Volume 3, Issue 12
WV TIS COHORT 2014 –2015
TIS AND THAT
February 13, 2015 Inside this issue: Top 5 Favorite Apps
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Save The Dates
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Get Ready for Digital Learning Day 2015
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Eight K-12 Tech-Ed Tools to Look Out for in 2015
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Huntington Middle School in Cabell County has implemented the Connecting Families (http://tinyurl.com/ mgfbro7) program from Common Sense Media as part of their Parental Outreach programs. You can read about these efforts on the Graphite Blog here (http:// tinyurl.com/m3kr5eb).
Finding Quality, Reviewed Digital Tools for Your Classroom By Randall Black
Common Sense Media (http:// www.commonsensemedia.o rg) has been working to provide parents and families with the information they need to make decisions on the appropriate media for their consumption. They have been providing reviews for movie, books, television shows, games, apps, and music since 2003. Their education wing has recently released their new site that does something very similar for teachers. That site is Graphite (http:// www.graphite.org). Graphite provides comprehensive reviews of apps, websites, and other digital learning tools for teachers in the areas of engagement, pedagogy, and support. Each review provides pros, cons, and a bottom line to quickly see if a teacher is interested in
the product. They then go in depth with reviews that explain, “What’s It Like?,” “Is It Good For Learning?,” and “How Can Teachers Use It?” They also provide subject area, skills, and who or what population they would be great for each product reviewed. The reviews even go as far as to provide you with an estimated setup time for the product in the classroom. Graphite also provides teachers with a “Common Core Explorer” that allows them to find specific products that align with specific Common Core standards. They can choose a subject area (currently Math and English-Language Arts), and then choose a standard and see the plethora of apps that are available for meeting that standard in the instruction of their students. Graphite allows users to signup for the site and become active members of a PLC. Members can write field notes (mini-reviews)
for products, use them in lesson flows, and create their own boards of products that fit specific needs the user outlines. By meeting certain criteria with their field notes, app flows, and boards, teachers can earn a certification as a Graphite Certified Educator. For more information about Graphite, visit http://www.graphite.org. For information on how to become a Graphite Certified Educator, visit http:// www.graphite.org/certified.
Start building your own PLC on Graphite by following each of us on: Randall Black Rhonda Elliott Ryan Adkins