Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is a presentation app that allows you to create visually appealing slideshows.  Rather than filling a slide with too much information, this app seems to force a slideshow to focus on the core message.  Simply put, this tool allows you to:

1. Tell stories and/or share your ideas
2. Add quality images for the background of each slide
3. Share your presentation

Watch Haiku Deck's video overview and see what you think.  Better yet, stop reading this post, download the app, and try it for yourself.  How can you use this app in your class? 

Meet Haiku Deck from adam tratt on Vimeo.

Episode 3

Here is the latest video of Tech 3.  In this episode we share information on:

1. Infogr.am
2. Haiku Deck 
3. If This Then That

IFTTT

What? IFTTT? There is no way that anywhere in the English language that that means anything.

Actually, it does.  It might be the coolest website that you don't know about.  It stands for: If This Then That.  It is a productivity site that allows you to do create "recipes" to automate several things.  It makes the internet work for you.  In fact, their slogan is "Put the Internet to work for you."

Once you join and sign in, a world of productivity awaits you.  Have IFTTT add links to a Google Spreadsheet every time you add something to your Diigo library. Or have it send a Tweet out automatically every time you upload a new video to YouTube.  Browse their recipe library for automations that other people have come up with.  The possibilities are endless. Give it a try today!

Infogr.am

Do you get bored seeing informational charts like this?

Did you know that they could look like this?

Global Profits | Create infographics

This is what the website infogr.am can do for you and your students.

Getting started is simple, go to infogr.am and create an account. (I bypassed this by just signing in with Twitter!)

Once you've signed in, click on New Infographic and get started.  It couldn't be simpler!  Give it a try!  

Digital Learning Day

Do you have a plan yet?  This year, Digital Learning Day is February 6, 2013.  Sign up with the Digital Learning Day website.  Click the image below to read more on Digital Learning Day.

What are you planning on doing this Digital Learning Day?  If you don't know yet, schedule a time with the Tech 3 hosts or ask for an opinion in the comments section below.  Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.  

Episode 2

Here is the second edition of the Tech 3.  In this episode, we share information on digital storytelling apps, Ko-Su, and Edcanvas.

KO-SU

KO-SU is a great website to create great learning activities for your students.  It allows you to share these activities with your students not only to their laptops, but also to their mobile devices.

From the edit activity screen you type in what your students are going to learn.

After that you will create your learning activity.  You can then send it your students devices.

Check out this video for a brief overview, and go to KO-SU to learn more.

3 Digital Storytelling Apps

Three iPad Apps

My Story - This paid app (@$1.99 each) allows students to illustrate, take pictures, access the iPad camera roll, record a voiceover,  and share stories via email.  Moreover, it is extremely easy to use.  This is a great app to purchase on one device or multiple devices.

Scribble My Story - This FREE app allows students to read other digital stories or have them read to them.  In addition, students are able to create their own stories without a username/password.  Students have the option to create a blank book or illustrate pre-written stories.  The pages are narrated for easy navigation and let the students now what to do next.  There are themed packages to purchase within the app; however, you can getaway without purchasing these in-app purchases.  Overall, it is a great free app that allows students to create and share stories.   (If you like Scribble My Story, checkout Scribble Press.)

LittleBirdTales - Okay, this app costs money but it worth the price at least on a teacher device.  It costs $2.99, but it has companion website that can be used for free.  Anything you create within the app can be uploaded to the website and shared via a link.

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Other Apps for Digital Storytelling

This is just a screenshot of a few of the apps I have within my Digital Storytelling folder on the iPad. Feel free to ask questions about any of these apps in the comment section below or schedule a time with us to integrate these apps in the classroom.

Edcanvas

Overview

Edcanvas is an art canvas for educational resources online.   This web-based technology allows teachers to curate a hotlist of resources for students to maximize time on-task.  Rather than having students waste time searching for reliable online resources, Edcanvas organizes resources on one page and allows for annotations.  Students can also create an Edcanvas without using an email address.  Why not have students research a topic and create an online bibliography with a canvas?  How about creating a list of websites that help describe a student's passion and personality?  What about bookmarking information related to a personal learning quest?   Ultimately, teachers and students can create playlists to promote learning with this amazing web-based tool.

Edcanvas can be integrated on Edmodo easily.  To do this, Edcanvas has placed an Edmodo option within the Share Button.  The user will be asked to login to Edmodo, which will allow teachers to upload the canvas to their Edmodo class page or library.  

Video Tutorial

Resources

• Edmodo Store
• Edcanvas + Edmodo Article
• Edcanvas: Parts of Speech
• Edcanvas: Digital Storytelling

Here's an example of a board I created on Project-Based Learning:

Apple Configurator

The following resources were created for teachers using the iPad Carts.  The document and video below were developed to show teachers how to add or remove apps on the devices within an Apple iPad Cart.  

eBook Tutorial

This document was created in the iBooks Author app, which allows users to create ePubs for eReaders on a MacBook.

*Side Note: Think of this apps impact in the classroom.  Teachers could write content for a course rather than rely on money-driven (not learning focused) publishing companies.  Additionally, with the iBooks Author app, students could write fiction/non-fiction writings.  This process has the potential of making classroom writing projects more authentic.

Video Tutorial

Tech 3: Episode #1

Tech 3: Episode I

Sunday Shares are changing as intended.  Joe and I are going to be creating a weekly video sharing three tools in the world of Educational Technology.  Our aim is to keep the videos short (3 minutes or less).  It won't cover everything you need to know about the digital tool, but it gives us a conversation starter for bookings.  We will send you a link every weekend to our new video.  

This blog was created to share thoughts, resources, and the videos from the technology department.  The resources shared on the blog will be reviewed each Sunday in an email.  So, you don't have to check the blog everyday for new resources.  Instead, just wait until Sunday and review the latest posts when possible.  

With that said, here is the first edition of Tech 3.   

Additional Resources

• gClassFolders
• Google Presentation -online training module 
• Thinglink 

Finally, here blog post from Getting Smart explaining the Thinglink and Edmodo connection.   As with an blog post listed here, please comment below on additional information you would like to receive from us on the subjects within this post.  

Apps by Bloom's Taxonomy

For all of you with iPads, I wanted to share a few Bloom's Taxonomy sorted apps.  In the world of Edtech, it seems like everyone has a list of apps sorted by Bloom's Taxonomy.  Take a look at a few of the resources listed here and try a few of the "higher level" apps.  

Organizers

Both images below are brief lists of apps associated with Bloom's levels of cognition.  The first image below is interactive--clicking an app icon will take you to its location on the Apple site. The second gives another look at a few additional iPad apps to use in the classroom.  

Document

The following document was created by Kelly Tenkely--the author of iLearn Technology blog.  Take a look at the higher level apps and test one or two out at a time.  Then, try them out with a student and see if each app is worth the effort.  Flip through the pages of this Issuu document.  Even the lower-level items are worth having on your iPad, but the higher-level apps are even better.

Open publication - Free publishing - More apps

Additional iPad Apps by Sorted by Bloom's

• Kathy Schrock's Bloomin' Apps
• Langwitches' Bloom's Taxonomy and iPad Apps
• High School Level Apps
• Google Sites Bloom's Apps

Picture from http://zaidlearn.blogspot.com/2009/07/use-blooms-taxonomy-wheel-for-writing.html