Swiping Holiday Cheer

With the arrival of new iPads at Wheelock School right before the holiday break, Mrs. Sheehan was eager to try out a simple festive activity to introduce iPads to her third graders.  We thought this clever, simple idea from a Czech Republic class (discovered through their posting/sharing via Google + ) would be perfect! Click here to view Here's the Holiday Recipe: Preparation- gathered 13 iPads & installed the Crayola: Paint &...

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Good Night iPad- a Must-See

For all of our iPad-multiple device families! Watch the updated version of Good Night Moon... Of course it's available as an app to...

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Being Thankful for..

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Principal, Nat Vaughn asks the Blake Middle School staff to take time, to reflect and to share their thankful thoughts with each other and the student body. We'd also like to share a few of those thoughts with you and to wish everyone a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving! ...

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Parent iPad Highlight Sessions

As Blake MS launched the BYOiPad model this year, it's been a goal for us to have continual communication with the parent community and to offer opportunities for us to highlight student learning and work with the iPad being a new tool for many students and teachers.  Also, the sessions are open for discussions and Q & A between parents, teachers and students. Our first round of Parent Highlight Sessions began on November 7...

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Cómo se utilza Padlet?

8th Graders in Maura Batts' Spanish Class just finished a quiz. With time left in the period, she set up a Padlet wall for students to practice answering casual conversation questions. Students quickly went to the Padlet link on their iPad, tapped the screen and added their responses. Padlet is basically a virtual sticky note board accessed via web--working across any device.  What typically would be an paper and pencil task, can now be...

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Early transformation of the Russian Icon project!

Eighth grade begins the shift in the Massachusetts' Social Studies Curriculum Frameworks towards learning about World History. Medfield students begin their year examining Russian civilization. This includes a visit to the Museum of Russian Icons located in Clinton, Ma. to help students understand the role that icons played in the lives of Russians. In years past,  the assignment was for students to bring their worksheet and a pencil...

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Sand and Water Lab Remix!

This is the remix.. of Science. The 8th Graders in +Jason Heim's Science Class covered the usual Sand and Water lab to learn about volume and density. With the options that the iPad offers, students put a touch of creativity to demonstrate their learning. First up, students write a rap. Yes, a rap song to explain the steps to calculate the volume of sand and water. They took advantage of the Apple's Garageband app going FREE, wrote their lyrics and mixed up a fly beat to deliver their fresh Science rhyme!  Take a listen. While...

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Medfield Goes Google Apps!

With the expansion of Medfield's mobile devices, the decision to go Google Apps for Education (GAFE) only made sense.  Google Apps allows school districts to create and manage teacher and student accounts to include their use of Gmail, Calendar, Docs and Site. More importantly, GAFE moves us to cloud-based solutions giving everyone more flexibility in accessing their files, sharing, and keeping track of homework, events, etc....

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iPad Distribution Sessions..here we go!

Doors open for students on September 3rd!  This year brings excitement in the expansion of the 8th iPad 1:1 pilot when it goes full scale to every 8th grader.  The initiative also moved towards a Bring Your Own Device model with options for Lease-to-Own and district devices available for any family with financial need.  See documentation on the Launching iPads page For families who chose the Lease-to-Own option, Blake...

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Fall in Line New Teachers for Technology Boot Camp!

Welcome! All new teachers to Medfield participate in our Mentor and Induction Program for their first year. The program, developed by Kim Cave is designed to introduce new teachers to the culture of the schools, provide information about the professional assignment, and to provide continuous, non-evaluative collegial support throughout the first year in the district. Prior to the first day of school, new teachers meet with district and...

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Missed the Connected Learning Webinar? Catch the Recording Here!

If you missed the Connected Learning webinar:  Planning For Effective Teaching & Learning with Mobile Devices featuring our own Jason Heim as a guest speaker, here is the webinar recording below. Watch live streaming video from connectedlearningtv at livestream.com Access collaborative document of key notes, insights, questions & resources. Stay Tuned for the Preparing Parents for Mobile Learning Webinar on Aug. 21st @4pm PST as our own Blake MS Principal, Nat Vaughn joins the panel of guest...

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A Parent's Guide to 21st Century Skills

Too many times than not, administrators and educators throw around educational jargon that we assume everyone understands. As technology gains ever more importance and impacts our teaching and learning to prepare students for life, the term 21st Century Skills is alway mentioned-- that may leave you asking:            What exactly are 21st Century Skills?   Written as a Parent Guide, Edutopia...

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Connected Learning Webinar Series featuring... Mr. Vaughn & Mr. Heim!

EdTechTeacher provides the Medfield Public Schools with some highly effective year-long professional development courses in mobile learning and Teaching in the 21st Century.  They also offer a number of free online webinars for anyone to join in and learn!  An upcoming webinar series, Preparing for a Year of Mobile Learning is scheduled for August. We are very honored and proud to have our own Blake MS Principal, Nat Vaughn...

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What? I have to get my iPad License?

The basic iPad Driver's License test certainly came as a big surprise to Medfield's Students with moderate disabilities who are attending the Summer School program. In fact, they were surprised to see a box of iPads being delivered to their classroom today!     For these last three weeks of Summer School, we will spend time covering basic iPad skills and previewing how iPads can be integrated into their learning for daily...

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Free Summer Technology Ideas for Teens

Hi Blake Middle Schoolers, (aka Blakers) What?  Summer just started and you're bored already?! Well look no further..  Apple and Google are hosting a free opportunities to learn  digital filmmaking, DIY projects,and field trips!  Check them out! Apple Summer Filmmaking Camps Learn how to shoot your own footage & create your own song to produce your very own film. This free workshop, held at Apple Retail...

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The iPads take a road trip to Medfield's Elementary Schools

Photo courtesy of Mr. Heim While the 8th Graders were off to visit NYC/Washington DC, their iPads stayed behind and took a little trip themselves. Some of the elementary school teachers have been asking if they could experience teaching with the iPads too.  And...what better timing than to have a set of 25 iPads head over to Mrs. Lowerre's and Mrs. Cowell's fifth grade classrooms for a 1:1 experience at Dale Street School and a small...

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iCal & the 8th Grader

One of the first significant differences the iPad has made in the school life of an 8th grader is in learning organization and time management skills using the iCal app in place of a paper agenda book. Just think... No longer are there torn or missing pages from the agenda.  No longer is their agenda misplaced or found crumbled and shoved into a backpack. In fact, with the combination of syncing Google Cal with iCal, the star...

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Slow Motion Science

Let's face it- there is nothing that can replace a student conducting their own hands-on Science experiments! This pretty much still holds true in a 1:1 iPad environment.  In fact, the iPad actually takes the back seat and serves a very different purpose in these situations. Plus, you only need ONE! Enter into Mr. Heim's 8th Science Class. His students usually work in partners for experiments. However, the Flame Test is the one test...

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