iOS 7!

http://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/

iOS 7 is here!  I love the brighter colors and the free iTunes radio!!  The new look is quicker and more functional.  Swipe down for the search bar, double click the home button to see all of your open apps! View the article above to see all of the changes.

Educade

Educade has thousands of free lesson plans by curriculum area, 

using tech K-12.  It also talks about the latest apps coming out 

with quite a bit of detailed information.

Downloading YouTube Videos

Several of you have asked about downloading youtube videos...youtube is getting stricter and several of the sites we have used in the past are no longer working.  Here are a few I've found that currently work...

http://downloadyoutubevideo.org

http://www.wondershare.com/pro/mac-free-youtube-downloader.html

You can also use MacTubes...you have to download the program one time, but it is easy and works great and it stores all of your previous downloaded videos for you.  You simply search for the youtube video directly WITHIN the mac player.  Once you have found your video IN MacTube, Double click on it, click the settings button at bottom left and say download, it will quickly download to your desktop!

MacTube Download

If it says BLOCKED PLUG-IN:  I had to update my Adobe Flash Player (update came out in August if you haven't done it...after reading some articles I think this could be the reason for all of our sound issues when trying to play youtube videos)

HERE IS HOW YOU UPDATE YOUR FLASH PLAYER, holler if you need help:

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/  

Next steps

1.

Locate the downloaded file and double-click to mount the disk image.

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2.

Double-click Install Adobe Flash Player.

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3.

Agree by Clicking Open.

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4.

Enter Name and Password and click OK.

-- 

Staci Hansen

Hesston USD 460 Technology Facilitator

HMS Volleyball Coach

HHS Student Council Sponsor

Voice Comments for Google Drive: Kaizena

Download this free app, Kaizena and add voice comments to 

students' documents 

in google drive for fast feedback!

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/kaizena-voice-comments/hcdoaikeblbbiphjibkhliiedjhnbbke?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon

E-Books for Elementary Students & Symbaloo

These books are a great way to engage students and are all free! I love the National Geographic Kids, it has a voice feature in which students can click on different insect parts for example and it will speak the part to the student.  Very interactive and fun for kids!  Could be great for a listening center or as a whole class!  By the way, these books are organized using Symbaloo (http://www.symbaloo.com) an online bookmarking tool that allows you to access your bookmarks anywhere!  

The newest e-book webmix: Ebook Read To Me- 16 great stories read to the kids

National Geographic Kids- 37 non-fiction magazines for kids. Audio available and will read the words to the kids

B&N Storytime Online- 16 Classic Books read by the author of the book

Ebook #1- 23 Books read by actors

Ebook Set 2- 35 online books from various sites

Starfall Books- 42 themed books from Starfall

Show Me App and Long Division

Great example coming to you from Mrs. Ortman's Classroom...using the ShowMe App on an iPad.  Students must explain how to do a long division problem, writing on the screen while talking you through the problem.  Way to go Mrs. Ortman!

http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=AkZueoK

4th Grade Livebinder-Math

We have started a livebinder for 4th Grade Common Core Math Resources....feel free to check it out and use with your students, would be applicable to other grades!

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1038882

Or feel free to scan this QR Code we created to give to parents at ES Math Night!

Edmodo

Edmodo is a secure, web-based application (also has an app for iPads/iPhones) for collaboration.  It provides a good forum for discussion and acts like a social networking site so kids love it!  Once you put your students in, it can be a one-stop shop for discussion boards, quizzes, polls, a place to turn in assignments, etc.  The middle school is using it for our book study of Core 6 as a way to provide building-wide discussion and meaningful conversations.  Check it out!

https://www.edmodo.com/about

Effective Use of iPads/iPods in the Classroom

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/09/a-comprehensive-guide-for-effective-use.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+educatorstechnology/pDkK+(Educational+Technology+and+Mobile+Learning)

Great iPad article including getting to know your iPad, rules for iPads and education apps!

100 Ways to use the iPads/iPods in the classroom!

https://docs.google.com/a/usd460.org/presentation/d/1fRPd8b_lzq68C-ANkGVKyH135qtE7O2cg4Ye3kit9qU/present#slide=id.i0

Free App Alert

http://freeappalert.com/2013-09-18?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FreeAppAlert+%28FreeAppAlert+%28Paid+iPhone+apps+that+are+now+free%29%29

Free App Alert will notify you when apps have gone free.  You can sign-up for free and it will send you an email daily/every other day with a list of apps (iPad/iPhone/iPod) that usually cost but have gone free for the day!

Technology Integration

How to Save to Cider

Here is a video to help your students save to cider!

http://youtu.be/6MePu20z5-w

Helpful Links to my school webpage

Helpful Links on School Web Page...Livebinder, Help Binder

Here you will find a livebinder full of Tech Tools that I have and continue to add to as I attend conferences and obtain other resources!  I have the organized by subject/what they do.  I also linked to my Help Binder I have created with directions specific to our district including saving to Cider, etc.

Tips for Finding a File on Macs

That scary feeling when your student (or you!) can't find the file you have been working on.  
Here are a couple helpful tips: 

1.  When in her finder click on "all my files" and browse through them 
2.  Go to software program used to create file (word, keynote, pages, etc.) and try to "open recent items" from the file menu at the top 
3. Try searching for the file name using the spotlight.  

Virtual Field Trips

Technology has opened the door to let your students travel around the world without leaving your classroom and most of the time for free!  Seeing is believing, explore and travel with your students!  Here are 5 links to virtual field trips to get you started, I will add more as I find them!  Let me know if there is a specific place you study and I will find a way to virtually get you and your students there!

http://www.areavibes.com/library/online-field-trips-for-students/  Directory for Virtual Field Trips

http://www.spacewander.com/USA/english.html  Space Wander...travel like an astronaut!
http://nineplanets.org/tour/  ...interactive tour of the solar system!
http://www.reachtheworld.org/ ...journaling about different views in different parts of the world!
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ ...PBS Nova
http://www.google.com/intl/en/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/

Quixey: Search Engine for Apps!

https://www.quixey.com/

Elementary and Middle School teachers...you will love this for your iPod touches and iPads!  Quixey is a search engine just for Apps!  You can search by device, subject, cost, free/paid, etc! I love Quixey!

Online Learning

http://www.edutopia.org/stw-online-learning-free-virtual-lessons-projects

The internet is a powerful tool not only for students to use in research, but for you to use in your classroom!  This links to a multitude of sites for online learning, including Kahn Academy, Shmoop (provides study guides), Connexions (chunks of knowledge), Next Vista for Learning (short videos to introduce lessons), along with several others including virtual field trips!  

Student Reflection

Student reflection is an important component of learning!  It helps the student self-reflect and helps the knowledge stick as well as reflecting on what was good or what could be improved for next time...this article offers several ways for student reflection, including blogs, VoiceThread, Elluminate (for HS where students can reflect with students from around the world), and using Flickr to capture student work with images for reflection.  

http://www.edutopia.org/student-reflection-blogs-journals-technology

Shortcut Keys for Mac

Active Textbook-PDFs to Books!

Turn PDFs into an interactive textbook.  Create a free account and upload any pdf to your book.  You can add interactive elements including video, pictures, quizzes, etc.  Classes can be created for easy access by students!
Students can highlight and take notes in the book while they are reading it!
https://www.activetextbook.com/

You can easily save any page from the internet by changing your printer to "Save as pdf"!