Create Beautiful eBooks

Drop your manuscript into Vellum and it will open as a book divided into chapters. While in Vellum, you can edit your book or start writing a new one. Books may be shared with family and friends and uploaded to online stores. There’s a free download to try the software; if you wish to purchase, the cost is $49.99 for a single book, $99.99 for three books, and $149.00 for five books. The product was developed by Pixar veterans, so one wonders if Vellum may evolve to include interactive capabilities appropriate for exciting eTexts? In the meantime, it looks like a very nice solution for students and educators who want to create good-looking eBooks.

iPad Mistakes to Avoid

Tom Daccord, in his Edudemic piece, warns us about five critical mistakes schools make when using iPads in classrooms. These include “Focusing on content apps”, “Lack of teacher preparation in classroom management of iPads”, “Treating the iPad as a computer and expecting it to serve as a laptop”, “Treating iPads like multi-use devices”, and “Failure to communicate a compelling answer to ‘Why iPads?’”. 

Although, many schools and teachers are eager to jump into digital device use with students, critical mistakes like these can ruin iPad initiatives.  Daccord suggests we think beyond content apps as we look to integration tools and strategies and content from sources other then apps. In other words, if an app for a particular part of course content cannot be found, that doesn’t mean iPads can’t be used effectively for that content. Essential ingredients in iPad initiative success are: providing time and guidance to help teachers with using iPads in the classroom; having enough iPads for 1-1 integration; and helping teachers, parents, and students understand that iPads are unique devices and not mobile computers.

Lighthouse Coalition

The Coalition of Lighthouse Schools is a group of educators, school administrators, and IT professionals who are working together to implement one-to-one digital learning in their schools. Coalition members, mostly from charter and independent schools, are integrating Apple mobile devices into their school curricula and are eager to collaborate with others who are also integrating 1-1 programs in their schools.  The networked educators work with Apple Computer representatives in order to better prepare their students for the future. The group is hosting its iSummit, July 24-25, in Atlanta.

Easy Way to Find Educational Apps

EdShelf on the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest offers help with finding great applications for you and your students. For example, this week's recommendations from EdShelf include AlgebraGenie (gaming with algebra problems), Eyes on the Solar System (NASA tool), Stencyl (creates games), Tynker (teaches students computer science and programming), Sketchometry (practice in geometry), and MaKey MaKey (electronics kit). Some of the latest trending tools listed are: Mystery Math Town, Word Wonders Project, and Basker's Presidents. You can search for what you need by topic and/or receive email messages from EdShelf. Use the video intro to learn more about this site and its abundance of resources.

Why Pre-Kindergarten? Why Tech in Pre-K?

Studies find that students who attend Pre-Kindergarten:

1. Are less likely to develop drug and alcohol problems.
2. Are more likely to graduate from college.
3. Earn an average of 50% more than those who didn't attend Pre-K.
4. Are more likely to own their own homes and have longer marriages.

Considering that many Pre-Kindergartners come to school accustomed to the fast-paced world of television and digital devices, use of appropriate apps and educational games available for digital devices will help with the transition to school and provide learning activities in a format understood by these students. Combining the use of software and traditional Pre-K learning activities is a good idea for today’s Pre-Kindergarten classes.

Is the Chromebook for Your Students?

What is done on a Chromebook is stored in the Cloud. That means, for the most part, that your students need access to the Internet to make it work. The storage, and the fact that you’d need to use Chrome OS apps, seem to be the basic differences between Chromebooks and laptops. The CNET Community has a good discussion going on this topic, which you’ll want to browse if you are looking into using Chromebooks with your students. Some of the advantages of Chromebooks listed by those responding to the Chromebook question include: low cost, speed, automatic file backup, and no worries over viruses. Disadvantages listed included: inability to use Windows applications, slower for storage, Internet access needed, can’t be upgraded, looks like a laptop but isn’t, and is like a dumb terminal. So, is a Chromebook for your students? It depends on how robust your wireless network is and what you are planning to do with your students and technology.

Sketchlot: A Free Whiteboard Website

With the free Web tool Sketchlot, you can create your “sketch” and share it with your students. They can then mark it up and send it back to you.  Suggested for teachers and students ages 8-18, Sketchlot is a Web application, not an app, and requires no installation or plugins. It works on computers, smart phones, and tablets. You can sign up your students with class codes. Examples of use include creating math questions, science diagrams, and text through Sketchlot.

Getting Kids Moving with Sqords

It’s like a pedometer, but not exactly, and sort of like Fitbit, Nike+FuelBand, and Jawbone Up products. This device, known as a Sqord, is designed for kids. Although, it’s not on the market yet, it is being tested by kids, who wear the Sqord PowerBands like a watch. Called one-part game platform, one-part social network, and one-part fitness tracker, the Sqord is like a smart, virtually indestructible pedometer. It tracks action, not just steps, doesn’t need recharging, and comes in great kid-friendly colors. All kids need to do is to swipe their Sqord over a sync station to input their action score. Online, they can compare their score with others, send messages from the Sqord library, and get rewards for their success. According to an NBC News study, children using Sqords didn’t want to stop moving. Schools, like Patrick Henry Elementary in Arlington, Virginia, are discovering the same thing.

Educreations: iPad Lessons

Educreations has free computer and iPad software that helps you create and save iPad lessons and make use of lessons created by others.  Your lessons may include photo slides, diagrams, animation, and audio.  You can set who will be allowed to view your lessons. At Educreations you’ll find Featured Lessons, and subject area lessons in mathematics, science, Social studies, English, world languages, and the arts. Originally for teachers, this software may now be used by students to create reports and study notes.  The software is very easy to use, useful for teachers and students wanting to create iPad files, and convenient for learning from the lessons of others.

Pew Report on Teachers Use of Technology

A recent Pew Internet report, How Teachers Are Using Technology at Home and in Their Classroom, found that of the middle and high school teachers surveyed, 92% agree that the Internet has had a “’major impact’ on their ability to access content, resources, and materials for teaching.” Close to 70% said that the Internet has had a “major impact” on their ability to connect with parents and their ability to share ideas with other teachers. Almost 60% felt the Internet has made a “major impact” on their ability to interact with their students.

The survey also found that many students taking advance placement courses are using cell phones to complete assignments, that over 40% of teachers are using tablets and/or e-readers with their students, and that most schools are doing a good job of supporting tech use in the classroom. Teachers of students from low-income families said their students are less likely to use cell phones for assignments and that access to digital devices is a  “major challenge”.