The Hampton-Dumont CSD has purchased 100+ iPads for student use and most of them have finally been rolled out for students to use. The rollout took place over the week of October 22 and still is taking place as this is a gentle learning process for all involved.
Currently there is 1 tray of 10 iPads at North Side for special education students to explore, a cart of 25 iPads at South Side for all students to use and 2 trays of 10 iPads each for the special education students to explore, 3 trays of 10 iPads each at the Middle School for the special education students to explore, and 1 tray of 10 iPads at the High School for the special education students to explore.
Like mentioned before this is a gentle process for all involved as this is a new technology endeavor for the technology department as well as the teaching staff. All have been accommodating as they are eager to get them into the students hands as another tool to support and enhance their learning.
I will keep you updated on our adventures with keeping the iPads up to date, the teachers adapting to them, the students exploring them and more.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Laptop Applications to Explore
You and/or your students have access to a multitude of applications directly on the laptops that could be used anytime without an Internet connect. If your students do not have the applications below located within the Applications Folder on the Macintosh HD, please let me know.
A few to explore are:
GeoGebra (Math, Science, Engineering teachers) and Stellarium (Science Teachers)
*GeoGebra provides interactive free mathematics learning materials along with interactive graphics, algebra and spreadsheet information.
Online Free Student Material (more like interactives) (Area of Circles example)
*Stellarium shows a realistic sky in 3D as if you were in your backyard looking up into the sky with your naked eye, with binoculars or a telescope.
By clicking on the coordinates at the bottom left of your screen, you can be provided a menu with more options to suffice your needs.
Some of these options (which can be turned on or off with keyboard shortcuts) are:
Constellation Lines, Constellation Labels, Constellation Art
Equatorial Grids
Ground, Cardinal Points, Atmosphere
Nebulas, Planet Labels
Night Mode, Full Screen Mode
and
Location Window Preferences
Date/time Window Preferences
Sky and viewing options window preferences
Search Window
Configuration Window
A few to explore are:
GeoGebra (Math, Science, Engineering teachers) and Stellarium (Science Teachers)
*GeoGebra provides interactive free mathematics learning materials along with interactive graphics, algebra and spreadsheet information.
Online Free Student Material (more like interactives) (Area of Circles example)
*Stellarium shows a realistic sky in 3D as if you were in your backyard looking up into the sky with your naked eye, with binoculars or a telescope.
By clicking on the coordinates at the bottom left of your screen, you can be provided a menu with more options to suffice your needs.
Some of these options (which can be turned on or off with keyboard shortcuts) are:
Constellation Lines, Constellation Labels, Constellation Art
Equatorial Grids
Ground, Cardinal Points, Atmosphere
Nebulas, Planet Labels
Night Mode, Full Screen Mode
and
Location Window Preferences
Date/time Window Preferences
Sky and viewing options window preferences
Search Window
Configuration Window
Friday, September 14, 2012
Self-Guided Web 2.0 Tools Challenge
The HDCSD staff has been challenged:
I challenge you to to register for this Free 2 week Self-Guided Web 2.0 Challenge. I did it over the summer and learned some things.
"This self-guided course using Web 2.0 tools, such as blogs, wikis, Twitter, and social networking/bookmarking sites, will help you begin to build your personal learning network and prepare you for participating in a connected learning community as a whole. We hope you feel the excitement building as you take the first steps toward preparing for what’s ahead this year in your Community."
And if you feel like it is something you already know or it is too much, you can skip the activity, delete the email and wait for another activity the next day.
Let's see you takes on the challenge and learns something new.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Online Learning/Online Text Books
Below are some free online learning materials and online text books that could easily take the place of physical text books in the classroom. The material is provided as to read through it online and/or read through and interact with video, questions, and other material online. All of these web sites provide the opportunity for students and staff to save money with future textbook purchases.
CK-12 - Free easy to use tools for you, your teachers and your schools so that you get your learning done. (Matches to Core Curriculum Standards)
Opening Learning Initiative - Transforming higher education through the science of learning.
Sophia - What do you want to learn?
Help your students become better searchers
Take a look at this link for helping your students to become better searchers.
http://www.google.com/
It has Lesson Plans & Activities, has Live Trainings, "A Google A Day" Challenges and a Power Search Course.
The Lesson Plans & Activities range from Beginner, Intermediate, Advance and includes topics such as:
Picking the right search terms
Understanding search results
Narrowing a search to get the best results
Searching for evidence for research tasks
Evaluating Credibility Resources
"A Google A Day" challenges might be a good beginning of the class activity while taking attendance or end of the class when some time is left.
The Power Search Course is an online course that runs from September 24-October 10 that you can signup for Free and personally learn how to Search better which will help you when instructing your students.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Iowa Core - 21st Century Skills: Technology Literacy Integration
Technology Literacy Essential Concepts and Skills
Grades 9-12: Demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
Grades 6-8: Demonstrate creative thinking in the design and development of innovative technology products and problem solving.
Grades 3-5: Use technology resources to create original products, identify patterns and problems, make predictions, and propose solutions.
Grades K-2: Use technology to create projects, identify patterns, and make predictions.
Grades 6-8: Demonstrate creative thinking in the design and development of innovative technology products and problem solving.
Grades 3-5: Use technology resources to create original products, identify patterns and problems, make predictions, and propose solutions.
Grades K-2: Use technology to create projects, identify patterns, and make predictions.
Grades 9-12: Use digital media and environments to communicate and work
collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning
and contribute to the learning of others.
Grades 6-8: Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using interactive technology.
Grades 3-5: Use interactive technologies in a collaborative group to produce digital presentations or products in a curricular area.
Grades K-2: Use a variety of technology tools and media-rich resources to work collaboratively with others.
Grades 6-8: Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using interactive technology.
Grades 3-5: Use interactive technologies in a collaborative group to produce digital presentations or products in a curricular area.
Grades K-2: Use a variety of technology tools and media-rich resources to work collaboratively with others.
Grades 9-12: Utilize predetermined digital resources and tools to answer
questions or solve problems.Grades 6-8: Utilize digital tools and
resources to investigate real‐world issues, answer questions, or solve
problems.
Grades 3-5: Plan strategies utilizing digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
Grades K-2: Apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information
Grades 3-5: Plan strategies utilizing digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
Grades K-2: Apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information
Grades 9-12: Demonstrate critical thinking skills using appropriate
tools and resources to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve
problems and make informed decisions.
Grades 6-8: Use critical thinking skills to conduct research, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate technological tools and resources.
Grades 3-5: Use technological resources to develop and refine questions for investigation.
Grades K-2: Use technological resources to investigate given questions or problems.
Grades 6-8: Use critical thinking skills to conduct research, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate technological tools and resources.
Grades 3-5: Use technological resources to develop and refine questions for investigation.
Grades K-2: Use technological resources to investigate given questions or problems.
Grades 9-12: Understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
Grades 6-8: Understand the legal and ethical issues of technology as related to individuals, cultures, and societies.
Grades 3-5: Understand and practice appropriate, legal, and safe uses of technology for lifelong learning.
Grades K-2: Understand and practice appropriate and safe uses of technology.
Grades 6-8: Understand the legal and ethical issues of technology as related to individuals, cultures, and societies.
Grades 3-5: Understand and practice appropriate, legal, and safe uses of technology for lifelong learning.
Grades K-2: Understand and practice appropriate and safe uses of technology.
Grades 9-12: Demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
Grades 6-8: Demonstrate creative thinking in the design and development of innovative technology products and problem solving.
Grades 3-5: Use technology resources to create original products, identify patterns and problems, make predictions, and propose solutions.
Grades K-2: Use technology to create projects, identify patterns, and make predictions
Grades 6-8: Demonstrate creative thinking in the design and development of innovative technology products and problem solving.
Grades 3-5: Use technology resources to create original products, identify patterns and problems, make predictions, and propose solutions.
Grades K-2: Use technology to create projects, identify patterns, and make predictions
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Bloom's Digital Taxonomy
Teacher's were asked to read the article: Use any Web 2.0 Tool an any level of Bloom's Taxonomy.
They then explored a Bloom's DIGITAL Taxonomy Pyramid with a variety of clickable Web 2.0 Tools. Below are some notes that teachers jotted down using the Wallwisher web site. Take a look.
They then explored a Bloom's DIGITAL Taxonomy Pyramid with a variety of clickable Web 2.0 Tools. Below are some notes that teachers jotted down using the Wallwisher web site. Take a look.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Below are a couple web sites related to Open Education Resources where you can download materials for FREE and use for FREE on your own or with/by students related to:
Textbooks
Training Materials
Activities & Labs
Full Course
to name a few.
All subject areas, grade levels, and media formats are covered along with relationships to the Common Core, Pre-College Courses, Open Textbooks, Classroom Management, and Career and Technical Education.
This would provide those online opportunities for students that need MORE at any level of learning.
Listed are a couple examples.
http://www.ck12.org/flexbook/book/6204
http://www.jamesbrennan.org/algebra/
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/index.html
http://constitutioncenter.org/lincoln/
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/10/30/a-tale-of-two-wars/
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/1948.htm
Thanks for taking a look, Brandon.
http://www.oercommons.org/
http://oerconsortium.org/
Textbooks
Training Materials
Activities & Labs
Full Course
to name a few.
All subject areas, grade levels, and media formats are covered along with relationships to the Common Core, Pre-College Courses, Open Textbooks, Classroom Management, and Career and Technical Education.
This would provide those online opportunities for students that need MORE at any level of learning.
Listed are a couple examples.
http://www.ck12.org/flexbook/book/6204
http://www.jamesbrennan.org/algebra/
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/index.html
http://constitutioncenter.org/lincoln/
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/10/30/a-tale-of-two-wars/
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/1948.htm
Thanks for taking a look, Brandon.
http://www.oercommons.org/
http://oerconsortium.org/
Friday, March 30, 2012
BCLUW 1:1 Visit
I visited BCLUW in Conrad on Thursday, March 29 to see how year 3 of having a 1:1 laptop program was going and how it compared to our year 2 of having a 1:1 laptop program. It was awesome to see how the teachers are incorporating technology into their curriculum with their students learning and it was awesome to see that we are progressing at the right pace and on the right track to integrate technology into the student's curriculum and to make the teachers feel technology as just a tool and nothing more. It was good to hear that phrased at the meeting that:
Technology is just a tool
Technology is an enhancement not a crutch
Good teachers are still going to be good teachers, with or without, technology
Of course we could always be doing more, doing it differently but so could everything else, to be done more to be done differently.
We are getting there (with technology)
Technology is just a tool
Technology is an enhancement not a crutch
Good teachers are still going to be good teachers, with or without, technology
Of course we could always be doing more, doing it differently but so could everything else, to be done more to be done differently.
We are getting there (with technology)
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