What's in a Tech Integration Project?

Each project provides:

•     Project activity guide
•     Copy of the completed example project
•     All the resources needed to recreate the example project
•     Step-by-step tutorial movies that walk students through the project
•     Assessment rubric

Most Tech Integration Projects' subjects can be easily modified to relate to any subject under study.

Plagiarism has always been a challenge for teachers to address. Technology has presented new tools for finding plagiarism, but it has also provided inventive ways for students to skirt around the rules. This edudemic infographic gives some interesting stats on the current state of plagiarism in education today. 

Want to learn more about what Atomic Learning can do to help students learn about plagiarism? Check out these workshops:

Avoiding Plagiarism 

APA Research Paper Basics

MLA Research Paper Basics

Acrobat XI Pro Training
Learn about tools to help you create and share PDF documents. From converting documents to PDF to adding and tracking comments using the Comments pane. Finally, learn how to create forms, track form data and use Forms Central in this training series.

After Effects CS6 – What’s New? Training
In this online training series you’ll discover the powerful new features of Adobe® After Effects® CS6 - taking your skill set from average to advanced. Learn to convert, extrude and edit vector shapes to unlock an endless array of design possibilities.

Desire2Learn 10.1 – Instructor Training

Atomic Learning recently added four new tech integration projects featuring both Microsoft® Excel and Powerpoint® 2010 software. The online training library offers over 120 of these classroom-ready projects for educators. These projects can be used as-is to quickly integrate technology into the classroom, or easily adapted to a particular subject-area or skill level. Atomic Learning has also expanded its training collection to include tutorials on software features ranging from learning management systems to photo editing with this release.

A brief description of the new projects follows.

Family Connections – PowerPoint 2010 (http://www.atomiclearning.com/la_fam_ppt10)

Guest post by Bill Lester, on behalf of the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, KS.

We all know that students today are having trouble unplugging when they enter the classroom.  They are living in a world that is moving faster than ever, so when they enter the classroom the movement is still at a snail’s pace.  We have taken steps, though small, in the right direction to make the classroom more exciting and interactive by developing uses for technology in the classroom, but haven’t found way to implement them into our lesson plans for everyday use.  Here is a list of strategies that can be used to implement technology, everything from traditional strategies that are currently used, to some new strategies that you may not have heard of.

Have you seen our new look? Check out this overview video to get the inside scoop on our clean, fresh updated user interface.

We found this article on The Hechinger Report quite interesting. As it states, often, schools hire outside contractors to run workshops on teaching strategies, new policies and even how to use technology in the classroom.

Rob Zdrojewski, a teacher at Amherst Middle School, has transformed his students into teachers. They create video mini-lessons, which help train the school’s teachers on how to use computers and other devices and software in the classroom. The Hechinger Report talked with Zdrojewski to find out more about how he’s capitalizing on the knowledge of “digital natives” to transform professional development.

Read more.

ANGEL 8.0 – Student Training
This online training series will teach students how to navigate ANGEL^®. You'll also learn how to turn in assignments, take tests, participate in online discussion, and much more.

Canvas Instructor Training
Canvas is a parent-student-teacher learning management system (LMS). In this online training series, instructors will be guided on how to get started with Canvas, set up a course and modify its settings. You'll also learn how to create pages, work with groups and add course navigation links.

Dreamweaver CS6 – Building a Web Site Training
You don't have to know HTML to start designing your own web site in Adobe^® Dreamweaver^® CS6.  In this online training series, you will learn how to define a site, create HTML documents, format text, add images and links, and preview your page in a browser.

A recent article in ISTE's Learning and Leading magazine entitled “Stop, Drop, and Roll” discusses Standard 5 of the NETS for Coaches, focusing on digital citizenship. We are especially fond of the author, former ISTE Board of Director member, Kara Gann, now a member of the Atomic Learning family. Kara has over 26 years in public education and is passionate about ed tech. Here are some thoughts from the article worth sharing:

Edmodo members now have an opportunity to collaborate with their peers in the Atomic Learning Edmodo Community.

Edmodo is a social networking site for teachers and students--and so much more. This free resource provides teachers and students a safe environment to communicate, collaborate, and have fun. If educators are not familiar with Edmodo, they are invited to view the Atomic Learning Edmodo training series at http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/en/edmodo where they'll learn how to sign up, how to set up an account, and how to use the many features, such as posting assignments and quizzes, populating a library of content, and even awarding recognition to students.

A recent article on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) website discusses how flipping your classroom can be an effective method in To Flip or Not to Flip: That is NOT the Question!

In the article, NCTM President, Linda M. Gojak states,

Teachers who have begun to flip their classrooms claim that this approach allows more one-on-one time with each student and increases student motivation, at the same time that students take greater responsibility for their own learning."

1413927 from BigStockPhoto.com

Keep in mind using a flipped classroom approach is more than just the how-to, as Gojak shares:

Students have different levels of technology knowledge, and educators should not assume students' skill levels when integrating technology into their classrooms. Edutopia's blogger, Nicholas Provenzano, a high school English teacher offers 3 tips for providing PD to students in a recent blog post entitled Don't Forget Professional Development for Students.

The first time a student told me they didn’t have an email address and didn’t know how to attach files, it blew my mind. Shouldn’t all students know how to send email? Haven’t students been sending attachments for years? That revelation changed the way that I integrate technology into my classroom. I offer three tips on making student professional development a seamless part of your classroom.

1) Model

2) Explore

3) Delegate

We found this article on educatorstechnology.com, and immediately thought of our educator friends! If you're working with students and iPads, check it out to help you integrate iPads into your classroom.

Atomic Learning is here to help you along the way, from iPad training tutorials to projects and workshops, we've got your iPad resources covered. Or, if your district is embarking on a mobile initiative, check out Atomic Learning's Atomic Mobilize solution to learn from educators and school leaders who have been there, done that.

In this video, Nicole Cruz, from Sharyland ISD in Mission, TX tells us how her district shared their Atomic Learning subscription with parents to create and strengthen the parents' involvement in their students' learning and tech integration.

Recently featured on edtechmagazine.com, this infographic indicates teachers view ed tech as a motivational tool. The site states:

Three-quarters of teachers who responded to a recent PBS poll said they want access to more technology in the classroom; 56 percent said they use websites as a tool to help students learn; and 77 percent said they use technology to motivate students. Just 21 percent of respondents said they have the right level of technology in their classrooms.

Check out the infographic below.

Rachelle Wooten, Instructional Technology Specialist at Fort Bend ISD shares how she feels having an Atomic Learning subscription has changed the use of technology in her district.

The Atomic TechCore solution from Atomic Learning helps school leaders and educators plan and execute a solid road map for curriculum to meet the requirements of the Common Core State Standards.

New to the Atomic TechCore solution is the lesson entitled "Fish Tank: Research, Writing, & Presentation," which uses an online wiki to create a collaborative environment where students present and discuss information related to an allegorical story they have read. Students will learn Internet search techniques, as well as how to evaluate the information they find on the Web for credibility and accuracy. 

Atomic Learning has expanded its training collection to include the following new training series. Log in and learn today!

Clicker 6 Training (PC)

In this online training series, you’ll begin by learning the basic features of Clicker™ 6, Crick Software’s literacy tool to support the reading and writing skills of every student. You will then gain the knowledge needed to manage those features by modifying the user preferences.  You will also learn how to create personalized, curriculum-specific activities in seconds. 

Flash CS6 – Intro Training (Mac)

In this online training series, you'll learn how to use Microsoft Office 365 to collaborate, create and store information. Using your favorite web browser, you can access your information anytime and anywhere! Check out this video to learn more about the new series coming soon to Atomic Learning.

Is your district struggling with developing a strategic plan to meet the requirements of the Common Core State Standards? Atomic TechCore, a suite of tools for school leaders to build their Common Core implementation roadmaps, is now available.

Atomic TechCore consists of a set of customizable planning and collaborative network tools that assist administrators in identifying the professional development and technology needed for their district to transform teaching to align to Common Core standards, and in communicating the resulting findings and implementation plans to those impacted within the district.

The Atomic TechCore solution includes:
•    Planning tool for school leaders
•    PD and lesson plans for teachers
•    Lesson assignments for students

Evernote® is a robust cloud note-taking and memory enhancing app. It can be used on just about any device and on just about any operating system. Notes are auto synchronized across devices and can be shared with others so project collaboration becomes a snap.

The new online training course from Atomic Learning begins with a tutorial on creating an account and installing Evernote on your device(s). Next, you'll be guided on how to create notes and add media on desktop clients, the Web service and on mobile devices. Learn to use the search function, sorting, tagging, and notebooks to keep your notes organized and accessible. Finally, learn how you can increase its functionality by exploring the Evernote Trunk.

The Evernote training series is exclusive to the Atomic Mobilize solution from Atomic Learning, contact us to learn more.

Edmodo is a social networking site for teachers and students—and it has a mobile version! Teachers can use Edmodo to communicate information to students, post assignments, quizzes and polls, and encourage discussion and collaboration in their classroom. The mobile app allows students and teachers to access Edmodo from virtually anywhere, encouraging learning and collaboration outside of the classroom.

The new training series from Atomic Learning demonstrates how to set up an account, create groups for your students, and use all the fun and useful features of Edmodo to create a digital community in your classroom.

Join us at ISTE 2012, and mark your calendar to see our friend Brooke's presentation!
                
Date: Monday, 6/25/2012, 2:00pm–4:00pm
Presenter: Brooke Mulartrick of Methacton School District

Discover the tools that Methacton School District is using to differentiate technology instruction for staff, students, and parents to support digital age learning. 

What is meant by "21st Century Skills?" How do they relate to what I should be teaching in my classroom? These are just some of the questions that you might be asking when you hear the term "21st Century Skills."

Watch this online presentation by Brad Flickinger, technology teacher at Bethke Elementary School in Timnath, Colorado, as he shares the tools he's used to introduce 21st Century Skills to his students and the impact he has seen.

Atomic Learning has recently added new content to its training library. Included in this release are Illustrator CS5 Advanced Training for Mac users as well as 2 new workshops on avoiding plagiarism and internet safety.

Check out all of the new training outlined below.

Training:

You won't believe your your eyes when you see the incredible technology projects that are being done with elementary students. This energetic presentation is full of ideas that will not only inspire you but also blow you away! In fact, what you see might make you want to stand up and shout, “There’s no way that 9 year-olds did that!”

CS1046 - Unbelievable Tech Projects with Elementary Students by Brad Flickinger
10:00 am - 11:00 am -- Wednesday, January 25, 2012 | Room: S230D

Learn how Brad Flickinger, an Elementary Tech Teacher in CO flipped his classroom - the students learn content on their own and get help from the teacher later when they are working on their skills - to best reach his students with the help of Atomic Learning. Read more.

Special thanks to Tim Holt of El Paso ISD for sharing this video he created to get the word out about Atomic Learning in his district. Take a look, and use it at your district!

Today's students are different. Today's world is different. The changes suggest a very different role for schools and teachers.

Based on findings by Atomic Learning's partner, SEG Measurement, this free resource discusses the importance of professional development in helping teachers effectively use technology in their teaching and the challenges of providing technology training for teachers.

To read the full research results, download the white paper here.