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#ISTE18 - Day 3: "Life-changing Apps"
#ISTE18 - Day 3: "Life-changing Apps"
Leslie Fisher - "Top Tech Tips for Busy Administrators" (...for Busy Everyone)
Leslie Fisher - "Top Tech Tips for Busy Administrators" (...for Busy Everyone)
Leslie Fisher shared so many apps that help educators with efficiency, collaboration, and classroom effectiveness. While I wish I could share detailed information on every one of them (maybe on a later date), for the time being a list and little insight will have to do. I have to honestly say, this presentation was professionally life-changing and I see why Mrs. Fisher has such a following.
Note Taking Solutions
- Google Keep - Google Keep recently received a beautiful update and is a great for creating reminders with specified dates & time in addition to picking a place. You can also add collaborators to your notes in the same way you would share other products in the Google family. The most impressive part is the ability to dictate to audio and/or text and capture photos for annotations or OCR. (https://www.google.com/keep/)
- Evernote - The old tried and true note taking app. I believe most have seen or used Evernote and continues to add new features.
Devices for Note Taking - Check out these two options below for those who still like using good ol'pen & paper with a 21st century twist. While you may feel like you are using an old fashioned method of note taking, your notes are automagically being sent to apps and devices connected to your pen or book. Really cool stuff.
- Livescribe Pen (https://www.livescribe.com/en-us/smartpen/)
- Rocketbook (Everlast or Wave)
Sharing is Caring
- Web Clipper
- Slack - https://slack.com/
- Readdle Calendar 5 - One of the best calendar mobile apps I have seen. This syncs all of your other calendars into one slick calendar app. Check out the full presentation link below for full details and images of this app and others.
- BusyCal - Mac app that is a powerful compliment to the Calendar 5 mobile app.
- To Do Lists - Check out these apps for creating To-Do lists. ToDoist is very powerful but IFTTT is beginning to gain popularity and even integrates with Alexa.
- ToDoist
- IFTTT
- Final Apps
- Notion (Friends left Evernote for Notion) - https://www.notion.so/
- Permission Click - Online Permission Forms - https://permissionclick.com/ (Check this out!!)
Full Presentation Here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Mja0NwOl_894FYUBRngWRJyE2Ee6NI0s
ISTE Exclusive Reveals - (Mostly "Coming Soon...")
ISTE Exclusive Reveals - (Mostly "Coming Soon...")
- GradeCam - GradeCam will soon be able to recognize written responses. This should be available sometime mid-August.
- Google Classroom - Google had several announcements, especially with their "Classroom" Product. They have posted all 12 of their announcements on their blog found here: https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/live-iste-12-google-education-launches-save-time-creativity/
- Tynker CAD and Code Blocks - While still in beta, they showed off several features and new tools all while using Chromebooks, 3D Printers, and Robotics. More info was posted on their blog: https://blog.tinkercad.com/2018/06/24/cad-and-code-together-at-last/
- JamBoard - Ok... this thing was probably one of the coolest things I have seen in a long time. While it's not a new device, Google just announced all new integrations with this product. Imagine an Interactive Display, ChromeCast/AppleTV, SMART Notebook, ViewBoard, and a plethora of other applications a smashed into a single display device. JamBoard was in the Google for Education booth really flexing their muscles and they were extremely impressive. https://gsuite.google.com/products/jamboard/
Quick Goodies on the Go.
Quick Goodies on the Go.
#ISTE18 - Day 2: "Vendor Hall, Poster Sessions, & Presentations....OH MY!"
#ISTE18 - Day 2: "Vendor Hall, Poster Sessions, & Presentations....OH MY!"
Summary
Summary
Ok... so I completely underestimated today thinking that yesterday, being the first day of my first time at ISTE, would be by far the most overwhelming and challenging. Wrong! The Vendor Hall adds an entirely new layer of complexity in any well laid ISTE plans. However, there is a silver lining to this day. It was extremely beneficial and full of helpful information. (Not to mention all the goodies I was able to gather and a special gift i'll share at the bottom of this post.)
Therefore, I'm going to have to organize this post a little differently than expected in order to not waste your time attempting to figure all of this out.
Topics I will speak to later when more info is released:
- AutoDesk and their new release, Code Blocks (in beta)
- Get Kahoot! Certified! (Coming Soon)
- TypingClub (new competitor to Typing.com)
- ComicBook! iOS App (Storytelling App for iOS)
.
More Fun with Schoology
More Fun with Schoology
- Respondus & StudyMate - Now that our district has committed to move forward with the Respondus Lockdown Browser (with Schoology Integration of course), what I learned today was we also receive StudyMate for FREE! For those who like Quizizz and similiar sites, StudyMate is a web-based application were students create flash cards, self-assessments, and learning games. StudyMate is also full integrated into Schoology. You can learn more about StudyMate here. (https://www.respondus.com/products/studymate/)
- Classcraft - (Coming Soon) This is something that I had looked at before but now with the announcement of Schoology Integration coming soon, this could serve as an incredible way to diversify your classroom approach. Classcraft is a really creative and innovative way to tap into student's competitive spirit where they receive characters (avatars), items, equipment, and quests much like they would find in their favorite RPG & MMORPG games. Check out more at https://www.classcraft.com/ .
- Infinite Campus - Infinite Campus now has full gradebook passback integration! The request has been made and we should hopefully have more information soon!
Badges, Badges, & More BADGES!
Badges, Badges, & More BADGES!
As a Technology Department we are looking forward to seeing how we can further technology integration in addition to how we encourage, evaluate, and share our successes. One of the initial steps we would like to take is the leveraging of micro-credentialing and badges. Below are several links to resources on badges and how other districts are using them.
- Tacoma Public Schools Badges: https://sway.com/V3WKMA6jokAEC09Q?ref=Link
- Digital Badges: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kPkRbTSa_Xqr1BnvJBjq0U_WX-fGJsJel98Bin3Qgeo/mobilepresent?slide=id.g17d4c00453_1_16
- Schoology Badges: https://support.schoology.com/hc/en-us/articles/201001833-How-do-I-use-Badges-
One of the coolest pieces of Tacoma's Badge implementation was how they printed not only physical badges to decorate their doors but created annual trophies (plaques) to recognize teachers who were going above and beyond. These accolades ranged from technical goals found in their Personal Growth Plans to expectations set by the school and district administrative teams.
Make sure you Join the Schoology Course to the right for more information on Schoology (Digital) Badges!
Session of the Day - "Students Won’t Stop Fact-Checking Me: Teaching Kids to Read News Critically"
This session, while primarily non-technical, was a very worthwhile session.
The session focused on our responsibility to teach students to filter out Fake News or as they called it, Fact vs. Fiction. The panel chose to stay away from the term "Fake News" as they felt it had become political and could have a negative impact on the content.
The panel shared some of their favorite tools, activities, and assignments and felt this should be implemented into everyday curriculum (including Digital Citizenship). The panel compared it to being just as important as instructing students to use a dictionary or a table of contents.
Some of their favorite activities include...
- Truth or Fiction Bell Ringers (Leads to students creating the bell ringers)
- Fake News Challenge - Teams building articles (2 Fake, 1 Real) Students (Teams) work towards figuring out which are real. Point to figuring out, point to being deceived.
- National Geographic has a Real vs. Fake (Free) [NatGeoKids]
Full Presentation: http://www.billselak.com/2018/read-news-critically
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
To Google only "edu" sites you can search “site: edu" or country codes such as "site: au" to ensure students only receive sites that are educational or outside of western perspective?
"We don’t have a Digital Footprint, we have a Digital Tattoo."
"We don’t have a Digital Footprint, we have a Digital Tattoo."
Bonus - "We Won!"
Today I was lucky enough to receive a prize winning card that resulted in a LocknCharge Carrier 10 Wall-mounted Charging Station (over $600.00 value).
We will decide in the coming months where this will placed within our district.
The case can be modified to fit various types of devices and is extremely well built. You can learn more about this device here: https://www.lockncharge.com/products/carrier-charging-stations/
#ISTE18 - Day 1: "Watch that first step..."
#ISTE18 - Day 1: "Watch that first step..."
Summary
So I fell off the ISTE cliff rather quickly. I felt like Wile E. Coyote with a full proof plan only to find myself falling to my impending doom. However, there's a happy ending and a lot to share. I hope to post a summary each evening consisting of beneficial tips, tools, and resources that will hopefully prove to be useful in the classroom.
The first session went very well, no pressure, got a good seat, and all seemed to be pretty standard conference expectations until the session ended and I was politely asked to leave the room. This really wasn't an issue but my next session was in the same room and I had planned just to remain in my warm, comfortable seat for the next hour. However, I complied, walked out, with the plan of walking right back into the room. That is, until I had noticed a line that appeared to have no end. This forced me to change my plans and take in all of ISTE18. Presentations lead to demonstrations, Poster Sessions, Interactive Sessions, Playgrounds, Learning Networks, and I soon found myself struggling to pay attention to people that were simply and cordially saying hello (Sorry if I ignored anyone.) Nevertheless, I landed on my feet, ran into several Kentucky friends, and attended some great sessions. Let's just hope I can keep it all together when they open the Vendor Hall tomorrow.
Daily Fast Five
Daily Fast Five
- PearDeck - Everyone needs to use PearDeck (https://www.peardeck.com/). Let me go back a step. Everyone should be using or moving towards presenting content via Google Slides and then you need to add the PearDeck Extension. You can sign up for a 30-day Premium subscription by using the link to the right. If all goes well, we'll consider buying a district license (pending cost and approval of course) but there is a FREE version that appears to be sufficient. This will revolutionize your classroom by taking a non-interactive presentation to an interactive masterpiece. Bonus: Wordswag (http://wordswag.co) was an app used throughout the presentation to create attractive slide images and fonts that can be used in a number of ways.
- Schoology Gradebook, Backchannel App, & Micro-credentials - I will have the opportunity to discuss the partnership between Infinite Campus and Schoology tomorrow but in the meantime, we had great conversations about their new Backchannel Application App and Micro-credentials. More info to come!
- Explore Like a Pirate - I highly recommend this book. I had the opportunity to meet the author in addition seeing a presentation from a Culinary Arts Teacher who had incorporated many of the strategies and principles found in this book. You can also find their Twitter and Community information as well. (https://www.amazon.com/Explore-Like-Pirate-Gamification-Game-Inspired/dp/0986155500/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1529892663&sr=8-1&keywords=explore+like+a+pirate)
- Google Security - We'll be looking into better security within our Google set up. Several insights were shared and hopefully this will minimize potential distractions and make your classrooms devices more beneficial.
- Positive Culture - Check out this link for how we can create a shift to a more positive culture using Disney Principles. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16cv3cNfZk1BBA1PDDaAe8Tc7duA64DiUDm1tfRppOL4/edit?usp=sharing
Goodies on the Go!
Goodies on the Go!
ISTE Bonus - KY STLP
ISTE Bonus - KY STLP
The KySTE Organization had the opportunity to present students from Hardin Co. & Floyd Co. with money to support their trip to #ISTE18 in Chicago. These students are STLP KY State Champions and will be presenting throughout ISTE in addition to some of the students serving as engineers.
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