In our second episode, we discuss various ways of finding new tech, using iPads and get a little nostalgic about our ITP experiences.
Bell Ringer
For our bell ringer, Carrie and Tricia share about their ITP experience and why ITP was such a valuable experience.
You can find out more about ITP and the application process here.
Tech Talk
Finding and evaluating new tech can be a challenge. During this episode’s Tech Talk, our TOSAs share the variety ways they find out about new tech.
Tricia uses an RSS reader (Newsify), Flipboard and religiously reads the blogs: Free Tech, EduDemic and Innovative Ed.
Josh reads general tech blogs Engadget and Gizmodo, while following other ed tech leaders on Twitter. His favorites are:
He also relies heavily on Google.
Carrie also uses Twitter. Here are her favorites.
Application Time
In Application, we discuss the wonder that is iPads. First we share ways that teachers can use an iPad to support their teaching, including unleashing teachers from the front of the classroom, taking notes on student work and planning with it.
Josh tries to wax poetic about how iPads are magic devices straight from the future of the 1980s, that are finally here.
Carrie shares about how the iPad has such capacity for easily allowing student choice and the ability to create things they never could have before.
Tricia shares about the power of using apps like the Comic Book app to engage students through creating media that shows what they learned.
Show and Tell
Tricia
Sunrise – In her pursuit of the perfect calendar app and a way to integrate all of her various calendars, Tricia has settled on Sunrise, a comprehensive, third-party calendar app that provides just that.
Carrie
Remind – Carrie loves this communication tool that allows teachers to blast out text messages to their students. The tool has evolved and now allows teachers to add attachments, add a widget to their website and now even have protected chat.
Adobe Slate – Easily create beautiful presentations/web spaces that can be easily shared across devices.
Josh
Hour of Code – From the people behind Star Wars, Minecraft and Frozen, to President Obama, the interest in Code.org‘s annual love-in around coding, Hour of Code is gaining traction and attention. The best part about it is how easy it is join the coding revolution. Code.org has prepackaged hour lessons that are set-up, off-the-shelf ready to use, making the entry barriers for teachers minimal. The best part is that as Edutopia points out learning to code = learning to learn.