Digital Learning Today

In this episode, we look at how teachers can use Google Plus in their classroom.

Topics Covered:

• What is Google+… Why do I need it in the classroom?
• Interface and ways to customize it for classroom safety
• What can GooglePlus be used for in the classroom?
• Setting up a classroom profile
• Creating a “Circle” in your classroom
• What are hangouts? Why does my class want to hangout?
• Using Sparks to research information
• What is a +1 and how can I use it to compile a list of great websites for my class?
• Using GooglePlus to showcase photos and videos for student demonstrations
• Using Huddles
• Creating a digital classroom scrapbook using photos and video
• Integrating Google Docs into GooglePlus to provide students with great homework help
• Embedding code from other websites such as LiveBinders or ….. (something)
• Taking your GooglePlus classroom on the go… mobile apps!
• How can we protect our children from online predators when Google+ promotes Hangout's so easily with no consideration of innocence?

Dennis Freitas: I was first introduced to personal computers in 1983 my first year of college. We have come along way since then. I have had to many machines to list here. I am what is been referred to a “Flipper” I started on a PC switched to Apple than back to PC (due to work) spent most of my time working on Windows machines. In 2007 with the release of the iPhone I dove back into the Macintosh ecosystem and have never looked back.

In Late 2009 I entered to the world of Podcasting Creating Mac Daily Quick Tips and YourMacShow the Podcast. Soon YourMacShow became a Video tutorial screencast based show. We have also had several other Podcasts over last two years such as Apple Aid, Not Another Mac Podcast and most recently GooglePlusToday and All Things Google.

We have several plans for the future with the next major project to be released this Fall. YourTechNetwork. We have an incredible group of people from all different Tech backgrounds who will be contributing their shows to our new Network. The idea is for YourTechNetwork is to be your one-stop shop for all things tech.

Now, where we will differ from the many of other Tech networks online today is ours is tutorial based. A place to learn all about your particular device. We plan to do this with Podcasts, Video tutorials, quick tips and detailed how-to articles. Most of the Networks online today focus on News and rumors. Our Network’s focus is on You and “Helping you Get to Know Tech”

Dennis Freitas

Recorded September 2011

Jeff sits down with Mark Greentree of EverydayMacSupport, and Stephanie and Terry O'Brien to discuss some of the great new technologies students will use in school.

• Getting a New iPad… Should I be nervous?
• iPad vs Laptop
• What to do with your new technology
• Great apps for your classroom and how to use them
• Cases and keyboards for your iPad
• Refurbished iPads and Laptops
• Purchasing on a budget
• Document sharing… cloud computing… iCloud

• Toy Story Read-AlongBy Disney Publishing Worldwide Applications
• A fully interactive reading experience packed with Games, Movie Clips, Coloring Pages, Sing-along Tunes, and Surprises on every page. Hear the story read aloud, record your own narration, or explore at your own pace.
• Balloonimals HD:By IDEO
• Balloonimals HD is a magical iPad activity that will entertain kids of all ages. Simply scribble and swipe to create and play with beautifully animated 3D balloon characters.
• See.Touch.Learn.
• See.Touch.Learn.™ is a picture learning system designed by professionals specifically for those with autism and other special needs.
• Thomas & Friends: Thomas Gets His Own Branch Line
• Little Engineers can Read, Play, Listen and Record with their favorite blue engine!
• Dexteria
• Dexteria is a set of therapeutic hand exercises (not games) that improve fine motor skills and handwriting readiness in children and adults.
• GarageBand for iPad
• GarageBand turns your iPad into a collection of Touch Instruments and a full-featured recording studio — so you can make music anywhere you go. Use Multi-Touch gestures to play pianos, organs, guitars, drums, and basses on your iPad. They sound and play like their counterparts, but let you do things you could never do on a real instrument.
• iMovie for iPad
• Make beautiful HD movies anywhere with iMovie, the fast and fun moviemaking app for iPhone, iPod touch, and the amazing new iPad 2. Designed for the Multi-Touch screen, iMovie puts everything you need to tell your story at your fingertips.
• Keynote for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), and iPad
• Exclusively designed for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, Keynote makes creating a world-class presentation — complete with animated charts and transitions — as simple as touching and tapping. Use full-screen view to present right on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.
• Pages for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), and iPad
• Exclusively designed for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, Pages lets you create, edit, and view documents wherever you are. Every page looks stunning and clear on iPad — and also on iPhone 4 and the latest iPod touch, thanks to the high-resolution Retina display.
• Numbers for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), and iPad
• Exclusively designed for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, Numbers lets you make compelling spreadsheets in minutes — with tables, charts, photos, and graphics — using just your fingers. Choose from 250 easy-to-use functions.
• The Princess and the Frog Read-Along
• This FULLY INTERACTIVE App includes GAMES, MOVIE CLIPS, COLORING PAGES and MUSIC to sing along! You can even RECORD YOUR OWN VOICE reading the story.
• Shape Builder – the Preschool Learning Puzzle Game for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
• Shape Builder educates & entertains your little one with easy to move shapes that snap into place on top of silhouette puzzles. Each puzzle has 5 to 10 pieces & after positioning all of the pieces, the real image is revealed along with a professional voice recording of the word spoken by Jill Dews, a licensed speech therapist that specializes in early child development.
• Toontastic
• Lights, Camera, Play! Toontastic is a Creative Learning tool that empowers kids to draw, animate, and share their own cartoons through imaginative play.

Stephanie O’Brien M.S., BCaBA, has been working with children with autism and other developmental delays for over 10 years. After listening to a guest speaker in college speak about Autism and methods for helping children acquire language and motor skills, Stephanie was convinced that this is where she wanted to focus her efforts. She obtained her M.S. Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Fordham University, and is a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst. Stephanie works directly with children with Autism, trains parents, teachers, and therapists, delivers workshops, and consults with school districts on their programs. She is also on the Advisory Board at Brain Parade, helping to develop See.Touch.Learn. It is an application for the iPad, designed for students with Autism and language delays. Her expertise has taken her across the United States, Canada and as far away as Tokyo, Japan. Stephanie has developed and administered programs for schools and districts in WI, MN, PA, CT, NY and New Jersey where she lives today.

Terrence P. O’Brien has been teaching in Moorestown, New Jersey for the last 14 years.He has taught Fourth Grade and Fifth Grade.Terry also enjoys coaching the 8th Grade Boys Soccer and Baseball teams.Terry received his Education degree from Rider University and his Masters degree in Education from Marygrove College.Terry also coaches Chess and other strategic games during the summer at his camp, Plan of Action.You can contact Terry at [email protected].

Mark Greentree is the principle blogger and podcast creator of www.everydaymacsupport.com. His aim is to inform users at all levels of experience how to get the most out of the Apple hardware and associated software. He is also one of the lead hosts on Not Another Mac Podcast, an Apple based round table discussion with Mac users and experts from all over world.

When Mark isn't producing content for the Mac community he is a at home father to his two children under the age of 5. Hence, educating his children is one of his top priorities and that makes him well suited to be a guest on the TeacherCast podcast. Mark is able to bring a different type of discussion to the table as a result.

Mark is also a qualified photographer and worked for over five years as a scientific and industrial photographer for CSIRO Australia before leaving and working for himself.

Recorded August 2011

In this episode of the TeacherCast Podcast, Jeff sits down with the Jed-iPad Master, Toby Price, and Dave Meister to talk about how administrators use technology in their school districts.

• How has educational technology changed in the last few years
• The role of school districts within the digital community
• Reaching out to families without computers in their homes
• How are we preparing our graduates for the digital job market
• Introducing and integrating technology in the middle and upper grades
• Teaching students to blog
• Using blogging to foster great writing skills and gain a voice in the world
• What new technology experiences are schools creating for our students
• Great Educational Apps
• How to teach the parents about this great technology
• How should we suggest students transfer their digital files?
• What types of online accounts can we ask our students to have connections to
• How to work around district filters
• Presenting resumes in a digital job market.
• Coping with a diminishing technology budget
• Are we preparing our students correctly for the world?
• How to find “Pockets of Excellence”
• Teacher Training Programs
• Google+ in the Classroom
• Should we fear Facebook and other social networking sites
• How should teachers keep an online public/private life
• The Digital Resume
• First thoughts on these topics
• Social Media and Social Networking
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Skype
• Text Messaging
• QR Codes in the classroom
• Cell Phones/Internet Devices in schools
• Students bringing in laptops to learn with
• Students bringing in iPads or tablets to learn with
• Google+
• LiveBinders.com
• Online Learning for credit in k-12 education

• Splashtop Remote Desktop
• This is the ONLY remote desktop app that streams video and audio from your PC or Mac, allowing you to interact with your PowerPoint, Keynote, Word, Excel, Outlook, Quicken, IE, Firefox, Safari, World of Warcraft, and other PC / MAC applications.
• Splashtop Whiteboard
• Turn your iPad into a mobile interactive whiteboard!
• ReplyNote
• ReplayNote is an app that records your writing and voice, then converts it to YouTube video.
• ScreenChomp
• A simple doodling board, markers, and one-click sharing tools make spreading your ideas and know-how easy and fun! Just – Record It. Sketch It. Share It. – to create a sharable, replay-able video that tells your story clearly.
• GolfShot: Golf GPS
• #1 Golf GPS App Worldwide
• Twitter
• Follow your interests: instant updates from your friends, industry experts, favorite celebrities, and what’s happening around the world. Get short bursts of timely information on the official Twitter app for iPhone and iPad.
• Stumble Upon
• StumbleUpon is a discovery engine that finds the best of everything that is out there on the web, recommended just for you. With a touch of the Stumble button, or swipe of the iPad screen, you’ll discover photos, videos and web pages recommended by friends and people sharing your interests.
• Flipboard
• Named Apple's iPad App of the Year and one of TIME's top 50 innovations of 2010, Flipboard is a fast, beautiful way to flip through the news, photos, videos, and updates your friends are sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Flickr, and Instagram.
• Casey's Contraptions
• Help Casey get his toys back by building crazy contraptions. Create Rube Goldberg-like machines with toys and everyday items to solve puzzles and playtime scenarios.

• Google Docs
• Turn It In
• Blogger
• Twitter
• iCloud
• GooglePlusToday
• Live Binders

Dave Meister is currently the interim Superintendent for Paris Union School District No.95 and the Director of Paris Cooperative High School (PCHS) in Paris, Illinois. PCHS is a one of a kind high school and is the only cooperative high school in the state. It is governed by two school districts who each have three members on their Board of Education. As director, he serves as the Board’s chief executive officer and is also responsible for the duties of the building principal.

Mr. Meister began his career in education as a teacher at Paris High School. He taught Contemporary Problems, United States History, European History, World History, and Psychology. Active in sports, he also coached boys basketball, boys baseball, track, and girls softball. In 1998 he accepted his first administrative position as the principal of two elementary in schools in Paris. In 2001 he was selected to serve as principal at Paris High School. On July 1, 2010, Mr. Meister was named the first Director for Paris Cooperative High School. He has a passion for the use of technology to enhance learning and have authored several grants that have infused more than $300,000 into our local schools to enhance our infrastructure.

Dave Meister is married to Marianne McIntosh Meister (20 years this past December) and has two children. He and his wife also provide a home to three rescue dogs(from L to R Libby, Gigi, and Chloe). Outside of education and computers, his interests include running, golfing, and following his children to their many events.

http://davemeister.net/

@phsprincipal

Toby Price: “There is a fine line between genius and absurdity. I color all over it every day with my purple crayon.”

Recorded August 2011

In this episode of the TeacherCast Podcast, we discuss how to bring Educational Technology into our classrooms to better engage our students.

• What are parent expectations for our teachers today?
• Using iWeb in the classroom
• Facebook
• Teaching Professional Development classes to other teachers
• How to use technology in the classroom
• I have my first iPad… now what?
• How to Podcast and using Podcasts in the Classroom
• Using technology to communicate with parents
• Using iTunes to communicate with your students
• Using Blogs and Wiki’s for communication
• Educational apps for the iPad and Desktop
• Teachers using websites
• Teaching Problem Solving Skills with the iPad
• QR Codes
• Using cell phones in the classroom
• Teaching the same lessons… using updated technologies
• Staying ahead of the tech curve
• Finding time for technology

• Talking Tom
• Tom is your pet cat, that responds to your touch and repeats everything you say with a funny voice. You can pet him, poke him or grab his tail.
• Toy Story Read-along
• A fully interactive reading experience packed with Games, Movie Clips, Coloring Pages, Sing-along Tunes, and Surprises on every page. Hear the story read aloud, record your own narration, or explore at your own pace.
• Cookie Doodle
• If you enjoy making cookies but hate the mess, this is the app for you. We provide the dough, a rolling pin, cookie cutters, your choice of frostings, sprinkles, and candies all in one easy to use package.
• K12 Timed Reading
• K12 Timed Reading Practice lets readers in levels K-4 practice fluency by reading short, timed stories. Improving fluency allows readers to read smoothly and quickly so they can focus on comprehension rather than on decoding words.

• Edmodo
• Twitter
• GooglePlus
• iMovie
• WordPress
• Blogger
• Jing
• Camtasia
• Garageband
• iWeb
• Skype
• PhotoBooth
• A Story Before Bed
• Tiny URL
• Poll Everywhere
• Twitterfall

Cyndi Danner-Kuhn is a faculty member and the Education Technology Integration Coordinator for the Kansas State University College of Education. She describes herself as an educational futurist who works to leverage technology for the benefit of learners. She is am an educator, digital storyteller, blogger and digital change agent, artist, and friend. Cyndi addresses a range of topics related to technology integration, distance learning, education, business and twenty-first-century literacy and is a catalyst for creative engagement and collaborative learning. Additionally, Cyndi is an experienced graphic designer, website designer, author, and technology consultant. and has written and facilitated over $850,000 in technology grants in Kansas.

Cyndi describes herself as: “Bear in mind, I am not a geek/techie. I know many geek/techies, and I am absolutely NOT one of them. Geek/Techies are excited by creating the technology. I am excited by what that technology can do and about discovering the possibilities. Technology is changing the way we do business, teach, and learn, in the 21st century, I am a part of that change.

Mark Greentree is the principle blogger and podcast creator of www.everydaymacsupport.com. His aim is to inform users at all levels of experience how to get the most out of the Apple hardware and associated software. He is also one of the lead hosts on Not Another Mac Podcast, an Apple based round table discussion with Mac users and experts from all over the world.

Mark is also a qualified photographer and worked for over five years as a scientific and industrial photographer for CSIRO Australia before leaving and working for himself.

When Mark isn't producing content for the Mac community he is an at home father to his two children under the age of 5. Hence, educating his children is one of his top priorities and that makes him well suited to be a guest on the TeacherCast Podcast. Mark is able to bring a different type of discussion to the table as a result.

Recorded July 2011

Welcome to the first episode of the TeacherCast Podcast. In this episode, we discuss the world wide web of educational technology and learn what makes the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 content for our students and classrooms.

• The differences in the educational systems in England-vs-Australia-vs-U.S.A.
• 21st Century Skills in Education
• Teaching technology to very young children
• Do we need to teach cursive writing?
• What is Web 2.0?
• Using Wikipedia in the classroom
• What is eLearning? (What does the “E” stand for?)
• What technologies should we be promoting?
• What should our students expect from us?
• When should students start using laptops in the classroom?
• Using Twitter in the classroom
• Google+ and Facebook in the classroom
• Internet safety
• Blocking websites in schools
• Using blogs, wiki’s and nings
• Teaching various writing styles in high school
• What should teachers be expected to do for our students outside the classroom?
• Should teachers fear technology for privacy reasons?
• How to teach Web 2.0 skills on a budget… or for FREE!!

• Edmodo
• Twitter
• GooglePlus
• iMovie
• WordPress
• Blogger
• Jing
• Garageband
• Blabberize

Mark Greentree is the principle blogger and podcast creator of www.everydaymacsupport.com. His aim is to inform users at all levels of experience how to get the most out of the Apple hardware and associated software. He is also one of the lead hosts on Not Another Mac Podcast, an Apple based round table discussion with Mac users and experts from all over the world.

When Mark isn't producing content for the Mac community he is an at home father to his two children under the age of 5. Hence, educating his children is one of his top priorities and that makes him well suited to be a guest on the TeacherCast Podcast. Mark is able to bring a different type of discussion to the table as a result.

Mark is also a qualified photographer and worked for over five years as a scientific and industrial photographer for CSIRO Australia before leaving and working for himself.

Steve Wheeler is Associate Professor of Learning Technologies at the University of Plymouth, in South West England. Originally trained as a psychologist, he has spent his entire career working in media, technology, and learning, predominantly in nurse education (NHS 1981-1995) and teacher education and training (1976-1981 and 1995-present).

A trained educator, he now teaches on a number of undergraduate and post-graduate teacher education programs. He specializes in research on e-learning and distance education, with particular emphasis on social media and Web 2.0 tools. He is regularly invited to speak and has given keynotes and invited lectures to audiences in more than 20 countries across 5 continents. He is currently involved in several research programs related to e-learning, social media and handheld technologies.

Steve is the author of more than 150 scholarly articles and is an active and prolific edublogger. His blog Learning with ‘e’s is a regular online commentary on the social and cultural impact of disruptive technologies, and the application of digital media in education and training.

Steve is chair of the Plymouth e-Learning Conference and is co-editor of the journal Interactive Learning Environments. He also serves on the editorial boards of a number of other learning technology-related academic journals including Research in Learning Technology (formerly ALT-J), the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning and Digital Culture and Education.

In 2008 Steve was awarded a Fellowship by the European Distance and E-learning Network (EDEN), and in 2011 he was elected to serve as a member of the Steering group of EDEN’s Network of Academics and Professionals (NAP). He is also chair of IFIP Technical Committee Working Group 3.6 on distance education and is the author of several books including The Digital Classroom (Routledge: 2008) and Connected Minds, Emerging Cultures (Information Age: 2009). He lives in Plymouth, in the South West of England, with his wife and three children.

Recorded July 2011