Thursday, 26 April 2012

Tech Forum Live Online is tomorrow - free streaming of Tech Forum Boston




Tech Forum is Doing It Live!


Tune in tomorrow, Friday, April 27 to Tech Forum Live Online, Tech & Learning's live broadcast stream direct from Tech Forum Boston. Join this preeminent group of education leaders as they tackle some of the most pressing, and promising, issues for today's schools. Watch both sessions as they happen and even participate with a live chat session.

The schedule includes:

• Understanding the Challenges and Opportunities of Emerging Learning Environments - 9:45-11:00 am
Presenters: David Jakes (moderator); Chris Dede, Cathy Swan, Tony Baldasaro
Join us for a lively discussion on topics ranging from the pros and cons of digital textbooks to the disruptive impact of mobile computing, online learning, and social networking. David Jakes will challenge panelists to share their thoughts about the issues and opportunities that arise as we evolve from the traditional classroom to anytime, anyplace, any path learning spaces. Then it's your turn -- to weigh in, ask questions, and engage with virtual audience members who'll be tapping into this session.

• iPads in the Classroom - 2:15-3:30 pm
Presenters: Shawn Rubin, Grace Magley and Patrick Larkin
In the past two years, iPads have made their way into numerous K-12 classrooms. We have invited educators who are involved in elementary, middle and high school implementations to share their stories. How are students, teachers and administrators using the devices? What apps are proving most helpful? What lessons have they learned as they explore the pros and cons of iPads as devices for teaching and learning?

Simply visit this link during those times, tune in and participate. You can submit questions to the presenters using the Livestream chat feature or by tweeting: #TLTF12. It's the next best thing to being there!




Tech and Learning Magazine is an excellent, free resource, for educators.







TinkerBox - free physics puzzle educational game on iOS



TinkerBox is a free physics puzzle game for iOS. It has interesting science facts and teachers basic engineering concepts, in a fun game. You can create machines and share them with others as well as trying to solve the physics-based puzzles and mechanical concepts. It takes creativity and problem solving skills to be successful.

It is from Autodesk, creators of the CAD software AutoCad.

This is a great app for students in physics or engineering, or anyone who likes problem solving and puzzles.

Share it with your students and colleagues.

App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=415722219&mt=8


Related:







Penveu - turn any surface into an interactive display


Penveu turns any surface into an interactive display

Penveu is a new device that allows you to turn any surface into an interactive display. It's a small, handheld device shaped like a teardrop. It has four buttons, a scroll bar, and a toggle switch for changing between pen and mouse modes.

It can be used up to 40 feet away from the screen. There is no other hardware required and it doesn't require any drivers or software installation and works on any platform. You can also use it to store screenshots on it's internal memory.


It seems like it's a combination of a presentation remote control and interactive white board pen. Ti's wireless and interacts with the image on a flatscreen or a projection on a wall. You can draw directly on the screen or surface, just like on a tablet or IWB, and even gesture in the air to control things and add notes and annotations.

There is a table top box that doubles as the connection and a storage area. It connects to the screen or projector using a VGA connection.

It's less expensive than an IWB and portable. It will be available this coming July. The 8GB education version starts at $500.

This could be very useful for educators and conference presenters who want to have an interactive display without needing other equipment.

Here's a video showing how it works:





Related:

MimioTeach system - great tools for teachers - IWB, CRS, Doc Camera, and more






Teacher Talk - teachers share ideas, inspirations, and stories about teaching




Teacher Talk is a blog that was created as a place for teachers to share ideas, inspirations, and stories about teaching.

There are some good ideas, conversations, free resources, and stories on here.

Check it out.



edCode - open source tech tools for teachers



edCode is an site created by a software engineer and physics teacher. Along with other software developers and teachers, they are creating free, useful tools for teachers and students.

There are currently two teacher tools available. The project has promise and I'd love to see more tools coming from them.


Flubaroo Grading Tool

Project Lead: Dave Abouav
Instructional Site: flubaroo.com
Contact: flubaroo@edcode.org

Description: Flubaroo enables quick and easy grading of online assignments using Google Forms. It helps teachers to save time, and also gain valuable insight into student performance. Use it to instantly grade homework assignments, tests and quizzes, or to run in-class assessments. Flubaroo was the first edCode.org project. To see what its all about, visit flubaroo.com and watch the demo video.




GR8POLL Instant Poll Taker

Project Lead: Dave Abouav
Instructional Site: gr8poll.edcode.org
Contact: gr8poll@edcode.org

Description: GR8POLL is a free tool that allows you to take instant polls, much like “clicker” systems do today. Responses are accepted via text message (SMS), email, and/or web form. This tool is very new, and is currently in pilot testing. More coming soon!








PowerPoint Palooza - over 220 PowerPoints on History/Social Studies



PowerPoint Palooza is a site that has over 220 PowerPoint presentations from teachers and students on History and Social Studies topics, that you can download and edit and use in your classroom (just give credit to the original creator).

This is a great resource for teachers and students to find some presentations on different topics in history. While I don't advocate teaches do lots of lecture, they can be used effectively in a classroom.


Google Maps adds Photo Tours of World Landmarks - in 3D



Google Maps is an amazing resource. Google has just announced a new feature of Google Maps - Photo Tours. Photo Tours are 3D photo scenes of over 15,000 popular sites from around the world, including Yosemite, St. Mark's Basilica, Trevi Fountain, Buckingham Palace, the Anne Frank house and much more.

When you search for a location in Google Maps, the left panel will let you know if there is a photo tour available, as well as the info label for a landmark on a map.


Google used photos from Picasa and Panromio to create the 3D tours. The technology and result is amazing. Photos are attributed to whomever contributed them.


Please note that using photo tours requires Google Maps with WebGL so some computers won't be able to run it. 

This is a great way to visit places without leaving your home, and a great way to have students visit these places without the expense or hassle of actually traveling there.