My top 10 EdTech Tools

Day 13 TeachThought Challenge - A day late but I made it!

Drum roll please...

My top ten list of Tech Tools I use in my class.

Let's Start with my #1

1. Class Dojo - Love it! And so do my students. Great for classroom management.

2. Google Translate - I use it ALL the time! From Hungarian to Arabic and everything in between, our school has a lot of ESOL students from around the world. Google Translate is a life saver!

3. Power Point - I love creating interactive multi media presentations for my students that not only stimulate their minds but engage them in active learning that they enjoy.

4. Dropbox - It's the best way to store my lessons for easy access from home, school, or anywhere I happen to be.

5. Twitter - The best source for PD on demand! Love twitter and all my fellow teachers who share wonderful resources that help me become a better teacher every day!

6. Instagram - It's a great place to connect with my students for extra credit opportunities. I feature Instagram Challenges throughout the year. Students frequently post pics of Art seen on vacations or artwork they have created.

7. Edmodo - Is another social media option for students. For the students who don't have Instagram accounts this is a great alternative. I feature challenges on Edmodo as well. There are a lot of nice features on the site as well that allow for more interactive participation.

8. iMovie - Awesome and easy to use to create all kinds of movies. Love it because I can use it on my laptop or iPad.

9. iStopMotion - Great user friendly app to help students learn how to create animations. My students pick this up so easily and make awesome animations.

10. DoInk Green Screen - Love this one too. Once again a user friendly app that allows students to create movies that can mix together a variety of mediums.

Smart Boards? Yes Please!!

Blogging two days in a row! How many days till a habit is formed? This Reflective Teaching 30-day Blogging challenge may be just the thing to get me into the habit of finally keeping up with my blog.

Day 2 asks what piece of technology I would like to try this year and why. Perfect time for this topic.

I REALLY REALLY want a Smart Board!

leegreensmartboardtutorial.pbworks.com

But, I have a REALLY REALLY good reason for wanting it. And it's not just because I teach art.

www.creativeeducation.co.uk

It's because of Marzano!

funny-pictures.picphotos.net

No. Not that Marzano...This Marzano.

www.marzanoresearch.com

This year our school was chosen to be a model school, which means we get trained by the folks at Learning Sciences. It's great! Hands on training with the people who worked to create this new methodology. What could be better?

A Smart Board! A Smart Board could be better! Because with a Smart Board I can implement the new learning goal and scale with all the learning targets and clustering in an interactive, engaging, effective and efficient manner for my 40 minute classes.

www.emlii.com

Smart Boards? Yes Please! 

Learning Science you rock too! But oh the things I could do with what you have taught me if I had a Smart Board. :-)

A Prezi for "My Robotic Friend" Lesson by ThinkerSmith

I put together this Prezi to coordinate with ThinkerSmith's great lesson plan, My Robotic Friend. Looking forward to sharing this Hour of Code with all my students this week. Will keep you all posted with pics and feedback from the experience we have in the Art Room. Keep in mind I teach K-5. It should be interesting to see how each of the age groups process this lesson.

Click the screenshot below to access the Prezi. At the end of the presentation there is a link to the ThinkerSmith lesson plan. Have fun with this and get those kids Coding!

The Hour of Code 2013

No device or internet? Try 'unplugged' computer science!

I am so excited to introduce my art students to the world of code. I don't have computers in my art room but that won't stop us from taking part in the Hour of Code! There are several GREAT lesson plan ideas for teachers who are interested in participating but don't have access to devices. These activities work hand in hand with the Think, Pair, Share Strategy. Let's get some collaborative minds thinking and engaged!

As an added bonus, prizes are given to every educator who participates. What an awesome week we have coming up. 

Check out the Computer Science Education Week website by clicking below and get your students coding!