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.

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

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

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.

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.

We found this infographic on the edtech digest blog, and had to share. Image courtesy of Teacher Certification Degrees.

(Click image to enlarge).

Everywhere you look someone is using a mobile device. So, it's no surprise that educators are needing to embrace these technologies as tools to impact teaching & learning. The "Going Mobile" course will expose teachers to a variety of tools and strategies to get the most out of mobile devices in the classroom.

There's still time to join the Atomic Catalyst course starting on October 29!

We at Atomic Learning echo U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's statements posted on the ed.gov website, recognizing World Teachers' Day:

World Teachers’ Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of teachers across the globe. Education is recognized worldwide as the most important driver of economic growth and social change, and teachers are the ones leading the way."

Read more.

Thank you to all educators!

A recent post on edudemic.com gives the benefits of using video in the classroom as shown in the graphic below, and 11 reasons teachers should make their own videos, check it out.

Do you have some great back-to-school ideas for spreading the word about Atomic Learning that you've used in your district? Collaborate with your peers in the Edmodo Atomic Learning User Group! Here's an example shared by Brooke Mulartrick of Methacton School District in PA.

Most successful initiatives are fueled by strong planning and implementation, but rooted in inspiration. The Success Stories section of the Atomic Mobilize solution shares key reflections from successful mobile programs to inspire school leaders and teachers to embrace mobile learning as an important part of a contemporary education.

For example, Atomic Mobilize subscribers can follow the journey of a junior high math teacher as he embraces technology and empowers himself and his students through incorporating iPads into his classroom lessons.

It has almost become an addiction, I'm always looking for new strategies, new things I can throw into the classroom to make the class more interactive.

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.

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.

Using a show-and-tell method, Atomic Learning's Atomic Integrate solution allows teachers to see first-hand how to teach 21st century skills. From professional development to classroom integration, Atomic Integrate provides a variety of just-in-time resources to empower educators with tools and training to ensure student success. CEU and graduate credit options are also available.

The Teacher Assessment lets districts gauge technology skill levels and helps teachers develop personalized learning paths to incorporate 21st century skills into the classroom. Customers have found this to be a great asset to the Atomic Integrate solution.

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

Atomic Learning provides special education teachers and paraprofessionals anytime, anywhere answers to questions about the assistive technology tools and devices students are using. Training tutorials also provide a tool to help keep general education teachers informed on the devices students need to be successful in the general ed setting.

Atomic Learning’s Assistive Technology Professional Development Solution provides over 5,000 online video tutorials on common assistive technology software and hardware. Just-in-time training on accessibility features build into Microsoft® Office, Apple® iPad™, Windows® and Mac operating systems is also included.

This new Atomic Catalyst instructor-led PD course is centered around Atomic TechCore’s Lesson Wizard, where classroom lessons are created that empower students to achieve the rigor of the Common Core State Standards.

Upon completion of the course, learners will:

• Unpack the Common Core State Standards identifying the knowledge and skills called for in the standards they need to teach.
• Identify classroom activities that will help develop an enduring understanding.
• Design 3 lessons that meet specific CCSS.
• Evaluate the process of transforming an existing lesson to meet CCSS and creating an original lesson that meets the standards.

Transforming Classroom Lessons to Teach Common Core Standards

$150.00 | July 16—Aug 27  | Weekly Webinar: Mondays, 6pm-7pm CST

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. 

Atomic Learning’s workshops and classroom-ready projects help you deepen your knowledge and provide you with the tools and confidence you need to bring instruction and technology together to engage students. Now there is an added benefit to the time you invest in this learning.  Atomic Learning’s workshops and projects can now be used to help you earn one graduate credit per completed course. 

Here’s how it works:

Atomic Learning now provides grad credit options to meet educators’ personal and professional growth objectives. These 1-, 2-, and 3-credit training options focus on the effective application of technology in the classroom.

For 1 graduate credit, Atomic Learning customers complete any of the more than 300 workshops or projects available from Atomic Learning, and then complete additional reflective steps to qualify for credits through Augustana College.  The cost to earn the self-paced graduate credit is $125.

A recent EdWeek article quoted a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, as saying:

I predict the common-core standards will fail, unless we can do massive professional development
for teachers."

The same article stated:

Fewer than half of districts planned to provide professional development aligned to the standards
during the current school year."

Wondering where to even begin?  Atomic Learning's Atomic TechCore resource includes professional development planning tools and training, including specific Common Core teacher professional development and lesson guides.

Learn more at http://al.atomiclearning.com/techcore.

Source: Concern Abounds Over Teachers' Preparedness for Standards

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:

Schools are under increasing pressure to implement the Common Core Standards and to develop students’ career and college readiness skills.

Methacton School District, located in a suburb of Philadelphia in southeastern Pennsylvania, is no different. The district is made up of just over 400 staff and more than 5,000 students. Methacton implemented a comprehensive professional development solution to address the challenge of differentiation in technology instruction for educators.

Download this case study to learn how Methacton found a solution that has helped align technology and curriculum which results in increased teacher support and student engagement.

A recent Education Week blog post discussed survey results that revealed teachers are aware of Common Core State Standards, but when asked how prepared the teachers were to implement the standards in their classroom there were mixed feelings.

Word has definitely gotten out among teachers about the Common Core State Standards, new survey data suggest, but many educators do not feel fully prepared to teach them.

This graphic from Scholastic shows the survey findings visually: