April+2012

=**April 2012**=

www.etnewsupdate.wikispaces.com
 = Registering Now For GSD Educational Technology Classes =



The course will include time to work on CANVAS pages and courses with the assistance of the instructor during class.

 * ===There is no charge for this class and licensure points will be offered upon successful completion of the classes===

This class is now full. Please click on the link to add your name to a wait list.
===The @http://Pixie%203%20software%20by%20Tech4Learning%20is%20the%20canvas%20for%20your%20students%27%20creativity.%20Student%20projects%20in%20any%20content%20area%20can%20be%20created%20and%20shared%20with%20this%Writing Projects With Pixie Course is a 15 hour course offered over a three day period and is being offered to all GSD grades 2-4 teachers.===

The writing instruction is aligned with the common core and will cover opinion, informative and narrative projects.
Upon successful completion of the three day course, participants will each receive up to ten Pixie licenses depending on individual or team participation, and a choice of 15 licensure points or 1 USOE credit. Attendance all three days is necessary.

 = GSD Educational Technology's Website Gems of the Month =

Fact Monster
Fact Monsters is a one stop location to find science facts that are simply stated, written in kid friendly text and cover a broad range of sciences. The topics range across all grade levels. You'll find facts on: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Physics, Environment, Energy and Nature, Weather, Health and Body, Food, General Science, Plants, Animals, Astronomy and Space, Interactive Periodic Table and more!



Zoom Sci
Zoom Sci is a PBS Website that has hundreds of science experiments for kids to do, all with simple to read and follow instructions on a wide range of topics: Chemistry, Engineering, The Five Senses, Forces and Energy, Patterns, Sound, Structures and Water. Some of the experiments include video demonstrations. There is also a page on the website to experiment through interactive science games. Click Here to get to the games page.



Cells Alive!
Learn about cells in a very visual and interactive way. This website has great animations. Try this one out to see the Cell Cycle.



BBC Bitesize Science

 * Living Things (Circulation, Food Chain, Human Life Cycle, Microorganisms, Plant and Animal Habitats, Plant Life Cycle, Plants, Skeletons and Muscles, Teeth and Eating, Variation)
 * Materials (Changes in Materials, Changing States, Heat, Material Properties, Rocks and Soils, Solids, Liquids and Gases)
 * Physical Processes (Earth, Sun and Moon, Electrical Circuits, Electrical Conductors, Forces, Friction, Light, Magnets, Shadows, Sound)
 * [[image:Screen_Shot_2012-03-13_at_8.47.59_AM.png width="192" height="141" link="@http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/physical_processes/"]] || [[image:Screen_Shot_2012-03-13_at_8.47.49_AM.png width="190" height="138" link="@http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/materials/"]] || [[image:Screen_Shot_2012-03-13_at_8.47.41_AM.png width="190" height="144" link="@http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/living_things/"]] ||

= Two Ways to Use Free Online Response Systems With Your Students =

=== Socrative and Poll Everywhere can be used with students who have access to a computer, cell phone, or a mobile device such as an iPod Touch or iPad. ===

they can save the website as an icon (looks like an app icon) on the device. Here's how you do that:

 * Open the browser on the iPod Touch or iPad
 * Navigate to the exact page of the website you want to make an icon for
 * Click on the icon on the top left side of the screen that looks like a rectangle with a right curved arrow
 * Choose "Add to Home Screen"
 * Name the website what you want and then touch "add"
 * It will then set the website as an icon on your iPod Touch/iPad



What is a QR Code?
QR is short for Quick Response. QR Codes were originally used for tracking auto parts, but now you'll see them just about everywhere. The codes like the one below, can be scanned quickly by a phone or mobile device using a QR code reader. There are many QR code readers available. Just check the app store for whatever device you're using.

QR Codes take you from the print world to the digital world. They can link you to a website, a video, text, and pretty much anything on the web. For advertisers it's an easy way to give you more information about their product and allows you to save the website for future reference.

Two QR Readers for Apple Devices

 * The two QR Code readers below can be downloaded onto compatible Apple devices. Once you have a QR Code reader on your phone or device you're ready to **
 * start scanning. **
 * [[image:Screen_Shot_2012-03-14_at_7.24.08_AM.png caption="QR Reader (Free)" link="@http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qr-reader-for-iphone/id368494609?mt=8"]] || [[image:Screen_Shot_2012-03-14_at_7.29.06_AM.png]] || [[image:Screen_Shot_2012-03-14_at_9.23.47_AM.png caption="i-nigma (Free QR Code Reader)" link="@http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/i-nigma-qr-code-data-matrix/id388923203?mt=8"]] || [[image:Screen_Shot_2012-03-14_at_9.23.36_AM.png]] ||