Noel Erskine, Technology Coordinator Norris Schools

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Miscellaneous Educational Resources 3-14-13

Thursday, March 14, 2013


Some web 2.0 tools and websites:

Last week was World Math Day. Find lots of great resources here: bit.ly/XCxwLa (Great for year long use too!)

This may be one to share with elementary parents. - http://www.zoowhiz.com/ Easily adaptable system to make learning fun & interactive for children j.mp/Q6peev  It's designed  for a parent to create an account for their child.  It's free, but does have additional content for a subscription price too. (It took me a while to setup a child and parent account, but looked like it would be worth the effort.)

More Twitter Resources:
Cyberman's web site has a ton of great resources.  Here is his Amazing list of Education hashtags for Twitter!! goo.gl/YPElr

Google Hangouts:
How Educators and Schools Can Make the Most of Google Hangouts Edutopia Article


Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools Chosen By Teachers.  These are some great lists and tools! 

Some great YouTube tools:
Dragontape – Create Custom YouTube Mixes. This site allows you to search for YouTube videos and drag them to a timeline. You can then trim each movie’s beginning and ending points. http://teachamazing.com/dragontape-create-custom-youtube-mixes/

Install the Quietube bookmarklet (quietube.com) to show YouTube videos without all the distractions and ads.  I like this one, because it does not load an extension, etc... It is just a book mark on your bookmark bar. 

Annotate web pages with this site:
Use Bounce (bounceapp.com) to annotate a website for students to use in a lesson. This is a really nice tool, but it tool me a few seconds to figure out where to find your page link once you have annotated a web page. It is different than just grabbing a screenshot, you will see what I mean with the following link:
Here is a sample annotation: http://www.bounceapp.com/89343

Here is the key:
Inline image 1

Miscellaneous Educational Resources 3-4-13

Monday, March 4, 2013



Some great web 2.0 tools and Sites: 
Sharing some Symbaloo ♥: Kindergarten Webmix symbaloo.com/mix/kindergart… GREAT computer games 

Handouts from the #tcea13 convention are available here: http://goo.gl/Usgf1 (A wealth of info at your fingertips from this large Texas educational tech conference.)

10 Great Video Tutorials on Using Twitter in Education buff.ly/15PHcqb

2013 Top 10 Best & FREE Cloud Storage Services & Smartphone Apps techgyd.com/2013-top-10-be…

Create a quiz using images with Image Quiz: freetech4teachers.com/2013/02/create… 

Another interesting way to curate and display a collection of websites: edu.allmyfaves.com  (I still like Symbaloo, especially for younger kids.) 


Royalty Free Music for student or teacher projects:
Some Great tools for Chrome:

13 killer Chrome apps to replace your desktop software | PCWorld pcworld.com/article/201715…  

10 Things You Didn't Know Chrome Could Do on.mash.to/ZkoOBh

Two Handy Speech to Text Tools for Chrome http://goo.gl/VGLIs 

Google Tools
Ten ways to maximize your Google Drive. http://goo.gl/ZjKtT 

Short screencast describing how to create a custom Google Map : youtu.be/SBTaHd2-Iik

Can't find the 'Create from template' feature in Google Drive? Watch today's video to learn how - bit.ly/VtRnfG

So you want some Apps!

This one was sent out last week, but thought I would include it in case someone missed that mailing: Here is one that may be fun for the elementary classrooms: Dr. Seuss Camera - The Cat in the Hat Edition - Free today!  http://goo.gl/pVUJk  

If you are a Coach, this is a must have app: Coach My Video – The iPad App Coaches and Phys Ed Teachers Need ow.ly/i79fE  (I know several Norris staff members are already using this app, but wanted to promote it those of you that have not looked at it yet.) 

Great, free iPad app from Cambridge University Press for ESL students - Phrasal Verbs Machine: bit.ly/WfY9Iw

Many schools use Pic Collage (Free) to have students do comic strips.  It's a nice picture collage maker too! 

20 Free Multiplication iPad Apps for Kids http://goo.gl/oJb6M
14 Free Alphabet iPad Apps for Kids http://goo.gl/O0ZuC
21 Free Counting iPad Apps for Kids http://goo.gl/hN1h5
13 Free Addition iPad Apps for Kids http://goo.gl/4t3ce
9 Free Subtraction iPad Apps for Kids http://goo.gl/xxHV9
15 Free Science iPad Apps for Kids http://goo.gl/bT2uV
24 Free Chemistry iPad Apps for Students http://goo.gl/a3PpB

Top 5 Apps You Want On Your iPad (including ‘how to’ video links)  http://goo.gl/NX8BR

So many apps and so little time to look at them see if they’re useful.  These few lists/resources will help: http://goo.gl/ssYqK

eBooks:

100 Tips for Google Chrome (PDF): bit.ly/XrrquW (At Norris, this ebook is downloaded and on the O drive - O:\eBooks -Free\Google Chrome)

Ed Tech's free ebook - technology resources 2013 : emergingedtech.com/ebook/Emerging… (At Norris, this ebook is downloaded and on the O drive - O:\eBooks -Free called "EmergingEdTech's 2013 Free Education Technology Resources eBook.pdf"


Free eBooks in PDF and ePub formats on a variety of technology subjects:

Makeuseof has a lot of nice eBooks on a variety of technology subjects: http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/download  (Password is makeuseof  for downloading.)

Remember at Norris --- Check out our Free eBooks on technology subjects on the O drive on our network! (O:\eBooks -Free)

Miscellaneous Educational Resources 2-21-13

Thursday, February 21, 2013




Misc web resources and tools:

I know some of our staff is already using this great tool, but if you are an Elementary teacher and have not checked it out.... now is the time! New post: Using Class Dojo to Motivate Your Students - goo.gl/fb/6kpFr 

PBS LearningMedia offers thousands of videos for classroom use FREE: pbslearningmedia.org I know I have mentioned the PBS resources before, I would suggest getting signed up for their monthly emails to keep informed. 

Tech Learning : Top 100 Sites of 2012. This is a nice list with many new sites I had not used!

If you are a drop box user, this is a great article about additional tools: hongkiat.com/blog/dropbox-t…  Some awesome tools!

Top 20 educational technology Livebinders you should not miss: bit.ly/T5yMqk

Great history resource: Decades on American history. Also check out their links at the bottom of the page. 

The Teacher's Guide to Copyright and Fair Use - edudemic.com/2013/02/teache…

A Search Engine other than Google??  Maybe Hakia? http://teachamazing.com/hakia-semantic-search-portal/

Calendar: The ultimate guide  This is a great guide. How to add multiple calendars on your phone, etc... 

Twitter tools: 
Many image tweeting services exist. Probably the most popular is TwitPic. http://twitpic.com/ Here's a tool that delivers e-learning and audio as well. ScreenTweet does the job.  http://goo.gl/7bHr7

Are you involved with any Twitter Chats? If so, this site/tool may be a keeper! http://tweetchat.com/


IOS Apps
So you want some IOS apps... Here is an APP Smackdown Google Spreadsheet list that was recently used at another Nebraska school: bit.ly/15vK4bA 

Love the graphics of Random Name Selector iOS app; great for the classroom and free! bit.ly/WAVp6j

Penultimate Now a free IOS app. Download and use this resource: Taking the Penultimate Notes ow.ly/hLq7H

4 Apps for Taking Notes by  iPad.AppStorm  (Apps are not free, but if you took advantage of the free Penulate IOS app offer above, you already have one of these apps!) http://ipad.appstorm.net/roundups/design/4-apps-for-taking-notes/

IOS App/Android App:
CamNote: Snap handwritten notes to the cloud in Android and iOS (review) | ZDNet Free app: http://goo.gl/bkavU

Google, Gmail, Chrome and more...

A Short Guide to Using Google Drive on Your iPad  http://goo.gl/3GZuf  This free ebook (PDF format) is already downloaded and on our O drive folder: O:\eBooks -Free. Sync it to your iPad and your ready to go!

10 Chrome tricks to improve your browsing experience by TechRepublic -Great list! http://goo.gl/Gnyqd

How To Backup Your Data from the Cloud with Google Takeout: http://goo.gl/9UVVn 

This  Gmail trick is a must have for any teacher whose students do not have email accounts. http://goo.gl/tO6v1

How to get the most out of the new Google Forms: blog.ditoweb.com/2013/02/how-to…

EBooks 

I have promoted the CK12 ebooks in the past, here's how to make one by Richad Byrne  (@rmbyrne) New post: How to Create CK-12 Flexbooks goo.gl/fb/ozxzt

Project Guttenberg adds Dropbox support, perfect for synching ebooks to all your devices: bit.ly/14ZPt9r

Miscellaneous Educational Resources 2-12-13

Tuesday, February 12, 2013


Some great web sites and resources for the week:

Find free, interactive, educational 3D images at 3D Toad: 3dtoad.com . Works on the iPad! <---- This one is Amazing!!!

Text students, colleagues, and parents for free with SendHub; great for BYOD campuses: sendhub.com/education/

Wallwisher Is Now Padlet goo.gl/fb/GgbHv (if you hae not tried this, pretty cool Web 2.0 toola nd works on iPads.  Use it for kids to post class interaction, questions, etc...

Create newspapers, brochures, posters, and flyers online easily with Printing Press: bit.ly/XPqwru (Does require flash - No iPads)

UNL's Dr. Guy Trainin shares 24 free apps for the one iPad classroom. youtube.com/watch?v=StnQQZ…

Good three-minute video tutorial on creating a diagram within a Google Doc: bit.ly/1151fRZ

1 Ninja Tricks for Making Evernote More Awesome buff.ly/HEwOIf

Cool Math -- A collection of games that are designed to be safe to use in the classroom, covering a variety of math subjects as well as reading, science and geography. http://www.coolmath4teachers.com/

Exploratorium -- As the website of San Francisco's Museum of Science, Art and Human Participation, Exploratorium links to a variety of online activities that make science fun. http://www.exploratorium.edu/ 

Melody Street -- A musical world where instruments come to life, offering games, music and online videos to help teach kids about instruments, melody and more. http://melodystreet.com/

Fun Brain -- Online games portal that focuses on games that have educational value for kids. Teachers can easily find games, curriculum and even flash cards that are perfect for whatever subject matter they're teaching. http://www.funbrain.com/teachers/index.html

Hippocampus -- A project of the Monterey Institute for Technology and Education, the goal of HippoCampus is to provide high-quality multimedia content on general education subjects to high school and college students free of charge. http://www.hippocampus.org/

iCivics -- Founded by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, iCivics is a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in US democracy. http://www.icivics.org/

Virtual Chemistry Lab: (needs Java installed) chm.davidson.edu/vce/index.html

Apps to Download - Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything http://www.schrockguide.net/workshop-apps.html

Create Fun Flipbooks With Animator for iPad | iPad Apps for School http://ipadapps4school.com/2013/02/01/create-fun-flipbooks-with-animator-for-ipad/

5 free programs educators shouldn't miss SmartBlogs http://goo.gl/bEnCx

For educators - showcase your students work with their own Flipping Book j.mp/Tqf5X0

Free Technology for Teachers: Five Essential Google Drive Skills For Teachers http://goo.gl/hkOuZ

A Teacher's Guide to Classroom Backchannels & Informal Assessment Tools goo.gl/fb/J5Pi3  (This ebook is downloaded here at Norris on the O drive in this location: O:\eBooks -Free)

Discover wonderful, free, educational videos at mobento.com. You can even search inside the video for spoken words.

NEW Podcast-how to use Testmoz a FREE online quiz-test generator-works great on the iPad, randomizes ?'s, and more youtu.be/UAPWxbVeHiw

Updated list of plagiarism checking tools: http://goo.gl/jBJiI

Some great distacne learning connections for your classroom!
NASA set to "hangout" with students via the International Space Station nasa.gov/connect/hangou…

Free Technology for Teachers: Have a Yellowstone Park Ranger Skype With Your Students http://goo.gl/eGSoz 

Twitter resources -- Are you on board yet???? Why not!
Education World: Using Twitter for Professional Development http://goo.gl/lOD4l  A FEW HASH TAGS FOR THE ELEM. TEACHERS: #elemchat   #kinderchat OR for general edu items try: #edchat

 @cybraryman1: My Twitter for Beginners: tinyurl.com/6a238y6 How to Chat: tinyurl.com/4utvwpd Ed Hashtags: bit.ly/5CyGvk

8 Useful and/or Fun Twitter Tools — Tony Vincent - Learning in Hand http://learninginhand.com/blog/8-useful-andor-fun-twitter-tools.html

Get your donation doubled and make our student's (and teacher's) week. We need your help!

Monday, February 11, 2013



Back in December I mentioned seven teachers at Norris had written grants to obtain Chromebooks for their classrooms at the amazing discounted price of $99!  Original article found here. Well 3 of the grants have been fully funded and 3 remain to accept donations.

This week, you can get your donation doubled by using the code "HEART".  So if you decide to help out with any of these worthwhile projects, make sure you do it this week and use that special code during the checkout process.






It's an amazing price and some innovative teachers and projects that will make these grants truely impact students and the educational process at Norris.

Here is a listing of the grants that you can donate to:

Below is a listing of the Norris projects.  We would appreciate any support you can give to make these dreams for staff and students come true!

 We need your help, please donate! 

Cloud Learning with Chromebooks in Social Studies Project home (30 Chromebooks)Mr. Murtaugh's technology project at Norris Middle School in Firth, NE 


Modernizing Music Makes Musicians Merry (with Chromebooks) Project home (12 Chromebooks) Donation matches up to Dec 20th! (Using the Inspire code.)Mr. Lee's technology project at Norris High School in Firth, NE 
Chromebooks for Norris Middle School Band Program Project home (30 Chromebooks) Donation matches up to Dec 20th! (Using the Inspire code.) Ms. Wilhelm's technology project at Norris Middle School in Firth, NE 
Below are projects that were funded or expired:

Writing in the Real WorldProject home (30 Chromebooks)  Donation matches up to Dec 22nd! (Using the Inspire code.)
Mr. Cullison's technology project at Norris Middle School in Firth, NE UPDATED 12-27-12 - No more donors needed- Project has been funded! 
Connecting with Chrome Project home  (30 Chromebooks)
Mrs. Coady's technology project at Norris High School in Firth, NE  UPDATED 12-17-12 - No more donors needed- Project has been funded! 
Making Plants Come to Life Project home ( 20 Chromebooks) Donation matches up to Dec 20th! (Using the Inspire code.)
Ms. Harms's technology project at Norris High School in Firth, NE  UPDATED 2-11-13 - No more donors needed- Project has been funded! 

Chrome Book Request Project home (30 Chromebooks)Donation matches up to Dec 20th! (Using the Inspire code.)

Mrs. Spilker's technology project at Norris Middle School in Firth, NE  UPDATED 2-1-13 - Project expired without funding.

My list of great resources for the week! Videos, free coaching apps, web tools, tips and more.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013


To start of this week's list, I wanted to share this:
Our KG students visiting Henry Doorly Zoo via Distance Learning http://pnr.ma/amNwlX  If you are interested in any distance learning events for your classroom, let our department know! (The panorama was created by the DMD iPad app that was free in one of my other emailing/blog postings.)

Misc. web tools, apps, tips and tricks:
How To Use Google Drive and Evernote To Create Digital Portfolios using your iPad. 15 minute tutorial with Video! http://edudemic.com/2013/01/create-digital-portfolios/

How to Create Your Own Textbook — With or Without Apple by MindShift

Wavosaur is a free PC audio editor. Amazingly small but mighty. http://goo.gl/rkBPP (At Norris we have in on the network under the K drive for staff and students. No install!  K:\Software_ran_from_server\WavoSaur Audio Editor)

Blubbr - Create Interactive Quizzes Using YouTube Clips: http://goo.gl/U0NxX 

Download all the Tweets you've ever Twittered- http://goo.gl/i11DS 

New Google App Search Feature http://goo.gl/QsBl1

Ebook Glue transforms blogs into ebooks, a great way to share student writing: ebookglue.com  Take your classroom blog and turn it into an ebook. (SAMPLE-This link: https://ebookglue.com/share/ftAhLBunyzBUF8vPwSRRFL  Takes my blog and makes it into an epub ebook for downloading.)

Top 10 Handy iOS Tweaks That Don't Require Jailbreaking http://goo.gl/Zdos5

If you are a basketball coach and need an awesome FREE shooting stats app for the iPad check out   via Scott Phillips (@phillipshuskies) http://goo.gl/vJifh   The app is free and a lot of great free features. They have free apps for other sports too! 

Freebook Sifter makes it easy to find over 35,000 free eBooks on Amazon for your Kindle or iOS Kindle app: freebooksifter.com 

Book Creator for iPad – updated again for greater e-book functionality (tutorial) We do not have this program at Norris yet, but it looks great if you need to create an eBook on your iPad.  Tutorial with videos and downloadable eBook of directions! 

Internet Safety and Bulling Resources

17 Cartoon Videos Explaining the Internet and Internet Safety to Kids http://ow.ly/gUS14 

Some great Video resources from PBS. If you are not signed up for their resources... you need to!  (List taken from PBS mailing.) 
In the Mix: Conflict Resolution
Grades 7-13+ | Video | Communication Skills
Observe a group of high school students as they discuss the ways in which they deal with conflict. Consider using this resource as a conversation starter in your own class.

Cyber-Bullying
Grades 7-12 | Video | Types of Bullying
Show your students how bullies use text messages and the Internet to threaten others, and discuss the steps that they can take to address this form of harassment.

The Teenage Brain
Grades 6-8 | Video | Biology & Behavior

Gain insight into the development of the teenage brain. Ask your students to consider how natural changes in the brain play a role in the way teens relate to one another.
Succeeding in School
Grades 5-12 | Video | Story of Success

Inspire your students with the personal story of Omarina, a student who faced crippling odds but was able to succeed with support from her school community. Use this resource to illustrate the impact of a supportive learning environment.
Martha Speaks: Martha Walks the Dog
Grades K-1, 4-5 | Video

There's a new, mean dog in town. Use this resource to show your young students that first impressions can be deceiving sometimes.
Dinosaur Train: Including Friends
PreK-1 | Video

Talk about feeling like an outsider with your class. Recognize what actions a friend can take to help someone feel included and valued.


Get the most out of Google Docs for student writing and teacher feedback:
Taken from a recent Google tips email:
Here are two tips for getting the most out of Google Docs for student writing and teacher feedback:
  • Give feedback with comments- When students start their papers, have them share the document with you. You can access the student document anytime and insert comments. The student is then notified of your comment. Learn how to insert comments.
  • Use the revision history interface- This lets you easily see what changes have been made to a document. Changes are color-coded based on each collaborator, so it’s clear which student wrote which parts of the paper. Learn more.
Want to learn more?
In this recording, Miss Christie, her 5th grade students and their CIO talk about how Littleton Public Schools uses Google Apps to support collaboration.Fast forward to 39 minutes, 30 seconds if you want to hear from the kids.


CK-12 Foundation is adding more content- exciting news taken from their email announcement: 

Watch for their new iPad app too... coming soon! 
Braingenie builds deep mastery and sharpens problem-solving skills.

Learn, practice, and quiz
yourself on 5,000+ skills.

Compete in real-time
multiplayer matches.

Win badges and claim a top spot on the leaderboard.

Braingenie offers: 
Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Precalculus, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Math Grades 1-8 and Middle-School Science

http://flexmath.ck12.org/
CK-12 Foundation presents FlexMath, a student-centered approach to Math proficiency. By combining engaging lessons, interactive practice, adaptive assessment and extensive scaffolding, FlexMath not only improves student's mathematical ability, but it also inspires confidence in all of its student users.

Great web tools, free apps, tech tips and even 1/2 price Pizza in this Issue! My miscellaneous Educational Resources 1-16-13

Wednesday, January 16, 2013




Some great web sites and web tools for your classrooms: 

eQuizShow Online Templates - Great site for making a fun class project or review! http://equizshow.com/  Here's a first grade grammar one

150 Best Browser Extensions & Web Apps Of 2012 - Some of these are making my list!

The most comprehensive collection of Web 2.0 tools organized and categorized web20guru.wikispaces.com/Web+2.0+Resour…

The 20 Best Education Apps And Web Tools Of The Year ow.ly/gsYOd

Google Docs - Tools, tips, and more
Keyboard shortcuts can save you TONS of time in Google Docs. Watch this video to see a few of my favorites. - bit.ly/VNUnDB

Send To Google Docs – Convert HTML To PDF & Save It In A Single Click [Chrome] 

Want to automate some things in Google Docs for collecting assignments and setting up folders for your class?  Try Doctopus for Managing Google Documents 

Tip: Be on the lookout for the Google Apps Great Plains summit info coming soon!!!!! Free registration opportunities for Norris Staff! 

IOS (iPad/iPhone) apps:

A very nicely organized app collection to support #CBLearn appitic.com/index.php/cbl/…
A nice utility type app to save a web page to PDF on your iPad. Has dropbox and email support too. FREE for a limited time!   InstaWeb: Web to PDF Converter (In my tests it works pretty well for most sites.) 

Need a motivational video for your teacher in-service?
Here is one for the admins, tech coordinators, and staff developers.  Five-Minute Film Festival: Best Kickoff Videos.  These are great intro videos for your staff developments or in-service sessions! 

eBooks, iBooks, and more


Learn iBook Author - short video tutorial: youtube.com/playlist?list=…

 Notescraper: Exporting Kindle notes and highlights bit.ly/ZMqvup

Free Photo book and 1/2 off Papa John's Pizza too!

 @WeAreTeachers Lunch Break Deal Alert: FREE Photo Book offer from My Publisher. bit.ly/X8bQna

Papa John's Coupon Code | 50% Off Large Pizzas 

How does Erskine find out about these things???  Twitter!  These were on a couple education feeds from @WeAreTeachers  If you are not using Twitter, you are missing out.  There is everything from kindergarten to social studies for groups, hash-tags and people to follow. 

Kyle Steinkuhler @KSteink will be doing a session on Twitter Monday during our in-service.  Look for the details coming out soon!  Speaking of Kyle... here is a nice one right from his Twitter feed: Super collection of historical maps!!:bigmapblog.com/tag/american-w…

New to Twitter, this will explain a few of the basics. The Beginner's Guide to Twitter.