Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Engage Your Students with Digital AIR®-aligned Ohio Practice Test created by Edcite!

Do your students need additional practice with online testing? Do they need immediate feedback on their answers?


Edcite enables teachers to create high-quality, easily customizable, interactive content to fit their class or use their pre-made “ODE Air” like test.  These test are available for your students to practice and try now. The product addresses a critical issue for students who are unfamiliar with online standardized assessments.

Click the link below and start a practice test. Website: http://edcite.com/lp/ohio



OHIO State Test EDCITe.jpg
OH practice test created for you!

Monday, March 21, 2016

WCSOH EdTech Camp 2016 is now Open for Registration and Call for Proposals

We are excited to announce WCSOH EdTech will host our annual EdTech Camp on June 1st and 2nd at Blendon Middle School from 8:30-3:55. Come learn, share and have some fun as we continue to implement the 21st Century Roadmap transforming our classrooms into student driven blended learning environments.  EdTech Camp will offer a full day of technology integration topics ranging from novice level sessions including how to use Google Apps for Education and Schoology to advanced sessions including supporting Blended Learning in your classroom and exploring communication practices and tools beyond your classroom walls.

In addition to attending EdTech Camp 2016, we are looking for presenters.  Are you comfortable teaching your peers how you use Schoology, Google Apps for Education or another tech topic?  Have you created a Google Form or another digital tool to collect Formative Assessments? Have you created a Book Study in Schoology? Have you invited  an expert using Google Hangouts or Skype to present to your class?  Have you implemented an innovative lesson using technology tools to support student learning? Then we are looking for you! Please think about presenting at EdTech Camp 2016!  This is a wonderful opportunity to share how you have implemented technology in your classroom with your peers.

To register for EdTech Camp go to EdTech Camp 2016.

To submit a Call for Proposal go to EdTech Camp 2016: Call for Proposals


Monday, March 14, 2016

Chrome Remote Desktop


Recently I presented at a building staff meeting, and the room we were using had the projector screen in the front of the room, however the computer attached to the projector was in the rear of the room. This set up makes presenting difficult. In order to present from the front of the room using my Chromebook, I used Chrome Remote Desktop. This Chrome app is available for free at Chrome Web Store, and after a one time download on your desktop computer, the app allows you to access your desktop via your Chromebook.

Once you've run through the setup procedure, you simply open the app on both the desktop and the Chromebook. A screen will pop up that asks if you want to "Access" or "Share" your computer. If you click "Share" on your desktop, a 12 digit access code will appear on your screen. On the Chromebook, click "Access" and a box appears to enter that 12 digit access code. Once you correctly entered the code, the screen on your Chromebook will mirror that of your desktop. You will see that your Chromebook is now controlling your desktop. As you move the cursor on the Chromebook, the cursor on the desktop will also move. This allows you to control the computer attached to a projector while keeping the mobility of the Chromebook.

There are other uses for this Chrome app. Play around with it and let us know what other uses you found this to be helpful with!


Friday, March 11, 2016

ABC Mouse



ABCmouse.com is a website created by the Early Learning Academy for children ages 2-6 that holds over 3,000 early learning activities for kids. A membership to this site is typically $8 per month, but the Early Learning Academy is offering free accounts for public school teachers. With a teacher account, you can create accounts for all of your students, and print off log in formation to send home. Students can access the site at school, or at home, and access all of the activities on the site.

Here is Common Sense Media's review of the site.

Free apps are available also on iOS, Android and Kindle devices.

To create your free teacher account, click here.



Thursday, March 10, 2016

New Online Videos to Help Parents Support the Third Grade Reading Guarantee


Have you seen the three new videos to help parents help their children practice reading? Reading on the Go, Reading for a Purpose, and Reading on the Screen, all less than three minutes, give parents concrete, easy tips to help their children become stronger readers and meet the Third Grade Reading Guarantee.

They are perfect for sharing during parent nights and come with a collection of companion flyers with even more tips. Find them all on INFOhio’s Third Grade Reading Guarantee page.

The flyers and videos were developed by INFOhio, the State Library of Ohio, Ohio Educational Library Media Association, and the Ohio PTA. They are available to all Ohioans for free download.

Please share with your parents by using the sample messages below in school newsletters or on the school Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Sample message for school newsletters:

Reading can happen anytime, anywhere!  You and your children can explore the joy of reading together with this series of “Reading ‘Round the Clock” videos that gives easy tips for working reading practice into everyday activities. These three videos—Reading on the Go, Reading for a Purpose, and Reading on the Screen—give great tips on keeping your family reading and preparing your children for Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee. Link to the videos and to companion flyers with even more tips on the INFOhio Third Grade Reading Guarantee page at https://www.infohio.org/students/parents/resources-for-the-third-grade-reading-guarantee. The flyers and videos were developed by INFOhio, the State Library of Ohio, Ohio Educational Library Media Association, and the Ohio PTA, and they are available to all Ohioans for free.

Sample Tweets and Facebook posts:

Watch the short video Reading for a Purpose to find fun ways to emphasize reading at home. https://vimeo.com/149091464 #INFOhioWorks

Always on the go? You can still help your child practice reading. Learn how in this short video. https://vimeo.com/149151093 #INFOhioWorks

Make screen time reading time with your child. Learn how with this short video. https://vimeo.com/149151138 #INFOhioWorks


Help your child breeze through the Third Grade Guarantee with these short videos and tip sheets http://bit.ly/1aDg4kb #INFOhioWorks

Monday, March 7, 2016

Baby Eagles!


A live cam of the eagle’s nest from the Rhodes Tower in Columbus is available here.  

Here is another one from the nation’s capital in DC. An excellent source of information on eagles can be found at the National Eagle Center's website.

You can also check out all of the digital resources on INFOhio.org to find educational information on eagles -- World Book Kids, Explora, ISearch for starters!  Search your CAT also. What books does your library have on Eagles? – perhaps a display idea!