C & T Network Newsletter by Cindy Sheets

Computers & Technology Network News

I can’t believe another new year is beginning, and even though it seems like our annual NAGC convention was just a few weeks ago, planning is already underway for next year.

Do you have something to share? You may not think so, but did you know that about 75% of conference attendees are classroom teachers, either working in the general classroom or in gifted education? Did you know that many participants will be first-time attendees because this is the first time that we have been in the Southwest in a very long time? Much of what we, as teachers, do every year and every day can be great topics to present to others. Sharing our knowledge is what the conference is all about! Submitting a Proposal? Deadline is Feb. 11, 2015 !

 NAGC’s 2015 Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, November 12-15, 2015 by February 11, 2015, 11:59 PM Eastern.

Some of the themes identified for the 2015 Convention include:
• supporting underrepresented populations
• equity of access to identification, programs and services
• attending to the whole child
• addressing social and emotional needs
• arts education and fostering creativity
• the twice-exceptional learner
• innovative uses of technology

For more information, click below:
https://www.conferenceabstracts.com/cfp2/login.asp? EventKey=CAAIDEXQ#

Network Opportunities: 
There are many current opportunities to participate in the Computers & Technology Network!

1. Review Proposals
We always need a group of reviewers who will read and evaluate convention proposals. There is a set criteria already in place, and the process is all done electronically. Each reviewer receives access to a certain number of proposals to rate. You will be one of three reviewers for each proposal. In our network, the number depends greatly on the number of reviewers available, but generally is around 12-15.
2. Become our Program Chair
We are in great need of a Program Chair. If you have been a reviewer in the past, the Program Chair is a next step. The Chair reviews the final results from all proposal reviewers and coordinates the results with NAGC staff members and the Network Chair and Chair Elect as we select our final convention proposals.
3. Apply to run for Chair Elect of Computers & Technology Network
There will be an opening for a new Chair Elect for our Network. Please see the information below for more details.

In accordance with NAGC nomination and elections procedures, NAGC voting members in good standing are invited to submit an application for Network Chair-Elect. The term for successful candidates for Chair-Elect is two years, followed by another two years as Chair. The term of office begins on September 1, 2015.
 ! Qualifications Successful candidates must:
•Be an NAGC member in good standing.
•Demonstrate experience as a strong facilitator, communicator, and consensus builder.
•Possess documented experience, service, or scholarship in gifted education.
•All candidates must have been a member of the Network they wish to chair for 2 years.

How To Apply:
Download the cover sheet. A complete application includes the cover sheet and the following information:
•Name, home address, phone number, and email address
•A statement of candidacy including a vision for the Network  (150 words maximum)
•A resume, CV, or statement that includes:

Educational Background
Career Highlights and History
Details of NAGC Participation
Significant Leadership Activities

All nomination materials must be emailed (ckaye@nagc.org) or postmarked by April 8, 2015. Electronic voting begins in June.
Download the Network Election Policy

The C&T Network Blog is updated with the latest from the Speed Geeking Playground NAGC 2014
The Speed Geeks presented a fun and informative fast walk through incredible classroom-friendly technology resources. Whether you want to use Waterlogue to transform a favorite photo into a watercolor painting, or create a virtual field trip using Sphere360, the Speed Geeks of 2014 have great list of resources for you to use in the year 2015! Learn more about the resources at the C&T Network Blog, Facebook, or Twitter at #NAGCTechNet.

Computers & Technology Mission
The Computers & Technology Network believes that computers and other types of information technology constitute an intrinsic and immensely powerful aspect of learning in our world today and that the appropriate use of such tools provides greatly enhanced control over information access for learners of all types. Therefore, it is the commitment of the Network to initiate, develop, and implement practices and materials that will promote the use of all types of information technology to improve the teaching and learning process.

Specifically, the Network will undertake activities that will:
•Promote the recognition and acceptance of, and the commitment to, information technology skills as a fundamental area of training for gifted and talented students.
•Promote research in areas relating to the use of information technologies in education.
•Provide practical strategies and activities to foster the use of information technologies in education.

Current  Network interests include:
•Empirically sound Instructional Technology strategies to integrate into the gifted education classroom.
•Promote the use of technology in educating the gifted.
•Instructional Technology focused professional development for teachers of the gifted
•Identifying appropriate Instructional Technology resources.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Cindy Sheets, Chair

Kristina Ayers-Paul, Chair-Elect

Dallas Price, Communications Coordinator

NAGC Speed Geeking Playground 2014

Autodesk 123D Catch

The Speed Geeking Playground NAGC 2014 is a fun and informative fast walk through incredibly relevant and classroom-friendly technology resources. Whether you want to use Waterlogue to transform a favorite photo into a watercolor painting, or create a virtual field trip using Sphere360, the Speed Geeks of 2014 have a created an amazing new list of resources for you to use in 2015! Share with #NAGCTechNet.

Speed Geek: Shirley Farrell

Foldify – Create, Print, Fold: Create 3D figures on iPad. Then print and fold them from paper.

Waterlogue – See the world like an artist. You don’t need to paint to create beautiful watercolor images—Waterlogue captures the essence of your photos in brilliant, liquid color.

Class Dojo – Using this in a non-traditional way. Instead of for your classroom, as an organizing document.

Zooniverse – We make citizen science websites so that everyone can be part of real research online

Galaxy Zoo – Experience a privileged glimpse of the distant universe as observed by the SDSS, the Hubble Space Telescope, and UKIRT

123D Catch – 123D Catch is a free app that lets you create 3D scans of virtually any object.

Speed Geek: Janine Firmender

Timetoast – Timetoast is a great way to share the past, or even the future…Create timelines in minutes, it’s as simple as can be.

Flipsnack Edu – Students read and create their own stories and projects, while having fun at the same time. They can show off what they’ve learnt and they can learn while creating, always in a safe and private online classroom.

Inklewriter – We’ve created Inklewriter to help writers tell interactive tales with the minimum of fuss. Inklewriter keeps your branching story organised, so you can concentrate on what’s important – the writing.

Classkick – As students work on a teacher-made Classkick assignment on their iPads, teachers see every students’ work progressing all at once. Students can privately raise hands, teachers give individualized, real-time student feedback, and so much more.

Speed Geek: Kathy Ray

Pictochart – We have the tools. You have the smarts. Build your infographic using our simple graphic tools.

Padlet – Create collaborative walls with different privacy settings. School accounts available.

Paper.li – Create your online newspaper in minutes. Automatically find, publish & promote engaging articles, photos and videos from across the web.

Voki – Voki is a FREE service that lets you create customized speaking characters. Classroom accounts available.

Kidblog – Kidblog provides teachers with the tools to help students publish writing safely online. Students exercise digital citizenship within a secure classroom blogging space. Teachers can monitor all activity within their blogging community.

Dipity – Dipity is a free digital timeline website. Our mission is to organize the web’s content by date and time. Users can create, share, embed and collaborate on interactive, visually engaging timelines that integrate video, audio, images, text, links, social media, location and timestamps.

Speed Geek: Brian Housand

iOS 8 !!!  Recording available in Quicktime

Plickers – A response system using symbol cards as answers. Pick up responses by quickly scanning the room. “Plickers is a powerfully simple tool that lets teachers collect real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices.”

Speed Geek: Tamara Fischer

Symbaloo – Organizational tool for websites and apps

Blurb- Self publishing. Students and adults can sell or publish hard or soft bound books, books with jackets. You choose!

Spoonflower – Design your own fabrics or gift wrap. Create and share.

OpenStax – College level texts available in free PDF format.

Code Avengers  Learn to build websites, apps and games with HTML, CSS & JavaScript.

Blender – Blender is a free and open source 3D animation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.

Speed Geek: Ginger Lewman

Ignore No More – No more getting angry if your child doesn’t respond to a text or phone call. With this app you can shut down their phone or device.

Move-Note – Good for flipping. Make and send a video presentation directly from your Gmail. Can create video and or slides or voice only.  Can share notes.

Adobe Voice – App for iPad – Turn your story into a stunning animated video. In minutes.Free – takes a long time to download, but it has themes, icons, photos text. Guide kids through story making.

Speed Geek: Cyril Pruszko

AirServer – With AirServer you can wirelessly beam your iPad display to your Mac or PC and from there to your projector, smartboard or HDTV. AirServer also supports multiple simultaneous connections, so one or more students could mirror their iPads to share their ideas and their work with the rest of the class. You can monitor what your students are working on and encourage collaboration.

Reflector for iPad – Tools to project from iPad to computer or vice/versa, Reflector is an AirPlay receiver that allows you to wirelessly display your iPad or iPhone on a number of devices. It’s available for Mac, PC and most Android devices.

Explain Everything – A unique interactive whiteboard and screencasting tool used by over 1.5 million students and educators.Use for teacher and student presentation, movies, can even mark up while playing and recording. Create a lesson and share with students.

PDF splicer – Combine, edit, reorder, and modify PDF’s in many ways.

Snapseed - A great picture editor.

Speed Geek: Michelle Humphrey  – Contests

Stock Market Game (SMG) national and state level simulation where students invest in stocks and keep track. Competitive.  Invest component includes an essay contest as well.

Philosophy Slam – The Mission of the Kids Philosophy Slam is to give kids a voice and to inspire kids to think by unlocking their intellectual and creative potential through a unique and powerful philosophical forum.

Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl – $35 a team

Fifty Word Stories – Stories must actually be exactly 50 words long. Different themes each month, small prizes.  For upper grades.

Speed Geek: Christy Diehl – iPad apps

VeeScope Live – Green screen – free version has a watermark, but other version is $2.99

Sphere 360 – Virtual field trip, 360 degree panorama. Can use those created by others, or create your own

Word Lens – Instantly translate printed words with your phone’s camera! Word Lens gives you translation on the go – NO NETWORK required – results appear immediately on your video screen when you need it, anywhere in the world.

Casper Focus – Teachers can control a student’s device by locking them into a certain app. It works 24/7 – even when the student is at home!

Speed Geek: Lila Sanguras

Twitter.com/search-home - Since younger students (and some older) cannot use Twitter, intstead go to. You can search Twitter even if you don’t have an account.

Actively Learn.com  – Collaborative, interactive close reading assignments with classroom management system for articles, information, standards, lexile levels. Teachers can add content and create a  virtual workspace.

Pocket   Archive items such as links in Twitter. Just “send to Pocket” and you can later search by tags.  Seems to work best on iPad.

Speed Geek: Ian Byrd

Byrdseed.com/Differentiator -  Use this handy tool to develop statements and objectives for student work based on Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Byrdseed.com/Paragraphy – Used for analyzing sentences and paragraphs.

Byrdseed.com/Homographs – Challenging gifted spellers with homographs. Check out the app!

Byrdseed.com/Emoj-Enerator – Students generate a story based on the random.

C&T Network Newsletter: NAGC Convention Special Addition! by Cindy Sheets & Kristina Ayers Paul

Convention Special Edition!

Convention is just around the corner, and we wanted to share some of the highlights and special network events that you don’t want to miss!

There will be some great sessions all throughout the week, and we’re listing only the C & T sessions here to give you a headstart. You can plan ahead by using the Convention Planner online or the NAGC convention app that’s now available.

On Thursday, our network chair and chair elect will be presenting Expert Perspectives sessions. Cindy Sheets will be sharing “Creative Expression Through Media” – using technology to create and share in the classroom and beyond, and Kristina Ayers Paul will present “Technology to Enhance Content Delivery, Not Distract From It” which will focus on quality professional development techniques using technology. If you or your colleagues have not yet signed up for a session, there are still openings.

Our annual network meeting will be held on Friday, Nov. 14^th in the afternoon in Hilton, Peale B, at 3:45 – 4:45. Brian Housand is heading up a new NAGC Technology Task Force and will be sharing the goals and objectives with us as well as seeking input from our members. We will also do some planning for the coming year. We hope you can attend.

Our special Friday evening network event is an old favorite with a new twist. The first hour will be our traditional Speed Geeking: sharing a wide range of fabulous tools in a short amount of time. The second hour will be a Playground format where you can sit down with a presenter or a small group and explore one or more tools in more depth and have not merely a list of great ideas but some experience using them. We are scheduled to be in CC 341-342 for better Internet access. There should be table rounds so that we can easily break into those small groups for further discussion.

Great sessions are coming your way! In an effort to list all of our wonderful sessions, there was not enough space to include some of the names if more than two presenters were listed. Please check on the NAGC website for additional descriptions of the sessions and any additional presenters. We have a great line-up!

For those of you who are not able to attend the convention this year, consider following us on Facebook and Twitter #NAGC2014 and #NAGCTechNet. We’ll try to pass along new ideas. After the convention, we’ll share the Speed Geeking resources with you in a post-conference blogpost and on our Facebook Page.

C & T Sessions

11/14/14	1:45 PM	Creating an Online Community for Young Writers	CC 336	Jill Olthouse
11/14/14	3:45 PM	Computers & Technology Network Meeting	Hilton, Peale B
11/14/14	7:00 -9 PM	Speed Geeking Tech Playground	CC 336	Speed Geekers
11/14/14	9:30 AM	Meeting the Common Core State Standards Through the T.W.I.N.E.(Technology and Writing Integration to Nurture Expression) Project	Key Ballroom 9	Kevin Besnoy
11/14/14	10:45 AM	Blended Programming: Effectively Implementing Online Options forOne, for Some, and for All	Key Ballroom 2	Christopher Ongaro	Eleni Siderias
11/14/14	10:45 AM	Gifted Learners “Plugged In” for Online Instruction	CC 330	Rachel B. Smethers-Winters	Sharon Hall
11/14/14	10:45 AM	Minecraft, Video Game Design, Rollercoaster Physics, and Robotics:Suggestions for Incorporating STEAM Into Your Gifted Services	Exhibit Hall, Poster	Kimberly Clayton-Code
11/14/14	12:30 PM	Flipping Out: A Guide to Enhancing Student Learning Through theFlipped Classroom Model	Holiday Ballroom 2	Christy Diehl
11/14/14	12:30 PM	Let’s Create an Infographic	CC 336	Shirley J. Farrell
11/14/14	12:30 PM	Using Digital Photography to Enhance Student Creativity andSelf-Expression	CC 328	Del Siegle
11/14/14	1:45 PM	Digital Authentic Assessment: Students Creating New Products toDemonstrate Mastery of the Curriculum	CC 345	Kati Searcy	Libra D. Burton
11/14/14	1:45 PM	The Inverted Classroom: Flipping Out: Be an Innovator of Education	Exhibit Hall, Roundtable	Shayna D. Holmes	LaRhonda C. Forsyth
11/14/14	1:45 PM	The Power of Computer Coding for Elementary GT Students	Key Ballroom 9	Ann E. Durkin
11/14/14	3:45 PM	Blogging to Raise the Self-Efficacy of Gifted Mathematics Learners	Key Ballroom 12	Laura Lowder	Ann Benson. Crutchfield
11/14/14	3:45 PM	Influential Icons/Gifted Minds: Combining a Wiki With StudentGoogle Accounts to Enhance Gifted Curriculum	Key Ballroom 3	April Keck. DeGennaro
11/14/14	3:45 PM	The Big C: Curation in a Digital World	CC 349	Lisa Van Gemert
11/15/14	12:30 PM	Blended Learning: Extending the Classroom Learning to GlobalEducation	CC 343	Beth Blaetz	Vinnie Vrotny
11/15/14	1:45 PM	App-ily Engaged Gifted Learners: A Year of iPads Integrated inEveryday Learning	CC 343	Kimberly M. Berman
11/15/14	3:00 PM	Engineering Serendipity: Leveraging Social Media and TechnologyResources to Develop Interests and Create Opportunities	CC 336	Brian Housand	Angela Housand
11/15/14	3:00 PM	Using LEGO Robots to Create Smileys	Key Ballroom 9	Muhammad Ali Yousuf
11/15/14	8:00 AM	Apptitude: The Ability to Identify Higher Level Thinking Apps andWeave Them Into Existing Gifted Programming	CC 343	Carol M. Greig
11/15/14	8:00 AM	Blended Learning: Leveraging Technology to Differentiate forGifted Learners	CC 338	Laila Y. Sanguras	April Walker
11/15/14	8:00 AM	Engaged Learning Using Technology With High SchoolGifted Students	CC 331	Kathy Ray	Kathy Jones
11/15/14	10:45 AM	Wow! Who Knew What Edmodo Could Do? Creating a DiverseTech Culture to Foster Equity, Access, and College Readiness (A True Story)	CC 343	James C. Garner	Rachel Stokes
11/15/14	12:30 PM	Geeking Out: How Tech-Savvy Youth Navigate the Web toDevelop Talent	Key Ballroom 3	Olha Skyba	Eric Calvert
11/15/14	3:00 PM	Iconic Prompts 2.0: Utilizing Google Apps and QR Codes	CC 349	Kathleen P. Miller	Ali Ryan
11/15/14	3:00 PM	Virtual Education and the Gifted Child	Key Ballroom 1	Gintas Bradunas
11/16/14	8:00 AM	The Geeks Have Inherited the Earth!	Key Ballroom 2	Brian Housand
11/16/14	9:15 AM	FutureCasting: Making Inroads to a Successful Future	Key Ballroom 2	Angela Housand

Cindy Sheets, network chair

Kristina Ayers Paul, network chair elect

How to Tech? . . . That is the Question! by Janine M. Firmender (@jjmmff)

How to Tech? . . . That is the Question! 

by Janine M. Firmender (@jjmmff)

Has your school recently purchased sets of iPads or Chromebooks? Does your school have a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) or 1-to-1 policy? If so, then you have the stuff (e.g.: the hardware), now what do you do with it? Standard responses might be that students can capture pictures, audio, and video; create animations; share documents on Dropbox; or collaborate via Google Drive and Hangouts. The possibilities are probably limited to only our imaginations as educators (or maybe the wi-fi speed or firewalls). Which of these unlimited possibilities to pursue with students, however, is a choice that every time-crunched teacher needs to make. Here I offer one perspective with which we can navigate the purposeful integration of technology – the SAMR Model.

Licensed under Creative Commons with Attribution: Puentedura, 2014; http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/

SAMR was developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura as a model for how we can integrate technology with instruction in meaningful ways. SAMR stands for the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition of an instructional or student task by using technology.

To demonstrate this model, let’s consider the classic call-and-response instructional strategy frequently used during lessons to elicit students’ responses. Traditionally, teachers ask questions, students raise their hands, and one student – or sometimes more than one – is asked to provide a response. Using the SAMR Model as a framework we can consider how technology can enhance or transform this task.

Substitution – Instead of calling on individual students, the teacher can use PollEverywhere  as a substitute. . Using PollEverywhere, the teacher can pose a multiple-choice or true/false type question and all students (instead of just a few) can participate by logging their answer through text message or a web browser. The teacher can then view and display a graph of the students’ anonymous responses for further discussion with the class. In this way, PollEverywhere serves as a direct substitute for students raising their hands to answer questions.

Augmentation – Instead of calling on individual students, the teacher can augment or extend the call-and-response practice by asking all students to respond using the Socrative app, which gives the option of downloading a record of responses to multiple question types, including short answer. Teachers can display graphical representations of student responses and download a report of students’ responses. In this way, the call-and-response practice is augmented because the teacher can pose additional question types and have a record of student responses.

Modification – By using the Nearpod app, teachers can modify the call-and-response practice by engaging students through this interactive app. Teachers can push information to students and embed interactive features, such as polls, questions, drawings, etc., all of which can be sent back to the teacher’s device. The teacher can then verbally provide students with feedback or display student work for further discussion. In this way, the call-and-response practice is modified because students are no longer limited to verbal responses; teachers can ask students to draw responses as well and the student responses are submitted to the teacher electronically.

Redefinition – Teachers can redefine the call-and-response practice by using the new Classkick app. With this app teachers create lessons that can include information, pictures, web links, videos, and tasks that are pushed to students’ devices. As students are working through the tasks, the teacher can monitor student work in real-time and provide instant, electronic feedback from the teacher’s device back to the student’s device. Teachers even have the option of allowing students to provide peer-to-peer feedback within the app. In this way, the call-and-response practice is redefined because feedback is no longer only the job of the teacher; students are able to provide feedback to one another.

As the integration of technology continues to be a focus in today’s education environment, the SAMR Model provides teachers and instructional leaders with a lens through which to view the engagement of students with technology and evaluate the ways in which technology tools are being integrated to enhance or transform instruction.

Do you have a favorite technology tool to use with students? How does the tool enhance or transform the task students engage in according to the SAMR Model? Leave a comment and/or join us at NAGC for Speed Geeking on Friday, November 14 from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

SAMR Resources:

Ruben R. Puentedura’s Weblog – http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/

Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything – http://www.schrockguide.net/samr.html

Janine M. Firmender is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education, Dr. Janine Firmender teaches courses in mathematics education and early childhood (preschool – grade 4) education. She earned her PhD. in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Firmender’s research interests focus on gifted education and mathematics education, including gifted and mathematics pedagogy, the instructional experiences that can change teachers’ practice and expectations, and how teachers’ expectations effect their instructional decisions and the learning opportunities they provide for students. Dr. Firmender is a member of and has presented at the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association, the National Association for Gifted Children, and the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics.

Follow the C&T Network Blog at #NAGCtech and Janine M. Firmender at #jjmmff

iMovie Trailers in the Classroom by Cindy Sheets

Cindy Sheets, NAGC Computers and Technology Network Chair

 Who doesn’t want to be in a movie? OK, maybe you don’t want to be a movie star, but perhaps you want to be a writer, a director, or design the set or costumes? Maybe you just have information that you’d love to share.

Last spring, I shared a new way of creating videos with my elementary students. With the discovery of iMovie Trailers the classroom became a buzz of activity. With a little planning on a storyboard, they began to gather props and plot their actions.

With iMovie Trailers, very little writing is required: this eliminates a lot of time consuming script writing and memorizing of lines, but does demand that they use their words strategically to get the message across with a minimum of text and strategic use of visuals. Thinking about what the whole story might be, and selecting only the snippets that will give the audience the gist of the big picture requires them to apply higher-level thinking skills (analyze, evaluate, synthesize) in an engaging task.

With easy editing and flexible media use, iMovie Trailers are a great tool for the classroom. One of the first decisions is to select from a variety of templates that include opening graphics, transitions, and even music to fit the theme or mood. You don’t even HAVE to use video; photos will work and trailers automatically use the Ken Burns effect. So, with iPads in hand, groups of 3 – 5 students found the perfect theme, collected their props and costumes, found locations and began filming. Filming can be done on the spot with the iPad, so it’s easy to take a new shot for a recording that doesn’t quite work.

While I encouraged creativity in developing a story for this project, iMovie Trailers can also be used to illustrate a concept in a content area, to introduce a subject or unit to students, or to highlight your summer vacation. I’ve even noticed some recent Ford commercials that are designed like movie trailers. All in all, it’s a versatile tool.

Trailers are available as part of the free iMovie app on the iPad, or iMovie on the Mac. Similar effects could be developed through other tools, but it’s the easiest I’ve seen by far. I developed a LiveBinder that includes samples of already created iMovie Trailers, including some my own students created. You’ll also find some printable storyboards that others have shared and that will help students with planning their text and shots.

And finally, you don’t have to be an expert at iMovie or iMovie Trailers to open this up to your students. They’ll be able to teach YOU how in just a few minutes. I hope you’ll give it a try! And be sure to share your results with the rest of us on our NAGC Computers and Technology Facebook Page or Tweet with the #NAGCtech hashtag.

See you in the movies!

Adventures in Online Professional Learning: Spruce Up Your Ed Tech Skills & Knowledge by Kristina Ayers Paul

Kristina Ayers Paul

Adventures in Online Professional Learning: Spruce Up Your Ed Tech Skills & Knowledge

 The summer days are slipping away, and soon you will be immersed in the exciting yet busy first days of the new school year. Surely, a slate of inservice trainings about new school policies and programs awaits you, but what about those personal PD goals that you have in mind for sprucing up your ed tech knowledge and skills this year? In this blog post I will share a list of some of my favorite go-to resources for free online learning about educational technology. However, before you dive into your personalized ed tech PD adventure, take a few minutes to focus your exploration by answering these questions:

• What are your goals? What are the problems that you have that require a solution? It is really easy to get excited and distracted by all of the sparkly gems you stumble across when exploring new resources such as these, so start by identifying your learning goals. Establish your goals and then stay focused. If you find other topics that you are tempted to explore – that’s fine – just bookmark them and put them aside while you work toward accomplishing your primary PD goal. Don’t get lost in rabbit holes.
• How will you organize the ideas or resources that you find? I can’t tell you how many times I have found something really special online and thought, “Wow! I really need to keep this in a place where I won’t forget.” Can you guess what happens next? That’s right. I save it, bookmark it, or email it to myself, and then promptly forget about it. Months, or even years later, I find it buried in my inbox or lost in one of my Google Bookmark folders. I’ve tried it all – Evernote, Google Bookmarks, Diigo, Readability, Papers, ScoopIt, and even a little notebook that I keep in my desk drawer – and I’ve finally realized that the trick is to pick one tool that works for you and to stick with it. So do that now! Decide which tool you are going to use to organize your future findings and STICK WITH IT!
• What specific steps will you take to keep yourself accountable for following through on your new learning? It is essential that you set yourself up for action, not just for consuming new information. One of the most challenging aspects of designing effective professional development is in moving new knowledge into practice. What measures can you put in place to support your commitment to converting your new knowledge into action? Maybe you could incorporate your personal ed tech goals into the formal professional development plan you develop each year for your school administrator? Maybe you could set up a timeline for action and set up reminders in your Google Calendar to keep you on track? Maybe you could find a partner or team of other like-minded colleagues who would be interested in setting up an accountability group, one in which you share your goals, develop a timeline for action, and meet on a regular basis to discuss your progress. This final strategy is one that I use. Not only does it help each of us stay on track with our goals, but it is also refreshing to have biweekly or monthly Google Hangouts during which we support and encourage one another.

 And now for the list of my favorite free, online learning resources to develop my understanding and use of educational technology…

Edudemic: Connecting Education & Technology

Edudemic is the first place that I visit if I want to know anything about educational technology. This “community-focused and resource-sharing destination for millions” offers articles, infographics, tips, lists, and how-to guides galore in easy-to-read-and-digest formats. From quick information such as the best apps for IOS and Android to deeper topics such as Why Every Student Should Learn Computer Science, this site offers lots of concrete information, as well as good food for thought.

 The Teaching Channel

This website offers a showcase of high-quality, relevant professional learning videos for teachers; a selection of which are also aired in weekly, one-hour PBS television programs around the country. The videos focus on real teachers in real classrooms using and reflecting on high-powered teaching strategies. A number of the videos in this growing library are focused on technology (as of 07/30/14 there were 135 videos) with topics as varied as assessing students with handheld devices, teaching stop-frame animation, using technology to teach hard-to-teach math and science concepts, and designing poetry work stations with technology. Don’t miss the video playlist focusing on digital citizenship.

Twitter

It is popular to suggest that Twitter be used as a source of free professional development, but how do you actually do it? This Teacher’s Guide to Twitter from Edudemic is all you need – other than an actual Twitter account – to navigate Twitter for the purpose of professional learning. From the basics to more advanced tips, this guide covers it all. I particularly like the infographic of educational twitter hashtags, which will help you link into the communities of practice that most interest you. Our NAGC Computers and Technology Network community may be most interested in #EdTech, #ELearning, and #GTChat. Perhaps we should start our own hashtag to signify tweets of interest to the network and other techies in gifted education! Let’s try #NAGCTechNet and see if it takes off.

 ScoopIt

This is a tool that anyone can use to collect and create digital content around topics of interest. I use the free version of the tool to manage my own collections of keep-worthy content from around the web, but I also find great inspiration and ideas from other ScoopIt users who are curating topics that interest me. For example, Educational Technology News by EDTC@UTB, iPads in Education Daily by Jon Samuelson, and Tools for Teachers and Learners by Nik Peachey are just a few of the curated topics that I follow. I receive daily email alerts highlighting content recently “scooped” by those I follow, and when I log in to the site I also receive a list of computer-generated content suggestions based on the topics that I curate. I currently use the free, standard account, which has suited my needs well, but pro versions and a new education version are also available. You might be interested in following my “Tech Tools to Facilitate Learning” topic, where for the past year I have collected a number of articles, news briefs, and other digital content related to that topic.

 

So these are some of my favorite go-to resources for my own learning about educational technology. I’m sure there are plenty of other great resources out there. What are your favorites? Leave a comment on this blog or tweet your contributions with the hashtag #NAGCTechNet.

 Kristina Ayers Paul is an Assistant Professor of Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies at Purdue University. She is the incoming chair of the NAGC Computer and Technology Network.

6 Tips for Teachers New to Technology by Lisa Van Gemert

Embrace the learning curve: One reason children learn additional languages more easily than adults do is that they’re willing to speak the target language without fear of sounding childish.  The same is true of technology. One of the things that holds us back is fear of looking foolish. Do you remember the feeling you had when you had been teaching a few years and thought back about your first year teaching? Were you like me and wished you could go apologize to the poor kids who had you for a teacher that year?  You’ll feel the same way about technology!  You will work with it for a while and then realize that what you’d done before was terrible, but that’s okay. It’s exactly the way the pattern goes.

Make sure it’s the right fit: Keep in mind that technology is for the classroom, not the classroom for the technology.  Don’t just throw technology tools or projects or apps in because you feel pressured to do so.  Invite it in, and feel free to invite it to leave when that’s what’s best. Use technology when it will do at least two of these things: enhance the product, differentiate learning, save time, reduce stress, invite creativity, develop skills, meet a standard. If it can’t do at least two of these things, it’s perhaps not the best tool at that time.

Walk before you run: You can easily become overwhelmed with the wide range of technology tools available, including social media.  Sometimes, we’ll get excited about it and jump in with both feet before we’re really ready and then quit in the same way people sometimes do with fitness plans. A slow and steady pace is best to make sure you don’t get overwhelmed.  A great place to start is to follow some blogs for awhile and get a feel for the language and trends. If you see a tool or method mentioned multiple times, it might be worth a deeper look. Here are some great places to start: Cool CatTeacher; Edu Blogger; Richard Byrne; Erin Klein; Keith Ferrell.

Curation isn’t just for museums anymore: You will quickly learn that you will need an organization method.  This can be as simple as notecards with the tech tool tip written down on it, along with a description, all the way to an app or other tech help.  Whatever works for you is what’s best, but make sure you pick something or you will forget many of the great ideas you pick up.

Here are some options for you: Pinterest: Set up different boards for different kinds of technology. Possible boards would include: apps, tech for student products, teacher helps, websites to follow, to explore, and tutorials and helps.  Visit Erin Klein’s Pinterest for Teachers for ideas on how to use Pinterest in the classroom. Diigo: Diigo lets you build a personal library of information that is stored in the cloud (not on your computer so you can access it anywhere).  It even has virtual sticky notes.  One real benefit is that allows you to archive web pages, so you will never encounter a dead link again on something you really need. Feedly: Feedly funnels all of the websites you follow into one site, allowing you to see at a glance what’s new. You can create categories for the different sites.  Very easy to use and a great way to keep up without going crazy. MyFaves: It’s simple to use MyFaves to make your virtual desktop a repository of the sites you use most in a visually appealing way. Other sites, like Symballoo, also do this. So just pick the one you like best.  I find MyFaves to be the most clean-looking, which is important to me. Evernote: You can take and organize notes in Evernote, of course, but it also lets you save, share, and mark up webpages. You can share marked-up webpages, too, which is quite handy. Copy:  Like Dropbox, Copy lets you save files in the Cloud and share them.  Google docs is great, too, but if you have a need for something else (plays better with your device, want to open the document in the actual program rather than Google docs, looks prettier, etc.), Copy is my favorite.

Tutorials are your friend. If you find a tool you’d like to use, but you’re not sure how or the site itself isn’t fully explanatory, tutorials are at your fingertips on Pinterest, TeacherTube, SchoolTube , and of course, YouTube.  Pinterest has a terrible search feature, so use your favorite search engine and search “pinterest fill-in-the-blank tutorial” to find what you want.  Chances are, if you want to try it, someone’s made a tutorial for you.  Look through a couple of tutorials before you try it if you’re nervous to build confidence and familiarity.

Join a community: Whether it’s virtual or in real life, find a group of educators with whom to share ideas and experiences.  If you’re into social media, you can find them easily on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or any of the other myriad social media platforms.  Twitter works especially well for learning tech, and you can find out lots more about how teachers can use it at Edudemic’s Ultimate Twitter Guidebook for Teachers. Technology doesn’t need to be intimidating. With these simple tips, you’ll be well on your way to using technology in a way that helps your students and makes you feel comfortable.

Disclaimer & Credit Love: Some of this material previously appeared on my website, giftedguru, and the images are from my fave source for free images, Pixabay. I created the images with the text in Picmonkey, a terrific free image editing site.

 

Lisa Van Gemert, Mensa Gifted Youth Specialist, designs and creates programs for gifted children, develops curriculum for gifted children, and interfaces with parents regarding educational concerns. Her published articles focus on the social and emotional needs of gifted students, and her speaking engagements include both national and international keynotes. Lisa creates and curates the Mensa for Kids website as well as her own site, Gifted Guru.

2014: An Invitation to Participate

by Cindy Sheets

Baltimore, Maryland. A beautiful location for the NAGC 61st Annual Convention. November 13-16, 2014.

Another new year has begun, and with it all of the hopes and expectations for a better and brighter experience in the year ahead. There were some notable highlights in the past year for our Network.

First, I want to thank all those who shared their expertise and knowledge with us at the 2013 NAGC convention. We had an excellent array of topics and ideas! If you presented this year, I hope that you will consider writing for our monthly blog to share once again. These are short pieces that highlight one topic, idea or a favorite tech tool that you can’t live without. Of course, you are welcome to submit a blog article, even if you were not a presenter this year. We’d love to hear your story.

The proposal process for next year’s convention is already up and ready to go, just waiting for your great ideas. I hope you will consider sharing with us in 2014. Do you have a great unit that incorporates technology? A great idea on how to utilize and/or manage tech tools? Or a great project that helped your students shine? You can access the information you need and the proposal submission web pages here:

NAGC 61st Annual Convention & Exhibition Proposal Submission Site

In 2013, we added a fabulous new volunteer to our Network: Dallas Price. Living in Alaska makes it difficult to be with us “offline” and in person, but she more than makes up for that in her “online” work as our Newsletter/Blog editor and more.  We will also be sharing with you soon her fantastic idea to help us share even more within our Network.

Looking for Blog Volunteers:  contact Cindy Sheets cindys2449@aol.com  or Dallas Price  price.dallas@gmail.com. Please include “CT Blog” in your subject line.

SPEED Geeking 2013

Speed Geeking 2013: Enjoy the great apps and web tools presented by this year’s NAGC Speed Geekers!

Speed Geek: Brian Housand  

Diy.org - Get skills. Be awesome.
DIY is the best way for kids to get skills, meet others who share the same passions, and generally be awesome. Every member has their own portfolio where they share what they make and do, and earn embroidered skill patches for completing sets of challenges.
The big idea is that anyone can become anything just by trying. And it’s free to join us. Hundreds of thousands of kids, families and educators already have! Kids can join our website or download the DIY app to get started. If you’re an adult, consider starting a DIY Club or DIY Classroom.

60in60.org - The best of the education tech world! Find presentations that Brian has shared around the world and back. Great tools to use for productivity, creativity, and more.

Speed Geek: Janine Firminder

 Nearpod.com – Bring the classroom to life with interactive mobile presentations that teachers create and customize themselves. Teachers can see all student activity in real-time, check attendance and identify students who log out from Nearpod – See more at: http://www.nearpod.com/how-it-works/#video39006989
Allows you to “push out” what is on your device to the classroom.

Speed Geek: Laila Sanguras  

Newsela.com - News site linked to anchor strands from the Common Core. Read closely. Think critically.  Be worldly.  Newsela is an innovative way for students to build reading comprehension with nonfiction that’s always relevant: daily news. It’s easy and amazing. Register now or learn more about the impact Newsela can have on your classroom

TweetDeck – Keep up with your Twitter feeds all in one place!

Speed Geek: Ginger Lewman  

Two Guys and Some iPads
These tech gurus (Brad and Drew) have a wealth of information and tutorials for teachers on how to integrate technology in the classroom.

Augmented Reality (AR) is the next big thing coming to education. These apps and tools will help your students understand AR and add excitement and a new twist to the learning environment

Aurasma - Augmented reality – app and website

  colAR App - “Color in the book pages and then see them come to life as they pop out of the page as 3D models on your mobile.”

Piikea Street –  a fun activity using VR to create animal masks you can wear electronically!

Speed Geek: Shirley Farrell  

Visual Poetry – Word Collage App – Make beautiful text collages. Pictures with contrast. iTunes  $1.99

Intellidrops – Improve STEM Comprehension. Intellidrops can help families meet each of the recommendations.  Intellidrops includes STEM concepts for almost all grades including elementary.  STEM concepts are integrated into ‘drops’ illuminating them in the real world, which helps students find relevancy and develop understanding in these critical areas.  It is difficult for educators to find enough time in a school day to “cover” all of the required curriculum.  Intellidrops is a tool parents can use to engage students in STEM concepts after school hours in a way that students will find engaging and meaningful.   When brought to life in the real world, STEM concepts generate excitement in students’ minds and increase their motivation to learn.

Intelligallery  for teachers – Shirley Farrell – email support@intellidrops.com

   WordFoto “You’ve probably heard the tired cliche about a picture being worth a thousand words. We’ve taken this phrase quite literally and created WordFoto, an app that turns your photos and words into amazing typographic works of art.”

TypeDrawing

“TypeDrawing is super easy and perfect for creating typography art and even unique watermarks on your photos. Type a sentence, then just draw with your finger. Voila! You’ve now got a one of a kind, totally unique and amazing typographic work of art. If you love typography, or even if you don’t know what that means, you can easily create poetic visual art with this fun and easy-to-use app.”

Speed Geek: Melissae Stiles   

Kerbal Space Program
A simulation that will enable students to experience building and launching rockets. About $27.00.

Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center
The Cosmosphere is one of Kansas’ best kept secrets. It features a wonderful space museum associated with the Smithsonian, and summer camps that focus on astronomy and space for kids of all ages. A lot of teacher related workshops as well can be found in Hutchinson, KS.

Speed Geek: Lisa Van Gemert  

PhotoFunia “is the best way to add a spark to your photos, make them special and more original. In only a few seconds an amazing photo collage is ready, absolutely free. PhotoFunia is so straight forward to use, that anyone, at any age, can use it with ease.
Would you like to see your picture on the cover of a magazine or on advertising billboards of Times Square? How amazing will it be to see your portrait on the walls of Louvre or Hermitage museums? Want to try out an astronaut or a Santa suit? Or you prefer something more exotic, just like a dancer at the Rio’s carnival? Excited to find out how good you look with a witch’s hat or a queen’s crown on? Perhaps you’re just looking for a nice frame for your photos on a special occasion?
Make your own mark on the sand or write graffiti text on the wall, carve your name on the ground or create your very own road sign using our fantastic text effects.
To add a touch of shade to your photo, make it black & white or age it visit Filters category.”

PicMonkey: The Free Online Photo Editor “What is PicMonkey? Is it house-trained? Can it make my photos better? Awesomeness, maybe, and most definitely! PicMonkey is a free online photo editor that takes your images from good to glorious with a heaping load of fun. It’s photo editing for people who have a ton of creativity but no time for learning software. Whether you want to touch up a profile pic, try a new effect, or use our collage maker, we’ve got the photo editing features for you. So what’re you waiting for: edit a photo now!”

“Need a new project for fall photos?  Try Collage!
If you’ve ever wondered what a collage maker can do for your photos, you’re in for a real treat with PicMonkey Collage. A photo collage is a great way to save memories from a day with friends or a fabulous vacation, enliven your Facebook cover image, or show sequential images for a how-to or information graphic. Click “Create a collage” on the home page and see how easily our flexible layouts can set you on the road to Beautiful in no time.”

Colourcode
Use this web site to locate the hex codes for html colors. Slide around until you find the perfect color and grab your code!

 morgueFile: Looking for high resolution stock photos for your illustration, comp or design needs? Search morgueFile for free reference images. Yes, they’re all completely free. whether you’re an illustrator, art director, instructor or looking to add a defining visual to a presentation.

iStock Photo: Join the newsletter – gives away a free photo ever week, one video every month. Also try Shutter Stock.

Free Range Stock Photos:  Another great resource when looking for photos to use in projects.

Speed Geek: Debbie Hazelton, E-Gifted    

Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to growing computer science education by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Our vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer programming. We believe computer science should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra.

Codecademy  “is an education company. But not one in the way you might think. We’re committed to building the best learning experience inside and out, making Codecademy the best place for our team to learn, teach, and create the online learning experience of the future.

Education is old. The current public school system in the US dates back to the 19th century and wasn’t designed to scale the way it has. Lots of companies are working to “disrupt” education by changing the way things work in the classroom and by bringing the classroom online.

We’re not one of those companies. We are rethinking education from the bottom up. The web has rethought nearly everything – commerce, social networking, healthcare, and more. We are building the education the world needs – the first truly net native education. We take more cues from Facebook and Zynga in creating an engaging educational experience than we do from the classroom.

We do not want to open up universities. We want to open up knowledge. Everyone knows something they can teach someone else and we want to help them do it. Our community has created tens of thousands of courses and taken millions of courses. At this point, more than a billion lines of code have been submitted to Codecademy.”

Speed Geek: Cindy Sheets   

Readability Use this browser app to turn a busy page into one that is much easier to read. The text is enlarged, and all of the ads and extraneous material is removed from the page. Links and important photos remain. Sometimes you can even print in this format. Great for your elementary students (and old eyes.)

Apps Gone Free
This handy app alerts you daily to a number of apps that are free for a limited time. This is a great way to explore some games or activities that you might not want to pay for. And if you like them, they’re yours for free!  Just don’t get too carried away – I have to limit myself!

Interlocked Wrap your mind around the next intensive puzzle game – Interlocked!  A 3D puzzle game with a chilling atmosphere. You know those puzzles consisting of a few wooden blocks that are impossible take apart? Then you know Interlocked. Each level, you’re given a unique 3D puzzle consisting of blocks that hold each other together. Take it apart and you’ll feel ten times as smart. 

Swippe A visual math game. The answer is provided; your job is to make a path including numbers and symbols to add, subtract, multiply, or divide. Sometimes two digits are needed, but often the path is not clear. Great thinking game to practice arithmetic thinking. Available on iTunes.

StopMotion Animation
There are a variety of great apps now available to create stop motion animation on your iPad or iPhone, ranging in price from $9.99 to free. iStopMotion is $9.99. Stop Motion Studio is one of the free versions. Check them out and see which one you like best!

SlideShark is a presentation platform with a website and companion app. Upload a PowerPoint, then download it to your app. Embedded links actually stay active and work! Free storage that will hold quite a few of your presentations. There’s even a way to use one device as a remote.

Speed Geek: Cryil Pruszko 

Phoster  With stylish templates which are already within the application, you will be able to create posters without great effort.
When you get the job done of first step making posters, you can utilize various effects and decorates to complete the chic posters your own. $1.99.

Path on: Draw a line with your finger and your text will appear along the line. We also provide simple shapes, like a spiral, circle, or square. Our app works great for anyone into scrapbooking, artistic photos, or even just making fun pictures to share.

Pandamian: Free ebook creator. The easiest book creator ever.

Easelly: Free infographic creator with drag and drop feature.

Gearing Up for Another Great Year!

Cindy Sheets, NAGC Computers & Technology Network Chair

Excitement is in the air! Fall has arrived, football season is in full swing, and of course, the NAGC annual convention is almost here. Although not everyone can attend in person, I hope that I’ll see many of you in Indianapolis. If not, know that you are with us in spirit. I’m always eager to get away from my daily teaching job (elementary gifted resource) and meet with my fellow gifted teachers and tech “nerds.”

As your new Network Chair, I am excited to share with you the many activities that will be going on at convention, as well as what you can expect throughout the year.  I know that many of you have already signed on to our NAGC Computers & Technology FaceBook page. If not, we hope to see you there soon. Please share with us your questions and your successes. Using a great new tool or app? Please pass it along.

We hope to have another great set of blog posts out to you monthly. Members of the network volunteer to share an idea, technology application, or great teaching practices. We have some other new ideas incubating, and we’ll be sharing those with you soon as well. I’m thrilled that Kristina Ayers Paul has been elected as our Network Chair Elect and she has already been hard at work getting ready for our annual Speed Geeking evening event in Indianapolis. Dallas Price, gifted educator from Alaska, has volunteered to be our Newsletter & Blog organizer. Although she won’t be traveling to Indianapolis, she’s a perfect example of those interested in participating in our Network throughout the year.

So whether we see you in Indianapolis or on Facebook, here’s to a great year of learning and sharing.

Cindy Sheets

2013 NAGC Conference Events:

Network meeting: 3:45-4:45, Room 105

Evening event:   7:30-8:30 PM   Speed Geeking, White River Ballroom G, first floor,  JW Marriott Hotel