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EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE REVIEW

     This project would involve developing a detailed review of some Educational Technology resource.  It could be an online site or actual materials such as Ozobots, Mixed Realities materials, or some of the interactive whiteboard technology I recently posted about.  Think about developing this review for classroom educators who may have never seen this technology.  You want to provide as much information as possible for this educator - cost, availability, ease of use, additional items or resources that might be required to make use of this item, and, importantly, how could it be used in a classroom.      You'll find lots of examples of reviews online.  A Google search for educational technology reviews will return a lot of hits.  One other source would be Youtube.  An important term to include in your Youtube search would be "unboxing".  It's best if you have a specific item in mind, so your search might be something li...
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MACHINE LEARNING - RECOGNITION APPS

These are a few apps that help you identify birds, plants, and animals using your phone. They are good examples of machine learning and facial recognition.  You can find them on the App Store or Google Play. Inaturalist Plantifier Merlin Bird Smart Bird - this app can idenitfy birds by their song Leafsnap Here's a brief explanation of machine learning:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_uwKZIAeM0
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INEXPENSIVE CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY

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Interactive Whiteboard      Interactive whiteboards are pretty common in classrooms now, especially at the elementary level.  Unfortunately, they are expensive, but there are alternatives.  One of the best, and least expensive is the IPEVO Wireless Interactive Whiteboard System.       This system turns any surface into an interactive board.  You can place the receiver near a projector, point the projector and receiver at any surface, and the pen becomes the remote cursor.  You can even stand in front of the projector with a white shirt and "draw" on the shirt. This is how it works:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vCC0YgbOHg        The nice thing about this system is that anything that is on your screen can be projected onto an interactive surface.  It's great for programs like Google Earth or Google Maps.      You can find it on Amazon.com for about $170.00   http...
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PROJECTING FROM YOUR PHONE OR TABLET

  One of the limitations of using Mixed Reality devices and applications in the classroom has always been the size of the phone or tablet screen.  Only a small number of students can gather around either device and for VR, only one student is able to see and interact with what's being projected.  One way around this limitation is to make use of the Screen Mirroring feature of your phone or tablet.  It's not too difficult but you'll need a Chromecast device (for Android phones and tablets) or an Apple TV box (for IPhones and IPads.)  You can also do this with a direct cable connection, but it limits your movement.      These devices are often used to connect your phone or tablet to your television so that the device screen shows up on your tv screen.  The Chromecast or Apple TV is plugged into your tv using a USB or HDMI cable.  Using your phone or tablet's WIFI settings you make sure the phone/tablet and device are on the same network,...
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FIRST POST

   It looks like we'll be all online for the rest of the semester.  I'll be using this website to post assignments, resources,links, and other information. As for grades and due dates - shoot for having your Blog complete by the day of the last class.  That's pretty much it - the completed blog is your final. E-mail me at any time if you've got questions.      I've copied a previous e-mail below.  This will probably keep you busy for a while.  I'll be doing some additional posts over the weekend with some new things to look at. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------      From last week, starting with Mixed Realities,  go to this website: https://k12augmentedreality.blogspot.com/  and browse the articles.  Download the following apps on your phone or tablet (all free): Google Expeditions Sketchfab Quiver Coloring app (the free version) ...
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