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This is a great way to keep up with education and ideas for the classroom! Popular people/things to follow: @Educationweek @edtech_k12 @weareteachers @edweekteacher

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6 apps to help parents and teachers communicate

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Educators know that students' home lives play an integral role in their academic success. Communication between teachers and parents makes it easier for educators to understand the outside challenges students may deal with, and it helps parents understand how they can better support their children in school.

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Check out how to use pow toon in your classroom!
Examples also on you tube from Lincoln elem #mylincolnlion

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Tips to help students get the best possible experience from their virtual field trips

I have many great memories from elementary school, but my favorite memories revolve around field trips. The special packed lunch, the bus ride, the opportunity to pair up with a "field trip buddy" for the day all helped make those journeys unforgettable.

While traditional field trips continue to offer opportunities to create memorable learning environments for students of all ages, a new wave of technologies have created new, virtual field trip (VFT) experiences. Through a VFT, an educator leverages digital content and educational technologies to take educators and students beyond their classroom walls to meet people and see places they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience.

Personally, I believe the most exciting virtual field trips are event-based. Event-based virtual field trips create a single point in time where classrooms from around the world connect to form a unique and diverse community that takes a deep-dive on a particular topic or moment in history.

One example of an event-based virtual field trip is the VFT I conducted last year to mark the 150th Anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination. During this unique event, participating students toured Ford's Theatre, the site of the assassination, and heard from the Theatre's teaching artists about American history at the time of the event. Incredibly, attendees to this event saw parts of the theatre that are closed to the public and even closed to the park rangers that provide in-person tours. Students enjoyed real time interaction with experts, and learned alongside students from around the world by discussing the impacts Lincoln had on history.

VFTs can offer students an unparalleled learning experience when integrated effectively into classroom instruction. Here are five tips to make these fantastic experiences meaningful for all students.

Prepare

Like any lesson plan, consider how you can prepare your students. First, don't forget the standards, curriculum and content you are helping your students uncover. By connecting these virtual field trip experiences to content that you want students to learn, you can ensure students come to the event ready to participate. Also look for pre-event activities your students can participate in. Not only do these activities promote student thinking about what might happen during the virtual field trip, they also allow you to create connections to the specific content you wish to cover.

Engage and connect

During the event, make sure that you take advantage of any virtual connections that are possible, such as submitting questions for panelists before or during the event, or participating in Twitter backchannel conversations as the VFT unfolds. Your participation helps guide live panelists and provides your students the opportunity to be recognized! There's not too much more exciting then hearing your class's name and question read aloud during a live virtual field trip.

Model

Don't forget to model your learning for your students. Take pictures of what is happening in the classroom and document everything going on. In order to maximize virtual field trips, integrate teaching strategies with the content that is shared. You might consider the A-E-I-O-U strategy during the event; showing students how to capture what they learned. (A- an adjective or two that describes what they learned, E - emotion describing how it made them feel, I - something they found interesting, O - something that made them say "Oh!", U - write a question that you want to learn more about). For more examples of free strategies to use with digital media, take a look here.

Reflect

During the event, identify the talking points and imagery that provides the most direct launching point into your curriculum. Plan to revisit these segments in the future. Consider what resonated with your students. How can you make this more than an isolated lesson? Often, these events pique students' interest and spark many questions. Use this opportunity to have students record their thinking. Don't expect to provide answers. Rather, put the learning opportunity back on your students to discover their answers as you work together towards mastering your unit of instruction.

Share

The most important step is sharing what you've learned! Teachers that use virtual field trips regularly ask students to create artifacts that represent their learning. In addition to a written reflection, consider visual projects like photo journals, digital stories, and blog posts. As you bring more virtual field trips into your classroom, students can compare them and identify which they like the best. Parents, administrators and your community will love seeing the places you've visited and will begin to follow along on your journey. Consider sharing your participation via your classroom newsletter or website, and also let the organization conducting the VFT know how you participated. They will appreciate the feedback, and may offer additional opportunities to recognize your classroom.

If the idea of participating in VFTs is new to you, don't be overwhelmed. Take small steps such as watching one of these events on your own. Some teachers use virtual field trips as an activator into a unit. They don't replace the need-to-see content, but rather provide a foundational experience to ask questions and prepare for the unit of study.

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5 ways to make the most of virtual field trips

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I have many great memories from elementary school, but my favorite memories revolve around field trips. The special packed lunch, the bus ride, the opportunity to pair up with a "field trip buddy" for the day all helped make those journeys unforgettable.

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Kid friendly, safe search engine!

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Kiddle is a safe search engine, offering a safe web, image, and video search. Results are vetted by editors.

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Recorded Webinar Trainings - Learning.com Support

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Watch Learning.com's recorded training webinars created to help you learn how to use and get the most out of our platform, products, content, and assessments.

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10 Video project ideas for (almost any class):

1. Create a personal narrative

Everyone has a story, and when we share our own experiences, they can be a motivating factor for others -- and help us reflect on our lives and choices. Narratives can be about students themselves, a fictional character or historical person. A few easy ways to record these include:

Check out 24 ways to create great classroom video with Screencastify for more ideas!

2. Record interviews (in person or virtually)

The people around us and around the world are living history. Their experiences, information, and advice is a treasure trove waiting to be mined. Use a video response tool like Flipgrid ( flipgrid.com) to record interviews. They could be in-person interviews where both parties sit next to each other in the camera's frame. Or, they could be virtual interviews, where someone far away records responses to questions in a Flipgrid video (just share the link with them to record a video). They can be serious, silly ... even fictional. The sky's the limit!

Check out Catch the Flipgrid Fever! 30+ ways to use Flipgrid with your class for more resources.

3. Create a whiteboard animation

Set up something with a camera so it won't move (on a tripod or otherwise). Aim it at a whiteboard or chalkboard. Record and start drawing. Use video editing tools to speed it up to four times its normal speed and add a voiceover (and music?). Here's a great blog post with the basics on how to create these videos. Below is a whiteboard animation I created to illustrate a conference session I presented (my cropping was not the best!).

4. Present slides with a screencast recording

People communicate big, important ideas like this all the time using webinars. The slides let you present an idea step by step using uncluttered slides with a simple sentence (or single word!) or an image. Instead of presenting multiple bullet points on a single slide, break each point out into its own slide. Screencast recording tools like Screencastify, Screencast-o-Matic and others can handle these videos easily!

5. Record a stop-motion animation in Google Slides

If you're recording your screen, the first thing that comes to mind for many people is to record presentation slides. (See the idea above.) Let's go beyond that and think of other useful websites and apps that you could record instead. For instance, create a stop-motion animation using Google Slides (click here for a step-by-step tutorial). It's easy: create a slide, duplicate it, move something, duplicate the new slide, move something, etc. Repeat over and over. When you're done, record it using a tool like like Screencastify or Screencast-o-Matic. Record your voice with a microphone so you can narrate what's happening!

Check out Learning in motion: EASY stop-motion animation with Google Slides to learn how!

6. Make a video tour of a significant location

If students visit a place -- on a field trip, on vacation or any time -- they can share their learning experience with others by recording video of it and narrating as they go. (If they're at a museum or other such place, asking permission first is probably a good idea!) If they can't visit it, creating a video slideshow with Animoto or in a screencast would work, too.

A virtual walking tour is an option, too. Use Google Maps Street View to view one of these fantastic locations virtually (or anywhere else). Record it (including the microphone for your voice) while you play tour guide and read some facts about the location from a script or extemporaneously!

Check out Google Maps walking tours with Street View and Screencastify for more information.

7. Take your video projects anywhere with green screen

Green screen apps let students superimpose themselves over an image or video background. This makes it look like they're almost anywhere in the world (or beyond!) in these videos. Inexpensive apps like Green Screen by Do Ink can make it happen. (Here's a video that shows how it works.) You don't need a fancy green screen to stand in front of, either. A green painted wall, a green fabric background or even a green disposable tablecloth can work!

8. Create GIF examples of classroom content

GIFs are the moving image files. They're kind of like silent video that's treated like a picture file. By using a free GIF maker, students can create videos of anything class related and place it on a class website or share simply. Teachers can also make short animations to use for demonstrations. Here's a post by Kim Snodgrass on the Dave Burgess blog about creating GIFs and how they can be used in class.

9. Record video self assessment

Students don't have to get all their assessment and feedback from the teacher. When they do it themselves, it empowers them to be lifelong learners. Recording a video and posting it to Seesaw gives students a place for that self assessment.

Check out 20 Seesaw ideas with Chromebooks for K-12 classes for more information.

10. Make video with an app

Lots of apps (on the web or for mobile devices) are built to create fun videos that can demonstrate learning! Here are some examples:

Create book reports, step-by-step videos and more using Adobe Spark Video. Check out this guest post by Claudio Zavala showing how it works and what you can do with it.

Telestory is a mobile app that helps you create flashy videos with fun overlays. Create and record a TV show, make music videos, use night vision effects and more in your videos. Then save the video to your camera roll.

Chatterpix is a mobile app that brings an inanimate object or photo to life! Show the app where the mouth is in the photo and record some audio. It'll make the mouth move along with your voice!

Triller is a mobile app that lets you record fun music videos. Find a song that fits with what you're learning and record several video takes that show what you've learned. Triller splices a music video together that looks pretty slick! (Note: There's no language filter for songs, so you might want to make these videos with students instead of turning them loose on the app.)

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20 video project ideas to engage students - Ditch That Textbook

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Everyone has a story, and when we share our own experiences, they can be a motivating factor for others -- and help us reflect on our lives and choices. Narratives can be about students themselves, a fictional character or historical person.

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Maps are a fundamental part of everyday life. Even if we don't pull paper maps out of our car glove compartments anymore, we still rely on GPS and digital directions.

Without maps, we're lost.

With maps, we can clearly see how widespread or concentrated our data and content is.

Maps touch practically every content area and grade level.

MyMaps, a somewhat unnoticed app in the Google Apps suite, lets students create their own highly customized maps to share with others and display. (Teachers and schools can create them, too!)

Below is an example - a MyMaps map I created with everywhere I've presented this year (as of the publication of this post) ...

The connections to curriculum are innumerable. Students can create their own maps displaying all sorts of content. In this post, I'll list 20 ways to engage students in content with MyMaps. But first, here are some of the app's finer points:

Drop pins anywhere on a global map

Add pins from a search in the search box

Add information to pins (title, description, photos, etc.)

Choose the kind of pin you'd like (by color or different icons)

Draw lines or shapes over maps to help viewers interpret content easier

Adding pins to different layers let you organize and turn certain locations on and off

Create maps by importing data (Google support page with instructions)

Zoom to the view you prefer and set it as your default view

Share maps via link or embed them in a website

Want to see it in action? Check out this tutorial walk-through video I created on YouTube:

Wondering how you might use this in your class? Here are some ideas ...

1. Important locations in a historical event - Have students plot locations on a MyMap, filling in additional details as well as historic or current photos and links to more information.

2. Setting of a novel, short story or other literary work - Where was the story set? Instead of dropping a single pin there, plot the different locations that show up throughout the story.

3. Calculate rate of travel - As students learn about calculating distance/rate/time, have them choose locations and calculate the travel time to get there. They can add pins to those locations and show their work in the description of the pin.

4. Create a map-based timeline with layers - Studying content over time? Have students plot events or locations of each decade (or year or century) in a different layer. When viewing, you can turn off all layers except one to see that time period ... or see all of them together with all layers turned on.

5. Plot locations with certain environments - Seeing locations with different climates and vegetation can be clearer with a MyMap. Students can add pins of different locations with pictures and description of how they're different.

6. Log important or historic locations in an area being studied - Studying a certain location? Before digging into your content, have students do some preliminary Internet research and create a MyMap with their findings. They'll be better prepared for your unit of study!

7. Turn statistics into a visual aid - Looking at the top 50 cities for obesity or fitness? Studying population statistics? Add that data to the description. Then use the "individual styles" option on the layer you're editing to make the pin's color change based on the data.

8. Map where alumni are going to college (or have graduated) - Show how far from home students are studying, have studied or will be studying with a MyMap.

9. Provide parents with an interactive map for a field trip - Give parents clear, interactive information about your trip with a MyMap. Plus, they can click the "Directions to here" button right from your map!

10. Display locations with WiFi in a school district - If not every student has Internet at home, provide a map of locations with free WiFi in the district.

11. Make a pinboard of locations where your class has Skyped - Does your class do Mystery Skype games? Use Google Hangouts to provide virtual guest speakers or field trips? Create a MyMap of all the locations you've video called.

12. Log locations where political candidates have visited - Want to see who's campaigning where? Create a layer for each candidate and pin the locations where they've stumped.

13. Identify locations where animal species live - Animal units get a whole different dimension when students can see where they live. Add details and photos to those pins, too.

14. Create map layers with different forms of government - Create a layer for each type of government, and add pins to those layers to see where the democracies, monarchies, oligarchies, etc. are.

15. Take standard mapping activities to the next level - Do you already do some form of mapping activity? Find ways that the MyMaps features listed above could take it to the next level.

16. Display where students' families live - As you're getting to know new students, pin their home locations on a map. It will give insight into the most-represented and least-represented areas of your district that you might miss otherwise.

17. Make a map of where authors you've studied are from - Pin their hometowns. Add biographical information, other books, etc. in the description as well as photos of the author and/or covers of their books.

18. Map how words are different in different locations - Is it a lift or an elevator? An apartment or a flat? In Spanish, is the word for "peanut" cacahuate, cacahuete or maní? Create a word usage map.

19. Create a map with locations of school sports opponents - Athetics departments can provide a great service to parents with a map of other schools. Parents can get directions or contact information.

20. Map where former Olympians of the sport you're studying are from - Studying a sport in physical education? See where Olympians of that sport are from or where that sport is popular by creating a MyMap.
BONUS MATERIAL: For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links: Interested in having Matt present at your event or school? Contact him by e-mail! Matt is scheduled to present at the following upcoming events:

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20 ways Google MyMaps can enhance lessons in any class

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Maps are a fundamental part of everyday life. Even if we don't pull paper maps out of our car glove compartments anymore, we still rely on GPS and digital directions. Without maps, we're lost. With maps, we can clearly see how widespread or concentrated our data and content is.

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Ever wish you could take your class to impressive landmarks around the country or world?

Google Maps Street View makes many of those visits possible virtually - and for free.

Street View is an immersive panoramic image experience through Google Maps. It lets you feel like you're right on the street of many locations around the globe. Plus, you can virtually walk around, look up, down and around, and zoom in on items of interest.

Accessing Street View is easy:

On a computer or Chromebook, grab the yellow "peg man" in the bottom right corner of Google Maps (maps.google.com). You'll know there's a Street View available if the area turns blue when you grab the "peg man".

On a mobile device, download the Street View app:

You don't have to see the world just from the street. Many locations around the world have first-person virtual tours available. Check if they're available by finding a location in Google Maps, zooming in and grabbing the peg man to see if available locations light up in blue.

Here are 20 of them worth checking out - 10 from the United States and 10 from beyond. Click the link for each one to go to the Street View experience in Google Maps to check the location out yourself.

1. Churchill Downs - Let students take a lap around the legendary horse-racing track, see the view from the most exclusive seats and tour the rest of the campus.

2. Washington Monument - Take a walk around one of Washington D.C.'s most famous and visited monuments. And when I say take a walk, I mean take a walk - in a large circumference around the monument and down the National Mall (still inside Street View!) to see it from many angles.

3. Alcatraz Island - Take students inside the infamous prison in San Francisco Bay for an informal tour. Look inside cells and read informational posters for more details.

4. The White House - Wander around the seat of the United States government. See the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, the Center Hall (pictured), the Vermeil Room, part of the East Colonnade and more.

5. 9/11 Memorial - See the names of those lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy in New York at the official memorial site.

6. American Airlines Center - Ever wonder what it's like to see an NBA game from a luxury suite? Walk that level of the stadium and walk into several suites for a first-hand look.

7. Metropolitan Museum of Art - Stroll around almost every part of this famous museum in New York City, checking out sculpture, paintings and more.

8. Central Park - Since you were in the area visiting the Metropolitan Museum of art, go next door and tour this popular outdoor area in New York City, walking by the Arthur Ross Pinetum and the Shakespeare Garden.

9. Yellowstone National Park - Walk the trails to see waterfalls and scenic wooded areas. Check out Old Faithful (pictured) from the view of a tourist, and then walk around the area.

10. Grand Canyon - Take a trip down the Colorado River or take in the picturesque scenes from the top.

11. Emirates Airbus A380-800 - See what life's like aboard a plane with a free lounge with food, showers for first class and personal entertainment.

12. CERN - Ever consider walking around the largest particle physics lab in the world? There are parts of CERN that have Street View that you can virtually tour. (I did, and I didn't know what anything was, but maybe you will!)

13. Alhambra - As a Spanish teacher, this is on my "bucket list" of places to visit. The Alhambra is a gorgeous palace and fortress in Granada, Spain. There's a reason for the local saying: "There's nothing worse in life than being blind in Granada."

14. Tsukiji Market - The world's largest, busiest fish market is home to a popular tuna auction. Walk the aisles to see vendors peddling their wares.

15. Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii) - The most famous mosque in Turkey (known as the Blue Mosque for blue tiles adorning the inside) is visible from many parts of Istanbul and is a top world tourist destination.

16. Royal Opera House - Visit and walk around the home of the Royal Opera, Royal Ballet and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in London. See common areas as well as the performance areas.

17. Palace at Versailles - See the Hall of Mirrors, the site of many a luxurious event by King Louis XIV in Versailles, France.

18. Eiffel Tower - Go directly to the observation deck of this famous spire to see the city and the Seine River from above, or see what a typical tourist's day is in Paris.

19. The Acropolis Museum - See the spectacular views of this world landmark through the enormous windows of the museum. Plus, check out rare artifacts first hand.

20. Madrid Zoo - See the animals and the sights at the zoo in this world capital.
Want to deliver Street View experiences to your students? There are a few ways:

Find the Street View you want to show them (and point yourself in the direction you want them to see) and copy the URL (link) from your browser. Share that with students and they'll be taken to the same spot where you were.

Use Instant Street View (InstantStreetView.com) to help you find Street Views a little easier AND to display them to students.

Embed an interactive street view on a webpage. Once you've found your location, click the three dots button next to the name of the location in the top left of the screen. Choose "Embed" to copy HTML code to paste in your site.

[reminder]What locations are you most interested in? How could you use this in your class?[/reminder] For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links: Interested in having Matt present at your event or school? Contact him by e-mail! Matt is scheduled to present at the following upcoming events:
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20 locations to tour virtually with Google Maps Street View - Ditch That Textbook

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Ever wish you could take your class to impressive landmarks around the country or world? Google Maps Street View makes many of those visits possible virtually - and for free. Street View is an immersive panoramic image experience through Google Maps. It lets you feel like you're right on the street of many locations around ...

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6 tips to make the most of student blogging

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Blogging with students can lead to some powerful and unexpected outcomes. And getting started is probably easier than you think.

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Use this book as a GREAT resource!

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You can create a simple home page with all your favorite websites at the touch of a button! It's like bookmarking your favorites but having them right on your screen!

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Welcome to Symbaloo - Save and share your online favorites

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With a Symbaloo account, you can save and organize all of your favorite websites, videos, documents, articles and more - all in one place! Symbaloo is available from anywhere, with any device. Each link is saved in a beautiful, tile-based interface that can be customized in thousands of different ways.