Android Apps for Teachers and Students

Richard Byrne author of Free Technology for Teacher’s blog, wrote an interesting post about Android applications for teachers and students.  Richard Byrne is the author of another a blog about Android apps for schools. He put together a list of his favorite 29 apps he believes every educator and student should use in the classroom.

 

 

Citation: Richard Byrne, Free Technology for Teachers 

EdCamp Social Studies the Best Professional Development

I am attending and participating at  EdCamp Social Studies in Philadelphia PA on March 24th. I am excited to learn from innovative social studies teachers and improve my teaching. I agree with Ron Peck in that an “amazing group of educators from  around the country are working together to put on a one of a kind EdCamp for Social Studies Teachers. It doesn’t get any better than that!” I hope to see you there!

 

What is EdCamp Social Studies? 

EdCamp Social Studies is an unconference, inspired by similar events being organized around the country.  Our goal is to bring  together educators to discuss social studies instruction that works.  It’s a day for educators, by educators.  In fact, all of our sessions will be facilitated by our attendees.  So come with an idea for a session that you would like to lead…or a suggestion for one you would like to see.

 

 

Citation: EdCamp Social Studies

Social Media in Education

There is a consistent debate about the role of social media in the classroom. As a result, schools have been reluctant to adopt social technologies. Social media can provide so many benefits to students. When used properly as an educational tool, schools have found that social media enhances the learning environment by connecting students and teachers in new ways beyond the classroom. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media websites promote collaboration and discussion.

OnlineUniversities.com “has done some research about the pros and cons of social media in higher education, and they summarized their results in the info-graphic below. It examines which platforms work the best and the challenges schools face as they try to learn how to manage their social media presence. Some key takeaways:

  • 100% of the schools studied are using some form of social media.
  • They use it in the classroom, to enhance school pride, as a professional development tool for teachers, and to reach out to their immediate communities and prospective students.
  • Johns HopkinsHarvardNotre DameOhio State, and Columbia make the best use of social media.”

Citation: Social Media in Higher Education 

Twitter in the Classroom

I just found a nice article at Best Colleges Online: “20 Innovative Ways High Schools Are Using Twitter”. 
The article posts 20 interesting ideas to use Twitter in your classroom. These are the top five ideas I would love to implement.

1. Vocabulary and Grammer Building: Students can tweet verbs, definitions, and grammatical functions. The best part of collaboration of using twitter is that both teachers can students can recognize and correct each other’s mistakes.

 

2. Parent Communication: Many schools are using both Twitter and Facebook to reach out to parents in an innovative and technology savvy way. The website suggests twitter can be used with “lunch menus, school board meetings, and even discussions about school district decisions are being shared online. Proponents of school districts on Twitter support this move, pointing out that districts can get instant feedback, and parents can conveniently share their insights.”

 

3. BackChannel Discussion Tool: Twitter backchannel discussion can help students participate in classroom discussions through sharing their comments, insights, and even useful websites. “Educators have found that Twitter backchannel discussions provide for more interaction not just in the classroom, but beyond, as students often enjoy further carrying on the conversation even after class time is over.”

 

4. Professional Development: Twitter makes the education world smaller, connecting principals, teachers, and other education professionals across the U.S. and even around the globe. I use twitter to maintain my PLC and connect with teachers across the United States. I participate in the #SSCHAT on Monday Night’s. It is a wonderful way to collaborate with other teachers who have similar interests. I have found Twitter to be one of the best forms of professional development that is FREE and easy to use.

 

5. Review and Understanding: I love this idea “at Iowa’s Valley High School, Sarah Bird’s DigiTools class uses Twitter as a tool for reviewing material. After each discussion Bird asks her students to twitter their MVP (Most Valuable Point) using their classroom hashtag. This quick exercise allows students to further digest and understand the material at hand, while at the same time creating a great resource for future review.”