Math & Science Spot

by Samantha Roslund, HCHS Media Specialist

Attention Math & Science Teachers and Folks Interested in Math & Science!  Check out these amazing (FREE!) new online tools that will help you enhance your lessons, develop new assignments, and engage your students.

Sally Ride Science – lesson plans and support resources for literally everything STEM-related.  Browse by topic, search by subject, or upload your own idea.

ARDUSAT – you and your students can perform actual EXPERIMENTS IN SPACE.  Use the ARDUSAT satellite to “measur[e] the surface temperature of the earth using an infrared sensor”.  Or “us[e] the UV light to see if you should be wearing SPF 10 or 75?”  Have fun!





21 GIFs That Explain Mathematical Concepts – GIFs are animated images that usually run on short loops.  From IFLScience, these GIFs are amazing at visually demonstrating complicated math concepts (including algebra, geometry, calc, trig, and more).  It would have changed my life if I had seen these when I was 15! 

      Sick Science! – a YouTube channel for SHORT science experiment videos.  Many are high-school-appropriate, some are a little young.  Check out “Make a Human Lung”, “Make a Square Bubble”, “Salt Water Density Straw” and more!

As usual, please don’t hesitate to come ask me questions about any of these tools.  I am here to help!  Reach me at ext. 8441, roslunds@apps.harpercreek.net, or come on down to the library.

Using YouTube in the 21st Century Classroom

Welcome back!

Another school year and so many excellent options for integrating technology into your classes. Some of the HCCS staff attended a "Google Camp" and are exploring and using the Google Apps for Education tools (which all HCHS staff have an account for).

Do you use YouTube in your classroom? There are thousands of excellent free videos for teaching and learning!

Here are some helpful sites for using YouTube in the classroom, including how to organize your videos by channel, and many examples of great educational sites. You may also upload your own videos to share using your Google log-in on YouTube.

YouTube Education

YouTube Channels for Teachers

Create an Educational Channel on YouTube

100 Useful YouTube Channels for Teachers

Educator.com videos on YouTube

YouTube (Google) Digital Citizenship Curriculum

Have fun using YouTube in the classroom!

Summer EdTech Catch Up Ideas

We all get so busy during the school year that it is often hard to find time to check out Educational Technology resources, learn new software or learn more about the latest trends in teaching with technology.

Besides skimming through previous topics on this HC EdTech Blog, here are a few more to check out along with some of the best covered this past year. Have a great summer and the HC EdTech blog should be back in the fall.

Also join Michigan's main EdTech organization "MACUL" if you get a chance, its free: www.macul.org

A few ideas to learn more about EdTech this summer ...

1. Watch inspirational TED videos: www.ted.com

2. What can you do with your iPad?

https://www.apple.com/education/ipad/

3. Learn more about consumer electronics, technology, tech news, etc. (How to videos? reviews, news, etc):

www.cnet.com

4. The excellent Atomic Learning site full of software and other tutorials (need your Harper Creek login):

www.atomiclearning.com

5. Core teachers especially, check out Khan Academy and share this with your students. Despite what it says on the home page, you do not need to set up an account and can go straight to the tutorials.

www.khanacademy.org

6. There is so much you can do with Google Apps for education, not to mention the summer Google Camp through the CISD, that this is an area all educators need to learn more about. Our students now have access to these tools through their Harper Creek log in for Google Apps (staff too)!

http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/education/

7. Edutopia is a great free resource for all kinds of educational information.

www.edutopia.org

8. How about Free Tech for Teachers? Need I say more!

http://www.freetech4teachers.com

9. Please check out "The 31 Educational Web Tools Every Teacher Should Know about."

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/12/the-31-educational-web-tools-every.html

10. Last but not least, check out eSchool News: http://www.eschoolnews.com

Using Digital Video in the Classroom

Almost all computers today ship with software to edit video right out of the box! Even iPads and many smartphones can be used to shoot and even edit video. Video editing has never been easier or more affordable. A good quality video camera can be bought for under $300.  Any teacher can start using video in their classroom!

The Apple Mac computers ship with the popular iMovie software and most Windows computers ship with the MovieMaker software. Other video editing software options include Adobe Premier and Premier Elements, Sony Vegas Studio, Final Cut Pro and Pinnacle Studio. The Atomic Learning site has tutorials for most or all of these software options. Below are some great sites and resources to help you get started.

What video projects can your students create- digital stories, interview videos, "How to" videos, documentaries, highlight  videos, or use video editing software for photos and music or narration?

Apple's iMovie
Microsoft MovieMaker
Video in the Classroom
10 Great Ways to Use Digital Video Cameras in the Classroom
School Video News
10 Video Projects Every Teacher Should Try
20 Video Projects to Engage Students

Digital Photography in the Classroom

Whether using a Smartphone, an iPod, an iPad or a regular digital camera, using digital photography in the classroom has never been easier or more accessible.

Most students already have access to a digital camera one way or another. Schools can now buy digital cameras rather inexpensively with basic models costing under $100 and a very good DSLR starting at around $400. Also most computers already have software (or can download free software) for viewing, storing and editing digital photos such as Apple's iPhoto or Google's free Picasa software.

Before starting to use digital photography in the classroom, there are some basics that need to be considered or covered first. What cameras do we have available? How do they work? What settings are best for format, resolution, file type, exposure and White Balance? What software and workflow shall we use to import, edit, backup and share digital photos? What are the basics of taking good photos, such as using the Rule of Thirds?

Here are  a few great resources to get you started:

10 Useful Digital Photography Tutorials for Beginners
Digital Photography Tips and Tutorials for Beginners
Edutopia- Digital Camera: Inside the Classroom and Out
Nikon: Digital SLR Camera Basics
Apple iPhoto for Mac
Google's Picasa
Scholastic: 100 Ways to Use Digital Cameras

Using iPads in Education

So you are thinking about getting an iPad? Or maybe you got one as a teacher? Maybe you are thinking about using them with your students? What can you do with an iPad in the classroom?

First of all an iPad is NOT a laptop computer! They work quite differently and for those used to working on a laptop it may take some getting used to. The advantages of the iPad is it is smaller, lighter weight, has a long battery life and there are about 1 million Apps available for personal or classroom use, many of which are free!

The iPad can be used for all of the basics- word-processing, spreadsheets, presentations, web surfing, calendars, checking e-mail, calculator, taking photos or video and wireless printing. But that is just the tip of the iceberg! With about 1 million Apps (software applications) available, there is a long list of software options available in such categories as music, math, science, art, photography, video, audio, social studies, foreign languages, English, etc etc. Most "paid" Apps cost under $10, with most costing just a few dollars or less. The iPad can work independently of a desktop or laptop computer or it can be synced with your computer for integration with your iTunes, iPhoto, Calendars, e-mail or other software.

While iPads may work better with Apple Mac computers, they can also be used with Windows computers. Here are some great resources to learn more and get started using your iPad in the classroom:

Apple's iPads in Education

ZDNets Guide to 50 Resources for iPad use in the Classroom

Interaction Education iPads in the classroom

Education Dive's 18 iPad Uses in the Classroom

TeachHub's Amazing iPad Apps for Educators

Edutopia: 6 Things About Using iPads in Education

What is Blended Learning?

Many think the debate about the future of American education is a choice between "brick and mortar" schools or "online" schools. But there is another option that is growing in importance and popularity known as "Blended Learning."

Blended learning involves a class meeting in person, face to face, and using a "Learning Management System" (LMS) such as Blackboard, Edmodo, Weebly, Moodle or other online options for using web resources with the class.  This allows for more options and flexibility for both the teacher and the students. One variation of the model is known as "Flipped Learning," in which students cover material online and when they get to class they review that information, answer questions and use class time to get help with "homework" or other assignments.

The HCCS eChalk web site can also be used for online. blended and flipped learning. Those who prefer to use another option, such as Edmodo, Edublogs or Weebly, may simply put a link on their eChalk class web page to integrate your online resources and web pages into one location for your students to easily access and use with your courses.

Here are some good articles and videos covering these topics:

Edutopia Blended Learning Article

Four Blended Learning Models (eSchool News article)

Edutopia Article on the Pros and Cons of the Flipped Classroom

Blended Learning Introduction YouTube video

What is a Learning Management System (LMS)? YouTube Video