I NNOVATIVE E DUCATOR C ONSULTING ’ S
TEC HNOLOGY BY TES
“Inspired Technology Leadership to Transform Teaching and Learning”
J ANUARY 2015
INNOVATIVE EDUCATOR CONSULTING’S
TEC HNOLOGY BY TES Naomi Harm, CEO ◆ PO Box 188, Brownsville, MN 55919 ◆ (608) 386-2018 ◆ naomi@naomiharm.org ◆ http://naomiharm.org
Greetings & HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2015 is here and we are excited for all the wonderful new opportunities this year has to offer our team and the region. We hope you had plenty of time to rest, rejuvenate, and enjoy time with family and friends over the holiday season. During the holiday break we as a team often sit and reflect on all the great opportunities we have experienced over the past year and look into the future to dream BIG! These dreams involve setting goals and reviewing old goals to make necessary improvements or alterations to get back on track to meet our desired outcomes.
PO Box 188 Brownsville, MN 55919 Phone: (608) 386-2018 Email: naomi@naomiharm.org http://naomiharm.org #naomiharm
S TAY C O N N E C T E D ! https://play.google.com/store/ apps/details? id=com.appbuilder.u217926p14
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Each of these goals is crucial to everything we do all year long so we feel they are great goals to review and realign to continue our focus for 2015. With our focus on communication we continue to offer resources and keep you up to date with education, technology and other support resources through our social media streams of Facebook and Google+ as well as our monthly enewsletter. We will continue to foster the relationships and community partnerships as we travel throughout the region to support the great work going on in our districts and classrooms. Community is everything and we are ever so thankful you are apart of ours! Finally, in regards to design thinking and creativity~ we always work to offer highly creative ways to engage learners no matter what age. We focus on building and scaffolding learners to achieve their highest potential. “Learning should be FUN” is a concept that we also want to stress this year as we focus on keeping the learning meaningful, engaging, challenging, but offering fun ways to experience the content to support our students creative sides! In a nutshell, we have big shoes to fill, but we look forward to continually focusing our efforts to support the great things you are doing in education each and every day! We wish you all amazing things to come all year long! Cheers to a Happy and Healthy 2015! The IEC Team
IEC’s Inspiring Professional Development Workshop Opportunities ........................................................................................................... 2 Googly About Google..............................................................................................3 Where is Innovative Educator Consulting .................................................. 3 Technology Tips: Winter Proof That Device ...............................................3 Free Online PD Opportunities........................................................................... 4 A Year in Review: The Future Is Here .......................................................... 4
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Resource Roundup ............................................................................................... 4 Hour of Code: Here’s the Impact .....................................................................4 An Eye on the Globe .............................................................................................. 5 Tapping Into the Common: Common Sense Media ............................... 5 The DIgital Buzz Radio Show ............................................................................ 6 Show Me The Money: Grants & Contests ................................................. 6 From Deb Desk ....................................................................................................... 6
I NSPIRING P ROFESSIONAL D EVELOPMENT W ORKSHOP O PPORTUNITIES REGISTER ONLINE AT: h.p://naomiharm.org/register Enrollment is limited to 30 educators so register early to save your spot!
Visit our website to download individual workshop flyers with more details including cost, graduate credit, and contact information.
http://naomiharm.org/upcomingworkshops
SUMMER TECH S PLASHES Summer Tech Splashes are just around the corner! Contact Naomi or Tim if your school is interested in being a host site for one of these exciting professional development events!
January 22
February 12
Redesign Your Classroom Learning Spaces and Make Room for Makerspaces Host Site: Baraboo School District This session will walk you through design elements to transform your classroom environment into a dynamic collaborative learning hub and you will also experience activities to create a makerspace where computing meets tinkering and design.
Personalized Learning with 1:1 Chromebooks and Google Apps for the MS/HS Classroom (Level 2 - Intermediate) Host Site: Medford School District Participants attending this workshop will gain insightful professional development tips, tricks and student classroom management strategies to support MS and HS Chromebook implementations.
February 3 Redesign Your Classroom Learning Spaces and Make Room for Makerspaces Host Site: Pulaski School District (in partnership with CESA #7) This session will walk you through design elements to transform your classroom environment into a dynamic collaborative learning hub and you will also experience activities to create a makerspace where computing meets tinkering and design.
February 14 Learning Should Be Fun - Make It Real and Make It Relevant! Host Site: Mauston School District Come and explore the endless possibilities of how low tech to high tech can deliver a more personalized, relevant, passion-driven learning experience for you and your K-12 students.
February 11 Getting Started with Google Apps (Level 1 - Beginner) Host Site: Medford School District Attendees will learn how to navigate and actively utilize the Google Apps environment through Google Drive and will dig deeper into dynamic collaboration techniques, tips and tricks of Google Apps to use with their students to enhance productivity.
Keep watching our website for more workshop offerings as they become available! http://naomiharm.org/upcomingworkshops
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G OOGLY A BOUT
T ECHNOLOGY T IPS : W INTER P ROOF
The Gooru’s Top 10 of 2014 Add Google Drive Images to Email Signatures Google Apps Recap of December Google Apps Release Calendar
THAT
D EVICE
Winter is in full effect, and freezing temps can be just as dangerous—if not more so—to gadgets as the summer heat since there are hidden dangers you can't see. Check out these six winter-weather tips that will help ensure your gadgets see the light of spring this year. Keep them out of the trunk: Keep your laptops, cell phones, and tablets out of the trunk for extended periods during cold days to prevent damage to screens and to keep your hard drive from freezing. If you must trunk it, keep it bundled up: If you absolutely must leave your gear in your car in freezing temps, wrap it up in layers—like a jacket or sweater—to keep it warm. You can also find laptop warmers (which are specifically made for laptops) to keep them from getting icy if you live in cold conditions.
W HERE IS ... I NNOVATIVE E DUCATOR C ONSULTING ? We have a wonderful line up of more Winter and Spring sessions and some are occurring on Saturdays to meet your PD learning timeframes. Checkout all the upcoming events here.
WWEC
February 20
On February 20th the IEC team is partnering with WWEC in LaCrosse, WI once again with a dynamic lineup of hands-on tech integration sessions at the LaCrosse Center. More info coming from WWEC on this big event, so check back soon.
E D C AMP M ADISON
February 28
Come and take Professional Development in your own hands. Learn and discuss top education trends and topics with other educators from around the state. Hurry Registration is going fast! And it’s FREE!
WEMTA
March 22-24
March brings a whirlwind of PD opportunities to collaborate with the IEC team members, as we will be presenting at WEMTA 2015 with four innovative learning sessions, and a multitude of PD events throughout the Midwest.
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Turn them off: Letting your laptop or tablet remain in sleep mode may keep it warmer (since it is still working), but it also increases your chances of damage if you're on the move. Be sure to power down all the way to keep your data safe. Warm up before booting up: If your machine is on the cold side, let it warm up to room temps slowly before turning it on. This will keep condensation and dew at bay, which can ruin your computer's sensitive guts. Carry a charger: Cold weather sucks the life out of your batteries, so be sure to carry extra chargers in your car for emergencies. Watch out for sensitive screens: Cold weather makes a smartphone screen extra sensitive, so be sure to keep it close to your body if you're out in the snow, or consider a warm accessory— like a smartphone wallet, sock, or sleeve—to keep it cozy.
Winter Proof Your Device
FREE O NLINE PD O PPORTUNITIES
A Y EAR I N R EVIEW : T HE F UTURE IS H ERE
R ESOURCE R OUNDUP
10 Most Popular Teaching Tools 2014 Best Education Related Videos 2014 A Year in Ideas (TED Talks) 2014 Trends in Cloud Application Adoption
Winter Learning Resources That Won't Feel Like Work Seven Alternatives to Google Images Top 10 EdTeckHub Posts
What’s Hot, What’s Not for 2015 EdWeb Webinars Calendar Edweek Offerings Project Guts Online PD Course for MS and HS Teachers Teachers Engage Community Monthly Webinars
What is Yet to Come: Predictions for EdTech in 2015
10 Zen Friendly Websites to Calm and Promote a Productive Workplace Engage Students in Lessons after the Holidays 10 Essential Brain Breaks for Surviving Winter Tech Integration for Busy Teachers
H OUR OF C ODE : H ERE ’ S THE IMPACT According to Code.org’s Facebook page students tried the Hour of Code twice a second for every second of 2014. We hope you were able to be included in such a wonderful event. Throughout the entire week students all around the world were challenged by various computer science challenges, through both technology apps and programs and non tech lessons. The biggest question that was left with participants after completing the Hour of Code: How are you going to continue your learning of computer sciences and programming throughout the next year? Check out Code Studio It shouldn’t stop with this one global celebration! Keep up the GREAT Coding!
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AN EYE ON THE GLOBE We have highlighted Jen Wagner’s Projects by Jen site many times over the past few years, both in trainings as well as in this enewsletter. We would like to share with you an update that the website has received a makeover and has an all new look to kick off 2015. Be sure to stop by and see the new look as well as check out some of the great projects coming up yet this spring!
Be sure to mark your calendars for the up and coming Digital Learning Day that will be celebrated this year on March 13, 2015. As always with global projects and the opportunity to expose your students to new and innovative learning opportunities~ if the date does not work well for you and your students, celebrate it that week or another day, but don’t just let it fall by the wayside. Here are a few resource links to get you started: Getting Started Planning Guide Activities and Ideas Learn More about DLDay
Also, if you haven’t seen the brand new Global Read Aloud Project site that debuted in December be sure to check it out! Click Here You can also sign up to be sure not to miss this wonderful project that will be back in full force and better than ever in October of 2015, but there is plenty to stay in tune with in the meantime!
TAPPING INTO THE COMMON: COMMON SENSE MEDIA
If you have not seen or explored Common Sense Media, please don’t miss this wonderful online collection of resources that are devoted to support kids, families, and schools through ratings and other educational support resources. Here are just a FEW resources to take a look at, but don’t take our word for it! Be sure to check it out and explore what interests you! Digital Bytes (Digital Citizenship program for Teens) Parent Concerns 1-to-1 Essentials Program App Flows The Teacher Center Graphite (A Platform to help Educators find the best Apps, Games, and Websites for the Classroom) You can also get a special certification from Common Sense Media or become a Common Sense Media School/District. Check out some additional information below: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ educators/certification https://www.graphite.org/certified
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T HE D IGITAL B UZZ R ADIO S HOW To kick off the year 2015, join the Digital Buzz podcast by Naomi Harm. This month on the Digital Buzz Naomi discusses wearable technology and the learning impact for students and teachers in K-12 education. Wearable technologies and their uses for education mentioned in this broadcast: Smart Watches, VRG (Virtual Reality Gaming), Google Glass, GoPro Cameras, and digital wristbands.
Will Kids Adopt Smart watches Before Their Parents? BBC News - Wick's wearable technology contest 'a Scottish first’
Beyond Gaming, the VR boom is Everywhere VR Will Change Education A Teachers Guide To Google Glass New Google Glass Coming in 2015 with an Intel Chip
Click here to listen to this radio show broadcast and tap into the resources shared within this months broadcast.
Google Glass in Class GoPro in the Classroom
Intel Teachers Engage Community discussion thread on wearable technology
Using the GoPro Camera as a Teaching Tool
Could Wearable Tech Play A Role In Connected Education?
Best Wrist Band Activity Trackers
The Teacher's Guide To Wearable Tech In The Classroom | Edudemic
GoPro Camera Projects
Wristbands Help Automate Online Gym Class
S HOW M E T HE M ONEY : G RANTS & C ONTESTS Community Action Grants to Promote Equality for Women and Girls Deadline: January 15, 2015 DuPont Challenge 6-12 Grade Science Writing Competition Deadline: January 31, 2015 Google Code 2014 Challenge Deadline: January 31, 2015 $2,500 AASL Collaborative School Library Media Award Deadline: February 1, 2015 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Deadline: February 13, 2015 Active Learning Classroom from SteelCase Education Grant Deadline: February 27, 2015
Sharp Minds Sweepstakes Deadline: February 28, 2015 The Journal Grant Listing Apps for Class Mobile Challenge Grant Wrangler National Science Foundation
MICA, My Intelligent Communications Accessory (Intel Smart Band)
F ROM D EB ’ S D ESK Deb Norton is providing us with a blogpost this month instead of her usual Chat’s with Deb. This month Deb is highlighting Ladibug, a new chrome app, which can create innovative time lapse videos and more! Click here to review Deb’s blog post.
D EB ’ S B LOG : Sharing Technology
National Arts and Humainity Youth Grants NEA Foundation Grants STEM Clean Tech Competition 2015
We hope January and the New Year provide for you a wealth of opportunities of inspiration, happiness and gratitude! #TogetherWeAreBetter from the Innovative Educator Consulting Team!
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