Category Archives: Resource Links

Access/Share Google Docs in Edmodo & the Power of My PLN

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Edmodo and Google Users…

I guess I am a bit behind in the game because I just realized you can access your Google Docs in Edmodo now. This new feature came about in March and allows you to Sync your Google Docs (Drive) with your Edmodo Library. That means you can share documents with your Edmodo groups and students can easily turn-in assignments completed via Google Docs.Find the instructions to do this at the Edomod Help site. FYI all users will need to link their Google Docs account with Edmodo before and sharing of docs with users or groups takes place.

Wondering how I heard about this new feature of Edmodo??? Maybe not but here’s the power of my PLN…

I found this blog (while I was browsing Pinterest one evening). It’s by a Digital Learning Coordinator in the Chicago Public Schools > Teaching like it’s 2999 . I first pinned her idea to my “learn” Pinterest board and then visited her blog and found that what the author, Jennie Magiera, blogged about was so connected to what I do so I added it to my Google Reader.

One day this week Google Reader showed that the author had posted something new to her blog called More Ideas to Googlize Your School. That post linked to a Google Doc that she was going to share at a presentation she was doing with teachers. As I scanned the doc I noticed a reference to “Edmodo’s Google Doc integration” so I did a Google searched for edomodo google docs and came up with the link that I shared with you all above.

Isn’t that so cool…in a nerdy sort of way :) In what ways do you “harvest” great teaching ideas from the web? And a big shout out to Jennie Magiera for sharing her ideas and more with us all.

Brooke Higgins is an instructional specialists, Cognitive CoachingSM Trainer, and sporadic blogger for the eMINTS National Center. This post was originally posted at the Higgins’ Helpful Hints Blog.

Participating in the eMINTS Conversation

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Maybe the biggest benefit of the Web is the fact that conversations are happening everywhere about almost any topic. The eMINTS community is no different. We have many opportunities for conversation within our many web-based outlets.

This blog is one of those outlets. Commenting or submitting your own blog posts makes Networked Teaching & Learning a perfect location for finding new ideas and resources as well as interacting with others in the eMINTS community. Even if you don’t submit a post or comment, NT&L offers teachers a variety of teaching ideas, online resources, and updates from the eMINTS National Center.

Like many of you, eMINTS has a presence on Facebook. Facebook has made it easier and easier to connect personally and professionally with various networks of people. eMINTS meets you there with a Facebook Page and Group. Both spaces keep you updated as well as allow you to connect to other educators in the eMINTS network.

For those who prefer the professional connections of LinkedIn, eMINTS has you covered there as well. Join the eMINTS Group at LinkedIn as a way to make connections with like-minded educators in a completely professional network.

Two other places to follow eMINTS-related discussions are on Twitter and Tumblr. My Twitter account mostly shares links from this blog, but I will occasionally engage conversations under #edtech and #edchat hashtags. If you’re a Tumblr user, be sure to follow the posts at the eMINTS Tumblr, primarily set up to share resources.

Finally, I will beginning to host Google Hangouts in an attempt to find new and exciting web applications for classroom use. If you are interested in participating in these Hangouts,  add me to your G+ circle and message me about inclusion in the Hangout. Even if the Hangout fills up (there’s a limit of nine participants), it’s an opportunity to chat with other eMINTS educators, possibly setting up your own Hangouts.

Zac Early is an instructional specialist and blogger for the eMINTS National Center.

Staying Connected & Collaborating

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School is out for summer (unless of course you are teaching summer school) and you might be finding that you miss those colleagues you normally see day to day. Your normal routine of getting to talk with, share your classroom ideas and success, and bounce ideas off of for some upcoming projects has been put on hold but does it really have to stop. I say no!!!

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Why not check out some virtual options? Tools like Edmodo, Facebook, and Twitter can help you to continue your collegial collaboration, stay connected, and possibly take it a step further. You might even extend your normal summertime routines to include expanding your professional learning with a little lightly structured, informal PD.What’s better…they are free tools and are easy to use.

Edmodo is a great option for setting up a virtual classroom or collaborative sharing space (they call these groups). Everyone in your group will need to create an account (FYI adults are considered Teachers and kids are Students) One person will need to create the Group and then share the Code Edmodo creates with everyone that will be a part of that group. Then let the sharing begin. Resource links and documents are easy to share as well as basic communications. Check out the Edmodo Help page for help getting started or attend a Webinar for more ideas and support. I attended a webinar last week and got a lot of great ideas for not only the teachers that I train but also for schools and organizations that I work with.

Facebook Groups are another option for sharing and learning from others. eMINTS has their own Facebook group where these Networked Teaching & Learning posts are shared but also other resources. Anyone belonging to the group can share on the eMINTS group page as well. Members can add posts, links, share photos/video, conduct polls, and upload files. If your team members already have Facebook accounts and are ready for an group online presence to do these kinds of things, maybe creating a Facebook Group is the answer for you. If you need some help there are very easy steps to follow and you can even set privacy settings to allow only your Friends in your group. Learn more about Facebook Groups from Facebook or from a post from Zac back in August 2011.

Twitter offers an even easy way to connect with no need to create pages or groups on a different website. Basically all that needs to happen is that each person in your collaborative circle needs to have a Twitter account. You each need to share your usernames and “follow” each other. Start by sharing your thoughts, ideas, opinions, resources, tools, and inspirations and watch your Wwitter homepage for what others are sharing back. With Twitter there is no pressure or need to be wordy, chatty, long-winded, etc…all you need are 140 characters. Need some help with Twitter? Check out their support page for basic support and more.

With all of these tools it does take some discipline and conscious effort to be a productive member but as long as everyone shares a little you can all learn a lot.

What are some things you are collaborating on this summer and what tools work for your group?

Brooke Higgins is an instructional specialists for the eMINTS National Center.

Get Ready to Jump to Google Drive

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Almost everyone associated with eMINTS – teachers, administrators, instructional specialists -has adopted Google Docs as their preferred online collaboration and production tool. Now, Google is taking their cloud-loving system a step further with Drive. Watch…

With Google Drive, creating and collaborating is still a key feature. However, now storing and finding your files are as effortless as… well… everything else on Google. Plus, Google Drive has a downloadable app to make synching easy, much like DropBox. Each user receives 5GB of storage for free with an option to upgrade for a small fee.

For more details on the benefits of switching over to Google Drive, read Google’s blog post on this new feature. There’s also a Droid app for even more syncing options. Below are a few more articles and blog posts on Google’s newest product:

When do you plan to make the leap to Google Drive? How will this affect your DropBox use? What advantages do you see to Google Drive over the old version of Google Docs?

Zac Early is an instructional specialist and blogger for the eMINTS National Center.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

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While you’re enjoying the nice Memorial Day Weekend weather, grilling with friends, or counting down the end of school, consider a few Memorial Day resources. As always, Larry Ferlazzo hosts one of the most comprehensive lists of resources on any topic, Memorial Day not excluded. Then, there’s always the US Department of Veteran Affairs website as well as the infographic below.

Have a great three-day weekend!

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Zac Early is an instructional specialist and blogger for the eMINTS National Center.

New & Updated Posts on eThemes

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New eThemes for the week of May 21, 2012

Australia: Famous People<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1785?locale=en>

Learn about famous people from Australia from a wide variety of disciplines. There are famous leaders, writers, noble prize winners, scientists, musicians, athletes, and many more that have shaped and made great contributions to Australia. Includes videos and photos. There is also a link to eThemes Resource on Australia: Facts.

Cartoons for the Classroom<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1778?locale=en>

These sites feature comic strips that teachers can use in the classroom to introduce units or concepts. Includes popular comic strips such as Peanuts, For Better or For Worse, Zits, and many more. There are also biographies on famous cartoon artists and an interactive game that lets you create your own cartoon. Includes eThemes resources on superheroes and political cartoons.

Literature: “The Watsons Go to Birmingham –1963″ by Christopher Paul Curtis<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1781?locale=en>

These sites are about the book, “The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963″, and the author Christopher Paul Curtis. Includes lesson plans, activities, and author interviews. There is a link to an eThemes Resource on the Civil Rights Movement.

Literature: “Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1753?locale=en>

These sites have activity ideas, online quizzes, discussion questions, and lesson plans for the book “Tuck Everlasting.” Also learn about author Natalie Babbitt and the Disney movie based on this book. There are links to eThemes Resources on the life cycle, the water cycle, and story elements.

Updated eThemes for the week of May 21, 2012

Africa: Adinkra Cloths<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1764?locale=en>

These sites show and tell about the history of adinkra cloths, an art form from the Asante people of Ghana and the Gyaman people of Cote’ d’lvoire. Includes sites about the Ashanti tribe that also wears this type of clothing. There are also related eThemes sites on Africa and Ghana.

Aging<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1696?locale=en>

These sites include information on aging and the effects on the human body. Discover why our bodies age. Learn how aging affects appearance, exercise, and eating habits. Includes interactive quizzes, an animation, and face changing images.

Country: Syria<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1832?locale=en>

These websites are about the country of Syria. Learn about the history, government, touristic sites, economy, human resources, geography & environment, foreign affairs, holidays, the people of Syria, & helpful facts, including maps and photos of the country. Also included is the eThemes resource on the religion of Islam.

Ecosystems: An Overview<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1385?locale=en>

These sites are an overview of ecosystems including what they are, how they are different from and related to habitats and biomes, and how to preserve ecosystems. Classroom activities and online exercises are included. There are links to eThemes resources on animal survival and habitats including overview, deserts, forests, grasslands, ponds and lakes, rainforests, tundras, wetlands, and mountains.

Literature Theme: Nonfiction: Tolerance<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/208?locale=en>

These sites are about tolerance. Find out which nonfiction books deal with tolerance. There are also classroom activities and a case study that have a tolerance theme. Includes eThemes resource on Literature Themes: Bullying.

Literature: “A Separate Peace” by John Knowles<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1843?locale=en>

These sites provide study guides, web quests, writing, and research activities for the novel. Background author information is given as well as comments about the book by John Knowles. Additional information about PTSD, World War II, and an interview project involving veterans is included.

Literature: “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1844?locale=en>

These sites provide lesson plans, writing and research activities. Tests and interactive time lines are included as well as a text messaging lesson that explores the boys’ communication on the island. Video clips which summarize the plot, character and themes of the novel are entertaining and informative.

Literature: “Dear America” Native American Experience Books<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/334?locale=en>

This site provides activities for the Dear America books: “The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow” by Ann Turner, “The Journey of Jesse Smoke” by Joseph Bruchac, “Weetamoo: Heart of the Pocassets” by Patricia Clark Smith, and “My Heart is on the Ground” by Ann Rinaldi. Three of the books focus on Native American children in the eighteenth century. Weetamoo is the story of a Wampanoag girl in 1653. There are study guides, discussion questions, and author interviews. Follow the eThemes Resource links to learn about their Nations, Navajo, Cherokee, Wampanoag and Sioux. Also included is an eThemes link to Historical Fiction.

Literature: “Listen!” by Stephanie S. Tolan <http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/319?locale=en>

These sites are about the book “Listen!” by Stephanie S. Tolan. There is information about such as the author’s biography, book chapters, and reviews. Includes topics on coping with death, grief, and loss. There is also a link to eThemes Resource on dogs.

Literature: “Stargirl” by Jerry Spinelli<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/403?locale=en>

These websites are about the book “Stargirl” and author Jerry Spinelli. Explore the author’s official website to learn more about him. There are book discussion guides, student hand-outs, audio of Jerry Spinelli reading from Stargirl, and student extension activities. One activity involves suggestions for beginning a Stargirl society at school. Includes a link to an eThemes Resource on the literature theme of bullying.

Teaching Tips: SMART Board Resources<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1540?locale=en>

These sites provide SMART Board resources for various subjects and grade levels. There are downloadable lessons, interactive websites, templates, interactive videos, and teaching ideas. There is a link to eThemes Resource on Math: Smart Board Activities.

Alamo<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1697?locale=en>

These sites are about the Alamo and the Mexican-American War. Take a 360-degree virtual tour of the site and view many photos. There are timelines and first-person accounts. Includes information on Sam Houston, Spanish missions, and the Southwest region of the United States.

U.S. Imperialism<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1837?locale=en>

Learn about the Progressive Era of the United States by looking into the Presidencies of McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson. Also included are primary sources from the time, including government policies, military actions and war information.Included are eThemes resources on Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, the Spanish American War, and World War I.

Technology: Digital Scrapbooking<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/46?locale=en>

These sites offer ideas for creating digital scrapbooks that use various software programs such as Adobe Photoshop Elements, PowerPoint, Paint Shop Pro, and Digital Image Pro. There are examples, step-by-step instructions, tutorials, and graphics for digital scrapbook creation. Tips and techniques to enhance digital scrapbooks are included.

Technology: Movie Maker Projects<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/304?locale=en>

These sites focus on how to integrate technology, specifically digital movies, in the classroom. Ideas, lesson plans, and samples of movie projects are included. An eThemes on Windows 2.1 Movie Maker is included.

Teaching Tips: iPods in Education<http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/346?locale=en>

These sites focus on integrating iPods in elementary education. Find many possibilities of using iPods in education and learn how teachers incorporate iPods into regular and special education classrooms. Includes lesson plans and video clips. There are also links to eThemes Resources on Podcasting: Educational Examples and Technology: Audios for Podcasting.

One Year Ago: May 17-20, 2011

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Since this blog has been around for just over 18 months, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to look back now and again at the many great resources and ideas we’ve shared. After you read the following posts, feel free to search through our archives for resources that might help you as you plan for the end of this year or prepare for the fall.

Tuesday, May 17: Create Quick and Easy Visual Organizers
Brooke introduced us to the exciting graphic organizer tool called Popplet. Popplet’s strength lied in its iPad app, but the online version offers plenty of uses despite its beta status. Brooke summarizes:

Popplet is a Web 2.0 tool for creating graphic/visual organizers with a simple, easy to use platform. Popplet allows users to explore ideas, create galleries, record thoughts, collect inspiration, collaborate together, and present it all to the world.

Wednesday, May 18: Five Helpful Links
I posted five links to resources and tools that would be helpful for teachers and students.  The first link led readers to Lifehacker‘s “Emailable Tech Support” feature where users could email these articles to those needing basic tech support. Also included in my post are links to YouTube’s political debate channel; the file-sharing, online application Fyle; Google Public Data Explorer; and an Edutopia article on differentiation through technology.

Thursday, May 19: Helping Students Learn Through Reflection
In this post, Brooke shares a few suggestions for helping student learn through reflection. Included with the strategies, Brooke has also cited several useful web apps such as Corkboard.me, WallWisher.com, and Glogster.com.

Friday, May 20: Shared Experiences
A Twitter user’s shared image of the space shuttle from her plane made her an instant sensation. This example brought home the power of social media to share similar experiences with many people at one time.

Zac Early is an instructional specialist and blogger for the eMINTS National Center.

Supplementing Your Classroom Website

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Creating and maintaining a classroom website or portal can time-consuming and taxing on a school’s servers. Even when using a free, online host like Weebly or Google, integrating a website with one’s curriculum and classroom community can be difficult. Of course, one can always turn to the myriad of online tools to help supplement a classroom website.

One typical use for a classroom website that can be tedious is the constant updating of resources. In the past, we would have to edit our pages to include new and updated resources with hyperlinks, possibly adding descriptions or even additional pages. Instead of creating and updating resource pages, use social bookmarking tools like Delicious and Diigo.  Both tools offer “bookmarklets” that work in almost any browser. This button allows easy bookmarking. By carefully including descriptions and thoughtful tags, users can easily create pages of resources under a variety of topics.

One issue with maintaining a website is keeping it up-to-date in regards to classroom news and announcements. With most web sites, we have to actually edit the pages only to have to redo it periodically so that it appears updated. Additionally, passing along information this way leaves no opportunity for interaction and discussion. A blog, however, is easy to update while archiving past posts, plus it allows for parents, teachers, and students to respond and continue the discussion. Weebly features its own blogging tool, but tools such as WordPress, Blogger, and Tumblr can fill your blogging needs well.

Some school districts have in-house learning portals or shared folders that allow teachers and students to pass files back and forth. However, this is not available everywhere or districts have limited server space. Two online tools can make sharing files easy. Google Docs isn’t just a tool for collaboration and creation. Google’s ample server space makes storing and sharing documents a breeze. The other great site for file sharing is DropBox which provides users a downloadable app for easy file transfer without navigating to and logging into a remote site.

Some teachers would like to create a working space for students to display their work online. Uploading and adding student content to one’s site can be quite the endeavor. Setting up a wiki at a site like Wikispaces can allow students to upload, publish, and share on their own. The commenting feature makes it easy for additional interaction.

Back when we in eMINTS would help teachers create calendars from scratch using web-authoring software, one of the greatest challenges was creating calendars. These calendars either required multiple pages on a site or would require regular updates. By using a calendar through Google or Yahoo, users can keep a public calendar that updates every time they enter events. Users have the option of linking their audience directly to calendars or embedding calendars in their home sites.

A website is limited in that it is absent the personal interaction we have with students on a daily basis in class. However, social networking can fill that void. Facebook’s group feature makes it easy for classes to interact in as public or private a forum as necessary without teachers worrying about friending their students. Twitter is a bit more open to the rest of the web, but through the use of groups, hashtags, and tools like Tweetdeck, discussion is easy to manage. However, if either of these tools are inaccessible at your school, there is always the school-friendly option at Edmodo.

Whatever your website needs may be, there are creative ways to use online tools to help you make the most out of your site’s effectiveness. Hacking an online tool to make it suit your educational needs is often an efficient way to make a website more than just…well, a website.

How have you used online applications to enhance your classroom website? What is something you want to do with your site that you just can’t figure out using online applications? How might you envision using web apps to enhance a classroom website?

[Previously]

Zac Early is an instructional specialist and blogger for the eMINTS National Center.

How to Use TED Ed

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A very exciting development happened late last month when the popular conference series TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) entered the education arena with TED Ed. TED announced the establishment of the educational site featuring the best minds providing talks in lecture form while accompanied with engaging animation. Included with the lectures are quizzes and other teacher tools geared toward customization.

As pointed out at Teach Paperless, the site’s concept of a lesson is disappointingly narrow, even traditional. Blogger Shelly Blake-Plock suggests that learning happens when students do rather than just consume and that TED’s model is all about consuming their video content. He concludes, “If I took the name TED out of this scenario, I would suggest that many educators would say that this format is exactly the type of traditional assessment that project-based, inquiry-driven, personalized learning is at odds with.”

How should we use TED Ed in a progressive classroom?

One model is one that TED promotes. Like the Khan Academy, the flipped schooling method is gaining momentum. Basically, teachers provide these lectures and tutorials for students to digest on their own and complete assessments so that a more active and engaged kind of learning can happen in the classroom. Teachers can guide student learning in class while someone else (TED presenters and animators) dispense the knowledge outside the classroom, in-place of homework.

The only trouble with the flipped classroom is when we rely too heavily on the resources and assessments in evaluating student learning. The video lectures also take over and become the only measuring stick of learning as opposed to the growth and experimentation that happens in class.

Where I see TED Ed video lectures and their ilk supporting learning is as a resource. The difference between these lectures and more traditional resources is that someone has compartmentalized and presented the content in a way that is engaging to visual and auditory learners. It’s a new way to deliver information. It also doesn’t help that the videos are entertaining.

The assessment pieces accompanying TED Ed videos (as well as Khan Academy, MITx, etc.) also have a legitimate application when not teachers do not disproportionately depend upon them. As a formative assessment tool, these online quizzes allow for instant feedback to be given to students as well as providing a way for teachers to check in on student progress in order to know when best to intervene. Again, it’s a valuable tool that should be used appropriately and not consume instructional focus.

TED Ed should be seen as a supplemental resource to the many great things we do to promote learning and growth in our students. It should not replace inquiry, project-based learning, and other student-centered forms of instruction.

Another place these TED Ed videos can support learning is in an area all TED videos have thrived over the last several years: inspiration. Imagine showing a video of an engaging presenter clearly providing authentic uses for knowledge with animation that gives their words life. Why can’t students then create their own TED Ed videos to demonstrate their learning? Why can’t they teach each other using this method?

The key is not to depend on TED Ed to teach for you. The videos TED is releasing are beautiful, insightful, and inspiring. This is where their value lies and should be tapped for bringing so much life to otherwise boring and/or confounding content.

Other sites that function similarly to TED Ed and similar resources:

How have you used TED videos in your classroom? What are some of your favorite TED Ed videos? Have you submitted your own lesson for TED yet?

Zac Early is a blogger and instructional specialist with the eMINTS National Center.

eThemes: A Reminder and Time Saver

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Look what showed up in my inbox yesterday…

As you have noticed over the past weeks I have been sharing the ins and outs of stop-motion video. During my search for resources I checked eThemes and noticed they didn’t have anything available. Since I am a former eMINTS teacher I can request new eThemes. In just minutes I filled out the form including the types of resources I was looking for, grade levels, standards, and specific details further describing what I needed. I also shared a few links that I had already found to help them understand what I was specifically looking for. In less than 2 weeks they returned my eTheme and I was ready to roll.

For those of you not familiar with eThemes it is a “source for content-rich, kid-safe online resources that will help enhance your teaching and save you time. eThemes provides free, fast access to over 2,500 collections of websites, on topics ranging from Aerodynamics to Zebras and everything in between!”

eThemes saves teachers’ time looking for resources by doing the searching for you. Anyone can use the existing themes and any eMINTS teacher can request a new theme be searched giving them more time to focus on teaching.

Check out eThemes now and make a request to start planning your next classroom project.

Brooke Higgins and Julie Szaj are instructional specialists with the eMINTS National Center.