Virtual Field Trips, Making Banners, and IFTTT Recipes... in Education Today

Some interesting ideas I discovered recently about virtual field trips, making banners, and IFTTT recipes...

School Bus / Marobl (Pixabay) / CC0 1.0

Ten of the Best Virtual Field Trips
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/04/07/ten-of-the-best-virtual-field-trips/
by Meris Stansbury
http://www.eschoolnews.com/author/mstansbury/
April 7, 2013

These virtual field trips cover a variety of topics.

• Learn about the Arctic.
• Maintain a travel journal as you choose which of a list of countries to visit.
• Use Google Earth to travel with literary characters.
• Learn how Hershey's makes their delicious chocolates.
• Explore the Louvre... including some rooms closed to the public.
• Climb Mt. Everest.
• Tour the Museum of Natural History.
• View panoramas around the world.
• Visit the moon or Mars or the White House.

Virtual field trips save time and money.
Add the fact that they are interesting, fun, and engage our students.
If you have not used virtual field trips recently, you may want to check this article for some very good ideas.

YouTube Banner / Jo Schiffbauer / CC BY 2.0

How to Make a Banner
http://www.picmonkey.com/blog/make-a-banner/
by PicMonkey Staff

I use PicMonkey to edit my photos.
I also create collages and simple cover pages with it.
This article shares ideas for using PicMonkey to make banners.
When might you want to create a banner?
How about...

• Facebook cover?
• YouTube banner?
• Twitter header?
• Instructions for student projects?

The instructions include:

• backgrounds (plain or patterned)
• overlaps for graphics text design and tips, and
• suggestions for "standing out from the crowd."

Check out their examples... then try making your own banner!

IF... THEN... / Jo Schiffbauer / CC BY 2.0

11 Great IFTTT Recipes for Tracking NASA News, Photos and Space Exploration
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2982819/web-apps/11-great-ifttt-recipes-for-tracking-nasa-news-photos-and-space-exploration.html#tk.nl_pcwbest
and
5 Handy IFTTT Recipes for Gmail Users
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2955339/web-apps/5-handy-ifttt-recipes-for-gmail-users.html
both by Liane Cassavoy
http://www.pcworld.com/author/Liane-Cassavoy/

Have you have tried IFTTT yet? IFTTT automatically makes connections between apps that would take you several steps to accomplish manually.

You may want to check these IFTTT recipes:

• Track the International Space Station.
• Have NASA's image of the day sent to you automatically.
• Find the cell phone you misplaced in your home.
• Save Gmail attachments automatically.
• And more...

Have some fun with IFTTT. :)

Exit Tickets, Math Centers, Parent-Teacher Communications, and Tools for Student-Centered Classrooms... in Education Today

Some interesting ideas I discovered recently about exit tickets, math centers, parent-teacher communications, and tools for student-centered classrooms...

Exit Ticket / Phil and Jo Schiffbauer / CC BY 2.0

Back to School: Put Exit Ticket Strategies to Good Use
http://edblog.smarttech.com/2015/08/back-to-school-put-exit-ticket-strategies-to-good-use/
by Heather Lamb
http://edblog.smarttech.com/author/heather-lamb/
August 18, 2015

Do you use an exit ticket strategy in your classroom? Or have you thought about trying the idea? Do you ask your students to write reflections about what they learned in class that day? Some teachers ask for answers to particular questions. Others use clicker systems to gather their exit ticket data.

Why do we use exit tickets? They help us to learn what our students have learned. And they ensure that we hear from all our students.

In this article Heather Lamb discusses exit ticket strategies. She also provides examples.

Math Partners / WoodleyWonderWorks / CC BY 2.0

6 Ideas for Creating Math Centers
http://dailygenius.com/math-centers/
by Beth Holland
http://dailygenius.com/author/bethholland/
August 17, 2015

Learning centers are useful in classrooms. They give students opportunities to work independently or in groups. Centers can be used when students need to review skills. Teachers can differentiate the content and skills their students are practicing. Learning centers are often a good way to help students use technology as they explore, review, and solve problems.

View the video provided with this article to see math centers in action. Read how teachers create math centers using technology (SMARTBoards, screencasting, Explain Everything, Book Creator, Padlet, Popplet, ...) I think you will find some useful tips from Beth Holland.

Communication is the Key / Sebastien Wiertz / CC BY 2.0

Successful Parent Teacher Communication Tips: 3 Important Times We Have to Talk
http://www.coolcatteacher.com/parent-teacher-communication/
by Vicki Davis
http://www.coolcatteacher.com/bio/
August 19, 2015

Vicki Davis shares ideas to help parent-teacher communications be more effective. Read her tips for communication at the beginning of parent-teacher relationships, ongoing through the school year, and when problems arise.

Emma High Fives at In and Out / Julie Jordan Scott / CC BY 2.0

5 Fabulous Tools That Will Make Your Class Immediately Student Centered
http://blogush.edublogs.org/2015/08/24/5-fabulous-tools-that-will-make-your-class-immediately-student-centered/
by Paul Bogush
http://blogush.edublogs.org/about/
August 24, 2015

Paul Bogush share 5 tools to help your classroom become student-centered. He tells how to use these tools and why to use them. No reveals here! This is an article I suggest you read... and it is worth the read!