To support your personal and professional learning journey during the remaining summer vacation this is a list of resources to explore.

“The 33 Digital Skills Every 21^st Century Teacher Should Have” http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/06/33-digital-skills-every-21st-century.html

This is a very rich resource describing skills we ought to have as 21^st century teachers.  Not only does it give a list of skills (perfect for those of us with little time or attention), but it gives a great list of digital tools and/or articles under each skill.  You can get lost in this link, believe me!

This article also contains a link to a free ebook by the same author that also provides great resources.
 “The 21^st Century Skills Teachers and Students Need to Have” http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2011/01/21st-century-skills-teachers-should.html

 Edutopia is just that!

If you don’t follow Edutopia, you’re missing a rich bank of resources and professional learning.  You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or just subscribe to their e-newsletters/email blasts.  Here are some awesome resources from their websites:

Tech2Learn: Success Stories of Technology Integration in the Classroom http://www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-classroom-technology-resources.  This page contains a new video series that goes inside teachers’ classrooms that are using technology tools in their lessons every day.  Currently, it highlights a fifth-grade teacher showing how she keeps her class motivated to learn with technology an provides lists of resources she uses in her class.

A Parent’s Guide to 21^st Century Learning
http://www.edutopia.org/parent-21st-century-learning-resource-guide.  This is a free downloadable PDF that you can distribute to your parents.  The guide has a selection of resources and projects for elementary, middle and high school.  There is also a link to a Home-to-School Connection Guide that can also be shared with families.

Project-Based Learning

PBL is one of the core strategies recommended by Edutopia.  They have amazing resources including a free professional development guide on teaching with PBL.  http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning

Pinterest

Who’s not addicted to Pinterest?  If you are, you’ve likely figured out that there is a bevy of classroom resources pinned out there between the clean/organized home tips and the someecards.  Here’s an infographic that gives you an idea of how teachers are using Pinterest.  http://www.onlineuniversities.com/ways-educators-use-pinterest

You might also pin this http://pinterest.com/erinklein/pinterest-for-teachers/

If you teach kids older than 13, you can also use pinterest with your students http://mashable.com/2012/03/22/teachers-using-pinterest/

Great pinners to follow (from this link http://erinpaynter.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/edu-pinning-pinterest-in-education/)

Vicki Davis, “Cool Cat Teacher” http://pinterest.com/coolcatteacher/

 Eric Sheninger http://pinterest.com/esheninger/

Karen Steffensen http://pinterest.com/kstef2/

Debbie Fucoloro http://pinterest.com/debbiefuco/

Shannon Smith http://pinterest.com/shannoninottawa/

Shelly Terrell http://pinterest.com/shellyterrell/

iPads

If you’re lucky, you’ve already got a classroom set.  If you haven’t, you’re probably hoping to get one. Here are some iPad resources you might be interested in having.

Great article from Learning and Leading with Technology by ISTE on how just a few iPads in a classroom can support and enhance individualized instruction.  “Less than a Class Set.” http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20111201#pg24

“Only 1 iPad in the Classroom?” http://eskymaclj.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/only-1-ipad-in-classroom.html

“40 STEM iPad Apps for Kids” http://imaginationsoup.net/2012/05/40-stem-ipad-apps-for-kids-science-technology-engineering-math/

“APPitic: A Collection of 1,800+ apps for education” http://www.appitic.com/

“Kathy Schrock’s iPads in the Classroom” http://blog.kathyschrock.net/#!/2011/09/ipads-in-classroom.html

“iPads in Education: Exploring the use of iPads and eBooks in Schools and Colleges” http://ipadeducators.ning.com/

“1,000 Education Apps Organized by Subject and Price” http://edudemic.com/2012/02/1000-apps/

 Apps by IEP Goals/Skills http://techinspecialed.com/

Common Core
And last but not least…

“All Things Common Core: Developing an Understanding of the Common Core Standards” http://allthingscommoncore.com/

 “Kid-Friendly Standards” would also surely be good for parents! http://omsd.omsd.k12.ca.us/departments/lss/standards/Pages/standards.aspx

From the New York City Department of Education is a list of web-based resources organized by discipline with the note that the content on the resources may or may not be aligned to Common Core.  It’s found on a page titled “The Common Core Classroom”!  Nonetheless, there’s good stuff here: http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/CommonCoreLibrary/CommonCoreClassroom/TeacherResources/default.htm

“Bringing the Common Core to Life” is a webinar with a leading author and architect of the Common Core State Standards http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/resources/bringing-the-common-core-to-life.html
Mastery Connect website has a free iPad app of the CCSS http://www.masteryconnect.com/
 
A Symbaloo collection of Common Core resources http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/commoncore

A Livebinder organized by states’ work on Common Core http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/52180