Best of: A Guide to Everything!

During the Christmas Holiday, please review the most popular posts from this past semester.

Re-posted from September 21, 2012


Website:www.schrockguide.net

This website is a support website for an experienced educational technology expert. Many resources and tutorials are listed for successful use of technology in the classroom. My favorite section covers the many uses of iPads in the classroom.

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Best of: Over 1,800 Apps for Education

During the Christmas Holiday, please review the most popular posts from this past semester.

Re-posted from September 19, 2012

Website:www.appitic.com

Appitic offers a directory of educational apps. Browse apps categorized by subject or learning level. This website features apps that address each of the Multiple Intelligences.

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Eye of the Intern

Website:http://www.internships.com/eyeoftheintern/

The connection from the classroom to the real world can be one of the biggest hurdles facing the CTE student. This blog talks about real students that have made these connections and how they have made their own path in the world.

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Send Five Photos Via Email on iPhone/iPad

You can send up to five photos by using the photos section of your iOS device. Select the photos section then tap the edit button on the right top corner of the screen. Select up to five images you would like to send; then tap the share button. Select the mail icon and the images will be added to the email that is ready for you to send. If you select more than five images, the mail icon will not appear as an option for delivery.

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Explore the Human Body & Mind

Website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/

Students can interact with the human body through virtual flash movies and interactive games. The website also has psychological tests for memory and brain functions. Many facts and figures about the human body come to life with this web tool. Students can take a test to see if they can spot a “fake” smile!

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Improving Doctor/Patient Communication

App Name: drawMD

Doctors and patients are constantly facing issues with communication. The complicated medical naming systems and intricate design of surgeries can lead to a patient not fully understanding their medical procedure. This innovative app lets doctors and patients use medical diagrams to explain medical problems and procedures. Patients can indicate where the issue is in their bodies and doctors will use the app for a detailed listing of exactly what they will be doing in surgery.

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Tune into Your Interests!

App Name: Frequency

The latest videos from websites and social networks are now found in one place! Do not click through the large website seeking out news material, instead this app finds all of the information for you. View short news stories or video articles that will add to your classroom content.

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Student Intern Blog

Website: http://www.internmatch.com/blog

This blog connects students, educators, and employers with internship information. Learn about intern opportunities, skills needed for internships, and much more!

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Share a Video with your iPhone/iPad

The new iOS has removed the YouTube app, but you can still upload videos directly to YouTube. Go to Photos and select the video you would like to upload. Press the “share” icon and then click “YouTube”. You can get the app back by downloading it in the app store.

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Google Books

Website: http://books.google.com/

Search a variety of books for keywords using Google Books. This website is a college student’s best friend. While the whole book the student needs will not be available online, if the book is in the database you can search the book for keywords. It will generate a list of page numbers for you to see the keyword in the text. No more searching through large textbooks without an index for hours on end!

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The World’s Fair

App Name: NYPL Biblion: World’s Fair

In 2011, this app won Apple’s “Education App of the Year”. The New York Public Library has brought history to life through this application. Students can adventure through the archives of the fair in the comfort of the classroom. The library has brought to life many topics that were a large hit at the fair such as technological innovation, music, food, and pop culture.

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Create a Personalized Magazine

App Name: Zite

This application creates a magazine based on your own interests and tastes. Select the topics you wish to learn about from their preset list or create your own topic, then watch as the magazine customizes before your eyes. You can choose to like to dislike articles you read to help the application learn about your preferred content. This is a great idea for staying up to date on new content in your career cluster!

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The Responsible Marketing Blog

Website: http://responsiblemarketing.com/blog/

A former marketing teacher, Patrick Byers focuses his blog on marketing commerce and conscience. His blog features great new marketing technology terms and ethical views on current marketing trends.

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Don’t Forget Where You Parked!

A close friend of mine taught me this neat trick with any smart phone that can drop “pins”. We used this trick with an iPhone in the maps app. You can pull up the map of where you currently are parking and tap the screen in the bottom corner. The screen will allow you to select the drop pin button. This will drop a pin at your location that can be retraced when you leave the building. This would be great after a sporting event, shopping at the mall, or for students that work at large complexes.

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Ecards That Are Fun

Website: http://www.rattlebox.com/

This is an alternate to any of the cheesy ecards you have sent out in the past. These are actually funny and well put together. Send these to your friends and family to let them know you are thinking of them.

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Learn Job Skills in a Game Show

App Name: What’s Next (Job)

The Sacramento County Office of Education has developed this app for student or whole class use. It is a simple game show format that asks students questions about the skills they need to gain jobs in today’s market. Students can choose from categories such as portfolio building, job interview tips, and what employers are looking for.

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Add a Voiceover to Your Picture Slideshow

App Name: Videolicious

This is one of my favorite easy to use apps for presentations! Simply select the pictures you would like to show in your slide show then record a video of yourself giving them an introduction. After the introduction, the user selects the pictures to display for the show and talks about each image. The presentation is easy to use and looks professional. A great way to showcase your end of the semester talent.

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iPad Integration: A Study from Burley

Website: http://ipadsatburley.blogspot.com/

This blog follows the integration of iPads in a Chicago Public Elementary School. They feature fun free apps and technology for the classroom.

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Print on Post-it Notes

Website: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/06/printing-personalized-post-it-note-messages.html

This easy to follow tutorial will teach you how to print letters on to sticky notes. These could be a great resource for teaching new vocabulary!

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Money As You Grow

Website: http://moneyasyougrow.org/

Developed by the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, this resource provides financial lessons for children ages 3-18+. Students can learn about college costs, how credit cards are used, why saving money is important, and lots more! This website is a great website for students to take home to their parents.

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Help Fix Your Community

App Name: See Click Fix  

From reporting road hazards to receiving alerts from local police this app connects you with your community. Citizens can inform the app of a pothole, missing street sign, or malfunctioning street light and other app users in the community can vote on the improvements that they think are the most important.

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iMotion Time-lapse Movies

App Name: iMotion

Speed up or slow down motion, edit your movie, and export the final cut directly to Youtube or another device. Capture movies in four modes: manual, time-lapse, wifi remote, or microphone. It is easy to use with fast editing and movie making in seconds!

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Takin' a Break...

Tek Talk will return after Thanksgiving Break on November 26. Meanwhile, check out out most recent posts.

Teaching Like Its 2999

Website: http://teachinglikeits2999.blogspot.com/

A Math/Technology teacher turned digital learning coordinator has some amazing tips for technology in the classroom!

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Create Words in an Auto-Shape

Website: http://sidebysideblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/create-digital-valentine-art-without.html

The easy to follow directions on this blog will teach you how to transform words into shapes.

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Free Lessons From The Kennedy Center

Website: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/lessons.aspx

 Lesson plans on The Kennedy Center website are interactive and searchable by topic. They feature many learning resources and could be easily adapted to the CTE classroom. One of my favorite lessons called America; A Home for Every Culture features the many cultures that make up the United States. This would be a great way to teach tolerance and diversity!

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Edit Text on Your iPad

App Name: PlainText

PlainText is a simple and uncluttered text editor that works with Dropbox. This app provides distraction free writing with a clean and easy to use interface. The sidebar makes it easy to navigate through documents with multiple sections.

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Classroom Sharing for Free on the iPad

Website: http://www.showbie.com/

Student work can be assigned, gathered, and evaluated through this free app. Work can be shared from other apps and does not require the student to have an email address. The student assignment will be submitted to the teacher’s “my work” folder, then a the teacher can review and give feedback on the project.

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Teaching and Learning Blogs for All Clusters

Website: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/

Look no further for lesson plans tied to current events! Make your classroom relevant to what is happening today in the news through this website. In addition to blogs, this website features lesson plans, student opinions, and integrated feedback.

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Insert Symbols With the Alt Key

Website: http://www.wikihow.com/Type-Symbols-Using-the-ALT-Key
This article lists all of the symbols you can insert with the Alt key on a Mac or PC.

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Mapping Skills

Website: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/

Make mapping fun for your students! This website allows learners to create and customize maps for printing. Educators can integrate maps into classroom projects for students to see visual trends in career clusters.

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Personalize Your Style With Pose

App Name: Pose
This app lets you become your own fashion magazine editor. A quick quiz at the start of the app will personalize the fashion choices to your own taste. Users can interact with friends and celebrities by following trend boards and blogs.

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Share My Lesson

Website: http://www.sharemylesson.com

This website is full of lessons on core subjects. The organization has user-shared lessons that will always be free of charge. They do not currently have lessons within CTE, but it could be a great resource when helping your students with basic concepts. 

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The STEM Connector

Website: https://twitter.com/STEMConnector

This twitter account is home to all things #STEM. They feature many current event articles that STEM.

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Scroll Through Your Windows Faster

These two keyboard tricks will assist you in moving through open windows.

1.     Use the [Alt] + [Tab] to cycle through open windows.

2.     Use the [Alt] + [Ctrl] + [Tab] + left/right/up/down arrows to Flip your screen  *When using with dual monitors click on the screen you would like to flip before entering in the key combination*

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Wage and Hour Division

Website: www.dol.gov/whd/

Any questions your students might have about fair wage practices can be found on this website. Print out the work compliance posters that an employer is required to post and explain what they mean. This is a great practice for any student!

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Make TV Interactive

App Name: Zeebox

Connect and interact as you watch live TV. Invite your friends to view shows with you and talk about the show during commercial breaks. Students can use this forum to meet up and chat about documentaries or learning programs for projects in the classroom.          

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CDC Workplace Safety

Website: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/

The CDC has resources for workplace safety and health topics. These topics are great for students that work. The guides on this website can help teen workers stay informed of their rights and responsibilities. This is a great resource for all clusters!

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Disaster Science and Emergency Management Specialist

Website: https://twitter.com/ChrisNeuwirth

A great blog to follow for the criminal justice cluster!

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Add a New Keyboard On Your Ipad/Iphone

Nothing tells a story like fun images such as a smiley face or quirky looking food item. Emoji pictures are already downloaded on your iPhone and iPad. Activate your Emoji’s by selecting the Keyboard screen and adding the Emoji keyboard to your device.

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Keeping Kids Safe

Website: http://www.safekids.org/educators/activities.html

A national network helping prevent unintentional childhood injury created this website to educate families on keeping children safe. Educators can find classroom activities for young children and fact sheets. Learn about the latest product recalls and warnings. This website is a great resource for the education cluster!

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Schedule Events for Free

App Name: Doodle

Website: http://www.doodle.com/

Doodle is an online scheduling service that takes the pain out of finding the right dates and times for a group of people to meet. The app sends an invite to the participants. The invitee responds with his/her available times. The app then collates the information and you can pick the time that best matches all the invites. It synchs with Google calendar, iCal and Outlook.

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Online Version of Texas CARES

Website:http://www.texascaresonline.com/

Do you have students that are unsure of their career path or interests? Are you students aware of where in the US their career choice is the most in demand? Students can take the O*Net Importance Locator or Interest Profiler Self-Assessment Test. The results will also have links to over 200 videos on work options, skills, abilities, and career clusters.

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Eco-Business Blog

Website: http://www.eco-business.com/opinion/

This website features many bloggers that write about sustainable businesses. Green businesses are some of the fastest growing businesses in the United States. Follow this website to find out how industries are making a difference by using sustainable business practices.

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Do Not Disturb…

One of the best additions to the iPhone iOS6 update is the Do Not Disturb function. You can select the time frame in which you do not want to be disturbed or the calls in which you would want to be disturbed. This means that the annoying solicitor would automatically get your voicemail, but your children could reach you if they needed you.

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Contact Your Students Via Mass Text Message For Free!

Website: http://cel.ly/

Create mobile social networks for students and parents for free. Groups of any size can receive text message updates from teachers and group leaders. Students can set up study groups or set up reminders and alerts. This would be great for field trips and student organizations!

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Health Tracking App

App Name: Zuum- Health Tracker

Find out if you are at risk for one of six common diseases! Take the quiz with this app to see what factors in your life might contribute to disease. Use the app to get personalized tips for lowering your risk for disease.

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Concept Maps Through Popplet

Website:http://popplet.com/

Popplet is a nice addition to the teacher toolbox that can meet a variety of needs, including concept mapping, collaboration, and even presenting content. Create many mind maps or brainstorming maps with this easy website and app. The popplets can be color coded, typed in, or drawn in by the learner.

 

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Accounting Coach

Website: http://blog.accountingcoach.com/

This blog provides answers to all types of accounting questions. It is an excellent source of information for the accounting and finance teachers.

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