Comics can be saved to your camera roll, emailed, printed ot shared on social media.

These tech tools offer the teacher a wide array of options that can serve a multitude of purposes. In this article you can find a list of technologies this teacher has utilized and the tasks that they offer. From video creation, to word sharing, to primary sources this article offers an abundance of great information for any teacher, but really plays to the success of the social studies teacher.

Technology integration for social studies

I am supporting a social studies teacher integrate technology in her classroom  

Thanks Beth Dichter

Emerging EdTech has just released their newest version of the excellent e-book that covers free software applications. This version is free to download and it may become a great resource for you to check out when you are considering new projects to do with your learners.

The e-book has eighteen chapters, beginning with Blogs and Blogging Resources. Additional chapters include:

* Creating Your Own Comics and Cartoons for Teaching and Learning

* Educational Games and Gamification

* Interactive Collaboration Tools

* Open Educational Resources

* Screencasting

* Using YouTube Videos as Lesson Materials

* Video Conferencing and Video Chat Tools

And this is by no means a complete list. You will find many more tools if you download the free book. You will need to provide your name and email address to receive the download link. Click through to the post for additional information.

What are seven characteristics of teachers that use technology? It turns out that they may be similar to those that do not use technology. Three of the seven characteristics are listed below

1. They always start with the why.

2. They are malleable and can easily adapt.

3. They embrace change.

For a larger version of the visual above, as well as the other four characteristics click through to the post. Do you have ideas that you think should be included? Consider sharing them with a comment.

características del profesor efectivo con el uso de la tecnología

Useful tools for educators - click OPEN and then click the thumbnail or link above to view the webpage

How do you teach your learners to ask good questions? This post shares many resources to help you learn new skills that will assist you in teaching others.

The post begins with a visual, the Teach Thought Learning Taxonomy, which is a template for critical thinking that looks at cognition across six categories. This is described in depth.

Additional tools shared include:

* Socratic Discussion which includes a video from Tch (the Teaching Channel)

* Paideia Seminar - "an integrated literacy event built around formal whole class dialogue. The purpose for doing Paideia Seminar is to support students’ ability to think conceptually and communicate collaboratively." There is also a video.

* The Question Game (which was shared previously on this Scoop.it)

* Bloom's Taxonomy

* Question Formation Technique - See the visual at the top, or check out their website at The Right Question Institute. If this is of interest to you they are presenting a workshop in Boston in July. Information on this is available at their website.

* Universal Question Stems and Basic Question Stem Examples

This is actually part 2 of a two part post. The first post is A Guide to Questioning in the Classroom.

Great starting point.  

EmergingEdTech has been running a Try-a-Tool-a-Week Challenge and this week Screencast-O-Matic is the tool of the week. If you have not used this tool and are interested in doing screencasting (also known as screen capture) take the time to review this video.

The free version allows you to record up to 15 minutes, but you cannot edit the film. There is a paid version for $15 per year, which allows for editing and unlimited length! Screencast-O-Matic may be used as a web app, or you can download it (PC and Mac).

This article includes a video tutorial on Screencast-o-matic, a video capture tool that can help you create videos for your students to help them in their learning.

What two components are necessary for good assessments? This post states:

1. Activity or Performance

2. Feedback Criteria

Using Bloom's Revised Taxonomy the infographic looks at each level of Bloom's and provides a short explanation of the focus as well as possible assessment activities AND grading and feedback criteria.
The image (above) show the ''higher levels of active active thinking." Click through to the post to see the full infographic and more information.

Nice info graphic for Blended Model Design and think through. Just add toolsets , curated content and PD

and it's an important one ...

This is worth sharing. Attitudes of learning.

love this!

The whole field of visual literacy and interpretation has exploded in the last 25 years. It is time to recognize its value and teach our students not only the ability to decipher and interpret them, but to create them as well.

Thx Beth Dichter

I really like this comic strip creator. Very user-friendly. Requires free registration to save, print and export strips. Free registration allows the creation of three comic strips per week.

Technology...some argue for it and others against it, but was does the research say? This post explores current research. Sections include:

* Better at maths, worse at reading - In short, "edtech applications boost mathematics achievement, especially when individualized computer-assisted instruction is involved."

* More games, bigger brains - Research shows that playing video games can make an impact on the brain. One study cited stated "a robust positive association between the cortical thickness and video game duration in teens who invested the most time in games." Two areas of the brain, the prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision making and self-control) and the Frontal Eye Fields (which govern visual-motor processing) showed cortical matter increases.

* Selective knowledge, shallow creativity - This section discusses how technology may make it easier for us to recall information. Are we potentially "outsourcing our knowledge to digital tools"?

What do you think? Many schools are moving towards 1-to-1 digital devices to help students learn. Will this improve their outcomes at school? This post explores some of the issues that may help us choose the best ways to use digital tools, and when it may be better to approach learning using other methods.

adicionar sua visão ...

What is similar about all the situations mentioned above? In each, the individual was criticized, but they each moved on and became public figures who were incredibly successful. They learned from criticism.

This post explores criticism, sharing a section on how criticism originally focused on literary criticism, which was also at a time when many could not read or write, and tracing the history forward to today, where we often use the word feedback.

The post provides insight into why people often react negatively to criticism and then moves to ways to embrace criticism. Below are three examples from the post. More information on each is in the post as are additional ideas...and think about this as a type of mindset that may help our learners move forward.

* Be intellectually humble.

* Remember your own human tendency to criticize.

* Lower your defenses and take responsibility.

Although this was posted in 2013, the ideas of what we should look for in our classroom are still relevant. George Couros provides an image (as seen above) as well as more detailed explanations for each suggestion. Ask yourself if your learners have these options in your classroom.

1. Voice - the ability to learn from others and share their learning.

2. Choice - about how they learn and what they learn.

3. Time for reflection  (often overlooked in our very busy classrooms).

4. Opportunities for innovation

5. Critical thinkers - asking the questions and challenging what they see, respectfully.

6. Problem solvers/finders - what is a problem the learners see? How would they solve the problem?

7. Self-assessment - do your learners assess themselves or do you do the assessment? What would happen if they were given this opportunity?

8. Connected learning - bringing in experts from your community or further afield (perhaps by using Skype).

The post is worth reading as he provides additional insights to each area. In addition he provides one more piece that is also critical in your classroom. Click through to the post to learn more.

Thx Beth Dichter

Clear and easy to understand!

Are you looking for resources that provide "copyright friendly" images, audio and video for your learners? This post, by Richard Byrne, provides six resources. Each one provides access to materials that are in the public domain.

* The Moving Image Archive. This is part of the Internet Archive and includes over 1.7 million clips.

* The Public Domain Review is a project of the Open Knowledge Foundation and provides access to images, books, films, audio recording and essays.

* The Free Music Archive (FMA) provides access to free music. This collection is curated and provides a range of genres.

* Sound Gator provides free sound effects. Do you need the sound of a horn honking, or whipped cream coming out of a can?  This is a great place to go.

* Pixabay and the Morgue File are both great places to search for images. The Morgue File is a collection of photos, and Pixabay provides high-resolution images in the public domain.

Byrne provides additional details on each of these six resources in the post. Click through to learn more.

aggiungi la tua intuizione ...

When we think of ways to boost knowledge retention in our learners, what works for students that are online also works for students in face2face classes. This post from SH!FT provides seven ways to help student retain knowledge. The visual above illustrates the concepts. The post provides additional information as well as links to

#1 - When possible, use diagrams. Many people are visual learners. Consider using graphic organizers to provide "holistic views, expressing relationships, and identifying contrasting data."

#2 - Incorporate unique and out-of-the ordinary images. Why? Images stay with us longer, and the more unique, the longer they tend to stay with us.

#3 - Dish out sensory details. The more details that engage the learner the better.

#4 - Use color therapy. Color works on many levels. Color can be used to organize, to grab our attention, and it can impact our mood.

The last 3 suggestions are below...but you will need to click through to the post to learn more about each.

#5 - Exaggerate.

#6 - Small bites, at one's own pace.

#7 - Spaced repetition.

Do your learners know what happens when the read, or when stories are read to them. This post, from the Open Education Database, provides a visual (that you may want to print out and share with learners and their families) as well as 10 ways that reading helps your brain workout. The list is below.

* We make photos in our mind, even without being prompted.

* Spoken word can put your brain to work.

* Reading about experiences is almost the same as living it.

* Different styles of reading create different patterns in the brain.

* New languages can grow your brain.

* Your brain adapts to reading e-books in seven days.

* E-books lack in spatial navigability.

* Story structure encourages our brain to think in sequence, expanding our attention spans.

* Reading changes your brain structure (in a good way)).

* Deep reading makes us more empathetic.

To learn more about each of these points click through to the post.

EmergingEdTech has been running a Try-a-Tool-a-Week Challenge and this week Screencast-O-Matic is the tool of the week. If you have not used this tool and are interested in doing screencasting (also known as screen capture) take the time to review this video.

The free version allows you to record up to 15 minutes, but you cannot edit the film. There is a paid version for $15 per year, which allows for editing and unlimited length! Screencast-O-Matic may be used as a web app, or you can download it (PC and Mac).

This article includes a video tutorial on Screencast-o-matic, a video capture tool that can help you create videos for your students to help them in their learning.

How can teachers best integrate technology into their lesson plans? This post looks at 10 questions we should consider asking ourselves, and provides suggestions of tools to consider using that will help us seamlessly integrate technology. Below are the first four questions.

1. How am I activating into my students' prior knowledge?

2. How am I presenting information to students in an engaging way?

3. How am I collecting, disseminating, and annotating student work?

4. What opportunities and resources am I giving my students for practice?

Integrating technology should become a component of our lesson design. As you review the additional questions you will find that not all apply to every lesson you teach. Think about your objectives and then select the question(s) most applicable.

As you look at the suggested tools in the post make sure that you try using the ones you choose. There is nothing more frustrating than to use a tool as a teacher, and you know it works...but when the student logs in the tool is blocked due to permissions. My lesson learned...I must test each and every tool, so that I know how to use it and to make sure students also have access.

This is an excellent article and very helpful for teachers looking for a way in  to using or enhancing what they do with technology. The list of ideas for each section are high quality. Great recommendations and ideas here. 

Check out nine maker projects that you can do in your classroom. The projects are divided into three sections:

* Smaller Scale Maker Education Projects which includes

     - Towers of Power

     - Catapults

* Design Challenges

     - Bridge to Nowhere

     - Float the Boat

     - Egg Drop

     - Instruments

* Play with Light

      - Electromagnets

     - Squishy Circuits

     - MakeyMakey Controller Boards

Each of the projects includes a list of materials and tools needed as well as a brief explanation. Look over the ideas and consider having an evening where families could come in and experience hands-on science by completing a project (or two).