Your Resource for Information Literacy
Guest Post: Clipix, a research tool for teachers and students
When developing ways for both teachers and students to use Clipix for educational use, the concept of using one platform for saving everything and anything they come across was key. A student, when researching for a paper or project, can all of a sudden have 10 tabs open on one browser, 7 open on another, and lose track of that quote they were planning to cite. Now that we no longer have to imagine the world pre-Clipix, research can be saved to one location. Clipix eliminates that need of constantly logging in to different services for each task.
Teachers can utilize Clipix when developing lesson plans or even assisting students on improving their research skills. Our syncboard feature allows our users to share and collaborate in a group on Clipix. This creates a more organized environment for group projects as well as a central source for students to interact with their teachers or librarians. Users can also save files including Word documents and Excel spreadsheets on Clipix which are easily accessible from any computer. By using Clipix for educational, both students and teachers are able to aggregate all of their research to one location.
Some of our features that teachers/librarians may find useful:
Privacy controls: Since Clipix is a utility and not a social network, it is the user’s choice if to have their clipboards private or public view. Every clipboard on Clipix has a little lock on it, and by clicking the lock, the user chooses the privacy level on their clipboard. Over 70% of clips on Clipix are in private clipboards.
File upload: Since Clipix is a real organizational tool, users are able to upload documents that they have on their desktop as clips. Users can upload photos, Word documents, Excel documents, PDF’s, etc. Files are then stored in the cloud and are always accessible via Clipix just like the user’s other clips, including on any mobile device.
Custom thumbnails: Clipix is not about pretty images. It’s about really helping our users to organize their online lives. In addition to being able to upload documents as mentioned above, users are also able to clip from pages that only have text and no image.
Multiboards: As an organizational tool, users can drag one clipboard into another to create a multiboard that can contain many clipboards. When users have many clipboards this maintains a sense of order and is especially useful when using Clipix for different projects.
Syncboards: Sharing and collaborate on Clipix is an intuitive, simple, cohesive experience. If users need to share information, plan a trip, a party or anything else, they can send each other a clipboard with clips or any other information in it, and when received by the friend, it becomes a syncboard. There is no limit to how many members can share a syncboard, and all members can contribute to it. When a clip is added to a syncboard, all member see it live and can comment on it.
Price Drop Alert: This is a patent-pending, proprietary feature of Clipix. Members can now clip items to their clipboard from most retailers’ websites, and set a price alert at which they have a desire to purchase that item.
Our system automatically “pings” that retail website daily and promptly notifies the member when the desire price is reached via email and clipboard notification.
Copyright: At Clipix we take copyright seriously. We place a watermark on each image that is uploaded to Clipix because we believe that those who create original work and own the rights should not have to worry about someone else using their work without permission.
iPhone and Android Apps: Clipix is dedicated to providing excellent mobile experiences to users of multiple mobile operating systems. We have both iPhone and Android apps, providing our members a way to always be connected and synchronized with their clipboards.
Language Availability: Available in 12 languages, which include English, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Japanese, Clipix allows for seamless sharing across languages, so users who speak different languages are able to share clipboards & can see them in the same language or in their preferred language.
For more information, please visit: www.clipix.com
Read MoreA Summer Reading List for Educators
Mary Beth Hertz is a certified Instructional Technology Specialist and K-7 Technology Teacher in Philadelphia, PA. She has presented at a number of conferences and is a blogger and avid user of social media. She is also a co-organizer of Edcamp Philly and sits on the Edcamp Foundation Board. She was also named an ISTE Emerging Leader in 2010. She is passionate about making school meaningful and about all things edtech.
Now that school has wound down and we can all come up for air, it’s time to start thinking about next year. If you’re like me, you’ve been thinking about next year and how you will do things differently since May. Now that you have some time to reflect and learn to inform your planning for next year, here are some suggested titles for your summer beach reading and viewing.
Digital Life
Crap Detection 101: How to Distinguish Good and Bad Information Howard Rheingold, video 2011
Rheingold has been writing about the digital world since the 1980s and this video is a must-see for any educator navigating the overloaded world of information with their students or as a professional.
NetSmart: How to Thrive Online Howard Rheingold 2012
While I haven’t had a chance to read Rheingold’s newest book, it is on my to-read list because of his wide range of expertise and experience in the field of digital life.
About Teaching
Understanding the Common Core John Kendall 2011
This tiny, inexpensive book is great guide to the events leading up to the adoption of the Common Core along with some of the thinking behind its structure and purpose. Although it is a bit biased, since it is written by a drafter of the document, I found it a great introduction to what is coming down the line.
The Power of Our Words Paula Denton 2007
This book, part of the Responsive Classroom model’s book series, changed the way I speak to my students. It provides practical, real examples of how changing your words can change your classroom dynamic and your teaching.
Never Work Harder Than Your Students Robyn Jackson 2009
As the title suggests, this book is focused on getting you as a teacher to put more of the responsibility for learning onto your students. It is practical and realistic and gave me a lot to reflect on.
Curriculum 21 Heidi Hayes Jacobs 2010
Although this book came out a decade into the new century, Jacobs argues that it is time to completely overhaul our curriculums and create a new ‘operating system’ for our schools. An important read for any current educator.
Brain Rules John Medina 2008
This book created in me a sort of obsession for brain-based learning theories for a while. Medina approaches highly scientific concepts in an easily digested way that makes simple connections to learning for educators to reflect on. Not only does what he describe make sense to anyone who has ever taught, it is based on hard science.
Making Learning Whole David Perkins 2008
After I finished Brain Rules, I picked up this wonderful book about creating learning experiences for students that break the current mold of subjects and segmented learning by thinking about teaching and learning the same way we think about teaching and learning how to play games like baseball. Perkins builds out this metaphor in a way that not only ‘sticks’ but offers guidelines and examples for educators.
Inspirational
Walk Out Walk On Deborah Frieze, Margaret Wheatley 2011
All I can say is that this book made me begin to question a lot of things. The authors take you on a journey through a non-fiction, first-person account of communities around the world stepping up and taking charge of their communities rather than waiting around for experts to come save them. If you have ever been part of a grassroots community (like Edcamp) this book will speak to you. If you haven’t, it will open your mind.
Teacher Man Frank McCourt 2005
My grandparents gave this book to me years ago (probably when it first came out) and it took a while for me to pick it up. When I did, I was immediately glad I had. This is an autobiography of a teacher in New York City. McCourt’s story is one of persistence, dedication and inspiration for anyone who has ever taught.
The Element Sir Ken Robinson 2009
By now, Robinson is almost a hero in the education world for his influential TED talk about creativity. After watching his video for the umpteenth time, I finally purchased his book. I was not disappointed. While not an educator, I found the stories inside inspiring and the message to discover and follow your passions a powerful one.
Feel free to share your own recommendations!
Read MoreVisibility Is A Synonym For Advocacy
Margaux DelGuidice works as a school librarian, adjunct professor and children’s services librarian and is co-author of the book, Make A Big Impact @ Your School Board Meeting. Sometimes she sleeps and goes to the gym, but she would much rather be writing! Follow her on Twitter @metadatachick and email her: metadatachick@gmail.com
Rose Luna is a school librarian at Freeport High School in Freeport, New York, and a bilingual reference librarian at the Freeport Memorial Library in Freeport, New York. She holds an MLS degree from C.W. Post, Long Island University, and a master’s degree in school administration and supervision from Touro College, Manhattan Campus and is co-author of the book, Make A Big Impact @ Your School Board Meeting. Follow her on Twitter @RoseMLuna.
One time it happened in my kitchen over a basket of muffins I baked to share with faculty and students in celebration of National Library Month. Another time it was the shared link to an easily created Animoto showcasing the events happening at my library. Last week it was a video directed and crafted by my students that showed how much they love to use the school library. Today it was the use of an infographic to compile and share my end of the year patron use and circulation statistics.
Visibility is the common thread that weaves together these unique situations. Throughout the course of the school year I use all different kinds of traditional and even unconventional tactics to garner positive support and recognition for my library. This proactive strategy helps to keep the programs happening at my library visible within my school and community.
One of the most powerful advocacy weapons that librarians possess in their arsenal of visibility is one that is often overlooked; that is the tool creating a presence at school board meetings. A district-wide librarian presentation at a school board meeting provides the perfect vehicle for delivering an important message about the link between properly funded library programs, staffed by certified school librarians, and student achievement.
You understand that crucial link, but who else knows and understands those facts? Are your colleagues, administrators, community members and school board members aware of the importance of your library program? If your key stakeholders are unaware of all the good things happening in your library, then it is time to reach outside of the physical library space and begin to make your position and your program visible.
As you read this you may be feeling anxious and overwhelmed, you are probably thinking that you simply do not have enough time to devote to marketing your library within your community. As a fellow librarian working in a school and public library I too feel overwhelmed and pressed for time on a daily basis. Working with my school and public librarian colleague, Rose Luna, we saw the need for a tool that helps librarians conduct aggressive marketing campaigns for their libraries, yet spares them the headache of having to “re-invent the wheel.” Our new book, Make A Big Impact @ Your School Board Meeting contains practical tips and tools for all librarians, including numerous changeable forms and a presentation that can be custom tailored to meet the needs of your library program. Do not wait any longer! Use the tools! Now is the time to get active and make an impact!
Read MoreUsing the EasyBib Notebook to Teach Paraphrasing
Mary Beth Hertz is a certified Instructional Technology Specialist and K-7 Technology Teacher in Philadelphia, PA. She has presented at a number of conferences and is a blogger and avid user of social media. She is also a co-organizer of Edcamp Philly and sits on the Edcamp Foundation Board. She was also named an ISTE Emerging Leader in 2010. She is passionate about making school meaningful and about all things edtech.
One of the most common problems that teachers report when facilitating research projects with their students is that students often copy directly from websites without quoting the author or by handing in work that comes directly from a source, word for word.
It is imperative that we explicitly teach our students how to paraphrase the information they find and how to differentiate between paraphrasing and direct quotations. The Internet has made everything seem easy and free for the taking. There are so many sources out there, that knowing whether a student has plagiarized has become so difficult that teachers have to use special tools like TurnItIn to make sure that student writing is their own. There are other reasons aside from academic honesty to make sure that young people know how to synthesize ideas into their own words. As more and more information is put out on the Internet, more and more of our students are creators of this content. They are the future keepers of ideas and knowledge, so we must teach them to be responsible creators and consumers of content.
One thing I’m excited to use with my students to teach these skills is EasyBib’s Notebook. Each time my students add a new note, they have the option to directly quote the resource, paraphrase some of the information they want to use from a resource, or to write their own thoughts on the information. In the copy/paste world we live in, the Notebook allows my students to visualize the difference between copying information word-for-word and putting information in your own words. This tool will also give my students a chance to compare the three ways of thinking about the information they are reading. It will also help them digest the information by forcing them to separate the author’s ideas, their interpretation of the author’s ideas and to find the author’s words that support their own opinions.
Before introducing my students to the Notebook, however, I will need to break the process down, allowing my students to practice paraphrasing as a class and on their own. Even as an adult, paraphrasing is difficult, so I don’t expect them to ‘get it’ the first time. However, I am thrilled to have the Notebook tool to make teaching the differences between paraphrasing and taking direct quotations from the resources my students use.
Read MoreThe Best Android Tablet Apps for Reading
Steven W. Anderson is a recognized expert in using social media in education. Steven regularly consults with schools and districts around the country on how they can use social media to break down barriers and extend learning beyond the classroom walls.
A regular presenter at ASCD, ISTE and various other state/local conferences, Steven speaks on technology integration, leadership and education reform. In his home district he works with school administrators, helping them to build their capacity for change and leadership with technology. Steven resides in North Carolina with his wife Melissa and their daughter Reaghan.
I love my tablets. I carry 2 pretty much wherever I go, especially when I travel. Now, I love my iPad. I can get lots of work done on it, but mostly play some great games. However, I recently got a 10.1 Galaxy Tab and it is quickly becoming my go-to tablet for everything. From writing this blog post to checking my tweets to watching Netflix, I use it more than my laptop some days.
But I am finding more and more that I pick it up before I pick up my Kindle. Normally I am reading 4-5 books at a time and carrying those books around took up a great deal of space in my bag. Then I got a Kindle and that helped a bunch. Then I got a tablet and discovered the Kindle app and I honestly can’t remember the last time I even charged my Kindle.
There are lots of apps for books and reference for the Android user, some of which you might not find for you iPad. Here are my favorites.
Kindle- Like I mentioned, this is my primary app for reading books. I can usually get a good deal on eBooks from Amazon and the app is great for reading. I have all my tools to highlight and share excerpts and the app syncs my location in all my books on all my devices. So if it is easier for me to use my phone to catch up on a chapter, I know I will be in the right place.
Google Books- This is another app I use for reading a lot. I will price compare when I am looking for books and sometimes I can get a better deal with Google books. This app is similar to the Kindle app and has a lot of the same features. Highlighting and sharing is included and the syncing too.
Audible- Sometimes I just like to be read to. Especially when I am traveling for some reason I like to listen to books rather than read them. Thank goodness for Audible. I can do a quick search of the database and buy a book that I can then have read by the author or someone associated with the book. And they always have a good deal on audio books too.
Wikipedia- While I can get to Wikipedia from my tablet browser, I find the app much more friendly and easier to navigate. And you can save articles for offline viewing (handy for those times you have work to do but no connection) and can share articles with ease with the Android sharing menu.
Wattpad- This is a unique reading app. With over 100,000 stories and books it would be tough not to find something to like. The collection is full of independent authors and storytellers. The app is very social because you can see the comments from other readers and join book clubs to talk about books or genres.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary- Because sometimes you just need a definition.
Goodreads- This is another social/sharing book site. You can create your own bookshelf to share what you are reading and what you want to read, jump into discussions and discover new content.
Those are my favorite apps for reading and reference on my Android tablet. What are some of yours?
Read MoreHow to use a single iPad to benefit your entire class
Adam Bellow, founder of eduTecher.net, was recognized in 2011 as the Outstanding Young Educator of the Year by ISTE. Adam has been sharing his vision for education reform by harnessing the power of technology with thousands of educators from around the country for the past several years. Considered an expert in the area of Web Tools. Adam lives in New York with his wonderful wife and two terrific boys. For more information about Adam please visit www.eduTecher.net
The iPad has been on the scene just a little over two years now, and already it is starting to dominate many classrooms across the country. It is amazing to see such incredible adoption in education – a market that has been notoriously cautious when warming up to brand new technology. While there is no doubt that the iPad is an extraordinary personal learning device, many had doubts on how this tool could be leveraged to be used in the classroom effectively. Like all electronics in the mobile space, the device is key, but even more important is the eco-system of applications that are available for it. And even more important still is the way in which teachers can effectively leverage its abilities for their students to have a valid learning experience.
Apps for education started to trickle in. Slow at first, with the first crop of them focused on simple interactions with content. For example, the app Elements allowed users to spin virtual elements around and read about their properties in depth. It looked slick and was useful as a reference, but didn’t seem to go beyond that. It is when developers started to really think creatively about how the 10 inches of glass could serve as a creation canvas that things started to get interesting.
There is no short supply of apps today that help users create interactive stories, work on math problems with one another in a digitally synchronous environment, and even more amazing are the apps like ShowMe that allow users to create a lesson to teach a concept with the world as well as browse a huge library of these user generated videos to learn from as well.
Many schools are looking to get iPads into the hands of teachers and/or students. There are many that are piloting a small number of the devices and even a handful of schools that are making a 1-1 investment in the devices for their students.
In spite of many schools starting to implement the iPad in the classroom, there are many more that haven’t yet due to funding issues as well as the fact that many schools are still unsure of how to really use these devices in the classroom.
Having a single iPad in the classroom can actually still be a valuable tool for both the instructor and students alike. Mainly because the screen can now be shared with the class so easily.
There are several ways to project an iPad’s screen in the classroom. There is one given – You will need to have a projector. If you have a projector that has HDMI (which many new projectors do indeed have) then you have several options on how to project with your iPad.
You can buy an adaptor from Apple for $30 that allows you to plug in directly from the iPad to the HDMI port of the projector and the screen will be shown on both devices. Apple calls this “mirroring”.
If you purchase an AppleTV ($99) and plug that into the projector (also via HDMI connection) then you can use the iPad to “Mirror” its display through the AppleTV. The catch here is that you will need a reliable WiFi signal in addition to the hardware that both the AppleTV and the iPad can be synced to. This cuts the cord so-to-speak, which is a great step in the right direction. But again, the school’s WiFi should be strong.
To actually mirror the image so that it can be seen though the projector you can follow these steps.
- Make sure AppleTV is on and configured on the same WiFi network as the iPad.
- Double click the home button on the iPad, which will bring up the system tray. (Icons of the apps that are currently opened and running in the background)
- Swipe your finger on the bottom system tray to the right. You will see the options for volume and brightness as well as a display icon. When you press the display icon you can now select the AppleTV choice and within a few seconds the screen will mirror.
Another option, which I happen to really like, is a piece of software that works on any Apple computer. It is called Reflection and it is a $15 app (multiple licenses can be purchased for a reduced rate). Reflection allows you to mirror your iPad screen on your Apple desktop and that can be projected the same way you would project any computer screen.
What I especially like about the Reflection and AppleTV options are the fact that the iPad, even if it is only one of them, can be shared amongst multiple students and the entire class can see the screen at one time. While the same is true for the HDMI dongle version, the fact that the wire must be connected to the device and projector at all times limits mobility.
While having one device shared between many students might not be ideal, this is a good way to expose students to the wonderful world of content available only on the iPad platform as well as offer some interactivity in their learning. Students can easily pass the device around the room and interact with the app (depending on the apps being used).
The whole idea of using technology as part of the classroom is great – but when used appropriately and made accessible to all the students is when we really realize and harness the full potential of what the technology can do for the students.
To learn about some wonderful iOS apps that are out there you have to follow the site IEAR and APPITIC. These are two of the best resources dedicated to reviewing iOS apps out there. If Android apps are more your thing, Richard Byrne runs a blog called Android4Schools.com which is also quite helpful in locating the apps that are useful in the classroom.
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