Noteshelf app for iPad

Noteshelf is an awesome app for note taking on the iPad. It lets you write notes, organize all your notebooks each with a cover and title, protect groups of notebooks with a password, and rearrange pages between notebooks. Does any student need copybooks and pens anymore? Do teachers need to carry paper notebooks around at conferences? Add fun to your notes using the smileys and icons that come with the app. You can import images, too. Or connect to the cloud. You don't need a stylus but it's a lot easier with one. The editing tools let you do many edit chores, like cut and paste, undo, and highlight.

Create EduGames Online

Gamestar Mechanic is a game-based digital learning platform designed to teach the guiding principles of game design and systems thinking in a highly engaging and creative environment. Gamestar Mechanic was designed with the understanding that game design is an activity that allows learners to build technical, technological, artistic, cognitive, social, and linguistic skills suitable for our current and future world. The built-in curriculum in Gamestar Mechanic lets learners exercise these skills by creating games. Knowing how to put together a successful game involves system-based thinking, problem solving, collaboration, art, storytelling, and digital media literacy. The basic level is free but you can upgrade to a premium version for a small monthly fee.

There are two ways to use this site. Students can play pre-made games that are curriculum related or they can create their own games with the help of a tutorial. For teachers, librarians and parents, the Learning Guide provides rich game design content as well as a set of sample lessons and resources that can be used in conjunction with the Gamestar program. One section of the guide showcases lessons on connecting more traditional academic content to game creation. Each entry contains a story, with observations about the real world that then take shape within game creation activities. A brief class activity outline offers ideas for ways of engaging students in game creation around the entries.

Using Apps

Educational organizations are finally embracing apps for smartphones such as the iPhone and tablet computers, such as the iPad. Learning with apps is often more convenient in this mobile world. Many of these apps are free to use for educational purposes.

For example, an app to get students thinking about how biomechanics and anatomy are related is the Vernier Video Physics app. Students can videotape animals using the app and analyze how the anatomy might be different between animals and why. It's a neat way to use a comparative approach to learning about anatomy. It's available for free from the Vernier app store.

Other apps to teach anatomy include XRayFX Lite, 3D Cell Station, 3D Head and Neck, 3D Body Systems Quiz, 3D Brain and Anatomy Lite. If you teach about Global Warming there is an app for that. So look for new apps whenever you visit your favorite science sites.

Student-Produced Videos

Elev8ed.org is a site for students to submit videos that:
- Offer new ideas for what education could be, and/or
- Inspire others to transform education, and/or
- Propose actions to improve education in the community.
Ask your students to check it out and see if they are interested in participating. There are lots of sample student productions to view.

Free Forensic Webinars

Ward's is offering free webinars on teaching forensics. See the schedule at the bottom of the link provided. The webinars are presented by Professional Development Academy experts,featuring the same content and interaction as live workshops, but without the cost of presenter travel fees. Webinars are broadcast live via the internet to your school building or multiple sites within your district.

Student Video Contest

Population Connection is hosting a video contest for high school students that challenges students to create a public service announcement that illustrates the impact of population reaching seven billion as it relates to environmental and global issues. Students can win cash prizes, the deadline for entries is coming up on March 1, 2011. If at least 10 students submit videos, they will send the teacher a set of free classroom resources. Contest information and forms are available at World of 7 Billion.