Latest Blog Posts
I share helpful links for educators on Twitter and Facebook everyday. I also post graphics on Instagram each week. Let's see what resonated on social media in 2017.
A web widget is a bit of code you can add to your website (or blog or wiki). The code can grab content from one website and insert it into another site. Explore dozens of categorized widgets–widgets you might consider adding to your own website.
Step right up to see impressive iPad and iPhone tips and tricks! Learn stunts like annotating photos without an app, compelling Siri to flip a coin, conjuring up keywords on a page, hearing highlighted text, making clutter on web pages vanish, closing all Safari tabs in the blink of an eye, and more!
An iPad can be a teacher’s very handy assistant! Check out the infographic 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.
Ring lights, also known as diva lights or selfie lights, provide bright, even lighting for photos and videos. Read why I absolutely love filming with a ring light.
Quizlet has added Diagrams! Diagrams are helpful for studying content that requires maps, charts, or images. You can find and study interactive diagrams on a variety of topics at Quizlet.com and in the Quizlet app. The best part about Diagrams is that you can create your own for free.
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.
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!
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.
I'm sharing several teaching tips for Google Classroom. I will continue to add more as I create visuals for things that are handy to know about Google's free service for connecting learners and teachers.