Information for New ITS
Twitter RSS

Archive for October, 2011

It’s Free – Is it Safe?

Posted by Kathy Adkins on October 28th, 2011 No Comments

The web abounds with free stuff to create and share back online and  in products we create. As we use these sites, we have to look beyond the creative part and notice what is displayed on the screen as advertisements and promotions. This coupon image was created at Customized Magnets – Kids/Children and was advertised at Custom Sign Generator as #35 Kid’s Safe Zone. After some investigation it was determined that some advertisements are not appropriate  at this site and if students click back to the main site, there are places they should not visit. This site has a lot of great tools for adults to use but not safe for the younger set. Just because it is free, does not mean it is safe. Always be on the cautious side and explore and investigate before you share.

Friday Flash – Free Icons

Iconscabbler generates an image of a word with letters represented by computer brands and services. Check out more information at Interface Magazine on how to safely use this site with students.

iconshock shares some free icon sets but also has bundles that cost. If you scroll down through the sets you will see those tagged with free. This site will also shares and icon converter tool.

freeiconsets shares a search feature to locate a wealth of free icons as well as free vector images that can be used in your creations.

findicons allows you to search for free icons using many different refinement tools. This site also hosts an icon converter.

iconPot shares many categorized sets of icons. However when you try to download many the site takes you to shutterstock which is a royalty free site. Just because it says it is free, is it really? Always side on caution and do attribute to the designer when requested.

 

Tags: , ,

Sharing and Sustaining Creativity

Posted by Kathy Adkins on October 21st, 2011 No Comments

What an incredible week of collaboration and sharing ways to engage learners and sustain momentum in using technology effectively. In one session new instructional technology staff shared methods to engage reluctant educators and then inspire them to spread the word on how they used new technologies with their peers. Once these staff member implemented new ideas, it was suggested they share their knowledge with others in professional development meetings or webinars. Peer to peer sharing and learning together reinforces future possibilities of effective uses of technology in the classrooms.

In another collaborative session, members of Tech4Learning shared their new product, K12Share, a secure online hosting platform to showcase student work created with Pixie (Creativity Software) and Share (Web Authoring Tool). Students love to share their products and creativity, which K12Share can easily support.  Tech4Learning has been providing great tools that engage, create and share ideas and their online resources support their products to sustain creativity.

How do you share and sustain engaged learning? Five for Friday shares how Tech4Learning supports and sustains creativity for all learners.

Five For Friday – All About Tech4Learning

Tech4Learning shares their products with 30 day trial periods and offers volume pricing. Download Pixie 3 and Share to not only see the ease of use of these two applications but the power to engage learners.

Join Tech4Learning Connect community and see how other educators and collaborating and sharing information. Check out Scott Loomis by searching in the members field. The blogs and forums provide some ideas to share with your peers.

Connect with Creative Educator to research articles and gather ideas. You can narrow and search topics such as project based learning and digital storytelling to reach your interests. Sign up for print or electronic delivery of their seasonal magazine.

Join the Trading Post to download activities by keyword, content area, grade level and or subject area to use with Tech4Learning products. You can upload and share your awesome ideas.

Follow Tech4Learning on Twitter @Tech4Learning and Like on facebook for ideas to sustain your growth and that of your team. Check out what PLSN means on a recent facebook post. Do you think S has something to do with sharing?

Extra for Friday – Icon Creator
Quirco – iPhone, iPod and iPad Icon Generator. You can create a simple shape in Pixie and save it to use with this generator. Several sizes are created and can easily be saved.

 

 

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Falling into Place – Welcome Change

Posted by Kathy Adkins on October 14th, 2011 No Comments

The Castles photo created with Diptic

Fall is an incredibly beautiful season in many parts of the country with the changing of the leaves. In high elevations change happens rapidly to aspens as shown by the two photos taken of the West Elk Castles of Colorado. The snapshots were taken only six days apart and provide a great visual of the color change.

In today’s classrooms we see change but visually it is slow. Social media, mobile learning devices and online learning are a few influencers that are slowly shaping how instruction is being delivered in the classroom and beyond the walls. Enjoy the season of fall outside and inside and welcome change.  Things will slowly fall into place. If you take a snapshot now and later in the year, will you see change?

“You must be the change you see in the world.” Ghandi

Four for Friday – Ideas to Engage Learning

Adobe Education Exchange – Become a member of Adobe Education Exchange and view and rate the 2011 teaching innovations submitted. Once a member you can save favorite lessons and ideas to engage your learners. Adobe does showcase their products but compatible applications can be used to complete many of the innovative ideas.

Interface Magazine – This publication for New Zealand teachers provides a wealth of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) for their teachers. The Lesson Plans and Free Tools are places to explore new tools with suggestions on how to implement in the classroom.

Interactive NETS*S – This wiki site was presented at ISTE 2010 and contains lesson ideas created by Kansas educators. Lessons are tied to the National Educational Standards for Students. Use the search feature or the navigation bar to explore the NETS*S framework and locate lessons and ideas.

Georgia NETS-S Performance Tasks – Here is a collection of resources at GeorgiaStandards.org that align the Georgia performance standards with NETS-S. These tasks were created by Georgia educators.

App Resource – The above image was created with Diptic, an IOS app for arranging and combining photos. ($.99) This is a great photo tool to share contrasts and comparisons. How could your learners use this to springboard learning?

Photo Courtesy of irewired – West Elks Fall of 2011

Tags: , , , ,

Follow Your Heart – Don’t Settle

Posted by Kathy Adkins on October 7th, 2011 No Comments

Tributes to Steve Jobs, iconic visionary of our time, have shared his life and contributions via tweets, blogs, videos and much more. Daniel Pink shared in his recent post, 2 Ways to Honor Steve Jobs – Become an organ donor and watch Steve Job’s Stanford Commencement Speech. These are two simple ways to honor a true Einstein of our time. Yet, there is a third way to honor Steve Jobs. It comes from a quote delivered in his Stanford commencement speech, “You’ve got to find what you love.” Many of us have found what we love, which is leading learning in today’s classrooms.  Now we need to guide our young learners into finding what they love and instill that passion in their young hearts. Can we provide learners with choice and time to discover their interests? Honor Steve Jobs a third way and incorporate choice and time for learners to explore their passions and embrace what they love.  Can you do these three things to honor a truly inspirational man of our time? Don’t settle. Thank you Steve Jobs.

Full Text of Steve Job’s Commencement Speech at Stanford University, June 15, 2005

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” Steve Jobs

Four For Friday – Tributes from the Education Sector

Ten Ways to Remember Steve Jobs, by Elana Leoni, lists ten excellent ways we can continue his legacy of passion and innovation. Can you sustain and honor by trying one of these ideas?

Three Things I Learned from Steve Jobs, shares the impact Jobs had on Brad Flickenger, an elementary instructional technology teacher in Tinmath, Colorado. Brad’s three things are great ideas to follow everyday.

Steve Jobs – A Great Idea posted by David Warlick, reminds educators to innovate and hear ourselves answering less to learners with “that is the correct answer” to replying “that is a great idea.”

Steve Jobs – A Master Thinker is a collection of blogs, tweets and videos curated by Jackie Gerstein, Ed.D., as a tribute to Steve Jobs. Be sure to read the selection Steve Jobs-What Students Can Learn From Him.

Oh, the Places You Will Go – Dr. Seuss
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.



 

 

 

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Powered by WordPress | Log in | Entries (RSS) | Comments (RSS) | ilookgood! theme by iwritealot!