It makes the process even faster and more secure for the site.

So, if you are new, look for the login using Facebook logo and click on it. (See image on left)

You will be asked to log into your Facebook account (if you aren’t currently already logged in) and once you do, it will ask for some verification from you and once you allow Ricard Academy to “access” your Facebook account, all your basic information will be automatically used to create your Ricard Academy account!

It’s as easy as that!

So, students, no excuses! You all have Facebook accounts now and if not, what better excuse to get one! Use it to get access to an profile here on Ricard Academy!

Parents – you, too can do the same! Create your account using your Facebook profile! Keep up with the kids!

Chances are, if you find such a thing scary, you are part of the old paradigm in education. Right now, with all the mandates and the need for differentiated learning (and a growing demand for teachers to be the panacea for the illness that plagues every child’s education these days), there is a quiet door which is being opened for those bold enough to see the new paradigm. I feel part of it has arrived in the form of the Ipad.

I tested one out and now have access to one of my own. I am very impressed with it. Not so much for the hype, but to be sure that is a part of its potential, but in just using the device. Right now, it has shortcomings – it is more of a peripheral device than a stand alone solution for most. Yet, if you can imagine a student body issued with these, then you can see where this is going.

If every student had an Ipad, they wouldn’t need textbooks. They wouldn’t need backpacks. Heck, they wouldn’t even really have to come to school! Instead, we could make the world our classroom. Maybe you want to do an experiment – everyone meet at the park, beach, library. Or just stay home and follow us via a chat engine or virtual classroom.

Now, we could do all of this right now – and that is the point. We should be pushing education into an arena which utilizes more technology so that we can reach our students and give them the skills they will need for the 21st century. But we aren’t. In part, it is because there are just too many loose ends that have to be tied together to make something like this work. With the Ipad, however, there seems to be a device just for this that is affordable and with enough sizzle that it just might push educators to think differently about the future of education. I know I am and always have been. We’ll see just where this device does take us because what we may think the future looks like today is going to change drastically by tomorrow.

One of the key things I have learned is that we need to be facilitators of education more so than just the dispensers of education. With all of the resources available online, and most of these tools offered for free, there is a wealth of information out there. In fact, it seems that education is less about giving students facts to memorize, but rather to teach them ways to apply their knowledge. This stresses creativity, imagination, and most above all, communication.

A recent development by Google is the Google Wave project. Still in the beta testing stages, it looks to be a great tool for project managers and those in the business sector, but it also can help revolutionize education with the right kind of application. For example, students are constantly in need of feedback in regards to concepts they are learning in class. With classes being overstocked with students, the amount of questions an individual student can ask drops. Using a tool like Google Wave may help this.

Simply put, Google Wave is project management tool that is asynchronous. This means it is not limited to specific time frame. For example, let’s say you are going to have a review for a test. In the typical educational paradigm, you would schedule a time, kids would show up, they’d ask questions and then they would be off. If a student was late or couldn’t attend an after school review, they would miss out. But with Google Wave, this doesn’t have to be the case! If the conversation is online, then students could drop questions and receive answers right from the comfort of their own home. Or even from their own cellphones! This means that you don’t even need to schedule a specific time as students could just ask questions whenever they have them and the teacher could get back to them at his/her convenience. Not to mention, if a student can’t make it online to the session at the assigned time, they could just replay the entire conversation and get caught up. They miss nothing!

What is stressed here is the concepts and learning – not the being in a specific place at a specific time. And what is even greater is that students can keep coming back to this “wave” (the conversations are called waves by Google) over and over again to get updates or to just relearn the concepts. You could even use this same wave year to year!

Still not seeing it? See if these help:

Bubbl.us – a great tool if you want to teach your students to organize their thoughts.  Very similar to Inspiration, the advantage here is that Bubbl.us is web-based, meaning you don’t have to purchase any software and then be relegated to only certain computers with the software onboard. Also, it can work on either PC or Mac machines (Inspiration is usually found on Macs).

Eclipse Crossword Puzzle generator – for some reason, Broward County Schools blocked this website (listed it as a game) but if you can, this is a great tool to use as it allows you to not only create crossword puzzles but also publish them to the web! For FREE!!

Also, one last BONUS tool you can use in class is Google Earth. Google Earth has been developed and refined to such an extent that you can actually use it to look at geographic locations in certain parts of history as well. For example, Google Earth has an ancient Rome feature that allows you to fly around Ancient Rome with 3D buildings and everything!

Another great source for free stuff teachers can use in the classroom is located at Sheri Ridal’s site, RidalHigh.com. She is an English teacher that is utilizing these same technological nuggets to teach her students plus she also has many other resources that she has located.

Well, that is all – for now. If you want, leave a comment and tell me what you think or even share other sites with us. Please feel free to contact me also – I would like to create a social network for teachers here in Florida and if you are interested in being involved in that project, definitely contact me for that, too.

One of the biggest fears for teachers is that taking on projects that incorporate technology will cost money and demand more time. Although these are legitimate concerns, if done correctly, implementing technology can offer many solutions and enhance student learning.

Power Point Presentations

If you have the software to create Power Point Presentations, then this is an easy solution for you. That is, if you know how to use the program of course. If not, I suggest searching for a Power Point presentation and loading it up into your Power Point (PPT) software to take a look at it. There are millions, seriously millions, of PPT’s out there for you to take a look at and even use in your own class – just give credit where credit is due.

But let’s say you want to create your own PPT but your school can’t afford the software. Well, there are plenty of free options for you out there:

Open Office Suite – features, among its software, a Power Point creation set of software as well as a Word Processor and Spreadsheet software. Very similar to Microsoft Office’s solution, but FREE. In fact, can be very user friendly and can do many of the same things as Office.

Google Docs – I recommend this because it is web-based. That means that no matter what computer you are on, if you have Internet access, you can access your files and documents. Even better, Google Docs has Spreadsheet and Power Point software that is web-based, too. Just use your Google account to get started. You can even use Google Docs to collaborate with your students. Watch the following video to get more of an idea:

Slideshare.net – another valuable resource as it easily lets you host your PPTs online. You can also upload and share PDFs, and Word documents. Easy way to find more material for you, and even share what you have done with others.

SlideRocket.com – offers tools to build your own PPT and is web-based, like Google Docs. Offers a bit more visually interesting material; wipes, effects, etc. Take a look at this basic example I created (use the password “aperi” which means “open” in Latin):

Use Social Networking Platforms for Your Classroom

Twitter? Facebook? I am sure you have heard of them and are probably using them both right now (to reconnect with friends, family, ex’es – I hope not; you can never go back…). Well, why not use them to communicate with your students? They know the sites inside and out and will probably think you are somewhat cool for even mentioning the sites at all – even if you are using these tools to get your students the latest deadlines.

How? Well, you got to create an account first. Go to Twitter.com and Facebook.com and create an account – if you haven’t already. (You may want to create a “professional account” that way it can stay seperated from your personal life and account)

Your Twitter account is easy to use. Simply put, it is like a text message that is sent out on the Internet. Anyone who “follows” you will receive your updates on their Twitter account. How can this be of use? Well, “tweet” (making an announcement on Twitter) your assignments. See an example here.

Facebook is a bit more complex, but if you play around with it, you’ll get the hang of it. Essentially it is an online portfolio where you can plug in to the Facebook network and communicate with everyone else on that same network. You can upload pictures, write announcements, send messages – all using your Facebook account. Everyone you befriend will see  your profile (you can limit what is visible, but that is a bit more complicated, too) so you have to be careful of what you put on it. (WARNING: You will also see others’ profiles and they may forget that you can see what they are doing on Facebook, too.) You can also create a “fan page” of your class, if you so desired, and could easily get your students to join – it is like having your own free website for your class.

Free Web Sites for Your Class

There used to be legions of these like Geocities (closing October 26, 2009) for example. There is still Facebook to consider. You should also check out Google’s Site building software which is available online and FREE.

Make Exciting Content for Your Class

What if you could make little music videos set to music? How would that inspire your students? Or what if you asked your students to create their own cartoons about a given topic? Another way to reach your students and make the material more relevant. How would you do that? Would you believe that you could also do it for FREE?

Animoto gives you the tools to create, edit and publish your own videos set to music. Gone are the days of boring and bad PPTs. This will really grab your students attention and impress your colleagues.

Have you ever wanted to give your students a cartoon or an assignment in which they drew a cartoon about an event but you didn’t have the materials or they hesitated because they felt they couldn’t draw? Well, fear no more! Pixton.com has a solution for you and, gasp, it’s free!

Well, that should do it for now. Stay tuned for more technology solutions to get your students hooked and make you the envy of all your peers!