Newsletter April 30 2014 V2 I16

TIS @nd That

Volume 2 Issue 16 April 25, 2014

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION Nooks VS. Tablets

Editors

Upcoming Events ISTE Atlanta, GA June 28-July 1

Mark Your Calendar Now

Early Registration Ends May 1, 2014 On-line housing reservation closes May 24, 2014

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) MEMBERSHIP Becoming a member of this non -profit organization is a powerful way for educators to connect with peers, share knowledge and ideas, and help lead the transformation of education.

Membership tiers available.

Teaching and Learning Conference

Lisa Freeman Marion County

WEBINARS—Both recorded and live

Teresa Maynard Wyoming County

SAVE THE DATE: March 13-15, 2015

eschoolnews

Kathy Stout Kanawha County

INFORMATION

Edtechteacher Edweb. net

National Council for Teachers of Mathematics

This Issue Nooks P. 1

ISTE Spring into Action Apps P. 2

Scholastic

Boston, MA April 15-18, 2015

PBS

INFORMATION

TCEA

Apple or PC? P. 3 Changes in TechSteps P. 4 Interactive Field Trips P. 5 Upcoming Events P. 6

National Science Teacher Association Conference

TCEA 2015 Conference

Chicago March 12-15, 2015 Austin, TX February 2-6, 2015

INFORMATION C

Are you in the market for iPad or tablets for your classroom, school, or county?

Which is the better choice? Have you considered a Nook? Leigh Ann Hood the librarian and TIS at East Park Elementary School in Marion County has considered them all and has chosen the Nook.

Why Nooks over ipads, tablets or Kindle fires? The Kindle Fire was $229 and you could only buy 2 at a time for the whole county each year. She also thought that dealing with customer service through Amazon would be a nightmare. However, Barnes and Nobles would work with her county. They offered to manage her account and set up the Nooks for her school, including security so that the students cannot buy books.

It was only $125 for a graphic, cloud ready Nook, and at that price she could get a Nook for everyone in her largest class, 20 in all. One drawback to the Nook is that they do not have cameras so you cannot create videos. She does foresee that down the line the newer Nooks will have that capability.

Her main reason for choosing the Nook is she wanted an e-reader with tablet capabilities. It supports Google Play so that you can download apps. She downloaded Kingsoft Office, which has documents, spreadsheets, and presentation software compatible with Microsoft.

The students do their book reports and projects using that software and then email it to her and she grades it. Another download was inkpad, a memo pad.

After learning to take notes on paper they take their notes on the inkpad.

They can email it to themselves to work

on at home or to have for future reference. She also uses Schoology with her Nooks for instruction. Over the summer she plans to add more software to her Nooks.

She has Overdrive on her Nooks so students may check out books from the public library with their county library card. Additionally she has 6 e-books on them that can be read during class.

The students use the Nooks to complete the Reading Workshop Independent Reading Checklists and Reading Records on the Nooks a program that the school utilizes to increase their reading scores.

They keep the Nooks with them during Reading Workshop so they can scan the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog), keep records, and read e-books throughout that time period.

Barnes and Noble will set up each tablet with an email address and a Nook account. Each school would need to put in their server password. They manage the books for you, you tell them what books you want and the next day they are there on all of them. When problems arise you can call your local B & N or you can take it to B & N and they will reinstall or make changes as needed. So if you are thinking about tablets, iPads, or Kindles you might want to explore the Nook as well before you make a purchase.

Spring Into Action Apps Spring has sprung and here are a few apps to use that will get students up and moving. These apps provide students with opportunities to get physical. Imagination and creativity are required!

Digido Interactive Inc. developed MotionMaze. A puzzle game powered by movement. Your objective is to help Captain Mapp get through the treasure map mazes as quickly as possible by walking or jogging in place. Only available for iOS. Get up and get moving kiddos!

Kids Yoga Journey is a winner of the U.S. Surgeon General’s Healthy Apps Challenge for Kids Fitness. Developed by Gramercy Consultants for kids to follow a sequence of 7 yoga poses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kids who practice yoga have a deeper awareness of their physical bodies, increased flexibility and concentration.

Co-creators range from mothers, writers and artists that collaborated to produce a whimsical, colorful yoga flow for children. Namaste!

The Bored Game Company has developed this app that is great for physical education centers. Spin the spinner and the activity decider lets you know what game or activity you are going to play. Detailed instructions with images will appear. The Bored Game app is available at iTunes. There is also a travel version.

Developed by Fun Machine, Awesome Eats is an iTunes app, but says Droid is coming soon.

Sort, stack, and pack fresh from the garden foods. Featuring 64 levels with healthy eating tips.

At each level you will stack and sort fruits, vegetables and whole grains across zany contraptions to score and win stars. Keep an eye out for thieving birds to earn bonus points.

This 70 character nutrition game includes skill bonuses, obstacles, and surprises to keep kids interested.

Kids are encouraged to try new foods and eat more fruits and vegetables.

There are over 70 physical fitness ideas and games to choose from in the Daily Physical Activity app. This app is specific to iTunes. Lesson planning is easy using the lesson planner tool. Lesson plans are created, printed, saved and/or emailed.

Activities are broken down into categories which include warm up, cool down and core categories. Activities can also be filtered by what equipment is available markers, balls, balloons, hoops, ropes, etc. or no equipment. Each activity provides detailed instructions, equipment list and diagrams.

Videos are included for some of the more complex games.

Eat and Move-oMatic is a nutrition and fitness app sponsored by 4-H and WalMart.

Learn about the food you eat, fuel your body and relate to the calories your body uses. Food is calories and fuel in, and activity is calories and energy out. Students can see how one effects the other using this app.

Learn how your favorite foods stack up in the nutrition arena along with how much activity is required to burn those calories.

Developed by Learning Games Lab, this app has interesting tips on how small changes can make a huge difference. This app is only for Apple users.

Apple or PC? This is an age-old debate, and one that has supporters and detractors on both sides of the fence.

However, for many years in the educational realm, PC was the only choice. That, however, is changing.

For the sake of argument, I know an Apple computer is actually a PC, but for this article, PC refers to all brands, except Apple. When computers first entered the educational scene, it was around 1984. The Apple IIe had recently been released, and schools saw a use for them.

They were easy to use, and provided an opportunity for computer aided instruction. They provided the user with file folders, icons, a trash can, and an operating system that you did not need programming experience to operate. That is why you found Apples primarily in the elementary classrooms, and IBMs in the secondary classrooms across America. This practice continued until the 1990’s.

Around this time, a young pioneer by the name of Bill Gates, changed the face of the “PC”.

He developed an operating system we know today as Mi-

Kathy Stout

crosoft Windows. It was also during this time, Apple seemed to take a backseat to the Windows machines. Due to a great deal of unrest at the Apple headquarters, they slipped further and further behind the computers using the Windows operating system.

In the early 2000’s, a restructuring at Apple occurred and with this, they released an improved iMac, as well as the popular iPod and iTunes. They also began producing computers using the Intel processors. With the development of these products, Apple suddenly became a household name. Of course, we know the iPhone and iPad followed, but still Apple lagged far behind PC in popularity.

Even today, Apple sales do not come close to that of PC sales.

By looking at the chart below, you can see there are pros and cons for both devices. Either side of the debate has evidence to support whichever side he/ she happens to fall. So what is it that has financially strapped school districts, who were formally PC-only, considering Apple purchases. Quite simply, it is the iPad.

Where there are several tablets on the market, the iPad seems to be the device many school systems are considering. Not only are they light-weight and easy to carry, they are versatile.

There are 1000’s of apps available through iTunes, many are free, and they provide the student with powerful creative tools. Teachers can, for the first time, write their own textbooks, covering material needed for each child, and students can control much of their own learning. Published textbooks can be updated at the touch of a button, therefore, the material remains current. Plus, school systems do not need to spend huge amounts of money on books. Even library books are available in ebook form. For the first time, students no longer need a long list of supplies: dictionaries, pencils, paper, notebooks, thesaurus. All they need is contained in the iPad. The same device can be used by all grade levels, and adaptations are there for students with disabilities.

LOOKS

PC very easy to customize Wide variety of programs available, often free.

WINDOWS is not made by the computer builder.

More prone to crashes.

Will run old OS versions Clumsier interface Much nicer in appearance

SECURITY

Prone to viruses

USER-BASE PRICE

About 70% use PC. Easier to get help.

Computers are no longer a luxury. Most households have a PC.

HARDWARE OPERATING SYSTEM COMPATIBILITY

Other devices possibly hold the same capabilities, however, for the first time in many years, Apple seems to be focusing on the educational market. They have developed a product with the classroom in mind. Even the Mac Book Pro has features that provide the classroom teacher with many tools to use. iBooks and iMovie are just two Apple programs that adds a new dimension to creative teaching.

Apple will probably never surpass the PC market, however, many school systems are looking at Apple as a viable option.

We need technology in every classroom and in every student and teacher’s hand, because it is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world.” – David Warlick http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ macs/10-differences-between-macsand-pcs.htm

APPLE Very easy to sync all devices Will boot either MAC OS or Windows Operating system developed by same company building the computer.

New OS does not run older version Far superior operating system MAC was the first to change looks Very aesthetically pleasing.

Very rarely attacked by viruses. Less maintenance.

Focuses on attracting a small group Still very expensive

TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION WEBINARS Kathy Schrock Teacher Must Have Tech Skills http://bit.ly/1j0ZQjn

Kathy Schrock 60 Tech Tips in 60 Minutes http://bit.ly/1tabNu0

Joe Dale Creating Lessons through the SAMR Model http://bit.ly/1mdlvaZ

EdTech Google is the New Resume http://bit.ly/1gHcW7e

EdTech Small Tech Changes —BIG Learning Impact! http://bit.ly/1l8aNkz

Kathy Schrock Concept Mapping in the Classroom http://bit.ly/1hM5qtw

Changes in Change makes the world go around! Transformation is difficult, especially when it is asked of teachers. Several years ago when techSteps was first introduced to the teachers of West Virginia, many of us were extremely resistant. Even though the program has grown from a beginning technology integration program that was based on the National Technology Standards for Students (NETS), into a program that supports collaboration, self-direction, and now encompasses a way to visually assess student growth over time.

Teachers have not necessarily kept up with the progressive pace of the program.

Storage or lack thereof, was the most widespread complaint of teachers across the board. Edvation, a company that acquired the techSteps program, considered teacher feedback, common core teaching methods, and the advancement of our students in their world when developing techSteps into the program it is today. Instead of all students in a grade level K-8, or a school 9-12 using the same password, the program is more personalized. Users are now capable of setting up a profile which is the first step in learning about digital citizenship and being aware of the evolution of their digital footprint. It is tempting for teachers to make all passwords consistent for their students, but really this is not a good idea

being that student work and personal information can now be kept in techSteps. Therefore, we should all refrain from attaching a pattern to our student passwords. Tutorial videos available for the changes in techSteps. http://youtube.com/user/EducateWV E-Portfolio is the latest to be opened for use in techSteps. This allows any user to build a showcase that exhibits who they are as a person, the development of skills, and growth over time.

What a useful feature for users to begin a growing picture of what they can offer in the workplace. http://bit.ly/1h82WkG

Interactive Field Trips Spring is in the air signaling annual field trip time Holocaust Remembrance Day was April 27-28. Let us not forget all that history has to teach us.

Glenco has an interactive fieldtrip on this subject including videos, images and journal entries. Survivors of the Holocaust share their stories and a timeline is given of the Nazi reign. Pictures of the interned are also displayed on this site.

The United States Holocaust Memorial has resources that can be requested to help teach this difficult subject. They also have an online workshop to help guide you in your teaching of this subject matter.

Cinco de Mayo is coming soon and there are several resources to use with your students or pass on to colleagues. Scholastic has several. A virtual field trip which includes a lesson plan and the links that will enhance your lesson. Scholastic also has articles, unit plans and activities on their site. It is a wealth of information.

Teachers First has several resources across several grades to explore for Cinco de Mayo. Try their site at http://bit.ly/1eOxXso for their extensive plans.

You could also find out more about the influence Mexicans had in America at the Smithsonian of National History. Whether you are looking for an excursion inside the classroom or a site to enhance your current plan these sites are worth exploring.

The 10 best field trips are listed at eschoolnews. The alphabetical list includes everything from Google Lit to Mount Everest. A link takes you on a tour to The Hershey’s Company where your students can see how their favorite chocolate is made. My favorite museum is listed The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. On this tour you can go room to room and visit the exhibits. Visit cities around the world at www.360cities.net. The NASA link will let you download a virtual field trip or your students can visit the Moon. Using this website you can go on 10 field trips right in the classroom (Artic Adventure was currently under construction)!

REMINDER

**Don’t forget to comment on Policy 5202 which concerns permanent advanced credit for TIS. Read the policy on page 81 and then leave your comments.