Google Announces New Learning Management System (LMS)

Google ClassroomClassroom is a new, free tool coming to Google Apps for Education that helps teachers easily and quickly create and organize assignments, provide feedback, and communicate with their classes” (Source). “Classroom weaves together Google Docs, Drive and Gmail to help teachers create and organize assignments quickly, provide feedback efficiently, and communicate with their classes with ease…it lets students organize their work, complete and turn it in, and communicate directly with their teachers and peers” (Source).

The following video highlights the experiences of some of the teachers and students who provided feedback as Google developed Classroom.

Benefits for Classes

Easy to Set up
Teachers can add students directly or share a code with their class to join. It takes just minutes to set up.

Saves Time
The simple, paperless assignment workflow allows teachers to create, review, and grade assignments quickly, all in one place.

Improves Organization
Students can see all of their assignments on an assignments page, and all class materials are automatically filed into folders in Google Drive.

Enhances Communication
Classroom allows teachers to send announcements and questions instantly. Since students can post to the stream, they can help out their classmates.

Affordable and Secure
Like the rest of our Google Apps for Education services, Classroom contains no ads, never uses your content or student data for advertising purposes, and is free for schools.

Learn more: http://google.com/edu/classroom

Tour of 3D Printing Lab

3D PrinterYesterday 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

  1. What experiences have you had with 3D printing?
  2. Can you see potential ways to connect 3D printing with learning?

Loving Librarian and Media Specialist Surprised on TV #aaim14

Reading

Kirby Thomas is a librarian and media specialist at McAuliffe Elementary School in Broken Arrow, OK. She was named Teacher of the Year last year for the love and enthusiasm she gives to her children. Ellen DeGeneres has been spotlighting school libraries on her talk show Ellen, and recently surprised Kirby and the McAuliffe students and faculty with a bookmobile filled with books and iPad minis, a check for $25,000, and $75 gift cards for each of the 700 students at McAuliffe Elementary, a Title 1 school.

Enjoy watching this touching moment in the video below.

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

Image Source: SheKnows.com

Talking Ed.: FIRST Robotics

Talking Ed.: FIRST Robotics

Talking Ed. with Tod Traughber

Episode 005 (View entire series)

The mission of FIRST is “to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership” (Source). The organization seeks to show students of every age that science, technology, and problem-solving are not only fun and rewarding, but are proven paths to successful careers and a bright future for us all.

Tod Traughber is one of my doctoral students and he coordinates the judges for one of the regional FIRST Robotics Competitions. In brief conversations here and there, Tod had been trying to convey to me just how amazing the organization is and how exciting the competitions are. I was blown away once we were able to dedicate some time to discuss nothing but FIRST. Their mission and activities are something that I believe many students, teachers, and schools would love to be a part of. Thus, I invited Tod to participate in the following interview in hopes that we could get this great information out to everyone.

Yelling at Your Computer Isn’t the Same as Yelling at Your Car [Video]

I’m developing some resources for a course that I’ll begin teaching after Spring Break and ran across this video. I think it can be used as a provocative way of framing a conversation with students about digital citizenship and netiquette.

How do you approach these topics with your students? Can you recommend related resources that I (and others) might use?

Netiquette

What Is Web 3.0? Here’s An Introduction

Extended Learning

How Web 3.0 Will Work by HowStuffWorks

Semantic Web at Wikipedia

What Does Web 3.0 Look Like in Education from TeachBytes

Web 3.0

2nd Graders Remember Dr. King

Here are some resources and ideas to help everyone learn about the life and important contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King.

You can learn a lot from simply watching this video developed by (I think) a 2nd grade class (Please help me find the original source so that I can properly cite and acknowledge their outstanding work.).

EdTech Ideas

You and your students could also make your thinking visible using technologies such as: Google Slides or PreziStorybird, ToonDoo or PixtonBlubbrPinterest or Learnist in combination with AudioBoo or  SoundcloudGlogsterDipityVoiceThreadSlideCastZentation, or GoAnimate or PowToon.

Photo Album

Here are a few of my photos from what was then the recently finished Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Educational Technology: Current Trends and Future Directions

I am excited to be today’s keynote speaker at the LearnIT Conference at Northern Illinois University. I’ve enjoyed spending the past several days visiting innovative schools in the greater Chicago area. The classroom visits and conversations with the students, faculty, and administrators have been enjoyable and valuable. I’ve also enjoyed learning about the programs and initiatives in NIU’s College of Education. I appreciate the many individuals that have hosted me along the way. This trip has provided me with new ideas and inspiration. I’m sure today’s conference will be the icing on the cake.

Below are my slides and a few notes related to my keynote presentation. I’ll be reflecting on some of the current trends in education and technology, and sharing my recommendations for the directions in which the field should move going forward. I invite your thoughts and feedback.

The following serves as an outline of some of the topics that will be highlighted and demonstrated.

  • Standards, 21st Century Learning, and Higher-Order Thinking Skills
  • Classroom Examples
  • Web 2.0 Tools and Services
  • Benefits and Barriers
  • “Telecollaboration”
  • Audio and Video
  • Mash-Ups
  • Mobile Learning
  • Interactivity
  • State of Innovation
  • A Personal Experience
  • Conclusions and Discussion

Resources from Storybird Hands-On Workshop at #MSMECA13

StorybirdStorybirds are short, art-inspired stories, presentations, reports, or tutorials you and your students make to share, read, and print. Storybird is a fun, collaborative website that can be integrated in all content areas and at all grade levels. It can be an effective resource for teaching parts of a story, the writing process, promoting creativity, and more. STEM and social studies teachers can use Storybird for engaging alternatives to traditional lessons, reports and presentations. Storybird also seamlessly keeps a portfolio of each student’s work.

Participants will be guided in setting up accounts and helped as they begin using Storybird.com’s tools and services. Participants will learn how to use the teacher-specific tools.

Below are my slides from the workshop that I’ve taught a couple of times this week at the Mississippi Educational Communications Conference (MECA) in Jackson, MS. All the workshop materials and resources (including a video tutorial, additional examples, notes, etc.) are available on my wiki, Learning Telecollaboratively.

Let’s Start Building – #idt7060

I’m excited to begin teaching Technology to Support Learning (#idt7060) today. We will explore learning theory, graphic design, instructional design and educational technologies and their impact on teaching and learning. I realize that some or all of the content in this particular course is going to be new to most of you as this course is designed to (ideally) be taken during your first semester in the UM IDT Program. While some have previous experience in and knowledge of learning theory, graphic design, instructional design or instructional technologies most do not have experience in all of these areas. With that in mind I think it is important that we lay a solid foundation of understanding in these areas on which you can build throughout this course, all your studies in IDT, and beyond.

I look forward to learning with you this semester.


Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhamma-aloka/4542814493