Oxford Owl Learning

Apologies for neglecting the blog for a couple of weeks! Catherine and I spent several days last week at Harvard attending an "iPad in the Classroom" workshop sponsored by EdTech Teacher - which was amazing.  We're still processing all that we learned and how best to share it with our teachers and students!  Look for blog posts in the coming weeks based on the workshop :)

Meanwhile, I discovered the Oxford Owl Learning website earlier this week from one of my favorite blogs: iLearn Technology.

Oxford Owl has over 250 free eBooks available online, designed for children up to age 11 develop their reading skills.  Audio is provided for each book (a wonderful feature!), and the books have activities that focus on reading comprehension and story recall.  The site also has tips for parents and teachers, printables and online games.  Sadly, these books do not yet work on iPads...

The Maths section (as they call it in the UK) is designed for children up to age 7 to develop math skills:

Explore and Enjoy!  Mrs. Morell

Hundreds of Ideas for Summer Fun - Part One

Once again, I've been wandering through Pinterest, and have found several great blog links, lists and ideas to share to inspire summer fun ... and learning!

100 Things to Do This Summer from Honest to Nod - The Land of Nod blog:

10 Mostly Offbeat Ways Teens can Learn Something this Summer from the Washington Post:

Amazing Apps for Every Grade Level at Holy Trinity School

During the 2012-13 school year, as we piloted using iPads in every classroom at HTS, our teachers and students sampled hundreds of Apps.  Many were fantastic, others not so much :)  At the end of the school year, it was time to clean house, so the teachers were asked which Apps they would like to keep for the 2013-14 school year.  The incredibly organized Mr. Clark has spend the past few weeks getting all the iPads updated for the next school year, and we thought our school community might enjoy taking a peek at the Apps that have made the cut.  Keep in mind our list will evolve a bit as the summer progresses...
PreK-K iPads

• Addition Wiz Free**
• All About Letters Interactive Activities
• Bob Books #1 - Reading Magic HD
• Bob Books #2 - Reading Magic HD
• Cimo Spelling (Sight Words)*
• Don't Let the Pigeon Run this App*
• Elmo Loves ABCs for iPad
• Fish School HD - by Duck Duck Moose
• Freefall Spelling
• I Like Books - 37 Picture Books for Kids in 1 App
• Kids Learning to Read - Little Reader 3 Letter Words*
• Letter Writer Oceans (Preschool ABC's)
• Little Solver - Preschool Logic Game
• Math with Mouse
• Monkey Math School Sunshine
• Monkey Preschool Lunchbox
• Montessori Numberland HD
• Musical Paint
• Park Math HD - by Duck Duck Moose*
• Raz-Kids**
• Scribble my Story - A Fingerprint Network App**
• Skitch**
• Starfall ABCs
• Starfall Learn to Read*
• TeachMe: Kindergarten
• TeachMe: Toddler
• Word Magic*

The Amazing TED and TED Ed

I am a bit obsessed with TED Talks - and the TED Ed website.  I have been known to lose track of space and time while surfing through lists of videos, feeling alternately inspired and completely inadequate.  My Upper School students are familiar with the  TED Ed "playlists" of my faves for them to peruse during tech class if they have finished a project or test early.  If you have a tween or teenager  complaining about being bored, I would highly recommend sending them a link to TED Ed to wander through... new videos are added every week.

I stumbled across this cool infographic from OnlineClasses.org, which explains the phenomenon...

I have found it to be a bit overwhelming to try to figure out the best talks to watch from the hundreds available, so often turn to lists of favorites from various websites to guide me.  Many of my favorites can be found on these lists:

From the Under30ceo blog... 25 Amazing Inspiring and Unique TED Talks you must watch

TED Talks Education

TED Weekends from the Huffington Post

Do you have a favorite TED Talk?  Share it below...