simpleshow video maker

 simpleshow video maker is the best online tool around for making explainer videos.  These "simple shows" are very easy to create and can be used in education in a wide variety of ways, such as: digital storytelling, introducing a subject, project based learning, professional development, and much more.  Best of all, simpleshow is very user friendly and lets educators/students seamlessly create engaging videos by just selecting a template, typing up a script (storyline) and simpleshow takes care of the rest.  There are lots of videos and examples teachers can find on the simpleshow website and a finished video can then be embedded into a website or blog.

Below is brief demo...

I highly recommend checking out simpleshow by clicking here!!!

*simpleshow video maker is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

simpleshow video maker

 simpleshow video maker is the best online tool around for making explainer videos.  These "simple shows" are very easy to create and can be used in education in a wide variety of ways, such as: digital storytelling, introducing a subject, project based learning, professional development, and much more.  Best of all, simpleshow is very user friendly and lets educators/students seamlessly create engaging videos by just selecting a template, typing up a script (storyline) and simpleshow takes care of the rest.  There are lots of videos and examples teachers can find on the simpleshow website and a finished video can then be embedded into a website or blog.

Below is brief demo...

I highly recommend checking out simpleshow by clicking here!!!

*simpleshow video maker is an advertiser of Technology Tidbits.

ClassTag for Remote Learning

ClassTag is an excellent all-in-one communication tool that educators can use to keep parents informed on what is going on in the classroom.  Everything is done seamlessly and teachers can share: schedules, announcements, photos, videos, etc.  Recently, ClassTag released how it can be used for Remote Learning, Professional Development, and more.  This is a great resource for educators and parents who now have to rely on remote learning w/ school closures throughout the world.

For more information on how you can use ClassTag for Remote Learning click here!!

10 Sites for Professional Development

"Professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development
and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning opportunities situated in practice. It has been described as intensive and collaborative, ideally incorporating an evaluative stage ^[1] There are a variety of approaches to professional development, including consultation, coaching, communities of practice, lesson study, mentoring, reflective supervision and technical assistance. (wikipedia)"

PD is a huge part of any educator's life. We as teachers are always teaching/leading others and always learning ourselves.  With that being said I decided to compile a list of 10 sites/resources for Professional Development.

*These sites are in alphabetical order.

10 Sites for Professional Development

1. Answer Garden - A nice free solution that educators are using for professional development to poll their audience and gather feedback via a online chat.
2. Edthena - Edthena is a wonderful site/app for professional development that uses an innovative "video coaching" approach.  This is ideal for professional development as it helps highlight best teaching practices, gives educators a safe/comfortable place to learn, and makes it easy for self reflection. 
3. NBC Learn - NBC Learn is the educational division of NBC News and delivers award winning educational content for grades K-12, including: resources, lesson plans, and tips for professional development.
4. Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook - A free resource for educators that has lots of resources for educators such as: articles, news, tips, professional development, and more.
5. Teq - Teq is a new site designed to offer online professional development to K-12 educators.  Teq has over 30 educators who specialize in offering best practices and integrating technology in a wide variety of areas, such as: digital whiteboards, web 2.0, Google Apps, and more.
6. PBS Learning Media - A excellent site for free resources including: videos, interactives, lesson plans, professional development, and more.
7. UMU - A fantastic site and mobile app (iOS/Android) that can be used for any subject and even professional development.
8. Unhangout - An interesting new site from MIT for creating back channel chats w/ the ability to host videos and have breakout sessions, and more.  A great solution for getting feedback from your audience.
9. Wakelet - Wakelet lets educators easily bookmark any item on the web (i.e. article, blog, tweet, etc.) and then curate them in stunning visual ways to curate w/ others.  This can be used in a wide variety of ways such as for: digital storytelling, professional development, and more.
10. Yo Teach - One of my favorite sites around for creating a back channel back w/ lots of features for educators and ideal for Professional Development.

Wakelet

Wakelet is an excellent social bookmarking tool that I just found out about from the amazing educator, Ana Lopez.  Wakelet lets educators easily bookmark any item on the web (i.e. article, blog, tweet, etc) and then curate them in stunning visual ways (add an image) to curate w/ others.  Teachers can use this in a wide variety of ways such as: digital storytelling, project based learning, professional development, and more.  Best of all, there is a free detailed Educator's Guide to help teachers integrate Wakelet into their curriculum.

I highly recommend checking out Wakelet by clicking here!!!

Unhangout

Unhangout is an interesting new site from MIT for creating events/backchannel chats, that I just found out about from Larry Ferlazzo's blog.  This is a great way for educators to host a backchannel that can be used in any number of ways in education, from assessing learning to professional development.  There are lots of options to like such as: nice user interface, hosting videos, private invites, breakout sessions, and more.

Below is a brief demo video...



I highly recommend checking out Unhangout by clicking here!!!

Edthena

Edthena is a wonderful site/app for professional development that uses an innovative "video coaching" approach.  This is done through a very user-friendly browser based interface where educators can record themselves right from the web (i.e. they can upload recorded videos as well).  Once the video is recorded/uploaded they can share them w/ other educators for collaboration, tag them, add comments, and more.  This is ideal for professional development as it helps highlight best teaching practices, gives educators a safe/comfortable place to learn, and makes it easy for self reflection.  Finally, Edthena's coaching/learning platform tracks and monitors teachers activity and progress while generating detailed reports, making it a vital tool for tech directors, tech integration specialists, and directors of curriculum and instruction.

Below is an example of Edthena in action...



I highly recommend checking out Edthena by clicking here!!!

For another great review check out Class Tech Tips.

UMU

UMU is a fantastic site and mobile app (iOS/Android) for "self paced learning" and "mobile learning" that I just found out about from the innovative educator Naomi Harm.  UMU can be used in a number of different ways such as: creating quizzes/polls, adding voiceovers to slides, create infographics or live broadcasts, and much much more.  Also, UMU is a excellent way to assess an audience/students and can be used for professional development and blended learning.

I highly recommend checking out UMU by clicking here!!!

codeCampus

codeCampus is a great place for educators looking to bring coding/programming into their K-6 schools for free.  codeCampus offers lots of online training videos as well as interactive coding lessons to help teachers integrate codeCampus into the classroom.  All lessons are aligned to state standards and offer a wide variety of teaching materials.

Below is a demo video...



I highly recommend checking out codeCampus by clicking here!!!

Get Your Tech On

From their promotional email...

"Today through November 30, teachers can visit pbslearningmedia.org/getyourtechon to access free tech-themed content collections, how-to guides on building digital classrooms, professional development webinars, and enter to win weekly tablet giveaways."

The “Get Your Tech On” content collection features themed resources designed to help teachers integrate digital media and technology into curriculum. From gaming and coding to 3D printing , the Get Your Tech On Collection represents some of the best content in the PBS LearningMedia library, which offers more than 87,000 digital resources for PreK-12 educators nationwide.

PBS LearningMedia will also offer free professional development resources for teachers, including how-to guides and webinars. “Get Your Tech On” webinars include:

• Transform Your Classroom: Digital Resources You Can Use Tomorrow

September 17, 2014 at 6pm EST

Teachers will be able to jump-start lesson planning with blended learning teaching tips, tools and media-rich content from America’s largest classroom. Real-world teachers will highlight how they are using digital media from the PBS LearningMedia library to inspire their teaching and personalize the learning experiences for their students.  

• Hot Tech Tools for Today’s Classrooms

October 14, 2014 at 6pm EST

This webinar is designed for teachers looking to take their teaching into the digital age but not sure how to do it. K-12 tech expert Leslie Fisher (@lesliefisher) hosts a dynamic show-and-tell session with the latest and greatest tools and technologies that can impact the 21^st century classroom. Leslie will discuss everything from integrating apps to augmented reality.

• Tips for Building Successful 1:1 Classrooms

October 28, 2014 at 7:00pm EST

There is a lot of buzz about 1:1 classrooms, but not always what effective 1:1 implementation looks like in the real world. A panel of 2014 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators will share practical tips and tools for using new platforms and technologies to support student learning and collaboration.

• How to Integrate Game-Based Learning in Your Classroom

November 12, 2014 at 7pm EST

Teachers are now tapping into the allure of video gaming while communicating key curricular topics. Gaming experts Alan Gershenfeld from E-Line Media and Rebecca Rufo-Tepper from the Institute of Play will explore the power and potential of gaming in the classroom. Alan and Rebecca will share practical strategies and best practices while highlighting free games and interactives that can take teaching to the next level.

To explore the new design, discover new resources, or participate in the Get Your Tech On initiative, visit pbslearningmedia.org.

Sanderling

Sanderling is a new social network for professional development.  This online community lets educators share their professional development stories as well as resources.  Members can also find a nice list o resources such as: lesson plans, reviews, articles/links, and more.

I highly recommend checking out Sanderling by clicking here!!!

Thanks to Technology & Learning for the tip.

For my Pinterest board on Social Networks in Education click here.

Teq

Teq is a new site designed to offer online professional development to K-12 educators.  This site has over 30 educators who specialize in offering best practices and integrating technology in a wide variety of areas, such as: digital whiteboards, web 2.0, Google Apps, etc etc.  (For a complete list click here).  Best of all Teq will develop a customized professional development plan for any school or organization.

I highly recommend checking out Teq by clicking here!!!

Thanks to Technology & Learning for the tip.

Top 10 Tips for Professional Development

"Professional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning opportunities situated in practice. It has been described as intensive and collaborative, ideally incorporating an evaluative stage ^[1] There are a variety of approaches to professional development, including consultation, coaching, communities of practice, lesson study, mentoring, reflective supervision and technical assistance. (wikipedia)"

PD is a huge part of any educator's life. We as teachers are always teaching/leading others and always learning ourselves. W/ that being said I decided to give my top ten tips that I use when doing Professional Development. As any list this is subjective and open for debate, I'd love to hear what tools that others use that they find successful.

Top Ten Tips for Professional Development

1. Flexibility - Not only a great skill for PD but teaching as well. You always want a backup plan just in case something is not working, ie the internet.
2. Knowledge - It's very important to have a vast knowledge of the topic you're teaching. You don't have to be a "jedi master" but at least be able to answer the majority of questions.
3. Confidence - This goes along w/ knowledge, nothing is more uncomfortable for the audience then watching somebody who looks like they don't deserve/want to be there.
4. Innovation - I find it very important to use a variety of tools and present information in a new way to keep your audience engaged.
5. Organization - An organized presentation will make the presenter's life that much easier!
6. Resources - One of the things I pride myself on is giving the audience something tangible that they can take back w/ them or download (ie, digital books, CD, etc.).
7. Creativity - This goes hand and hand w/ innovation and helps keeps audience engaged and wanting more. The traditional Powerpoint presentation is no longer realistic for a 21st Century audience.
8. Humility - There is nothing that bothers me more then watching a presentation/educator who thinks they are a "know-it-all". We can always learn more especially from each other. That is exactly what developing a Personal Learning Network is all about. It's vital for a presenter to be open to constructive criticism and be good at self reflection.
9. Humor - It's always nice to be able to open up in front of a large crowd and there is nothing better then having a sense of humor. Remember not to change who you are when presenting but be your self and let your natural sense of humor shine through!!
10. Availability - It is always nice to be available to your audience for networking/answering questions at any time. Make yourself available and approachable to help strengthen your skill set.

There are many masters of professional development but a few that come to mind right off the bat are: Naomi Harm, Kevin Honeycutt, and Shelly Terrell. I recommend familiarizing yourself w/ these excellent educators to learn from some of the industry's best!!