Twitter Chat

 I couldn't find a Google+ Hangout to participate, so I decided to try Twitter. I searched #edchat and I came across this awesome tweet from someone which had a list of all the weekly chats going on and what time. It was a little tricky the first two times I tried to join in a chat because I forgot some of them were EST. I was surprised at the variety of chats out there and I'm sure there are more than what was on the weekly Twitter chat schedule.  I joined the #PBLchat last night and I hope to participate in some of the others chats in the future. I decided to join this one because it was the only that fit in my schedule & that I was interested in. I would love to do more PBLs, however if takes a lot of planning and collaboration. Interestingly, that was one of the topics that came up in the chat...how much time teachers are given to collaborate on a PBL. It was very easy to just join in and put in my two cents worth on topics. Last night's topic was "What PD best supports teachers transitioning to PBL?" There were some great perspectives and links to resources for managing, getting ideas, and things to think about when creating your unit. I also found out there is an elementary PBL chart on Mondays. School-wide Twitter chats came up during the chat sessions since a huge source of expertise is at each campus. I doubt it would be very successful on my campus. Many teachers are not using Twitter and some have no clue how it works. It would be more effective meeting face to face. Maybe the district could have Twitter chat sessions once every nine weeks or weekly.

A few resources/nuggets of info shared during the chat session...
An app that has PBL questions  -$1.99
Great article on the difference between projects and project based learning
Are you asking non-Googleable Driving Questions???

My PLN has already grown as a result of my Twitter Chat. What a great way to connect with other educators.

Infographic- PLN

PLN

I love Pinterest!! I have discovered so many creative ideas for the classroom and for my personal life. I also quickly realized how many awesome blogs there are out there!! I have added some of my favorite blogs to my blog list. I am a follower many Pinterest boards. I was even inspired to create another blog strictly devoted to sharing what I am doing in my classroom....unfortunately, I can't keep it up and going. I forget  or have too many other things going on.

Teachers should be sharing and collaborating with others online...it's soo easy now. We can learn so much from one another. I also enjoy reading the logistics of using a web 2.0 tool or app...making it work in your classroom, so I can easily implement it in my classroom.

If I need an idea or want to try and change up something I go to Edmodo. I typically receive feedback within a few hours. I also try to explore Edmodo to see how I can share ideas to other teachers. I joined the SBISD Ed Tech community on Google+ and TCEA. 

I clicked through some of the PLN hubs, but it is a bit overwhelming. I am now following some Ed Tech folks on Twitter. I really like Krystal's idea of using Flipboard app...putting everything in once place makes it so much more manageable to check on updates. 

Technology has made connecting with other educators so much easier and has transformed education. There is just so much out there.

January- Tools Audit

There are so many tech tools and apps out there that you just can't keep up. Just when you have a handle on one tool something changes or there's something better out there. Tools that work for me have to make my teacher prep time easier and the kids needs to love it.
Tools that I like and will continue to use in my classroom:

•  Google Docs - Besides using the "Word" version of Google Docs for publishing compositions, reading responses, and reports, I have now started using Google Drawing in math.My kids love it. I have shared this with other teachers at my school. I have used Google Presentation when preparing tech trainings, but I haven't used it with my kids. 
• Stupeflix Studios- One of the reasons I haven't used Google Presentation with my students is because there are tools like Stupeflix and Animoto out there. In my opinion the end product is just much nicer and more professional looking than a Google Presentation. I think it depends on the assignment though.
• Edmodo - There are just so many endless uses for this tool. There are so many options... I feel like I am not taking full advantage of this tool. I also like the fact I can connect with our teachers from all over and get ideas.
• Go Animate -Easy to explain and I feel it has endless possibilities in all content areas. My kids love it and went home right after school to start using it. 
• EDU Creation app - I just started using this app recently and my kids LOVE it. I use it as a math station. It's a low prep station for me. I type problems for kids to solve, but you don't have to do that. Kids could easily just problems on it. I wish it were easier to get it off the iPad and onto a blog or wiki. 
• QR Codes-This is an easy math and literacy station to prep for with the end result being high student engagement. There are also tons of creative ways people are using it.  My students haven't created their own QR Codes, but they will soon!
• Running Record App- Take running records just got easier with this app. The Lite version has everything you need for data. The full version allows you to record the students and you can email yourself the results. I thought this would be nice, but really it does all the calculating for me, I just plug in the numbers immediately after taking my running record I wouldn't need the info emailed to me.
• Glogster - I have to say my kids don't use this as much as my class did last year, although it could be because there are some many other tools we have been using. I love the possibilities with Glogster. The loading issues seem to have been fixed. 

Honestly, I can't remember any tools that I have abandoned...maybe it's because I've stopped using them.  I don't use DropBox as much because Google Drive serves that purpose for me. Evernote is just not an app that I have really used. I played around with it, but it wasn't something that I felt like I could use often.

I'm not sure if this is really a tool, but Manga High is not something I really like. I wish there was more teacher control over the content. My kids were playing games meant for middle or high school. They weren't solving any problems...just playing the game. That doesn't help them with math...just helps their gaming skills.