Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Discovery Communications cans "Bad Teachers"

Designed to expose shocking facts about educators, "Bad Teachers" premiered last week on the Investigation Discovery network. Its run lasted one week after parent company Discovery Communications pulled the plug on the series today.

Steve Dembo, writing for Discovery Education posted the following statement on the organization's blog today.

"Discovery Education’s mission is to celebrate and support the millions of dedicated professionals around the world who have made teaching their life’s work.
As such, we share your concerns with the ID program “Bad Teacher.”
Discovery Communications operates over 200 channels worldwide and 14 in the US, including the entertainment channel ID. The program “Bad Teacher” on ID is not associated with, nor does it reflect the beliefs of, Discovery Education.
We appreciate the support of the educational community for bringing this to our attention and we are pleased to share that Discovery Communications has decided to immediately cancel this program, removing it from ID’s on-air and online schedule.
At Discovery Education, we hold teachers and the teaching profession in the highest regard. We remain committed to supporting educators around the world in their tireless efforts to enhance the culture of learning for every child, every day."
Thank you Discovery Communications and Discovery Education for all you do.

Okay CBS, it is time for you to do the same with your new sitcom with a similar name.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Explore The World Of Chromville In Augmented Reality


The developers at Spain's Chromville are busily creating an augmented reality world for users of all ages. By printing and then coloring pages depicting different characters and parts of the Chromville world, "explorers" use the special app available in Android and iOS to make their scenes come to life.



Here is the backstory on this mystical land according to Chromville.com.

"The ancient world Chromville, is well known for its power source of color. It´s placed in a galaxy far, far away and there are at least five villages: Firecity, Stonetown, Greenland, Waterville and Cloudskingdom. Its inhabitants, the Chromers, look like their environment and live in peace thanks to the colorful beauty of their homeland. However, the planet´s color is fading away mysteriously in some regions and they are in danger of losing its power.

Your quest is to help Chromers to discover the enigma and solve the color problem of their planet. Paint and play with your friends and family to discover all the interactive mysteries of this adventure."

The app is still in beta but performance is consistent enough to start using it with students. Chromville is planning on expanding quickly and is currently (April 2014) running a writing contest so students can play a role in developing the narrativesoccurring in the different villages.

As a teacher, my favorite aspect is the open-endedness of the site. The app and coloring pages help bring characters to life...but who these characters are and what makes them special is only limited by the user's imagination.

Hands-down though my favorite feature is the blank character maker. I may...or may not have created my own Mr. T in Chromville. All I can say is, "I pity the fool who doesn't give this site and app a spin."

This instructional video shows how to get started.

 

 


Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Hangin' with #2GuysShow, Havin' a Daqri, Talkin' #CUERockStar



Great stuff from Drew and Brad as they discuss Augmented Reality creation through Daqri.

I jumped in at the end to talk about #CUERockstar Saugatuck coming up in July as well as a bunch of other awesome things like this performance from Pearl Jam.


Catch the 2 Guys Show every Tuesday night at 9:00 PM EDT.

Congration, you have great voice.

Do you really want to see where our over-emphasis on developing  "voice" in writing and our lack of emphasis on spelling and grammar is taking us?

[caption id="attachment_535" align="alignleft" width="300"]image via @crylenol on Twitter image via @crylenol on Twitter[/caption]

Look no further than the Walmart bakery.  Spelling matters. Grammar matters. This cake artist conveyed a lovely message, a really heartfelt one and even added a new word to the lexicon. Unfortunately that gets lost in the grammar.

I hope it tasted good.  It seems like spelling and grammar ought to garner a deep discount off of the $15 asking price.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Going Big - Caine's Arcade Style

[caption id="attachment_532" align="alignleft" width="225"]Willis Tower, Caine's Arcade Style Willis Tower, Caine's Arcade Style[/caption]

Inspired by all of the creativity and ingenuity involved in the building of Caine's Arcade, I took our annual research of the World's tallest skyscrapers into the cardboard construction world.

This project with third graders took on many layers.
-Learning to research, looking

[caption id="attachment_545" align="alignleft" width="225"]One World Trade Center Freedom Tower One World Trade Center Freedom Tower[/caption]

for specific facts
-Manipulating and studying models in Sketchup
-Understanding and calculating scale, 200 feet in real life equaled one foot of cardboard
-Engineering of a free-standing structure
-Creativity and style
-Developing perseverance and stamina when the best laid plans fall flat, literally

Some projects came together much better than others. We are dedicating one final class period to our architecture next week. At that time, we will sit down and take a hard look at what went well and what did not go well. Not all buildings are are going to stand as well as this version of the Willis Tower in Chicago. The biggest challenge will be for the kids to tell me why their building experience went well or what could have gone better. They are just third graders. If we don't give them the chance to try projects like this and experience the trials and tribulations of collaboration then we can't expect it just to naturally happen.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

The Joy of Reading: "Happy" by Pharell Williams



I love playing this song for my students. It was only natural to mash up some Discovery Education footage from some of my favorite story videos to demonstrate the true joy that lies in reading.

Be happy my friends.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The Power of Community and a Little Creativity #HTownStrong

[caption id="attachment_525" align="alignleft" width="240"]doodling on the iPad becomes a symbol for galvanizing a community doodling on the iPad becomes a symbol for galvanizing a community[/caption]

On an early December evening  of last year I plopped emotionally exhausted into the big leather chair I plop into on most evenings.  I fired up the Neu.Draw app on my iPad to unwind and within a few minutes I had crafted a Hamilton Community Schools version of the Boston Strong logo.

You see, it had been a rough few days around the little town in West Michigan where I teach. A few days earlier one of our very best teachers had been taken from us in an auto accident on his way to school. Josh Hoppe was all that is right with teaching and inspiring learners. Kids were hurting. Teachers were hurting. The whole town was hurting.  Josh's funeral would be the next morning and for me personally the logo was just a way of digging for some extra strength to get beyond the sadness and hurt.

Like a lot of things, I posted it to social media and within a few minutes people were asking to borrow it as their avatars. I happily obliged and over the course of the next few days I started to see it more and more. Now, I literally see it everywhere in this community, especially on social media where countless people I know and don't know are using it to represent their pride for a community that has time and time again come together to support each other. Just today I noticed that the parent volunteer office had added it to its letterhead and the Hamilton Baseball team was featuring it on its new shirts.

Pretty cool! I don't care about intellectual royalties. I am just honored a great community finds something it likes in something I created, well borrowed from the Boston community. It has served the same purpose in Beantown.

I am a big fan of irony and here is the funny part. Shortly after I moved to Hamilton in 1997, the University of Iowa told Hamilton we could no longer use the school's stenciled Hawkeye logo. There was a community-wide logo contest. I won $400...for second place. No, I didn't have my design chosen as the community's new rallying point over fifteen years ago. I am glad they like my second attempt.

Stay strong H-Town!

Make the amazing by combining Discovery Education and iMovie.



Here is a step-by-step screencast for using the great footage available from Discovery Education Streaming in conjunction with the superpowers the iMovie trailer feature delivers.

In the video I demonstrate making trailers on a Mac. The same can done with an iOS device as well. The process is similar but varies slightly. One of my edtech pioneer heroes Kathy Schrock offers up this super guide.

Check out additional hints and ideas on this process as I host Discovery's "DENvice" this week on Facebook.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

An Ultimate Guide On Aptoide And Its Usability

When it comes to sharing all kind of niceties on your Android phone, it is the Aptiode that you may seek to have. It is easy to download the best kind of games that is tough to find on other play store and enjoy the way your entertainment hits the upper mark. This app is described as an inclusive app through which you may download the games and discover the things that you seek to have.

Aptoide is itself a large digital market which helps you find the best app for your phone. Downloading this app is easier and there are no technological issues involved. This guide describes the features of this app which makes you it downloaded instantly on your system.

Features of the app

While talking about the app features, just have a look below which is as follows:

  • No need to sign-up or register on the app store

  • Apps downloading can be paused for a later stage with the help of resume and cancel features

  • Games can also be downloaded

  • Updates are available in an automatic way

  • Being a secure app, you can get it downloaded on your phone without any kind of problem

  • Users can also upload the apps on their own store which also remains accessible to other people as well


How effective is this app for iOS devices?

For iOS following features can be accessible:

  • You can install the apps and games you like for free

  • Gets updated quickly so that more apps are available

  • Being available in different languages, this app also serves as an alternative to many other applications


This app was developed for android based OS but with the help of Cydia, this app also works on iOS devices.

Following steps help you download Aptoide for iOS devices:

  • First of all, install the latest iOS version on your phone to make it safe and secure

  • Through safari, you can search for your favorite engine

  • Through the download link for Cydia, first, download this app then follow the steps below

  • After the pages have been downloaded, go to the bottom of your screen

  • New options are opened in the windows from where go to the Add to Home Screen


Safety and security of the device has a lot to do with the way in which any app is being run. Make sure that Cydia is downloaded from the web link which is reliable and safe and this is what makes this app truly desirable in terms of entertainment it provides.

The major USP of this app is that this app works well in case of slow net connections thus saving your mobile data too. Usability of the app lies in making it more workable and providing to you the facility to have an access to large numbers games and other apps right there. Aptoide for iPhone is highly efficient and has proved its mettle to the world when it comes to providing a flawless entertainment experience.

 

Shazam for PC Download – Free on Windows(7/8.1/10) Using Bluestacks

Shazam for PC is the thing that I am will talk about in this post. Shazam is extraordinary compared to other approaches to distinguish the music that is being played in your environment. You can know the name of the melody inside the portion of seconds. It likewise distinguishes what you are viewing on TV. You can find out about the shows you are viewing on TV. It turned out to be exceptionally prominent lately.


This Shazam Online PC was established in 1999. More than 100 million clients downloaded this application in play store. It just uses your versatile or PC's receiver to perceive the music. In the event that the music playing in your surroundings coordinated with any of the tunes in Shazam's database, it will disclose to you the melody that is playing in your close-by.



Shazam for Computer Free Download:


As I said over, this application is solely created to use on advanced cells. Shockingly, there is no official application to download and introduce Shazam for the PC. Try not to Worry; Where there is a will, there is a way. Like that, there is likewise an approach to introduce Shazam for PC Windows 8.1/8/7 and Mac.


Here, you require an android emulator to utilize Shazam on Laptop. Android emulator causes you to play android applications on your Windows and Mac working frameworks. Along these lines, in the first place, you need to download an android emulator or application player on your PC.




  • The best android emulator is bluestacks.


Essentially, there are two forms of bluestacks. One is the web based introducing emulator and other is Offline installer emulator.




  • You require the web association with introduce Bluestacks online installer record. In this way, ensure you have legitimate web association while introducing it.

  • Presently, Bluestacks disconnected installer, you require not have any web association with finish the establishment, dissimilar to bluestacks online installer.


In the event that you need Bluestacks Offline Installer, you can download it from the connection given underneath. Establishment direction is additionally given.



Shazam for PC or Laptop Windows 8.1,8,7 and Mac:



  • Dispatch bluestacks application from your desktop.

  • It might take few moments to open.

  • You can discover "seek box" on the landing page of bluestacks programming.

  • Tap on the hunt box to look what you need.

  • Sort "Shazam" in the hunt box and don't press enter.

  • You will see a few outcomes underneath the inquiry box in regards to your hunt question.

  • Tap on the one you need to introduce and the present window explores to Google Play Store.

  • You can see Install choice there and tap on it.

  • Your Shazam for PC download begins instantly and establishment will be done consequently after got done with downloading.


You can see the introduced applications in landing page or My applications segment.


In the event that Shazam application is recorded there implies you introduced Shazam for Windows effectively.


That is it. Make the most of your new involvement with Shazam on your PC. In the event that you have any inquiries with respect to the establishment or use, you can ask us utilizing the remark box gave beneath. We react as quickly as time permits.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

[Fix] Showbox App Update Not Working, Server Not Available

Showbox Apk is the latest Android application which has made a lot of buzz in incitement piece. With the tremendous database of Movies, TV Series, and Anime, one can stream and download every single substance available. Showbox App is committed to Android arrange and if you wish tantamount kind of App then MovieBox For iOS is the best duplicate which you can download for iPads and iPhones. As Showbox Apk is for the most part looked and used Movie App, I get it's optimal and most surely understood of its kind.

We all in all are especially mindful of the way that it's not open at Google Play Store and could be downloaded from outside sources. Here, I've been reviving this post as often as possible with the true objective that you can get Showbox Apk Download guaranteed. Honestly, in case you are looking for a greater number of options than these Top Movie Apps For Android is the best place in any case.

If you've been using Showbox for long at that point bumbles like Showbox apk not working or Stopped working, Screen cement with complete power blackout is unreasonably ordinary and every one of us confronts these sorts of issues. Nonetheless, don't worry, here you will get a starting late revived record. So instantly we should make sense of how to download Showbox apk for Android.

Download Showbox Apk | Latest Showbox Version 4.91


Showbox Apk interpretation 4.91 is out now and faultlessly working now. Regardless, in light of huge development and customer activity all over application goes detached. This I figure is an occasion of server stack. Essentially as with each bug settle, execution is also growing, we in general will'be seeing an all the more effective shape in best in class days.

For the latest adjustment, which is Showbox apk 4.91, take a gander at underneath coordinate download interface. Essentially hit "Tail Me" and get invigorated copy of your best film App.

Invigorate: Showbox is back and this time it's working outstandingly. Showbox Not Working 4.91 latest variation is open now. For each one of those going up against issues, we have attempted and endeavored terrarium App. Terrarium requires VPN applications to get the opportunity to content. You can get free VPN programming here. It will be significantly more easy to movies using these free film goals.

So resulting to downloading Showbox for Android now its turn for Blackberry users.Why should we persist, if all People are getting a charge out of App on their propelled cell phones by then we ought to get in our Blackberry too.

The working course of action of blackberry is Android based so there is no issue, you can without a lot of an extend download and present Show box on Blackberry also.

Mobdro for Android | Install Mobdro App (Apk) on Android

Clients hunting down a video spilling application can discover a considerable measure of such applications over the Internet. In any case, it is exceptionally troublesome for the greater part of them to choose a decent one from that gigantic gathering of applications. Be that as it may, today we will help those clients with the survey of a decent video gushing application which can give all the expected highlights to the clients. Indeed, I am discussing the Mobdro App, which is found to have a decent client base crosswise over different parts of the World. In this way, would could it be that caused the expanded Mobdro download among the clients. Give us a chance to observe this. Download Mobdro APK for android and ios should be possible today.

Contrasting with the other prevalent video spilling applications, which requires the clients to pay for viewing their most loved shows, the Mobdro APK is totally not quite the same as them. In this application, you can watch your TV appears for nothing as well as select and view a great deal of motion pictures, sports channels, news channels and so forth. All that you get in the Mobdro App is free and that makes it so extraordinary for the clients.

You Must likewise observe the Mobdro For iOS manage in which we gave guidelines about how to utilize it on iphone and Apple iOS gadgets. This application will enable you to observe every one of your shows without missing any points of interest.

The quantity of fulfilled Android clients of this application is expanding step by step. It can be introduced in the PCs moreover. In any case, as of now the Mobdro APK download is not accessible for the iOS gadgets and they can't utilize it until further notice. Two distinct adaptations of the Mobdro App download are accessible, the free form and the top notch variant. For a typical client who needs to utilize this application sometimes can proceed with the free form. A consistent client can strive for the exceptional variant with extra highlights. Its truly simple to utilize.

WHY MOBDRO APP FOR ANDROID?


On the off chance that you need to choose the Mobdro App as the spilling application for your cell phones, there ought to be some purpose behind it. Here I can give you a considerable measure of reasons which will help you to comprehend the contrast between the Mobdro App and the others. The most vital motivation to choose the Mobdro for Android is the accessibility of free recordings for gushing. All your most loved TV indicates are accessible here in this application alongside an enormous accumulation of motion pictures of all circumstances. It likewise incorporates Sports Channels and News Channels too. This application can without much of a stretch supplant the necessity of a Television for these reasons. What's more, the most recognizable thing is that not at all like the Television all these are accessible for nothing in the Mobdro App. Mobdro Download should be possible in the wake of perusing all the data about it here. Mobdro APK can be truly useful for fulfilling your children as well.

The interface of the Mobdro App is additionally outlined in an extremely easy to understand way and there are segments where clients can without much of a stretch locate the most slanting recordings. The Mobdro application free form permits bookmarking of your most loved recordings which will be useful to check them again when required. The Mobdro for Android premium adaptation is more valuable for this reason with the alternative to download the recordings on the web and view them regardless of the possibility that you are disconnected. We prescribe this application to every one of the perusers of our site.

The Mobdro for Android additionally incorporates a sharing alternative in this application which can be useful in offering your most loved recordings to others. Coordination with Chromecast is another great component of this App. It can help the clients to cast the recordings into a greater screen and have the most extreme pleasure. Clients are likewise observed suspecting if the Mobdro APK Download is sheltered or not. Since the time it was discharged, no issues are accounted for with respect to this application that can bring up issues about the wellbeing of this application. Henceforth you can download and utilize the Mobdro App with no stresses of security.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Understanding Mobdro for iPhone and How To Download The App

Almost half of the world has heard of mobdro application but most of them are unaware of the true meaning and application of it. This application used to be maximum used in UK and US, but today the app is used all across the world. This app primarily is meant for android users. Today while designing an app, it is seen that developers designs app for android users and later think about the accessibility on PC and IOS. All the features that this app involves are user friendly and quite easy to understand and handle. With this app you can easily watch all the online TV shows and movies while on the go. This app is also available for Kodi, iPhone/iPad and Mobdro For Chromecaste.

Knowing about the app

When you are thinking about downloading this application then first you have to make sure that on your device you are having Mobdro APK file. Primarily you need to install the Mobdro APK file on your device. For flawless glitch free operation, you need to follow the instruction systematically, then you will certainly be able to install the file. Today you will come across number of sites where you will come across direct link to download the app. So it’s not like you have to search a lot but right before downloading make sure you have chosen the right resource.

App for IOS

Today for iOS this innovative application can be downloaded. The app is known to be as Mobdro For iPhone is mostly downloaded by iPhone users, Mac users and iPad users, while going through the instructions and following you have to make sure first, you have understood everything properly. As if you haven’t clearly understood then it may happen that you make a mistake and you have to resume everything again.

Safety standards

Now number of individuals ponder seriously about the safety standards of Mobdro and how far it is secure and legal to download and utilize. Such concerns are unavoidable as when it comes to downloading an app with bigger claims safety and legality comes to mind, as none would love to run through the risk. This app is practically a media gushing app bent on offering good measure of media substance. The app does not have its own substance rather it is known to import substances from varying other sources and offers the same to the clients. The app imports item from those sources, which intend to operate safely securely, without compromising at any point.

Downloading the app

It’s always recommended to download the app from its official site, as downloading same from its actual site would keep you safe from all your tensions, worries and concerns. Then there are other locales from where this app can be downloaded. But downloading this app from any locale comes with a little possibility that you may attract malware and infection together with the APK record. So eventually, your system may suffer. Hence, right before downloading the app, make sure you are downloading the app from a reliable site.

 

Thank You Michael - a Video Response

Way back in January, my fellow nerdy friend Rushton Hurley shared with me a fabulous video posted on his NextVista.org site called "My Name is Michael" and I subsequently shared it here on this blog.

The video is by a California middle schooler who has Autism and with the help of his teacher, Michael shares his daily struggles and desire to be included by his peers. It is powerfully honest and as I began to show it my upper elementary students I could tell they really "got" his message. The response on this site was great too and Michael's mom actually took time to leave a little thank you in the comments.

To harness some of the energy generated from our discussions in the classroom, the kids and I began to brainstorm what we might be able to do in order to let Michael know we appreciate the courage it took to make his video and that we all deepened our awareness of Autism from his work. What follows is a student-created video response.

This one is for you Michael!

Thank You Michael from Andy Losik on Vimeo.



 

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Best of MACUL presents #CueRockStar Saugatuck Updates



A lot of progress has been made on this summer's CUE Rock Star Camp Saugatuck  since we first announced it back in February.



We have assembled an absolute All-Star faculty made up of several Apple Distinguished Educators, Google Certified Teachers, a recent tech director of the year, the current MACUL Tech Educator of the Year, and California's "Oustanding Emerging Teacher" for 2014. Not only are these people "kind of a big deal" in the educational technology world, they were all hand selected because they possess the uncanny ability to work with teachers in a fun way.



We have also begun to solidify what will be offered each day. Check out our growing list of sessions to see the wide variety of offerings.



The Rock Star format is all about allowing attendees to build relationships and have tons of fun. Here is our daily schedule.




Daily Schedule:

9:00      Coffee

9:30      Shred Sessions - Presenters hype their daily sessions

10:00    Session 1 - Hands on learning

12:00    Lunch/Networking

2:00      Session 2 (with ice cream break) - Hands on learning

4:00      Closing



Optional "After party" - Cut loose with your fellow Rock Stars for a couple of evening excursions to the Saugatuck Dune Rides and Fenn Valley Winery.



Camp will be held on July 23-25th at Douglas Elementary and Hamilton High School.



So...I am hoping lots of our local educators will take advantage of this professional learning opportunity. Register today at cue.org/rscamp.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Join the #MichEd movement. Share great teaching in Michigan.

Great things are happening in the classrooms across Michigan and many educators are realizing they have the tools to tell their own stories. We are no longer at the mercy of how politicians or portray us or what stories the media chooses to tell.

The #MichEd Video Challenge is aimed at collecting all of the awesomeness in one spot. Please consider sharing the great things you are doing with your students. We must tell our own stories. We are the only ones who really know how they go.