The Hour of Code - Join the Movement

We live in a computer powered world. Coding is the language our computers speak. 

Computer science is a top-paying college degree. Jobs in this market are growing at 2 x's the national average, yet the number of students pursuing computer science degrees has dropped in the last decade. In fact, it is estimated that by 2020 there will be 400,000 computer science students in the United States and 1.4 million computer science jobs. Women and minorities are extremely underrepresented in this group. Why such an enormous gap?

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Webinar Resources: SAMR Through the Lens of the Common Core

I had a lot of fun presenting a webinar today for Infinitec. Here is a link to the slideshow for review!

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4 Tools to Connect Students to Real World Math

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SAMR Through the Lens of the Common Core

One of my goals is to weave digital tools into the Common Core to design flexible, student driven learning experiences that are Above the Line as defined by the SAMR model. While this might sound like a mouthful of EdTech, I assure you that combining all that is on our crowded plates is far better than tackling each individual initiative in isolation. This idea is supported by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

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mQlicker – Create Interactive Presentations

mQlicker is an audience response system that that allows users to turn a PowerPoint into an interactive slideshow to engage audiences and collect useful feedback. mQlicker is free, flexible and definitely worth checking out for use in a variety of educational settings. This cool tool has a lot of potential for collecting feedback and fine-tuning instruction.

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Instructional Shifts to Support the Common Core

Are you looking for ways to effectively implement and manage the Common Core aligned classroom?

The CCSS identify a spiraling set of skills necessary to prepare students for success. The standards are designed to teach students how to think. They call for increased comprehension, synthesis of information and the ability to clearly express learning. To facilitate the deep learning experiences supported by the CCSS, a shift in instructional practices is necessary. 

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Google Tools for Teachers - Free Webinars on 11/16/13

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On GettingSmart Today: 8 iPad Camera Ideas for 1:1 Classrooms

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ThingLink: Design Engaging Learning Experiences

Nov. 12th @4:00 PM CST

As an instructional technology facilitator my goal is to weave together digital tools to design engaging, interactive learning experiences that support all learners and encourage higher order thinking. Of course, in order to be useful for teachers, these learning experiences need to be aligned to standards, initiatives and hot edtech topics.


ThingLink is one of the most frequently used tools in my digital toolkit because it is flexible, user friendly, and it can be used to help me meet my goals. I believe ThingLink allows me to create whatever I can possibly imagine! 

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SAMR - Flexible Toolkit Slideshow

I enjoyed presenting the Infinitec webinar today and truly appreciate all the attendees! Here is a link to the interactive slideshow with resources.

The final webinar in this series will be held on December 3rd at 4:00 PM CST. SAMR Through the Lens of the Common Core. The webinar is free and registration is open to all.

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SAMR: Design a Flexible Toolkit for Success

SAMR: Design a Flexible Toolkit

I just finished putting the finishing touches on the presentation for a webinar I'm hosting on Tuesday of this week, SAMR: Design a Flexible Toolkit for Successful Tech Integration. This free webinar is sponsored by Infinitec and registration is open to all.

Assembling the resources has caused me to dig deep into my toolkit to examine ways the tools I frequently go to can be used effectively to align with each level of the SAMR model. I have been evaluating the usefulness of my favorite tools and reflecting.

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