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Vol. 2, August 2012 Back  to  School  Edition!    Welcome back, SISD staff! I hope everyone had a fantastic summer and is well rested and ready to roll for another exciting year. The year ahead promises some truly game-changing developments for educational technology in the district. This begins with new cabling and, soon to begin rolling out, district-wide wireless coverage. The installation of Wi-Fi will allow us to use mobile technologies in ways previously impossible, including phones, iPods, iPads, Android tablets, e-readers, and more. We’ll also be finding some powerful ways to use the district’s Google Apps. In addition to teacher accounts, we will be exploring exciting ways that student Google Apps accounts can increase communication, collaboration, and productivity in the classroom. More information will be forthcoming very soon! As we dive into the new year, I want to share something I wrote on my blog this summer. It is a top-10 list of educational technology truisms I’ve gleaned from 10+ years working in this part of education.

• The learning objective comes first. Put this with an understanding of the abilities, preferences, etc. of the kids, and then choose the right technology.

• Technology might not be the best tool for the job. There are times when learning succeeds best without technology. Shut it off.

• No technology is perfect. What works for one classroom might be unsuccessful, unused, and unwanted next door.

• Digital natives? Sort of. Kids are generally very fast tech learners, indeed, but they don’t come to your room knowing as much as some would assert.

• Make do. Your budget and resources are not as deep as what that expert speaker is spreading. Use what you and your kids can get your hands on.

• You gotta believe. Teachers who routinely use tech believe it is important and beneficial for their students. Those who don’t, won’t.

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• Leaders have followers. When the principal uses technology, the teachers will. Simple.

• Filters are why I’m losing my hair. That and traffic. No clarification needed. • Teaching and learning aren’t the same. The technologies for each are often very

different. Keep in mind when setting priorities. • Reconsider that PowerPoint or brochure. Technology can and should let students

do things they cannot otherwise do or do as well. Kick up the expectations. I highlighted that last one just to challenge everyone who takes the time and effort to integrate technology in the curriculum. As Dr. Bernajean Porter has described it, technology use should not be just for the sake of using it, but should be transformative. This year, consider ways students might use the tools available to them to communicate with other learners around the globe, publish their work to a worldwide audience, truly collaborate, etc. As always, please use me as a resource when you take on this challenge. I would be happy to consult with you or your team and assist in finding resources.

--Randy Rodgers, Director of Digital Learning Services

Free Internet Resources Rubistar (http://rubistar.4teachers.org/)   --Rubistar is certainly not a new resource, but it merits a friendly reminder. Rubistar is both a collection of teacher-created assessment rubrics and the easiest tool on the planet for creating new rubrics. Users can create rubrics from scratch or using templates designed for particular types of assignments (e.g. oral report, multimedia project, science project, etc.). By registering for a free account, you can save and share created rubrics. This is a valuable and timesaving tool for those of you looking into using authentic assessments or project based learning. Pixlr (http://pixlr.com)  --If you are a shutterbug or just someone who occasionally gets the creative itch with your digital photos, Pixlr is a worthwhile resource to add to your browser’s bookmarks. Pixlr’s design is extremely similar to that of its pricey cousin, Adobe Photoshop. It includes Photoshop features such as layers, a history palette, brush tools, smudge tools, clone stamp, and much more. It does not include the $250 price tag (for the student version), however. Users don’t need any form of registration whatsoever. Just upload a photo or create from scratch, edit, then save back to the computer. Easelly (http://www.easel.ly/) --This one has some really interesting potential. Easelly is a free (currently) site with tools to help users create infographics. If you’re unfamiliar with infographics, don’t feel too bad—even my spell checker

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doesn’t know the word. Infographics are guides to topics that are created using a combination of text, slick graphics, and images. An example can be seen at http://visual.ly/edtech-cheat-sheet-infographic and another at http://www.customermagnetism.com/infographics/what-is-an-infographic/. I think that having students create visually powerful infographics is a high level and challenging task, and not one that can be done too quickly or without careful planning. If interested in learning more, visit http://jdorman.wikispaces.com/Infographics and give Easelly a look.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm… E-Reader Stats:

• According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project (April, 2012), some 21% of American adults have now read at least one e-book.

• The average number of books read by e-book consumers in the past year is 24. The average is just 15 for non-e-book readers.

• 4 times as many people read e-books daily now as did so just 2 years ago.

• With regard to devices for e-book reading: 42% have used a computer in the past 12 months, 41% used an e-reader (e.g. Kindle), 29% have used cell phones, and 23% have used a tablet computer.

• E-reader owners are more likely to read for pleasure, research, current events, work, or school than those who don’t own e-readers.

Source: http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/

Mobilized Learning (Don’t Worry, Be Appy) Here are 5 free apps that have some fantastic uses across the curriculum:

• Socrative (iOS or Android) –Socrative is an absolutely fantastic app and web-based tool that lets teachers create and administer formative assessments VERY efficiently, and that takes advantage of the increasing numbers of Web-connected phones and other devices students are carrying with them today. As we move toward formally implementing BYOT (bring your own technology) in SISD, be sure to check this one out. It lets you create quizzes, exit tickets, etc., which students can complete on a computer or smart phone. Results are instantly assessed and available to you. (Account is free, teacher and student apps are FREE.).

Photo  Credit  

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• Popplet Lite (iOS only) –Popplet is a fantastic app for creating mind-maps, semantic webs, etc. using shapes, images, and text. The Lite version is limited to one Popplet, but you can save that one to your photo gallery, clear it away in the app, and you’re off and popping again. (FREE) A paid version ($4.99) allows maps to be

shared online on the Popplet website and even created collaboratively. • Factor Samurai (Android or iOS) –Factor Samurai is a fast-paced (borderline crazy)

game that lets students practice identifying the factors of numbers. Imagine Fruit Ninja with a slide rule. Numbers fly around, and students slice them until they are reduced to their quivering primes. Sounds easy, and it is…at first. Violence for a

good cause, and without bloodshed. (FREE) • Genius Scan (Android or iOS) –Okay, not glamorous or colorful, admittedly.

However, don’t sell this one short. This generic looking app is a scanner that fits into your pocket. Use your camera and the app to photograph receipts, business cards, worksheets, conference handouts, student work samples, etc. Scans can be cropped,

brightened, and emailed to you or someone else as a .pdf. (FREE) • AutoRap (Android or iOS) – Aside from being just plain cool, AutoRap offers kids a

fantastic tool for creativity. Numerous studies show a link between music and neural connections useful for speech, foreign language, etc., and some studies show benefits of music for students with some learning disabilities, such as dyslexia. Anyone who grew up with Schoolhouse Rock knows the power of music for learning

(Anyone else humming the Preamble song right now?). AutoRap turns ordinary speech into remarkably good rap productions, and, for the more advanced young artists, will put student raps to music. That’s a fun and creative alternative to a typical paper/pencil assignment. (FREE)

A Few More Things… Please keep me posted if you and your students are using technology to do amazing things. I may make you a star by profiling you in this newsletter. Well, a low-level, very local star anyway. Most importantly, your experiences using technology effectively will serve as an inspiration to other teachers in Seguin ISD.

Just another reminder, I use Twitter to connect, commiserate, communicate, and collaborate with other educators around the world. If you are a fellow Twitterer (Twit?) who uses it for professional growth, I would VERY much like to have you as part of my personal learning network. My Twitter name is @rrodgers. It is a great way to share ideas

and thoughts with one another and with others engaged in our great profession. You can also follow our official SISD Digital Learning Twitter account, @matadoredtech!

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If Twitter isn’t your cup of tea, but you loooove Facebook, be sure to LIKE our page at https://www.facebook.com/SeguinDigitalLearning. You’ll get the latest news posted straight to your friend feed, and you are welcome to share your comments via the page.