Digital Badges

Fort Sam Houston ISD has started a Digital Badges program for teachers!  Dr. Rios, the Technology Director, was inspired by the Badge program from Denton ISD.  Together, we created a website where teachers can look up information, request help, and apply for badges on all kinds of different tools.  We have an introduction video on the website to explain the program.

When applying for a badge, teachers have to tell us how they are using that tool.  We post these ideas on the website so that other teachers can benefit from them.  We have been using Credly.com to send the badges digitally.  We are also printing them, making them into stickers, and then delivering them to teachers so that they can display them outside their rooms.  When we deliver the badges, we play music and make a big deal about the badges they are receiving.  Students even stand up and clap for their teachers.

The response has been great!  Teachers are excited about earning the badges and are displaying them proudly. We have also added a leader board to drum drum up a little competition.

You can access the website by clicking here.

Seesaw

web.seesaw.me

Have you ever struggled getting content off of student devices and into your hands?  What about monitoring student activities during center rotations?  Seesaw is the perfect solution.  I introduced this tool to teachers 2 weeks ago and I have heard amazing feedback from all of them. 

Seesaw is a platform where students can submit their work to the teacher.  Once they click on the app, they can scan a QR code (to go to your class), and then submit videos, images, drawings, notes, links, or anything from the camera roll.  On top of the images, they can draw, add text, and add voice.  They then click submit and select their name from a list.

  

The work then shows up in the teacher account for approval.  Once teachers approve the work it is saved on the student's digital portfolio.  Teachers can comment on the student work.  They can also download the videos or images to their computer.  This portfolio is great documentation for student progress throughout the year and perfect to bring to RTI meetings or ARDs.  What's even better is parents can access their child's digital portfolio from home!

So how are teachers using this?  

• I have teachers that are having students take photos of their center work or activity and record a voice explanation of what they did.  
• Other teachers are taking photos of student writing that may not be legible and having the students read back what they wrote.
• Teachers are having students submit videos that they create in imovie or with chatterpix instead of uploading it to YouTube like they had to before.  

The possibilities are endless and the best part of all is that it's FREE!!!  To create an account, go to www.web.seesaw.me.  Enjoy!

iPad App Resource

iPad App Resource Page

I have created a new resource containing iPad apps.  This webpage has a page with elementary apps and a page with secondary level apps.  Each app has a link to the app's page in the itunes store, a picture of what the app icon looks like, a description of the app, and a video or image of what the app looks like once you open it.

What I really wanted to do was create a resource where teachers can easily search for the apps that will fit what they are teaching.  If you push ctrl+f on the page, you can search the page.  Teachers can look for keywords such as create or video or animals.  Once they type in the keyword, that word is highlighted on the page and they can read the description of the app to see if it will fit their needs.

On the home page there is a form where teachers can request that certain apps be added to the site.  This is where I need your help.  Please let me know of any apps that you would like to see added to the website.  The more apps we have, the greater the resource for all.  Also, please contact me through the contact page if you have any other suggestions for changes on the site.

Happy app finding!

I Wonder...

Have you wondered what medicine is made from, why you need your toes, or how the ocean waves are created?  If so, I have the solution for you.  Wonderopolis!

Everyday I am completely amazed by the things that I learn from Wonderopolis.  This is one of my favorite websites for anyone to learn from.  Wonderopolis is a website that has a wonder of the day.  For each wonder of the day, there is a video, written information, an option to have the information read to you, a discussion board, wonder words, a gallery of pictures, further wonders and so much more.  Wonderopolis doesn't stop there though.  You can search through past wonders, let Wonderopolis know what you are wondering about and vote on wonders that have been submitted.

There is so much educational value in this website.  When I was teaching first grade, I used this with my fast finishers.  They could look up wonders that interested them and then they would report back to the class what they learned.  I also make sure that when I'm creating unit resources for my teachers that I search Wonderopolis for wonders that fit the unit.  For example, for a unit on the solar system I found wonders such as "Why is Pluto No Longer a Planet?", "Where is the Milkyway?", "What is the Hottest Planet?", "How Hot is the Sun?" and so many others.

The educator sandbox is another great tool on the website.  You can search by grade level and topic to find wonders that fit what your students are learning in class.  There are also blog posts that talk about things going on right now and the wonders to go with them.  Their Twitter feed is here as well.  Wonderopolis is constantly tweeting wonders of the day, past wonders that fit with the time of year, and educational information.

If you haven't checked out this great resource, go to www.wonderopolis.org to see for yourself all of the amazing things it has to offer.  If you have additional ideas about how to use this in education, leave your comments below or tweet them mentioning @techtimewithj9 and @wonderopolis.  Enjoy!!!!

Image from: www.wonderopolis.org

February Bits and Bytes Magazine

I have tried to think of creative ways to get teachers to share the awesome things that they are doing with technology in their classrooms.  Unfortunately, teachers don't like to brag.  It has become one of my goals to brag for them.  I think it is so important that teachers see how other teachers are using technology so that they may become inspired to do something similar.  In order to brag on my teachers and get them to share I developed a magazine using joomag.com.  The response has been great.  Teachers are reading the magazine and asking questions about different apps or software that they see is being used.  I just published my second magazine and thought I would share it out.  Enjoy!

February Bits and Bytes Magazine

Animal Augmented Reality

One of my big goals as an Instructional Technology Specialist is to help teachers seamlessly integrate technology in their classrooms.  Recently, I have been asking teachers to tell me what units they have coming up so that I can find resources for them.  The PreK teachers were first to climb aboard by telling me they had an animals unit coming up.  I spent all day working (playing) trying to find resources for them.  I came across two augmented reality apps that have been a huge hit with the teachers and their students.

ZooKazam is a free app for the ipad.  When you scan the target image with the app an animal appears.  You can get a full 360° view by circling the animal with the ipad.  You can tap the animal to hear the sound it makes and add effects as you will see in the video below.  

Disney Nature is another free app for the ipad.  This app does not require a target image.  Students choose an animal and can choose one of four different activities to go with that animal.  The activities show students what the animals eat, how they get their food, the sounds that they make, etc...  The pictures below show the animals that this app brought into a PreK classroom.  

Welcome!

Welcome to Tech Time With J9!.  I am the district instructional technology specialist at Fort Sam Houston ISD.  I have created this page as a place to store and share all of the great resources that I find useful in integrating technology in the classroom. I hope that you find it useful.  You can learn more about me by clicking on my name at the top of the site.  Make sure that you like my facebook, follow me on twitter, and/or subscribe to my webpage.  Enjoy!