Mr. B EdTech Blog

Click the link below for more details. This was a post from one of my favorite EdTech blogs. http://www.alicekeeler.com/teachertech/2015/08/24/6-updates-to-google-classroom-for-fall-2015/

http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/new-google-docs-features/ These features were released around the start of the school year. However, if you haven't noticed them by now, go ahead and check them out. Voice Typing (In Docs) Further evidence that in the future, kids will no longer need to learn to type. Templates Finally some pre-designed templates like good ole' Word used to do.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/02/u-s-millennials-post-abysmal-scores-in-tech-skills-test-lag-behind-foreign-peers/ This article offers evidence of something I have long since suspected of students when I was teaching. School-aged kids are not automatically "good" with technology. In this report presented by the Washington Post, tech literacy test scores are shown. It appears this report was designed to compare how US kids rank against foreign kids, something our standardized test scores are often subjected to. I believe it also challenges a preconceived notion many educators have that, kids already know this "tech stuff" so there is no need to teach it. Teachers should blend in some instruction on how to use the tech tools properly (not just operationally, but appropriately as well).

With my 100th blog post, this blog hit 2000+ views Thank you for 2000 views! This is one way that all of our lives intertwine.

In April 2014, I started this blog as a requirement of one of my Master's Classes. The first post I made was part of a social studies lesson designed to prompt student discussion through a blog. The first post I was still teaching social studies back then, but shortly after I was reassigned to our technology department to assist with teachers integrating technology. Ironically, the blog went silent. I revisited the blog again that fall, as part of another Master's course, posting my responses to professional journal articles and responding to my classmates' posts. The MOOC Revolution that Wasn't Post The following spring, I had a thought. I was always sending out emails to staff and techies about new tools or lesson ideas or tips for technology integration, I decided to start posting interesting things I found to this blog to reduce the staggering amount of emails I was sending out. I never would have thought that 7 months later I would be r...

Before going to hire an IT professional or your go-to tech genius, here are some places to check for tech support. You might be surprised that many tech issues can be solved, simply by searching the internet with your questions. There are also many helpful tutorial videos on YouTube and other video sites. Consumer Reports  Consumer reports put out a guide of where to go for your tech support. There is some good advice in this guide, but none for specific problems. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/05/computer-tech-support/index.htm Ask the "Tech Guy" https://techguy.org/ This is a totally free website, supported by ads and donations, where you can post a question and get it answered by colleagues or tech professionals. Geek Squad's Do-It-Yourself http://www.geeksquad.com/do-it-yourself/ Not a bad general help guide with some good instructions on how to do some tech support yourself. Where do the "Tech people" go when they n...

Old habits are hard to break. As a teacher of social studies, I often looked for videos that would spark interest in the students and start conversations in relation to the course content. This video can prompt a discussion in almost any classroom setting our course discipline, here are my ideas for lessons below: Science : Astronomy/Physics terms are mentioned...what is an AU? Orbit? Radio Waves? Social Studies:  What are impacts of scientific research discussion, various forms of communication throughout history. Exploration, why are we looking at distant frontiers? Math : Example problem, If it takes 7 minutes for a radio signal to go from Earth to Mars (225 Million Km), how long would it take to send a signal from Neptune to Earth? Conversion  equations, convert AUs to Kms when 1 astronomical unit = 149,598,000 kilometers. English : Our Future in Space , lesson plan; How has science fiction of the past viewed the future? Business : Career Lesson plan...