We’re back! Happy New Year! We have lots of new articles, webinars, and resources this week. Enjoy!

FREE, LIVE Winter Webinar Series

January 15th/16th: Creativity & Learning with iPads with guests Richard Wells from Auckland, New Zealand and Paul Hamilton from Sunshine Coast, Australia Too often, iPads are viewed solely as consumption devices – good for little more than checking email and online research. However, in schools around the world, teachers are proving this theory wrong. Join Richard Wells (@iPadWells) and Paul Hamilton (@PaulHamilton8), as well as EdTechTeacher’s Shawn McCusker and Beth Holland, as they explore how iPads can inspire creativity and empower students to become creators of their own learning.

• Time: 8pm EST (Boston, USA) on Jan 15th / 1pm (Queensland, Australia) on Jan 16th / 4pm (Auckland, New Zealand) on Jan 16th

January 21st: iPads, language learning, the MFL twitterati & sharing good practice – a UK perspective with guest Joe Dale from Isle of Wight, England Learn how iPad can allow students to enhance their language learning by helping them access higher order thinking skills through content creation, redefine their learning according to the SAMR model and cater to their multiple intelligences. Joe Dale (@joedale), recognized expert on technology and language learning, and EdTechTeacher’s Greg Kulowiec will showcase some of the innovative ways language teachers are using iPads to create new opportunities for personalised collaborative learning in and out of the classroom. They will also look at the rise of the MFL Twitterati, a group of language professionals in the UK, who like to share ideas and collaborate on a range of different projects through Twitter, videoconferencing, blogs and face to face meetups to highlight the power of a personal learning network for raising standards in teaching and learning.

• Time: 4pm EST (Boston, USA) / 9pm (Isle of Wight, UK)

January 30th: WHY Innovate? with guest Daniel Edwards from Cambridge, England Why do excellent schools continue to change? Why would a school with exceptional results continue to adopt new pedagogy, technology, and learning environments? Join Daniel Edwards (@syded06), Director of Innovation & Learning at Stephen Perse Foundation schools, and EdTechTeacher’s Don Orth and Beth Holland to discuss Curiosity Cabinets, iLabs, and WHY great schools innovate.

• Time: 4pm EST (Boston, USA) / 9pm (Cambridge, England)

February 6th/7th: Digital Learning Day – What Are The Important Digital Literacies from a Global Perspective? with guests Jay Atwood from Singapore, as well as Jennie Magiera and Jason Markey from Illinois. What digital literacies are being taught around the globe? EdTechTeacher’s Holly Clark will host Jay Atwood (@jayatwood), Jennie Magiera (@MsMagiera), and Jason Markey (@JasonMMarkey), three leaders in education, for a conversation about how they are helping their students become more digitally literate and to discuss some of the most important aspects of digital literacy that all teachers should be considering as they prepare students for their futures. Come celebrate Digital Learning Day with us!

• Time: 8:30pm EST (Boston, USA) on Feb 6th / 5:30pm PST (San Diego, USA) on Feb 6th / 9:30am (Singapore) on Feb 7th

>>> Registration is FREE

New Articles from the Team

• ‘Iron Chef’ parodies: A perfect use of ed tech?  – Tom Daccord
• 5 Demands Placed on Students in a 1:1 Classroom – Shawn McCusker
• Projects to Engage Middle School Readers – Beth Holland
• Bold Predictions Sure to Go Wrong in 2014 – Carl Hooker

Resources from the Web

Using iPads to Support Social Learning in Kindergarten Step-by-step directions for a great social-emotional learning activity with iPads. Creating a LiveSlide Deck from Haiku Deck – YouTube Tutorial on integrating HaikuDeck & LiveSlide ▶ Creative Book Builder tutorial Video tutorial on working with Creative Book Builder from Courtney Pepe. Creative Book Builder works on iOS and Android devices. Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn: Zoom in your screen on a Chromebook – similar to Macbook function! Tech Comfy NOT Tech Savvy! Excellent post from Angela Maiers about the lack of technology skills and prowess from kids. Voice Dream Reader Text to speech app in multiple languages to support diverse learners ChatterPix Kids Create talking pictures, like digital puppets, and then save to camera roll. iPads in Chicago Public Schools: iPad File Management Solution Very detailed article for iPad workflow discussion and decision making. Chromebooks/Google Apps – Dr. Kudrna’s Curriculum Corner Chromebook and Google Apps resources, tips, recommendations, and tutorials. Learning and Sharing with Ms. Lirenman: Eight Questions I Ask Before an App Can Stay on Student iPads Karen Lirenman provides an excellent guide for teachers about choosing apps. Though she refers to iPads, this could be applied to any mobile device. 21 iPad Apps Available on Android Tablets Good list of iPad apps that are also available on Android. Augmented Reality by courtney pepe on Prezi There are fantastic content and age-specific examples of using AR in the classroom in this Preze by Courtney Pepe. Chromebook articles – Google Drive Collection of Chromebook articles. Divide it up: puppies iPad App A solid elementary math app. final exams vs. projects – nope, false dichotomy: a practical start to the blog year | Granted, and… From Grant Wiggins: discussion about the types of questions and assessments designed to measure understanding. YAKiT This app is similar to Voki for iPad. Create a picture, add a mouth, and let it talk. Bring New Life to Classroom Projects with Movenote on the Web, iPad & More! Use this to create screencasts and presentations. 15 Engaging and Creative Ways to Use iPads in a K-12 Classroom Great collaborative post about ways to start thinking about using iPads in classrooms. Like the focus on process and task vs app. The 5 Best Free Audio Tools for Teachers Good list of web-based audio tools. 10 Best Apps for Preschoolers Most of these are consumption apps, but it’s a solid list. A Great Project Based Learning Rubric Every Teacher should Have Great blog post with rubric for PBL SpeakingPhoto This app is like Fotobabble that saves to the camera roll. Everything You Need To Know About Switching To A Chromebook Fantastic introductory post about Chromebooks with pictures. Make it in the Middle: Beginning with BYOD Classroom management tips for getting started in the BYOD classroom.