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Greg Smedley-Warren, also known as Kindergarten Smorgisborge on Instagram, is a kindergarten teacher who fully engages his students in out of the box lessons. Greg discusses which devices he uses, such as iPads & SMART Boards, and programs that he uses like Augmented Reality. He discusses how iPads help kindergarteners learn, and discusses important apps that teachers should be usin.g

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Greg Smedley Warren @kindersmorgie shares his tips and tricks for using technology in kindergarten. It should be simple.

Screencastify is the screencasting tool I recommend for Google Chrome and Chromebooks. Built for Chromebooks, it saves all of your recordings directly to Google Drive.

Screencastify is an essential tool for making flipped lessons, student videos and creative formative assessments. I use this tool when students are making Scratch video games for them to record their games and explain their scripts. If you want to go for unlimited editing, request a quote for your school and mention Cool Cat Teacher for a Discount.

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Below is an enhanced transcript, modified for your reading pleasure. All comments in the shaded green box are my own. For guests and hyperlinks to resources, scroll down.

***

Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e204
Date:

Vicki: How can we engage kindergarteners with technology?

Today we have a kindergarten teacher from Nashville, Greg Smedley Warren @kindersmorgie, or as his students call him, "Mr. Greg."

He does a lot of work on the Kindergarten Smorgasboard.

So, Greg... How do we engage kids in kindergarten with technology?

Keep it Simple in Kindergarten

Greg: Hi Vicki. Thanks for having me.

So, I'm all about keeping it simple. I'm always on the lookout for very simple ways that I can engage my kids with technology - ways that are easy for them, but also easy for me so I don't spend a lot of time fumbling with technology trying to get it working and set up for the kids. So I'm always on the lookout for really simple ways that the kids can interact with technology.

Vicki: OK. Give us some of those ways.

Ipads and Augmented Reality

Greg: One way is iPads. Most of the kids are completely familiar with iPads and tablets and phones, so we have some iPads in the classroom with some folders. We have a reading folder and a math folder full of apps, so the kids know they can grab those iPads, open those folders, and use any of those apps.

We also use Augmented Reality in the classroom. We use a program called Learning Alive Plus from Alive Studios, which is an augmented reality software that works with letters, phonics, and word building. So we use that a lot. The kids actually use that during Center Time, so they're working with that augmented reality to build words and sentences.

Vicki: Describe for us how that works, because I know there are a lot of people - even though we've had some shows - they might not know what augmented reality is.

Greg: Augmented reality is basically 3-D without the glasses. So when the kids are interacting with the software, the images are coming alive in 3D on the screen for the kids.

Vicki: It's just floating in space, or somewhere in your classroom.

Greg: Yeah... it's on the screen. So it's on the monitor, or if you're using a projector it's projected on the screen or a SMARTboard. The best way to describe it - which I think everyone can relate to - is Pokemon Go. So if you're kind of familiar with Pokemon Go, that's augmented reality. That's kind of what it looks like when the kids are using it in the classroom.

iPad Apps to Help Children Learn to Read

Vicki: What are some of your favorite "go-to"s for reading?

Greg: For reading as far as apps, we do Letter School, which is great for letter formation and letter recognition.

Montessori Words for Kids is my favorite, probably, of all for reading and literacy. It's great for sound identification, segmenting sounds, word building, and decoding words. It's very interactive. The kids love it. They work on their letters, and once they build a word, then they get 10 seconds to play and draw before they go onto the next word. So there's almost that instant reward every time they build a word. The kids love that.

Ipad Apps for Math

For math, I'm a big fan of Monkey Math School, because it's not just focused on one skill. It's a constant review of all the kindergarten math skills that we work on.

My kids' favorite math app is called Subitizing Tree, which works on that all-important math skill of subitizing, which is basically number fluency. The kids love that. I hear them all day long, jumping up and down and screaming and cheering because they were able to subitize with that app.

So those are some of my favorites.

Vicki: Cool! So you have iPads, you have all of these things, you're doing Alive Plus, which is augmented reality.

What else?

QR Codes and Kindles

Greg: We also do a lot with QR Codes. We use Amazon Kindles with our QR Codes. I've found that the Kindles work great with the QR Reader. I've never been impressed with the KIndles as far as using a lot of apps, but they work great for QR Codes.

I've created several sets of QR Codes for math and literacy. The kids use the codes, they scan the codes, and an image of a document pops up. They might be doing sounds or counting or shapes or word building. The kids really love that they can use the QR codes around the room and interact with technology that way.

Vicki: It's kind of like passing out digital papers. Is that how you would kind of summarize the QR Codes?

Greg: Pretty much. My kids use them during Center Time. A lot of teachers actually post them around the room, so the kids are walking around the room with their tablets, scanning the QR Codes and working on them that way.

Vicki: Yes. And I believe that QR Codes are now built into the iPAd iOS for Apple devices.

Greg: Awesome. Oh, that's good to know.

Vicki: Yeah! New little tidbit. I just read it, like last night.

Greg: (laughs)

Vicki: OK. Lots of cool things. What else?

Interactive WhiteBoard Uses in Kindergarten

Greg: Like I said, I'm a big fan of keeping it simple. So that's really what we use, as far as technology.

We do have an interactive whiteboard in the classroom as well that we use a lot for whole group instruction. The kids use the SMARTboard during centers, so they'll be doing some word building and word writing, and those kinds of things.

One of the things that I use my SMARTboard for is a lot of teacher things. So like in the morning, we take attendance. As the kids come in each morning, their pictures are on the SMARTboard. They move their picture from home to school, to show that they are at school.

And then I have what I call my boombox, which is a PDF document that has clipart linked to songs and videos that we use on YouTube. Whenever I want to pull up a song for the kids to use, instead of typing in the name or something, or searching for it on YouTube, I'm able to just touch on that boombox, and it will immediately open that song or video. It just makes my life a little bit easier as a teacher and keeps things moving.

What Mistakes Do You Make Using Technology with Kindergarteners?

Vicki: Have you ever made a mistake when you started using technology with kindergarteners?

Greg: Oh gosh. All the time.

Of course there's always that inevitable, "The technology fails."

But my biggest issue is always with YouTube, it seems like. One minute YouTube works great, and the next minute nothing will load. Or you pull up a video and even though it is a kid-friendly video, a kindergarten video, the ad before it is something inappropriate, so you're scrambling to try to turn if off or make it stop.

That's really where I struggle with technology - just, "Is it going to work today, is the internet going to work today, and then something inappropriate popping up on YouTube which is unfortunately not a lot that we can control.

Vicki: So what, Greg, is advice that you have for kindergarten teachers who feel a little bit scared of using technology in their classroom?

Greg: I get it. It's new. It kind of seems like it's more to have to do. So I would just say start slowly. If you're comfortable with a technology, try to bring that into your classroom. Kind of build on it from there.

I always tell teachers, "We expect our kids to show up every single day and take risks. As teachers, we need to be willing to do the same thing."

If technology is an area that we're kind of scared of, maybe that's a risk we need to take. We need to bring in some more technology into the classroom.

I always just say, "Go for it!"

The worst that can happen is that it cannot work. It can fail. And we can have great conversations with our kids about how, even as adults, we fail. Now we can learn from that, and we can be better.

I'm all about taking risks, so I always just say, "Jump in and go for it!"

What To Do When Technology Fails?

Vicki: Oh, that's so great!. I have to ask this. What do you do when the technology just crashes and doesn't work? That strikes fear in the heart of teachers!

Greg: (laughs)

It really does. But you know, I think as our kids are getting so much more used to technology, they're now used to technology not working.

I think it's gotten a little bit easier, because the kids are like, "Oh, it's not working." Or they'll immediately say, "Oh, the internet's not working." They just kind of roll with it, and we move on.

Of course, they're going to be disappointed. But we just kind of move on to whatever's next, try to keep going, and not let it completely derail the lesson or derail the whole day.

Vicki: Really, though... what percentage of the time does it actually not work?

Greg: Probably 5-10% or less.

It's not a major everyday occurrence, but it does happen. And of course, it always happens when you're being observed and evaluated by administration.

Vicki: (laughs)

Greg: Never fails.

Vicki: (laughs)

Oh my goodness! That is what happens, isn't it?

My principal always seems to come in when I have the wildest, craziest things happening, and I'm just like, "I don't even know how you're going to evaluate me on this."

Greg: Exactly.

Vicki: And then you're so scared about what they're going to think.

Greg: Right.

Vicki: OK. So Mr. Greg has just shared lots of great ideas for our kindergarten classrooms. But here's the thing. If he can do it in kindergarten, you know you can do it with any age.

It's part of being a remarkable teacher. We've had so many fantastic ideas.

Get out there and try some of them today.

Bio as submitted
Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford KymberliMulford@gmail.com
I am Mr. Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasboard. My real name is Greg Smedley-Warren. I have been teaching for 12 years. I spent a year teaching fifth grade, two years in second grade and am now in my 8th year in Kindergarten. Kindergarten is my passion and my calling but honestly, that wasn't how it started. When I was moved to Kindergarten (not voluntarily!) I called my mommy and cried. But on the first day, I fell in love and knew that Kindergarten is where I belonged. I have remained in Kindergarten ever since. I plan to never leave the classroom as the kids are what drive me to continue my growth as a teacher and person.

I received my bachelors degree from Indiana University and received my ELL certification from David Lipscomb University. At the beginning of my career I spent two summers teaching in Ecuador which only helped to fan the flames of my passion for teaching. In 2015 I was selected as Teacher Of The Year by my peers. I have a monthly broadcast on YouTube called Submission for Smorgie LIVE. I enjoy blogging, creating curriculum and resources for my classroom and conducting professional development sessions to help teachers around the world make their classrooms a more fun, effective and interactive place to teach.

When I'm not in the classroom, blogging and doing all things teach, I enjoy spending time with my family. I live in Nashville, Tennessee with my husband (known as The Mister on my blog) and our dogs, Butters and LuLu.

Blog: The Kindergarten Smorgasboard

Twitter: @kindersmorgie

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.) This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

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Engaging Kindergartners with Technology: Augmented Reality, Ipads, QR Codes and More

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Greg Smedley Warren @kindersmorgie shares his tips and tricks for using technology in kindergarten. It should be simple. Screencastify is the screencasting tool I recommend for Google Chrome and Chromebooks. Built for Chromebooks, it saves all of your recordings directly to Google Drive.

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Making Professional Development Personal with 30 Goals 

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Making Professional Development Personal with 30 Goals 

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Vicki Davis is the blog writer for  The Cool Cat Teacher, and she shares podcasts that are no longer than 10 minutes. The first podcast that should be heard will help you create 30 goals to help you make the most out of your PD. She discusses how a "quick goal" technique can change your classroom.

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Don't walk in the classroom defeated. Make professional development personal. Start tomorrow. It is easy in simple, small steps. For the last seven years, Shelly Terrell's 30 Goals Challenge has ignited teacher learning. Today, we'll learn how this "quick goal" technique can transform your teaching.

Shelly wants teachers to tackle small, short goals. They take just 45 minutes each. Small achievements within the day can build momentum in your classroom. These small goals can energize you. Listen to the show. Grab the book. Check out Sylvia Duckworth's sketchnote. This technique is worth investigating.

Today's Sponsor: Bloomz

Bloomz is your one-stop solution for parent-teacher communications. More than just connecting with their cell phones, you can send long or short messages. You can share pictures and links. You can even coordinate volunteer schedules, donations, and parent-teacher conferences. I'm using Bloomz in my classroom.
Get the Bloomz App
Show Notes and Resources

The 30 Goals Challenge for Teachers by Shelly Sanchez Terrell

How can teachers envision their own greatness?

How can tired teachers develop themselves personally?

If teaching isn't about balance, then what is it about?

How did Shelly pull out of her own depression and struggle with burnout?

How do unconnected educators get started online?

What are some fast ways to add fun into the classroom tomorrow?

What is the purpose of a teaching manifesto?

Pinterest Boards with Teaching Manifestos

Why are teachers afraid to write their teaching manifesto? (like me 😉

Shelly has lots of Pinterest boards relating to the 30 goals.

#30goals on Twitter

Who is Shelly Terrell?

Shelly Sanchez Terrell @ ShellTerrell is a teacher trainer, e-learning specialist, and the author of The 30 Goals Challenge for Teachers: Small Steps to Transform Your Teaching. She has trained teachers and taught language learners in over 20 countries and has been recognized by the ELTon Awards, Microsoft's Heroes for Education, named Woman of the Year by Star Jone's National Association of Professional Women, awarded a Bammy Award as a founder of #Edchat, and named as one of the Big 10: Most Influential People Transforming EdTech by Tech & Learning.

Categories: Book Review, Education Trends and Topics, Every Classroom Matters Show, Get Connected (PLN Building), Teachers

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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45 Minute Goals Can Transform Your Teaching

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Don't walk in the classroom defeated. Make professional development personal. Start tomorrow. It is easy in simple, small steps. For the last seven years, Shelly Terrell's 30 Goals Challenge has ignited teacher learning. Today, we'll learn how this "quick goal" technique can transform your teaching. Shelly wants teachers to tackle small, short goals.

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Teched Up Teacher, Chris Aviles, understands how difficult it can be to integrate technology into your classroom. He has complied a list of websites, hardware, software and my favorite, a list of furniture and storage pieces you might need.

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Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever said to yourself:

I'd love to integrate more edtech into my classroom, but I just don't know where to start.

I'd love to find some tech to take my classroom to the next level, but the number of choices is overwhelming.

I'd love to start a makerspace, but I don't know what to put in it.

Have no fear, The Edtech List is here!

Deciding what to put in your makerspace or the right edtech to integrate into your classroom to transform learning can be overwhelming. Let me do the heavy lifting for you! Since I spend most of my time working in the Innovation Lab or helping teachers integrate technology into the classroom, I have tried a lot of tech. I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of the best edtech out there to help educators find the technology they've been looking for!

Below is the list of edtech I love. Check it out!

Audacity - an excellent, open-source audio recording and editing program. We use it to make our Podcasts. Free.

Camtasia - This video editing software is easy enough for elementary school students to use, yet still produces a top quality video. If you find Lightworks to be too much, you won't be disappointed with Camtasia. Worth the price.

Lightworks - If you are looking for some serious power and professional features, Lightworks is for you. The only difference between free and pro is the 720p limit. Free.

MCEdit - MCEdit is a saved game editor for Minecraft. It allows you to import, export, and modify a saved Minecraft world in a bunch of useful ways. Must have if you're teaching with Minecraft. Stick to 1.0. Version 2.0 isn't as good, yet. Free.

Scratch - Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations. The best way to get kids started with coding. Combine MakeyMakeys and Scratch for some awesome projects. Free.

App Inventor - App Inventor uses the same block-based coding language as Scratch to make apps for android devices. You can even test them live on the device before your eyes. Really cool. Free.

ScratchX - Play with Experimental Extensions for Scratch. With Experimental Extensions, you can create Scratch projects that connect with external hardware (such as electronic devices and robotics) and online resources. Free.

Minecraft Education Edition - The brand new version of Minecraft made with the classroom in mind. Cloud login, the camera + portfolio feature, and custom NPCs has everyone excited. Most of the Minecraft programs listed on here don't work with Education Edition yet. Worth the price.

Inkscape - Your free Adobe Illustrator alternative. Just as powerful. Just as awesome.

Gimp - Your free Adobe Photoshop alternative. Just as powerful. Just as awesome.

Fusion 360 - Autodesk has made all their software free for educators. Fusion 360 is the future of 3D design. Get your kids started now! Free.

TinkerCad - Autodesk's free, entry-level 3D Design program. Allows you to export 3D objects for Minecraft. Works great when teamed with Fusion 360. This is the place to start kids with 3D Design. Free.

VLC Media Player - This video player will play anything! I've never met a video file that wouldn't work in VLC. Free.

Unity - Free for schools, Unity is used by the pros to make games like Pokemon Go! It looks intimidating, but thanks to the built in tutorials and plethora of YouTube guides, Unity is way easier than it looks. It can be used fifth grade and up, but you'll need decent computing power. Free.

Sublime Text - When it's time to do some real coding, I love to use Sublime Text to write and test it. Free.

Mineways - Third-party Minecraft program that allows you to export the game world for 3D Printing. Free.

Skanect - If you have a 360 Kinect and a computer with a CUDA enabled graphics card, you can build your own 3D scanner using Skanect. You have to see it to believe it. Amazing! Free.

Overviewer - A third-party Minecraft program that turns Minecraft Maps into Google Maps. You can then use Python code to plot points on the map. Here is a tutorial I wrote for it. Free.

Codecademy - Still the best way to sit down and learn real code. Their tutorials and presentations are phenomenal. Free.

City Skylines - A modern take on the old SimCity like city builders. A great game that simulates real-world problems that my kids try to solve. Worth the money.

JSFiddle - A neat, easy way to build and test websites and browser based games. Free.

Minecraft NoteBlock Studio - A Music Editor that lets you play and create Music in Minecraft using Note Blocks. Free.

Blogger - Sure it's nice to use for blogging, but the real power lies in using it as a way to push out student made podcasts and videos to the world. Free.

Simplify3d - This 3D slicer may be the best $150 I've ever spent in the Innovation Lab. Our prints have never looked better. Much better than the best free options ( Cura, Print Studio).

iExplorer - I use it to move Minecraft: Pocket Edition games from the iPad to the computer and vice versa. Free.

123D Make - 123D Make lets you turn 3D models into 2D build plans with animated assembly instructions. Make really shines if you have a laser cutter in your space. Free.

Offworld Trading Company - Entrepreneurial education is hard to find in most schools, but will be an important part of our kids' future. Offworld Trading Company is a video game that puts you in control of a company on Mars attempting to turn a profit. You battle other players, not with weapons, but with your knowledge of markets and economic principles. An AAA title that teaches tons of entrepreneurial skills and is fun to play! Worth the money.

If This Then That (IFTTT) - An amazing site that lets you chain together your favorite programs with conditional statements so they can interact with each other. Free.

Cayenne - Cayenne is an Internet of Things project builder. I've been really impressed with how it works and how easy it is to manage multiple Raspberr Pis. I'm still learning how it works, but definitely worth mentioning.

MakeyMakey - A MakeyMakey will turn anything that conducts electricity into a button. You can then code this button to do pretty much anything. A must have! Worth the price.

Raspberry Pi - A credit card sized computer. The Pi is a great tool for teaching kids coding and physical computing. All the rage in the UK, it's finally made its way to America. Minecraft Pi, Sonic Pi, and Scratch are amazing programs. Worth the price.

The Extraordinaires - A fun, tech-free way to teach Design Thinking basics. We start teaching our kids about Design Thinking using this card game. Worth the price.

55 Gallon Drum - We're getting a greenhouse! These drums will become rain barrels and spinning composters when I'm done with them!

Dremel Rotary Tools and Accessories - When we are turning parts into arts, we need something powerful to cut and shape our parts and that we can use indoors. Dremel is perfect. I was really excited to see how far Dremel has come. I have all the basic shop tools Don't forget the clamps, flex shaft, and the drill press.

Hurion H610PRO Graphics Tablet - I had never heard of speed painting until last year. A group of talented students loved to screencast themselves painting. It was painful to watch them do it with a mouse, so I grabbed a few tablets this year!

Apple Repair Stuff - The ability to take apart and repair iPhone and iPads is a neat, valuable skill I'm trying to teach student. For that I use a heat gun, suction cup pliers, and a repair kit.

Video Studio Kit - I bought this almost four years ago when I started Bengal Buzz, the student run news show, at my old high school. I was stoked to see it was still on Amazon. For the price, you can't beat this kit. It's not top of the line quality, but it's damn good and the price can't be beat.

Play-Doh - Play-Doh is great for MakeyMakey projects, but here's an even cooler use: we use Play-Doh to make molds. We then fill the molds with hot glue. The dried glue pops right out an the Play-Doh is still good to use. Great for quick prototyping.

Storage/Furniture

Storage is the most often overlooked part of a makerspace. Our mantra: furniture is storage. Storage is furniture. Everything moves. Here is what we have purchased so far.

72′ 8 Drawer Tool Chest - Really happy with the look and quality of this piece. We went for a big work space combined with a tool chest for this piece because we wanted our Glowforge and 3D printers in one spot. We store the supplies for them in the cabinet and have room for other stuff, too.

Rolling Tool Chest - We store our tools in this tool chest. Big enough to hold a lot, small enough for a middle schooler to move.

22 Bin Storage Rack - We love the different sized containers and how easy this rack can move. We store everything from screws, to Play-Doh, to our tablets, to microphones on this thing. The bins are secure when at rest, but easy for our kids to pull out.

Service Cart - This light weight service cart is where we store our art making equipment. We have stuff for jewelry, sculptures, and more. Easy for the kids to move.

Kore Stools - Kids need to move. Wiggling, fidgeting, and the like help students concentrate. Additionally, stools are much easier to move and don't take up a lot of space. The problem is, active seating is ridiculously expensive. Kore Stools were a nice combination of price and quality. Teen sized is perfect for middle school students.

KI Grazie Cafe Stools - We wanted to create second and third spaces in the Innovation Lab. We purchased some cafe stools from KI so students could work on top of the book cases in the library in small groups. Awesome quality.

uBlock Origin - A Chrome Extension that blocks most ads on the internet. Better than Ad Block

Beeline Reader - Great for the struggling reader. It gradients lines for easy reading and also allows for the user to turn on Open Dyslexic, a font that is easier to read for people with Dyslexia.

Share to Google Classroom - This extension does three things. 1) Allows you to push a website to students computers, meaning that you don't have to write a URL on the board or in Classroom anymore. You can actually make it popup on their screen. 2) Students can push their work or a website to you to the teacher. 3) You can turn anything you find on the web into an assignment or announcement in classroom. A must have if you use Google Classroom. You have to see it to believe it!

Black Menu for Google - Chrome Extension that gives you a super quick way to access GAFEs without having to stop what you're doing.

- Extensions and GAFE integration make it the best browser around.

Colorzilla - The Dropper and Gradient Generator are great, time-saving Chrome extensions for helping match colors and create graphics.

- Still the best Cloud storage out there.

Edulastic - My favorite place for next generation assessments that mimic PARCC.

Explain Everything - If you want to make a screencast using the iPad, Explain Everything is the best out there and my favorite app on the planet. Kids love this one. Great for elementary school through high school.

Google Apps for Education - No explanation necessary. Just don't forget about the lesser known "GAFEs" like Sites, Books, Voice, Scholar, and Blogger.

- A must for Redditors or those who browse websites with a lot of links to pictures. Instead of clicking on a link to see a picture, just hover over the link and it will automatically load! Pro Tip: use the arrow keys on your computer to scroll though pictures in an album.

- Newsela is the place to go for Current Events. What makes Newsela extra special is they align current events to Common Core, complete with anchor questions. Newsela even allows you to increase or decrease the reading level.

Pear Deck - I like using Pear Deck to make direct instruction more fun. It lives in Drive and is a great way to to gather quick formative assessments.

Periscope - Periscope turns anyone into a live streamer. I don't know where it fits into edu yet, but I aim to find out.

Piktochart, Infrogr.am - I used infographics to satisfy the short research paper component of Common Core. Most use Piktochart and Inforgr.am to make them and Visual.ly for inspiration. This video on LATCH helps them understand how to present research.

Poll Everywhere - PE is a text-message based polling program. I used it for my Do Now, Closure, and a lot more.

Mercury Reader - A chrome extension that will cleanup an article and make it fit for print or to share with kids. Removes all the distracting side bars and videos.

Read&Write For Google - Annotations, voice/text, dictionaries and so many more useful features! Great way to simulate PARCC like accommodations. The best part is the ability to add voice feedback to Google Docs. The best way to leave voice comments for students. Check their site, Read & Write is free for teachers!

Save to Drive - I use this Chrome extension to save a copy of a website or article directly to Google Drive.

- Hands down the best learning management system out there. I can't live without it.

Screencastify - Screencastify shines as the best way to make screencasts when using the Chromebook.

- Sister Chrome Extensions that make it easy to split a tab in Chrome and work on two things, side-by-side, at the same time. No more wasting time re-sizing windows side-by-side.

- For you coaches. Video feedback is important to athletic success. This is a great app for coaches to record, slowdown, and annotate an athlete's performance. Formerly called Ubersense.

EDPuzzle - A nice option for teachers using the flipped classroom. Has a lot of nice features that can help hold students accountable for watching assigned videos.

ViewPure - Take a YouTube URL and plug it into ViewPure and it spits out a new URL that eliminates the comments, sidebar, and other things teachers don't like about YouTube. A must use for if you teach little ones.

Google Cast - With Cast students can share their screen directly to the teacher's projector-connected device with out the need for wires. Cast eliminates the headache of having to swap device to show student work to the class.

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The EdTech List by Chris Aviles | @TechedUpTeacher

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Have you ever said to yourself: I'd love to integrate more edtech into my classroom, but I just don't know where to start. I'd love to find some tech to take my classroom to the next level, but the number of choices is overwhelming.

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Report from K-12 parents about communication via technology 

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Report from K-12 parents about communication via technology 

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Information was collected about digital learning and communication trends from 500,000 parents, students, teachers and community members. Infographic information is displayed to show the key findings of the report from Project Tomorrow and Trends in Community Engagement Report.

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First came printed materials. Then digital content. Now, we are in the midst of a mobile communications movement. So, what's in store for the future of K-12 communications?

That's what we uncover in our latest Trends in Community Engagement Report, written in partnership with Project Tomorrow. The report is created using survey data from Project Tomorrow's annual Speak Up Research Project which collects information about digital learning and communications trends from over 500,000 students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members.

Each year, the report uncovers significant findings about parent expectations for classroom, school, and district-level information sharing that challenge what we thought we knew.

Some key findings include:

Parents would like information to be conveniently pushed directly to them instead of having to seek it out

At the same time, parents are busy and don't want to be over-loaded with messages. Schools should send timely, highly impactful information

Email is the best way to reach them no matter their child's grade level or whom the communication is coming from (teachers, school administrators or the district)

The popularity of visual social media channels (e.g. YouTube and Instagram) is on the rise

Check out the infographic below (with text alternative) for more highlights and download the Trends in Community Engagement Report to see the full set of data and our predictions for what's coming next in the world of K-12 communications.

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Parents share expectations for K-12 communications in new report

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First came printed materials. Then digital content. Now, we are in the midst of a mobile communications movement. So, what's in store for the future of K-12 communications? That's what we uncover in our latest Trends in Community Engagement Report, written in partnership with Project Tomorrow.

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Professor Mike Sharples informs us of new trends in teaching and learning in education.

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6 Ideas Every iPad Teacher Needs to Know 

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6 Ideas Every iPad Teacher Needs to Know 

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Tony Vincent shares his tips for using iPads in the classroom in a podcast featured on The 10 Minute Teacher. The tips that Tony gives aren't exactly going to help you use iPads in the classroom, but more general tips about using iPads everyday.

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Want to show your cursor on the iPad screen? Want to find the cents button? Want to help a student with a unique character spell their name? There's a trick for these things and more on the iPad. Today, Tony Vincent shares six ideas every iPad teacher needs to know.

Sponsor: The US Matific Games are coming this February. Try Matific free now and sign up to join their Math games.

Matific is a fantastic site full of math manipulatives and customized playlists of activities to help students at every level master math. This fun, gamified site is sponsoring Math games this February and students can compete to win prizes for themselves and your school. Set up is easy, send them their class rosters and they'll have you set up in 24-hours. This is a great way to try out Matific, help your kids boost their math skills and have fun. And it's free!

Listen Now

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Link to show: www.coolcatteacher.com/e247
Date: February 6, 2018

Vicki: Today we're talking with my friend Tony Vincent @tonyvincent from Learning in Hand about iPad Magic.

So what is your first magic idea, Tony?

Tony: Well, the iPad is packed with things that you may not even realize are there or that can be used in different ways.

So one tip I really like is that I use my iPad and I project it up for students, for audiences to see, and it's great. There are different ways to project, but you've got it up on a screen. The problem is that they can't see where you're touching on the screen.

Vicki: Ahhhh...

Tony: So in the past, I've carried around a laser pointer. In one hand, I'm manipulating the iPad, and the other I'm pointing at the screen. It worked OK.

However, I have re-purposed the iPad's zoom controller. You can turn that on in the Settings,in the Accessibility Settings. When you turn on the zoom controller, iOS puts a little circle on your screen that you can move around.

Idea #1: Repurposing the zoom controller to use as a pointer

Now you can also tap it and adjust the zoom level, which is an extra added benefit, but I use it as a pointer. I have it right there on screen. I can move it, and I can drag it around, and show my audience what I'm talking about and about what I'm actually touching on the screen.

Vicki: Oh, what a fantastic idea!

We are going to link to the blog posts that have a lot of these magic tips so that you'll be able to get all of these tips.

I love that one! What's next?

Tony: That tip really goes into the next one. With iOS 11, the newest version that came out in the fall, you can actually screen record everything that's happening on your iPad.

We've wanted this for years, and we finally have it.

Idea #2: Screen record everything that's happening on your iPad

You have to turn it on, and if you go to that blog post, you can get step-by-step directions. But in the Settings, you get it tuned on, you can record your screen along with the narrations. You can make tutorials. Or students can go through and show you what they've done in any app, or in multiple apps, because it records everything that's happening on your iPad.

If you turn on that zoom controller, then you also have a pointer. That zoom controller/pointer will show up in the video that's saved to your camera roll.

Vicki: Oh, that is so nice! Teachers everywhere applauded when that feature came out. It just makes life so much easier, because we can record everywhere!

So wonderful! OK, what's our next one?

Tony: Yeah.

Well, not as exciting, but this has been around for a while, but it's always a good reminder. Apple has hidden some characters on the onscreen keyboard.

Idea #3: Hidden characters on the onscreen keyboard

For instance, I live in Iowa, and the other day it was just 2 degrees. I wanted to type out the degree symbol.

If you look right away at the keyboard, you don't see it initially. But the trick is, if you hold down certain keys on the keyboard, then above the key appear some alternate characters.

So if you want to type the degree symbol, you hold down the zero key and slide up. You'll see the degree symbol.

Vicki: Hmmm. That just makes sense, too, right?

Tony: Yeah! You skipped ahead. If you want different currencies, you hold down the dollar sign and then you'll get cents and pounds and yen and a few others.

You also can hold down "e" or "n" to get accented characters.

I know in one workshop, this was a tip that really changed the world of one of the teachers and one of her students because she said, "Oh! Finally, my Zoe can type her name the way that it's supposed to be typed, because it had an accent on the "e".

Vicki: Awww... Yeah. Kids really - those accents are important when they have them in their names. I mean, it's their name!

Tony: Yeah! It is possible to type them on the iOS keyboard. You just have to know how to "reveal" them by kind of trial and error. Hold down some keys and see what happens.

Vicki: So how do we know what happens, or what is going to be on there?

Is there any easy to see that, or...?

Tony: There are a few. You can do some Googling and see what's on there. On my blog post I put the most popular ones, the ones I see that I've used the most.

You probably won't need it until you say, "Oh, I need an accented 'e'..." So then hold down the "e' and see what's there. Chances are that they put it in a logical place.

Vicki: So cool! OK, what's next?

Tony: Sticking with the keyboard, this was introduced in iOS 9, but it's still a surprise to a lot of people.

When you have your onscreen keyboard showing on an iPad, if you touch the keyboard with two fingers - and it's weird because the letters on the keyboard disappear - then you can drag those two fingers around in the keyboard area. You actually have a trackpad area, and that moves your cursor.

Idea #4: Using the onscreen keyboard as a trackpad

I find myself using this quite a bit to position my cursor just to where I want. It's a little faster, sometimes, than trying to tap and get your cursor into the right spot, because you don't even move your fingers from the keyboard. You just press two of them down.

Vicki: Oh, cool! Awesome! OK, what else?

Tony: Well, you know those apps that keep asking you to rate them?

Vicki: Yessss?

I'm trying not to get too excited, because I know what this one is!!!

Tony: (laughs)

Vicki: Go ahead!

Tony: In iOS 11, Apple realized that app developers just asked for ratings too often. If you have an app that you like, please do rate it. But we don't like to be bugged. We don't want this to pop up during lessons for our students, or for us as we're just using our device.

Idea #5: Turn off app ratings and reviews

So you can go into settings on your iPad or your iPhone with iOS 11 and tap iTunes and App Store. You can actually turn off In App Ratings and Reviews.

There are still a few ways that this might pop up, but it greatly reduces the number of pop-ups that ask you to rate and review and app.

Vicki: OK, remarkable educators, remember that if you're on that morning commute like many of you are when you listen to the show, so this when you get to school, Don't do this while driving. (laughs)

But it is REALLY very exciting! (laughs)

OK, do you have another one for us!

Tony: Well, another one that you certainly can't do while you're driving - is rearranging your Home Screen.

Idea #6: Reorganize your Home Screen QUICKLY

I have so many home screens. I think I have fifteen, which is the total number of homescreens you can have while on your iPad or you iPhone.

I organize pretty much meticulously the first two pages, and then I've given up on the rest.

Vicki: (laughs)

Tony: It's just too hard to move those app icons around. You can take all day to move them from page to page and put them in the folders. If you don't have that many apps, I guess, it's not too bad. But it can take a while.

So in iOS 11, Apple's made it slightly easier. It's a little complicated, but once you get the hang of it, this is a pretty nice way for making folders.

Apple allows us now to take one app icon (you know, when it jiggles), and then with a second finger, you can tap other icons and it stacks them behind that one icon. So you can stack like six icons from one page, drag that stack from one page to the next, add a few more, drag and then finally put them on their own screen or home folder.

Vicki: Ohhhhhh...

Tony: So you can go and find all your math apps, pluck them from every page, add them to the stack, and then put that stack into a folder.

It's so much more efficient than...

Vicki: YES! One at a time...

Oh, I just like... Oh my goodness. I don't have words for that one! (laughs)

With all the wasted (time)... because I do like to organize things.

OK. So we have time for one more?

Tony: One more...

Well, one that's been in iOS for a while that people don't realize it, is that you can annotate over a photo.

BONUS: Annotate over a photo on your camera roll without using an app

Anything that's saved in your camera roll, you can draw on, you can add shapes, you can even add magnifiers. This is sitting right there. You don't need an app at all to make this happen.

When you're in the Photos app, viewing anything, you can click Edit. In the More button which is the three little dots. Then there will be this marker icon. That's for the markup tools. And then, popping up from the bottom you have a pen, you have a highlighter, you have a sketch pencil, you an eraser, you have a lasso. Then you have several tools, including a text tool. You can add your signature and arrows.

You have this complete suite of drawing tools that's available to you to use on any picture. You click Done, and then your annotations are saved right there on that image, which then you can use in a project, or share, or just keep there in your Photo Library.

Vicki: Teachers, we've gotten six fantastic ideas of iPad magic, things that we all needed to know.

Now if you want to know lots more, you can go follow Tony's blog and Twitter and all the places he shares. Learning in Hand. He is one of my Go To people for iPads. He just knows everything about them.

I know that now, Tony, you're learning everything about Google Classroom, so you know lots about really cool things.

These are little How-To things that are actually a really big deal when you're using iPads. Get to know these tips and tricks with iPads.

Get out there and learn some more. You may just save a whole lot of time!

Contact us about the show: http://www.coolcatteacher.com/contact/

Transcribed by Kymberli Mulford [email protected]

Bio as submitted

Tony Vincent used to teach fifth grade in Omaha, Nebraska. Today he is self-employed and does what he can to help teachers be even more awesome.

Blog: https://learninginhand.com/

Twitter: @tonyvincent

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored podcast episode." The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." This company has no impact on the editorial content of the show.

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iPad Magic: 6 Ideas Every iPad Teacher Needs to Know

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Want to show your cursor on the iPad screen? Want to find the cents button? Want to help a student with a unique character spell their name? There's a trick for these things and more on the iPad. Today, Tony Vincent shares six ideas every iPad teacher needs to know.

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Sajan George speaks about successful blended learning at non-profit school turnaround. Nation awards and recognition have been given to this school for their model and design of blended learning.

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The Future of Education: Sajan George at TEDxUNC

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This paper sheds light on the fact that students are not digital natives. The article even wonders, questions and suggests that students' brains might have physically changed and are different from its predecessors.

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First year students' experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives? | Kennedy | Australasian Journal of Educational Technology

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First year students' experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives?

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The article below reviews a powerful teaching tool, digital storytelling. It begins with the definition of digital storytelling and leads into the benefits as well as the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge within digital storytelling. P.S. digital storytelling is not just for elementary students.

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Explorations in Engineering & Technology 

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Explorations in Engineering & Technology 

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A free webinar to help teachers plan and understand engineering lessons, project-based learning and everyday technology experiences. You will also learn how to document work samples.

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Presented by Dr. Angela Eckhoff, Author of Creative Investigations in Early Math
Sponsored by Gryphon House
REGISTER HERE JOIN THE LIVE SESSION
If you attend the live session, you'll be emailed a CE certificate within 24 hours of the edWebinar. If you view the recording and would like a CE certificate, join the Early Learning Book Chats community and go to the edWebinar Archives folder to take the CE quiz.
There is widespread concern over the increasing frequency of challenging behaviors being exhibited by young children. The number of children in preschool with these behaviors is one of the leading concerns of teachers, administrators and parents.

In this edWebinar, Angela Eckhoff, PhD, Author of Creative Investigations in Early Engineering and Technology, will stress the importance of encouraging engineering and technology experiences in the early childhood classroom through guided and independent investigations where every child is actively involved in meaningful ways. Early childhood educators play important roles in early engineering and technology experiences and this session will demonstrate the ways teachers can facilitate these experiences throughout the planning, implementation, and assessment of the creative, design-based experiences.

For young children, technology experiences involve using tools, identifying and acting on problems, being creative and inventive, and making things work. Engineering experiences involve exploring problems, using a variety of materials, and designing and building things that work. The lessons and approach to curriculum shared in this session include critical elements of inquiry and creative thinking-open-ended tasks, activities involving social interaction, and opportunities for children's reflection and elaboration.

This edWebinar will support participants' abilities to develop and implement creative engineering and technology experiences in the early childhood classroom by helping them to:

Understand the links between engineering content, design learning, and project-based learning

Plan cooperative engineering and technology lessons that will engage all children in the classroom as individuals or when working in small or whole groups

Implement classroom experiences that support children's engagement with engineering and technology in everyday experiences

Recognize children's understandings of engineering and technology concepts in order to build upon their current understandings to support knowledge growth

Document children's knowledge development with authentic work samples and classroom artifacts

There will be time to get your questions answered after Dr. Eckhoff's presentation. PreK educators are invited to attend this event.

About the Presenter
Dr. Angela Eckhoff is an associate professor of teaching and learning-early childhood education and director of the Virginia Early Childhood Policy Center at Old Dominion University in Virginia. She holds a dual PhD from the University of Colorado - Boulder in educational psychology and cognitive science. Dr. Eckhoff is the author of Creative Investigations in Early Engineering and Technology. She also is a coeditor of the Growing in STEM column for Young Children and the Full STEAM Ahead column for Teaching Young Children from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Dr. Eckhoff researches informal learning environments for children and families, the role of creativity in child development and learning, as well as arts-based early childhood pedagogical practices.
Join the Early Learning Book Chats community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, view past edWebinars, take a quiz to receive a CE certificate for a past edWebinar, and access free resources. REGISTER HERE JOIN THE LIVE SESSION
Gryphon House, Inc. is an award-winning publisher of early childhood resources for teachers and parents.

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Explorations in Engineering & Technology for Early Childhood Classrooms

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Presented by Dr. Angela Eckhoff, Author of Creative Investigations in Early Math Sponsored by Gryphon House REGISTER HERE JOIN THE LIVE SESSION If you attend the live session, you'll be emailed a CE certificate within 24 hours of the edWebinar.

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The Final Frontier in the Quest for Technology Integration 

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The Final Frontier in the Quest for Technology Integration 

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The missing piece to integrating technology in schools involves us, teachers! The article reviews what they believe to be the final frontier, teachers beliefs on classroom instruction and technology. You will find yourself evaluating and reviewing your own pedagogy after reading this.

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The Relationship Between Teacher Beliefs and Technology Integration 

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The Relationship Between Teacher Beliefs and Technology Integration 

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Barriers that led teachers towards their beliefs of technology integration are gone, and yet there are still teachers that have negative beliefs about technology. This article reviews the relationship that occurs between teachers and technology in classroom. Teachers beliefs had the largest impact on success with students and technology.

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Kasey Bell, a digital learning consultant, gives an awesome guide to being using Google Classroom. She incorporates step by step screen shots, tips and easy to read information throughout her guide.

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Integrating Technology into the Classroom 

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Integrating Technology into the Classroom 

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When integrating technology teachers are often overlooked and do not receive help or training. There are 8 areas that are important to help teachers successfully use technology in your classroom. The 8 areas are fear of change, training, personal use, teaching models, learning based, climate, motivation and support.

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Journal of Technology and Teacher Education ISSN 1059-7069 Publisher: Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education, Waynesville, NC USA

Abstract

There are many issues related to the successful use of technology in the classroom. Some of the more salient include securing necessary annual funding, the development of dynamic plans, and decisions concerning platforms, hardware, T1 lines, software, and so forth. While these are perhaps the most obvious considerations, an often-overlooked but crucial determinant of whether technology succeeds or fails in the classroom is a less than obvious one...the teacher. While attention to choosing the appropriate hardware and software for the classroom is prerequisite, it is the skill and attitude of the teacher that determines the effectiveness of technology integration into the curriculum.

Citation

Bitner, N. & Bitner, J. (2002). Integrating Technology into the Classroom: Eight Keys to Success. Retrieved March 13, 2018 from Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1), 95-100. Norfolk, VA: Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/9304/.

Keywords

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Integrating Technology into the Classroom: Eight Keys to Success

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There are many issues related to the successful use of technology in the classroom. Some of the more salient include securing necessary annual funding, the development of dynamic plans, and decisions concerning platforms, hardware, T1 lines, software, and so forth.

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A guide to figuring out what Kahoot is and how to play/create your first Kahoot.

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Creating and Playing Learning Games with Kahoot

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Creating and Playing Learning Games with Kahoot

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Read this guide after reading Getting Started with Kahoot. This second edition will help you get the to next level of Kahoot. It will help you master your Kahoot skills.

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With this quick and easy guide you will learn how to create your first Nearpod. You will also learn how to get reports on the Nearpod app.

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Instructional Power of Digital Games, Social Networking and Simulations 

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Instructional Power of Digital Games, Social Networking and Simulations 

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Teachers that love gaming should read this study. The connection between children and the genres of technologies are strong, and this article points out that teachers should reevaluate their opinions if them. The benefits of different types of games and simulations are pointed out and explained in ways that might change your mind. You could find yourself incorporating games like SimCity, World of Warcraft, and different aspects of Social Networking.

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A short, quick guide to use Remind in your classroom with parents and students. This page quickly discusses the main points of Remind and the purpose of it. It even accompanies a short video.

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The PDF below explains how to use Pow Toon, a digital animated version of a Power Point. The guide gives great images to help teachers follow along, and easy to read instructions. At the bottom of the PDF they link youtube videos, blog posts and editorials.

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Check out these two online resources first! 

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Check out these two online resources first! 

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1. The Relationship Between Teach Beliefs and Technology Integration - This is an important resource because it allows you to reflect on your own beliefs of technology. Once you have identified how you feel about technology then you can begin to adjust your mindset. There is a strong correlation between how you feel about technology and the success of your students with technology.

2. Making Professional Development Personal with 30 Goals - This is the second resource you should read because it can help you grow professionally in the future. I believe if teachers aren't invested in their professional development than it isn't meaningful to them, and in turn they won't learn anything from it. Small goals will allow teachers to feel confident and successful. Once you create a list goals t he PD or what you are improving immediately becomes meaningful to you. In another resource I posted it explains how teachers are overlooked as an important part of technology integration. If teachers begin investing in themselves with goals than they are already an important part of the equations. Creating goals also allows you to reflect, review and evaluate yourself as a teacher.

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There are some resources here that I feel would be beneficial in my school. Some resources are related to devices, apps or things that other teachers are already using in their classrooms, so they would not benefit from that particular resource. For example, we use Class Dojo to track points for a school wide PBIS system and all teachers, office and janitorial staff are familiar with Class Dojo.

1. The TED Talk with Sajan George would be beneficial to all teachers in my school because we are a turn around school. We were close to being taken over by the state because our QSAC score was low. We need motivation, inspiration and examples from other schools to help teachers see the way to bring our school up. His schools success with blended learning will show my colleagues that it possible to help our school with the integration of technology.