by clicking on the OK  button, a new window is loaded changing the URL at the top of the screen to a unique one for your messages.  (You will want to make note of this URL.) The messages will still remain on the screen at this time.

When you select the URL Link/Embed Code (blue button with a white flower in the center) a small window pops up showing both.  It is the same for the QR Code.  To save the QR Code do a right mouse click, selecting save image as placing it in a specific folder of your own. Choosing the Download Web Shortcut will send it to your download file. (I'm using Google Chrome.)







I highly recommend the SMS Generator designed by Russel Tarr at ClassTools.net for use in the classroom.  It's ease of use makes it accessible to most grade levels.  The messages can be as easy or sophisticated as the user desires.

Students could work in pairs storyboarding the conversation before using the app.  Simple research could be attached to the final product in a separate document.  By creating a message between fictional characters students demonstrate understanding of what they have read.  Placing QR Codes in books with conversations between characters would enhance interest or provide further insights into plot,

Here is my example of a conversation between Kel from Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show written by Michael Buckley with illustrations by Dan Santat and David from No, David! written and illustrated by David Shannon. It is followed by the QR Code ready for scanning.