Must-Read K-12 Blogs

I'm a huge fan of sharing ideas, especially through the many many different blogs that are floating around the internet. The only problem is that there are so many blogs around that it gets overwhelming trying to sift through to find the good ones. I've just come across this list '50 Must-Read K-12 IT Blogs 2013' by EdTech Magazine which will hopefully make finding some great blogs much easier for you. The blogs listed are all authored by a combination of teachers, librarians, administrators and technology experts. They share real-world classroom experiences, offer inspiration and ideas and distribute valuable best practises.

SpiderScribe

SpiderScribe is an online mind mapping and brainstorming tool. It lets you organize your ideas by connecting notes, files, calendar events, etc. in free-form maps. You can collaborate and share those maps online, with other teachers or your students. There is a video on the website which shows you exactly how Spiderscribe works - I've also posted it below for you to look at.

The good thing about Spiderscribe is that it's free to use, or you can choose to pay for an upgraded account.  You can see an example of a map that someone has created about Cognitivism here for you to get some ideas on how to use this great tool.

Apps recommended by a College Student

Carly, from one of my favourite blogs 'College Prep' has written up a list of her favourite iPad apps that she uses for her college classes. Instead of re-listing them here I'll direct you over to the blog entry as she explains them best. I've used one of the apps that she's recommended, Dropbox, which is fantastic - and the others she's recommended look great as well. I love the idea of XanEdu, with teachers being able to make up their own course material for the students to easily access via their iPads - there's so much you can do with it.