Shaking up School Lunch: Epic Lip Sync Battle brings the Fun

Where I teach in Hamilton, Michigan, elementary teachers have an hour lunch/planning time everyday. With it come some obvious advantages for staff. Lunchtime is less rushed and everyone in the building has common planning time. Kids get longer recess. With it also has come challenges. The longer kids are in the lunchroom, the more likely they are to get restless and in trouble.

Principal Teisha Kothe has taken this problem by the horns. She has instituted all kinds of fun activities including Flocabulary videos, Trivia Tuesdays, and Talent Fridays where kids get to show off their special abilities. We kicked things up a notch last week.

Building upon a hugely successful kickoff to March is Reading Month that featured a Superintendent vs. Curriculum Director lip sync battle embedded in a Hans and Franz skit, I challenged Teisha to our own battle. Kids were glued to the action and their laughter, smiles, and excitement were priceless and on Friday we made Blue Star Elementary a place where kids definitely wanted to be. Shouldn't that always be a goal of our schools?

Here is the full-length version of Teisha with Katy Perry's "Roar" and me with the Kidz Bop more-elementary-appropriate version of "Uptown Funk".

10 Spring Break Apps and Features for your kid's iPad

The calendar is about to flip to April and with that comes Spring Break, at least here in West Michigan. It's been another brutally cold and long winter and I personally can't wait to get to some warmth, relaxation, and time with my family away from the daily school routine. As families prepare to hit the road or just enjoy some time off here are ten great iPad apps and features for Spring Break 2015.

1. Off Switch - It's not an app but probably the best feature of any electronic device for Spring Break is the off switch. Shut down for a while and unplug. Focus on all of the natural and analog adventures you can have even if it's just for an extended period each day. Unplugging completely might not be that easy though for the family facing a 24 hour drive, hours in airports, or suddenly now faced with a whole week at home together. The following recommendations are to help keep kids' brains, creativity, and fun going throughout the week. They're not in any particular order as far as one being better than another, just great apps.


2. Keynote - This is more than Apple's version of PowerPoint. Not only is it a really powerful presentation maker, it's a powerful design tool as well. After a week of taking pictures and video of their adventures, kids can spend the ride home assembling all of their memories. Keynote is free on all iOS devices purchased since the Fall of 2013. Keynote is car friendly because most features aside from sharing are not wifi dependent.


3. Maps - If you're on the road this break, give your kids part of the navigational duties. When I was growing up, we would travel most summers across country from Arizona to Michigan. My sister and I learned so much about geography and math when we rode shotgun with the big Rand McNally atlas on our laps. The iPad's built-in Maps app or its Google counterpart do way more than a print atlas. You can search for restaurants, upcoming gas stations, hotels, and more. Maps requires an Internet connection so in the car, kids might need to use the one on your phone.


4. Cargo-Bot -
   
   [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="191"] Cargo-Bot app for iOS[/caption]
   
   Here is a game based on doing work at the shipyard, but every kid I know thinks of it more as the beloved claw at 90% of America's pizza joints and grocery stores. Kids have to program the claw to move crates in a series of puzzles that gradually increase in difficulty. This app is ladened with advanced problem solving and an introduction to computer science in that in order to move the claw, kids have to assemble directions as if they were coding an app. Building this type of logical reasoning transcends many different subject areas. No Internet needed.


5. Replay - Here is a fabulously easy-to-use movie editor that provides stunning results. In fact, this app is so good, Apple used it in its product launch of the iPad Air 2 in October. The killer feature lies in the app's ability to analyze your photos and footage for tempo, sound, and color. High-end effects like lens-flare, background color, and music are all added automatically and can also be adjusted manually. It's actually called Replay Video Editor for Instagram but no Instagram account is needed. Internet is only needed for sharing projects or buying advanced features. Remember to always, always, always shoot your video horizontally! Here's a sample of what you can do literally in just a few minutes with Replay. This was some really, really rough drone footage we took over my house.
   


6. IXL - Sometimes the math drill apps get a bad rap, but I am a firm believer that in the proper dose they can do a lot of good as building computational fluency is essential. Without a strong handle on basic facts, kids are greatly hampered moving forward into more complicated math. IXL is a great app that works all math standards from Pre-K on up. Many schools have student subscriptions. Check with your kid's school to see if they do and get the username and password for your trip. You'll need an Internet connection so it might not be the best for the car or van, but incorporating a little math never ruined anyone's vacation...not completely anyway.


7. Penultimate - Here is a notebook app where kids can doodle, journal, or draw-up inventions. Because it is digital, they have an endless supply of paper and no crayons will melt all over your interior when left on a hot backseat. Any photos on the iPad can be easily inserted into sketches and if they have an Evernote account, your kids can sync their creations and keep them among their other notes on the cloud-based free service. Internet is only required to sync or share.
   
   [caption id="attachment_1025" align="alignleft" width="1536"] Penultimate App from Evernote[/caption]


8. Google Drive - This one is more practical over exciting, but many schools issue students Google Apps for Education accounts. With the Drive app, kids can upload all of the photos and videos they shoot with the iPad to their school accounts. When they get back to school and get the "What I did over Spring Break" essay assignment, they'll have tons of visuals to insert. Requires Internet.


9. Kindle App - If your kid can handle reading in the car or on an airplane without getting sick, load that iPad up with good books. The iBooks app lets you do the same thing with books from the Apple Book Store but if you are an Amazon Prime member you can take advantage of the lending library and can "borrow" one free book a month for the Kindle. Internet is required to download books, but not needed once loaded.


10. Tinkerbox HD - This puzzle app is ridiculously addictive and involves engineering one contraption after another. Getting a ball into a basket gets increasingly more difficult as new conveyor belts, levers, and ramps are introduced. It works scientific concepts and logical thinking but in the end it is just fun.

No matter where you are headed or if you are just sticking around home, these apps all can fend off the dreaded "I'm bored" and keep brains firing all week. A few others to explore include Canva, Photoshop Mix, TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Snapseed. Whatever you make, make sure great memories are at the top of the list.

Michigan New Teacher Conference | SAGA Educators

This is a great event for new teachers hosted by Gary Abud Jr. and Andrew Steinman of SAGA Educators. I had a chance to talk to both in Detroit at MACUL and wanted to pass along information on it.

The Michigan New Teacher Conference is a free event for early career and aspiring teachers to network and learn with and alongside experienced educators.

New and experienced educators are invited to join us for a morning of conversations about teaching, leading, and learning. This conference has something for educators with all levels of experience.

Support for Michigan’s newest teachers

Insight from accomplished career educators

Networking opportunities for all participants

All conference attendees to walk away with strategies, skills, and tools that can be used the very next day.

Check out Michigan New Teacher Conference | SAGA Educators.

The Easiest Way To Learn Fractions With LEGOs - YouTube

Yep, it's that easy. Cutting Lego blocks like that isn't. Great video that will stick with your kids. Thanks @scottsy for sharing.

The Easiest Way To Learn Fractions With LEGOs - YouTube.

Students excel at spoken word project | Thanks PLN and Soundtrap.com

This past Thursday culminated a great project I facilitated with our Pioneer Tech High School students. In their Character Development and Leadership hour I teamed with teacher Amber Lugten to help students pursue what perseverance means to them and then express it in a unique way.

This really turned out to be a tale of the connected educator. Building upon the concepts of the Rock Our World Project founded by fellow Apple Distinguished Educator Carol Anne McGuire, I set off to have students create some type of collaborative music project...probably in Garage Band. Right about the same time I opened Rushton Hurley's Nextvista.org newsletter and he was telling of a similar cloud-based site called Soundtrap.com and discovered it would probably fit our needs better being web based and built for more for sharing than Garage Band. The kids took to the site like a white t-shirt to hot wings and I happily tweeted some of our successes. One of the first people to respond to my tweet was Soundtrap developer Frederik Posse. He liked the project so much that he offered to upgrade all of our accounts, student ones included to premium accounts. This type of extreme project evolution and upgrade doesn't happen for the educator that isn't deeply immersed in a personal learning network.

The kids worked hard and made seemingly thousands of revisions. I was so proud to accompany them on Maranda's Where you Live TV program that highlights all of the great things happening in West Michigan for kids and families.

Here is our segment and below that you'll find a link to Casey and Josh's project and the full write up from WOTV.



Perseverance Soundtrap Project

Students excel at spoken word project | WOTV4women.com.

#edcampOAISD Create Animated Text Cut-outs with Keynote

At EdCamp Ottawa Area ISD yesterday I shared how to do some app smashing with Keynote to create graphics featuring cut-out text and animation like this one for the word "sharks". Here is a step-by-step guide to the workflow involving Keynote, Preview, Giphy.com, and EzGif.com.

This and many other cool techniques will be featured in my upcoming MACUL two-hour hands-on session Friday March 20 in Detroit. Cost is $50. Space is still available and can be paid with registration or at the conference.

Choose your own Ed-venture and fund it with Donors Choose and the Gates Foundation

Is this winter dragging you down? Do you have one of "those" classes this year? Need to put some adventure back into to being an educator? Wanna get away?

"Yes," you say. "But where am I going to find such adventure and then get the dough to make that happen?"

Funny you should ask because there are a slew of great options in some amazing locations. CUE Rock Star is in Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, The Lakeshore of Michigan, and Boston as well as all over California this summer.

Discovery Education will soon be announcing details for its summer institute. Attending the 2008 institute at world headquarters in Silver Spring, MD was a huge launch to my career for connecting with other educators on a national and worldwide stage.

The Library of Congress holds several summer institutes for teachers as does Colonial Williamsburg,  Mount Vernon, The National Gallery of Art, Exploratorium in San Francisco, and the Smithsonian. All vary in how competitive their application processes are and what is required of attendees.

The National Endowment for the Humanities offers an astounding array of learning opportunities all over the world and throughout the United States that range from five days to five weeks. Many include handsome stipends to cover travel and fund future projects with the knowledge gained.

For experiences like Discovery that are free but attendees have to pay for travel or Rock Star that costs around $250 and requires travel, help can be found now at DonorsChoose.org. The site has teamed up with the Gates Foundation and together are running a pilot to help teachers fund their own professional development. Grant applications can be developed through their helpful guide.

So stop pouting about your sad lot in life. There are plenty of adventures to be had and now a new vehicle for getting those adventures funded. To be honest, adventures like these are what keep me amped up about education. Not only is the travel exciting but the biggest benefit comes from meeting incredible educators from around the globe. Get going!

I'm Speaking at #MACUL15

The 2015 MACUL Conference is three weeks away and my excitement for what I often call my most inspiring teaching week of the year is starting to build.

I will be sharing and engaging during three different sessions this year.

Thursday - March 19
•Google Certified Teacher/Trainer Panel  Discussion, 10:00 AM, Room 111 A/B
•These ARE the Droids you're looking for, 2:30 PM, Room 110 A/B

Friday - March 20
•If you can't make it in Keynote, You don't need it, 8:00 AM, Room 259 - This two hour hands-on session requires additional payment at registration.

Please stop by and be part of the conversations. I always leave MACUL amped for the remainder of the year primarily because of the great people with whom I get to spend the time.

Pharrell Williams, the essence of professional development, and #cuerockstar

"Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest places if you look at it right." ~ The Grateful Dead "Scarlet Begonias"

Last night while watching The Voice on NBC, I witnessed a couple of special minutes. After 17 year-old Bryce Sherlow's audition didn't make the cut, she graciously accepted the feedback and encouragement from the celebrity judges. When Bryce mentioned to Pharrell Williams that she had sung his hit "Happy" at the a cappella nationals, he asked her to sing a little.

"Get up there and sing it with her," instructed fellow judge Christina Aguilera...and he did.



This is the essence of what professional learning should be. Pharrell the mega star gave this young start-up a thrill of a lifetime by leaving his pedestal and putting himself on the same level as her. By him taking a step down so to speak, he lifted her up. The good educational presenters do that. They may have tens of thousands or Twitter followers and receive thousands per day from school districts to present, but to have lasting impact they have to meet their workshop attendees on a common level. That is how you move the craft of teaching forward. That is how you inspire the next wave to join you in moving the craft of teaching forward. That is also how any teacher inspires and moves their students forward.

The "Faculty members aren't the rock stars. Attendees are the rock stars." mantra of the CUE Rock Star Teacher Camps is the core value that has made them so impactful and why people attend multiple camps each year. It is why I have gotten so involved with them. When I watched Pharrell get on stage, I told my wife, "That is Rock Star to a tee. That is exactly what it is all about."

 

Tackling Technical Text with Paper Airplanes at Instructables com

Tackling Technical Text with Paper Airplanes at Instructables.com 







The site is actually loaded with easy to build, fun stuff like paper airplanes...some simple, some complex. Many of the instructions are written by kids too.

The second-graders dove right in to the many offerings. Some had to overcome the fact the task would take some thinking, trial and error, and perseverance. Overall, we ended up experiencing a lot of learning and having a lot of fun as this relentless winter raged on.

Easily find GMail sent and received between custom dates

Here is a quick way to see all of your sent and received email from a specific time period.

In the search bar type after:YEAR/MONTH/DATE before:YEAR/MONTH/DATE with your custom dates. See my example below from searching for mail during this past November.



For more advanced search techniques, check out Google's list of commands.

 

 

Happy Easter Egg! Hidden T-Rex Adventure in Chrome

Here is another great reason to have children. They teach you cool stuff they learn from their friends at school. We're not talking a new way to spit or armpit farts here. We're talking an Easter egg hidden in Google Chrome. My daughter came home from sixth grade with this little nugget today.

If you have ever lost wifi while browsing in Chrome you have likely encountered this critter and message.



Next time, tap your space bar and you will find yourself in a ridiculously simple and ridiculously addictive video game. It's a great way to pass the time until wifi comes back.

Of course you don't have to wait for the Internet to go down. Just turn off your wifi and hit reload on this page. You will connect to nothing and soon be jumping cactus and neglecting whatever it was you were supposed to be doing in the first place.

I am going on record right now that I won't be held responsible for the amount of time you waste on this little trick. But like John Lennon said, "The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."

 

Let your kids build the ultimate flying machine at Instructables

There are all kinds of things waiting to be built at Instructables.com.

Check out all of the different paper airplane plans and make the ultimate flying machine today.

Instructables: Paper Airplanes

Our second graders are digging in and next week we'll let them soar in the gym. That is one way to make it through the Michigan winter.

Chrome Extension Pic2Pixlr Cuts the Workflow

I use Pixlr a lot for photo editing and design. I have always appreciated the ability to open images to edit by pasting in their URLs. That process is a lot quicker once you install the Chrome extension Pic2Pixlr.

Now instead of having to open Pixlr editor in a separate tab and then pasting in an address of an online image, all I have to do now is right-click that image and get the "Open with pic2pixlr" option. From there I can left click on the general editor or designer apps Pixlr-O-matic or Pixlr Express.

Find Pic2Pixlr in the Chrome Web Store.

MACUL 2015: Get to the MichShift Idea Slam!

Check out this great event for Thursday March 18 at MACUL in Detroit.

ShiftMich Idea Slam

What better place than here? What better time than now?

A unique event during MACUL week

Are you a Michigan educator who is....

creative/inspired/adventurous?

Are you ready to...

connect with others/start something/tell your story?

If you are passionate about innovation in education...

Meet in Detroit!

The Idea Slam is a fast paced "pitch fest" and networking event for educators. Selected projects will be presented and attendees will vote on their favorite ideas. Winning projects will receive up to $1,000 towards their innovative educational idea. The rest of the evening is an informal meet-up with fun conversations and delicious offerings from Detroit Beer Company.

The concept of the Idea Slam was inspired by the Detroit Soup and TED Conference formats.

GET YOUR TICKET

200 tickets available- Sellout anticipated

All proceeds given back to the winning educators who pitch their impactful idea!

---

Detroit Beer Company

WHEN

Thursday, March 19th, 7:30-11pm

WHERE

1529 Broadway Street - Detroit

MORE INFORMATION

Detroit Beer Co. is located just a few steps off of the Detroit People Mover! Exit at the Broadway Street Station.

Driving? Your best bet is the Opera House Garage located at

1426 Broadway St

Detroit, MI 48226

Get Directions

Great city	Great space	Great people  7:30pm- Doors open

8:00pm- Opening remarks

8:15pm- Idea Slam pitches

9:00pm- Voting

9:15pm- Winners announced

9:15-11:00pm: Networking and idea sharing

Have an innovative Idea that could make a positive Shift in your school or education in general? Pitch it and you could walk away with money to get it off the ground! (Use the above link to apply for one of five pitch spots at the event. Organizers want to ensure presenters are organized and ready to SLAM. Only the top five selected will get a chance to pitch.)

Event flier on SMORE

Canva: 23-second Intro - YouTube

Check out Canva.com, a free graphic design site that offers premium features in a pay as you go format.

Below is their "23 Second Into" that effectively shows you the site's main features. New users can also complete a quick tutorial to get the feel of navigating and accessing features.

Personally I like that you can upload your own images and if you connect your Facebook account, you can access all of those images as well.

 

Canva: 23 Second Intro - YouTube.

Learn to Love Google Drive with Rob Lowe

Here is the slide deck for Wednesday Morning's session on embracing Google Drive.SHAREit For PC Windows WhatsApp Video Calling Apk We'll have a little help from Rob Lowe who uses Google Drive and from Creepy Rob Lowe, Meathead Rob Lowe, and Peaked in High School Rob Lowe as well.

EdTechnocation: Get your FREE Google Classroom iPad App User Guides!

If you are still on the fence about trying the Google Classroom app or fledgling along trying to figure it out on the fly, Michael Fricano's new resources for you and your students may just be the resource you need for moving all-in on the classroom and document management tool.

Get your FREE user guide for the new Google Classroom iPad App!

Google just released an Android & iOS app for Google Classroom. It's not full featured (yet) so it's important that teachers and students understand exactly what you can and can't do with the app.

Get the guides and read more at EdTechnocation: Get your FREE Google Classroom iPad App User Guides!.

Flocabulary Offers Free 90 Day Trial

Flocabulary is one of the tools we are using at Blue Star Elementary to engage students in boosting their academic vocabulary. It combines catchy hip hop music videos with all kinds of concepts from parts to speech to the Solar System to habits for being safe online.

The company is currently hosting a free 90 day trial for teachers. That is a great way to get through the rest of the Winter doldrums while infusing a little funk and fun into your pedagogy.

Check out the trial and then check out this sample of Flocabulary's take on order of operations.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zanq7gmXY88[/embed]

Check out all of the #cuerockstar Saugatuck awesomeness presenting at #MACUL15

We said last year that Rock Star Saugatuck Teacher Camp was all about launching the awesomeness within all of our attendees. On Day 1 last summer many were quietly questioning themselves as to whether they had bitten off more than they could chew. By the end of Day 3 we all were listening to and witnessing amazing transformations in so many of them. It wasn't that they had attended some magical session. They realized that they do indeed have a lot of insight into powerful teaching and a lot to share. Now six months later, 1/6 of Saugatuck campers are presenting at this year's big MACUL conference in Detroit from March 18-20.

Check out the great list of sessions below from last year's attendees and faculty. Then visit cuerockstar.org to register for this summer's July 7-9 camp presented by MACUL and Saugatuck Public Schools.

Thursday

8:00-10:00
Explore the Power of iPhoto - Dave Tchozewski (hands-on session, additional charge)

10:00-11:00
Blogging, It's Elementary - Heidi Gascon
Make a Presentation that will Wow your Students - Nicole Bauman, AnnMarie Willette

10:30-12:30
Creating Digital Books with iTunes Author - Dave Tchozewski (hands-on session, additional charge)

1:00-2:00
If you're Appy and you Know it, Come Smash with Us - Kristen Gavlas, Johnna Kline
Collaborate and Connect with Google Apps and Drive - Heidi Gascon
Inquiring Minds want to Know - Erin Mastin

2:30-3:30
These ARE the Droids you are Looking For - Andy Losik
Bring a new Dimension to Learning with Augmented Reality - Drew Minock
Going Paperless with Google - Kevin Kacel, Sam Sicilia

3:30-5:30
Create and Innovate with iTunes U - Rebecca Wildman (hands-on session, additional charge)

4:00-5:00
Beyond Paper and Pencil: Supporting Writing with Technology - Heidi Gascon, Stacey Schuh
No Tech to Lots of Tech - Keith Tramper
Student Data and Information Privacy in the App Era: A Panel Conversation - featuring Ben Rimes

Friday

8:00-10:00
If you can't Build it in Keynote, you don't Need It - Andy Losik (hands-on session, additional charge)

8:30-9:30
Needle in a Haystack: Internet Search Tips and Tricks - Colleen Robison
It Takes just a S.E.C. - Leveraging Schoology, Edmodo, or Classroom to Engage Learning - Nicole Bauman, AnnMarie Willette

10:00-11:00
Inspire Innovation by Fostering Collaboration and Creativity - Drew Minock
Teach Like a Transformer - Keith Tramper

10:30-12:30
Engage English Language Learners through Technology - Cheryl Prindle (hands-on session, additional charge)

11:30-12:30
Revitalizing Research in the Digital Age - Katie Aquino
The iPad's Killer App - Ben Rimes

1:00-2:00
Why Connect as an Educator? - Erin Mastin
Engage your Students with Free Web Tools - Dave Tchozewski
I've got a Brain to Pick with You - Jennifer Gwilt
The Battle for your Class: Google Classroom vs. Edmodo - Josh Hubbard

2:30-3:30
Closing Keynote: Culture, Innovation, and Learning: A 21st Century Paradigm Shift - Drew Minock

Wow! After the opening keynote you can do the whole conference front to back and you've got Rock Stars leading every time slot.

See you in Detroit. See you in Saugatuck this summer.

Blowing the Doors off Google Apps for Education

Here is the slide deck I will be using today in Caledonia as we dig deeper into the cool stuff Google Apps can provide.

 

iPad Apps for Film-making | A Listly List

Here is a great post I came across today highlighting 9 apps for film-making. These are great app smashers where each one performs a certain task and those products can all be mashed into one project.

iPad Apps for Film-making

Listly by Cathy Hunt

These apps provide us with endless possibilities for innovative teaching and creativity in the classroom. Introducing apps and workflows should be a derivative of considered instructional design and pedagogies that stems from a focus on the learning.

See Cathy's full post: iPad Apps for Film-making | A Listly List.

Hey Michigan, #cuerockstar's Back!

Last year was so awesome, we couldn't not do it again this year!

CUE and MACUL are two of the premiere organizations in the US for promoting the integration of technology in the classroom and are teaming up for Act II of the Rock Star Teacher Camp experience.

For these three days, the attendees are the Rock Stars and the presenters are just the lucky folks who get to help facilitate amazing collaboration and learning.

​

CUE Rock Star Saugatuck presented by MACUL will take place this summer at Saugatuck Middle School from July 7th to the 9th.

Check out cuerockstar.org to register or apply for a faculty spot. Deadline for faculty applications is on Feb. 22. Faculty receive complimentary registration and lodging. If you are applying, please do not register. We will save room for you if you are not selected and you may pay your registration later.

This year's camp will follow much of the same format that last year's did. Lots of learning. Lots of fun. Treating teachers like they've never been treated.

We really hope you'll consider being a part of this experience and will bring lots of friends.

Third Graders creating scale models of the world's tallest buildings

Last year my third grade students went big Cane's Arcade style when creating scale models of the world's tallest buildings. This activity takes a while but it builds so many skills and hits so many tech and math standards.

• Research


• Sketchup 3D model exploration


• How to work in teams


• Converting to scale (division)


• Converting decimals to fractions


• Measurement


• Creativity

To me it's really what STEM or STEAM learning should be about.

This year we are greatly scaling down the size of the buildings. 100 feet of reality equals 1 inch of model. After weeks of prep and design we are finally into the making stages. Here is a quick glimpse of the energy we are generating today.





I will be sure to share some of the finished models when we progress that far.

Turn all of the sensors in your Android devices into learning tools

I recently read a great article from Matt Miller's Ditch That Textbook blog about utilizing all of the different sensors that are part of so many mobile devices and turning them into learning tools.

Matt, a fellow Google Certified Teacher, recently did a Hangout with Rebecca Vierya. Rebecca and Matt met at the Austin Google Teacher Academy and she shared some of the Android software she and her husband developed to tap into all of the power that phones and tablets possess but isn't easily accessed for learning.

The Vierya's free Suite of Tools at Google Play is simple to use and contains the following apps:

• G-Force Meter - ratio of Fn/Fg


• Linear Accelerometer - acceleration


• Gyroscope - radial velocity


• Barometer - atmospheric pressure


• Roller Coaster - G-Force Meter, Linear Accelerometer, Gyroscope, and Barometer


• Proximeter - periodic motion and timer


• Hygrometer - relative humidity


• Thermometer - temperature


• Magnetometer - magnetic field intensity


• Light Meter - light intensity


• Sound Meter - sound intensity


• Tone Generator - frequency producer


• Orientation - azimuth, roll, pitch


• Stroboscope

According to the developers, "Useful for education, academia, and industry, this app uses device sensor inputs to collect, record, and export data. in comma separated value (csv) format through a .txt file sent via an e-mail or through Google Drive. All analog data is plotted against elapsed time (or clock time) on a graph. Users can export the data for further analysis in a spreadsheet or plotting tool. The app also allows for a tone generator output."

Through the user interface a number of the sensors can be used together for all kinds of different explorations of math and physics concepts in the real world.

On her own site, Rebecca has compiled a ton of links where the tools have been referenced at all levels of academia from elementary schools to higher education.

Connected Educator Un/Conference returns

It's back! Jackson ISD hosts its annual Connected Educator Un/Conference April 18th, 2015.

A mashup of educational technology & conversation, this is an opportunity to get you moving with an innovative classroom! The #ConnectedEDU Un/Conference features active learning experiences alongside and led by innovative Michigan educators!

via Connected Educator Un/Conference - EDTECH TEAM.

Google has a great Santa Tracker

Visit Santa's Village created by Google and enjoy a new activity every day. Each is labeled as Watch, Learn, or Play and feature varied levels of difficulty. There is a little something for everyone and lots of learning embedded into most every activity.

The site employs different forms of Google product. Some are tied to Google Code while others like the parachuting Santa game employs maps of the user's actual location. We typed in our school location and Santa landed on the map right in our parking lot. When Christmas Eve arrives, kids will be able to even track Santa on his trip.

 

Put some STEAM into your kids' Christmas

STEAM might seem just like another educational buzzword, but teaching in a way that fosters science, tech, engineering, art, and math produces well-rounded kids with the ability to communicate and solve problems.

This morning I got the chance to share some of these ideas on WOODTV-8 Daybreak.

 

Here are some great gift ideas to put some STEAM into your kids' holiday season.

Science - I Heart Guts plush toys -  Stuffed animal like organs for the kid who wants to be a doctor or just loves gross stuff. Doctors and pediatricians are actually using these in their practice so kids and adults better understand consults. $14-$20 

Technology - Ozobots -  Little tiny robots that can be easily programed either by an app or simply by using various colored markers on paper. Each color equals a different command. Giving kids opportunities to program and code is so very important, not necessarily to create a wave of app creators, but to develop in-depth logical thought in kids. $49

[embed]http://youtu.be/3-cWPzBiO8c[/embed]

Engineering - Tie - Goldiblox and the Zipline Adventure -  Kids get all of the parts to build a zipline for Goldie, the included action figure. The set also comes with an accompanying book to fuel the imaginative use of the zipline. Goldiblox is a company geared at getting more girls involved with engineering. $25

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1DyalYVGoY[/embed]

Equally cool are the Modarri toy cars  - These are like Hotwheels except kids build them from the ground up and then modify the steering, types of wheels, and suspension as well as other options. $19 each or $49 for 3 that comes with extra wheels.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctat8h7v2Ug[/embed]

Arts - Crayola Virtual Design Pro Car Collection - Crayola Virtual Design Pro Fashion Collection - Elaborate set of art and design supplies where kids make their own vehicles or fashion designs. A partner iOS or Android app lets them scan the designs and then play with them in a virtual world by racing their cars or having models wear their fashions down the runway.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dVTt8KwM5U[/embed]

Math - Good old deck of cards and "Book of Cards for Kids - 35 Classic Card Games" -   There are so many math concepts kids learn playing card games from counting, sorting, sequencing, all of the way up to figuring probability and it fosters great family time. $12

These gift ideas are just a handful of options that are available to stimulate thinking and creativity while still providing tons of fun. Notice that they aren't just device based. Each involves some form of real-world making stuff or analog play. All are great for friends and family to make and do together.

A Great Use of Space

Check out the picture that Oklahoma's Jeff Lay shared on Twitter.

All areas of a building can be utilized to encourage learning and something like this sends a message to the kids that multiplication facts are important more than during that sliver of the day when the class practices them.

11 Months, 3000 pictures and a lot of coffee. - YouTube

This is an amazing video created in stop motion. Read the creator's explanation of how it all began.

 

Started out as just a collection of snaps as I stripped down an engine bought off ebay. (To replace my old engine, which had suffered catastrophic failure). The snaps were so that I remembered how everything went, so I could put it back together again.

via 11 Months, 3000 pictures and a lot of coffee. - YouTube.

Emily Oren is the Regional Champion! - Hillsdale College Athletics

It's been a long time since I have been so proud of a former student.

Congrats former Bentheim Elementary Infotech student and Hamilton High School grad Emily Oren on such a great accomplishment becoming an NCAA Division II regional champion! The fact she runs for Hillsdale, the best college in the country makes me even prouder.

 

Emily Oren is the Regional Champion! - Hillsdale College Athletics.

Check out the Session Listings for #CUERockStar Camp Melbourne, FL

Get yourself some sun this winter and soak up some amazing professional development as well.

Check out the sessions now listed for Rock Star Florida

January 17-19, 2015

Stone Magnet Middle School, 1101 E University Boulevard, Melbourne, FL 32901

Day 1 - Microsoft, Google, and Apple

Day 2 - STEAM

Day 3 - Digital Pedagogies

All CUE Rock Star Teacher Camps are purposely designed and focused small group events that have three items in common:

Hands-On Learning

All three days consist of two, two-hour sessions allowing attendees to "dig in deep" and really get to know their topic and build resources to use next year.  Morning sessions are repeated in the afternoon so that attendees have two different opportunities to attend a workshop.

Small Presenter to Attendee Ratios

CUE Rock Star events are built so that there is one presenter for every ten attendees and the events sell out at 60-70 attendees.  This allows participants to get hands-on support and learn directly from knowledgeable educators. The amazing Faculty is there to support YOU, the real rock stars. CUE Rock Star Melbourne has an all-star cast of presenters, but the staff isn't who these events are about. The attendees are the real rock stars and contribute to the magic these camps produce. These three days focus on bringing out the best of all in attendance and launching a new crop of edtech leaders.

Time for Collaboration and Networking

We purposely start late, end early, and take extended lunches so that all attendees have ample opportunities to collaborate and network as part of learning community.

Lodging Information:

View this map for several hotels in the area. CUE is not endorsing or recommending any particular hotel; this is intended for informational purposes only.

Daily Schedule:

9:00      Coffee

9:30      Shred Sessions

10:00    Session 1

12:00    Lunch/Networking

2:00      Session 2

4:00      Closing

Registration and more details at  CUE Rock Star Camp Melbourne, FL.

5 Easy Tech Projects for Kids to Give Thanks

Here are five technology infused ways for kids to show their thankfulness as we head into Thanksgiving here in the U.S. Canadian friends can file this one away until next Fall.

The great thing about each of these activities is that thoughts and ideas are not only shared with the whole class but also an authentic audience across the web. Publish a link in a newsletter or on a class blog and invite the outside world into your classroom and the hard work of your students.

1. Blog Comments: One of the fastest ways for kids to give thanks is on a class blog. Create a post as a writing prompt and then open up the comments to your students. In Blogger and other platforms there are various settings to allow anonymous comments but have students sign each one with a first name. It is a good idea to watch each new addition closely to ward off any pre-holiday hi-jinx or silliness. It is neat to see all of the ideas in one group spot. Students can also comment on each other's thoughts.



2. Build a Shared Class Slide Deck: If your students all have Google Apps for Education accounts, you can create a presentation that has a blank slide for every student. Just share the deck with the entire class and each student can work in his or her own little corner of the collaborative project. It is a proactive idea to designate each slide ahead of time with a student name or class number. This greatly reduces students interfering with one another. Each can create a slide that has textual and visual expressions of what makes them thankful. The finished deck can be embedded on a class webpage for everyone to easily view.

[caption id="attachment_881" align="alignleft" width="251"] Haiku Deck helps you makes stunning slides.[/caption]

3. Get Artsy with Haiku Deck: Students will need an account in Haiku Deck, but they can do that with their Google Accounts as well. Haiku Deck is available free as an iOS app or on the web at HaikuDeck.com. There isn't the option of all collaborating on the same deck of slides like in Google Apps, but there are a number of sharing options that easily let students email links or embed codes to a teacher so all of the work can get compiled in one publicly accessible spot. Students can upload their own background photos or select from the beautiful free collection that Haiku Deck offers.

4. Create a Pic Collage: This a great free app available on iPad and Android devices. It has an easy to use interface for dragging and dropping a number of pictures into a collage and accenting with text and borders. A number of frames are available that makes the maneuvering even easier. Non-linguistic representations of concepts are often the most powerful connections to really understanding something. A collage showing thankfulness really gets kids thinking about what they have special in their lives, but also how to effectively communicate that visually. Collages can be saved as images and then posted by the teacher.

5. Let Them Show it with ShowMe: ShowMe is a great whiteboard recording app for the iPad. Students can upload a picture or draw one and then create a voice over track telling for what they are thankful. One advantage that ShowMe has over some of the other whiteboard apps is that if logged into a teacher account, the quick movies generated can all be easily posted to webspace that ShowMe provides.

None of these techniques take a tremendous amount of tech skills and don't require a lot of planning on the teacher's part. Give one a spin this week and you are likely to wind up thankful you did.

Great stories show Michigan schools "Doing More Together"

Check out just some of the amazing teaching and learning happening across the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District here in Michigan. I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many educational organizations doing things at an incredible level.

DoingMoreTogether.org Stories.

Great Story Starters with "The Big Picture" from The Boston Globe

Thanks to Ben Rimes for sharing this great resource from the Boston Globe. These pictures are fabulous to use as writing prompts, story starters, and non-verbal representations of academic vocabulary words. I am putting them to use today.

 

The Big Picture - The Boston Globe.

In case anybody at Google needs a Christmas idea for me....

Crop and Export Google Drawing as Transparent Graphics

I got inspired by Eric Griffith at the Michigan Google Conference to start using Google Drawing more but I found it limited in that everything was on a rectangle and I didn't know an easy way to export.

Today I discovered you could not only export as a .png graphic with full transparency but that you can also grab the bottom right corner and crop the size of your canvas. This is great for creating banners for websites or letter heads.

The only thing that continues to be missing is a quicker way to save that .png file into Google Drive without having to download it first and then upload it into your Drive account.

[caption id="attachment_852" align="alignleft" width="885"] The quick and easy way to crop and export Google Drawings as .png[/caption]

Find the Google Experts around You

Google Education has created a comprehensive directory of Google Certified Teachers, Google Education Trainers, partner organizations and reference schools.

One of the features I like the most is that you can even search geographically and locate those experts closest to home.



 

Explain Everything + Google Drive = Awesome

I saw today via the Twitterverse that the whiteboard app Explain Everything  (iOS|Android) connects with Google Drive. I have primarily been a user of ShowMe when it comes to whiteboard apps but this might be the tipping point for me to move over to the EE side of the fence. Add in the fact that Explain Everything is also the only whiteboard app currently available on Android and it becomes even more attractive since I use devices on that platform as well.

When starting a new project, Explain Everything allows users to access photos from the device's internal media storage but also makes materials and docs in iTunes, Dropbox, Box.com, Evernote, and OneDrive available in addition to what you have in your connected Google Drive account. With some of the other whiteboard apps, I would get frustrated because something I wanted to annotate in a video wasn't in the camera roll on that one particular device.

Those multiple cloud-based options are also available when it comes to saving your project video with the additional benefit of exporting to Vimeo. On the iPad, there is even the option to open the project in other apps like iBooks as a .pdf or iMovie as a .mp4.

Here is a video I created from family pictures housed in Drive and then saved back to Drive. 

Here is a scenario where Explain Everything connected to Google Drive could be very handy for a teacher. A fourth grade teacher is trying to figure out why many of her students are struggling with long division so she has them each complete one long division problem on the tablet in the hallway while narrating their problem solving with Explain Everything. By having students save their videos to her Google Drive or a classroom Drive account, she can later watch those videos on her computer. She can analyze exactly where hangups are happening for each student and organize all of those pieces of formative assessment into one folder. She could conference the next day with each student as they watch the video together and address the specifics of the problem. She can also share that video with a child's family very easily to help explain where the student needs work.

One drawback of Explain Everything is that the app does not provide users an online space to post their videos like ShowMe does. With all of these other options, that is quickly becoming a moot point.

The app costs $2.99 but is easily worth every cent.

 

Power to the pupil | Jennifer Magiera | TEDxBurnsvilleED - YouTube

Jennie Magiera folks.......As good as it gets! A great friend and great inspiration.

via Power to the pupil | Jennifer Magiera | TEDxBurnsvilleED - YouTube.

Catch my MiGoogle Conference sessions on live streaming

The Michigan Google Conference will live stream my two featured sessions Become a SAMR-ai with Android Devices and These ARE the Droids you are looking for via live stream beginning at 1:10 EST on Tuesday November 4.The conference will also stream the keynote from Cyrus Mistry, head of Chromebooks at Google, as well as Kelly Kermode's featured morning  sessions.

The action kicks off at 8:30 EST.

Live-Stream - migoogle14.

Teachers learn a ton at conferences. Kids can too.

This past Monday I had the opportunity to attend the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association conference in Lansing with thirty-five Hamilton High School journalism students and their teachers Mark Behnke and Kevin Weed.

Not only did I pick up some great ideas for assessing my own students' work and supporting scholastic journalism efforts, I also realized that students enjoy learning in the conference format as well.

Students from the school's newspaper "The Thunderhawk" and sports media class "Covering Hawkeyes Sports" share their reflections on getting out of the building for a day and engaging in some self-directed learning.

 

Hamilton High School attends MIPA Journalism Conference - YouTube.

Only 2 weeks left to register for the Michigan Google Conference

Register NOW for the  2014 Michigan Google Summit (miGoogle) at Brighton High School on November 3-4, 2014. Registration deadline is 12pm, October 30, 2014.   Four conference highlights you DONT want to miss: 8 Full and half-day Hands on Workshops! Additional sections added due to high demand. REGISTER NOW! Opening Keynote - Cyus Mistry, Senior Product Manager, Chromebooks for Education, Google. LEARN MORE 95 breakouts sessions on every imaginable Google topic. Click to view sessions! Closing demo slam featuring 8 top technology using educators and product give-away! LEARN MORE  Click to register  Registration deadline is Thursday, October 30, 12:00 pm.

Teach with the passion of Clark Little

As Blue Star Elementary principal said today in our staff meeting, this video has absolutely nothing with teaching and absolutely everything to do with teaching.

Bottom line: Do what you love and stay stoked after you get smacked in the face. Enjoy and check out more of Clark's work.



 

Use Google Slides as an online Academic Vocabulary Notebook

In Hamilton, part of our district and building improvement process includes increasing student academic vocabulary capacity.

John Marzano has laid out six steps for teachers to follow when introducing new content-specific words.

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="694"] Marzano's six steps  - fhsdvocabulary.pbworks.com[/caption]

In my elementary technology classes, third and fourth graders are performing step 4 now in Google Drive with a digital notebook.  All I did was adapt one of Marzano's notebook templates and created it in Google Slides. I made the deck public and kids created their own copies and shared them with me.

Kids write the definition in their own words, they rate their understanding of the word, and also find a non-linguistic representation of the word. The template I created makes it really easy for the kids to add and record their knowledge of the words.

Doing it this way takes advantage of all of the benefits of Google documents like ubiquitous access and sharing.

Find and create a copy of the slide deck here.  Feel free to use it and share it.

[caption id="attachment_801" align="alignleft" width="866"] Academic Vocabulary Template[/caption]

 

Anything you tweet can and will be used against you...

I should know better. I spend all week working with kids and technology, reminding them to watch their digital footprints. It is as simple as the Miranda warning. Anything you tweet can and will be used against you. None of my students got hung out to dry digitally (at least that I know of)this weekend. It happened to me.

After watching a great high school football game on Friday night between Fennville (where my dad coaches) and Saugatuck (where I used to coach, my wife teaches, and my daughter attends) I was unwinding before bed with a little time on Twitter. One of the Holland Sentinel reporters was tweeting a little bit about the game so I shared a couple of thoughts, specifically that I thought Fennville could have taken advantage of interior matchups and run more between the tackles. Here are the tweets.

@mappelgate206 @TheLakeFootball Fennville - Saugatuck was a great high school football game. BHawks shoulda kept it on the ground.

— Andy Losik (@mrlosik) October 11, 2014

@mappelgate206 @TheLakeFootball It was indeed but that O-Line had S worn out. Love the play where Overheiser comes in motion and leads....

— Andy Losik (@mrlosik) October 11, 2014

@mappelgate206 @TheLakeFootball Meaning specifically on those key 3rd/4th downs down the stretch. Win it in the ditch but can't fault effort

— Andy Losik (@mrlosik) October 11, 2014

What I didn't expect was to have the reporter quote my tweet about what Fennville should have done in his story of the game. When I called my dad on Sunday morning, the first thing that he wanted to know was what the heck the Holland Sentinel was doing quoting me questioning their play calling. Yeah, instant tummy ache. The cool thing about my dad is that he actually thought it was funny.

As I would later tweet to the reporter, I was not expecting some meaningless post-game chat to be quoted. But, like I also stated to him, "I know Twitter is public. My big mistake."

This guy must have really been digging for filler if he is taking some random guy on Twitter's thoughts about small town high school football. In a later tweet I didn't bore you with, I told the reporter that my dad was the Fennville offensive line coach. You would think he would understand how publishing a quote that sounds critical might cause some drama. Maybe that was the goal all along.

Bottom line: I should've known better.

Winter will suck. #CUErockstar Florida will not suck.

We are taking #CUErockstar back to the beach...but keeping it in the Eastern Time Zone. Rock Star Teacher Camp Melbourne, Florida will take place from January 17-19 at Stone Magnet Middle School just a few blocks from the Atlantic beaches.


I had a blast coordinating Rock Star Saugatuck last summer and am tickled to be the lead learner for this Southeastern version of the best professional development on the planet.

Two guys we are proud to announce as faculty for this extravaganza are Rushton Hurley and John Sowash. Both are immensely talented at working with small groups of learners and have literally traveled the world sharing their knowledge.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="229"] Rushton Hurley[/caption]

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="385"] John Sowash and Family[/caption]

We are accepting applications for additional faculty through November 1 and encourage educators ready to take the next step in their career as a facilitator or presenter to the next level. Apply now.

Conference Format

All CUE Rock Star Teacher Camps are purposely designed, focused, small group everts that have three items in common:
Hands-On Learning Sessions 
All three days consist of two, two-hour sessions allowing attendees to "dig in deep" and really get to know their topic and build resources to use next year. Morning sessions are repeated in the afternoon so that attendees have two different opportunities to attend a workshop.
Small Presenter to Attendee Ratios
CUE Rock Star events are built so that there is one presenter for every ten attendees, and the events sell out at 60-70 attendees. This allows participants to get hands-on support and learn directly from knowledgeable educators.
Time for Collaboration and Networking
We purposely start late, end early, and take extended lunches so that all attendees have ample opportunities to collaborate and network as part of a learning community.

Daily Schedule:
9:00 Coffee - Pastries (provided)
9:30 Shred Sessions
10:00 Hands-on Session 1
12:00 Lunch (provided) / Networking
2:00 Hands-on Session 2 (complete with ice cream break)
4:00 Closing

My mantra for organizing and leading events like Rock Star Teacher Camp is simple: "Treat teachers like they have never been treated before." Feedback from Saugatuck attendees was that we knocked that out of the park. I will personally guarantee that will happen for this one as well.

Winter will be here all too quickly and it is going to suck. Book your trip to escape it in Florida now...and experience amazing professional learning along the way.

Register now.

Learning Google Slides with The Avengers

With Jon Corippo's "Learn Keynote with Chuck Norris" as inspiration, I present to you "Learning Google Slides with the Avengers"

This slide deck takes users through a number of skills for creating solid presentations and taking advantage of some advanced features. Check out Tinyurl.com/AvengersSlides and make yourself your own copy.


 

Take your kids into the Shark Tank

Shark Tank isn't just a TV show for entrepreneurs to get their big break. The same format of pitching to a panel of experts can be a great culminating event for any project.

Last week Ted Malefyt and Nate Alkire, teachers of the integrated math and science STREAM School class at Hamilton Middle School, took their students into the shark tank.

To add a level of awesome to the experience classes made the short trip to the world headquarters of Haworth Inc., an office furniture manufacturer in Holland, Michigan.

Students had to pitch their solutions to the driving question "How might we minimize the impact school groups have on the high school wetland?". A diverse panel of sharks assembled and asked poignant questions of all thirteen  groups. Not only did the kids deliver a number of well researched and practical solutions, they also had an intelligent answer for anything thrown at them by the sharks.

This was a true display of deep learning and not just the recitation of facts from a study guide. Make your kids dig deeper, take them into their own shark tank experience.

Below are nine-and-a-half minutes that capture just a taste of the hard work and stellar presentations on display last Thursday.