Jing - Capture EVERYTHING!

Hello everyone!  I want to share a tool that I have been using and LOVING.  When I showed it to Michelle, she and I agreed that it was a "game changer."  It is a screen capture tool.  Watch this 1 minute introductory video by clicking here.  I even used Jing and a free Screencast.com account to capture it!

Unlike your screen capture tools on your PC or Mac, Jing allows you to just copy and paste an image without having to download it.  You could grab and image from the Internet, paste it onto SmartNotebook, and label it. So many possibilities!  And, you can also make short screen cast with your built in mic on your MacBook.   I see this as a tool for quick how-to videos for your students and parents.  With the Screencast.com account, you can get an embed code or a  share URL.

http://www.techsmith.com/tutorial-jing.html - Video Tutorials

http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html - Download Link

As always, keep copyright guidelines in mind!

How did you use Jing?  Share your fabulous ideas in the comments section!

Explain Everything

"Explain Everything - an iPad app to explain anything and everything!"  is one of my FAVORITE productivity apps for the iPad. It is similar to Educreations (which many people are familiar with), but it has more "bells and whistles." With Explain Everything, you start with a white "board" on which to work and you can design and annotate in many ways. You can add text, photos, shapes, audio... and so much more! Here's a link to the Explain Everything website.

This week, our 2nd graders at McGowen are using Explain Everything to create book trailers about the book Maybelle in the Soup by Katie Speck. They are drawing pictures on slides, adding text and their voices on each slide. To export, you can simply send the finished product to YouTube. YouTube is a super easy way to get those projects off of the devices, but there are other export possibilities as well. Check out Explain Everything to learn more! The app costs $2.99, but it is well worth the money:)

Remember, if you use Explain Everything, or another similar productivity app, let Laura or I know about it so you can earn a star for your tech super hero cape! If you don't have a Technology Super Hero cape yet, let us know and we'll get you started.

Chase Young, 2nd grade teacher at McGowen, made a great "how-to" video about Explain Everything to demonstrate how they used the app to make book trailers. Thanks for sharing, Chase!

Evernote-Remember everything!

Melanie and I want to introduce you to a fantastic productivity tool called Evernote.  It's slogan is "Remember everything," and it describes the app perfectly!  You can create an account and access it on your laptop, your iPad, even your smartphone.  I use it to take notes, but after learning more about it, I am going to start saving my documents and pictures on Evernote so that I can access them on multiple devices!  There are also other ways you can use it in your classroom.  Please click here to watch an introductory video created by us.

Don't forget to email Melanie or I to let us know you are using a tool that we featured on the blog to earn stars for your Technology Superhero cape!

Sonic Pics - a GREAT app for young students

Sonic Pics is a GREAT app for iPad or iPod. At McGowen, we have started using Sonic Pics for many things. This week, 1st grade is using Sonic Pics to publish their how-to writing. For example, this week some classes wrote about how to make a sandwich. First, they drew quick sketches of what items would go into their sandwich. Then, they wrote step by step instructions stating how they would put it together. To publish their how-to's, we used the iPads to take pictures of their drawings, and they used Sonic Pics to sequence their photos and narrate. It was a good lesson on sequencing, details, voice and speaking skills. This is just one example of a great use of Sonic Pics. If you think of a great use for this app, or if you've already used it, please share! Also, if you use it in class, you can earn a sticker for your tech super hero cape.

This app also has great sharing capabilities - you can email it (to yourself or parents, for example), save it to the iPad photo album, save it to You Tube, etc.

Below is an example of a finished Sonic Pics video made by a first grader. You'll notice that this group was making really silly sandwiches!

SAILOn to Sites by TEKS

 https://sites.google.com/site/sailonedu/

How exciting…it’s our first blog entry!  Have you heard of SAILOn?  It is a collaborative effort of 9 public schools in the Houston area.  On the site it states,  “Our goal is to help classroom teachers integrate technology into their curriculum by identifying and providing interactive Internet resources addressing specific objectives.”  I see this as a great tool for tutoring, stations, even lessons as they have interactive student and teacher sites by TEKS!  Choose the elementary tab at the top, then check it out by grade level…they even have sites for technology and fine arts!  And remember, send Melanie or I evidence of use in the classroom, and you will earn a star on your Technology Superhero cape! 

Technology Superheroes

Make this the year that you soar to infinity and beyond! 

Learn about and utilize the amazing technology tools to support learning in MISD! RJE and McGowen are excited to roll out a new program called Technology Superheroes. If you choose to accept this mission, you will earn stars for your superhero cape by either trying a new tech tool or problem solving a tech issue with another staff member. You will earn various prizes as you collect your stars, as well as chances to win an iPad Mini at the end of the year. Zap! Pow! 

Here’s how it works: 

1. Email Laura Bates (RJE) or Melanie Burford (McGowen) to let them know you want to participate. We will put a sign by your classroom door on which stars for your superhero cape will be displayed. 
2. Watch for an email with a update to our Technology Superhero blog. If you try a tech tool mentioned in our blog, email Melanie or Laura with evidence that you used that tech tool. It could be a picture of a student product, a screen shot on your computer, etc. You just earned a star for your cape! Laura or Melanie will come by to add it to your Technology Superhero sign. 
3. If you help a staff member with troubleshooting a technology issue (that would have been a potential Technology Help Request), have the staff member you helped send a brief email to Melanie or Laura telling us how you were at Technology Superhero Problem Solver! You just earned another star for your cape! 

Prizes: 5 Stars- Fuzzy Fingers to clean your laptop/iPad screen, or a decal for your laptop (We will have several for you to choose from.) 10 Stars- choice of a Hub Man (has flexible arms and legs with a USB port at each to allow you to use more tech gadgets with your laptop or Mac Mini) or a USB memory stick. 

For each 5 stars collected, a raffle ticket will be earned toward a chance to win an iPad Mini*. Drawing will be held on the staff workday, June 7th. 
*McGowen teachers - the iPad will be checked out to you and it is intended for professional use. In the event of your transfer away from McGowen or RJE, the iPad must be returned.

And, have no fear, because your Technology Committee is here! Please let your Technology Committee know how we can support you. 

 “If the prospect of living in a world where trying to respect the basic rights of those around you–and valuing each other simply because we exist–are such daunting, impossible tasks that only a super-hero born of royalty can address them…then what sort of world are we left with? And what sort of world do you want to live in?” ~Wonder Woman

New Program at RJE and McGowen!

The Media Resource Specialists at RJE and McGowen are kicking off a technology incentive and motivating program. We're calling it "Technology Superheroes!" Earn stars for your super hero cape for prizes. You can earn stars for being a problem solver (IT kind of problems.) You can also earn stars for technology integration with your students. Stay tuned for more details:)