MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

This Issue

TIS @nd That Volume 2 Issue 16

Editors

Lisa Freeman

Marion County

Teresa Maynard

Wyoming County

Kathy Stout

Kanawha County

April 25, 2014

P. 1

Spring into Action Apps P. 2

Apple or PC? P. 3

Changes in TechSteps P. 4

P. 5

Upcoming Events P. 6

Are you in the market for iPad or tablets for your classroom, school, or county? Which is the better choice? Have you considered a Nook? Leigh Ann Hood the librarian and TIS at East Park Elementary School in Marion County has considered them all and has chosen the Nook. Why Nooks over ipads, tablets or Kindle fires? The Kindle Fire was $229 and you could only buy 2 at a time for the whole county each year. She also thought that dealing with customer service through Amazon would be a nightmare. Howev-er, Barnes and Nobles would work with her county. They offered to manage her account and set up the Nooks for her school, including security so that the students cannot buy books. It was only $125 for a graphic, cloud ready Nook, and at that price she could get a Nook for everyone in her largest class, 20 in all. One drawback to the Nook is that they do not have cameras so you cannot create videos. She does foresee that down the line the newer Nooks will have that capability. Her main reason for choosing the Nook is she wanted an e-reader with tablet capabilities. It supports Google Play so that you can download apps. She down-loaded Kingsoft Office, which has docu-ments, spreadsheets, and presentation software compatible with Microsoft. The students do their book reports and projects using that software and then email it to her and she grades it. Anoth-er download was inkpad, a memo pad. After learning to take notes on paper they take their notes on the inkpad. They can email it to themselves to work

on at home or to have for future refer-ence. She also uses Schoology with her Nooks for instruction. Over the summer she plans to add more software to her Nooks. She has Overdrive on her Nooks so stu-dents may check out books from the public library with their county library card. Additionally she has 6 e-books on them that can be read during class. The students use the Nooks to complete the Reading Workshop Independent Reading Checklists and Reading Records on the Nooks a program that the school utilizes to increase their reading scores. They keep the Nooks with them during Reading Workshop so they can scan the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog), keep records, and read e-books throughout that time period. Barnes and Noble will set up each tablet

with an email address and a Nook ac-

count. Each school would need to put in

their server password. They manage the

books for you, you tell them what books

you want and the next day they are

there on all of them. When problems

arise you can call your local B & N or

you can take it to B & N and they will

reinstall or make changes as needed. So

if you are thinking about tablets, iPads,

or Kindles you might want to explore the

Nook as well

before you

make a pur-

chase.

Nooks VS. Tablets

Nooks

Interactive Field Trips

Upcoming Events

ISTE

Atlanta, GA

June 28-July 1

Early Registration Ends

May 1, 2014

On-line housing reservation

closes

May 24, 2014

International Society for

Technology in Education

(ISTE) MEMBERSHIP

Becoming a member of this non

-profit organization is a power-

ful way for educators to con-

nect with peers, share

knowledge and ideas, and help

lead the transformation of edu-

cation.

Membership tiers available.

WEBINARS—Both rec-

orded and live

eschoolnews

Edtechteacher

Edweb. net

ISTE

Scholastic

PBS

TCEA

TCEA 2015

Conference

Austin, TX

February 2-6, 2015

C

Teaching and Learning

Conference

SAVE THE DATE:

March 13-15, 2015

INFORMATION

National Council for

Teachers of Mathe-

matics

Boston, MA

April 15-18, 2015

INFORMATION

National Science Teach-

er Association Confer-

ence

Chicago

March 12-15, 2015

INFORMATION

Mark

Your

Calendar

Now

Spring Into Action Apps

Where there are several tablets

on the market, the iPad seems

to be the device many school

systems are considering. Not

only are they light-weight and

easy to carry, they are versatile.

There are 1000’s of apps availa-

ble through iTunes, many are

free, and they provide the stu-

dent with powerful creative

tools. Teachers can, for the first

time, write their own textbooks,

covering material needed for

each child, and students can

control much of their own

learning. Published textbooks

can be updated at the touch of

a button, therefore, the materi-

al remains current. Plus, school

systems do not need to spend

huge amounts of money on

books. Even library books are

available in ebook form. For

the first time, students no long-

er need a long list of supplies:

dictionaries, pencils, paper,

notebooks, thesaurus. All they

need is contained in the iPad.

The same device can be used by

all grade levels, and adaptations

are there for students with disa-

bilities.

crosoft Windows. It was also during this time, Apple seemed to take a backseat to the Win-dows machines. Due to a great deal of unrest at the Apple headquarters, they slipped fur-ther and further behind the computers using the Windows operating system. In the early 2000’s, a restructur-ing at Apple occurred and with this, they released an improved iMac, as well as the popular iPod and iTunes. They also be-gan producing computers using the Intel processors. With the development of these products, Apple suddenly became a household name. Of course, we know the iPhone and iPad followed, but still Apple lagged far behind PC in popularity. Even today, Apple sales do not come close to that of PC sales. By looking at the chart below, you can see there are pros and cons for both devices. Either side of the debate has evidence to support whichever side he/she happens to fall. So what is it that has financially strapped school districts, who were for-mally PC-only, considering Ap-ple purchases. Quite simply, it is the iPad.

This is an age-old debate, and one that has supporters and detractors on both sides of the fence. However, for many years in the educational realm, PC was the only choice. That, however, is changing. For the sake of argument, I know an Apple computer is ac-tually a PC, but for this article, PC refers to all brands, except Apple. When computers first entered the educational scene, it was around 1984. The Apple IIe had recently been released, and schools saw a use for them. They were easy to use, and pro-vided an opportunity for com-puter aided instruction. They provided the user with file fold-ers, icons, a trash can, and an operating system that you did not need programming experi-ence to operate. That is why you found Apples primarily in the elementary classrooms, and IBMs in the secondary class-rooms across America. This practice continued until the 1990’s. Around this time, a young pio-neer by the name of Bill Gates, changed the face of the “PC”. He developed an operating sys-tem we know today as Mi-

Other devices possibly hold

the same capabilities, howev-

er, for the first time in many

years, Apple seems to be fo-

cusing on the educational

market. They have developed

a product with the classroom

in mind. Even the Mac Book

Pro has features that provide

the classroom teacher with

many tools to use. iBooks

and iMovie are just two Apple

programs that adds a new

dimension to creative teach-

ing.

Apple will probably never

surpass the PC market, how-

ever, many school systems

are looking at Apple as a via-

ble option.

We need technology in every

classroom and in every student

and teacher’s hand, because it is

the pen and paper of our time,

and it is the lens through which

we experience much of our

world.” – David Warlick

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/

macs/10-differences-between-macs-

and-pcs.htm

Apple or PC? Kathy Stout

The Bored Game

Company has de-

veloped this app

that is great for

physical education centers. Spin the

spinner and the activity decider lets

you know what game or activity you

are going to play. Detailed instruc-

tions with images will appear. The

Bored Game app is available at

iTunes. There is also a travel version.

Developed by Fun Ma-

chine, Awesome Eats is

an iTunes app, but says

Droid is coming soon.

Sort, stack, and pack

fresh from the garden foods. Featur-

ing 64 levels with healthy eating tips.

At each level you will stack and sort

fruits, vegetables and whole grains

across zany contraptions to score

and win stars. Keep an eye out for

thieving birds to earn bonus points.

This 70 character nutrition game in-

cludes skill bonuses, obstacles, and

surprises to keep kids interested.

Kids are encouraged to try new

foods and eat more fruits and vege-

tables.

Eat and Move-o-Matic is a nutri-tion and fitness app sponsored by 4-H and WalMart. Learn about the

food you eat, fuel your body and relate to the calories your body uses. Food is calories and fuel in, and activity is calories and energy out. Students can see how one effects the other using this app. Learn how your favorite foods stack up in the nutrition arena along with how much activity is required to burn those calories. Developed by Learning Games Lab, this app has interesting tips on how small changes can make a huge difference. This app is only for Apple users.

There are over 70 physical fitness ideas and games to choose from in the Daily Physi-

cal Activity app. This app is spe-cific to iTunes. Lesson planning is easy using the lesson planner tool. Lesson plans are created, printed, saved and/or emailed. Activities are broken down into categories which include warm up, cool down and core catego-ries. Activities can also be fil-tered by what equipment is available markers, balls, bal-loons, hoops, ropes, etc. or no equipment. Each activity pro-vides detailed instructions, equipment list and diagrams. Videos are included for some of the more complex games.

Digido Interactive

Inc. developed Mo-

tionMaze. A puzzle

game powered by

movement. Your

objective is to help Captain Mapp

get through the treasure map maz-

es as quickly as possible by walking

or jogging in place. Only available

for iOS. Get up and get moving

kiddos!

Kids Yoga Journey

is a winner of the

U.S. Surgeon Gen-

eral’s Healthy Apps

Challenge for Kids

Fitness. Developed by Gramercy

Consultants for kids to follow a

sequence of 7 yoga poses.

According to the Centers for Dis-

ease Control and Prevention, kids

who practice yoga have a deeper

awareness of their physical bodies,

increased flexibility and concentra-

tion.

Co-creators range from mothers,

writers and artists that collaborat-

ed to produce a whimsical, colorful

yoga flow for children. Namaste!

PC APPLE

HARDWARE very easy to customize Very easy to sync all devices

OPERATING SYSTEM Wide variety of programs available, often free.

WINDOWS is not made by the computer builder.

More prone to crashes.

Will boot either MAC OS or Windows

Operating system developed by same company

building the computer.

COMPATIBILITY Will run old OS versions

Clumsier interface

New OS does not run older version

Far superior operating system

LOOKS Much nicer in appearance

MAC was the first to change looks

Very aesthetically pleasing.

SECURITY Prone to viruses Very rarely attacked by viruses. Less mainte-

nance.

USER-BASE About 70% use PC. Easier to get help. Focuses on attracting a small group

PRICE Computers are no longer a luxury. Most house-

holds have a PC.

Still very expensive

Spring has sprung and here are a few apps to use that will

get students up and moving. These apps provide students

with opportunities to get physical. Imagination and creativ-

ity are required!

Interactive Field Trips Spring is in the air signaling annual field trip time

Change makes the world go around! Transfor-

mation is difficult, especially when it is asked of

teachers. Several years ago when techSteps was

first introduced to the teachers of West Virginia,

many of us were extremely resistant. Even

though the program has grown from a beginning

technology integration program that was based

on the National Technology Standards for Stu-

dents (NETS), into a program that supports col-

laboration, self-direction, and now encompasses

a way to visually assess student growth over time.

Teachers have not necessarily kept up with the

progressive pace of the program.

Storage or lack thereof, was the most widespread

complaint of teachers across the board. Edvation,

a company that acquired the techSteps program,

considered teacher feedback, common core

teaching methods, and the advancement of our

students in their world when developing tech-

Steps into the program it is today. Instead of all

students in a grade level K-8, or a school 9-12

using the same password, the program is more

personalized. Users are now capable of setting up

a profile which is the first step in learning about

digital citizenship and being aware of the evolu-

tion of their digital footprint. It is tempting for

teachers to make all passwords consistent for

their students, but really this is not a good idea

being that student work and personal infor-

mation can now be kept in techSteps. Therefore,

we should all refrain from attaching a pattern to

our student passwords. Tutorial videos available

for the changes in techSteps.

http://youtube.com/user/EducateWV

E-Portfolio is the latest to be opened for use in

techSteps. This allows any user to build a show-

case that exhibits who they are as a person, the

development of skills, and growth over time.

What a useful feature for users to begin a grow-

ing picture of what they can offer in the work-

place. http://bit.ly/1h82WkG

Changes in TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

WEBINARS

Holocaust Remembrance Day was April 27-28. Let us not forget all that history has to teach us. Glenco has an interactive fieldtrip on this subject including videos, images and journal en-tries. Survivors of the Holocaust share their stories and a timeline is given of the Nazi reign. Pic-tures of the interned are also displayed on this site. The United States Holocaust Me-morial has resources that can be requested to help teach this diffi-cult subject. They also have an online workshop to help guide you in your teaching of this sub-ject matter.

Cinco de Mayo is coming soon and there are several resources to use with your students or pass on to colleagues. Scholastic has several. A virtual field trip which includes a lesson plan and the links that will enhance your les-son. Scholastic also has articles, unit plans and activities on their site. It is a wealth of infor-mation. Teachers First has several re-sources across several grades to explore for Cinco de Mayo. Try their site at http://bit.ly/1eOxXso for their extensive plans. You could also find out more about the influence Mexicans had in America at the Smithsonian of National History. Whether you are looking for an excursion in-side the classroom or a site to enhance your current plan these sites are worth exploring.

The 10 best field trips are listed at eschoolnews. The alphabetical list includes everything from Google Lit to Mount Everest. A link takes you on a tour to The Hershey’s Company where your students can see how their favor-ite chocolate is made. My favor-ite museum is listed The Smith-sonian National Museum of Natu-ral History. On this tour you can go room to room and visit the exhibits. Visit cities around the world at www.360cities.net. The NASA link will let you download a virtual field trip or your students can visit the Moon. Using this website you can go on 10 field trips right in the classroom (Artic Adventure was currently under construction)!

**Don’t forget to comment on Policy 5202 which concerns permanent advanced credit for TIS. Read the poli-

cy on page 81 and then leave your comments.

REMINDER

Kathy Schrock Teacher

Must Have Tech Skills

http://bit.ly/1j0ZQjn

Kathy Schrock 60 Tech

Tips in 60 Minutes

http://bit.ly/1tabNu0

Joe Dale Creating Lessons

through the SAMR Model

http://bit.ly/1mdlvaZ

EdTech Google is the

New Resume

http://bit.ly/1gHcW7e

EdTech Small Tech Changes

—BIG Learning Impact!

http://bit.ly/1l8aNkz

Kathy Schrock Concept

Mapping in the Classroom

http://bit.ly/1hM5qtw