Mr. B EdTech Blog

Looking to brush up on what's happening in EdTech over the weekend? Check out these articles from publication Tech&Learning . From a student living in poverty using Udacity to earn a job as a app writer for the Indian government to the UN global innovation forum to support women and girls in technology. It seems the impact technology is having on our kids is far-reaching and never-ending. See these articles here http://www.techlearning.com/blogentry/12319

Google announced earlier this year that the Google Drive app for Windows devices will be depreciated and eventually will stop working sometime next spring. However, there are two apps taking its place. Google Back Up and Sync This app is already available and is my preferred method of syncing Google Drive with my PC. New features include: Syncing all or some Google Drive content to your PC Now you can sync files not stored in the Google Drive Folder such as: Documents Pictures Downloads Desktop... Remember the days when your local I.T. department said "Never save anything to your desktop"? Well with Backup and Sync, you can save files to your desktop and it will automatically be backed up in your Google Drive. Since G-Suite for Education offers unlimited storage, you can backup your home PC as well. Installing Backup and Sync for Google Drive on Windows 10 From Richard Byrne To view more content from Richard Byrne, check out his YouTube Channel:...

This video gives a preview of 5 tech tools that will help teachers in the classroom. I am constantly using Google Forms and Google Classroom. To See more from Teacher's Tech click the link below for the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO66zvpQorlNfs_7hFCfmaw

This article offers some great tips and resources for new teachers in regards to education technology. If you’re a new teacher and thinking about using ed tech in your classroom, this is what you need to know or do. https://www.ictineducation.org/home-page/11-things-new-teachers-need-to-know-about-education-technology

This app, Fog Stone Isle , offers great, fun, and strange games for helping students learn fractions. Grades: 3-6 Subject: Math https://www.commonsense.org/education/website/fog-stone-isle

Teachers can use this game to (teach) cell anatomy and physiology, assigning it as homework or as lesson review ... Use Cell Command to reinforce lessons or to bring learning to life... Grades: 6-12 Subject: Science/Biology Price: $9.99, $89.70/classroom See more information here: https://www.commonsense.org/education/game/cell-command

Each year as a teacher, I distributed and collected a student interest survey. This allowed me to get to know my students better and adapt lesson content to their strengths and passions. However, analyzing and compiling this data was a lengthy process. Thanks to Google Forms, this task is much more efficient. Take a look at this article below that covers great tips and tricks for a student data form. http://www.aschoenbart.com/2017/07/the-student-data-form-most-important.html

This concept can be very confusing to those who use Chrome and Google's vast apps suite. Take a look at this article, which does a great job at explaining the difference between Apps, Add-ons, and Extensions for Chrome and Chromebooks. http://www.controlaltachieve.com/2016/06/extensions-webapps-addons.html?m=1

Those who know me may be shocked that I would post an article about the limitations of Education Technology.  However, this article shows an interesting response to an article printed in The New York Times titled, "The Secret to a Good Robot Teacher." I believe that this article addresses a reason why educational technology alone is not the end all solution for all of the problems in education. It takes a teacher that builds a relationship with the student to help the learning process and create a lifelong learner. See the blog post http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/walt_gardners_reality_check/2017/08/educational_technology_has_limitations.html

This article has a plethora of great math video resources. Some of these I have used or have prominently seen other educators use in their classrooms. Khan Academy TeacherTube Math Number Rock   Khan Academy is the standard for math tutorials online. These videos are great for learning and review of math concepts.  TeacherTube Math is also a great resource, although it lacks some of the presentation of Khan Academy. That said, the information is explained very well and I have seen some students use this channel frequently. Number Rock  engages students like no other math videos out there. Although there are some that would disagree, math is not always what students look forward too. These videos add an entertainment factor that students can enjoy. Check out more from the List http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2017/08/20-good-youtube-math-channels-for.html

I will be presenting at the 24th annual Illinois Education & Technology Conference (IETC) this November (2017). The topic will be "Creating Interactive Content with Google." In this presentation, I will demonstrate and give resources for creating an entire interactive lesson using only Google Slides. Hope to see you there! To Register http://www.il-edtech.org/attendees/register/ For More information http://www.il-edtech.org/ ABOUT IETC The 24th Annual Illinois Education & Technology Conference is a three-day professional development conference focused on technology integration strategies, engaging instructional practices, digital tools and resources, and emerging trends for teachers, administrators, and technology staff. Learn, explore and connect with other innovative educators to harness the power of technology and prepare future-ready students.

There's no doubt that edtech is changing the future of education. But how will technology change the way we assess student learning? As you can discern from the picture above, using technology for assessment is not a new concept. Mobile technology is changing the way children learn. For those inside the education world, some of this may not be much of a shock. However, some predictions that education experts and leaders have been touting about education technology with assessment may be coming sooner than you think. This article includes some predictions about the impact education technology will have on how teachers assess student learning.  The number one prediction is that Paper-and-pencil tests will become outdated . This is already happening in the education world. While looking for evidence, you may need to look no farther than state assessments. In Illinois, most schools take the state PARCC assessment through a computer. If districts want to take paper and pencil...

In this article (linked below) there are great resources for integrating digital citizenship into lessons across all grade levels and subjects. Digital citizenship is something that needs to be modeled and taught by all, it is NOT just a computer class lesson. http://www.techlearning.com/resources/0003/digital-citizenship-lessons-for-everyone/70684

This article was shared with me about a study of the best and worst states to be a teacher in the U.S. http://www.pantagraph.com/jobs/the-best-and-worst-states-to-be-a-teacher/article_de6426f8-fc4c-590d-82f8-5d73b9e98f1d.html

16 years ago, I remember where I was on this date. I was in my high school Geometry class when my teacher informed us on what was happening. The September 11th attacks still impacts us here in the United States every day with its effects. It seems strange to me that within a few years of teaching I had to change my lessons on September 11th from having students write what they remember, to having students interview people who remember. Now, most high school aged students were not even born yet when these attacks occurred, except those in our Senior class (12th Grade), and a few in our Junior class (11th Grade). From Wikipedia.org In the United States, Patriot Day, observed as the National Day of Service and Remembrance, occurs on September 11 of each year in memory of the people killed in the 2001 September 11 attacks .

Making the move to Google Drive can be challenging at first. The most common feedback I get from users switching from Windows, Mac, or other online file services such as Dropbox/One Drive, is that it is difficult to find files. Take a look at this article for some great tips on Organizing and finding files in Google Drive. http://www.techlearning.com/blogentry/12265

Research indicates that one of the most effective ways students learn is by teaching others. Check out the resources in the article below for getting students to create their own instructional videos. http://www.techlearning.com/blogentry/12255

Adobe Spark Page to publish Google Doc creations and provide a way to publish student work Check out the guide and tool here:  http://www.techlearning.com/blogentry/12276

Lets face it, kids don't write letters anymore. In my experience, most adults don't either. The last letter I wrote was a few years ago, when I mailed a USB flash drive to a friend (before the days of Google Drive's unlimited file storage for education). I only included the letter as a joke. The letter was written like a Civil War era love letter. Something along the lines of  " My dearest friend, though the miles that separate us are great, I feel closest to you now as I write this letter... " (It sounds better when read with a southern Civil War General style accent.) So when kids practice writing by creating formal letters, its easy to see how this does not make much of a personal connection with a lot of students. What is the purpose of writing something that only the teacher (or a very limited audience) will actually see? Whether we want them to or not, many of our students have an active presence on social media. This creates an opportunity to create ...

What it Means Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. See more at https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history

Learning is not something that only happens between the hours of a school day. Creating 24/7 learners is often identified as a standard of learning that students must master. Although there are strong pushes in parts of the world to eliminate homework, studying and practice work at home is a different story. With that in mind, take a look at some of the resources below to help students with reading at home. Looking for resources to share with families? There are lots of great apps and websites for reading at home during out of school hours. You may have heard of the phrase digital divide which first referred to the idea some people have plenty of access to technology and a wireless network where others did not. Now you’re more likely to hear the term digital use divide to describe the different ways people use technology... See more at http://classtechtips.com/2017/08/15/7-fantastic-apps-websites-reading-home/