Mr. B EdTech Blog

If you have been following me on Twitter, you probably saw at least one of the many tweets I sent out about the ICE (Illinois Computing Educators) conference. So far, this has been a great experience, I have learned a lot about shaping my PD and tech coaching roles as well as some unplanned content such as PearDeck and eSports. Most popular tweet: Follow me for Day 2 today: @mr_b_ed_tech  -  https://twitter.com/Mr_B_Ed_Tech

Those of us in education know that our learning did not stop when we graduated college. We must be life-long learners to keep up in this profession. In that spirit I am off to the ICE (Illinois Computing Educators) conference in Schamburg, IL today and tomorrow. I will be tweeting from the sessions I attend as and I will post a "Day in Review" blog post on Wednesday and Thursday. For Information about the ICE 2018 conference http://s1.goeshow.com/ice/annual/2018/index.cfm ICE on Twitter https://twitter.com/ice_il

Leaderally, the new on-demand, online professional development platform for PK-12 educators, has announced its market launch with a free three-month trial starting on February 12th. Leaderally courses qualify for CEUs or PDPs. For More Information https://www.techlearning.com/ed-tech-ticker/online-professional-development-platform-launches-free-trial https://www.leaderally.com/

Take a look at some of the great resources included in the link below to help engage Teenagers in the classroom. http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2018/01/22/edtechandteens/

Ranging from bullying to STEM to autism, the topics tackled in these documentary movies can open kids' eyes and encourage discussion. And when they're shown as part of a lesson, you can better help students understand and analyze what they've seen. https://www.techlearning.com/ed-tech-ticker/9-great-documentaries-middle-school-classroom

Link turns 32 today as the original Legend of Zelda  was released in Japan on February 21st 1986. Since that time millions of people around the world have either played or been influence by the game and/or by those that followed. Learning Through Video Games http://effectivecurriculumideas.weebly.com/teaching--learning-through-video-games---nintendo.html The Educational Value of the Legend of Zelda https://www.zeldadungeon.net/the-educational-value-of-the-legend-of-zelda/

As it's Safer Internet Day, perhaps it's apposite to ask this question: can the social media companies be trusted? During the time I responded to the English government’s Green paper on internet safety,  which puts all its faith in a voluntary code and voluntary contributions to a central fund, I read the following articles: https://www.ictineducation.org/home-page/safer-internet-day-can-social-media-companies-be-trusted

Check out the debate linked below. http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-there-be-half-days-for-school-on-fridays

But the true power in technology is not just the readiness. The skills. The playing around with tools to create something impossible. https://pernillesripp.com/2018/02/09/the-true-power-of-technology/

https://www.pinterest.com/craftingchicks/valentines-day-class-party-ideas/

Take a look at the resource linked below for several Valentine's Day ideas for the classroom. People around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day! It’s a holiday that inspires our learners to let friends, family members, and loved ones know how much they care about them by sending cute cards and sweets. However, you can also inspire students to learn grammar, math, geography, science, and more with the 14 Valentine’s Day inspired activities... http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2018/02/03/vday2018/

For More info: https://www.techlearning.com/ed-tech-ticker/how-to-assign-group-work-in-google-classroom 1

So one of my favorite questions to discuss with teachers lately has been the question, "We have 1:1 (one-to-one), now what? I feel that the majority of educators believe that technology is not the "end-all" solution for education, however, technology is an incredibly powerful tool for teachers and students. Educators have pooled together many educational resources and tools for helping student learning. Now, it is time for the next step. This step involves looking at the learning process and seeing how technology can promote 21st century learning skills. Research has been done to see how students and teachers are utilizing their devices in the classroom and it has been suggested that technology is most often used for lower level thinking skills, the so-called "skill and drill" practices. While this does seem to be the case in my experience, this is only the first step of technology integration. Now that we have the technology it is time to us to refin...

When people ask me if there is something they can try when encountering an error in Google Chrome or on a Chromebook, I usually direct people to these three simple steps. 1) Refresh & Power This will force your chromebook to reboot or "wake-up." This can be useful if your chromebook locks up or won't turn on. 2) Clear Browsing Data This will clear any corrupted data that websites save on your device and force a fresh cache of web data. https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2392709?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en 3) Remove your Account from the Chromebook This works for when things just aren't working like they used to. Common issues this can fix include, extremely slow chromebook, log-in errors, and more... Just sign back in from scratch after you remove your account from Chrome or the Chromebook. https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/1059260?hl=en

Check out this resource for ensuring online safety of children. This website also offers a "Good Digital Parenting" guide, by age of your child. A great guide for parents in the digital age. https://www.fosi.org/

Google offers a full set of resources for educators, parents, and students about being smart and safe online. From Google To make the most of the Internet, kids need to be prepared to make smart decisions. Be Internet Awesome teaches kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence. https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/

Author speaks at FETC (Future of Education Technology) conference in Orlando about how technology should be impacting classrooms. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2018/01/fetc-2018-sir-ken-robinson-urges-educators-drop-standardized-approach