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Host: Jeff Herb (@jeffherb)

Guests:

Sarah Thomas – Twitter: @sarahdateechur & Voxer: @sarahdateechur

Nicol Howard – Twitter: @nicolrhoward & Voxer: @nicolrhoward

Rachelle Wooten – Twitter: @rwootenits & Voxer: @rwoote203

Carla Jefferson – Twitter: @mrsjeff2u & Voxer: @mrsjeff2u

Shana White – Twitter: @ShanaVWhite & Voxer: @svwhite

EdCamp Voxer takes place online using the app Voxer. It runs Dec 23-30, 2015.

Get started with EdCamp Voxer (IMPORTANT LINKS)

Register: http://bit.ly/EdCampVoxer2015

Propose a session: http://bit.ly/edvsessions

Room Signup:  bit.ly/edcampvoxer

Follow on Twitter: @EdCampVoxer and #EdCampVoxer

New to Voxer?

Listen to this episode of ETYSK.

Also:

If you are new to Voxer, please feel free to join the New Teachers to Voxer group to explore in a no judgement zone. Here is the link: https://web.voxer.com/chats/1433596583445_218524181_9b68a85f

Host: Jeff Herb (@jeffherb)

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Show Notes:

A new live streaming site called Blab.im has taken the internet by storm. It's a great tool for those who want to live stream their podcasts, setup a study group, collaborate on a project, or host a review session (and so much more).

Here are some features of Blab:

• FREE
• Emails you an audio file and a separate video file of your broadcast
• Up to four ‘talking head' video participants
• unlimited people on the chat
• Integrates with social media to easily share your stream
• Can add/drop participants with a click
• Schedule ‘Blabs' to promote your live stream
• Viewers can add questions to have the hosts answer

Blab has been evolving constantly with new features being added regularly.

Check it out – and join us for live streaming of The Instructional Tech Talk Podcast on Sunday nights!

Host: Jeff Herb (@InstTechTalk)

Show Notes:

WhatsDue is a free app that allows teachers to create courses and then post assignments/due dates so that their students can keep track those due dates as they approach.

Here’s how you can make the most of the app (as listed in the tutorial on the site):

• Add the courses you teach

• Add as many upcoming assignments as you can. The more you add, the more your students and/or parents will know in advance.
• Invite students and/or parents to use WhatsDue. Just hit the “Invite” button and enter the email addresses of everyone you think should know what assignments are coming up. The email will contain the course code that the students and/or parents will need in order to join the class.

Also, every time you add, update, or delete an assignment, everyone who joined your class will get a push notification. Keep this in mind before you make changes.

The service was extremely easy to setup – it took me about 3 minutes, most of which was reading time so I knew the functionality of the site. Once you're setup, students can download the app to access the due dates and assignment information.

Support seems to be readily available – Aaron, the creator I presume, has linked multiple ways to contact him should you need it.

I've heard from many that they are going to do district-wide implementations of this app in the coming year. This is definitely worth checking out.

Link: WhatsDue

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Links

Kahoot

Guest: Rachelle Wooten – Twitter – Website

Show Notes

Today we are talking all about Kahoot – a web-based assessment tool that is essentially setup like a game show. Teachers create questions, the questions are displayed, and students individually respond with what they think is the correct answer. Scores are kept automatically and are reported out in between each question. The result is a formative assessment that is actually really engaging!

The first step is for teachers to create the Kahoot, which is made very simple through their drag & drop creator tool. This can be done on any device. Quizzes can have embedded images and video, which is great too.

Once your Kahoot is complete, project the quiz in the front of the room and have all your students join using their device (no account necessary, just the quiz ID). It will ask for their name, this is what will show as they accumulate points.

Ultimately students will then answer questions in real time, with their results showing on their individual screen and the leaderboard displays at the front of the room. The game pauses in between each question to allow for discussion on any topics that may seem to need clarification.

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Sponsors:

Audible.com – Click the link to get a free audiobook of your choosing! Thanks for supporting ETYSK!

Backblaze – AWESOME cloud-based backup solution to ensure you always have a backup of your most important files. Check it out – it's cheap!

Show Notes:

A lot of relevant info with regards to today's episode can be found on this article about the Google Classroom App.

The app enables users to do the following:

• Take pictures and immediately upload them to an assignment.
• Share from other apps.
• Offline Caching
• Work right from the phone or tablet.
• Monitor/Turn-in Assignments

Again, the Google Classroom App is available for iOS and Android. Share how you are using it with students in the comments below!

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This episode was recorded entirely on Voxer!

Sponsors:

Audible – Thanks to Audible for sponsoring the show. For a FREE audiobook of your choosing head to this link. Thanks to Audible's support of ITT!

Patreon – Intersted in supporting the show? Check out our Patreon page here.

Guests:

Jon Samuelson – @jonsamuelson

Starr Sackstein – @mssackstein

Victoria Olson – @MsVictoriaOlson

Show Notes:

This episode talks all about Voxer – an app (and now website) that allows you to voice chat via a ‘walkie-talkie' type environment. You can start conversations with individuals or with groups – all at the touch of a button.

Topics of conversation:

• What is Voxer?
• How are you using Voxer personally?
• In what ways can you use Voxer with students?
• How does Voxer redefine education?

The Voxer App – FREE  (iOS, Android)

Voxer.com

Connect with me on Voxer: jeffherb

How are you using Voxer? Vox me or comment below!

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Sponsors

Audible.com – We are pleased that Audible is a sponsor of our podcast. Click here to get a FREE audiobook of your choice and a 30-day free trial. Thanks to Audible for their support!

Patreon.com – Have you enjoyed ETYSK? Please consider supporting the show through our Patreon page. Every contribution helps keep this thing going! Thanks so much.

Show Notes

Swivl is an awesome tool that harnesses the power of iOS and Android devices to capture high quality video and audio that ‘tracks' the presenter (or whomever is the keeper of the sensor).

Here are some of the highlights:

• iOS and Android compatible
• Adapts to hold most smartphones and tablets
• Re-chargeable battery
• Wireless microphone and remote controls
• Follows you – 360 degrees with 25 degree tilt and 30 foot range.

Education Uses:

• Flipped Classroom
• Professional Development
• Student Projects

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Support ETYSK

If you've enjoyed the show thus far, please consider contributing. Your support goes a long way and helps to keep continued production a possibility. Head to patreon.com/etysk to help support the show. Thank you!

Tony Vincent

Website: learninginhand.com
Twitter: @tonyvincent

Stick Around

Essentially, the app lets the user set a background, add stickers to the picture, and also incorporates a ‘guess and check' component that helps individual students assess their work instantly. From Tony's website, here are some potential project uses of the app:

• place locations on a map
• tag parts of the body
• place items where they belong on a chart
• complete a graphic organizer
• annotate the water cycle
• label people in a photo
• diagram a sentence
• associate powers with the branches of government
• sequence events on a timeline
• associate words and definitions
• label the parts of a plant
• put words in alphabetical order
• fill in a Venn diagram
• match photos of animals to their habitats

Find out more about the app here: http://learninginhand.com/stickaround/

Also, check out this great infographic about the app: http://learninginhand.com/stickaroundblog/2014/12/15/an-infographic-about-stick-around

Thanks for tuning in for this episode about a backchanneling tool that is free, easy to use, and focused on developing a list of questions that your audience (students, staff) have regarding your topic of discussion and of those questions, which ones are most important to the group as a whole.

The tool is called Social Q&A and can be found at socialqa.com.

The functionality is simple. Your audience asks questions from their device (any web-enabled device will work), everyone votes on the questions they want answered, the most popular questions rise to the top, and thus Q&A time is streamlined since questions have already been curated.

Their site gives a couple options for implementation:

Before the fact: You can collect questions prior to the event and make your presentation/lesson focus on particular topics of importance.

During: Students/staff ask questions on the site during the lesson/meeting and you’ll have a defined list of questions to answer at the end of the session.

After: Allow the conversation to continue after your lesson or meeting – especially if all questions were unable to be answered in the time allowed. Students can ask questions as they work on homework and they can be immediately addressed the next day.

Social QA is a free tool and users can get started easily by going to socialqa.com. Links and a transcript of this episode will be available at etysk.com/9. Similarly, I’d love to hear how you use this tool – so please comment on the show’s page with your implementation – again that is etysk.com/9.

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Below is a transcript of the show:

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This episode of ETYSK focuses on GradeCam, a free tool that allows you to grade multiple choice tests/quizzes (up to 10 questions in the free version) using your iOS/Android phone camera, webcam on your laptop, or many versions of document cameras.

GradeCam features include:

• Instantly grade multiple choice tests using devices you carry with you.
• Create class rosters and scan directly to a student's name in your grade book.
• Create custom answer forms and print them yourself for free.
• Provide instant feedback to teachers and students.

Getting started with GradeCam is really easy. Just head over to gradecam.com and create a free account. Then, create your classes and class roster. After that you're ready to scan!

Consider using these for exit slips, short vocabulary checkups, checks for understanding on current lessons, and so much more.

How do you think you could use GradeCam? Let me know in the comments.

EdTech You Should Know – Episode 6

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This episode of ETYSK features the app Kodable, which aims to teach primary grade students how to code by means of an incredibly appealing game. Gretchen, one of the apps founders, explains what Kodable is, how teachers are using it in the classroom, why they target the age of kids that they do, and more.

Here is a basic description of Kodable as it is listed on their website:

“Kodable starts your child’s programming education off right. They learn lessons on sequence, conditions, and loops by dragging and dropping commands to program their fuzzy character. You can also learn with your child by using the Smeeborg Learning Guide, which explains each of the concepts taught in the first 45 levels of Kodable.”

Kodable is also great to teach programming because they have many resources already available for teachers – and the app allows for progress saving across any iPad – so it is perfect for those classrooms that have computer carts. Here is what is offered to teachers:

• Learning Guides that explain programming
• Class organization tools
• Individual student profiles
• Save progress on ANY iPad
• Kodable Class – The app designed for 21st century classrooms

Check out Kodable:

http://kodable.com

@Kodable on Twitter

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This week's episode of ETYSK talks about Remind and their great tool for communicating with students in your class or who may be members of your team or activity.

Remind is a great tool for the following:

• Safe/Secure communication between teachers and students
• Teachers don't know student phone numbers, students don't know teacher phone numbers
• Schedule reminders to be sent to students – plan your week in advance
• Use the new ‘stamps' feature to allow student/parent response to your questions/comments
• Use the great Remind app to keep track of your classes and share information with students easily
• It's FREE
• So much more!

How are you using Remind with your students and/or parents? Let us know in the comments!

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This episode of ETYSK focuses on Google's new Google Classroom LMS (learning management system) that ultimately helps teachers and students stay organized and connected throughout the duration of a course.

While Google Classroom is currently only available to those using Google Apps for Education (GAFE), so many educational institutions use GAFE that I would imagine if you are reading this or listening to this podcast you likely know that you are a GAFE school and are eligible to access the new platform.

This podcast mentions several features that were highlighted in my previous post “Getting Started with Google Classroom,” so instead of reposting everything here I will just encourage you to check out that article for screenshots and information that is discussed in this episode.

Episode Links:

Getting Started with Google Classroom

Google Classroom

Mirroring and Screen Sharing with Reflector, AirParrot, and Slingshot

On this week's episode we talked with Drew, the co-founder of AirSquirrels (the firm that produces the great apps we are discussing today).

Drew and I talked about the following three apps in relation to mirroring and screen sharing:

Reflector:

“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. Mirror your device on a big screen without wires or complicated setups.”

AirParrot:

“AirParrot adds AirPlay screen mirroring to any Windows or Mac computer. Wirelessly connect a computer to a TV and stream movies, music, photos and more to an Apple TV or computer running Reflector. AirParrot is the only Windows screen mirroring solution, and it's a great Mac AirPlay alternative.”

Slingshot:

“Slingshot allows you to share iOS device screens, Mac and Windows desktops or specific applications. Share with anyone, whether they're across the world or in the same room. Simply start a session, share your device and then invite others to join in! A number of collaboration tools are included, too! Video, audio and text chat are paired with collaborative note taking, file sharing and more.”

The headers above are direct links to the apps. A special thanks to Drew for talking with ETYSK about these awesome apps for educators!

Wednesday, August 6th, 2014

This episode of ETYSK features the website Bulb, a beautiful platform that allows students to create online portfolios of their work.

“Students are using bulb to create and publish portfolios and projects. Teachers are using bulb to publish lessons and collaborate as a class.”

I particularly like Bulb because students get to keep their bulb account forever – it isn't something that is district owned or managed and therefore isn't hosted or required to be maintained by the district. It is a great history of student learning that travels with students throughout their educational career.

I'm excited to see where bulb goes and interested to see how students and teachers use bulb going forward.

Here are some relevant links to information about Bulb:

https://www.bulbapp.com/u/bulb-for-teachers-and-students

This is the first episode of EdTech You Should Know, a new show in the Instructional Tech Talk network. The show features an educational technology tool per episode that is worth knowing about for use with students or staff.

This week's episode features Thinglink – an excellent tool for creatively annotating pictures and videos with various forms of media.

Here is a link to the website: http://thinglink.com/edu

To join Susan Oxnevad's challenges, see this link: http://thinglinkblog.com

Here is a sample of what you can do with ThingLink: