Welcome Back to School - Great Resources for Teachers

Welcome back to school! I hope everyone had a great summer and was able to relax and recharge. Most schools around here start next week, with new teachers starting this week.

The beginning of the year is always a little crazy for all teachers. Getting your room setup, implementing new ideas into your lesson plans, getting to know your students, and just settling back in to the routine can be busy and stressful. Remember to not over do it and take time for yourself.

One thing I've done in the past that helped me is using a check list of everything I have to do when school starts, including setting up my room (computer, bulletin boards, etc), things I want to post in my room, lesson ideas and more in Evernote. I modify it each year, adding new things for the following year.

Here are some more tips, resources, and help to get your school year started on a positive note, and keep it that way.

Advice to New College Graduates about to enter the Teaching profession

Summary of new teacher tips, urban schools issues, technology resources


Google for Educators - Google has a huge number of free resources for teachers and students. Check them all out (they're all free).

Microsoft Education Resources - resources for admin, IT and teachers

Evernote for Education Resources - the ultimate note taking, web clipping, lesson planning resource

Create a Personal Learning Network - a PLN is an excellent resource for help, advice, and sharing ideas.

Overview of some free technology that can help you be more organized and efficient.




Related:

List of What Makes a Good Teacher - created by students

Great resources for New Teachers - advice, support, and training

Advice to New College Graduates about to enter the Teaching profession

Making School Relevant for Students

10 Important Skills Students need for the Future

10 Tech Skills Every Student Should Have

Getting Students and Teachers Organized - tips and resources


Good luck and I hope everyone has a great school year!!




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CK-12 and Google Classroom - great resources that are better together

Assign CK-12 Content Direct to Google Classroom

Did you know you can assign content from CK-12 directly to Google Classroom?

CK-12 has some amazing and diverse resources to help students learn and explore. It is one of my single most favorite resources to share with teachers and students.

You can assign reading material, adaptive practice, videos, simulations, and more from CK-12's standards-aligned content library directly to your students in Google Classroom.

• Reads
• Videos
• Real World Applications (RWAs)
• Adaptive practice
• Quizzes
• Simulations (SIMs)
• PLIX

Grades are automatically reported to your GradeBook in Google Classroom saving time and effort.

You can connect your existing CK-12 account by signing in, going to account settings and connecting your Google account under "Connected Social Accounts" section.

Find, Assign, Connect...Success!

Related:

CK-12 information and resources

Google for Education Resources

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EdTech Magazine's Must Read K-12 EdTech IT Blogs

EdTech, Focus on K12, magazine has announced their 2018 edition of the 50 Must Read K-12 IT Blogs. There are some great blogs on here that I follow (including my own) and some new ones that I didn't know about that look really great.

Take a look and check them out.

The site is an awesome free resource itself with articles, interviews and videos about Edtech.

The 2018 Honor Roll: EdTech’s Must-Read K-12 IT Blogs
We scoured the web to find some of the best, brightest and most useful blogs across the modern education ecosystem. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2018/04/The-2018-Honor-Roll-EdTechs-Must-Read-K-12-IT-Blogs







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CK-12 Certified Educator Program is back! Great program from a great resource

CK-12 is one of my favorite resources for educators. They have digital, interactive textbooks, practice assessments, simulations, virtual labs, study aids, concept maps, adaptive practice and more, for almost every subject and grade level. And it's all free! And works on all platforms. 

They recently announced that they have brought back their CK-12 Certified Educator Program, which is also free. 

This program helps you learn how you can utilize CK-12 to help you personalize learning, engage students, assign work, and track progress. It also gives you a deeper understanding of all of the resources CK-12 has to offer and how you can customize the content to meet the needs of your students.

CK-12's Certified Educator Program will take place during July 2018, with a variety of live sessions offered multiple times a day between July 9 and July 20.

The live sessions will teach you about all of CK-12's resources to get you prepared for the upcoming school year. Register today and they will send you more information about the program in the coming weeks.

Certified Educator Program page 

Take a look and see how CK-12 can help you help your students. 

Related:

More about CK-12 and their excellent resources

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The Big Guide to STEM - free guide with resources from educators

"The Big Guide to STEM" is a free e-book containing resources and STEM ideas from educators on integrating STEM/STEAM into the classroom.

It also contains a collection of top 10 STEM lists:

* Top 10 STEM apps
* Top 10 STEM tech products
* Top 10 STEM blogs and online communities
* Top 10 STEM websites
* Top 10 STEM events
* Top 10 STEM Software Solutions
* Top 10 Resources for STEM Funding
* Top 10 STEM Resources for Girls

This is a great resource for any teacher at all, but especially those working with STEM courses or projects.

http://news.mimio.boxlight.com/stem-guide


Although it's published by Boxlight, the only company info is in the
logos. Sunshine Nance, Boxlight’s VP of Marketing, has made it her
mission to facilitate STEM education, including helping to organize the
Georgia Girls STEM Collaborative and working with the STEM Atlanta Women
group. So, this guide is part of a heartfelt mission for her.


Related:

STEM Resources 


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IBM Foundation launches free online software to help K-5 teachers prepare math lessons and help students learn.

The IBM Foundation has launched a free, online software to transform the way K-5 teachers prepare math lessons and help students learn.

The software, called Teacher Advisor with Watson, uses Watson artificial intelligence technology to help teachers instantly find math resources. Teacher Advisor then dips into its library of 1,000+ videos and lesson plans, all based on national standards and vetted by top educators. Sign up takes 30 seconds.

It is free and IBM promises it will always be free.

It makes it easier to find lessons, standards, activities and much more and includes a lesson planning tool. For now, it is only for K-5 math instruction, with credible content vetted by educators.

There is also instructional context support available to help teachers implement the content in the classroom. 

Take a look and sign up for free. 

Press Release:

Elementary School Teachers Help Students Tackle Math 
With Help From the IBM Foundation & Education Leaders
TeacherAdvisor.org Offers 1,000 Top K-5 Math Lessons, Strategies, and Videos

ARMONK, NY –13 Sep 2017: As the new school year begins, elementary school teachers across the United States are now able to access a new, free online tool designed to provide elementary school teachers with targeted math resources for their kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms.

Today, the IBM (NYSE: IBM) Foundation announced the availability of Teacher Advisor With Watson 1.0, software that uses Watson artificial intelligence technology and has been trained by some of the nation’s leading math experts, with feedback from more than 1,000 teachers across dozens of US states.

Faced with the pressures of limited time, higher academic standards, diverse student needs, and the responsibility to teach many subjects and multiple grade levels, elementary school teachers have expressed a critical need for easy-to-use, well-designed math resources and ongoing support. Even with the best resources, many teachers lack dedicated coaching and struggle to target effective teaching strategies that help students improve their proficiency in math, a linchpin academic subject.

Teacher Advisor With Watson was designed to help address these challenges by providing elementary school educators with access to more than 1,000 high quality math lessons, top teaching strategies, and videos, all powered by Watson’s ability to deliver targeted recommendations. This resource will allow teachers to make more informed decisions on the best approach for their students. Teachers seeking to master new skills or prepare instruction for their students at multiple skill and grade levels can easily:

• Access quality math resources designed to meet diverse classroom needs
• Understand the academic prerequisites and standards mapped to each lesson
• Apply teaching techniques to help bring lessons to life
• Type in a math concept and get targeted recommendations

IBM’s technologists worked closely with the American Federation of Teachers, national education leaders, and math teachers to develop this free online resource. Hosted on IBM Cloud, the tool offers high-quality, vetted teaching material from a range of education experts and non-profits, including UnboundEd, Student Achievement Partners, Illustrative Mathematics, CPALMS, EngageNY, Achieve, and AFT’s Share My Lesson.

The tool uses Watson Discovery Service, which can quickly analyze content for relevant concepts and deliver the most relevant material based on a teacher’s query. With more training and teacher use, Watson’s expertise and ability to provide targeted recommendations will continually increase.

“This innovative tool, built together with teachers, was a true team effort,” said Stanley S. Litow, President Emeritus of the IBM Foundation and a former deputy chancellor of the New York City Public Schools. “We collaborated with the American Federation of Teachers and education leaders to create a free unique resource to help teachers hone their skills and get coaching assistance–all with the goal of helping to educate America’s young learners more effectively. Through Teacher Advisor, IBM continues its commitment to innovation and STEM education.”

“Many educators must meet the demands of teaching with little support,” said Jennifer Ryan Crozier, President of the IBM Foundation and VP of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs. “Teacher Advisor will save teachers time, continually deepen their expertise, and help them meet their diverse student needs. We’re excited to collaborate with education leaders and teachers to help them do what they do best–unlock a child’s passion for STEM learning.”

“Teachers shoulder endless challenges and responsibilities—mastering content, standards and curriculum, and meeting the diverse needs and abilities of each of their students,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Too often, teachers are expected to do all this single-handedly, but Teacher Advisor could help change that. The AFT worked hand-in-glove with the IBM Foundation to hone this tool and see how it empowers teachers and benefits students. This effective public-private partnership is a testament to what can be achieved when educators are entrusted with innovative technology to support powerful learning.”

"Teacher Advisor empowers teachers by providing expert advice to help them deliver high-quality instruction that meets their students’ needs," said Michael Cohen, President of Achieve, Inc. "Watson's ability to learn and to learn how to learn is important in its own right, but it means that this exciting innovation will develop and become smarter over time."

“Time is of the essence for teachers,” said Sheena Lee, an elementary school teacher at Umana Academy in Boston, MA. “With a classroom full of third through fifth graders who have had inconsistent education in their lives, I need to help my students learn math in different ways, at different levels. Teacher Advisor With Watson offers a one-stop shop for the most trusted resources, enabling me to decide how best to meet my students where they are.”

Foundation funding partners include the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

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Sept is National Preparedness Month - Here are some great resources to get prepared for emergencies

It's National Preparedness Month, and start of the Hurricane Season. With all of the crazy weather we have seen, it's good to be prepared. Just look at Texas and now Florida.

It is important to consider three scenarios when planning for an emergency: 1) an escape route and meeting point if everyone is in the house; 2) what to do during a school day; and 3) how to handle an emergency during the weekend, when family members might be scattered.

Although many people are familiar with the concept of developing a family plan for emergencies, most fail to take the time to sit down and actually come up with one. One great resource is the FEMA-sponsored website: http://www.ready.gov/. Check out their kids section too: http://www.ready.gov/kids

Schools need to be prepared themselves, as well as teach their staff and students how to be prepared.

Each household, business, and school should have an emergency plan, emergency kits and people trained in emergency preparedness and response.

I started my training in emergency preparedness while on my trail to Eagle Scout. Emergency Preparedness is a required merit badge and the Boy Scouts emphasize emergency preparedness among the scouts. I am also a paramedic, special operations paramedic and FEMA trained in Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Management. Here are some of my favorite resources for learning about Emergency Preparedness.

Ready.gov is the US Government's web site for information and resources on emergency preparedness and response. There are resources for making a plan, an emergency kit, and how to stay informed. Information is included for individuals and businesses.

The Boy Scouts of America, who train all their Scouts and Adults in Emergency Preparedness, has partnered with the Department of Homeland Security to provide resources for the public on getting prepared. The site has planning resources, how to make an emergency kit, and other resources.

The American Red Cross website also has information for creating an emergency plan and how to prepare for different emergencies. They also sell emergency kits (they are very good and a decent price). You can always make your own using their lists though. There is a full section on preparing schools and students. The Preparedness Fast Facts page is an excellent, one stop resource.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Emergency Management Insitute
The FEMA EMI offers free, online courses for anyone to take. The courses are well done and there are plenty of downloadable materials to help you. If you pass the test at the end, you even get a certificate.

Here are a list of the courses that I think all educators should take: (I've taken these, and more)

IS-7   A Citizen's Guide to Disaster Assistance
IS-22 Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness
IS-55 Household Hazardous Materials - A Guide for Citizens
IS-100.Sca Introduction to the Incident Command System for Schools
IS-362 Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools


Education Administrators should also be involved in community emergency planning because schools are on the top of the list as emergency shelters and field hospitals and the building administrators know their buildings.

You can even join your local Community Emergency Response Team. These are teams of citizens that are specially trained to help out in major emergencies, sort of like the reserves. Find out more here. Here is a list of CERT's by State: http://www.citizencorps.gov/cc/CertIndex.do?submitByState


Emergency Preparedness is everyone's responsibility.  Share these resources with your students, colleagues, and family.






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Teacher Resources - education and edtech - all free

Teacher Resources - education and edtech - all free and very useful

General:

• Welcome Back to School - great resources for teachers (new and veteran) https://goo.gl/JS4j9j
• What Makes a Great Teacher https://goo.gl/wka2iW
• What Makes a Great Teacher, created by students https://goo.gl/BpveSC
• New Teacher Advice and Resources https://goo.gl/XTyE4K
• Create a Personal Learning Network https://goo.gl/lvl1
• Resources from Teacher Prep program https://goo.gl/49WEky
• Effective Classroom Management http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED543769.pdf
• Summary Of Major Concepts Covered By Harry K. Wong https://goo.gl/7xsCTk
• Edutopia - lots of resources for educators www.edutopia.org
• New Teacher Resources https://www.edutopia.org/article/new-teacher-resources-toolkit
• Cybraryman’s Educational Websites http://cybraryman.com/  
• Discovery Education New Teacher Survival Central http://www.discoveryeducation.com/survival/index.cfm
• The Third Teacher (the classroom itself) - great read for teachers http://www.thethirdteacher.com/
• Every Kid Needs a Champion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw

EdTech Resources:

• The Benefits of Educational Technology https://goo.gl/Pz8hsB
• Benefits of Google Apps and Chromebooks - lots of resources, tips and ideas
• Google Resources for Educators https://goo.gl/F3N9s

• Evernote for Education https://goo.gl/wvJl7
• Assistive Technology and Accessibility Resources https://goo.gl/LskLPm
• K-12 Blueprint - EdTech tools, research, devices, best practices and more https://goo.gl/t5y7db
• Free Tech for Teachers - free edtech resources and tips http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
• EdTech K-12 - free magazine https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/
• EdTech resources list (older, but still good) https://goo.gl/m61J1F
• Tech & Learning - free magazine http://www.techlearning.com/

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List of some great apps for Education for all different projects

Great Apps for Education

·         Screen casting:

o   https://screencast-o-matic.com/

o   https://nimbus.everhelper.me/screenshot.php

·         Markup and Edit Photos:

o   Microsoft Remix 3D https://www.remix3d.com/

o   https://pixlr.com/

o   PicMonkey https://www.picmonkey.com/

o   http://sumopaint.com/

·         Note taking:

o   Google Docs

o   Google Keep

o   OneNote https://www.onenote.com/

o   Evernote https://evernote.com/ (desktop app is very powerful)

·         Creative App Bundle (WeVideo, Soundtrap, Explain Everything):

o   https://edu.google.com/products/class-content/ - video editing, sound editing, online whiteboard with recording

·         Video Editing:

o   Wevideo https://www.wevideo.com/

o   Animoto https://animoto.com/

o   http://www.techradar.com/reviews/lightworks

o   https://www.shotcut.org/

o   http://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/

·         QR Code Reader:

o   https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/qr-code-reader/9wzdncrfj1s9

·         Adobe Spark:

o   https://spark.adobe.com/ - images, videos and more

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Microsoft Education Resources - nice collection for Admin, IT, and Teachers

Microsoft Education Resources

Microsoft in Education main site

Leadership Resources - transform your schools and classrooms with Microsoft Tools and Resources
School leader tools
OneNote for Administrators
Microsoft Showcase Schools
Microsoft School Transformation Toolkit


IT Solutions
IT management and deployment
Intune for Education
Student lifecycle management
Business management
Research management

Teacher Resources
OneNote for Teachers
OneNote in Education
Microsoft Digital Literacy Curriculum
Teaching with Technology: Overview
21st Century Learning Design: Overview
Microsoft Educator Network
Office training and tutorials
Free Tools For Teachers



More Microsoft Resources:
http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/search/label/Microsoft

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K-12 Blueprint - tools, research, devices, best practices and more to support effective EdTech projects

K12Blueprint is a great, free resource for technology in education. There are toolkits with information and resources for developing and deploying technology initiatives, information on choosing the right device for your schools, software and apps, curriculum, news, research, and blogs from educators and edtech leaders. The information and resources are timely, relevant and easy to use.

There are even free downloads of 3 different books on edtech and education:

Here are the list of toolkits:

There are a ton of resources and information on this site - take a look around and see what it has to offer.

It is sponsored by Intel Education, Tech&Learning, and Clarity Innovations.


Related:

Ed Tech Pilot Framework - excellent resources for all schools 

Tech&Learning - free Edtech magazine, website and resources for educators




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Android on Chromebooks! Here are some resources and apps to check out

Android has come to Chromebooks and is available on EDU Domains!

This opens up a whole new world of possibilities with Chromebooks, adding thousands of great apps, features and capabilities.

Here are the resources for Admins to get Android apps enabled for their domain:

• Android Apps and Chromebooks
• As of right now, these Chromebooks support Android apps: Asus Chromebook Flip, Acer Chromebook R11 / C738T / CB5-132T, Google Chromebook Pixel (2015)
• All Chromebooks launching in 2017 and after will support Android apps (very soon)
• Chromebooks listed below will work with Android apps at a time to be announced in the future*:
• https://sites.google.com/a/chromium.org/dev/chromium-os/chrome-os-systems-supporting-android-apps

• Manage Android Apps on Chrome https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7131624

Here are some great suggestions for Android apps (and some web apps):

Android App Suggestions for Chromebooks (all are free)

• MyScript Calculator: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.visionobjects.calculator&rdid=com.visionobjects.calculator
• Turns handwritten equations into typed and solves them
• Evernote https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evernote
• take notes (typed, handwritten, audio)
• checklists
• clip web pages
• attach files to notes
• sync offline
• annotate images and PDFs
• Google Keep https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.keep&hl=en
• take notes
• checklists
• annotate images
• handwriting
• speech to text
• ArtCanvas https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samsung.smartcalli&hl=en 
• drawing, painting, sketching
• Autodesk Sketchbook https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adsk.sketchbook&hl=en 
• draw, paint 
• lots of features
• iPad app equivalents on Android: http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2015/08/some-app-substitutions-for-ipad-apps-to.html
• Android alternatives/equivalents for iPad apps https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qBmhx4jm4eJ7A8It9gz8PtOm164CO9tlvv46Mhv6uCs/edit#gid=640510231
• GeoGebra has multiple apps
• Math Apps https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.geogebra&rdid=org.geogebra
• Graphing Calculator https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.geogebra.android
• 3D Grapher https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.geogebra.android.g3d 
• CK-12
• Practice Math and Science https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ck12.app.practice
• Flexbooks https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ck12.reader  (all kinds of subjects and topics)
• Physics Simulations https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ck12.simulations 
• Chrome Apps for Touchscreen Chromebooks  https://goo.gl/3UX0He
• Android Apps "Education" Category https://play.google.com/store/apps/category/EDUCATION?hl=en 
• PhET Simulations (Science, Math and more) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.kiwix.kiwixcustomphet
• Accessibility resources and apps http://goo.gl/LskLPm
• Toontastic 3D https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.toontastic 
• Science Journal https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.forscience.whistlepunk&hl=en 

• Android for Education Resources  http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/android-for-education.html 

• Adobe has released a suite of Android apps optimized for Chromebooks. The Adobe Creative Cloud apps, including Photoshop Mix, Lightroom Mobile, Illustrator Draw, Photoshop Sketch, Adobe Comp CC, and Creative Cloud Mobile will be available for free download, expanding creative options for students and the capability of stylus and world-facing camera.

I've been using Android apps on my Acer C738T with my personal account for quite a while now and they work great. Handwriting input, offline sync and much more. 

Related:

Webinar on Android Apps on Chromebooks - great resource with some panelists and how-to set this up. (slide deck: https://goo.gl/rl4HkD)

Benefits of Google Apps and Chromebooks for Schools

Android for Education resources

Google for Education Resources

A new generation of Chromebooks, designed for millions of students and educators https://blog.google/topics/education/new-generation-chromebooks-designed-millions-students-and-educators/ (Acer and Asus convertible’s with stylus)

A new generation of Chromebooks, designed to work with millions of apps https://blog.google/products/chromebooks/new-generation-chromebooks-designed-work-millions-apps/ (Samsung Plus and Pro)

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