Current and Emerging Technologies Blog - Cassie Hancock

Personally, I am not a big fan of Prezi, but some of my kids like it.  It is probably because that is not what I am used to using.  I prefer to use Microsoft office, PowerPoint.  I think Prezi is not as popular as it used to be because a lot of people use Google Slides now.  It is not very user-friendly and it also does not have that many options in my opinion.  I like to have the slides separate and not have to make a path.  One positive about Prezi is that it is easy to add music, videos, and pictures to the presentation.  I do think it is a good alternative for students that do not have Google accounts or access to Microsoft PowerPoint.   https://prezi.com/zgdaqeztbcmm/edit/#0_232699476    

Remind 101 is a great way to communicate with parents and even students.  The teacher can send out text messages without giving out their cell phone number. You simply create an account and it will give you a number for parents to text a personalized code for them to enter so that they receive your texts.  You can send out mass messages to everyone that subscribes to your Remind101 class or you can send out individual messages. I use this for our sixth graders in case we forget to tell them something during class (announcements). I used it tonight because we got a message from PTO that popcorn would be sold tomorrow. I also use it to remind parents of important events happening.  I have found that even though 98% of our parents have cell phone they do not sign up for our Remind 101and it is frustrating because it is free and I am trying to have a way to communicate with them. C. Hancock's Remind 101

Three apps/games that I could use to reinforce reading and language skills are: - iTooch 6th Grade Language Arts - This app used to be available in a lite version and paid version, but now it is free and available (it has ads) 1st - 8th Grade! It has five categories Reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and communication. This app has questions in the five categories and it gives instant feedback for the students. This is a good way to reinforce 6th-grade skills. - DuoLingo is a free app that can be used for reading for our ELL students. It is a free app that teaches our students English, Spanish, French, and many others. You can set practice time each day and the students will complete lessons each day and earn badges. - BrainPop Featured Movie is another app that can be used in the classroom to reinforce skills through videos and questioning. My students enjoy watching the videos and answering the questions. There are some free movies on the app, but in order ...

Google glass originally cost around $1500.00, but currently, it sells for around $1000 from third party sellers because it has been discontinued.   Google Glass is a headset that you wear like glasses, and it provides information that your cellphone can provide but in a hands-free format.  Google Glass keeps you connected to the world but through your eyes. Google Glass can capture photos or videos that you can share via Google Hangout so that the other person can see what you are looking at.  It can also be a search engine using voice dictation, and it can also identify an object or answer a question.  Another feature that Google Glass has is navigation right in front of your face.  It can show you maps and also give you step-by-step directions.  In my opinion, one of the coolest features is that is can translate how to say something in another language.  It also has features like your cell phone such as reminding you to do a task and syncing your cal...

Today we have technology at our fingertips.  Everywhere you look, people are glued to their devices surfing the web or communicating with friends and family through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other social media outlets.  Almost everyone has a cellphone and/or tablet regardless of their socioeconomic status.  The key is to use the technology in ways that help promote our students to connect with others around the country and world while keeping an open mind, being respectful, and accepting of others.  With all of the technology around us it helps makes it easier to promote diversity, cultural understanding, and global awareness. Teachers can use Skype or Google Hangout to connect with students in different parts of the world.  In my classroom, we have used Google Hangout to connect with Matt Murrie the author of "The Book of What If...?"  and then he came to our school district and met with my homeroom and others.  This was a wonderful experienc...

Good afternoon everyone!  Teachers, we know that video tutorials have become an excellent way to reinforce skills that we have taught in class.  If our students are struggling with a math homework problem, they can go home and pull up a Khan Academy video or even use the Photomath app to help them figure out how to solve the problem.  You guys may think this idea is crazy, but what if we allowed our students to make their own videos to show what they know?!  Our students making videos would not only be beneficial for them, but it would also benefit our struggling students.  Some students may grasp the skill better by hearing the information from a peer because they can relate to each other’s way of thinking.  Also, allowing our students to create videos also shows that they have a deeper understanding of the skill that they are teaching.  Some students have difficulty putting their thoughts and work on paper, and this will give those student...

According to the article by Jillian D'Onfro, Tactus Technology is like magic.  This technology turns your smartphone's screen into a keyboard that has bubbly buttons that seem to morph out of nowhere and they disappear the same way.  "The screen has a thin layer that replaces the Gorilla Glass on top of a touch sensor and displays layers on a smartphone or tablet.  The surface of that layer is a semi-elastic polymer under which there are liquid channels that are filled with a special transparent micro-fluid." (D'Onfro, J.).  This micro-fluid is what makes the buttons appear by applying pressure to an area.  TheTactus Technology makes the keyboard feel more natural and it also makes it easier for the user to type. D'Onfro, J.  (2014, Jan. 9). Tech Insider.  "This insane technology that makes buttons appear on a flat smartphone screen is pretty close to magic." Retrieved from  http://www.businessinsider.com/tactus-technology-tactile-touchscre...

Cellphone providers are trying to make it possible to bypass for smartphones to avoid using cellular towers and this will help prevent glitches.  The new technology is called LTE Direct; it allows smartphones to communicate with each other and use beacons that are located in various places.  LTE Direct can reach further than Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.  This technology also allows users to connect automatically with people that are close to them.  It also allows the user to discover businesses and points of interest that are nearby.  This technology would make dining out so much easier!  The LTE Direct technology would also enable personalized advertising when you are close to a business that you frequent.  Your device is always searching for nearby people and locations, but it will not drain your battery because it uses little power.  Yahoo is trying to develop an app that would like your personal tour guide.  You tell it how long you have fr...

Keith Stuart discussed a few different topics that are important to game designers and players. He explained how the "magic circle" is important because the rules of the real world do not apply and you are not judged on failure.  He also discussed autonomy and how people like to be in control, for example in the opening level things progress quickly so that the player feels like they are progressing quickly.  Another tool that is relevant to gamers is a surprise or unexpected reward for completing something in the game.  All of these things allow the user to feel in control or like they have escaped from the real world. I think that using some of these tools that are important in gaming in the classroom will lead to students being more engaged and excited about learning. If I told my students that we use some of the techniques used to intrigue them while playing a game, they would laugh at me. But little do they know I do and I didn't realize it until after reading thi...

Assistive technologies can open up many doors for students and individuals with special needs.  It can allow them to communicate their needs, have social interactions with peers and family members, and even give them the opportunity to be able to work.  These are things that a lot of us take for granted, but for individuals that cannot speak or walk this helps them lead a somewhat normal life.  Assistive technologies have a tremendous impact on these individuals and their families.   The videos had three individuals that all needed some type of assistive technology.  Jared was born with cerebral palsy and has to use a sip and puff to communicate and control his computer. The sip and puff is a device that he uses to access his computer and communicate with not only family but also people around the world. It uses a software program called Switch XS, which allows him to do anything on his computer. With this device, Jared is able to run his own busine...

These are five educational blogs for teachers to follow and keep up with trends in education: 1.  TeachThought 2.   The Innovative Educator 3.  Ditch That Textbook 4. Shake Up Learning 5.   Edutopia What is "Gamingspace?" A Gamingspace is a place where parents, students, and teachers can all intermingle and discover what skills are needed for 21st-century learners.  A Gamingspace has gaming consoles such as an Xbox, Wii kinect, and Playstation for parents and students to use and explore before and after school.  Gamingspace is used to help students with skill-building and collaborative skills. It is also designed to get parents and teachers involved with their students.   What should be your point of emphasis when designing discussion forums? According to Michael Gorman, your point of emphasis should be aimed at the content standards and 21st-century skills while moving up Bloom's higher levels (Gorman, 2014).   Gorma...

VGo is a robot replicates a student that is homebound due to illness or other circumstances that keep them from being in the classroom.  It is operated in real time by the student and allows them to keep their independence "in school" even though they are not able to be there. VGo is teaming up with Verizon so that you do not have to depend on Wi-Fi, you can use their 4G LTE network.  Other versions of VGo you must connect to the wi-fi to use the robot.  The six-hour model VGo robot can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000.  There is also an annual service contract that costs about $100 a month.  You can purchase an additional charging pad for around $500, and you can even upgrade to a twelve-hour model for an extra $200. A maintenance plan for school costs around $5,000 for the year.  There are other versions of the VGo robot, Double Robotics Double 2 Telepresence Robot, that are cheaper and cost around $2,500. The VGo robot is a great idea to use fo...

After watching the TED talk by Tom Chatfield, it makes me want to explore incorporating gaming into my classroom.  He makes some good points about the relationship between gaming and student engagement.  If you make learning fun and incorporate something that your students enjoy they will look forward to learning.  After researching educational games in this class, I started using Moby Max in my classroom, and my kids love it.  It is not all gaming, but they can earn game time by answering questions, and they don't fuss about having to do the work because they are rewarded with game time.  This gets them engaged more than Compass, that we usually use and does not have game time.  This is something I am going to look into more for next year.  As to the seven ways games reward the brain and how they could be used in the classroom: 1.  Experience bars measuring progress - we have Accelerated Reader at my school so I could create a chart that shows ...

In the article, "Enhancing Education Through Mobile Augmented Reality," Dr. Robert Joan discussed how cell phones and other mobile media has become indispensable in people's lives. He also talks about how augmented reality is implemented in sports on television, such as the score that shows up on the bottom or top of your television screen.  This technology may seem new to some people, but when you think about it (like listed above), it has been around for many years.  It is just getting better and better with each year.  With this technology improving as it is, it brings new learning opportunities to an educator's classroom.  Augmented reality can take learning to an entirely new and deeper level.  In the article, it also discussed that producing augmented reality is cheaper than making a computer (Joan, 2014, pg. 9). He also explained that when you use augmented reality it brings in real-world aspects to gameplay and it can also be brought into the classroom. ...

I have researched top educational apps for teachers of 2016-2017, and I have chosen five that I think are the most useful for my classroom and students.  EPIC  -  https://www.getepic.com/educators Epic is an extensive on-line library for students that contains over 15,000 books.  Teachers can use this app in their classroom and save money on their classroom libraries! It is absolutely free for educators and parents can purchase it for $4.99 a month.  You can use EPIC on a desktop, laptop, and even Chromebooks.  The app can be downloaded on any IOS or Android device. Students have individual profiles and books are recommended based on the child's reading level and/or interest.  My students enjoy using this app! QUIZLET -  https://quizlet.com/ Quizlet is an app that allows you to make your own flashcards for quizzes or choose from thousands of already made quizzes by subject.  This app helps you study for weekly quizzes, standa...

According to the article, 7 Ways to Hack Your Classroom to Include Student Choice, "educators should not just take a learner's style into account, but also their background and interests" (Ronan, 2015).  When students are interested and engaged in their schoolwork, they are motivated to learn and more likely to be successful in their academic career.  The article also discussed that when students feel in control of their learning and have options, they are happier.  This leads students to become more confident and capable students that are interested in learning.  Ronan stated her disapproval for learning styles and said, "no scientific, educational research has proven the validity for teaching for student's learning styles" (Ronan, 2015).  She even goes as far as taking statements from ten educational researchers that discredit using learning styles.   I chose student choice boards for classwork as my way to give students a choice in my classroom. ...

Plickers is a fabulous real-time formative assessment tool. It is very user-friendly!  I use this tool in my classroom all of the time and my students love it! You go to plickers.com and register for a free account.  There are cards that you have to print out and each one is numbered, there's a standard set of 40 and an expanded set of 63 cards.  You can use the numbers as they are to coincide with your student's grade book number or you can assign them a number with their name (it will pop up on your device when scanning their answers).  I like to put my student's names in so that I don't have to guess or look up who missed a question.  You type in your questions on the website and you can choose true/false or multiple choice answer choices.  The students hold up their cards with the letter of the correct answer at the top, it is difficult for other students to see what the other picked because the answer choices are small.  You use the plickers app o...

The online learning trend that I explored was personalized learning.  Personalized learning is changing the pace of instructions, being able to differentiate instruction according to the student, allow the users to choose their own learning path, and using the student's experiences and interest to meet their needs.  We use Compass at our school, it does not let them choose their own path, but it gives them a path based on their STAR test scores, differentiating their instruction.  They can also go at their own pace.   Using technology in your classroom is a great way to personalize learning because you do not have to use the same content delivery method for each student.  It is also a good idea because students do not have to be embarrassed because they are not doing the same tasks as others.  There are many different apps to use for personalized learning.  Nearpod -  https://nearpod.com/ Nearpod is a great way to present information...

After reading and researching 3-D printing, I thought, how am I going to incorporate this into reading?!  I believe that it would be a great opportunity to collaborate with my co-teacher that teaches science and social studies (she is not into technology).  The students could pick an inventor from the Industrial Revolution, and instead of making a poster or using Google Slides with pictures on it, they could make a mini model of the invention. This would allow students to see how it works.  While, they would still write out the paper portion, or use the computer, I think this be an excellent lesson. They would be able to see and touch their models.  It would bring student engagement to a new level.  The possibilities seem to be endless in science in social studies. There are a few differences in 3-D printing and rapid prototyping such as a 3-D printer cannot print large items and you may not be able to select build parameters or adjust them, it does not h...

BYOD or Bring Your Own Device is an emerging trend where students bring their own devices whether it be a smartphone or tablet to use in the classroom.  This can be both positive and negative because cell phones can be a distraction in the classroom and also an asset. If the device is used to collaborate on assignments or as a learning tool, it is a great asset, but kids will be kids, and some are always looking for a way to be off task.  While BYOD can be positive because most students have a device no matter their socioeconomic status, there are some that do not, and that can lead to a student feeling bad or upset. At my school, Harrand Creek Elementary, eight teachers are 1:1 with Chromebooks, and we also have about 70 iPads, and 60 Chromebooks that other teachers may check out to make their room 1:1 for the day.  I like that my classroom is 1:1 and I do not have to worry about one of my students forgetting their device or not having one.   When d...

RealSense Technology is a 3D camera that can capture images, gesture control, video, and scan 3-D images.  You can attach to your smartphone, desktop computer, laptop computer, or tablet. It uses various technologies to achieve depth perception, 3-D imaging, interior mapping, and feature tracking. RealSense technology not only allows you to edit photos and videos, but it also allows you to make accurate measurements of things in your videos or pictures.  You can scan people and objects in using this technology and print it out using a 3-D printer, making it come to life!  This would be an awesome tool to use in a science or social studies classroom.  The camera allows the computer to recognize objects and people and navigate the environment. A person can take a picture with their Realsense technology and make it move using their hands.  They can become part of the experience. Using the Realsense camera the user can change the backgrounds of their pictures, enabl...

I am one of those people that are not real sure about bringing the gaming aspect into the classroom, so at the beginning of Jane McGonigal's TED Talk, I doubted her theory.  As I watched it, it made more and more sense, and I began to agree with her.  My students love, love, love to play video games every waking hour that they are home, so why not incorporate gaming into our lessons at school?!  I believe if we could turn some of lessons and tests into games the results would be mind blowing!  One of the previous quests, the Socrative app, could help bring this idea to reality. Our students use gaming to escape the "real-world," but if we as educators could incorporate gaming into our classrooms, they wouldn't have to escape the real world.  Our students would not only be doing what they love, but they would be learning at the same time.  McGonigal discussed how gaming can help gamers feel like they are doing something that matters. When people are ...

The Socrative app is a great formative assessment tool.  You can use it on a computer, smartphone, or tablet.  You can create your own assessments or search for a ready-made one.  When you are creating a quiz, it can be multiple choice, true/false, graded short answer, or open-ended short answer.  The Socrative app also allows you to choose your subject, core standards, grade, and the actual standard you are assessing.  This is an excellent option because the teacher can organize their quizzes.  It can also be used as an exit slip to see where your students stand on a standard or skill.  Teachers can also create quizzes and set up a gaming element, "Space Race," so that students can compete against one another.  The Socrative app can also be teacher paced or student paced, depending on how you want to use it.     I am going to use the Socrative app in my classroom as an exit slip so that I can see which students I need to pu...

An Intel Compute Stick is a small computer that looks like a jump drive, and it costs around $150.00. It is ready to use right out of the box. You simply plug it into an old tv (that has a USB port or old computer monitor) and turn it on, and you have a personal computer!  The compute stick has the same operating system and graphics as a regular desktop computer, but it is much more convenient because you can just unplug it, stick it in your pocket and take anywhere. It can also have up to 4 GB of memory. You can also use a wireless mouse or keyboard with the device.  The compute stick is good for day to day tasks and a person on the go! The compute stick could be utilized in the classroom in many different ways.  A couple of ideas would be using it to make a learning station for your students or to plug into your Smartboard so that you do not have to use your laptop.  This device could also be beneficial for whole group presentations if an old television...

In Steven Spielberg's 2002 science fiction movie 2002, The Minority Report, he showed many types of futuristic technology.  One piece of technology that was showcased in his movie was a computer that worked with gestures and motions.  Tom Cruise had to wear special gloves that allowed him to point, slide, and move pictures on the screen.  Today we know this piece of technology as G-speak Spatial Operating System.  The company, Oblong brought this piece of technology to life six years later.  The gloves and technology allow you to have control of the images and other computer functions just like in the movie. Below are a few articles and videos detailing this piece of technology. "G-Speak. The Movie Minority Report Brought to Life": http://www.wimp.com/g-speak-the-movie-minority-report-brought-to-life/?dsk=1&mobi=1/ "G-Speak Oblong Industries": http://www.oblong.com/g-speak/ "G-Speak Minority Report os Demo": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Nearpod is a presentation and polling application that teachers can use in their classroom to introduce or reinforce skills.  You can upload your Powerpoint presentations to Nearpod, or you can search their library for ready-made lessons. There is a free version that has limited access and a paid version that allows you to access all of their lessons.  Nearpod allows you to add interactive features such as polls,  surveys, and drawing.  You can also add a quiz that allows students to work at their own pace.  This program is two separate applications:  one the teacher must download (to run the presentation) on their device and one the students must download (content download).  The teacher will log on to the website to add their content. The teacher will be the only person that needs an account. He/She will share a pin so that students can join their session.  I have used Nearpod in my classroom to introduce a skill.  I can check for und...

I researched different types of wearable technology and found two that I thought were impeccable!  The first type of wearable technology is a Ringly Aries Bracelet.  It looks like a regular bracelet, but it sends you notifications when you have a missed call, e-mail, or calendar event.  Consumers voiced their opinion and wanted it to also be a fitness tracker, so they have now included that option.  The Ringly Aries Bracelet is a lot like a smartwatch, but it is more fashion forward.  I am definitely adding this to my wish list.   The second piece of wearable technology that I found is the Commuter Trucker Jacket.  Levi's and Google teamed up to create garments (Project Jacquard) that have technology infused in them.  They are made with unique yarn, and the technology is woven into it.  Even though they have this technology in them they are going to be washable.  The jacket is set to come out in stores this sprin...