Hopscotch - Learn Coding Basics on Your iPad or iPhone

Hopscotch is a free iOS app that introduces students to programming logic. The app originally launched as an iPad-only app. Last week the developers released an iPhone-friendly version of the free app.

In Hopscotch students put command boxes into order to make cartoon avatars move and draw lines. Students can program one or all of the cartoon avatars to move and follow commands based on touch or on the movement of their iPads.

Applications for Education
Hopscotch was developed by the same people who developed Daisy the Dinosaur. Daisy the Dinosaur teaches kids younger than nine years old some basic programming logic. Using Hopscotch is a logical next step after completing the challenges in Daisy the Dinosaur.

H/T to Lifehacker.

The Week in Review - The Overseers

Good evening from Maine where I am home after a couple of days in Pennsylvania for PSLA 2016. It was an honor to give the keynote at the conference full of enthusiastic teacher-librarians. On Thursday evening I gave the opening keynote. Before I took the stage there was a short ceremony to install the new PSLA officers. My laptop was accidentally bumped during that ceremony and my slides advanced until they were stuck on a picture of my dogs. For a few moments it looked like they were overseeing the ceremony. Of course, I had to snap a picture of it and post it on Instagram.

Here are this week's most popular posts:
1. 7 Tools for Creating Flowcharts, Mind Maps, and Diagrams
2. How to Blend Images in Google Slides
3. ReadWorks Publishes Summer Reading Packs for K-12
4. Six Alternatives to TechSmith's Snagit, Knowmia, and ScreenChomp
5. How to Create Recordings of Your iPad's Screen
6. How to Use Facebook to Bookmark Links
7. LitCharts Offers Guides to Popular & Classic Literature

Spring and Summer PD Opportunities With Me

• Only three tickets remain for the Practical Ed Tech BYOD Camp in July. 
• Take a look at the online workshops I'm hosting throughout the spring and summer.
• The Practical Ed Tech Chromebook Camp is sold out! Email me to get on the waiting list. 

Would you like to have me speak at your school or conference?

Click here to learn about my professional development services. 

Please visit the official advertisers that help keep this blog going.

Practical Ed Tech is the brand through which I offer PD webinars.

BoomWriter provides a fantastic tool for creating writing lessons. 

FreshGrade is a great online digital portfolio tool. 

Storyboard That is my go-to tool for creating storyboards and cartoon stories.

Discovery Education & Wilkes University offer online courses for earning Master's degrees in Instructional Media.

PrepFactory offers a great place for students to prepare for SAT and ACT tests.

FrontRow offers adaptive online ELA and Math practice activities.  

Teach n Go is a comprehensive platform for teaching online courses.

The University of Maryland Baltimore County offers graduate programs for teachers.

Boise State University offers a 100% online program in educational technology.

EdTechTeacher is hosting host workshops in six cities in the U.S. in the summer.

Buncee offers a great tool for creating visual stories. 

Slides From My Presentations at PSLA 2016

One of my favorite things to do professionally is speak at conferences because I get to meet so many passionate educators. This week I had the privilege to give the opening keynote at the PSLA 2016 conference on Thursday evening. On Friday morning I gave another presentation. The slides from both of my presentations are embedded below.



Visit my work with me page to learn how to bring me to your school or conference.

How to Create Audio Slideshow Videos on Stupeflix (No sign-in required)

In my post yesterday evening I mentioned that at the PSLA conference in Pennsylvania I demonstrated how to create an audio slideshow video with Stupeflix. For folks who came to my presentation and anyone else who is curious about the tool, I offer the following tutorial video.


Applications for Education
Some of the highlights of Stupeflix for teachers are that it doesn't require email addresses, there is not a recording length limitation, and there is a library of free music that students can use in their videos.

How to Create an Interactive Series of Videos

Earlier today people who are subscribed to my YouTube channel may have received a notification of a new video posted. If you watched it (all 12 seconds of it) you might have wondered, "what the heck is Richard doing?" I posted it during a presentation this morning. The presentation was about making videos with students. That particular video was a demonstration of how to post a video made on Stupeflix to a YouTube channel. Then I demonstrated how to add annotations to the video. Adding annotations to videos allows you to create an interactive series of videos. In the video embedded below I demonstrate how to create an interactive series through the use of YouTube annotations.