Google Photos “takes your entire photo library — every photo you’ve ever taken on your phone, as well as screenshots and photos taken within Instagram and whatever else — and uploads it to the internet. The photos remain private, hidden behind your Google account information, but now you can access them anywhere. On your laptop? Yep. On a new phone? Yep. On your tablet? Yep, there too.” — Ben Gilbert, Business Insider
Category: Images
Watching the International Space Station Pass Over Us
Our oldest and I enjoyed an early breakfast and watching the International Space Station pass right over our home. It’s amazing to see how fast it’s traveling (about 5 miles per second) as it orbits the Earth about 15 times per day.
I’m really enjoying the apps that make it fun and easy to track and learn about the Space Station. I strongly recommend you give one or more of these a try.
Apps I Use
- ISS Spotter app
- Space Station Live iOS app
- NASA app, especially the HD ISS views
- IFTTT’s ISS Text Alerts
Ideas for Using ThingLink in the Classroom
“ThingLink is an interactive media platform that empowers publishers, educators, brands, and bloggers to create more engaging content by adding rich media links to photos and videos…Use ThingLink to create interactive news photography, maps, posters, family albums, infographics, and shoppable product catalogs in minutes” (Source).
Getting Started
The following video will help you start using ThingLink.
Setting up ThingLink for the Classroom
This playlist, compiled by Susan Oxnevad, contains tutorials for setting up ThingLink channels, embedding Google docs, setting up student accounts, organizing students into project groups, and more.
Educational Connections
ThingLink can be used:
- To communicate the directions and expectations for class projects, small group activities, independent learning, etc.
- With book reports, research projects, and science projects.
- To add narration to images.
- For teacher and student introductions at the beginning of the year.
- To develop interactive posters to communicate with students and parents.
- For student reflections.
- To integrate multimedia and dynamic data with maps, infographics, Wordles, and other images.
- For organizing and sharing professional development resources.
- To organize online scavenger hunts and webquests.
- As interactive digital bulletin boards.
Examples
Animal Cells: Their Composition and Functionality
Extended Learning
Creating ePortfolios with ThingLink
ThingLink launches Virtual Reality Lessons App For Education
VR Lessons by ThingLink – iOS App
Interesting Ways to Use Thinglink in the Classroom
ThingLink in the Classroom – One image. Tons of possibilities.
20 Ways to Use ThingLink in Education
Maker Education (Poster)
The Value of Imagination
Posters for Teachers
This collection of quotes and jokes contains ideas for classroom posters.
Follow Clif’s board Quotes & Posters on Pinterest.
Tour of 3D Printing Lab
Yesterday I had the opportunity to take one of my graduate classes on a tour of new 3D Printing Lab in the University of Memphis Library. We received training in computer-aided design (CAD) and use of the 3D printer, and had the opportunity to see it in action. Our conversation about integrating 3D printers with learning was packed with ideas and I left feeling energized. Additional educational uses have been popping into my mind since.
The following video and photos showcase some of the various projects that were printed. The Memphis skyline is my favorite and look even more impressive in-person.
The following album offers snapshots and captions of our tour.
Discussion
- What experiences have you had with 3D printing?
- Can you see potential ways to connect 3D printing with learning?
Win Prizes in IDT Memphis’ Picture Scavenger Hunt at #AAIM14
“Treasure hunts are a fun way for students to use problem solving skills, to work in teams, to practice comprehensions skills, and to use technology resources all while practicing subject matter” (Source).
Klikaklu has reinvented the scavenger hunt. The iOS app allows you to create a treasure hunt based on images. It is a photo hunt game that uses your phone’s GPS, camera, and advanced image matching technology. It’s a great way to quickly create and play treasure hunts! Share hunts privately with friends and family, or leave them in public places for students and others to find. Lead people to new and interesting spots. Reveal secrets and rewards when they crack your clues. No geocaching boxes or QR codes are necessary, so you can create hunts around school, in national parks, museums, at the public library, or on field trips – any place you want to add an element of challenge or mystery, or share information with others.
AAIM Conference
Educators at the 2014 AAIM Conference can download the app and begin competing for prizes in IDT Memphis‘ virtual scavenger hunt. Our scavenger hunt is a very simple demonstration of how the app works and the game is played. Browse through the resources below for ideas for using Klikalu at your school.
Tutorial
Resources
iPad Orienteering with Klikaklu
Reinventing the Scavenger Hunt
Photo Chat: The View from Here #edchat #edtech #idt7078 #viewfromhere
As I mentioned last week I started teaching a 7-week graduate seminar, Learning with Web 2.0 and Social Media. We are having a lot of time investigating how current and cutting-edge technologies can facilitate learning and promote thinking and creativity. To provide an immersive experience related to the course content the class is housed in a Google Site and the bulk of our social interactions is being supported by our Google+ community. We are already deep into the ideas of teaching for understanding and visible thinking, while developing a strong understanding of Web 2.0, social networks, and social media.
Throughout this 7-week learning journey I’ll be requesting your assistance in helping make this a rich experience for the teachers and instructional designers in my class. Today I’m asking you to help me showcase the “fun side” of online networks and social media. Below is a photo that I shot using my iPhone. It depicts the view from my current location. Would you please take a similar photo and share it using one or more of the following strategies?
- Post a link to your image in the comments of this post.
- Post a link to your image in the comments to this Google+ post.
- Share it via Google+, Twitter, or Facebook and tag it with #viewfromhere.
Technology and Design Are Facilitating a Revolution
I’ve continued to reflect on Alastair Parvin’s TEDtalk for several weeks. It is eminder about the importance and prevalence of design in today’s world. This quote, in particular, has stayed with me, so I used it to create this poster. Alastair’s presentation is an example of just how important it is for creativity to be fostered. Outside-the-box thinking like his may very well resolve some of the difficult issues that we’ll be facing in the coming decades.
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