Staying Connected with TeacherCast

With the month of August in the rear view mirror, so too is Connected Educator Month.  Over the past several weeks, countless educators have expressed great appreciation and enthusiasm for the new teaching connections they have made as well as the new learning resources they have acquired.  With the new school year now upon us, the goal is to incorporate those innovative pedagogical ideas into our current teaching practice.  

To continue to grow as an educator however, it is important to stay connected.  Not only is it essential to nurture current teaching contacts but it is also important to continue to build your PLN (Personal Learning Network).  Doing so can be difficult for some educators however.  To aid in this process, a wide selection of resources in various formats in a central location is needed.  Consequently, a website educators must try that offers these services and much more is TeacherCast.  TeacherCast is the brainchild of Jeffrey Bradbury, a music teacher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Jeff's passion for connecting educators and sharing educational resources is clearly evident through his ongoing work with TeacherCast.  In fact, the underlying principle of TeacherCast is to build 'a place for teachers to help other teachers'.  With a reach of over 400,000 followers and growing, the collaborative nature of TeacherCast is truly motivating and engaging. 

Jeff's enthusiastic support for his teaching colleagues does not end with just the TeacherCast website, however.  Jeff has recently added TeacherCast University, an educational consulting service for teachers who are looking to expand their teaching practice with a more hands-on approach.  Jeff is a frequent workshop presenter at Edcamps, TeachMeets and other educational conferences with the workshop topics ranging from technology integration to learning about Web 2.0 tools.  Virtual workshops are also available for those looking for a more cost-efficient way of benefiting from Jeff's expertise.  The goal for each workshop is to provide engaging and relevant material whereby each attending colleague leaves with something new to add to their teaching methodology.  TeacherCast University provides additional professional development opportunities as well such as conference keynote presentations and technology integration consults.  For those teachers who are unable to attend a TeacherCast University workshop, Jeff also shares his expertise through highly engaging webinars.  Below is the first TeacherCast webinar on Sandvox, an easy to use website creation tool for Mac.



TeacherCast offers a wealth of information on various educational topics.  Below is a brief summary of some of the excellent features TeacherCast provides: 

1.  TeacherCast Mobile App - Simply put, the TeacherCast iPhone/iPad app is "education at your fingertips"!  This free, time-saving app easily allows educators to stay informed about the most current pedagogical practices, technologies, educational trends and much more.  In fact, students can benefit from the TeacherCast Mobile App too by accessing a myriad of popular web tools and applications such as KidBlog.  It is evident that this app is designed to be "the one app educators can use everyday."  Click here to download the TeacherCast mobile app.   

2.  App Reviews - These very popular teacher-tested app reviews are a definite educational treasure for teachers!  TeacherCast's dedicated app reviewers, current classroom teachers themselves, recommend the best educational apps and suggest possible classroom activities for each.  Click here to sample one of dozens of app reviews TeacherCast offers.

3.  LiveBinder Gallery - A wide array of educational resources are shared by educators from around the world in this nicely organized LiveBinder Gallery.  Click here to view the more than 15,000 LiveBinder resources!

4.  TeacherCast TV - A library of educational videos are available ranging from tutorials on the latest technologies to keynote presentations.  To sample one of the many screencast tutorials, refer to the video below.




5.  Career Center - Looking for a job?  The TeacherCast Career Center offers a central meeting place for both employers and employees to connect.  To further assist prospective teachers, a search engine is available to help narrow down your choices.

6.  TeacherCast Pinboard - A collection of educational links organized by topic that every educator will find very helpful.  Links range from information about upcoming professional development opportunities to blogging tips.

Without a doubt, TeacherCast makes the task of staying connected very easy!  

This is the first in a 3 part series about the benefits of staying connected with TeacherCast.  Next week's post will focus on the TeacherCast Podcasting Network - a network of very informative and highly engaging presentations featuring respected educators who share their knowledge and expertise on the most pertinent topics affecting education today.

The Most Popular Posts for the Month of August

Ariel view of Kamloops

Greetings from sunny Kamloops, BC Canada!  

We have enjoyed a fabulous summer so far with the average temperature being 30 C (86 F).  As August winds down, I am enjoying the last little bit of summer as well as preparing for back to school which starts on September 4th.  I will be starting off with a bang as I am planning a joint project with my collaborative teaching partner from Layton, Utah, Jared Fawson.  We are both very excited about it and we are planning to use all sorts of web tools from Skype to Animoto to anything else we can think of.  I am absolutely positive the students are going to love it!

My school - South Kamloops Secondary

I will also be starting my Master's degree in Educational Technology & Design from the University of Saskatchewan as well as trying to keep up with writing posts.  Busy, busy.  Is there any teacher out there that isn't?  LOL.  I hope that all my colleagues from Canada and around the world enjoy a strong start-up to the school year!  :)  Below are the most popular posts from "The De-tech-tive 4 Teachers" blog.

The Most Popular Posts for the Month of August

1. Remind101: The Perfect Forget-Me-Not

2.  Create Your Own Myth with Story Creator2

3.  Create Striking Videos with Animoto

4.  19Pencils: The Ideal Classroom

5.   InstaGrok: The Perfect Search Engine for Students 

Gathering Feedback with Socrative Classroom Activities

"This is sic! This is so cool!  I can so do this!"

These are just some of the comments my students expressed when our class used Socrative for the first time. As educators know, engaging students in their coursework can be challenging at times -- not with Socrative however!

Socrative is a student response system that leverages the use of smartphones, laptops and tablets by having students respond to questions in various quiz and game formats. Almost instantaneously, student responses are populated and can be viewed by the entire class. No matter what format you use, Socrative is a fun and easy way for students to receive immediate feedback and for teachers to collect marks.

For a quick video tutorial on how to get started with Socrative, please see below.

One key feature of Socrative that I would like to highlight is "Exit Tickets". "Exit Tickets" allow teachers to check in on student understanding of the day's material before they leave class. To do so, teachers can use Socrative's pre-designed "Exit Ticket" activities or design their own in real time or before class. Once student responses are submitted, they are collated as an emailed report or an online google spreadsheet.

Sample Classroom Activities:

Socrative also has a sharing option. By selecting the sharing option in the "Edit Quiz" section located in the Main Menu, a SOC number is assigned that allows the pre-made quiz to be imported by others. It is no secret that educators always appreciate the sharing of good resources! Below I have included the SOC numbers of the English quizzes I have created. Please feel free to share with others.

SOC-256509 - Poetic Devices
SOC-256496 - Types of Poems
SOC-90777 - Short Story Terms #1
SOC-93415 - Short Story Terms #2
SOC-93503 - Short Story Terms #3


I highly recommend Socrative for classroom use as it is a very effective and engaging educational tool for students! Check it out here!


Lynda Hall originally wrote this guest post for Free Technology for Teachers July 2, 2012.

Photo Credit: Frantz, Sue. Socrative. 2012. Technology for Educators, Renton, Washington. Technology for Educators. Web. 16 June 2012.

19Pencils: The Ideal Classroom

The time consuming task of searching the web for engaging educational content can be frustrating especially for busy teachers.  To help ease the time-crunch, educators will want to try 19Pencils, an educational website for K-8 classes that offers a high quality search engine rich with educational content only.  This educational resource library for teachers has been collaboratively developed by educators from around the world who have shared their teacher-tested materials.  Resources such as lessons, activities, interactive websites, quizzes, etc can be saved and managed using the 19Pencils website which allows teachers to create a collection of resources specific to their students needs.  

The 19Pencils service does not end with searching for resources however!  The true value of 19Pencils is found in the creation a class page where the newly found resources can be directly shared with your students in an easy to use thumbnail format!  




Additional Features of 19Pencils:

Once you have registered for a 19Pencils account, you can also enjoy the use of the following:

1.  Thousands of educational topics are available.  Searches can be quickly narrowed down with the use of the site's search filter.  Each day more and more resources are added by great educators worldwide.

2.  Adding your own content is easily done in one click of the mouse.  The best part is your resource is immediately shared with the rest of the 19Pencils teaching community.

3.  Within your Class Page, student progress and assignment completion can be monitored from the teacher account.  Also, you can create or add custom (single question or multiple choice) quizzes for your students.

4.  If you already have a class website - no problem!  A 19Pencils widget can be embedded into your existing website directing students to 19Pencils activities.  

19Pencils is still in beta meaning that feedback is welcomed as the website's intent is to assist teachers in the best way possible.  If you are a K-8 teacher and you are looking for a time-saving, educationally sound search engine for teacher-tested resources, I highly recommend trying 19Pencils!  Click here to get started!  

This post originally appeared on The De-tech-tive 4 Teachers.

Print Anything, From Anywhere, At Anytime with Google Cloud Print

 Google Cloud Print is a print service that allows any device (computer, tablet or smartphone) in the network cloud to print anything from anywhere in the world.  For instance, if you are at home and need a worksheet(s) printed off for your students the next day, print from the Google Cloud Print service rather than your traditional printing method because the next morning, you will find the printed worksheet(s) at school waiting for pickup at the chosen printer.  That type of convenient service is even better than getting it hot off the press! 


Additional Features:

1.  No need to install hardware as all connections are via the web.

2.  Security is of utmost importance to Google.  All print jobs use the secure HTTPS web connection.  Once the print job is completed, the printed files are deleted from Google's servers.  In addition, you can personally delete print jobs and their history by accessing the Google Print Management page.

3.  In a single click, you can share printer access with friends, family, co-workers, etc. through the Google Print Management page.


How to Get Started with Google Cloud Print:

Before you connect, you will need the following items: 
1.  A Google Account - if necessary, click here to register.

2.  Chrome Web Browser

3.  Printer(s) - NOTE: The setup process will vary depending on what type of printer it is.

4.  An internet-ready computer


Depending on the type of printer you are trying to print from, click on the link below to connect to the Google Cloud Print Service.

Connecting Your Cloud Ready Printer
Connecting Your Classic Printer


I use the Google Cloud Print Service extensively.  You just can't beat the convenience!  I constantly have colleagues asking how I am able to 'take' printed materials from the photocopier without having to wait.  I am sure you will have a similar experience.  Give it a try!  Click here to get started.


This post originally appeared on The De-tech-tive 4 Teachers.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/irrezolut/3583546673/">irrezolut</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photo pin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

Create Your Own Myth with Story Creator2

Story Creator2, designed by E2BN.org (East of England Broadband Network from the United Kingdom), is an educational web tool that allows students to create their own digital story based on a myth or legend theme.  The animated features Story Creator2 offers are a mix of text, background images, characters, speech, voice-over, sound effects and more.  Click on the links below to view sample stories:

The Legend of Robin Hood
A Mermaid and a Magic Comb

As you can see, the final copy of the story can be uploaded for others to view.  It has been my experience that students, even the weakest writers, enjoy using Story Creator2 because it captures their imagination and creativity by including a visual aspect to the narration.


How to Get Started:

Below is a tutorial you could show your students that outlines the basic features of Story Creator2.  



For more detailed Story Creator2 tutorials, visit the E2BN Tools Page.

**Please note that Story Creator2 functions best when users are registered and logged in to the site.  To do so, teachers must register.  Click here for details.**


Sample Classroom Activities:

1.  Have students re-create an historical myth or legend.  e.g. Zeus, Beowulf, Rama, Quetzalcoatl, Attila the Hun, etc.

2.  Have students write their own myth based on the characteristics of a myth.

3.  Story Creator2 offers a Teacher Resource Page that provides background information about myths and legends, downloadable lesson plans, storyboard templates and an interactive map of selected myths.


Story Creator2 is a fun and engaging web tool that encourages students to creatively write.  I hope you give it a try!  Click here to get started.



This post originally appeared on The De-tech-tive 4 Teachers.

Remind101: The Perfect Forget-Me-Not

As educators know, a great deal of communication with parents and students is needed to ensure academic success.  

With that being the case, which method of communication is best to guarantee a high degree of contact?  The answer is easy, of course ... texting! 

In fact, a recent study found that 77% of teens aged 12-17 have a cell phone and with each passing day that number continues to rise (Lenhart, 2012).  The March 2012 report published by PEW Research Center also found that text messaging is the primary means of communication for most teens with 63% saying that they text on a daily basis - an average of 60 text messages per teen.  The report further explains:

"This far surpasses the frequency with which they pick other forms of daily communication, including phone calling by cell phone (39% do that with others every day), face-to-face socializing outside of school (35%), social network site messaging (29%), instant messaging (22%), talking on landlines (19%) and emailing (6%)."

Needless to say, texting has a very high rate of use!  So, how can educators take advantage?  Not surprisingly, there are many products available but hands down, my favorite application is Remind101!  Why?  It is free, easy to use and confidential!

Easily, the best feature of Remind101 is all phone numbers are private.  The only information anyone will see is the user's name.  In addition, the sign-up process is extremely easy as students and parents simply send a text message with the assigned custom code to the phone number provided.  Remind101 will also send messages via email.    

Additional Features of Remind101:
  
1.  iPhone & iPad apps are currently available.  A companion Android app is set to be released in September.
2.  Send a message to an entire class or classes with only one entry.  
3.  Messages can be programmed to be sent at a later time.
4.  A record of previously sent messages is kept for later referral.

NEW for Canadian users! 

As of July 2012, Canadian educators can enjoy the benefits of Remind101 without the fear of additional cell phone charges!  Click on the following link for information on how to switch your current U.S. phone number to a Canadian one.  
Canadian Numbers Have Arrived!



How to Get Started:

Refer to the Remind101 video tutorial below as it will get you started in a matter of minutes.




Possible Uses for Remind101:

Clearly, the sky is the limit with Remind101.  Below are just a few ideas:

1.  Remind students of any classroom or school activity - homework, bell schedule changes, classroom changes, dress-up days, dances, assemblies, intramurals, etc.

2.  Keep parents updated regarding class & school activities.  e.g. - date and time of Student/Parent/Teacher Interviews or school orientation days, etc.

3.  Extracurricular activities - send reminders about practice or rehearsal times to your students.

4.  Send messages about fun facts, study tips or after school tutorials.


I am extremely confident that you and your students will fall in love with Remind101.  If you have any other possible uses for Remind101, please leave a comment and share your great idea with other educators!  To get started now, click here!

This post originally appeared on "The De-tech-tive 4 Teachers".

Bibliography

Lenhart, Amanda. "Teens, Smartphones & Texting." Http://pewinternet.org. PEW Internet & American Life     

     Project, 19 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Aug. 2012. 

     <http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Teens-and-smartphones/Summary-of-findings.aspx>.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachel_s/3601448310/">nutmeg66</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photo pin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/">cc</a>

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/imuttoo/2628589070/">Ian Muttoo</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photo pin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>