A Few Favorite Tweets from VSTE 2016

I wasn't able to attend this year's Virginia Society for Technology in Education conference this year but many folks I follow did. While many great resources were shared I also found the following Tweets particularly thought provoking.

Basic Needs - Updated @thomascmurray #truth #vste16 pic.twitter.com/HnsoqJ890P

— Tamara Letter (@HCPSTinyTech) December 6, 2016

No matter how excited you are about the latest gadget, remember it is the worst technology your 2-year-old will ever see. #VSTE16 @jcasap

— Eric De Boer (@edtechwolverine) December 4, 2016

Do you realize we now have students who have NEVER known life without a computer, iPad, Smart phones and WiFi? #VSTE16

— Sasha Bridge (@mrssajb) December 4, 2016

20 years from now kids will find your iPhone at a thrift store and be shocked you used to plug your phone to the wall for HOURS #vste16

— Tamara Letter (@HCPSTinyTech) December 4, 2016

I also liked this Tweet collecting the names of other educators to follow on Twitter. Read this post I made on my blog last year for additional folks.

Follow these great educators on Twitter from #vste16 Connected EDU Meetups. Last Meetup begins at 8:45 in #vstepopup 1! pic.twitter.com/aj4quCZ6bi

— VSTE World Hqtrs (@vste) December 6, 2016

Social Media Privacy Settings

Earlier in the week we had a little incident in our district that served as a reminder that it’s a good idea to safeguard our privacy on social media. Whether we like it or not the truth is that teachers are held to a higher standard than other professions and we have to be careful about not only what we post but how much is visible and to whom. To that end I’ve put together a list of resources on how to safeguard privacy on social media sites.

General
Protecting your privacy on 9 popular social networks

Twitter
Protecting and unprotecting your Tweets
How to Lock Down Your Twitter Privacy Settings

Instagram
Controlling Your Visibility on Instagram
7 must-know privacy tips for Instagram newbies

Facebook
Basic Privacy Settings and Tools
The Complete Guide to Facebook Privacy Settings
Here’s How to Use Facebook’s Mystifying Privacy Settings
Facebook for teachers: 11 tips for protecting your privacy

Blogger
Control access to your blog

Wordpress
Privacy Settings
Post Visibility

Pinterest
Edit your account privacy
How to be Private on Pinterest in 3 Steps

Google+
Choose how you share information on your Google+ profile
How to Change Your Google+ Privacy Settings
How To: Managing Your Google+ Security Settings

LinkedIn
Managing Account Settings
How To: Managing Your LinkedIn Privacy Settings
9 LinkedIn Default Settings You Need to Change Immediately

YouTube

Change the Privacy Settings for Your Video - YouTube

Privacy Settings and Safety Tips for Socializing on YouTube

What You Need to Know about YouTube Videos and Your Child's Reputation

Flickr

Privacy Settings and Safety Tips for Socializing on Flickr

How to Make Photos Private on Flicker: 4 Steps

Tumblr

Tumblr Privacy and Safe Search Settings

Go Off the Grid

Candied Bacon Recipe

The ITRT group I’m a part of had our monthly meeting and annual holiday luncheon yesterday. Normally I bring drinks or something that doesn’t require cooking but after experiencing the candied bacon at the Virginia Society for Technology in Education annual conference last week I asked my wife to make some for me to bring as well. It got rave reviews from my group so here’s the recipe for anyone interested in trying it on their own:

1. Put bacon on a rack on top of a sheet pan.
2. Drizzle a little real maple syrup on it.
3. Add course black pepper and then sprinkle on a mixture of brown sugar with a bit of ancho chili powder.
4. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes but you just have to keep checking it. You don't want to burn it, but you want it to crisp it up a little.

According to our boss this bacon is now, "the new official ITRT snack." So I'm guessing it'll be making an appearance at every event like this from now on. 

Where Are You Online?

Near the Makerspace at the Virginia Society for Technology in Education conference they had placed the whiteboard seen above for attendees to write where they are online. While it was mostly Twitter usernames there were also a few websites and hashtags for Twitter chats. I’ve taken a few minutes to type up everything on the board (pretty much in the order it was written) and link it for easier access:

Twitter Users:
@timstahmer
@techinteaching
@DesignMakeTeach
@witchyrichy
@BirdBrainTech
@TechCoachBC
@mswecker
@bgruber10
@tmays921
@iTechSpec
@dchearlihy
@WiseOwlTech
@KatStaton
@2ndHFB
@mspatricianhfb
@edutechgray
@MrsPluim
@dimensionu
@dhubbell
@englishteacher8
@DrJustinNichols
@MsBiologeek
@MrsMoran_TAHS
@elemitrt
@glndschools
@twcruz
@HistoryMeade
@misseieio
@ThatsWightman
@johnmayo
@Mr_B_Teacher
@instruct_edtech
@dhorndorff
@PeggyGordon65
@hdwade15
@divein2edtech
@stevendean
@dmharazin
@MrsRoubie
@ZWAAA
@teachrqueen
@techy_margaret
@hcrompton
@dhotler
@HCSInfoLit
@moderndayskirt
@iteachflorida
@jeff_rew
@herndon
@vaedtech
@mrssbutchers
@hcpstinytech
@rus_eng_teacher
@carritrt
@jfcerza
@Mrs_Colenda
@HFES_Jones
@kashleydickson
@DAITchr
@hastie4thgrade

Twitter Chats:
#NOVAedchat - Wednesdays - 8-9pm
#TechCoachBC - Monthly, Second Tuesday, 8-9pm
#vachat - Mondays 8-9pm
#apschats - Tuesdays 8-9pm
#edchatie
#FlyHighFri
#wiredatwalton

Websites:
The Computer is Broke
Assorted Stuff
DesignMakeTeach.com
Bird Brain Technologies
Ivy Run
Learning Collaboratory
Edutechically Speaking

Hour of Code Resources

I originally posted this to the blog I run for one of my schools but I'm posted it here as well.

Earlier in the week students at Albert Hill took part in the global Hour of Code event to introduce them to computer science.

For students interested in pursuing it further on their own time I’ve put together a list of resources below:

Hour of Code - the original Hour of Code site used for Monday’s activities.

Snap!- Drag and drop programming interface designed to help you learn how to program.

Code Monkey - Learn how to code through by playing the game.

Code Maven - 59 lessons on coding fundamentals.

Code Monster - 58 short lessons on programming in Javascript.

Game Maven - Learn code and write three simple games.

Blockly - Series of educational games that teach programming.

Also, last summer an Introduction to Computer Science and Coding enrichment course was offered in summer school that will most likely be offered again. I encourage interested students to sign up for it when the summer school applications come out in late spring.

Lastly, I recently attended the Virginia Society for Technology in Education annual conference. While I was there I had a chance to play with The Finch robot that is designed as an even more hands on way to learn programming. It supports not only the drag and drop programming like what is found on the Hour of Code site but also writing code in many of the languages used today. I liked it so much I’m ordering one for my own son to play with.