Merry and Oh So Bright!

Everyone is counting down the days to holiday break – students and teachers alike. To power all of us through the end of the year, we’re bringing you some holiday cheer today. We asked fellow educators, administrators, and Mimio parents to share the holiday traditions that are observed in their schools and classrooms. These stories put a smile on our faces and also gave us some great ideas for next year.

Wonderful holiday traditions bring fun, the joy of giving, and the spirit of learning to one and all. Enjoy!

So you're planning to bring touch-enabled collaborative learning to your classrooms with a touch projector. You're expecting to use the touch projector to turn your current conventional dry erase board into a touch board. But not so fast! Touch projectors have special requirements that need to be accommodated to ensure proper operation – and the whiteboard is an often unrecognized but critical system component. Choosing the right whiteboard and properly installing it are key. Consider the following points before you buy.

Building a T4PD Community, Part 2

Last week’s blog, “Building a T4PD Community: Part 1,” described a new strategy for professional development that has helped one school transform into a 21^st century learning center. Working one-on-one or in small groups, teachers come together to share their expertise in a supportive environment. This week, learn how you can institute the T4PD model in your school.

Getting Started with T4PD
Building a T4PD technology integration model in your school is easy – but it does take time. For two years our staff has been working to transform our classrooms with instructional technology, and we still have a ways to go to achieve full implementation.

Within the T4PD model, each member of the staff assumes one or more of the roles described below. While the process appears to result in a hierarchy, the foundation is based on a community of teachers assisting one another in a casual setting for the better implementation of instructional technology. Furthermore, teachers who take part in a T4PD model may actually fill several roles as the process continues and their ability to use technology in the classroom grows.

 Building a T4PD Community, Part 1

In November of 1986, a provocative article appeared in the New York Times with the simple title, “Debating Classroom Technology.” The article posed many intriguing questions about the future of technology in the classroom, at a time when educational technology was still in its infancy. Schools and teachers across the country were struggling to determine whether classroom technology might someday impact student learning: Could technology actually reform the way knowledge is transmitted? What is so compelling about this article, almost 30 years later, is that educators are still searching for the answer to that question.

The classroom library is an important space for students – it’s a quiet and comfortable spot where they can read what they want. While there’s nothing wrong with a technology-free classroom library, there’s much to gain from bringing some of these interactive tools into the area, including:

• Student motivation
• Student accountability
• Better organization

All of these things benefit both you and your students: they’re more excited to read, and you know exactly what they’re reading. To make your classroom library more interactive, try the following three steps.

Turkey, Students, and Summer Break!

I am already deciding which of my favorite foods and desserts I will be having this Thanksgiving. As far as I’m concerned, Thanksgiving isn’t complete without green bean casserole and a dark chocolate pecan pie!

While I’m always thankful for delicious meals at this time of year, I am even more thankful for friends and family. For me and for many others involved in education and teaching, family includes the students and parents that make up such a large part of our lives. In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, here is a list of things to be thankful for when it comes to teaching and guiding students, which we have collected from educators and administrators.

Enhance and Transform Your Lessons Through Using SAMR

The SAMR Model was developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura to help teachers infuse technology into teaching. The model allows teachers to evaluate how they are using technology in their instructional practices. “SAMR” is an acronym that stands for four levels in the technology integration process: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition.

What does each SAMR level look like in the classroom?

Below are various classroom examples of SAMR. As one moves through the levels, the technology becomes seamlessly woven into teaching and learning to encourage higher order thinking.

Teachers—One of Our Most Powerful Tools in Education

The year is 1996. Alanis Morissette croons about how life can be ironic, young people are shaking their hips and hands to the Macarena, the Nintendo 64 has just been released, and Tom Cruise is dominating the box office with Jerry McGuire and Mission: Impossible. While we can certainly look back on these trends and trivia about the times, it’s hard to say that any of these things had any major cultural significance.

1996 also saw the publication of a key article developed by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future. The report, titled What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s Future, pointed out something that common sense would dictate to most anyone, yet still seems strangely elusive: the single most important factor in the effectiveness of a child’s education is the teacher. While this was not a new notion, this report, based on hundreds of studies, initiated a growing movement to identify, train, and retain good teachers.

Apps for Everything from Collaboration to Scheduling Homework

We've pulled together a list of the most popular educational apps on the market today. These apps perform a wide range of functions – from file storage to collaborating to providing image content for lessons. Apps for Android devices can be found at the Google Play store, which now has a special Education section. Apps for Apple devices can be downloaded from iTunes, and apps for Kindle devices can be downloaded from Amazon. All of these apps are designed to take your mobile devices to the next level.

Also listed in this post are a number of websites where you can find informative reviews of educational apps.

Interactive whiteboards and their software shouldn’t be classroom tools you forget

With all the new technology surrounding us, we tend to forget how many exciting ways we can use our interactive whiteboards with students. Most (if not all) interactive whiteboards come with software that offers a variety of tools for both teachers and students.