Category: Links

Diigo (social bookmarking)

9/16/2013

The other day I was talking with Adriana A. and she was lamenting the loss of an important website. How many of you have been there? Or you've bookmarked a site at school only to come home and realize that you can't find it and you wished you had e-mailed the address to yourself? These are frustrating situations that you can avoid if you use a social bookmarking site. Now there are many options, but the one I use (and therefore know the most about) is Diigo. I have only been using it for a little over a year or so and I don't really use it socially, but that is an option. Personally, I use it to help me organize information and important websites that I could use in class. Organization is quite easy, too, because you can create lists (which I have shared with you on this site, too) and tags, so for example, I can bookmark a vocabulary site that I want to use in class under my "English (General)" list and then use tags like "vocab, vocab game, learning" and what not to help me find it quickly. But really, that is just the basics of Diigo. And telling you isn't as effective as showing you, right? So please watch the video below if you feel like social bookmarking is for you. They highlight some of the best features of Diigo and it's very easy to follow along.

So I hope you are all now well informed about social bookmarking and Diigo. If you join, find me at https://www.diigo.com/user/johnsonlesleya Maybe we can figure out the social aspect together. Happy web browsing!

Cheers,

Lesley

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SAMR model questions

8/25/2013

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Did I intrigue you last week with the SAMR model? I sure hope so! And this week I'm taking you a little farther. I found a site that listed the questions we need to ask as we move from substitution (S) to augmentation (A) to modification (M) and finally to redefinition (R). Here's the entire article (with my highlighted portions) if you'd like to know more: https://diigo.com/011fp9 Oxnevad does a great job of showing how the same project can move from S to A to M and to R. However, if you already have an idea and you just want the questions, please keep reading.

For substitution, ask:

What will I gain by replacing the older technology with the new technology? (Oxnevad)

To move from substitution to augmentation, ask:

Have I added an improvement to the task process that could not be accomplished with the older technology at a fundamental level?
How does this feature contribute to my design? (Oxnevad)

To move from augmentation to modification, ask:

How is the original task being modiﬁed?
Does this modiﬁcation fundamentally depend upon the new technology?
How does this modiﬁcation contribute to my design? (Oxnevad)

To move from modification to redefinition, ask:

What is the new task?
Will any portion of the original task be retained?
How is the new task uniquely made possible by the new technology?
How does it contribute to my design? (Oxnevad)

I think Oxnevad's questions will help us all move to wherever it is we want and need to be in our classrooms. Here's to making technology work for us (and not the other way around)! ;-)
Cheers,
Lesley

Works Cited
Oxnevad, Susan. "Using SAMR to Teach Above the Line." Getting Smart Using SAMR to Teach Above the Line Comments. N.p., 4 July 2013. Web. 25 Aug. 2013. <http://gettingsmart.com/2013/07/using-samr-to-teach-above-the-line/>

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iPads in the Classroom

5/28/2013

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“Because there was no training on the apps, I had to fend for myself and was confused much of the time. The professor was unable to help as they were just as confused. The iPad was ineffective because no one knew how to use the apps.”
‐iPad class student

I don't know about you, but the above quote is something I've thought a lot about and a fear I have for the coming year. To help us all prepare, I made a new page called "Ideas for iPads in the Classroom." There are some repeat resources from the "Tech Resources" page, but on the "Ideas for iPads in the Classroom" page I have added a discussion forum so that we can all share our ideas with one another. Now I must admit that I've never used a forum in Weebly before, so I hope it works as slick as it's supposed to! Please check it out and add what's worked for you or ideas that you've read about using iPads in the classroom. That is the page that I hope you will all find to be the most useful. But as always, let me know if you have other ideas or if I should change something. This is a website for YOU so I want it to be as user-friendly as possible.
Cheers,
Lesley

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Great Minds think alike

5/23/2013

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Guess what I found the other day... A blog like this website! Here's the link: http://appsineducation.blogspot.mx/
So as we prepare for our iPads, please check out this website. (I'll also add specific links on the pages of this website, but I wanted to highlight it here.) As you find apps you like, please let me know and I will add them to our site so that it is more tailored for us at CAT. Let's face it, the World Wide Web is FULL of resources; therefore, if we can find apps that work for us, it will be nice to have them in one place, especially as teachers come and go.
Cheers,
Lesley

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Mobile Professor iPad tutorials

5/12/2013

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I actually found these particular iPad video tutorials almost immediately; however, they are copyrighted and I would need written consent to reproduce them. Womp, womp. Nevertheless, I don't think it's a problem if I pass along the links, so here you go.

Apple iPad Tutorial Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLzCXB-BD9g
Content: "Getting Started: Powering and Locking, home screen layout, volume controls, home button & multitasking, keyboard, wi-fi, web browser, saving contacts, calendar."

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EjA6tZgSTs
Content: "Applications and Customization: Appstore Setup and Use, Brightness and wallpaper, Notifications and Sounds, Home Screen Customization."

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfqJ955s1XMContent: "Email and Security: Adding an Email Account, Adding an Email Account Manually, Email Composition & Inbox Management, Email Settings, Removing an Email Account, and Passcode Lock."

Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0ozI9xEA1I
Content: "Additional Content (final section): iTunes Store, iPod, YouTube, Netflix, Google Maps, Photo's and Video, Picture Frame, Restrictions, International, Bluetooth, and Factory Data Reset."

The background music is pretty funky and perhaps distracting at times, but the videos are very thorough and probably the best I've found. If you have some time, please do watch the ones that interest you and feel free to skip parts that you may have seen from the "iPad Intro" videos.
Cheers,
Lesley

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Listly

5/4/2013

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So today I have stumbled upon a great new resource: Listly. The pages I've found have a list of apps specifically for iPads; however, I plan to see what others lists I can find on Listly. I've already bookmarked the ones I've found on my Diigo account and linked them on the appropriate pages here, but just in case you missed it, here are the pages I've found and LOVED!

Educational Games: http://list.ly/list/1oW-parents-guide-to-educational-ipad-games?feature=widget

Educator's Essential iPad Toolkit: http://list.ly/list/1WF-educators-essential-ipad-toolkit?feature=widget

iPad App Recommendations for K-6: http://list.ly/list/1W6-ipad-app-recommendations-for-k-6?feature=widget

If I find more, you better believe I'll post them here to highlight the wonderful resources I've found. Enjoy!
Cheers,
Lesley

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Diigo (social bookmarking)

SAMR model questions

iPads in the Classroom

Great Minds think alike

Mobile Professor iPad tutorials

Listly

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