Are your students Publishing & Blogging? They should be !

Find some safe tools for allowing Student to Publish on the web to share ideas and build writing into lessons. Publishing pushes students to produce their very best and showcase talents and future career skills.

10 REASONS WHY TEACHERS SHOULD BLOG

Be ahead of your students. More and more teachers make blogging a requirement for students. Having this experience will enable you to foresee the difficulties, learning curves, or fears students may face along the way. It will also give you some exposure to possible technical issues that may arise as well as how to fix them. Finally, you can model by showing students your own blog (you can even teach from your blog)!
​Read the full article by TechTeacher: http://www.techteachercenter.com/10-reasons-why-teachers-should-blog/

Why Aren't Students Allowed to Blog?

It's 2016, so you'd think that everyone understands the importance of encouraging students to blog. But some teachers and leaders get caught up in the "curriculum to cover!" mindset, and don't allow blogging to happen.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2016/05/why_arent_students_allowed_to_blog.html 

Edublogs: Easy Blogging for Education

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Edublogs is the largest education blogging platform on the web. It's easy, safe and packed with features.
Website: http://edublogs.org 
App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/edublogs/id526466328?mt=8 
Tutorials: ​https://www.youtube.com/user/edublogssupport

Blogger by Google

Website: http://www.blogger.com
App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blogger/id459407288?mt=8 

FLIP SNACK Interactive Flip Books

Website: http://www.flipsnack.com 
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THINGLINK: Make interactive Images

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ThingLink is an interactive media platform that empowers publishers, educators, brands, and bloggers to create more engaging content by adding rich media links to photos and videos. Use ThingLink to create interactive news photography, maps, posters, family albums, infographics, and shoppable product catalogs in minutes! You can keep track of how people interact with your content as it spreads across the web.
Website:  https://www.thinglink.com
App:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/thinglink/id647304300?mt=8
​Tutorials:  https://www.thinglink.com/tutorial/Tutorials
Transform Teaching Through Thinglink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnUnQKASmiE&feature=youtu.be
Blog: http://thinglinkblog.com/2015/10/26/transform-teaching-learning-with-thinglink-edu-google-docs 

Instagram

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We all know that Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels. And there really are many ways you can use Instagram in the classroom.  I love the concept that I don;t have to teach the kids how to use the tool.  Boy is that a time saver.  I also know you might need to be convinced, so here is a list of ways to use Instagram in your classroom.  I found all the ideas on teachers blogs.  
From a WE ARE Teachers
  • Showcase students' work. Snap pictures of students' artwork and other special projects to share on a private Instagram account only accessible to families and others in your school community.
  • Feature a student of the week. Invite students to alternate "taking over" your classroom Instagram account and sharing photos from their daily lives. Then have the featured student share his or her photos with the class.
  • Capture field trip memories. Invite a student volunteer "archivist" to take photos on your field trips or during class parties and share them on your Instagram account.
  • Imagine how a famous person in history would use Instagram. Have students browse historical photos and create a bulletin board or poster display showing Abraham Lincoln's or Buzz Aldrin's Instagram feed.
  • Imagine what a favorite character would post. Challenge students to find photos that would appear in Harry Potter's or Katniss Everdeen's Instagram.
  • Share reading recommendations. Invite students to snap photos of their favorite books and then browse the photos in your feed for more ideas on what to read.
  • Record steps in a science experiment. Watch as a plant unfurls or a chemical compound slowly changes colors—and keep the changes preserved on Instagram.
  • Go on an ABC scavenger hunt. Challenge kids to find print in the world around them—on signs, packaging and in the mail.
  • Discover ideas for writing. Tap an "inspiration fairy" to take 10 photos that could serve as a prompt for writing—an empty bird's nest, a For Sale sign and a broken doll, for instance.
  • Document student progress. Snap photos of student's writing at the beginning and end of the year. Order inexpensive prints from sites such as Prinstagr.am to show students how far they have come!
From Education World: Using Instagram in the Classroom: Five Activities
From Nerdy, Nerdy, Nerdy: Using Instagram in the Classroom-IDEAS
​From Daily Genus: 10 Ways to Use Instagram in the Classroom
From Emerging EDTECH; Picture This-5 Ways Teachers Can Use Instagram 
From Global Citizen Foundation: ​​https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/10-ways-to-use-instagram-in-your-classroom?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=23277425&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9GWUTGo4ulZv-WTeVXkNnaytBEvlBIlzkU3WA2ZCkRd7pqG_jxcgcSA57BptJssMYUMwIvMEug2ONV3y-bUr-Rbszo7A&_hsmi=23277425

Google Sites

Website: https://sites.google.com
Tutorials: http://learn.googleapps.com/products/sites/#/list 

Weebly

Website: http://www.weebly.com 
App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weebly-create-free-website/id511158309?mt=8
Tutorials: http://weeblyvideotutorials.weebly.com/
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Haiku Deck

Website: https://www.haikudeck.com
App: ​https://itunes.apple.com/app/id536328724?&referrer=click%3D87a88ead-0c85-4593-a394-0fd84d9b24ef

Adobe Slate iPad and Web App

Named App Store Editors’ Choice, Slate lets you turn your next newsletter, report, invitation or travel adventure into a gorgeous visual story that delights readers on any device. Simply tap to select a unique look — beautiful fonts, color and magazine-style design are automatically incorporated. Fluid movement and elegant motion are applied instantly. Share your Slate story link anywhere. Grab attention, increase awareness and inspire action. Stand out.
Website: https://standout.adobe.com/slate/ 
App:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-slate-make-your-words/id968433730?mt=8 
Tour of Slate:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o14tnNsOA9Q
Slate Story:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3iVeqxGTs&feature=youtu.be
Examples:
A Students Research Report:  https://slate.adobe.com/a/78KQK/
A Review of Cats:  https://slate.adobe.com/a/2J6kK/
iPad Monthly PD Newsletter:  https://slate.adobe.com/a/R94Rx/ 
Adopt A Dog:  https://slate.adobe.com/a/73Knv/
The Unpleasantness of TouchScreens:  https://slate.adobe.com/a/20Kw9/

Smore

Website: ​https://www.smore.com
An Example: ​https://www.smore.com/j6ry-using-smore-in-your-classroom