Feel free to download a full-sized version of this poster for use in your school.
Maker Education: A Quick Introduction
Journey from a Makerspace to a Maker District
Building the Future: Tinkering and Playful Learning
The Maker Movement in K-12 Education: A Guide to Emerging Research
Invent to LearnThe Maker Movement in K-12 Education: A Guide to Emerging Research
Timetoast can be used by teachers to share information and used by students to showcase their research. It has two types of timeline entries: either a single point in time called an “event” or a range of time called a “timespan.” For each entry, you can add more in-depth text that is accessed with a click. You can also embed pictures and links.
Timelines are great for historical events, but students could also use them to chart processes, like the life cycle of a butterfly. Teachers could use a timeline to layout a unit of study or to provide a list of important dates for students to remember throughout the year.
This video from Erin Paysen is a great place to start:
A History of the US Banking System
The Life of Alexander Hamilton
See more in the Timetoast Public Gallery
The free version will be adequate for most educators, but if you would like an online classroom to organize student work and the ability for students to collaborate on a timeline in real time, consider their subscription offerings here.
Timelines: A Timeless Teaching Tool
Using Timelines in the Classroom: Helping Students Make Connections
Lesson Ideas for Using Timelines in the Classroom
Guest Blogger
Raina Burditt
Powtoon allows you and your students to quickly make high-quality videos. They have ready-made templates with “drag and drop” customization. The process is as simple as making a PowerPoint. There is a wide range of styles to choose from, including animated, whiteboard, infographic, and live action.
This video from Jen Jonson is a great place to start:
Check out more in the Powtoon User Gallery
The free version of Powtoon may be adequate for many educators. However, there are benefits to purchasing a subscription. Click here for more details.
Powtoon Tutorials
5 Ways to Use Powtoon in the Classroom
11 Ways to Use Powtoon in the Classroom
Guest Blogger
Raina Burditt
“Imagine that you could give every learner their own personalized course, made specifically for their strengths, weaknesses, goals, and engagement patterns. Imagine a course that adapted in real-time to their activity and adjusted moment by moment to their performance and interest level. That’s adaptive learning.” – McGraw-Hill Education
The goal of adaptive learning is to harness computer algorithms to create a learning experience for students that changes based on the user input it receives. For example, if a student misses a practice question, the program will adapt to provide remedial work for that student. Each students’ experience is individualized based on how they perform within the program.
Check out this video from Pearson Higher Education
Adaptive learning is able to differentiate for individual students, assessing each person’s background knowledge and addressing their specific instructional needs. The student is able to work at his or her own pace while receiving targeted, real-time feedback and instruction. This results in students who do not spend time on material they already know, which leads to boredom and disengagement. Similarly, they are not pushed to a point that is too challenging for them, which can result in frustration and a reluctance to continue learning. Instead, the program is able to identify precisely what content they are intellectually prepared to work with, while scaffolding them towards the curricular goals. Teachers then have access to aggregate data on each of their students, as well as the ability to identify general class trends. The use of adaptive learning enables true mastery learning, resulting in a more solid understanding of the curriculum.
Dreambox Learning (Math)
NoRedInk (Grammar & Writing)
Istation (Reading, Math & Spanish)
MyLab and Mastering (Science & Engineering)
SmartSparrow (Design Your Own)
Guest Blogger
Raina Burditt
Badgr is a program teachers can use to create and disburse a credential or a “badge” to signify a specific accomplishment or skill acquisition. The badges contain detailed descriptions of the recipients’ achievements and can link to evidence of their work. These badges can be collected by the student to build a personal portfolio or resume. Students can also post these badges via social media. Badgr API integrates into websites and applications such as Canvas (learning management system). Additionally, Badgr has “Learning Pathways,” which allow learners to build their personal learning network and see a map view of where they are in a curriculum.
Check out this video from the Chicago Art Department about the benefits of badges.
How to Create a Badge
The Teacher’s Guide to Badges in Education
Case Studies on Open Badge Use
The Open Badge Network
How to Gamify Your Class
Guest Blogger: Raina Burditt
Teachers share a live session, students enter a code (no student accounts needed), and the lesson is synced to all devices.
Nearpod also allows you to add interactivity and instant assessments to your presentation. Interactivity includes quickly polling students, annotating on their screens, completing matching pairs, trying out computer simulations, viewing 3D models, sharing collaboration boards, and more. You can also ask multiple-choice, open-ended, or fill-in-the blank questions. Additionally, Nearpod integrates with LMS’s like Google Classroom, Canvas, and Schoology.
You can create your lesson from scratch within the program or quickly import existing lessons (pdfs, jpegs, ppts). There are also many lessons available in the Nearpod library. You can choose to show or hide student names as you move through the activities. However, you will have a record of each student’s engagement and can even deploy a student-paced quiz through Nearpod. The program provides detailed analytics and reporting.
The following video from Nearpod provides an overview of the program.
Click here to explore lessons in Nearpod’s library.
Guest Blogger: Raina Burditt
“When we use formative assessment strategies, we’re on a fact-finding mission. As educators, we work to figure out who understands the teaching point of a lesson, who has mastered a new concept, who needs extra help. Formative assessment happens naturally as we walk around the room and listen in on student conversations or examine their classwork after the bell rings. But how can you use technological tools to check for understanding in meaningful, sustainable, and scalable ways?” — Monica Burns, Edutopia
Continue reading the full post.
Image Source: globaldigitalcitizen.org
“The initiative, which the Mountain View giant initially launched almost two years ago, essentially leverages visual data from Maps and Earth to generate 3D models of the total amount of sunlight that reaches your roof.” – The Next Web
Check out Google’s blog post for full details.
Guest Blogger
Kaylah Holland
Edutopia defines Marker Education as “a unique combination of artistry, circuitry, and old-fashioned craftsmanship” (source). This type of making is not a new idea but, until a few years ago, has not been in education and has been growing in implementation ever since.
Several terms are involved with Maker Education such as tinker, hack, create, modify, build, and invent (source). This basic concept involves changing the traditional lecture style of education to a more engaging hands-on environment where students are learning through active projects. This style of learning does not have traditional assessments but uses the finished product as the assessment; thus, completely flipping the traditional style of learning.
The following four mindsets show the benefits of implementing Maker Education into the classroom.
Implementing Maker Education within your classroom does not have to be difficult. Start with one project and allow students to build or create something tangible. You can use Pinterest or Instructables to find handy DIY projects for the classroom simply be searching. You will soon become hooked on the idea and will begin to modify your own lesson plans to include more making.
The following websites are great resources.
Kaylah Holland is currently a Middle School Instructional Technology Facilitator at Charlotte Christian School in Charlotte, NC. In addition to teaching coding, app development, and robotics; she has a vital role of assisting teachers with the integration of technology into the classroom through ample research, lesson planning, and training. She is currently completing her doctoral degree in the field of Instructional Design and Technology and is in the process of becoming a Google Certified Trainer. She is passionate about building an innovative culture for learning.
Prezi introduces a new way to share life’s little moments, in a nutshell.
Combining the simplicity of photographs, the compelling nature of video, and the fun of animated graphics, Nutshell uses Prezi’s new storymapping technology to create short, shareable cinematic narratives that can be shared easily and instantly.
Besides creating fun social media updates, Nutshell opens the door for all sorts of unique messaging opportunities when videos feel like too much of a production and plain photos just are not adequate for capturing life’s moments.
There are many other educational connections. Please share yours in the comments to this post.
