Ready to get inspired and motivated for the 2013-2014 school year? We've got you covered. Summertime is the best time to bask in the sun and enjoy a little R&R while also participating in SimpleK12's fun, engaging webinars. We want teachers to get the most out of these valuable summer months, so we've offered Principals the chance to receive 3 FREE months of teacher training. Make sure your school doesn't miss out!

Expiring Soon: FREE Summer Staff Development Opportunity

TEACHERS: Ask your administration to sign your school up for FREE Summer Staff Development before the end of May 2013. Once signed up, you and your colleagues will have access to all of SimpleK12's premium:

- classroom resources
- technology training
- self-guided professional development
- and so much more!

PRINCIPALS:  This is your LAST chance to lock in 3 FREE months of summer training for your entire staff. ==> Click here to learn more and sign your school up for FREE Summer Staff Development.
 

17 Free eBooks for Your Summer Reading List

1. 101 Free Tech Tools for Teachers - Technology secrets for creating a 21st century classroom without spending a dime, without searching, without frustration.
2. 11 Hidden Webtools - Gems of the internet perfect for classroom use.
3. 32 Tips for Techphobic Teachers - Are YOU Techphobic? Learn the simple secrets to overcoming your fears and removing your frustrations when using technology in the classroom.
4. Searching with Google Workbook - 15 ways for using Google to capture attention, inspire, and make the internet a better tool for your classroom.
5. Integrating Podcasts Workbook - 30 real-life examples for integrating podcasts into your classroom.
6. EdCamp Guide - Discover how to start and run your very own EdCamp.
7. 20 Free iPad Apps Educators Can't Live Without - Yes, there's an App for that!  Discover the best Apps for professional development and all of the core subject areas.
8. Effective Mobile Learning - 50+ quick tips and resources for integrating mobile learning in your classroom.
9. 21 Signs You're A 21st Century Teacher - 21st Century tactics and tools that other teachers are using to make their classrooms more exciting and interactive!
10. 21 Signs You're A 21st Century Principal - Through the valuable ideas and examples found in this eBook, you will learn the latest 21st Century tactics and tools that other administrators are using around the country.
11. 8 Google Tricks - New and exciting ways to use Google in your classroom.
12. Top 7 Virtual Field Trips - Free virtual field trips you can use with your students today!
13. 15 iPad Tips for Teachers - Created specifically for new iPad owners, but there just might be a tip in there that advanced users didn’t know about.
14. 7 Webtools for Digital Storytelling - Discover 7 incredible webtools for digital storytelling that make students and teachers say WOW!
15. 57 Inspirational Teacher Quotes - We asked teachers just like you to share their favorite inspirational quotes, and here they are!
16. 13 iPad/Android Apps - From downloading and viewing 1200 inspirational and fascinating talks, to easy-to-use study tools this eBook has everything you need.
17. 10 Tech Tools to Teach the Common Core Standards - Written by author and classroom teacher Catlin Tucker, this eBook is filled with great ways to use tech tools to teach to the Common Core Standards.

This is your chance to grab a few of our most popular premium resources for free - so take a look!  Head over to the Teacher Learning Community's Shared Resources for even more freebies.  And let us know which one your favorite is as a comment on this blog post.

• saving time and simplify your grading
• engaging students with 21st century tools
• increasing classroom participation and collaboration

Discover how to do all of the above (and more!) at our FREE Day of Learning - won't you join us?

==> FREE Day of Learning - Register Now

Google, Web Tools, Digital Storytelling - oh my! This special online event will cover all of your favorite topics.

==> Space is Limited - RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW

See you there,

Kimberly

Write them on your board... post them to your Facebook... Tweet them... or add them to your Teacher Learning Community profile page.

Hope you enjoy!  Be sure to add your own favorite Science quotes as comments.

20 Great Science Quotes

1. "As soon as man does not take his existence for granted, but beholds it as something unfathomably mysterious, thought begins." - Albert Schweitzer
    
2. "What is a scientist after all? It is a curious man looking through a keyhole, the keyhole of nature, trying to know what’s going on." - Jacques Cousteau
   
   
3. "As an adolescent I aspired to lasting fame, I craved factual certainty, and I thirsted for a meaningful vision of human life — so I became a scientist. This is like becoming an archbishop so you can meet girls."       - Matt Cartmill
   
   
4. "In the Middle Ages people believed that the earth was flat, for which they had at least the evidence of their senses: we believe it to be round, not because as many as 1 percent of us could give physical reasons for so quaint a belief, but because modern science has convinced us that nothing that is obvious is true, and that everything that is magical, improbable, extraordinary, gigantic, microscopic, heartless, or outrageous is scientific." - George Bernard Shaw
   
   
5. "Whatever the scientists may say, if we take the supernatural out of life, we leave only the unnatural."      - Amelia Barr
   
   
6. "What delights us in visible beauty is the invisible." - Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
   
   
7. "A visitor to Niels Bohr’s country cottage, noticing a horseshoe hanging on the wall, teased the eminent scientist about this ancient superstition, 'Can it be that you, of all people, believe it will bring you luck?' 'Of course not,' replied Bohr, 'but I understand it brings you luck whether you believe of not.'”                          - Bartlett’s Book of Anecdotes
   
   
8. "Because we do not understand the brain very well we are constantly tempted to use the latest technology as a model for trying to understand it. In my childhood we were always assured that the brain was a telephone switchboard…Sherrington, the great British neuroscientist, thought the brain worked like a telegraph system. Freud often compared the brain to hydraulic and electromagnetic systems. Leibniz compared it to a mill…At present, obviously, the metaphor is the digital computer." - John R. Searle
   
   
9. "The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage."    - Mark Russell
   
   
10. "We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and poetry." - Maria Mitchell
    
    
11. "The current state of knowledge can be summarized thus: in the beginning there was nothing, which exploded." - Terry Prachett
    
    
12. “An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.”                 - Niels Bohr
    
    
13. "If an elderly but distinguished scientist says that something is possible, he is almost certainly right; but if he says that it is impossible, he is very probably wrong." - Arthur C. Clarke
    
    
14. "A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the man’s brow." - Charles Brower
    
    
15. "If I had thought about it, I wouldn’t have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can’t do this." - Spencer Silver
    
16. "Real progress in understanding nature is rarely incremental. All important advances are sudden intuitions, new principles, new ways of seeing. We have not fully recognized this process of leaping ahead, however, in part because textbooks tend to tame revolutions…They describe the advances as if they had been logical in their day, not all shocking." - Marilyn Ferguson
    
    
17. "One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike - and yet it is the most precious thing we have." - Albert Einstein
    
    
18. "Science…is part and parcel of our knowledge and obscures our insight only when it holds that the understanding given by it is the only kind there is." - Carl Jung
    
    
19. "OK, so what’s the speed of dark?" - Steven Wright
     
20. "My own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose." - J.B.S. Haldane

Watch to hear what Melissa has to say about ideas for teachers using a single ipad in the classroom.

Now let's take a look at what you all have been saying about Melissa...

"Thanks for a great webinar. I've watched several of yours and always see lots of new apps and information on how to use them. Great webinar." - jpesl

"Melissa, thank you so much for a great webinar. I learn about alot of new Apps today that I can share with my special education teachers." - lonihowell

"Thanks for a really terrific webinar! I teach ESL and have just recently received 1 iPad to use in my ESL Program. I didn't really know how to get started, so I appreciate the ideas about rules for using the iPad and teaching the apps, etc. Thanks for searching out the best blogs with information for 1 iPad classrooms as well. Very useful information in this webinar...." - jpesl

Click here to take a look at Melissa's live and on-demand SimpleK12 webinars.

Help your students create something wonderful for their moms while teaching them.

...................................................................

• Twig Frame - By collecting twigs from around your school campus and using glue (carefully!), you can assemble a simple, cute picture frame! 
• Illustrated Acrostic Poem - Teach students a new style of poetry while creating something their mothers will adore.
• Paper Flowers - Attach bunched up tissue paper in bright colors to pipe cleaners for an adorable gift that won't wilt away.
• Mother's Portrait - Have students draw a picture of their mom! It might not be flattering, but they'll keep it close to their heart.
• Hand Print Bouquet - Children grow up too fast. By using paint and putting hand prints down in a floral pattern, help mothers have a keepsake of their children.

Here are some more ideas from Pinterest.

Top 3 Reasons to Attend...

• This event is FREE (...and no, that's not a typo).
• Our expert presenters have the best iPad tips, strategies, and advice ... and they're sharing ALL of them with you.
• These webinars are online.  So feel free to sit back, relax, and learn from the comfort of your own home.  We prefer to wear bunny slippers, but your attire is up to you!

Click the image below and RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW

Remember - this is a FREE event, so help spread the word and invite your friends and colleagues. Everyone is welcome to join us and learn how to get the most out of their iPads! 

See you there.

Watch to hear what Gayle has to say about how iPads can help students with special needs.

Now let's take a look at what you all have been saying about Gayle...

"Thank you to Gayle! She shared some great resources for those students needing extra help! I LOVE AppShopper! Wow! Didn't know it existed! It will save me a ton of time searching for apps!" - Andrea C.

"This was a bit of freshness, I tend over look apps like these and need to use more. Thank you for the resources." - seawink

"This was a wonderful webinar - so many great apps and ideas for using them. The resources page is so valuable for continued learning. THANK you!" - reader

Click here to take a look at Gayle's live and on-demand SimpleK12 webinars.

Everything I Need To Know - About Education - I Learned In Kindergarten

I was recently giving a workshop at a local elementary school. Walking around and speaking to teachers and children it suddenly dawned on me that several of the "revolutionary" educational changes we've been calling for have actually already been around for quite a while - just talk a stroll down to the Kindergarten classes.

If only the rest of school looked a little more like those classrooms. In fact, eight important pillars of a 21st century education can be found in most Kindergarten classrooms every day of the week:

1. PLAY

The first rule of Kindergarten is to have fun. Our youngest students love coming to school, and if any child doesn't seem happy then we make it a high priority to find and remedy the problem. Play is a highly effective method of informal learning that requires imagination and creativity. Happy, playful children are not daydreaming and clock watching - they are engaged and absorbed in their activities. As children get older however, play starts taking a back seat to "academics" ... which are usually priorities determined by people in offices far away from the students' actual classroom environment.

2. CREATE

Creativity is becoming lost in the shuffle of the current "back to basics" school movement. While certainly required in any artistic endeavor, creativity is also a highly essential coping skill for our rapidly changing lives in the 21st century. Our toddlers are constantly being encouraged to think and play creatively. We even structure the classroom physically in an attempt to stimulate creativity - using bright colors, informal seating and allowing children ample room to move. Contrast that to the staid colors and fixed rows of desks found in most upper school classes where "follow the norm" has replaced "think out of the box".

A couple of years ago I attended a lecture by American artist, Erik Wahl. As part of his presentation he splashed paint around a canvas while creating a portrait on stage. Afterwards he turned to the audience and asked, "How many of you consider yourselves artists?". Out of an audience of several hundred people only a couple of hands were raised. He then related how he often goes into pre-school classes and asks the very same question. The difference is that almost every hand in the room immediately shoots up. The sad fact is that school squashes our inner sense of creativity as we get older. Instead of inspiring our students to be imaginative and create we tell them to follow the rules - "Do what I tell you to do ... and make sure do it exactly the way I asked you to do it".

3. SOCIALIZE

We understand that young children are social by nature and encourage them to mingle. We don't seat them alone in fixed desks facing the front of the room. Instead we allow them appropriate time to roam and socialize. Importantly, we recognize the value of getting them to work together in small groups. When they get older and try to work together we often label the activity "cheating". They're usually told to sit alone, face the front and work quietly on their own. Socializing is considered an extra-curricular activity that has no place in serious academics ... well, not until you get out into the workplace!

4. DISCOVER

Children are curious and love to explore the world around them. They naturally observe, ask questions and demand answers. Kindergarten class might be spent exploring a bug brought in from the playground or listening to a story from a parent with an interesting profession. Their world is a playground that they constantly explore.

As they get older we tell them that their world is divided into nicely delineated courses with predetermined content. Important questions and issues that would normally require discussion and explanation are shelved because they don't fit into some arbitrary course curriculum. How many times do you hear "we don't have time for that today"? If coursework is completed then there might possibly be some time left to explore a topic of interest. In the meantime, exploration is put on hold.

5. EXPERIENCE

Effective learning occurs when children build new understandings based on experiences that help them construct new knowledge. Kindergarten teachers help provide a myriad of experiences for their students. We don't read about hamsters - we keep a pet in class and observe how they eat. We might even allow each child to take the pet home for an evening. We encourage children to bring things into class so that others can feel, taste, experience and learn from them. Their experiences provide a scaffolding for the children to build upon and extend what they already know. We understand that children learn most deeply and effectively through experience.

However, content is king when they get to the older grades. It seems that the only valid experience for learning is reading from a text book or listening to a teacher.

6. EXPRESS

Mixing different forms of media and communication is an essential component of Kindergarten class. Children look at photos, listen to music, watch video, tell stories and of course, read books. We understand that people communicate in a variety of manners and we bring them into play in our classrooms.

In upper grades our entire world is expressed through text. For whatever reason, it seems that the only valid form of expressing knowledge is through text. Out of class they constantly interact and create video, music and more. In class, we have students read from textbooks and almost exclusively require them to respond in writing.

7. MOVE

Children need to move. We all need to move. It's healthy for both body and mind. We understand that in Kindergarten. The furniture is arranged to facilitate movement and we often have children move around to different parts of the room depending on the activity. Outdoors, it's essential to provide time and equipment for play.

The mantra of upper school is to sit still and face the front. Classes are designed for quiet, motionless, obedient activities. That can be excruciatingly difficult for many students.

8. RELATE

Finally, in Kindergarten we strive to make learning as meaningful as possible. Learning has meaning as defined by its relevance to the lives of students. If children can't relate to it then it won't hold their interest.

On the other hand, the vast amount of bleary eyed, daydreaming students in upper grades is testament to the fact that they don't relate to much of what passes for learning in class. It's usually a predefined package of content defined by an "authority" sitting far from the lives of our students - physically and emotionally. Just as importantly, this predefined content package is becoming increasingly inadequate in preparing our students for their lives after school.

So if you have a few moments I'd strongly encourage you to take a stroll down to the lower grades in your school. In fact, the lower the better. Spend a few minutes observing the dynamics in class. Note the energy, laughter and enthusiasm ... the genuine thirst for learning. Then ask yourself why it can't be that way throughout school.

About the Author

Sam Gliksman has been leading technology applications in business and education for over 25 years. He is recognized as a prominent expert on technology and educational reform and speaks at educational conferences both nationally and internationally. 

Sam has also been very active in promoting the use of mobile technology in education and has consulted with small schools all the way up to districts and even governments. Most recently, he was invited to personally consult with the Prime Minister of Greece about the use of mobile education in their country’s education system.

Sam is the author of the recently released “iPad in Education for Dummies” book published by Wiley Press. He also founded and manages the very popular iPads in Education Ning community website - www.ipadeducators.ning.com - that has a membership of many thousands of educators worldwide.

Click here to view Sam's original article.

Watch to hear what Jenna has to say about the unique learning advantages that implementing ipads into classrooms offer students...

Now let's take a look at what you all have been saying about Jenna...

"I thought this was great. I look forward to more of Jenna's webinars. A lot of really good information here. I loved the Talk'n Photos app." - iPadEdTech

"Super informative and tons of resources!!" - bcapwell

"Great Apps! This is an area I haven't done much exploration on. You gave me some great info to get started." - Deborah Gaskins

Click here to take a look at Jenna's live and on-demand SimpleK12 webinars.