Latest Blog Posts
Extensions for Chrome are little programs that add functionality to Google's web browser. I've made graphics for my favorite ones.
Instagram can be a powerful learning and communication tool for educators, so I've written a guide for teachers.
I learned a lot from teaching a six week online class for educators in Google Classroom. Now I’d like to share tips and advice for using Google Classroom for professional learning, including the fundamentals of Classroom, a cheat sheet for post options, and the workflow I used with the adults in my class.
I rely on a handful of websites that provide copyright friendly clipart and photos. Those images are licensed with a public domain or Creative Commons license.
Google Slides is a handy design tool, and you can copy my template to print your own design on sticky notes. I've got directions, a video, and loads of examples for you.
Jonathan Wylie is a Digital Learning Consultant at Grand Wood AEA and he presented 10 big ideas to consider when it comes to technology integration at the 2017 Iowa 1:1 Institute. Here are my notes and his slides.
Cubetto is a wooden coding robot for children ages 3-6. My four year old twins and I have been playing with Cubetto for a few months, and I'd like to tell you about the robot and our experiences. Also check out other coding toys for kids.
When I make my own clipart, I actually trace a photo. I thought I’d share some before and after images so you can see the original photo and the drawn illustration. Use the sliders to compare the versions.
Let's see which web links I shared on social media got the most clicks in 2016. I've also included my top tweets for each month and top 10 Instagram posts. There's plenty of great stuff to explore from 2016!
An iPad can be a teacher’s very handy assistant! It’s all about what can be done by Pad-using educators, whether or not their students have iPads. It has seven sections full of suggested apps, websites, and tips.
There is a very wide variety of digital formative assessment tools that can be used for free. I’ve made simple graphics for 18 of them. Most of the tools work with any web browser, so they are great for laptops, computer labs, iPads, Chromebooks, tablets, and smartphones.
I love to share tech tips! Sometimes one little piece of information can make a difference for teachers and students. I've found that social media is a great place to share and archive these tips, hints, and ideas.
Join me on Periscope as I broadcast live from ISTE 2016 in Denver June 26-29! Come with me as I visit poster sessions, see what teachers are learning, and get a chance to hear from ISTE's closing keynote speaker. If you miss a live broadcast, don't worry. They will all be archived.
You can learn a lot from what others post on Instagram. Like any social network, the value is all in who you follow. Let's preview some great educational accounts to follow.
Curious about how I film my instructional videos? Here is the equipment I use and a 360° photo of how I set it all up.
Got a smartphone or tablet? Then you could be drawing your own illustrations, clipart, and avatars! I share examples and show techniques for creating your own artwork, even if you don't consider yourself an artist. My technique is based on tracing photos, so don't worry if you are embarrassed by your drawing skills. The video features the free Adobe Illustrator Draw app for iPad, iPhone, and Android, and the techniques can certainly be used in other drawing apps.
As a teacher wouldn’t it be handy to be in more than one place at a time? I’d like to give you some ways of recording yourself and getting that audio or video online. Once online, it’s a matter of copying and pasting to generate a QR code. A QR code is a quick way to get students to online content. Easily providing recordings to your students means you can reteach concepts, differentiate instruction, give directions at centers, communicate with parents, and be heard and/or seen anytime and any place.
iTeachTVnetwork has a Perscope account that has regularly scheduled live broadcasts from a team of thoughtful teachers. You can watch live in the Periscope app or on Twitter. Or, view archived replays. Whichever way you watch, there's a lot you can learn about technology and other education topics!
See sample end products shared by teachers and students from all grade levels. A driving question guides each of these projects.
Let's see which web links I shared on social media got the most clicks in 2015. I've also included my top tweets for each month. There's plenty of great stuff to explore from 2015!
Quizizz is an alternative to Kahoot, and there’s a lot for educators to like about it. It is very similar to Kahoot, with a few key differences.
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School hosted Miami Device, November 12 & 13, 2015. I've combed through the conference's schedule and have pulled out links to resources I think you might want to see.
Learning in Hand is finally on Instagram! What took me so long? Follow @learninginhand.
It is time for my yearly post about the gadgets and gizmos I've recently purchased. This year you'll see lots of audio and video gear, along with other techie items I think you might like.
Drop It To Me at dropitto.me is a free service that I’ve been using for several years. It provides a simple way to receive files from others. You can also choose to have your files sent to Google Drive, Dropbox, or Microsoft OneDrive.
iOS 9 has been released. It has some nice improvements for schools. But one new feature has me really excited!
I find myself explaining Periscope and how I use it a lot lately. Educators are eager to live broadcast to connect to each other and possibly use it in their classrooms. So, what better way to explain my take on this new video streaming service than in an infographic?
I’ll be in Philadelphia Sunday through Wednesday this week at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 2015 conference. Read about how I use Periscope to broadcast live video from the event.
Learning in Hand Show #31 is about giving your learning centers or stations a makeover. The collection of activities teachers provide their students at a center can be enhanced with technology, even if there’s only one computer or tablet available.
By replacing /edit in a Google document's URL, you can do some pretty nifty tricks! You can transform a shareable link into a Preview, Make a Copy, Template, or PDF link.