Dotstorming....Padlet on Steirods

If you have not used Padlet - www.padlet.com, learn how to use it.  Docstorming is Padlet on roids.  First things first.  Padlet has alot of awesome features for collaborating with students, teachers, and other adults...but it is really just a message board.  If you want to have students not only work together, but also have student input and collaboration.

Before I give you the website, understand that dotstorming.com is not connected with Google, so you will need to create an account and choose a password that works for you.

So, go to www.dotstorming.com

Create your account, and then make a board.

Title, Description, and the all important how many votes.

To test it out, I decided to do a primary source activity in connection to the American Revoution.  So, we were talking about Valley Forge, so Valley Forge became our example.  The students had to vote on three paintings talking about the winter in Valley Forge.  There were three pictures, but they had two votes.  

• Once you vote, you can't vote again. (you set the amount of possible votes when you create it.)

To be able to vote, they have to join the board.  This can be done a couple of ways.  The way that I did it was to embed the link in my schoology materials.  Then the student will need to put their "name" in the baord before they could vote.  As you can see from the above image, one picture got the most votes.  

• The tools allow you to sort by votes and participants can also chat about their decisions in the "chat forum". 
•  I let the kids play with the chat, but would limit or not allow the students to use this if you want.

Free and easy to use, Dostorming is an awesome tool to have students and teachers create, brainstorm, discuss, and vote.

Please try it!

If you have anything you want to share, just fill out the form below.

Awesome way to sync your planbook to your google calendar. EduSync.

What I am going to help pilot in a couple of weeks.
Might be a great way to help students keep on track. ( we will see)

Sometimes I find the most amazing technology online when I am looking for something else.  Today's post is a perfect example of this.  Through some sort of Twitter exchange earlier this week, I was introduced to EduSync.  Somehow I got connected to a developer there who agreed to let me help (with many others) a student pilot of a google app planner.  While I was looking around on the website, I found an AWESOME teacher planner that connects to your Google Calendar, and also to Google Classroom (if that every becomes a reality for us at USD 373).

Here is the website:  www.edusync.com
Sign up with your google sign in.  It will prompt you to create a course, add your term, and also how you want it to sync to you calendar.

Add your assignment, type of activity, and attach any files you want to include.

It will then sync with your calendar and create the event along with all of your other information.

Look at Monday - October 5 - Events come up Blue or whatever color you choose for the course.

Click on the event, and here is what comes up!

Don't know if it will be something that I will use everyday, but it has great potential.  The fact that it works with google also makes it a great option.

Let me know what you think!

If you have something you would like me to help you with, or want to have on the blog. just fill out this form below.

Symbaloo

Welcome Back to reality. - New Technology Year at Newton USD 373!

Good Sunday afternoon to you all.  I bet some of us are trying to take in the "last" Sunday afternoon, and others are frantically getting things done.

Teaching at our school this year is going to be the same, but with new Administration, we all are excited for the changes ahead.  Speaking of change, I am always looking for snarky and funny signs to put in my room.  Teaching 8th graders, I tend to love referencing Pop culture in my room.  So, Memes are now the "in" way to get these little funny and mostly sarcastic messages out in the world.



So....here are a few websites that I have found to make these Memes.  You can make, customize, and download the image.

Website:  https://imgflip.com/memegenerator

New School year is also the chance for you to contribute to the blog.  Please feel free to fill out the form below...and let me know what you use and want to share!

Trying something new for the new year.

What are your tech resolutions for the new year?  Try a new app?, take some time to listen to a podcast?, or just try something new with your school or home computer?

Let me know...and I will try and review and find things to help you out in the classroom!

So, 2015...here we go...... Included a little video to help you think of that password that you have for everything.

Resolutions suck, so I have not made any that can't be broken :).


School resolution #1, Use Schoology at least once a week and up to once a day in all of my classes.  This platform is easy to use and everyone at CMS is using it.


Tech resolution #2 - Do something that scares and stretches you.  We had an old XP tower in the basement, so I decided...what the heck...I am going to put Unbuntu on it.  Unbuntu is a free linux (non-Windows/Google/Mac) operating system that is user created, and also virus free!  Since XP is no longer supported, this was our only FREE option to keep the computer (those of you that are more Techie than me....just don't argue).

The plan is to make it into a media/data server in our house much like our own Google Drive.  We will see if that is possible.  I know a guy and he will be helping me set it up.  I will load details on this later.

Here is the link to the Official Unbuntu website:  http://www.ubuntu.com/

Here is a screenshot of a Unbuntu Desktop...not to much different than a Chrome book or a Mac look to it.

As always...please let me know how I can be tailoring this blog for you....fill out the survey below or email me.

NOTHING - I HAVE NOTHING!

Sorry if you are visiting this blog for a profound and life changing lesson in technology!  Had a huge assignment due in class on Friday, and have been grading those that have been turned in.

BUT - does anyone have any ideas on how to get kids to turn in their assignments?  Have around 35 that have either not turned in anything, or just part of what was due on Friday.  Very Frustrating!

Primary Sources again? -- Library of Congress has a wonderful website.

So, looking for finding the perfect Primary Source for your classroom?  Look no further than a website that is maintained by your own tax dollars.  The Library of Congress has an updated website that not only is user friendly, but also is uber easy to use.

Here is the weblink:  http://loc.gov/

We are always looking at making connections as a way to include information about our world.  I decided to look up anything I could find about Newton, Kansas.  I was successful in the Print Photographs and Historic Newspapers.

Found a neat 1908 Cowboy Photograph included below.

From the searchable nationwide newspaper database, there were over 460 results of "Newton, KS" in the papers.  These high resolution PDFs can be read online or downloaded and used.  The red high lighted areas are where the search engine found "Newton, KS".  

Don't feel like you have to recreate the wheel when it comes to lesson plans to use this material.  I will be reviewing another website on that either later this week or next Monday...depending on the progress of my class project.

Have anything to share, awesome websites or ideas?
Please fill out the document below.