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Thoughts from The Education Innovation Lab Wendy Gibson College of Education Manager of Professional Development

February 2016 Newsletter

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Updates from The Education Innovation Lab Welcome Spring semester 2016! The Education Innovation Lab is

here for faculty and students to explore technology trends and to discover how technology enhances classroom teaching and learning.

We have added a number of new devices to the lab. Stop by for a workshop or join us during our open lab hours. If you are interested in learning more about virtual reality

we have a collection of Google Cardboard devices that will introduce you to some VR trends. If you are wondering about how tablets fit into

the classroom, we have a variety of Android, Surface, and iPad tablets that will provide you with an

opportunity for more understanding. In addition to our lab Dell computers, and thanks to Towson’s EduCycle

program, we now have four Apple iMac machines, along

with the Adobe Creative Cloud software suite that provides a wide range of education possibilities.

For more reading on these topics, please see the links below and consider joining during one of our many

workshop meetings.

More information on Towson University’s EduCycle Computer Reconditioning Program

http://bit.ly/1Sll3bL

More information on VR- virtual reality

http://bit.ly/1SM2Wx8

http://tcrn.ch/1nAADFj

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February 2016 Newsletter

Google Cardboard

A little over a year ago. Google introduced Google Cardboard. Google Cardboard is a

simple cardboard viewer that anyone can use to experience mobile virtual reality (VR). With just cardboard viewer and your iPhone or Android phone, you can travel

to faraway places and visit imagined worlds. Find out more about these interesting, inexpensive innovations and what they are doing in education from the following links

and our Google Cardboard workshop February http://tek.io/1JfuKqQ

http://bit.ly/1PV7Odc

Want to be an iPhone Ninja? Do you stand by amazed while watching students zoom

through the various settings on their Smart phone? This Washington Post article will help get you started on how to use

your iPhone more efficiently. http://wapo.st/1SdD79w

Tips and Tricks for Using Microsoft Office for Mac and iOS Would you like to learn some amazing tips and tricks for using Microsoft Office on your Mac or iOS device and become more productive? Join Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Josh Davis as he shares tips and tricks for using Microsoft Office more efficiently on your Apple devices so

that you can save time and spend the time you have on what matters the most - your students! Josh will share how you can gain back instructional time with your students by using

technology to increase efficiencies with common teaching tasks that cause time sinks. He will also explain how to use the technology tools you love to enhance learning. Come discover how to get the most out of Microsoft Office for Mac and iOS!

Are you a member of the Microsoft Educator Community? The Microsoft Educator Community is a new site where you will have

access to over 1.5 million educators and their ideas from around the world, technology tools and lesson plans, and a wide variety of virtual field trips.

Find more information on how to sign up and access a multitude of free resources and don’t forget to stop by the lab for our webinar and workshop

on Microsoft Tools. http://bit.ly/20rSNIg

"I don't think VR is a niche, it's really cool and has some interesting applications". – Tim Cook

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February 2016 Newsletter

New website find (at least for us)!

Teachers Tech!

Teachers Tech is dedicated to exploring and enhancing digital literacy for personal and classroom use. Weekly videos will showcase tips, tutorials and features of the newest

tech that supports 21st-century learning. A wonderful, one-stop site filled with a great deal of material.

http://teachers.tech/

Faculty tech tip

Amy McDowell, Lecturer Early Childhood Education

The HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G2 Tablet

The Education Innovation Lab and the HP EliteBook

We are in a day and age that our students know more about the technology that is out there than

faculty members! The Education Innovation Lab always has new and innovative programs, software and

even the latest hardware that they are eager to share and teach the faculty. The Lab is an invaluable

resource to learning about what is “up and coming” in terms of technology and how to make our class-

rooms and instruction more interactive and stimulating to students.

I can’t rave enough about a wonderful piece of technology that I have recently had the pleasure to

explore! Recently, the College of Education received a grant for several HP EliteBook mini-laptops. They

are only about a foot long, lightweight and extremely user friendly. But that’s not the best part. They are

also a combination laptop and tablet with swivel touch-screen! You can work on something like a laptop,

then turn the whole screen around to share the information with someone, or rotate the screen and flip it

down to work as a tablet. Navigation on the touch screen pad is lightning fast and accurate which makes

working in any program a breeze! I was asked by the Wendy Gibson in the Education Innovation Lab to

test one of these laptops recently and instantly fell in love with it! I am considering purchasing one of my

own VERY SOON! This little gem is something I definitely could see myself integrating into my classroom

instruction and utilizing with small groups! If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out an HP

EliteBook, you should! I promise once you try it, you’ll love it!

The Education Innovation Lab has loads of items like this that are looking for “playmates”! Get to

know what’s out there! Get better acquainted with the technology that you could possibly use to plan for

your classes, or use to enhance your instruction! The Education Innovation Lab is there just for that rea-

son. There is always a smiling face in there to help you figure things out and answer any questions that

you might have.

Amy McDowell

Lecturer Early Childhood Education Department

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February 2016 Newsletter

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

1 LAB HOURS: 9 am—3:30 pm

2 LAB HOURS: 9 am– 3:30 pm

10 am Google

Cardboard Workshop- learn about simple virtual

reality and the apps

necessary

3 LAB HOURS: 9 am—3:30 pm

4 LAB HOURS: 9 am—3 pm

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9 10 am Wiki Workshop-

learn how to set up a wiki

and what features are

available

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15 Stefanie Pautz: Dissertation Defense Announcement

1—2 pm

16 17 18

2 pm Microsoft Tools

Webinar

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23 10 am Microsoft Tools-

learn about available, free

Microsoft tools

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Have you ever planned to attend a workshop or lunchtime discussion only to run into a schedule conflict? We’ve expanded our dates and times to provide additional time

offerings and allow more flexibility!

February 15 Dissertation Defense 1—2 pm: Leading Change: A Phenomenological Analysis of

Principals’ Experience in a 1:1 Computing Initiative—Stefani Pautz

February 18 Webinar 2 pm: "Tips and Tricks for Using Microsoft Office for Mac and iOS"- Josh Davis

All scheduled events will be held in HH110.

Stop by for your tech needs and questions, call us at (410)704-2782, or email us at

coe110@towson.edu!