We’ve had a busy start to June, and wrap up our week of Atlanta workshops today. In case you missed out June Newsletter, we have further expanded our EdTechTeacher Team in advance of our most exciting summer and school year.
Meet our New Team Members
Carl Hooker
Carl comes to EdTechTeacher as a part-time instructor and presenter while he continues his work as the Director for Instructional Technology in the Eanes Independent School District in Austin, TX. His unique blend of educational background, technical expertise, and humor make him a successful driving force for this change. As Director, he has helped spearhead the launch the LEAP program (Learning & Engaging through Access and Personalization) which put 1:1 iPads in the hands of all K-12 students at Eanes. He is also the founder of iPadpalooza – a learning festival showcasing the use of iPads in education. Carl is a member of the Apple Distinguished Educator class of 2013. He will be co-instructing our NEW July 8-10 iPad Classroom workshop with Sam Morra.
Don Orth
Don Orth, Director of Technology at Hillbrook School in Los Gatos, California, joins EdTechTeacher as another part-time instructor and presenter to work primarily, but not exclusively, with our West Coast schools. He has been working in public and private schools, both in the US and Europe, for over a decade as a teacher and administrator. In the last few years, Don has focused on bringing meaningful innovation into education, not simply in the form of technology, but by way of better understanding student needs, learning styles, and the shifting landscape of our world. Hillbrook School was one of the first schools to initiate a 1:1 iPad program, which has become one of the platforms they use to help transform teaching and learning. Don is also coordinating the Hillbrook iLab project to study how agile learning environments affect engagement, confidence, and performance of students. Don discussed his innovations with iPads and learning environments at both the Boston and Atlanta iPad Summits and co-authored an article on digital citizenship published in Independent School Magazine, summer 2013. Hillbrook School was recently selected as an Apple Distinguished School for the 2012-2013 school year, and Don was named an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2013.
New Articles from the Team
To Get the Most Out of Tablets, Use Smart Curation
Justin and Beth co-wrote this article as the second submission in a four part series exploring the integration of iPads and tablets through the lens of the Someday/Monday dichotomy.
Explain Everything x 4 Ways
Greg describes how he uses the Explain Everything app for just about everything.
Collaborative, Reflective, Blogging with Evernote, Draft, & Postach.io
Beth builds on a previous article from Greg to explore the potential for collaborative writing and
blogging using these three tools.
How To Make Sure Professional Development Is Not An Oxymoron
Patrick discusses ways that administrators can re-think the concept of professional development in his latest Edudemic article.
More Recommended Resources
Learning and Creating with iPads in Kindergarten – YouTube
Wonderful video of kindergarten students documenting their learning process about butterflies. Excellent iPad integration.
5 Favorite Chromebook Apps for the Classroom
Some great suggestions for Chromebooks
I’ve Been Using Evernote All Wrong. Here’s Why It’s Actually Amazing
Great description of the benefits of Evernote to use as a resource for future workshops.
Sharing Technology: A Wrap Up of Our Year In Student Blogging
Great wrap up with examples of student blogging.
Amazing things done using Aurasma – Elissa Malespina
Great twist on an author study that included Animoto and Aurasma.
On Teacher Comfort Zones, Pirates, & Using QR Codes In The Classroom
Great example of a multi-grade level QR code scavenger hunt.
Common Core & Ed Tech: Five great search tools for Android apps
These K-2 students are using Android tablets. This particular post addresses search tools.
The Giraffe Journal
Good example of a kindergarten class blog. The “giraffes” are using iPads to support their learning.
Chromebooks/Google Apps – Dr. Kudrna’s Curriculum Corner
Chromebook and Google Apps resources, tips, recommendations, and tutorials.
