CONNECTING WITH PARENTS USING SIGN UP GENIUS

When I first started teaching, I remember going to special 2-hour meetings, twice a year, to schedule conferences. We'd all sit at tables in a huge circle as the principal hunched over an accordion-folded stack of printed names of students at the school that also had siblings in attendance. Students that received additional services were also listed so that we could all coordinate conference times that would make it easier for those families to attend back-to-back conferences instead of possibly coming on separate nights if these  scheduling meetings did not occur. It generally ran smoothly enough, but I doubt there were many that didn't feel like they had more pressing matters to attend to, like preparing for the conferences themselves.

As technology develops with time, websites like Sign Up Genius are changing the way teachers schedule meetings with parents and family.  Sign Up Genius is a website that allows schools and teachers to organized dates and create meeting times before emailing others to take part. The graphic below illustrates how easy the steps are to this process on their site:

This process allows for more flexibility for all parties. Teachers no longer need to coordinate times to accommodate for certain students. Parents are able to log in at any time to schedule times that work best for their schedules. Reminders are automatically sent, saving additional time. One account can be used  to organize multiple classrooms. As each group/classroom is added, family emails can be included for each class should they have more than one child attending the school. Teachers and administration can make changes to the schedule to allow for specified break times are parent requests.

No matter the size of school, any teacher would benefit from using Sign Up Genius. It allows for greater flexibility in planning and communicating. It can be accessed 24/7 by both teachers and parents and saves the waste of paper for notifications. Set up is easy and intuitive; once family emails are collected they simply need to be entered into Sign Up Genius and the website will store everything there.

Concerning cost, like many other sites Sign Up Genius is offered for free, but the options are more limited. Below is a table that shows the services offered for each tier of cost. Pricing information is also available at http://www.signupgenius.com/pricing

ISTE Standards for Teachers

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Facilitate and Inspire student learning and creativity (d)

       Model digital age work and learning (a, b, c, d)

       Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility (a, b, c)

       Engage in professional growth and leadership (a, b, c, d)

Sources:

http://www.signupgenius.com/

SMORE

Looking for a way to communicate ideas, inform others of upcoming events, or share information with students and family without the waste of paper? Smore is a newsletter making app that allows the creator to do all those things and more.

Getting started couldn't be easier with Smore. Once you've chosen to make your first flyer you'll follow the directions that will highlight the features and steps to take. Adding features on the flyer is as simple as pushing the plus sign between each section that will appear when the mouse cursor is dragged over that area. An editing menu allows for changes in the appearance of each section, font type, background and font colors, as well as the ability to insert links, video, audio, text and pictures.

The pedagogical uses for this tool are applicable to both teacher and student. Students are able to use this software to create presentations in a unique writing format. For example, if the class was learning about landforms, one group might make a flyer for Yellowstone Park, showing pictures of the different types of landforms, their locations, and features that make them the types of landforms they are. Another group may create a poster that teaches about water and how it's movement over time can shape the earth to make different types of landforms. Teachers can use Smore in a number of different ways. Smore can be used to create teaching presentations or models for high quality--and lower quality--work. Moreover, since there are no paper copies, Smore fliers can be edited to show new information and can be saved for use later.

To begin using Smore, just go to https://www.smore.com and create an account.  It is free to get started, but usage is limited for free members. Only 200 emails can be sent a month with the free plan, and that may not be sufficient for high school teachers that have several classes they wish to use Smore for communication. In addition, some features, like choosing a custom background, are not available to free members.

For those that do wish to pay for Smore, the pricing plans are shown below:

As you can see directly above, there is a special plan for educator pricing, as well.

Teachers that are looking for new ways to share class information in a paper friendly format will definitely want to give a Smore a serious look. With the vast majority of families having and using email to communicate, it is easier than ever for teachers to create mailing lists and electronically send their newsletters and other information. Also, as new information becomes known, items can be added or subtracted and resent without the extra hassle of copies and paper costs.

ISTE Standards for Students

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Creativity and innovation (a, b)

       Communication and collaboration (a, b, c, d)

       Research and information fluency (b, d)

       Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making (b, c)

       Digital citizenship (a, b, c, d)

       Technology operations and concepts (a, b, c, d)

ISTE Standards for Teachers

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Facilitate and Inspire student learning and creativity (a, b, c,d)

       Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments (a, b, c)

       Model digital age work and learning (a, b, c, d)

       Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility (a, b, c)

       Engage in professional growth and leadership (a, b)

Sources:

https://www.smore.com/pricing?ur=toolbar

https://www.smore.com

At the bottom of this post is a Smore I made as part of an assignment on sharing a technology tool that can be used in education:

SEARCH ENGINES

Anyone that has had much experience on the Internet is familiar with search engines, but not everyone knows how many different kinds there are or that some tools are not true search engines at all. Simply stated, a search engine is a program that searches the Internet for content based on the key words typed into it by the user. Two of the largest search engines today are Google and Bing. Each of these sites has millions of users each day, searching for content on the millions of web pages found on the Internet. In addition, web directories (also known as link directories) are used for finding content as well, but these are not considered search engines. Typically compiled by people, they contain lists of related websites and links but will not search into the individual site's content itself. Metasearch engines are for searching other search engines(like dogpile), and aggregators are websites that collect related items of content and displays them as links on their pages (see popurls as an example of an aggregator).

Above is the custom search engine I created. Feel free to type some keywords in and see where the search will take you!

A tool like this is necessary in the classroom today. Even with the best firewalls and software to limit student exposure to noneducational content on the Internet, the shear load of content can make it difficult for even the savviest of adults to navigate and disseminate. By creating their own custom search engines, teachers can limit searches made by students to a handful of sites selected specifically by the teacher for that particular lesson. As the students become more proficient at using the proper key words, learn how to choose material relevant to their tasks, and are ready for more advanced content for a greater number of sources the teacher can adjust the search engines accordingly, adding or subtracting sites depending on content and the needs of the learner.

Below are two examples of how a custom search engine can modify or limit the content that the student is exposed to. When I went to google.com and typed "tool" into the search bar, these are the first results I received:

If the students were doing research on the rock band, the results here would be appropriate. However, if the teacher was assigning students to research and learn more about simple machines, a custom search engine would be helpful. Below are the results for the same search for the word too, this time on my own search engine:

Taking a few minutes to learn how to make custom search engines will save teachers much more time trying to focus student searches and helping to find the right content. One can find a great tutorial that will get started using custom Google searches here.  Even better, using Google's search tool is free and can be accessed here to get started.

ISTE Standards for Students

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Creativity and innovation (c,d)

       Communication and collaboration (a, b)

       Research and information fluency (a, b, c, d)

       Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making (a, b, c, d)

       Digital citizenship (a, b, c, d)

       Technology operations and concepts (a, c, d)

ISTE Standards for Teachers

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Facilitate and Inspire student learning and creativity (a, b, c,d)

       Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments (a, b, c, d)

       Model digital age work and learning (a, b, c, d)

       Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility (a, b, c)

       Engage in professional growth and leadership (c, d)

Sources:

Major Search Engines and Directories. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2015, from http://searchenginewatch.com/sew/how-to/2048976/major-search-engines-directories#

Google Custom Search Engine Tutorial. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy04EsioLPo

(n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favicon

Standards for Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2015, from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-teachers

ISTE Standards for Students. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2015, from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-students

TOOLBOX: PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGES

Few will argue the importance of appearances when presenting information. Websites today are loaded with graphics as much as they are with actual content, all in an attempt to capture the eye--and attention--of its visitors. In our educational climate, we not only teach the value of presentation when sharing what we know but also use use materials that entertain as well as inform. To help teachers create graphics and images that can be incorporated into their own websites as well as materials and lessons for class, software for download and online tools have been created to aid the teacher in doing just that: enhancing their learning content with eye-catching, relevant visuals.

Many are already familiar with programs like Photoshop, which is as extensive as it is expensive (around $200), but there are other sites out there that can provide a number of tools to aid users in creating and manipulating their visual content. One site is found at https://www.canva.com. Canva is an online tool that allows the user to choose from an extensive gallery for background images, clipart, and font in addition to receiving downloads of user created work that can be used to create millions of designs for illustrations, headers, footers, even favicons for websites and publishable content. Many of the images on Canva are free to use; some are copyrighted and require a small fee for use if the work is to be published.  Another site, found at https://pixlr.com/, is similar to Canva but doesn't have as big a gallery or selection of images to be used. Users can upload their own photographs or art and use the editing tools to change the appearance of their images before saving the file in a number of different formats. Plixr is free for use.

As far as using these tools in the classroom, teacher and students can benefit from both programs when creating and adding quality visuals to match the content being addressed. For teachers like myself, programs like these can be used to improve the appearance of their classroom website or other learning sites to be used by their students. Students can use image editing tools to add annotations, compliment their text with accompanying photographs and diagrams, whether they be self made or found online. This can be very useful for students that are writing reports, sharing research, even making their own web pages.

I was able to use Canva to download a picture of my school, attach text, and save the file to be inserted as a header on my own blog. Here is a screenshot even though it can be see at the top of this page:

You can find the location for Canva here and the website for Pixlr here, but there are many other sites that offer similar tools with use of your Internet search engine.

Teachers will want to familiarize themselves with image editing software if they wish to practice what they're teaching students regarding the importance of presentation in their work. These days, it isn't enough to simply share the information; we have to find ways to make it interesting, relevant, and able to connect to the outside world as well as other ideas and concepts in the classroom.  Good visuals help us do all of these things.

ISTE Standards for Students

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Creativity and innovation (a, b)

       Communication and collaboration (a, b, c, d)

       Research and information fluency (a, b, c)

       Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making (a, b, c, d)

       Digital citizenship (a, b)

       Technology operations and concepts (a, b, c, d)

ISTE Standards for Teachers

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Facilitate and Inspire student learning and creativity (a, d)

       Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments (a, b, c, d)

       Model digital age work and learning (a, b, d)

       Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility (a, b, c)

       Engage in professional growth and leadership (a, d)

Sources:

Standards for Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2015, from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-teachers

ISTE Standards for Students. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2015, from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-students

Pixlr. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2015, from https://pixlr.com/

Amazingly simple graphic design. (n.d.). Retrieved July 14, 2015, from https://www.canva.com

QR CODES

QR Codes stand for "Quick Response Codes" and are used to allow mobile devises like smart phones and tablets to use their cameras to scan the code, providing immediate access to specific content like messages and web pages. Computers that have web cameras can also be used to scanning and using QR codes.

Concerning their use in the classroom, QR codes are great way for the teacher to help focus learning by directing students to specific sites and content. QR codes can be used for assessment; students can look up correct responses with QR codes after they've selected they answer they think is correct. They are also great for providing additional information on whatever topic is being addressed. For example, if students were learning about different types of landforms, QR codes could be placed on an illustration of landforms. As students click on each QR code, additional information could name the land form, give a definition, even include photographs to illustrate more examples.

Below I used QR codes in a couple of ways. The first will be used in my classroom on Back-To-School Night. Instead of creating a long list of websites for parents to copy and type into their Internet browser, I set up QR codes linking them to information pertaining to our school, lunch menus, bus route information, forms, even a link to my blog online.

 As stated earlier, QR codes can provide additional support for student learning and don't always need to be used to link the user to specific websites. Here I used QR codes for students when reviewing the parts of a compass.  Instead of connecting to a website, these codes are linked to specific text that tells the direction a particular compass arrow is pointing or providing alternate names for main and middle directions.

QR codes are available through many sites on the Internet. Just typing "QR code generator" in the address bar will review a plethora of resources to get started. While some sites are completely free to use (like http://snap.vu/), many will offer a few free tries before offering pricing information. I've seen sites offer their services for as little as $5.00 a month and up (one example is https://app.qr-code-generator.com), depending on the needs of the user and the features available.  QR codes don't always have to look like a blizzard, either. Some sites, like http://www.visualead.com/, allow QR codes to be made that are superimposed over pictures or place a picture or clip are in the center of the code. Most of these sites will require a paid membership to make more than a couple of codes.

Teachers will want to consider using QR codes in their classrooms for a number of reasons. In addition to the pedagogical uses listed above, QR code are a convenient way to like a person to the material presented without the hassle of copying addresses or finding the right program on the computer for viewing. Sites could be shared via QR codes for professional development, sharing messages with parents about their child's performance, and linking materials for additional practice or extensions of learning. With five minutes of patience and practice, any teacher can make and use QR codes in her/his classroom.

ISTE Standards for Students

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Creativity and innovation (a, c)

       Communication and collaboration (a, b, d)

       Research and information fluency (a, b, c, d)

       Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making (b, c, d)

       Digital citizenship (a, b, c, d)

       Technology operations and concepts (a, c, d)

ISTE Standards for Teachers

(Click on the link above for descriptions of the following standards this tool can address.)

       Facilitate and Inspire student learning and creativity (a, b, c,d)

       Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments (a, b, c, d)

.      Model digital age work and learning (a, b, c, d)

       Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility (a, b)

       Engage in professional growth and leadership (a, d)

Sources:

Eridon, C. (2015, February 10). How to Make a QR Code in 4 Quick Steps. Retrieved July 11, 2015, from http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/29449/How-to-Create-a-QR-Code-in-4-Quick-Steps.aspx

Free QR code generator, create QR codes and track use | snap.vu. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2015, from http://snap.vu/

Standards for Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2015, from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-teachers

ISTE Standards for Students. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2015, from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-students

TEDTalk

If you haven't seen the TEDTalk on Media and Children by Dimitri Christakis, I highly recommend you check it out. It's relevant to any parent, educator, anyone that is interested in how different types of media can positively and negatively affect attention problems.  Here's my response sheet that I did after viewing:

Google Tool: Google Earth Pro

After exploring the many tools that Google has to offer, there were many that stood out as great ways to use technology for improving student involvement and learning. Undoubtedly, I will be discussing some of these in future Toolbox entries, but today I thought I’d introduce one tool that I hadn’t discovered or used much until recently:  Google Earth Pro.

Many are already familiar with this powerful navigation/exploration tool. Like its sibling, Google Maps, Google Earth allows users to find locations, directions, and distances using different layers to show the information the user is most interested in learning. Google Earth takes this exploration several steps further, allowing the user to explore the entire planet, provide photographs from users that were at specific locations, modify filters and layers not available to Google Maps (like showing buildings in 3D), and allowing users to pan, tilt, and zoom with use of the mouse as well as screen controls.

Using Google Earth in the classroom can address a number of North Dakota’s State Standards for Social Studies in areas like Map Skills (3.1.1, 3.1.2), Resources (3.1.3), and Physical Geography (3.5.1, 3.5.2).  A complete listing of these standards can be found at: https://www.dpi.state.nd.us/standard/content/sstudies/grade3.pdf

In addition, in February, Google Earth Pro was made free for the public to download!  Just go here for the download: http://www.google.com/intl/en/earth/download/gep/agree.html and use the code GEPFREE if prompted to do so.