Mr. B EdTech Blog

http://phys.org/news/2016-04-virtual-reality-classroom-simulator-teachers.html I am extremely curious about this, a virtual reality simulator for teachers in training. As a teacher in training, I had to do clinical work in a special education classroom, inner-city classroom, subject area classroom, and complete student teaching. I wonder how close to reality the simulator gets?

http://www.pcmag.com/article/343780/the-best-chrome-extensions-for-google-drive Check out this list of Chrome Extensions for Google Drive! I must point out that I agree with the editorial comments about Faxing being the most antiquated technology that we still use. In my profession, most medical institutions that we deal with still use faxing as the only we

https://safeandsecureonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Internet_usage_summary.pdf This study, conducted by "The Center for Cyber Safety and Education," shows some alarming statistics. Here is a sample of what was found in the study: 40% connected or chatted with a Stranger online. Of those 15% of Children (Grades 4-8) tried to meet face-to-face with a stranger they met online. 11% met face-to-face with a stranger. 87% were taught to use the internet safely One can conclude from the findings in this article that parents should keep up with what their children are doing online.

http://www.shakeuplearning.com/blog/google-communities-know/ Google Plus has not been adopted as well as Google hoped for when launching the platform. However, it can still be useful to those of use trying to keep up with Google's many changes, updates, and new features. Some of the groups mentioned in this article I already subscribe to. I ended up adding almost all the others mentioned in this article.

  See the Article here https://pernillesripp.com/2016/03/28/why-i-taught-my-students-to-email-and-maybe-you-should-too/ I happened across this article recently entitled, "Why I Taught My Students to Email (And Maybe You Should Too)" The observation that impacted me the most was the statement, "I don't know why it didn't hit me before...many of our students do not know how to email." This statement aligns to the widely held misconception that children are "automatically good with technology" and do not require much additional training. According to Techopedia.com "A digital native is an individual who was born after the widespread adoption of digitaltechnology. The term digital native doesn't refer to a particular generation. Instead, it is a catch-all category for children who have grown up using technology like the Internet, computers and mobile devices." True, there are some things that digital natives are good at. C...

Link to iTunes Description From Graphite.org Pros: The graphics are beautiful, the interface is easy to use, and the language is spot on. Cons: It does not collect data to show trends of emotional regulation. Bottom Line: This tool is a must-have for younger kids who struggle to regulate their own emotion. More Info: https://www.graphite.org/app/settle-your-glitter

Digital Earth Day Activities, Resources, Web Sites, & Apps from Shelly Sanchez Terrell See the whole article here: http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2016/04/08/23-earth-day-activities-resources-web-sites-apps/

http://teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/technology/50-ideas-resources-visual-learning/

As an Ed Tech specialist, I am constantly looking for information about coding. I feel that I am still at the beginner stage, however I have spent hours playing around and experimenting with different codes to create new things. The biggest advantage to coding in my occupation is to automate certain tasks via scripting. However, coding does not come naturally to me and I am constantly looking for help online. http://www.clarkhoward.com/free-learn-coding This article offers places to go to get free tutorials and information about some of the more popular coding languages, including: JavaScript (not Java) HTML CSS PHP Python SQL and more The great thing about learning to code in this day and age is the great wealth of information that is shared online. Online forums and YouTube tutorials are my constant go-to when I need help with coding. These resources are also great for students or anyone looking to learn some coding.

https://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/2016/03/17/200-ways-to-use-word-clouds-in-the-classroom/ This article gives a very in-depth view of how to use word clouds, broken down by subject.

This article takes a look at a topic addressed in this TED Ed video . How is Social Media effecting your brain? Check out the Article Here http://www.techlearning.com/blogentry/10544

Check out this article about using Augmented Reality in the Classroom http://msedtechie.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-to-use-augmented-reality-to.html#links

  What is Google Cardboard? https://www.google.com/get/cardboard/ For phones up to 7", Google Cardboard simulates a Virtual Reality environment. Apps that Use Cardboard https://play.google.com/store/apps/collection/promotion_3001527_cardboard_apps Interested in Purchasing? https://www.google.com/get/cardboard/get-cardboard/

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-29/minecraft-history-lessons-a-hit-with-rockhampton-students/7281884 Great example of using Minecraft in the History classroom. When I taught Global Cultures, there was a unit in which students had to build a castle, accurately based on the criteria learned in class. One year, I had a student who asked me if they could build their project on Minecraft. I was delighted at the idea and allowed them to build it. This is one of many times I had students suggest ideas for projects based on their proficiency and comfort level of the tech tools that could be used to complete the assignment.

https://www.iste.org/explore/ArticleDetail?articleid=31 There are many benefits to having students create samples of their work. See this article for some of the top tools used in making student e-portfolios. Some of them are free and some are paid. I have had students use Google Sites in my classroom.

Learn How to Build Your Own Open Source Hardware ESP8266 Smartwatch http://www.cnx-software.com/2016/03/28/open-source-hardware-esp8266-smartwatch/

http://beebom.com/2015/02/best-video-editing-software I came across this article a while back, but thought I would share it, in the hopes that you may find it helpful when selecting a video editing program. I like that this article breaks down the price, video formats used, as well as what the UI looks like. This article was published in 2015. When it comes to hardware, I always recommend Mac over PC as video editing usually runs smoother. Mac Pros and MacBook Pros have the powerful hardware necessary to handle high resolution video editing. However, as with the PC world, I would stay away from the cheaper hardware. Devices such as MacBook Airs or Mac Minis as they do not have ideal hardware for video editing. The same reasoning also applies to tablets.

My how time flies! With your support, Mr. B Ed Tech blog has now reached its 200th post! To mark this occasion, I decided to do a little research on the number 200. According to Wikipeida:  "200 (two hundred) is the natural number following 199 and preceding 201 ." Well that may seem like a no-brainer, check out some of these other facts about the number 200. In the field of Technology : 200 is an HTTP status code for successfully connecting to a webpage (such as this one). Again in Technology : One of Intel's first 200mhz processor, the Pentium Pro was introduced on November 1, 1995. To put this in perspective, my iPhone 6 (made in 2014) has 14 times more processing power and my MacBook Pro (2011) has 44 times the processing power. In Monopoly , 200 is the amount of dollars a player gets for passing GO. In Racing , 200 is the number of NASCAR races that legendary driver Richard Petty has won. In Health and Wellness , 200 or lower is the desirabl...

Aside from some much needed rest and relaxation, I did some reading over my school's spring break. While catching up on the numerous magazines, blogs, and mailers I subscribe to, there were several articles relating to "things all teachers should know in edtech." Here is one such example below. http://ictevangelist.com/eight-things-teachers-learn-about-edtech/ The list contained in this example article is, more or less, about tools that teachers should know about. This has inspired me to create an ultimate list of tools that most educators can use in their classroom. I am going to present this of list of tools that many EdTech specialists have cited as tools every teacher should know in a series of articles over a period of weeks. #1) Google's Apps for Education (GAFE) These apps include everything that Google has launched to help students and teachers such as: Docs Slides Sheets Forms Classroom Drawing Drive Hangouts Google+ YouTube Gm...