Keep Rowing | The Players' Tribune #RTB

Whether you're into College Football or not, the infectious PJ Fleck and his "Row The Boat" philosophy translate well to any school or classroom culture. Having earned my Masters degree from Western, it is great to see the amazing things Fleck and the team are doing on the field, but it's what's happening behind the scenes that is the most inspiring.

The Players Tribune is easily my favorite sports publication, probably because it speaks to the life experiences and not just to the box scores. Give it a read.

You see, I don’t ask my players for their very best only on game day. I push them to hold themselves to that standard every single day.

Article: Keep Rowing | The Players' Tribune

Use Swift Playgrounds Resources with any Coding Program

Apple's  Swift Playgrounds app and their "Everyone Can Code" initiative is a great program for learning the coding language that powers iOS apps. Not only is there a puzzle-based app an immersive learning experience, there are numerous teacher resources in both iBooks and iTunes U. For iBooks there are three teacher guides: Level 1 and 2, Level 3, and App Development.

Now, the Swift Playgrounds program might not be a fit for every classroom because it has to be done on an iPad running iOS 10 and be one of the following generations:  iPad Air, iPad mini 2 or newer, or any size iPad Pro. I work out of four elementary schools and only one has iPads that can run the app.

Even though I use other others like studio.code.org and Google CS-First in my other buildings, there are still a lot of great resources that Apple offers that I use as demonstration even when our activities are Scratch-based. Fellow Apple Distinguished Educator Gabriella Meyers hosts a number of videos within the iTunes U course that explain concepts like algorithms and functions but don't reference Swift specifically. I have found them to be great, concise explanations my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders really understand. Sometime you just need someone else to explain it.

So, it doesn't matter what coding instructions you are using. Take a look inside of what Apple offers for Swift Playgrounds. You might find a lot that is useful.

[caption id="attachment_1428" align="aligncenter" width="452"] Apple Distinguished Educator Gabriella Meyers explains functions in an iTunes U course.[/caption]

Find Great Apple Teacher Resources In iBooks Store

Whether you are pursuing the various badges that Apple now offers as part of its Apple Teacher program or just looking to sharpen your Mac and iPad skills, the iBooks store is full of great resources. Two series of multi-touch iBooks are available for using iPads and Macs in the classroom. Here are some of the titles available.

Each iBook contain video tutorials that allows the user to actually see the skill being performed in detail. Below is a page from the iMovie for Mac guide.

Additionally, Apple Teacher just began offering a path for earning badges for its new coding tutorial app Swift Playgrounds.

Below is a direct link to  the iBooks resources. For more information about the program, click here.


 

Top Gifts for Young Engineers - 2016 Edition - Left Brain Craft Brain

The Top Gifts for Young Engineers gift guide is packed full of STEM toys and activities that will keep kids having fun and learning this Christmas.

Source: Top Gifts for Young Engineers - 2016 Edition - Left Brain Craft Brain

Win an Agricultural Grant for Your Middle School #ScienceOfSoil

Official Discovery Education Release:

 



Second Annual Let it Grow Contest is Now Open! 

Discovery Education and the Nutrients for Life Foundation have joined forces again to give six lucky schools a chance to win big with the Let it Grow Contest. 

Open to educators and community adults nationwide, the Let it Grow Contest encourages entrants to vote DAILY for a middle school* of their choice for a chance to win an agricultural grant, which could be used towards a school garden or gardening supplies, and more! 

Check out the Prizing: 

• One Grand Prize winning school will receive a $5,000 agricultural grant and an introduction to a local agronomist!


• Five Runners-Up will each win a $1,000 agricultural grant and an opportunity to win a celebratory winner event.

Entering is Easy: 

• Answer five soil related quiz questions to unlock the contest application


• Find Your school and provide your contact information


• Most importantly, come back and enter daily


• Don't forget to share with your friends for extra entries!

*Includes all 6-8 public, private, and parochial schools, or schools with a middle component, e.g. K-12 institutions.

For more FREE soil science resources, click here. 

Questions? Email us at FromtheGroundUp@Discovery.com 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE CHANCES OF WINNING. Voting open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C., age 18+. Subject to Official Rules. Voting ends 3/14/17 at 5:00PM ET. Void where prohibited by law. 

Remix...Don't Reinvent STEM Lesson Plans

As I get ready to embark on my newest adventure of switching from an elementary Infotech teacher to an elementary STEM teacher, I have been doing a lot of lesson planning.

Luckily there are tons of STEM lesson plans readily available on the web. Some obviously are better than others but here is a list of the best ones I have encountered. Check them out.

CUE SteamPunk 

Sphero SPRK Lessons

Dash and Dot Curriculum

Polar 3D Printer Cloud 

Brian Briggs • Rock Star Drone Academy • Coding Playground

Engineering is Elementary

Cogniflex is a nootropic equation that guarantees to soar your fixation and lift your inventiveness utilizing research-upheld regular fixings. Here's our Cogniflex Review 2017. Cogniflex is a dietary supplement that comes in bundles of 60 cases. By taking two cases each day, you can purportedly appreciate nootropic benefits.

STEM Collaborative • 2

NC State: The Engineering Place

STEMpact: Lesson Design Resources • Sample Plans

Lesson Plan Template • 2

10 Ways To Stop the Summer Slide

The following was posted for my elementary kids on my classroom blog mrlosik.blogspot.com.  I am sharing it here to offer up some ideas teachers can use to help their own students avoid the "summer slide".

Don't let the last nine months of hard work simply slip away. Here are tens ways to keep the knowledge, creativity, and problem solving growing.

1. Read. Our local libraries are amazing places and wonderfully cool on hot days. Holland's Herrick District Library has lot of summer activities planned and so does the Saugatuck Douglas Library. The Kent District Library in Grand Rapids does too if your family is up for a little reading road trip. Best of all, they are all free. Another free online resource is the Michigan Electronic Library's kids section.

Your family can also sign up for Epic Books and have unlimited access to all kinds of digital books for your iPad or tablet. Think of it like Netflix for books with tons of the best titles like Big Nate and Bad Kitty. Epic is $4.99 per month and the first month is free. That's less than a pizza and whether you like fiction or non-fiction, there is something for everybody.

2. Practice Math Facts. Teaching and learning are a lot like playing sports. Professional football players don't just sit around all summer waiting for training camp. They are doing something everyday to become faster, stronger, and smarter. Whether it's running, lifting weights, or perfecting how to better cover a pass, they know without it, they won't be successful. The same is true with math facts. The more they become automatic, the more you can move on to more exciting stuff. Spend time on IXL and XtraMath this summer building your speed, strength, and brain. Here is the Blue Star IXL login.

3. Build Something. One of the main reasons we do math is so we can make cool stuff. Anybody can be a worksheet monkey but is really special to do something with your math skills. Whether you are just nailing wood together on a workbench or creating your own iPad speakers you have to be able to measure your pieces and solve equations. Check out Instructables.com and you will be amazed at all of the projects from simple to mind-blowing. Most even use things you just have lying around the house.

4. Get Outside and Explore. Did you know that in Michigan you are never more than six miles from water? West Michigan is literally one of the best places on earth to spend the summer. Whether it is a visit to a park, the woods, or the beach there are great places to explore just minutes from your house.  The Shore Acres Park near the Felt Mansion has all of that and more. Walk the trails and check out the different trees and then look for fossils, sea glass, and special rocks on beach. The Lake Michigan Rock Picker's Guide is a great book for identifying what you find. Here is a cool blog with some other information. Pier Cove, Westside County Park, Douglas Beach, and Laketown Beach are all free and close by.

5. Grow Something and Eat It. You might live on a big farm or you might live in a tiny apartment, but everyone has enough room for a flower pot or planter. Go big on a whole garden or just spend a buck or two on some green bean seeds and plant them in sturdy pot. Give them water and sun and soon you will have a beanstalk offering up a crisp healthy snack. Gardening Fundamentals  is a great place to start. Print out the journal to track your gardening.

6. Learn to Code. Why just play video games when you can learn an entire new language and build your own? Visit CODE.org and work on a couple of challenges like the Mindcraft, Star Wars or Frozen ones. If you get caught by the coding bug, keep going and try one of their 20 Hour Courses. There is something for every grade level from pre-school on up. Completing these courses will actually give you a nice boost on a career in computer science or set you up to build your own game.

7. Catch the Olympic Spirit. The world's best athletes are headed to Rio de Janeiro in August for the 2016 summer Olympics. Sharpen your geography and boost your knowledge by digging into the history of the games, researching your favorite athletes, and making the flags you find most interesting. Teachervision.com has a great site for getting started. NBC will provide hundreds of hours of coverage but you don't have to wait until August. Check out NBCOlympics.com now to learn all about what is coming up from Rio.

8. Play60. Just go outside and play. You don't have to spend money going to a sports or summer camp. It doesn't even matter if there are any other kids around either. Speaking of Olympics, set up your own events even if you just draw a line, pick up a rock, and jump as far as you can. Set the rock down next to where your back heel landed. Try to beat it. If you want to do some moving with a pro athlete, check out Washington Redskins' Ryan Kerrigan leading some agility activities from Discovery Education and the NFL. Getting creative outside is great for mind and body.

9. Go new places. If you have opportunity to take a trip, understand how lucky you are to be getting out and experiencing new places. Just paying attention to how the scenery changes or the importance of physical and human-created landmarks is the best social studies lesson anybody can have. Even if it doesn't work out for your family to embark on an epic journey just go somewhere different like a park you've never explored. Try to unplug as much as possible but if you are going to bring along a device use it to capture and then share the adventure. Here are some great apps for that.

10. Do Something For Someone Else. No matter what you do this summer, do something for someone else. The real reward is the feeling you get inside. I've always believed true friendship is true service so just randomly decide to help someone do something like empty the dishwasher or even clean your room without being told. The more you volunteer your time and talents, the more likely you will return to school in the fall ready to be the kind of kid that makes any school a better place to be.

Our summer vacation is something we can't take for granted. Find a nice balance of recovering from this school year, resting up for the next one, and finding ways to keep your brain firing while you make it the best one ever!

10 Ways Glowforge Can Disrupt Education

It's been a long time since I have been more excited about the introduction of a piece of technology than I am for the Glowforge.



Aside from all of the personal ways I can see Glowforge help bring my creativity to life, this single device has the potential to revolutionize so many of the ways we do things in the typical school. I have often said, "There is a lot of money to be made in education...just not in teaching." Schools spend a ton of money that goes to vendors, but here are 10 ways a single Glowforge can change that.

1. Die Cut Letters - The Ellison die cut machines have dominated the bulletin board making market my entire career and their stuff is expensive. A single set of alphabet tiles runs $500 and it takes a ton of time to plan and cut that "Hurry Spring" signage. With a Glowforge you can throw a stack of construction paper into the machine and have your whole set of cut-outs zipped out in a couple of minutes...and you're not stuck with one font either. If you can type it on an device, you can cut it out of construction paper.

2. Mothers Day Gifts - Think about the huge ramp-up in production value that the average elementary school class could do when it comes to personalized gift crafting. Goodbye paper plate bouquets and hello personalized wooden votive candle holders.

3. Awards and Trophies - Athletic departments and honor societies spend huge amounts of their budgets on trophies, plaques, and awards. Think about the amount of money that could be saved if schools just bought the raw materials and engraved all of their own awards. What if a school created a class where kids designed and created all of the awards? A teacher may have to do final names but 90% of the work could be student driven and done at a fraction of the dough Ned at the trophy shop is charging.

4. Inventory Engraving - Speaking of engraving...instead of a jittery hand with an engraving pen or a sticker that is easily removed, schools could engrave items like laptops and iPads with attractive, permanent identifiers. Check out what Glowforge designers have done with a Macbook.

 

5. Staff ID Badges - Get creative and save money by creating personalized staff or visitor badges by cutting and engraving them from your choice of materials.

6. Pro-Style Locker Labels - If you have ever seen an interview from a professional or big-time college sports locker room then you've seen the fancy headers above each locker sporting the athlete's name, number, and team logo. With some creativity and cheap 1"x2" lumber, a school could give its athletes the pro treatment.

7. School Spirit Items - Lots of schools sell items as fundraisers and to boost school spirit. Instead of eating up profits by going to one of the national suppliers, schools could begin buying blank stock items and doing the engraving and laser cutting themselves with a Glowforge. You can't screen print with it but you can create some amazing luggage tags, pendants, and other personalized signage that can generate spirit, pride, and revenue.

8. Etsy Class - Think of all of the economics and entrepreneurship that can be experienced when students begin to design, create, and market products with a Glowforge. With sites like Etsy and Mercari as global marketplaces, individual students may begin to peddle their wares  to the far reaches of the Internet. It sure beats 180 days of PowerPoint lectures and worksheets.

9. Trick Out Your Office Space - With every Glowforge purchase comes access to the members' catalog that features projects ready to print and assembly. This iPhone stand is one example of the cool stuff that staff can create for themselves and add a high end, start-up, feel to the workplace. There are a ton of neat items like this available. Glowforge features a similar computer stand in many of its promotional materials that was cut as flat pieces and then glued together.

10. Hands-on Classroom Products - Instead of buying any of these items, just create your own.

•Wooden or Acrylic Cut-out Letters and Numbers for the early elementary classroom

•Wooden or Acrylic Cut-out Shapes or other math manipulates that can be used K-12

•3D Geometrical Shapes that can be cut from all kinds of materials from cardboard to plastics

•United States or World Puzzles cut from plywood or plastic. Team with the art teacher and have kids paint and label each state or country.

•3D Models of Landmarks can be elaborately created by cutting flat slices and assembling a bunch of pieces like this Space Needle or just cut and engrave a 2D image on piece of wood thick enough to stand up on its own or with a small additional brace.

Like I said, I haven't been more excited about a piece of technology in a long time. It can turn all kinds of creative dreams into reality but it has nearly infinite potential to impact how we do things and what we can create in our schools.

PBS Kids: Design Squad Explains Design Thinking

Here are the best six minutes and thirty seconds I have spent this school year when it comes to understanding and teaching the design process to my students.

You may not use the same D-Think vocabulary but watching these kids complete the steps it takes to address and solve a problem is a great tool for students to learn and internalize the approach.


In addition, the Design Squad section on PBSkids.org is loaded with more videos, full episodes of the series targeted toward preteens and teens, as well as creative problem solving games. Our fourth graders are not only excelling at the activities they are also applying the design process to other projects we are completing.

Bluestacks full Version free download for Android Handset

BlueStacks App Player is an apparatus that enables you to run Android applications on your PC with an agreeable menu. From its interface, you'll have the capacity to deal with every one of the elements on your virtual gadget, and download and introduce huge amounts of various applications in only a couple of moments.

Bluestacks full Version free download for Android Handset

When beginning to run the program, it'll inquire as to whether you have an Android telephone. In the event that you do, you'll have the capacity to connect it up with the program and match up the greater part of your applications and assignments on the record you're right now utilizing. In the event that, then again, you don't have an Android telephone, that won't be a lot of an issue in any case, given that despite everything you'll have the capacity to download applications and utilize them.

Bluestacks full Version free download - You'll have a few distinct alternatives to download applications: utilizing the local application store connected to Bluestacks; getting to Google Play from your program, or downloading APK documents. With regards to the next download choices, this application works simply like a genuine Android gadget.

Framework controls are anything but difficult to utilize appropriate from your mouse where clicking replaces tapping and motions by mapping certain activities on your console. You'll additionally dependably have the capacity to utilize your outside gamepad or depend on the first material components in the event that you're utilizing a tablet or PC with a touch screen work. You'll likewise have the capacity to reproduce applications that utilization an accelerometer just by writing into your console.

Least prerequisite for Bluestacks include: 2 GB or higher memory, 4 GB space in hard drive, and Direct X 9.0 or higher installed.[13] The client additionally requires overseer benefits, can't keep running on the client's PC if BitDefender is introduced and the client's PC realistic cards ought to be refreshed to the most recent renditions.

Honor an Educational Superstar With a DENny Award

We are surrounded daily by great educators who change lives daily and are inspiring to their colleagues. Honor their greatness by nominating them for Discovery Education DENny Award.

 

2016 DENny Awards- Call for Nominations

Have you seen a colleague sharing his or her passion for Discovery Education? Do you know someone who is transforming learning in the classroom with Discovery Education? Is there a school or district administrator you believe deserves recognition? We know amazing things are happening in the classrooms and schools of Discovery Educators every day. We need your help celebrating them. Help us discover all the great examples of Discovery Education in action in your school and district by nominating a fellow Discovery Educator for a DENny Award.

Nominate a great teacher today.

MACUL Announces Spectacular 2017 Lineup of Keynote Speakers

2017 MACUL CONFERENCE

March 15-17 | Cobo Center | Detroit, MI

We're announcing our keynotes for #macul17! See below:

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Sir Ken Robinson
Opening  - March 16

Internationally Acclaimed Expert on Creativity and Innovation and Author, Finding Your Element, The Element and Out of Our Minds

 

 

 

Jane McGonical 

Friday - March 17

World-renowned game designer, Inventor of SuperBetter, Author of the NYT bestseller Reality Is Broken, and Advisor and affiliate researcher with the Institute For The Future

Jennie Magiera
Closing - March 17

Chief Technology Officer, PLAYDATE Co-founder, White House Champion of Change, Google Certified Innovator & Apple Distinguished Educator

Visit maculconference.org for more information.

Epic, Brain Pop, and Seesaw Lead the Educational Migration to Apple TV OS

Just a couple of weeks ago it was hard for me to justify paying nearly double for the newest generation of Apple TV for classrooms compared to the previous generation. In my living room tons of great entertainment apps make the difference well worth the money. In the classroom there have not been many reasons to not just buy the cheaper model since Airplay is really  the feature most want.

My thinking is starting to change now that educational entities are starting to code for the TVOS platform. There is still a lot of space for growth but three key players are charting a course through these open waters.



Epic - Think "Netflix meets Childrens Lit." This great site is full of the latest children's fiction and non-fiction and is 100% free for elementary teachers and librarians. These aren't poorly made ebooks; they are digital versions of some of the most-loved and newest books on the market. With the AppleTV app teachers can display the book on the big screen and read it aloud to the class. No more sore arms and no more hearing, "I can't see," as you try to read a picture book aloud to the class. Several books even have a "read to me" feature.

BrainPop Jr. - Movie of the Week - BrainPop has been producing great non-fiction animated shorts for years and now has brought its K-3 focused "Brain Pop Jr. Movie of the Week" to TVOS. Check out a different one each week with included educational activities. BrainPop Jr. subscribers can also login and access even more content.

Seesaw - This digital portfolio suite is taking classrooms by storm and now it comes to the Apple TV.  Teachers can log in to their classroom accounts and share on a big screen examples of student work or create slide shows and galleries. Think of how cool that would be to have playing during conferences or parents' night. Parents can log in to the app at home and then be connected with their child's individual portfolio. Now there is a great way for kids to show off some accomplishments the next time grandparents come to visit.

There are other non-education-specific apps too that could lend themselves to the educational setting. Word Girl and Super Why are great programs available through the PBS Kids app and a number of virtual planetariums are now available on TVOS.

Let's hope that more educational entities continue to write for Apple's newest platform, further bolstering an argument for choosing the newest generation of Apple TV over the previous generation.

 

 

Fidgits: Fabulous Design-Thinking Problem-Solvers from PBS Kids

PBS has a great show called the Design Squad and with it comes a ton of fabulous challenges at PBSkids.org where users have to save little robotic creatures called Fidgits.

Teaching the design process has found a home at the core of a ton of my teaching in our elementary technology classes. "Fidgits" lets kids design their own fictional robotic creatures or perform a number of challenges to save Fidgits in danger.

How many challenges can you complete?

Although I use a pared-down version of the formal design process, I start in second grade at teaching kids that every challenge requires them to follow the design process.

1) Define the problem

2) Ideate

3) Prototype your solution.

4) Test

5) Repeat the process until it is perfect.

Fidgits is a great exercise for practicing that mindset.

Play now.

#MiGoogleFest Returns in August

It was a smashing success last Fall and it is coming back for its second year. MACUL presents Google Fest 2016 at the Amway Grand in Grand Rapids on August 9 and 10.Tuesday the 9th will feature a series of specialized "camps" for administrators and users with varying skill levels.  Incredible educator and all-around good dude Kyle Pace will keynote the conference portion on Wednesday the 10th.

GoogleFEST   

#migooglefest

August 9 & 10, 2016

Amway Grand Plaza Hotel

Grand Rapids, MI

Registration Cost: 

• One day: $89


• Two days: $169

Keynote Speaker: Kyle Pace is an Instructional Technology Specialist and Google for Education Certified Innovator that has worked with K-12 teachers in his current school district to provide instructional technology professional development since 2004. For more information about Kyle, visit googlefest.macul.org.

Amazing Pinterest Board from Apple: iOS Lesson Ideas for Teachers

Check out the following Pinterest board from Apple's App Store that is loaded with lesson ideas for using iOS apps in the classroom.

Get an Insiders’ Look at the the S.T.E.A.M. behind Madden NFL

Join Redskins Quarterback Kirk Cousins for an all-access pass inside EA SPORTS

Discovery Education, EA SPORTS, and the NFLPA have joined forces to give your middle school students an insider's view of EA TIBURON (where the magic of Madden NFL is created). Join the EA SPORTS Madden NFL: Football by the Numbers team to see S.T.E.A.M. in action: we'll meet the animators, producers, engineers, and designers who create some of the world's coolest games. You'll even get to see one student experience the motion capture process, with a special surprise result!

Good for athletes and mathletes alike, #MagicOfMaddenVFT is your chance to join Redskins Quarterback Kirk Cousins as we travel beyond the classroom walls and into the game!

April 14, 1:00 PM EST

Ask the Coach
Don't forget to submit your students' questions ahead of time and Kirk Cousins or EA SPORTS may answer them during the live event. Questions can be submitted HERE.

Prep the Team
Before the virtual field trip, explore a variety of educator resources at EA SPORTS Madden NFL: Football by the Numbers, including an educational interactive developed for grades 5-9.

Be sure to share why you're excited using #MagicOfMaddenVFT!

reposted from Discovery Education

#MACUL16 Movie Making McGyver Session Wrap Up

Thanks to everybody who came out to my Movie Making session this morning. I loved the enthusiasm lots of people shared and I was blown away by all of the great tips shared in the slide deck of tips and tricks. Please email, tweet, or text questions or ideas this morning or the post generated.

Attendee creativity lower thirds slides  - Introduction in Google Slides of how just a picture can totally ramp up your experience. Make a copy and tweak them for yourself.

Attendee generated slide deck of tips and tricks for creating video in the classroom - Note: I was completely blown away when I opened this after session. Great ideas all generated in 10 minutes at the end of the session. Please add yours even if you didn't attend the session.

We never quite made it to looking at this Google Site but please upload examples or share links to great resources to help other educators get ideas or examples of student/staff videos.

Other links and stuff I thought we would have time to cover but realized an hour is very little time.

Prelinger Archive at Archive.org

Pixect.com - Web based selfie cam and picture editor

 

Here are links for my EdCamp MacGyver video making session from last weekend.


iMovie Fifth Grade Book Reports

iOS Apps for mashing up movies
iMovie
Keynote
Replay
Splice
Avid Pinnacle Studio Pro
Action Movie FX
Canva
Path On - Swipe To Type
DoInk

WeVideo
iCloud.com

Video Story Problems
Preserving History
Caterpillar Nurse Cam
Covering Hawkeye Sports

Shooting Gallery Level One from Jon Corippo

Practical example of using the Shooting Gallery

Formative Assessment/Screencasting
ShowMe app - ExplainEverything - Educreations

Only you  can prevent Vertical Video Syndrome


Green Screen Effects Folder - VeeScope Live

Dave Tchozewski - Green Screen Resources

Keynote Animation Project from Linda Dong

"Participation Medals Are Not the Real World": the Wit and Wisdom of Curt Schilling

Last night I had the opportunity to visit my alma mater Hillsdale College and the kickoff to its "Sports and Character" symposium.

World Series MVP Curt Schilling was the speaker and leadership was his primary theme. Schilling is best remembered for his bloody sock in Game Six of the ALCS in 2004. A lot was made of the courage it took for Schilling to pitch with an ankle tendon sutured in place and that he was a hero to the long suffering Red Sox nation.


"I only did what I thought every one of my teammates would have done," Schilling stated. "In our world the words 'hero', 'great', and 'courage' have really been diminished." He also mentioned that he had never been more at ease on the mound and credited a casual conversation with God that eased the nerves and any doubts about the ankle holding up. "That night I had a moment of true faith. Never in my life was I more relaxed and enjoyed playing the game more."

Most of the night's talk was a set of stories of both sporting and personal highs and lows. It's quite evident that Schilling has taken every experience and learned something that has either helped him grow or is something he can share to help others grow as well.

[caption id="attachment_1345" align="alignleft" width="225"] Curt Schilling sharing his life experiences on Sunday night.[/caption]

Here are some quotes on a number of topics that give insight into the wit and wisdom of Curt Schilling.

On parents who push their kids too much in sports: "If you make your kid love a sport they will quit the minute you can't make them love it anymore."

On the "real world" that the college students will soon face: "Participation medals aren't the real world." and "If you leave your house every morning waiting to be patted on the ass for a job well done, it's not going to happen. That's because the rest of the world now is too busy waiting to be patted on the ass for a job well done."

On becoming the first team in Major League history to come back from a three games to none deficit in the 2004 American League Championship Series: "I told my teammates down 0-3 that we don't have to win the next four games. We don't have to even win the next game. All we have to do is win the next at-bat and the at-bat after that and we'll be fine. Just focus at the task at hand."

What I found most applicable to my career as an educator was the time he spent talking about leadership and accountability.

"Anyone can be a leader but there are so few true leaders."

"Leaders get paid to produce. Everyone else gets paid to work."

"You can get a job anywhere but it is really hard to find a place where you are inspired everyday. That's what real leaders do. They inspire people who are excited to come do what it is they do everyday."

On lessons in accountability he learned from the failure of his 38 Studios video game company and the $50,000,000 he lost of his own money in the venture.

"When you put your head on your pillow there's no escaping by making excuses that losing the 50 million was somebody else's fault...If you want to know what accountability is try having to tell someone their job no longer exists because of your mistakes."

Another part of the talk that really resonated with my life as a technology teacher and a dad of a daughter. A year ago Schilling began receiving an onslaught vulgar tweets directed at his daughter Gabby. Using his tech skills, Schilling tracked down the trolls and contacted their parents, bosses, and colleges. Several of the trolls were college athletes and immediately were cut from their respective teams.

"4 kids lost $140,000 of scholarships for 140 characters."

"It's hard to explain to kids 'forever' because the Internet is forever."

All insightful thoughts. Probably the best thing that Curt Schilling modeled on Sunday night in Hillsdale is that you can be a world famous professional athlete but you still face the same ups and downs and trials that everyone else faces. The key is to learn from each of those trials and grow.

An hour well spent.

 

Movie Making MacGyver Stuff - #EdCampOAISD #MACUL16

Here are links for my EdCamp and MACUL MacGyver video making sessions


iMovie Fifth Grade Book Reports

iOS Apps
iMovie
Keynote
Replay
Splice
Avid Pinnacle Studio Pro
Action Movie FX
Canva
Path On - Swipe To Type
DoInk

WeVideo
iCloud.com

Video Story Problems
Preserving History
Caterpillar Nurse Cam
Covering Hawkeye Sports

Shooting Gallery Level One from Jon Corippo

Practical example of using the Shooting Gallery

Formative Assessment/Screencasting
ShowMe app - ExplainEverything - Educreations

Only you  can prevent Vertical Video Syndrome


Green Screen Effects Folder - VeeScope Live

Dave Tchozewski - Green Screen Resources

Keynote Animation Project from Linda Dong

60 Second Tour of Kiddle.co - Kid Safe Search Engine

Parents and teachers rejoice! The best safe search engine for our kids is the new Kiddle.co. Not only are search results safe, they are from selected sites and prioritized by readability and depth. Icons are nice and big and image searches won't return any random inappropriateness. News and video results actually contain quality content that kids can understand and use.

A couple of disclaimers: Kiddle looks like a Google product but IS NOT owned or operated by Google. It runs off of Google's safe search. Also, it is not completely fool-proof. Some reports of questionable returns have popped up across the web. Thanks to Karen Bosch for sharing this article about that.

Let's just call Kiddle "the safest search engine yet". Always, always supervise searching and help kids evaluate the usefulness of search results.

 

It's Time for an Educational Jailbreak

Coding, Maker Space, Video, Photography, Graphic Design, Sound Engineering, and countless other great educational innovations have suffered far too long in the educational prisons of the world. It is time we break them out and truly integrate them into the core curriculum.

Coding is math. Video editing is story telling. Making is practical application of all kinds of "core" skills. They have to move though beyond being viewed as clubs, fun Friday activities, or just stuff hippies do to avoid integrating fully into society.

The education establishment has this terrible tendency to bottle up and lock away approaches to teaching and learning that don't look like something it experienced in the classroom twenty years ago or worse isn't obviously a part of subject areas measured by state assessments.

My former district took away specials like gym and art and made them test prep time. Recess was all but eliminated for more reading instruction. So much for educating the whole child.

This has to stop.

We can lament this all we want and nothing will change or we can begin to focus on the pedagogy and develop sound ways that coding builds success in the algebra classroom and that iMovie Book Trailers build excitement for reading and a demonstration of literacy. That is how we break down the prison walls that are keeping great innovation on the fringes of education and not at its core.

Help Your Students Evaluate Credible Sources

Here is a Google Slides deck to guide your students through the evaluation of credible sources. To use it, simply access the slides here and then ask students to make a copy under file.

There seems to be some controversy out there about the value of Wikipedia. The way I approach it and explain it to students on that slide is that needs to be used with other credible sources but typically it can be very valuable. Taking a look at the history of changes in the Charge of the Light Brigade is a true eye opener as to all of the work the nerds who write these articles really put into accuracy and detail. I guarantee whoever wrote the Encyclopedia Britannica's article on the Charge of the Light Brigade did not do this much work.

The rest of the slides are pretty self-explanatory and we have a lot of fun with sites highlighting the plight of the Pacific Tree Octopus and whale watching on the Great Lakes.

#CUERockStar Black Label Day 2: Hook, Line, and Sinker

Here is an avalanche of links to activities and resources all designed to draw kids in and make them love learning. This list will grow as we work today.

MrLosik.Blogspot.com - My Classroom Blog - Make A Flake, Lego, Zimmer Twins, Lots More

Flocabulary

Kahoot.it

Shark Tank

STREAM School

Iron Chef Lesson Design

Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips

Discovery Education Corporate Partnerships

Coverning Hawkeye Sports

Shooting Gallery

Genius Hour

Genius Bar

Curriculum Nest

CUE Rock Star Black Label TOSA Camp: Teaching Kids to Learn Like Pros

 

Here are links and resources for my Day 1 session at the CUE Rock Star Black Label TOSA Camp.

Why Wait? Teach Kids To Learn as Young Professionals and Transform any School Experience Now.


Jennifer Magiera: Power To The Pupil

Business Insider: Most Impressive High School Graduates

EdHeads.org - Design a Cell Phone

Ottawa Area ISD - Future Prep Skills 4 Success

Blog Post: SPEND A LITTLE TIME ON DESIGN…AND GAIN A LOT

Bentheim Elementary 5th Grade Production Company Logos

Creativity Apps


Keynote

Canva

Neu.Draw

Adobe Photo Shop Color Effects
Adobe Photo Shop Mix

Penultimate
Pixlr-o-matic
Pixlr Express

PegLight 2
BitDraw

OpenClipArt.org
SoftIcons.com

Genius Hour: Hamilton Community Schools Genius Hour

Genius Bar in Your Classroom 



 

 

75 Days of Flocabulary for Free? Yeeaaaah Boooooooy!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="197"] What time is it? Time to sign up for a 75 day free trial of  Flocabulary.[/caption]

Here is something guaranteed to chase the winter blues out of your classroom. Check out full access to Flocabulary.com for the next 75 days for FREE!

Flocabulary is fabulous for building academic vocabulary in all of the core academic domains through high quality animated rap songs whose lyrics and concepts stick with kids.

Beyond the core subjects Flocab is expanding with some great coding and computer science videos as well as a life skills series featuring financial literacy and social emotional learning.

There is also no better way to cap a Friday than with the weekly "Week in Rap" and "Week in Rap Jr." current event videos.

Get your 75 Day trial started with this code. https://www.flocabulary.com/promo/WTMC2016/

A Simple Approach To Dealing With Personal Devices In The Classroom

I have long been an advocate for bring your own device (BYOD) in the classroom. I figure that if kids have tools that know well and use well, then there is no reason to restrict them from using them in the classroom.

Key word there: tools, as in apps for learning.

Too many of the teachers who are frustrated with dealing with personal devices often don't take the learning tools approach. Instead of allowing for specific purposes they end up policing. They collect phones ahead of class or insist on no devices being out at any time. Kids at our high school have even started bringing old phones to turn in at the beginning of class so they can still access their working devices.

I'm not naive enough to think that every time a kid has a device out in the library, they are using it solely for a learning activity. What I do know from 20+ years in the classroom that kids for the most part respond well when you give them some clear expectations and put the responsibility on them to do the right thing.

Despite spending a lot of time on this early in the year I too have had some frustration with our students in the library who are taking online classes. Too many are "forgetting" or just seeing how much they can push our guidelines with personal devices. Usually a friendly reminder gets everybody back on track. Sometimes it takes a few reminders.

Here is a new poster adorning our work stations. The kids got a laugh out of the devices I chose but more importantly the "got" the message.

Go Retro With These 8 Bit Drawing Tools

If you grew up in the era of Oregon Trail, Galaga, Defender, Blades of Steel, and NBA Jam then you might have a little place in your heart for the nostalgic look of 8 Bit graphics. When your creative juices start mixing with your love of old school games, check out these tools.

64 Yourself - Upload any image under 2 MB and convert it to something that looks like it was made on a Commodore 64.

8BitPhotos.com - Simply upload a picture and let this site convert it for you.

Pixlr - If you want a little more control over how your pixels come out, use the free Photoshop-ish Pixlr. Upload a pic, find the "Pixelate" filter, and tweak until you have it just right.

You can also create from scratch online with Make8BitArt.com (below) or on the BitDraw - Pixel Art Tool for iOS devices and Android. The basketball player above was made on an iPad with that app.

#GetMoving and Get Your Kids Featured at Discovery Education's NFL Play60 Site.

Here is a great opportunity to utilize some movement lessons and videos to promote healthy living this winter.

Not only has Discovery Education teamed with the American Heart Association to provide fun lessons and videos with a member of the Washington Redskins, they are now giving you the chance to be featured with your students on their new site.

Check out the Discovery Ed blog for details. Larry Fitzgerald, Peyton Manning, and Aaron Rodgers won't be the only stars featured as the NFL revs up for Super Bowl 50. Your class might too.

Ferris Bueller Chimes In On Merriam-Webster's "Word Of The Year"

A person should not believe in an ism. He should believe in himself. ~ Ferris Bueller

It's that time of year when Merriam-Webster declares its "Word Of The Year". And what word generated the most traffic through the online dictionary this year? Well, none really.

This year Webster went with the suffix "-ism" due to the amount of searches for words like racism, terrorism, and fascism.

Proving once again that almost everything you really need to know can come from an 80's movie, the philosopher Ferris Bueller chimes in from 30 years ago on our newly minted "Word Of The Year".


And that is the last word on that.

Think Different Tim Cook: 10 Reasons Chromebooks Are Winning...And It Has Nothing To Do With Testing

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="990"] Apple CEO Tim Cook calls Chrome devices "test machines" - Buzzfeed Photo[/caption]

On Wednesday in a Buzzfeed interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook called Chromebooks "test machines" and cited Google's take over of the education market as primarily a result of schools just buying hardware for standardized assessments.

There is no denying that recent mass purchases from school districts have been in response to needing more equipment for tests that have moved from paper to web browser. What is in question is why schools are choosing Chromebooks over Macs and iPads. Cook sells educational leaders and teachers short when he implies that testing is all that went into the decision making and all that is being done with the products once they reach schools.

Now, don't write me off as a hater. Heck, one of the proudest recognitions I have received is that of being named an Apple Distinguished Educator. I am a huge Apple advocate and I truly believe that Cupertino builds the most durable and best designed products in the tech world. For a long long time Apple won the classroom because its stuff "just worked" and it still does. The six-year-old  Macbooks I teach with just hum along. The three-year-old cart of HPs...don't.  The iPad has opened worlds previously un-explorable to people with disabilities. Apple has done great things in the classroom and I still believe schools need a number of Macs or iPads around for tasks Chrome devices can't. I am just not convinced anymore that Apple products are the only solution.

Here Mr. Cook are 10 reasons why educators are choosing Chrome devices over Apple products...and they don't have anything to do with testing.

1. The Reality of Classroom Technology Integration - “We create products that are whole solutions for people — that allow kids to learn how to create and engage on a different level,” Cook stated in the and he's correct. iMovie, Keynote, Pages, Final Cut Pro, Motion, and other high level apps are the staples when it comes to kids creating high level content. The only problem for Apple is that the vast majority of students and teachers don't learn and teach constantly at this level. As great as all of these Apple tools are, right or wrong, they have taken a support role to the tools students and teachers use most.The SAMR framework discusses how teachers use tech at varied levels between basic "substitution" and creating previously inconceivable activities in a level defined as "redefinition". The Apple stuff excels in the hands of teachers who have mastered ways of getting to redefinition but the vast majority of educators are somewhere in the middle and most of the learning tasks they ask students to do with technology doesn't require the high end apps.


2. Price - Chrome devices continue to drop in price to the point where schools can buy five Chromebooks with touchscreens for the price of one Macbook. It's hard to justify the extra cost if the job can be done with a solid device at a fraction of the money. I just bought a fully functioning Chrome computer in the $85 Chromebit. $85! Yes it requires me to connect it to an HDMI display and I have to supply the keyboard and mouse but that price point alone makes it wildly affordable for a number of functions around a school.


3. They Just Work - It is still the number one reason I always choose Apple stuff over Windows stuff and I was very suspect of the Chrome products when they first hit the market. Aside from getting used to the layout of where everything is on these devices my experience has been that the simplicity of the Chrome "just works" as well. With less operating system there are less hassles.


4. Ease of Management - Managing a cart of iPads is incredibly time consuming and not something most classroom teachers are entrusted to do. Apple has put out a series of management solutions but none have been the silver bullet that actually make life easier for teachers. With Chrome there is virtually no management because when a kid logs in with their Google Apps for Education account, all of their stuff is available.


5. Google Apps - No, the free suite won't let you make your documents as cute as Word or Pages will, but with a little skill you and your kids can get darn close. Cute isn't deal closer on GAFE though. Storage is unlimited for schools and with a little foresight educators can help kids set up portfolios that will follow them all of the way through high school. No one will ever lose their work due to a dead laptop battery because Google saves every few seconds. Plus, it's just automatically already set up with every Google account. Yes, Apple offers a version of its iWork suite online for free and it can do a lot but space is limited and the sharing options aren't close to what GAFE does. What is really cool though is that if you want to use the online versions of iLife you can do it on a Chromebook.


6. Collaboration - The whole game changed way back in the day when Google bought Writely from an upstart called Upstartle. Simply being able to edit something simultaneously ten years ago was groundbreaking. Google has used the last decade to further enhance the collaborative capabilities. Apple is bringing that to iLife but are essentially playing catch up. The collaboration built into a Google Apps/Chrome environment helps teachers better communicate with students and provide useful feedback. The same is true with students communicating and collaborating better with each other.


7. Google Classroom - From its introduction teachers have been flocking to the free learning management system. As it evolves and becomes more stable it is becoming the go-to, even by die hard Edmodo and Schoology users. What is the big deal? See all six of the previous reasons. Seriously, you can apply all of them. As a classroom teacher, paper was my Achilles heel. In Classroom it's all digital and the interface shows who has completed work and who hasn't. Once it's turned in, it's locked until the teacher grades and returns it. Apple offers iTunes U which is a beautiful way to present content and develop courses that don't rely on Internet connectivity but they only run on an Apple device. Classroom works everywhere.


8. Access Everywhere - Speaking working everywhere, students and teachers can access the work they started on the Chrome device at school anywhere they can find a web browser with an Internet connection. It is something kids have come to take completely for granted. Ubiquitous access is their normal. A perfect example was when we were making book report trailers on iMovie and my students all wanted to know how they could find their work when they got home so they could continue working. They were put off when I told them it was only available on the one device they'd been using.


9. Open To Innovation - Google Apps has evolved at light speed because of the way individuals can create add-ons. Doctopus and Goobric are examples of innovation created by a user that have made the product better fit teacher needs. This isn't just in Docs either. There are a ton of new Chrome apps being developed that bring a lot of the creativity and depth of exploration to the Chrome browser.  Apple obviously innovates all of the time too but doesn't adapt as fast as Google because the innovation all takes place within Apple.


10. Big Yet Nimble - Lebron James and Cam Newton are special athletes because they are big yet have uncharacteristic speed. Google Chrome and the devices that run it are a lot like that. Google is massive with unlimited resources to support its products yet has retained a simplicity that makes stuff work at the highest level of efficiency. There is no reason to expect that won't continue to be the case.

Ultimately schools have to find the platforms and devices that work best for their needs. I always have a Mac nearby because I use so many levels of its functionality. My students don't always need the firepower and Google is picking up a lot of believers in educators who see all of the benefits Chrome devices can deliver at a fraction of the cost.

I understand and appreciate Tim Cook's passion for giving educators and learners amazing stuff but if Chrome devices are just "test machines", he needs to Think Different. 

Talking Toys...And My Book on TV

On Monday morning I got to share some great toys and gifts from my 2015 gift guide with Casey Jones on WOOD TV's Daybreak.

Here is how it went. Prices and links are all here.

It's "Madden For the Classroom" Eve! Sneak Peak of Tomorrow's Launch

It's one day away! Tomorrow Madden, Discovery Education, and the NFL Players Association launch their "EA Sports Madden NFL: Football by the Numbers" interactive site to promote math and science in the classroom through football.

Brandon Wislocki and I share our experience of getting to preview the site and the simulations. We talk ease of use and some of the key features of the offensive and defensive sides of the ball as we preview some of the core math and science skills being explored.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qWeQPJorpc&feature=youtu.be[/embed]

The Discovery Education blog posted its own previews with a couple of screen shots.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the official launch URL.

DiscoveringFarmland.com: 7 Tools For Teaching Where That Thanksgiving Feast Came From

As a huge chunk of our population sits down tomorrow and eats way too much, how many will think of the hours, dollars, sweat, and luck that went into producing the bounty in front of them? Probably not many.

Discovery Education and the United State Farmers and Ranchers Alliance have teamed up to help change that through a number of teaching and learning resources at DiscoveringFarmland.com.

Through video and print resources, the site is broken into four lessons (45-60 minutes each) that explore a wide array of farming and ranching topics that are important to not only the sustainability of the industry but also our food supply and the cultural heritage of farming and ranching that has been a part of America since its first settlers.

You might also really strike a chord with one or many of your students who are already passionate about farming or ranching like my former student and Hamilton (MI) Middle Schooler Nate Freyhof, "What got me interested in hobby farming was having a good environment and having fun playing outside instead of sitting inside all day. I also think gardening and training or working with animals is fun to do. It is sometimes good to have technology around like tractors to pull a plow or dig up something."

Steve Dembo recently detailed on the Discovery Education Blog some of the resources available and that the project is based around the award winning documentary Farmland by James Mol.

Here are 7 great things about teaching with the Discovering Farmland site.

1. The videos and the lessons really put a human face on farming and ranching. This is done visually but one whole lesson focuses untangling stereotypes.


2. The four lessons fit nicely into a variety of units. Teachers can spread it out to where they spend an hour per week on top of their prescribed curriculum. Think of it like Google 20% time where you step away from "what has to get done" for a little bit to supplement with projects based on interest or that might be especially impactful. Teachers could do two lessons a week and be done in two weeks or maybe full week is dedicated to a deep dive through the entire set of lessons.


3. Resources provided make these units ready to roll out, even if the teacher knows nothing about farming or ranching.
   
   
   
   • Teacher guide for each lesson
   
   
   • Student activity sheet for each lesson
   
   
   • Formative assessment exit ticket or activity for each lesson
   
   
   • Video snippets of the Farmland movie to support each lesson
   
   
   • Web links to extend the research and learning for each lesson
   
   
   
   


4. All lessons are vocabulary rich with words that fit into science, social studies, and technology.


5. Even though each lesson is well designed, each can be modified to meet more personal or curricular needs. For example, an economics class could research where its county ranks in terms of agricultural production or what the taxable value is on a 40 acre plot of farmland.


6. Discovering Farmland transports students who may have never left their own urban city limits to a completely unknown and almost foreign seeming part of our world. The virtual visit is one of the truly transformative things educational technology can do and this site and resources are perfect for creating those learning opportunities.


7. There are great resources already in place but there is still more to come from Discovery and the USRFA. Both are committed to showing not only how important our agricultural heritage is but how there are exciting high-tech careers to be had in farming and ranching. There is no food without farming and there is no farming without great science, technology, engineering, and math skills.

Somebody somewhere grew the potatoes, the turkeys, the cranberries, even the cinnamon for the apples sauce we will be feasting on tomorrow. Why not use the resources in Discovering Farmland when you return to the classroom and challenge your students to find out more about who and where our food comes from?

 

Mr. Losik's 2015 Holiday Gift Giving Guide

It's too early to put up your tree. It's too early to even turn on the 24 hour Christmas music station. No, it is.....well at least at our house. When the turkey dinner is cleaned up, then it.....is.....on!

It's never too early though to get a jump on holiday shopping and here is your 2015 gift giving guide from MrLosik.com. In the past I have talked iPads and tablets. Last year it was all about putting STEAM in a kid's Christmas. This year it's all about "learning toys that kids don't know are learning toys" with just a little tech sprinkled into the mix. I have included the link to most of these products on Amazon and most have Prime shipping available. Most are also available from the big box department stores like Walmart and Target as so keep your eyes open when out battling the crowds. Keep your eyes open for me as well on WOOD TV next Monday morning (November 30) to about a bunch of these.

Squishy Human Body - The "visible man" human body models have been around for a long time but what makes this one different is that all of the guts come out and kids can spend endless hours doing surgery by extracting them and putting them all back in together. Smart Lab Toys also includes a great guide book that teaches about each body part. This just one of a bunch of amazing products the company offers. There's a squishy brain that looks totally gross. Get the Squishy Human Body on Amazon for $21.99.

Star Wars Science - Death Star Planetarium - With Star Wars The Force Awakens opening soon, there is no doubt that Star Wars toys are going to be hot this season. It reminds me a lot of the Christmas when I was a first grader. The first movie (or Episode IV - A New Dawn or whatever you want to call it) had just come out and I can't remember anything I got that Christmas that didn't have Darth Vader on it. Here comes a great model of the Death Star from Uncle Milton Toys and their line of Star Wars science that turns a dark room into a full map of our night sky or the Star Wars planetary system.


Get the Death Star Planetarium from Amazon for $17.17.

Candy Craft Chocolate Pen - Doodling is great. Doodling with chocolate in a variety of colors is amazing. This pen uses a variety of chocolate-filled cartridges and allows free-hand creativity or is great for filling 50 different molds that are included in the starter kit. I was exploring traditional 3D printers and doodlers, the ones that create plastic objects when I discovered the chocolate pen. Give me chocolate over plastic any day and you will save a bunch of money too. There are a ton of optional accessories that can be added from the Candy Craft line of products from Skyrocket toys. Amazon has it available for $24.93.


Anki Overdrive Race Track Starter Kit - Take the old slot car race track and move it 50 years into the future. Anki's starter kit comes with two robotically controlled race cars and eight pieces of easily adjustable track. Instead of just a little trigger that makes the cars go fast or too fast, these cars are controlled by an iOS or Android app. The app talks to the car and the car talks to the track helping to prevent endless spinouts and slide-offs. The app even keeps track of race position and laps completed. No one to race against? No problem. These cars can drive themselves. Yes, just like those Google cars we keep hearing about. If you think that is amazing, they also come with electronic weapons like phasers and forcefields that disrupt the other cars on the track. The starter kit is expandable with more cars and more track pieces, even jumps. This toy is more expensive at $135 but you get a lot of play for the money.  it is still cheaper than most gaming systems or larger electronic devices and it stimulates the science, tech, and engineering of racing along with the creativity of designing the ultimate track layout. Get it at Amazon.

Stay In The Game: Jared Veldheer's Journey To The NFL - I am 100% biased on this one but having spent the last five years creating this book I know it will provide a lot of entertainment and insight to any sports fan age 10 and up. Jared Veldheer was an over-sized, brainy kid who often found it hard to fit-in. Things all changed when he realized he could combine his amazing athletic gifts and size with his intelligence in order to do big things in the sports world. Now he's one of the top left tackles in the National Football League.  If Jared hadn't made a career of football, the core principles of his life would have likely made him successful in whatever he had decided to pursue.

Jared's offensive line coach at Hillsdale College was one of the first to read it and said he couldn't put it down, “ ‘Stay In The Game’ is a great story and a great read. I think current and future football players will benefit tremendously from the insight it provides.”

Get a copy from Lulu.com for $11.99. It will be one book that won't bring any Christmas morning eye rolls like other books might.

Here is a bonus. I have had people ask about what the best Chromebook and tablet buys are this season so I offer up this device from ASUS. The ASUS Chromebook Flip 10.1-Inch Convertible 2 in 1 Touchscreen starts as a Chromebook but the keyboard flips all of the way back so the touchscreen can serve as a tablet.

 For $219 this is a great device that does anything you can do with your Chrome browser all with the convenience of the touchscreen and its price comes in way below what tablet makers like Samsung and Apple can offer. It's made believers out of a lot of educators and I know of at least two districts in Michigan that are selecting this device for their upcoming 1:1 technology initiatives. There is a ton of learning and fun in this one.

 

A few other odds and ends to explore:

• Amazon Fire Tablet: At $49 this is a great little 7" device for playing games, surfing the web (Do people still say that?), or watching streaming content. It might not have the full capability of an iPad but for under $50 it still packs a lot of fun and functionality.


• Ruby Rails - The new action figure from Goldieblox - She's a computer engineer who skydives.


• Compose Yourself - A music card game that lets kids hear their creations played by the London Symphony.


• Chrono Bomb - Set up a course and maneuver your way through a laser maze before time is up...just you're the 12th member of Ocean's 11.