Blog Archives

The C.R.A.P. test for information!

26/8/2013

Ok, this might be a little too confrontational for you to use with students (depending on your teaching style!) but I find it quite effective for myself. :)
Click here to enlarge.

Some others to try ...

The Quality Information Checklist is a great resource to engage students with how to evaluate websites and promote discussion in small groups about why it’s important to do this.

This tutorial from Center Moriches School is good too but the links are not always live, so may need to be adapted to fit your purpose.

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Raising Digital Hands: Running Effective Forums

24/8/2013

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“We often talk about seizing the teachable moment. By using online forums, the teachable moment can be 24/7. This EdTech Review article from Chris Carter talks about using online forums for learning anywhere and anytime. Online forums are not magic bullets that save time; they require frequent and meaningful instructor participation that is, at the same time, balanced in a way that allows the students to come to their own understandings.”

Very interesting article about ICT in practice in the classroom:
http://fluency21.com/blog/2013/08/23/raising-digital-hands-running-effective-forums/

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How to cite TWITTER in assignments

24/8/2013

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Ever wondered how to cite Twitter in an assignment?

"Twitter is a big part of education and technology. But what happens when it needs to be included in an academic paper? Until now, you had to do your best to guess the proper citation for tweets in academic papers. That all just changed."

Have a look at the article linked to above or click here for a link to another site for MLA and ALA referencing rules. The sooner students discover these new rules (to add to how they currently reference print and other digital media), the easier they will find transition to the next level of education both within Cashmere High School and beyond.

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Introducing the SmackFiction app for mobile phones

24/8/2013

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SmackFiction is here!

SmackFiction is a brand-new mobile app, aimed at teens, that allows readers to discover upcoming novels, read free sample chapters, earn rewards and share what they're reading with friends. You can add reviews or comments about the books on the app and tell others about what you're reading on Facebook. It's an awesome app for readers of all ages. These can be downloaded from iTunes™ and Google Play™.

For more information about SmackFiction read the media release below:

A new mobile app aimed at getting younger adults reading has been launched by Wellington-based SmackFiction. The app features sample chapters for readers to browse when they are commuting or waiting for class, as well as entertaining articles about authors and their creations. People can see what their friends have been reading, and status points are awarded to readers who explore new books and share comments with friends.

Early interest in SmackFiction has come from The New Zealand Book Council and Hutt City Libraries who see the app as a way to divert a mobile focussed generation away from games and onto reading. Authors are interested because they can participate on the app community, allowing them to have direct contact with their fans.

Public Libraries of New Zealand Chair Paula Murdoch says "SmackFiction is to be congratulated in offering readers a new choice in the way they read and the added appeal of connecting with others in an online community to share their love of a good book."

SmackFiction is supported by HarperCollins New Zealand and many other leading New Zealand publishers who have provided content such as Gecko Press, Steampress Books, Huia and Victoria University Press. SmackFiction particularly celebrates Kiwi fiction, but has attracted interest (and content) from quality publishers in Canada, Australia and the US, who are watching the New Zealand pilot with interest.

The SmackFiction app can be downloaded from the Apple™ App Store by anyone with an iPhone or iPod Touch and a Facebook™ account. An Android™ version will be released shortly.

Libraries and schools will be able to get aggregated reporting on their reader activity by signing up at http://www.smackfiction.com.

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Create cool interactive online flyers with SMORE and GLOGSTER

23/8/2013

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Glogster is also fun and comes with a free trial BUT then has a Teacher/Student pricing plan. It's pretty reasonable but you need to know there is a cost attached.
Give it a try at http://edu.glogster.com.

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Need to make a banner or block poster for your classroom / display?

23/8/2013

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For a quick easy banner for your classroom or display, there are several free banner making programmes. This one (Rand's banner maker) is particularly easy and takes only a few second to create the banner you need. Limited colours and fonts but if you're not fussy, give it a go.

This is the programme I use the most for large block posters. The image has to be of reasonable quality to translate well when blown up.

What I like about this programme is that you can easily choose landscape or portrait and how many pages you'd like it spread over. Simply done in a matter of seconds once you've chosen your image. Print it, slice it, stick it together and it looks pretty cool.:)

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Articles recap ...

22/8/2013

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Recap of, and links to, articles mentioned this week ...

Best schools in Auckland - Metro article
Increasing educational achievement in secondary schools August 2013

:) :)

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Want more depth than Google searches? Try Carrot2!

21/8/2013

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Carrot2 is an Open Source Search Results Clustering Engine. It can automatically organise small collections of documents (search results) into thematic categories. With an instant overview of what's available, you will quickly find what you're looking for.

This is a brilliant site for students to use when their search needs to be more organised, educational, in-depth and/or focused.

Carrot2offers ready-to-use components for fetching search results from various sources including GoogleAPI, Bing API, eTools Meta Search, Lucene, SOLR, and more.

http://search.carrot2.org/stable/search

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Educational iPad apps

19/8/2013

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Tips from our IT team:

A few of you have iPads now so here is a useful link with applications for education - worth a look.

http://appsineducation.blogspot.co.nz/

... and if you are looking for free apps then I suggest "appsgonefree" where you can get high quality paid apps for free each day. You can download this app from the App store or using iTunes.

https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/apps-gone-free-best-daily/id470693788?mt=8

No time for PD? Not true!

The C.R.A.P. test for information!

Ok, this might be a little too confrontational for you to use with students (depending on your teaching style!) but I find it quite effective for myself. :)
Click here to enlarge.

Some others to try ...

Raising Digital Hands: Running Effective Forums

How to cite TWITTER in assignments

Introducing the SmackFiction app for mobile phones

Create cool interactive online flyers with SMORE and GLOGSTER

Glogster is also fun and comes with a free trial BUT then has a Teacher/Student pricing plan. It's pretty reasonable but you need to know there is a cost attached.
Give it a try at http://edu.glogster.com.

Need to make a banner or block poster for your classroom / display?

Articles recap ...

Recap of, and links to, articles mentioned this week ...

Best schools in Auckland - Metro article
Increasing educational achievement in secondary schools August 2013

:) :)

Want more depth than Google searches? Try Carrot2!

Educational iPad apps

10 Things to Know About How Teens Use Technology

Archives

Categories

﻿ No time for PD? Not true!

Ok, this might be a little too confrontational for you to use with students (depending on your teaching style!) but I find it quite effective for myself. :) Click here to enlarge.

Some others to try ...

Glogster is also fun and comes with a free trial BUT then has a Teacher/Student pricing plan. It's pretty reasonable but you need to know there is a cost attached. Give it a try at http://edu.glogster.com.

Recap of, and links to, articles mentioned this week ...Best schools in Auckland - Metro articleIncreasing educational achievement in secondary schools August 2013 :) :)

Archives

Categories

No time for PD? Not true!

Ok, this might be a little too confrontational for you to use with students (depending on your teaching style!) but I find it quite effective for myself. :)
Click here to enlarge.

Glogster is also fun and comes with a free trial BUT then has a Teacher/Student pricing plan. It's pretty reasonable but you need to know there is a cost attached.
Give it a try at http://edu.glogster.com.

Recap of, and links to, articles mentioned this week ...

Best schools in Auckland - Metro article
Increasing educational achievement in secondary schools August 2013

:) :)