Calculate and Learn about Percentages with Percentage Calculator

Mateusz Mucha, a web developer in Krakow, Poland, has developed a free, online tool called “Percentage Calculator” you should show to your math students and use with them in class. Use this tool by visiting percentagecalculator.info I tried embedding the actual calculator on my own website, but for some reason that version didn’t work to

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Configure KidBlog for Safe, Moderated, Interactive Student Blogging & Commenting

(cross-posted from playingwithmedia.com) This semester I’m working on a contract basis (thanks to federal grant dollars) as an “innovative instructional coach” in Yukon Public Schools. This morning I helped one of our sixth grade teachers facilitate her first lessons using free, ad-free class blogs hosted by KidBlog.org. In this post, I’ll share some of the

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Common Core Transition Ideas via Marzano

(cross-posted from Professional Development Reflections from Yukon PS) On January 26, 2012, we attended a full-day workshop about “Common Core Transition” led by Jan Hough with Marzano Research Lab. These are some of our takeaways from the day. Handouts from Jan’s session are available on the OSSBA website. Writing Across the Curriculum One of the

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A Touching Example of Family Digital Documentation

If you have not already, take 91 seconds and watch the YouTube video, “Google Chrome: Dear Sophie.” It’s a fast-paced, touching look at how some dads are using digital technology to document, share and preserve the lives of their family and their love for their kids. It’s a compelling bit of media, and an outstanding

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Access OTA – EncycloMedia 2012 Session Info via a Google Spreadsheet

This evening I used TextWrangler to parse session data from the 135 page PDF file published for the upcoming OTA – EncycloMedia 2012 conference in Oklahoma City (February 7-8) into a public Google Spreadsheet. Use the following shortened URL to access this version of the schedule in a computer web browser or on your mobile

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Make a Song with Sounds from Your Kitchen on an iPad

Last week at our Apple Store in Oklahoma City I met Tyler Garcia. He recently graduated from the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma with an associates degree. He loves music and making digital music, and told me about a very innovative homework assignment he completed for one of his classes

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Transition to Common Core Standards by Jan Hoegh @marzanoresearch (2 of 2) #ocic12

These are my afternoon notes from Jan K. Hoegh’s presentation on 24 January 2012 in Oklahoma City for the Oklahoma Curriculum Improvement Commission. (This is the link to my morning notes.) Jan is a consultant for the Marzano Research Lab. (@marzanoresearch on Twitter – Jan is not on Twitter yet.) MY THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ARE

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Transition to Common Core Standards by Jan Hoegh @marzanoresearch (1 of 2)

These are my morning notes from Jan K. Hoegh’s presentation on 24 January 2012 in Oklahoma City for the Oklahoma Curriculum Improvement Commission. Jan is a consultant for the Marzano Research Lab. (@marzanoresearch on Twitter – Jan is not on Twitter yet.) MY THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ARE IN ALL CAPS. The official description of this

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Use Appointment Slots on a Google Calendar

Google Calendar (free) offers a wonderful feature for teachers: The ability to set up “appointment slots” which other people can click on to schedule a meeting at an available time. This is ideal for scheduling parent-teacher conferences or other meetings in which individuals in a group need to specify a time that works with their

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Creative Math Word Problems about Rock Climbing & Mountaineering #favlesson

Here’s a blog and Twitter meme idea: What is one of your favorite lessons from elementary, middle or high school? Post your lesson memory to your blog and share it on Twitter with the hashtag #favlesson. For ‘extra credit’ include a related Creative Commons image in your post. Here’s mine. One of my favorite lesson

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Underwhelmed by iBooks Author Software

This afternoon I started a new eBook project using a collection of favorite Bible verses from the Friday morning men’s group at our church. The idea is pretty simple: Include verses from the NLT and MSG translations, complying with the copyright permissions for each provided on the YouVersion.com Bible website. Along with the verses, include

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Create a Custom Digital Newspaper on your iPad with Flipboard & Google Reader

(Cross-posted from my new website and iPad productivity training website, ipadwithwes.com) In this episode of “iPad with Wes,” author and digital learning consultant Wesley Fryer explains how to create a custom digital newspaper on your iPad using the free application Flipboard. The video is 9 minutes, 17 seconds long Referenced links in this episode include:

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OAESP Grant for Student Videography at Mustang, Elementary (Oklahoma)

(cross-posted from the Storychasers blog) This video is a 73 second interview with Laquita Semmler, principal of Mustang Elementary in Mustang, Oklahoma. Mrs. Semmler won a $2000 technology grant from the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals (OAESP) at the mid-winter conference on January 20, 2012, in Oklahoma City. She is planning to use the

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Remember TEACHERS Make the Biggest Difference, Not Devices

I’m quite enthused by Apple’s announcements yesterday about iBooks Author software (free, Mac-only) as well as iBooks2 (free) for iPad. James O’Hagan is spot on in his post for EdReach yesterday, “The New iBooks Release Means . . .” iBooks Author software will make it even easier for teachers as well as students to create

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Teacher Leader Effectiveness (TLE) and the Tulsa Model #oaesp12

These are my notes from Michael Barlow, Dr. Cassandra Funderburk, Cindy Taylor, Talia Shaw and Linda Hendrick’s presentation, “Teacher Leader Effectiveness (TLE) and the Tulsa Model” at the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals (OAESP) mid-winter conference on January 20, 2012, in Oklahoma City. The conference is sponsored and organized by the Cooperative Council for

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Lessons Learned Using Puppet Pals on iPads in an After School Program

For the first five weeks of this semester, I’m teaching a fifty minute “life skills” class on Thursdays for middle school students participating in a three hour after-school program at our church. The program is called “Tiger Club,” and middle school students enrolled at Central Middle School in Edmond Public Schools are involved. I was

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What’s So Common About Common Core?

These are my notes from Dr. Sharon Wilbur, Tiffany Neill, Levi Patrick and Pat Turner’s presentation, “What’s So Common About Common Core?” at the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals (OAESP) mid-winter conference on January 19, 2012, in Oklahoma City. The conference is sponsored and organized by the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA).

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Classroom Management, Effective Instruction, and Student Motivation by Mark Mcleod

These are my notes from Mark Mcleod‘s keynote address at the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals (OAESP) mid-winter conference on January 19, 2012, in Oklahoma City. The conference is sponsored and organized by the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA). Mark’s official website is www.markmcleodpresentations.com. MY THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS ARE IN ALL CAPS.

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A Call to Increase the Volume of our Profession in Educational Politics

These are my notes from opening comments by Dr Michael Schooley, Deputy Executive Director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, at the Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principals (OAESP) mid-winter conference on January 19, 2012, in Oklahoma City. The conference is sponsored and organized by the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA).

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The Best Political Spin Money Can Buy

It’s election time in the United States, so among other things that means video spin doctors are earning big bucks. As the CNN article “A look at South Carolina’s tough presidential campaign ads” points out, the authorization of “super PACs” in the United States which can legally receive UNLIMITED contributions from corporations, labor unions and

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