May 26, 2016

]T}S & That[

Summer 2016

Volume 4: Issue 21

What’s Happening at ISTE? As the ISTE webpage states, it is the premier education technology conference with 500 companies, 16,000 educators and 1,000 sessions. With that said it is the place to be June 26-29th. ISTE is held in Denver, Colorado at the Colorado Convention Center. See our interactive link to find out more about the location and introductory information.

The opening keynote speaker is Michio Kaku: a physicist with experience in the science of dreams. Tuesday’s keynote speaker is Ruha Benjamin: an assistant professor that poses the guiding questions of, “How can we harness science and technology for greater equality?” The closing keynote speaker is Michelle Cordy.

Michelle is a 3rd grade teacher from Ontario who fully encompasses technology into her 1:1 classroom. Michelle also harnessed the power of remote education with technology by allowing a student to participate in class who was receiving treatment for cancer.

What’s Happening at WVSTC?

Why visit ISTE? Click on the image above to view an introductory video, or click on the link below! http://tiny.cc/3uhhby

WVSTC is a great way to gather resources to share with your teachers out in the field. Here are a few reasons to visit this year!

The opening keynote speaker will be Kelly Reddin from LEGO. The keynote is also said to be “hands-on and minds-on”! Kelly Reddin is currently a Global Master Trainer for LEGO Education.

The closing keynote speaker will be Brent Frey from Apple Inc. Mr. Frey is currently the Director of Education Development and Professional Learning at Apple Education.

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Mark Moore will be introducing attendees on how to use Minecraft in the classroom. This includes viewing lesson plans for basic counting, all the way up to uses in secondary education!

Upcoming Dates:

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June 26– 29 ISTE

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July 19-21 WVSTC

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Sept. 26-27 WVHETC

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Oct. 28 McDaniel College

Contributors:

Marty Smith will be showing features of Office 365 including the new Microsoft Classroom Dashboard, and spending some time introducing Minecraft for Education!

Josi Boukemis-Monongalia County

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Use LEGOs in an elementary science setting!

Nathan Calvert-Raleigh County

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Enhance teaching and learning in STEM.

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Experience an introduction to Swift 2 coding for iOS devices and also be introduced to Xcode 7. Xcode 7 allows for anyone to install their own apps for free!

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Free tools and electronic resources!!

jboukhemis@k12.wv.us

ncalvert@k12.wv.us Gloria Winland-Wirt County gwinland@k12.wv.us

A Theme Park Game for the Classroom??

By: Nathan Calvert

Planet Coaster is a video game being created by Frontier Developments which is set to be released near the end of 2016. Frontier Developments is no stranger to theme park simulation, as they have developed a few other theme park related titles such as Kinect: Disneyland Adventures, Screamride, and Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 (RCT 3).

If you have ever played a game such as RCT 3 you know that you have a lot of freedom to create whatever you wish in the game. However, there are also many responsibilities that come along with it, including guest satisfaction, financial stability, and the upkeep of the park. When you look at a game in this manner, you can see how it may be able to become a type of job simulation for students. Your students could work on designing a park from the ground up, and assess changes that will need to be made to maintain the park’s success after opening.

Planet Coaster is set to become a great spiritual successor to RCT 3 with seemingly endless possibilities in the creations that can be made. An early bird alpha version is available to anyone wishing to play and voice feedback prior to the retail release for $75. All of the options are not currently available as it is being actively developed, but the Planet Coaster alpha is just a taste of what is to come in the future and is already packed with customization features! planetcoaster.com

Music Applications to Boost Creativity!

Even more quick music links!

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Isle of Tune

isleoftune.com/

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Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

tiny.cc/ypgtto

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By: Nathan Calvert Having problems finding resources to share with the music teachers in your district?

Here is a small collection of apps and sites that can be used in music classrooms from Pre-K through 12th grade!

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Flat.io - Create music scores online. One great feature is that students can collaborate in the same document! (Free, Paid) flat.io

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Noteflight - Another score creator, with a vast community! A lot of the music is shared so that you can download and rearrange for the players in your group. This is a great resource for finding recorder music that the students will love to play! (Free, Paid) noteflight.com

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Soundtrap - An incredible new iOS app and site that allows students to collaborate by recording their performances, or by using the loops included. A must for all teachers to at least check out and try! (Free, Paid) soundtrap.com

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Chrome Music Experiments - This website allows for interactive music experiences to be enjoyed by all ages. It also works on tablets!! (Free) musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Experiments

Classical Connect

(Plays random classical recordings!)

classicalconnect.com Photo Credits: (All images are used with permission) Planet Coaster, park entrance, coaster in the sky: planetcoaster.com Park images: Reddit user Rhuloe

What is

!?

So much more than an iPad interactive.

By: Gloria Winland Osmo bridges the real and digital realms. This groundbreaking system will encourage creative thinking and social interaction by expanding gameplay beyond the screen for ages 5 and up. This interactive allows exploration of science, math, art, language, handwriting, and so much more with real world objects on any surface by utilizing an iPad. The GENIUS set ($99) comes with reflector, base and five apps: Words, Numbers, Masterpiece, Tangram, and Newton Games. It works with latest iPads: iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4 iPad Mini, iPad Mini Retina, and iPad Air. Words, Tangrams and Numbers can be downloaded for free from the iTunes App store, but they do require the physical pieces. I recommend purchasing the complete Genius kit rather than the $79 starter kit that does not include the Numbers physical pieces that would be a $29 add on.

Osmo is the most exciting educational tool I’ve encountered and students love it.

It says 5 years and older but I have used it with 3 year olds to trace letters and shapes and utilize the tangrams. There are engaging sounds and colors to help with engagement of all ages. Check out the link for Osmo and your ideas will explode on ways to use. Ask your student, “How do you feel about Math?” or any subject. We all know that when students get ideas to solve a problem, Math (or any subject) they become more creative and excited to solve. The gaming experience that students encounter can also yield more collaboration in your class.

Osmo Resources:

There are already many YouTube videos on how to apply these apps. To find them, Osmo Website: search for Osmo on YouTube. Join other educators in an expanding PLC and set up your Osmo account as Educator. There is also a referral program and school enrollment if you https://www.playosmo.com/en are curious. If your school uses Amazon as a vendor, you can have the Osmo delivered in a matter of days. Once you have received the Osmo, download the free apps. Set up is as Osmo Unboxing: easy as unbox, attach red piece with mirror to top of iPad, set iPad in the base and follow screen prompt. https://goo.gl/ioXH1Z So go create, play, and learn….. If you create anything on Masterpiece feel free to share it with me at gwinland@k12.wv.us.

Osmo Demos: http://tiny.cc/5alcby

Photo Credits: OSMO and all related imagery is a trademark of Tangible Play, Inc. The Apple iPad is a trademark of Apple, Inc.

By: Nathan Calvert Bots can be very friendly machines. Take BB-8 for example, always loyal to his owner. In our world, we have virtual assistant bots like Google Now or Siri to answer questions, or to schedule reminders. Their knowledge is seemingly endless!

However, many bots can be very mischievous. There is a reason you may see a prompt asking you to enter text to determine whether you are a bot or human. Many sites do not like to serve droids and they don’t for a very good reason!

Bots are able to take the information from your profile such as your e-mail address and use it to begin sending Spam mail. Ever “accidentally” click on a banner saying you have won a free trip to Walt Disney World? Yes, it is the dark side working against you and the bots are doing their job. What can you do to battle the droids? Use the force? Unfortunately, for many that is not an option. An option you do have though is simple. In many browsers you are able to install extensions such as an ad-blocker extension. By installing extensions such as uBlock or Ad-block Plus you can eliminate many of those pesky bots that lead you to bantha fodder.

Have a Slice of Raspberry Pi! By: Nathan Calvert The $35 Raspberry Pi 3 is an excellent and inexpensive way for students to get started in playing with technology.

The Raspberry Pi can be used as a basic computer, or can be used in other ways. While using the Raspbian Linux operating system (like Windows or OSX) you have many tools available including the programming application Scratch. You also have a version of Minecraft that includes a programming interface to aid in teaching code to your students!

However, there are many other uses for the Raspberry Pi that are not as well known, that may prove useful in a classroom setting.

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Minecraft Server - Have a Pi set up as the server to host a group of classroom users.

ImagicalMine (https://imagicalmine.net/)

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Motion Sensing Camera - Detect any motion, record it, and automatically send it to the cloud with a Pi and a camera. You can use either the Pi Camera or even an old PS Eye camera! This could be useful in a science classroom to observe changes!motionEyeOS (http://tiny.cc/motioneyeos)

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Host your own website on a Pi!! - Want to have a website, but do not want to pay for a host? Use a Pi! Install WordPress (One of the best content management systems), use a service such as no-ip to get a forwarding address, and you’re set! (tiny.cc/pipress)

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Battle ads!! Turn your Raspberry Pi into an ad blocking machine!!! Full network ad-blocking, no extensions needed! (pi-hole.net/) Photo Credits: (All images are used with permission or were purchased for usage) Death Star icon: (free for non-commercial use) artua.com X-wing ship and BB-8 Droid: OneStopDigital (https://www.etsy.com/shop/OneStopDigital) Raspberry Pi 3 Model B: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Raspberry_Pi_3_Model_B.png

By Herbfargus (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Raspberry Pi Logo: Raspberry Pi is a trademark of the Raspberry Pi Foundation

How to Continue Instruction Over the Summer?

By: Josi Boukhemis As a special educator I know the importance on retention skills for students, and we fear regression of those hard earned skills during the summer. As I fill out Extended School Year pages, I think of those skills that may be lost over the summer months. Fear not! I have compiled resources to share with our students to keep their skills sharp over the summer months and to help put our minds at ease! I have also included a flyer that you may print out to send home with them at the end of the year. Find the printable flyer at the following link. (http://tiny.cc/j4nhby) ZING – This online learning tool includes a format much like a learning management system. For the summer option students may go in and select genres of the book they would like to read. This program allows for books to be read aloud and on students reading level. Teachers will set up an account and can use this program for whole group instruction and for students over the summer. From here the text will be read aloud, can be shown on the smartboard, and provides sight words, vocabulary words, and options to take notes and highlight the text. Zing also provides a pre-made letter to send home to parents instructing them on how to utilize zing at home. To monitor student progress and receive student reports there is a fee of $10.00 per year. (http://www.schoolwide.com/zing) Tired of reading aloud? Check out Storyline online for read aloud options of books (geared toward elementary) read by famous actors and actress as this website brought to you by SAG-Screen Actors Guild Foundation. Encourage parents to read aloud to their child every day during the summer, or at least have a celebrity do it! Check out this book read by Kevin Costner – Catching the Moon. (http://www.storylineonline.net/)

Camp Wonderopolis By: Josi Boukhemis

Need a FREE online camp for your students that includes online literacy and STEM activities?

Not only is Wonderopolis great for summer activities for students, it is a wonderful addition to the classroom instruction. Wonderoplis incorporates activities from all subject areas in a fun and creative way. Wonderopolis always provides a wonder of the day which is great to utilize as morning work as it gets the students brain thinking creatively. It gets even better! Students may click on the wonder of the day, which takes them to a new webpage with a built in speech enabled text reader! In my classroom I use Wonderopolis as morning work and I am able to use it as a separate station because of the text reader.

Summer Teacher Motivation :

Wonderopolis also provides:

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Content vocabulary

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Vocabulary/word games

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Test - related to the wonder

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Students can submit their own “wonders”.

To motivate teachers this summer – While you are doing spring/summer cleaning or just lounging by the pool and enjoying your summer vacation listen to a couple of these TED talks to keep you motivated and remind you just how awesome teachers are!

Every Kid needs a champion!

3 rules to spark learning Teach Teachers how to create magic

Do yourself, your students, and your own children a favor and introduce them to Wonderopolis!(http://wonderopolis.org/) Photo Credit: Campfire image created by openclipart.com user kalapahejo and is used under free license. (http://tiny.cc/0wciby)

About the Authors

Josi Boukhemis Josi Boukhemis is a special education teacher at Brookhaven elementary in Monongalia County. Josi graduated from Marshall University with a bachelors degree in Elementary Ed and Special-Education K through Adult and then went on to receive her master’s in multi categorical special-education K through adult from Marshall University. Josi currently teaches in a resource room setting along with two co-taught 5th grade classes. Josi's hobbies include reading, cooking, and running with her two dogs.

Email- jboukhemis@k12.wv.us

Nathan Calvert Nathan Calvert is a 2002 graduate of Glenville State College in Glenville, WV with a bachelor’s degree in music. He has taught in Fayette, McDowell, and Raleigh counties. Nathan is currently pursuing a master’s degree from West Virginia University in Instructional Design and Technology.

Nathan’s experience past experience includes working for Walt Disney World in Entertainment from 2003 until 2012. He has also performed in the past with the New River Jazz band and the West Virginia Jazz Orchestra. His hobbies include playing and tinkering with technology and also enjoys playing video games. When he isn’t indoors with his gadgets, he is outside running, or travelling. E-mail: ncalvert@k12.wv.us Twitter: @ghostyroasty/@adventureofadad Websites: http://www.adventuresofadad.com, http://www.ghostyroasty.com

Gloria Winland Gloria Winland is a music educator at Wirt County Primary Center and also Wirt County Middle School in Elizabeth.

Being a veteran musician and music educator, she has participated in as a performer, adjudicator, director of many musical organizations and activities in school systems, community and churches. Growing up and graduating in Germany afforded her many world-wide experiences that enhanced her educational growth at Glenville State College, Marshall University, WVU and Concord. She resides in Williamstown with her husband Mike a veteran Band Director and current Wood County Director of Secondary Education. They have experienced music activities, educational pursuits and travel together for 44 years and thusly all facets of music and family (two children and two grandchildren) are her hobbies. This TIS cohort has engaged her into bringing Technology to her teaching style and is hoping to help her fellow Wirt County teachers in 1:1 become more resourceful and energized. E-mail: gwinland@k12.wv.us Twitter: @WinlandGloria