Technology through Time

Really, knowing some tricks about the iPad is really like knowing some magic tricks, "look mom no hands!" This first  feature allows you to lock down an app so that a student cannot switch out of the app and they can only touch certain areas of the app: 1. Go to Settings > general> Accessibility> Triple-Click and turn on Triple click 2. Go to Settings > general> Accessibility > Guided Access and turn on 3. Now Go to an App and Triple click the Home Button (the only physical button on the iPad) 4. Circle the area that you want to lock down and press start. Also for those kids that want to type while holding the iPad (much like texting) 1. Open keyboard 2. Press and hold the picture of the keyboard  (the keyboard button) on the bottom right of the keyboard. 3. A menu pops up allowing you to split the keyboard or undock it. 4. Press again to return to Normal. Finally Gestures and the White Circle This one is because it appeared on one of the iPads at Hu...

So you have decided to give our Language Arts Edmodo group a try?   Or perhaps you are just wanting to learn more about Edmodo?  Well you are in the right place! Many people explain Edmodo as a place on the web for teachers to get together to collaborate, discuss and share lessons, resources, ideas, problems, solutions, or something as great as having a successful day in the classroom!  To participate in our FNSBSD Edmodo group, follow the steps below:  1. Go to FNSBSD Edmodo:  http://fnsbsd.edmodo.com 2. If you already have an Edmodo account, log in with your FNSBSD email and password. If you do NOT have an account with Edmodo , click the "I'm a Teacher" button to sign up. 3. Enter your School Code. IF you do not know your school code, contact me at my Christina Hum FNSBSD email address.  4. On the left-hand side you will see a section for Groups. Click on the word join. Enter the code on the back of your f...

So what is the difference between all of these Social Networks:  Edmodo : Edmodo is more like a social network similar to Facebook. It allows for sharing of notes, links and documents in a feed like environment. It is not necessarily used for organizing content, but more for social sharing and discussing. Twitter : A way to share 140 Character thoughts, ideas, links, pictures etc. Moodle / PowerCourse : This is actually not a social network but a learning management system. A learning management system is a way to organize content for learning and teaching. It allows for interaction between students and teacher and students. Also in a learning management system students can interact with content such as videos, quizzes, interactive lessons etc. Google + : A social place to share info and links, much like Facebook. It also allows people meet and chat and videoconference. Pinterest : A social environment for following and sharing photos that you have pinned to your board....

There are lots of places to gain new Tech Skills, but probably one of the best things you can do is build a personal learning network (PLN). This is a select group of people or blogs that you go to or receive postings from to learn a little bit every day. This can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how much time you want to spend learning something new. But you can also go to specific sites to gain specific lessons as needed. Here are a list of sites from Free Technology for Teachers (one of my sites in my PLN) that you can go to for more skills: Think Tutorial Learn It In 5 Make Use Of offers dozens of free downloadable ebooks and cheat sheets Google tools tutorials . You'll find more than thirty tutorials on that page .  So would you like to join a group to learn a little bit everyday? Come join my Edomodo Tech Group. I post little tidbits every few days and I love to provide support for questions you have. Just post your question and I or some...

Probably one of the hardest things about technology is the vocabulary that goes along with it. HOWEVER, and this is a bit BUT, reading about technology is NOT the same as using technology! The best way to understand and learn these skills is to create an PLAN to learn 1 skill at a time. Here are several sites for learning more about technology vocabulary: Common Craft Basic Explanations of Tech Words A list of Common Words and Definitions In addition there are many sites out there that provide basic technology skills for people:   20 Tech Skills by Guide 2 Learning   Kathy Shrocks Tech Skills in the Classroom The Journal's Review of Basic Skills Finally, I would definitely take a moment and read this ebook (it is short) about 21st Century Skills teachers should have: The 21st Century Skills Teachers and Students Need to Have

This is probably the biggest area that teachers need to gain skills on, in my opinion. So lets start with what social networking is: Social networking on the web is typically a website that connects people for a specific reason using a variety of tools or 1 specific tool. For example, we are all aware of Facebook being a social network website. It connects people together to share in common interests using walls, messaging, instant messaging, likes etc. Here is an explanation of social network: Social Networking by Common Craft Okay here are the most common social networks used by Teachers: Facebook Twitter Edmodo (Fairbanks Edmodo Site)  Wikispaces Classroom2.0 Google+ LinkedIn NING EDUblog There are most likely tons more, but these are the most common ones being used today. NEA has a great article here about Social Networking for teachers.  Probably the biggest concern I hear from teachers is who has time to post here and there and monitor all of the acti...

Alright for the next few lessons, I want to refer back to some posts that I have made in the past and especially highlight specific skills for every teacher. Basic Skill: Copyright Basic Skill: Internet Safety Basic Skills: Basic Search and Site Validity   You may also want to check out the videos below:  

Spreadsheet and Database Tech Tips What vocabulary is there with spreadsheets?  Here are a list of vocabulary from Gilford School Distric t, but the most important terms you need to understand are Data, Cells, Columns, Rows, formulas, and functions.  Why Use Spreadsheets?  Spreadsheets are used because they are a great way to keep track of all kinds of data, including grades, quiz scores, observations of students, standards students are working on, vocabulary lists students are learning. In addition spreadsheets can be used to review and analyze data using graphs, filters and functions.  An Example of Spreadsheets being used :  Use a google spreadsheet that turns into a form to create a quiz for students on their vocabulary. When all of your students are done with the quiz, you can export their data in the spreadsheet to your grading program! Or you can view a graph of the data to help you see the most commonly missed vocabulary word. ...

So there are lots of tools out there to learn about Google Calendar, but the thing that you need to understand the most about Google Calendar is that it is part of the Google Apps suite of tools and will integrate with all of the other tools (google docs, gmail, google sites etc.). So here is a basic video for learning an introduction of Google Sites: But here But here is also the support files from Google: Google Calendar Support Finally, here is a great resource from Mr. Sill's Site: Google Calendar by Mr. Sill

These are from one of my favorite blogs: Learning to use Google: Google for Teachers Google for Teachers II Google Docs for Teachers Google Earth Across the Curriculum 77 Web Resources for Teachers to Try This Summer web 2.0 ideas for teachers and educators