How to Celebrate the Holidays While Staying on Task in the Classroom

When the holiday season nears, weather gets cooler, schedules become busier, and students have a more difficult time staying on the “nice” list. But who can blame them? The anticipation of winter break beckons. Staying focused is so much harder when there are snowmen to be built and cookies to be decorated. For teachers, too, the weeks preceding holiday break are challenging; the list of curriculum to cover is long, but students’ attention spans are awfully short. 

Instead of beginning a countdown to the calendar year’s end, consider bringing the holiday magic into the classroom with a few of these ideas. 

Add more decor. 

A little bit of celebratory spirit goes a long way when it comes to decorating your classroom for the holidays. Surprise your students with some sparkly lights around the whiteboard or with a bulletin board lined with colorful fall foliage. For added coziness, use your SMART board or projector to display a long video of a crackling, tranquil fireplace. There are plenty to choose from on YouTube, and your students will love the calming background during independent work time. 

Incentivize celebrations. 

As your excited students become sillier and squirrelier, get creative with your classroom management by rewarding good behavior with festive activities. Younger students will love making digital snowflakes, all while reinforcing basic geometric vocabulary. For older students, grab some cheerful props and use an app (like MonaCam) to turn your Chromebook into a photo booth. Students of any age will enjoy a hot cocoa or apple cider bar on a chilly afternoon during silent reading time. Positively reinforcing great behavior will go a long way during these long weeks. 

Incorporate merriment into instruction. 

To keep minds from wandering during class time, think about integrating themed elements into your instruction. For example, try using holiday-related words in math problems (such as turkeys, dreidels, or pies). Take a virtual field trip to the “North Pole” by studying the arctic through the National Geographic Kids or World Wildlife Fund websites. Take your little astronomers on a venture into space to learn about the Winter Solstice. Encourage students to study different cultures by writing about and sharing their own, unique, family traditions and beliefs. 

Give back. 

Channel the generous spirit of the season by planning a meaningful mission with your students. Take on a service project, write thank you cards to support staff, or commit to doing random acts of kindness around the school. 

During those chilly, busy months when everyone is ready for a break, it’s important to keep your classroom running smoothly. Combining fun festivity with student learning helps make the season calm and bright for all. 

The Best Tips & Tricks for Fall Semester

Fall semester is in full swing and if your teachers are already feeling overwhelmed, implementing some of our favorite edtech tools and techniques from our partners could be the answer.

Boost Productivity 

When there’s not enough time in the day, get more done with tech hacks designed to simplify your life. 

• Microsoft Outlook offers productivity and time management tools in its Calendar features. Use it to set appointments, reminders and even organize your schedule by day, week or year. Block out times when you’re unavailable – lunches, personal development time and vacations – to keep your staff updated about your schedule.  

• If your school uses Google and Gmail, Google Tasks is the equivalent to Outlook. Google Tasks allow you to create multiple task lists, organized by grade, department, team, however you choose. You can reorder tasks, add subtasks and notes and even switch between multiple accounts (like your work and personal accounts) if you need to take some work home with you. But probably the biggest time saver is being able to create tasks from a Google search. Google “t your task” and press enter. Google will add whatever you type after “t” as your task, like “buy new Chromebooks.” 

Improve Communication 

Eliminate the need to run down the hall every time you need to connect with a staff member.  

• Microsoft Teams can keep everyone on the same page. Microsoft Teams, which comes with Office 365, allows your staff to instantly message each other and even set online meetings. The chat threads can be grouped so the administrative staff and the English department can all have their own thread. You can even set alerts so you know when someone has added a new comment or reached out to you directly.  

• Take Teams one step further by using Flipgrid and OneNote. Flipgrid is a video discussion platform that allows students to share their ideas, wonderings, projects and questions in new and creative ways. This social learning app is supported by OneNote, Microsoft’s digital notebook. Teachers add the topics, students respond with short videos, and everyone engages. The grids are communities built by educators and each has its own special code, which teachers can share with students. Educators can prompt students to engage with discussion topics or questions and also allow students to respond to their peers. 

Save Time 

It takes massive amounts of coordination, not to mention time, to plan field trips and even professional development outings. Save the hassle by using the classroom and staff room as home base. 

• Skype in the Classroom’s guest speakers bring learning to life for your school’s students. There are hundreds of volunteer guest speakers from around the world that are available to speak to your classrooms about an endless amount of topics from ancient Greece and desert exploration to the science of mosquitoes. These guest speakers are experts in every subject area you can imagine as they are authors, scientists, engineers, zookeepers, etc. Experts can also be virtually “brought in” for professional development. 

• Immersive technology, like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) use software to help students see through time and space. Scholastic has an entire curriculum dedicated to integrating VR into STEM lesson plans that allow students to travel far beyond our solar system or down to a cellular level.  

At Arey Jones, we partner with the best in the edtech business to provide the latest and greatest in software and educational services for K-12 educators and administrators. Contact us to see what solutions we can provide for you.

Teaching Tips: How to Stay Organized All Year

All teachers can relate. School has only recently resumed, and yet, your desk is buried under stacks of papers and miscellaneous school supplies. Post-it notes containing countless clerical to-dos are everywhere. Between the desk mess, a teeming inbox, and planning for upcoming lessons, it’s difficult to know what to tackle first.  

There’s a reason why disorganization is an issue for most teachers; the profession is incredibly demanding. It requires one to make hundreds of decisions per day, all pertaining to the monumental task of educating children. Because of the urgency of students’ needs and lesson preparation, it’s easy for organizational maintenance to fall to the wayside. 

Instead of adding more hours to your already-busy workweek, incorporate these simple tips to stay organized all year. 

Make the most of every minute. 

It’s certainly tempting to use your breaks linger in the teacher’s lounge, comparing the day’s tales with colleagues. But think of it this way: every unused moment is work time added to your evening. Time is valuable, and many daily tasks only require a few minutes each. So the next time you have a short break (or when your students are working independently), use the opportunity to enter grade book data, arrange instructional materials for the next class, or answer a quick email from a parent.  

Get your students involved.  

Smoothly run classrooms call for everyone to do their part. Kids love to help with daily duties, so use that enthusiasm to your advantage. Ask a student to pass out lesson materials while you get your Power Point into slideshow mode. Assign a few kids each week to take care of a designated area of the classroom; one can tidy bookshelves, the other can organize art supplies or keep staplers and tape stocked. If left only to the teacher, these tiny tasks can accrue. Delegate small jobs to students when applicable, and consider it a learning opportunity. 

Utilize digital tools. 

The technological world is brimming with resources designed for classroom use. In addition to enhancing student engagement, many of these tech tools can also aid in administrative duties. Google Drive allows teachers remote access to files, so they can keep documents in one place, but work on them anywhere. With the ability to submit assignments electronically, mysterious paper disappearances will be thing of the past. Google calendar is another beneficial tool. With it, important due dates and school events become always accessible to students and their families. 

Maintain a clear workspace.  

Because of the busy nature of a teacher’s day, it’s easy for your personal desk to become a “catch-all” location. Sifting through the day’s debris then becomes a daunting afternoon chore. To avoid wasting time merely muddling through the piles, create file shelves so that every unfinished project (such as incomplete grading) has its own place. Having designated locations, and taking the extra few seconds to maintain them, will result in a neat, clean area for when it’s time to get to work. 

Teachers are professional jugglers with a wide range of daily responsibilities. With so much on the to-do list, organization is imperative. This year, implement these routines so that you can spend less time managing mess and more time inspiring intellect. 

School’s Out, Professional Development Is In

Once the last bell rings and the lockers empty out, it’s time for teachers to enjoy some “me” time and fit in a little professional development. There are a lot of avenues to take from conferences and workshops to work-on-your-own certifications.  

Become a Google Certified Educator 

The Certified Educator program is offered at four levels, a Google Certified Educator Level 1, Level 2 and Google Certified Trainer and Innovator. Each level requires varying degrees of dedication on your part. Each of the four levels (Google Certified Educator Level 1, Level 2, Google for Education Certified Trainer and Google for Education Certified Innovators) has a course and exam you must pass to gain certification. Google for Education Certified Trainers and Innovators must also submit an application. You can either work on your own to go through these levels or work with a Google Certified Trainer for face-to-face instruction. 

Bring Coding to Your School 

Code.org partners with more than 120 school districts to bring computer science to your district. Besides teaching students how to code, Code.org offers professional development workshops for teachers and administrators. Workshops can be geared to those without any prior computer science experience. Administers can set up K-12 educator workshops by contacting a regional partner. 

Join the Microsoft Educator Community 

Microsoft’s Educator Center offers training and resources, badges and certifications. Take a course, master a Microsoft product, view your achievements and connect with others. There are also options to attend on-demand or in-person training and events.  

Take a Free Digital Media Course 

KQED Teach offers free, hands-on professional learning opportunities that are focused on digital media. You can build skills in digital storytelling, data visualization and critical media. The courses are free, take about six hours and qualify for a PBS Certified Media Literacy Educator. Sign up from the website. 

Sit through a LIVE Webinar 

EdTechTeam, the global network of educational technologists that works with more than 250 contractors worldwide, features both LIVE webinars and archived webinars on its website. Topics covered include “Chromebooks for Tools for Creativity,” “Innovative Strategies for Teaching Science” and “Ok Google, How Safe is My Data.” Most of these webinars run about an hour.  

Have a great idea for summer professional development? Share it in the comments below! 

10 Ways To Take A Real Break This Summer

The last bell has rung, the hallways are clear and the lockers are empty. It’s that glorious time of year when schools empty of students and teachers and improvements begin for the next school year. And while the to-do list may be long, it’s essential for educators to take a real break this summer. 

It is important for our emotional wellbeing to take a pause from our jobs. Work breaks help our brains by preventing decision fatigue, restore motivation for long-term goals, increase productivity and creativity and improve learning. 

Here are 10 things you can do to help relax this summer. 

1. Sleep in or take naps. Replenish your sleep during the summer to help start the next school year well rested. You deserve it! 

2. Have some laughs. Meet friends for coffee or drinks or go to a funny movie. Laughing helps people relax and releases endorphins. 

3. Do some coloring. Coloring isn’t just for kids. Adult coloring books are great for switching the brain from thinking about school, to thinking about what shade of orange you want to use on that butterfly’s wing. 

4. Do some crafts. Many local art centers and museums have summer classes for both kids and adults. Learn origami, throw some pottery or take a painting class. It’s a great way to decompress and learn a new skill. 

5. Read for yourself. Take a break from young reader favorites, e.g., Judy Moody, Greg Heffley and Percy Jackson, and read something just for yourself. It doesn’t have to be Jane Austen (although that’s a great choice), it can be a total guilty pleasure like a steamy romance. 

6. Get a massage. Forget about the cost and allow yourself to be treated and enjoy the many benefits a massage provides. Massages release tension and can eliminate pain in shoulders, back and neck (you know you’ve hunched over a Chromebook for nearly a year), help with insomnia and anxiety. 

7. Spend all day in your PJs. Take a break from the normal morning routine by skipping it entirely! Take the day to just lounge in your pajamas watching Netflix, cozying up with a book or eating junk food on the couch. 

8. Take a long lunch. Relish in the ability to take as long as you want to eat, instead of frantically trying to consume lunch in 15 minutes. Pick a favorite lunch spot and invite friends, partners or even coworkers to join you once or twice a month. 

9. Go for a walk. Grab the kids, the dog or just yourself and take a stroll. A 20-minute walk can do wonders for your health by building strength in your heart, improving your mood and helping you sleep better. 

10. Play with your kids or grandkids. Life feels like a series of schedules during the school year – go to work, pick up kids, make dinner, do homework, wash a load of laundry, go to bed, repeat. Take this time to have some fun with your kids. Go to the movies or the pool, play board games or visit some local museums.  

Once you’ve taken some real “me” time and are refreshed, refocused and ready to think about the upcoming school year again, we can help. We have a whole menu of personalized services for educators who are looking to add new devices or upgrade wireless equipment. And, we perform all imaging, asset tagging, consolidation and laser etching work in our state-of-the-art fulfillment center. Contact us today to learn more. 

It’s Time To Redesign Your Learning Spaces

As school curriculums evolve and adapt to technology, learning spaces are following suit. Stuffy, stodgy classrooms don’t reflect or benefit today’s learner. Instead, schools around the country are transforming classrooms to be more engaging, productive and reflective of the growing use of EdTech. 

Before you run out of room this year’s budget, consider making space for some room improvements. These five tips are a great place to start.  

Considering a space redesign? 

1. Get students involved. Since students are the primary users of the space, build excitement early by asking them how they want their classroom to look. Instruct them to create an inspiration board in their OneNote Class Notebook with photos and points of interests. On the flipside, create a board that showcases what they don’t like about the current space and how it makes them feel. Keep the students involved throughout the process from inception to completion. 

2. Ask questions. Think about how the space currently impedes learning. Do desks need to be mobile? How much hands-on help does the teacher need to provide to students? Brainstorm with teachers about their needs and how their ideal space to meet those needs. Figure out how many spaces you first want to start with, then once learning is improved, you can make a case to the higher-ups to continue revamping. Once again, OneNote Staff Notebooks are a great tool to gather everyone’s input and keep them on the same page. 

3. Get rid of the front of the classrooms. With Chromebooks in front of every student and/or monitors spread about the room, the need to for a front-and-center direct instruction space has passed. Instead, opt for a set up that increases collaboration. Consider classrooms with desks on wheels so workspaces can move into groups or slide closer to monitors. 

4. Say goodbye to traditional teacher spaces. The use of the cloud has made bulky, traditional storage unnecessary. Ridding your classrooms of these obstacles can free up a tremendous amount of space, just think about how much room a file cabinet takes up. Google and Microsoft both have cloud storage options. 

5. Inject color into the space. Studies show there is a direct link between color and positive and negative feelings. Color’s impact on emotions can influence how a student studies and learns. Keep wall colors neutral to avoid overstimulation and use bright colors as accents in the chairs, desks and tables. This is also a great opportunity to clear clutter away, leaving clean lines and decongested spaces.  

Consider implementing a fresh start to your school’s classrooms this spring. Keep us updated on your progress in the comments below! 

Clean Out Your Electronic Files Like A Pro

When spring finally arrives, it’s not just classrooms, lockers and bookshelves that need a good cleaning but electronic devices as well. Just because a laptop case can be closed and a desktop shutdown, doesn’t mean the clutter magically disappears. The good news is the same principles that apply to cleaning physical spaces work in digital ones just as well.

Create a space for everything and put everything in its place.

A well thought-out organization system keeps all your digital files in order. Create new folders in storage spots that you can easily access from anywhere. Google Drive offers free cloud storage for up to 15 GB.

Consider organizing your files in bulk by year, and clearly label each file and folder with its exact contents to save stress and energy. The more accurate your labeling now, the easier the file will be to find next year.

Once you’ve created a system to keep you organized, stick to it. A great organizational system can only save you time and enhance productivity if you use it. 

Open and sort all your mail.

Start cleaning your inbox and then move on to your other folders. Gmail and Outlook both offer lots of ways to sort your email. Set rules to automatically sort emails from your teachers into a specific folder so they’re easier to sort through. Learn how here.

Stock up on cleaning tools.

Microsoft’s operating system comes with a host of cleaning tools, like Disk Cleanup. There are other options available for download, like Microsoft’s Total PC Cleaner, from the Microsoft Store. Google Chrome also offers extensions that can help clear cache and delete browsing history. Try this handy guide if malware or viruses are a problem.

Use the trashcan and use it often.

Don’t forget to trash the files you’re not using anymore. A cluttered desktop is distracting and hard to use efficiently. Random files in their different formats are easily glossed over or even missed. And the icons for PDFs, Word docs and images don’t always show what’s inside. Keep this rule in mind, if you don’t want to store it, don’t keep it! Save only the items you need to find quickly or things you use every single day. Rely on your filing system for the others. Delete the rest.

Arey Jones works with the best partners that provide the latest edtech solutions for your school. Read more about who we are here.

It’s Madness: The Biggest Players In Tech

There’s a lot of chatter this year about basketball, brackets and top-seeded teams but we’re more interested in some of the standout players in the EdTech field. 

These two champions are always coming up with new products, tips and updates to help administrators and educators effectively do the job of teaching students.

Reigning Champs

Microsoft Education has been at the forefront of EdTech since the beginning. The company and its partners are consistently updating products and providing tips for users. For example, Microsoft Education recently released 10 learning tool updates for the new year which includes adding Translator in the Immersive Reader, combining step-by-step solving in Math Assistant and reading aloud in Immersive Reader and page colors in Word Desktop.

Some other Microsoft products that are moving and shaking are,

• FlipGrid – As more schools and classrooms connect through FlipGrid, #GridPals, a spin on penpals, help engage students with peers around the world. This awesome dynamic helps students learn from others, share their love of learning through books and offer support.

• OneNote – Custom tags are now in OneNote! Users can now name the tag and select an icon to create a custom tag that will sync across devices and show up in app search results. Brilliant!

• Skype Classroom - Skype in the Classroom is unveiling all sorts of different PD options educators can use to get more out of the product. The best news is the courses are FREE!

The Cinderella Team

Google For Education has become a major player in the EdTech world. Its powerful yet affordable Chromebooks have helped make technology accessible to all students. Its GoogleEdu YouTube channel regularly hosts product updates and EdTech know-how, like the new gradebook in Google Classroom and lock mode for quizzes in Google Forms on managed Chromebooks. 

Some other Google For Education product updates and tips include,

• Gmail – Customizable keyboard shortcuts, how are we not already doing this? Make your Gmail work for you by creating your own keyboard shortcuts. A couple quick clicks in Settings can change your entire day.

• Google Drive – No Internet, no problem. Google Drive allows users to access stored files without Wi-Fi or any other type of Internet. You can work on the go, edit Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and more when you’re in the dark.

• Google Classroom – Google is rolling out new features in 2019, including allowing teachers to create and assign a forms quiz directly from classroom. This saves time and streamlines the entire process.

The good news is you don’t have to pick a team. Microsoft Education and Google for Education have tons of programs and products that seamlessly work together making the fans the real winners.

Maximize the Immersive Technology in the Classroom

Immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) provide students with stimulating environments that add tons of educated value. For example, utilizing these cutting edge educational technology tools allows students to see far off places and visit times they’d never be able to experience in reality. There are hundreds of adventures each classroom can take. Before you decide to add this new tech to your school (and we think you should) check out these ways you can use it in the classroom and beyond to maximize its learning potential and justify the expense.

Use it For STEM Learning

The fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics can be opened way up with VR and AR. Scholastic has an entire curriculum dedicated to integrating VR into STEM lesson plans. These areas are ideal for VR and AR since students can travel far beyond our solar system or down to a cellular level. Concepts go from imagined to real. Imagine being able to teach your science students about how a volcano works then virtually traveling inside one as it erupts.

Use it For Professional Development

The best thing about an exciting new form of learning is sharing it with your staff. Training staff and teachers on VR and AR equipment not only creates buy-in, but they now get to add it to their professional development. Use experts (bring them there virtually with Skype), take webinars, hold onsite demonstrations or use your OneNote Staff Notebooks as a collaborative space and resource library to develop the VR and AR skills throughout the entire school.

Getting excited about new technology is great, but knowing how to implement it to its fullest is even better! Ready to integrate this newest edtech in your school? We can help. Contact us today.

Data Analytics Make Schools More Effective!

Is this program working? What about that software? Data tells the story of how successful the processes you’ve put in place are. A recent report from the Data Quality Campaign shows K-12 school districts need to invest in training administrators in data analysis.

Why Examine Data?

The report shows using data improves students’ academic outcomes and should be a goal for administrators as well as teachers, parents and even state policymakers. Administrators that can effectively use data can understand trends, examine professional development and personal needs, and marshal resources to support student achievement. 

To do this, administrators need to have the right tools including access, time, training and common understanding. Once they have the skills they need for data analytics, they can use their existing technology make the entire process come together.

Spreadsheets

Both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel can aggregate data on student learning, administrative tasks and other types of classroom performance factors. The data can be sorted, divided, highlighted and filtered in an endless array of possibilities.

OneNote

OneNote can help teachers track all-important student data with Classroom Notebooks. Administrators can use it the same way with Staff Notebooks. Not only does OneNote put all the information into a collaborative space, the information can easily be shared with parents. Engaging parents in the story that data tells about the school, helps with both successes and challenges, according to the report.

Presentations

Providing teachers and district staff  with ongoing training on effective data use helps them recognize how valid it is for their schools. Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides were both made for presentations. Besides being able to easily add information into these programs, they make everyone – from novice to expert – look like a pro.

Security

When gathering all this student and staff information, it’s imperative to keep it safe. The privacy and confidentially of each student and adult is a priority that Microsoft OneDrive’s security measures can handle. It offers a two-step verification protect and support to help protect your information.

Schools and districts are most successful when adults have the data to see the full picture of their students’ learning needs, according to the report. It is suggested school and district administrators need to model and support effective data use at every level, including as part of classroom instruction. What are you doing to support data analytics in your school? Share with us below.

How OneNote Enhances Memory in Students

Technology has improved education in many ways, from immersive learning through augmented and virtual reality to improved communication between teachers, parents and students. But there are a few “old school” methods that have no substitute and one is handwriting. There was a study published in Psychological Science in 2016, authored by Pam Mueller of Princeton University and Daniel Oppenheimer of UCLA, that showed handwriting is the best way for students to recall what they learn. With Microsoft OneNote, your students can have the best of both worlds. 

OneNote is Handwriting-Friendly

It has been shown that hand-note takers tend to digest, summarize and capture the meat of the information better than typing it, leading to improved understanding and recall. In relation,  when we type, we try to notes every word we hear instead of what they mean, leaving our comprehension of the subject matter more shallow. Using OneNote’s stylus (or a fingertip) is like putting pen to paper so note takers get the recall advantage.

While using OneNote gives the traditional benefits of pen and paper, it goes above and beyond by giving you the ease of being digital.

OneNote Quickly Transfers Handwriting to Digital

Once you’re done taking notes you can convert your handwriting to text by choosing the Lasso Select button on the Draw tab. And, unlike the set pages of a notebook, there’s no limit on how many notes you can take in OneNote, except for how much storage you have. And with cloud storage options, you should be free to take a lot of notes!

OneNote Keeps Notes in One Place

Once you’ve recalled information you can easily reference it. Keeping track of scraps of paper and multiple notebooks is a thing of the past as OneNote is searchable. Took a note about ordering a new shipment of Chromebooks? Simply search by “Chromebook” and OneNote will pull up all your options. You can even pull up content from OneNote if you’re offline. And because you can create multiple tabs in each notebook and pages within tab, organization options are endless.

OneNote Allows You to Save and Store

Gotta run out on a lecture? No problem. OneNote allows you to stop, save and open your note at a different time, so you write some additional notes. Since OneNote goes with you, it’s always in the palm of your hand when inspiration strikes.

What do you love about Microsoft OneNote? Let us know.

Who is Arey Jones?

The New Year is a time to look forward, make resolutions and leave old business behind. That’s not to say you forget your roots, your history. So who is Arey Jones? We have a long history that’s been weaved into technology and education for more than 100 years.

We’re a Trusted Leader in Educational Technology

We’ve been involved with Educational Solutions since the early 1990s by providing hardware, software, integration, configuration, service and support. We’re dedicated to working exclusively with the k-12 marketplace. Every employee within the Arey Jones company has experience working with the hundreds of school district customers around the county we have contracts with. Our employees are trained in all aspects of our business and must adhere to our strict policy that requires background checks on all employees and current fingerprinting or registration. We understand the importance of having trustworthy employees working with schools.

We’ve Been Around a Long Time

We were founded in 1897, yes 1897, in San Diego, Calif., as a business serving the stationary and administrative needs of the local educational market. As writing technology evolved, so did we. In 1972, Arey Jones was purchased by Broadway Typewriter Company, owned by the Scarpella Family. Since that time, the Scarpella Family has operated and expanded the business as Arey Jones Educational Solutions and remains active with the company. The Scarpella family is involved in day-to-day executive management and operations of the company and our management teams have been with us for more than 10 years.

We’re Equipped to be Your EdTech Partner

Our services are backed that a structure of regional configuration centers that allow us to design and implement technology architectures unique to each of the districts we serve. We have offices in California (San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco), Alabama (Mobile, Baldwin), Georgia (Atlanta) and Florida (Broward). Our centralized services will not only provide tech tools, like Chromebooks, (which can be shipped preloaded with integrated curriculum packages at competitive prices) but we also offer solutions that include peripheral, network architecture, data centers and cloud integration.

And our services don’t stop with the sale. Our support system is on point to make sure your classrooms spend more time learning instead of troubleshooting. Our teams of designers, installers, systems engineers, and support staff who are proud to be Arey Jones employees, are just one call away and ready to serve you.

Want to learn more? Contact us today to see how our education technology solutions can help you.

Most Popular Devices of 2018

Chromebooks are at the forefront of edtech devices and for good reason. Need a device that’s sturdy enough to take what kids can dish out? Go for a Chromebook. Need something powerful enough to meet all your app and online needs? Grab a Chromebook. How about something that does all of the above, while still staying comfortably in budget? You got, Chromebook.

Acer, HP, Dell, Asus and Lenovo all launched new Chromebooks in 2018 each with different options and features that set them apart. The most popular were Dell, Lenovo and HP.

Dell Chromebook 11 2-in-1 5190

Dell’s Chromebook 11 2-in-1 offers the best of both the laptop and tablet worlds. Its 11.6-inch, 2-in-1 screen features multiple viewing modes that allow students to view and write on the Chromebook from any angle - flat, tent, tablet or laptop - making it easy for them to create, collaborate and share ideas. Its Intel dual- and quad-core processor offers at least 10 hours of battery life and can be charged from either of its two USB Type-C ports, which also allows the Chromebook to be connected to a multitude of other devices.

Built for durability, the Chromebook 5190 2-in-1 comes with a sealed, spill-resistant keyboard that is able to withstand up to 12-ounce spills, rubberized protective bumpers along the base and an LCD screen. And, if that wasn’t enough durability, it has been tested to withstand 30-inch drops onto steel so it can easily survive lockers, lunchrooms, backpacks, buses and whatever else a student can dish out. It starts at $369.

Lenovo 500e Chromebook

The 11.6-in 2-in-1 500e Chromebook is made with the same rugged materials as the Dell Chromebook and features similar modes: laptop, tablet, tent or stand. But, one of its best features is the EMR pen. It is great for extended notetaking and writing, fine art or graphic design, detailed math problems requiring a student to show their work, and more. The EMR pen is pressure-sensitive and highly accurate. It runs on machine intelligence from Chrome OS to predict where the writing will go, giving it more of a real pen experience. One cool feature is that no charging or pairing is required, so the pen can be shared between students and across devices. And it’s garaged inside the Chromebook when not in use.

The Lenovo 500e also has two HD cameras to improve collaboration and videoconferencing. The 720p front-facing camera is great for capturing creative projects from anywhere, while the 5MP world-facing camera makes it easier to record and take pictures in the correct orientation from all four modes. The world-facing camera is on the keyboard side of the 500e Chromebook, so it can take photos while being held like a tablet. It starts at $319.

HP Chromebook x360

HP’s x360 Chromebook was created for both the education and consumer markets. It is a 2-in-1 with an 11.6-inch scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass display. Combine that with the spill-resistant keyboard and the x360 is ready for what the classroom can dish out. This Chromebook combines a rugged frame with the 360-degree touchscreen; which is essential for running Android apps. It is built to survive drops and tumbles, and still run like a top. 

The specs are pretty standard: 1.1GHz Celeron, 4GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. There is an upgraded version with 32 GB of storage if you need it. HP’s x360 also comes with a part of USB-C ports and a microSD card reader. At $299.99, this Chromebook is good place to start if you’re curious about Google’s Chrome OS.

Wondering what the most popular devices of 2019 will be? We have a few ideas.

9 Tools for 2019

You’re back from winter break, refreshed and ready to get back to work. Why not implement some of the best tools for 2019 to help? There are a plethora of apps and extensions that can help you, your teachers and students make the most of the new year.

1. Flipgrid. We’re going to keep talking about Flipgrid because we think it’s only going to expand in use, especially since Microsoft Teams integrated Flipgrid into its Microsoft Teams for Education. Flipgrid is a video discussion platform for educators and students. It allows students to share their ideas, wonderings, projects and questions in new and creative ways. Administrators can use Flipgrid to engage their professional learning network and build community among staff by creating conversations.

2. OneNote. Come for OneNote’s Staff Notebooks and stay for its other tools. Aside from Staff Notebooks’ collaboration space, shared content library and personal workspace for every staff member, OneNote also allows users to add any content and use digital inking. It also supports Flipgrid.

3. Google Keep. Google Keep is the online note-taker that goes with you. Webpages, images or quotes are saved with a single click when using this Chrome Extension and they are synced across all the platforms you use. Easy.

4. Microsoft Teams for Education. This popular software is free for educators and has recently been updated. We expect even more improvements to roll out in 2019.

5. Google Authenticator. In a time where BYOD is becoming commonplace in schools, making sure your device is secure is a top priority. Google Authenticator helps with that. It generates a code that gives a second-step verification when you sign in.

6. Google Docs Offline Sync. Believe it or not, there are times when you don’t have Internet access, or you just don’t want to use your data. Because Google Docs is available offline, now you don’t have to. Create, view and edit files on Docs, Sheets and Slides all offline.

7. Even the most seasoned writers can use the extra pair of “eyes” that Grammarly provides. The base app, which checks spelling, is free or upgrade to the Premium version which not only checks spelling but grammar and punctuation. You’ll be asking yourself, “How long have I been writing everything in passive voice?”

8. CheckMark. This Chrome extension, created by EdTechTeam, gives teachers the ability to provide students feedback quickly and easily. Highlight text in a Google Doc and an overlay pops up with quick shortcuts to frequently-asked comments like “Check Punctuation” and “Spelling.” It works on Slides too.

9. LastPass. It seems like every website, app, social media platform and even software requires a password; that’s a lot to remember. LastPass makes it easy and secure to kept track of them, plus it’s free.

Have a tool that you can’t live without? Let us know in the comments.

Our Favorite Tech Updates in 2018

The next few months will likely be spent looking forward at all the great tech and updates rolling out in 2019, that we wanted to take a breath and look at all the updates we loved in 2018.

• Lenovo VR. The Lenovo VR Classroom started shipping out to schools last June. The VR headset allows students to go on virtual field trips anywhere at any time, no permission slips or bus rides required. The kits include everything administrators need to introduce this type of immersion learning to students. The entire VR system is easy-to-use, easy-to-clean, highly-durable and offered in 3-, 10- and 24-student kits, but adaptable for up to 30 students. And it’s backed by support and a one-year warranty.

• G Suite for Education. In January 2018, Google announced it was making this product even better with security updates for G Suite for Education and a new edition, G Suite Enterprise for Education, an expanded version built specifically for large educational institutions. Its new capabilities included mobile device management, cloud search, Gmail logs analysis in BigQuery, a security center and the ability to record meetings and save them to Drive.

• Microsoft Teams for Education. This popular software ushered in its sophomore with some big news, it’s free for educators, and also some new updates that helped make it even better for those users. These included page locking in OneNote, being able to mute students, join codes and reusing existing teams as templates.

• Flipgrid joining Microsoft. In 2018, Microsoft Teams integrated Flipgrid into its Microsoft Teams for Education. Flipgrid is a video discussion platform for educators and students. It allows students to share their ideas, wonderings, projects and questions in new and creative ways. This social learning app is now supported by OneNote, Microsoft’s digital notebook. Teachers add the topics, students respond with short videos, and everyone engages.

• G Suite Allowing Comments. In a February 2018 update, Google Drive started to allow users to leave feedback on Microsoft Offices files, PDFs and images bypassing the need to convert them into Google Docs, Sheets or Slides. With this update, you can now comment on those files in Drive the way you’re used to in Google Docs. In the Drive preview pane, comment, assign tasks or mention coworkers and the people you work can reply back, even if they’re not using G Suite.

These are some of our favorite updates in educational technology in 2018 — and some of them, we carry as part of our services.

Plan Your Winter Break Now

Winter break is almost here. For a few short weeks, the halls will quiet down and emails and phone calls will slow to a trickle. While this time promises a moment to relax, it is also a mere speed bump until the next semester and the accompanying laundry list of to-dos. But before that busy time comes, take a moment to set goals and expectations for things you want to accomplish during these precious few short weeks. 

Here’s what we suggest:

Attend a conference.

Conferences, or any other networking opportunity for that matter, are a great way to recharge your batteries over winter break. EdTechTeam hosts multiple events, like summits, bootcamps and workshops across the United States, that unlock the mysteries surrounding G Suite for Education. If none are near your school, you can bring one there. If winter break travel doesn’t appeal to you, or a conference isn’t available during your days off, take the time to look at the ones you might want to attend and put them on your schedule for next semester.

Research devices.

Grab a blanket, some hot cocoa and tuck in with a good wish list for your school. Winter break is an ideal time to read reviews and compare the benefits of the devices your school could use most. Wondering about the differences between all the different Chromebooks? Now’s the time to dive in and do some research. Catch up with our blogs by re-reading this one about choosing your next Chromebook. Or, go to the source. Microsoft Education lists all of its budget-friendly devices here. And, Google For Education’s website has information about the tools the tech giant is currently offering, including G Suite for Education, virtual and augmented reality and digital tools and apps.

Complete budgets for next year.

This task may not be tops on your list of fun things to do over winter break, but think how much better you’ll feel when it’s done? Also, you can budget those items that you’ve been researching all break. A helpful tip to getting your edtech approved is to have a plan for its use. Also, consider the cost of old vs. new tech, noting that new tech has less maintenance costs and is more efficient. 

With your winter break list of to-dos ready to go, you’ll be able to enjoy some rest and relaxation. Let us know what your plans are winter break, and if we can help.

What will the Classroom Look Like in the Future?

Do you remember a time when classrooms didn’t have laptops or the Internet? Technological advances such as these have become such a huge part of our daily lives that most of us can’t remember life without them, or even want to. But, believe or not, there was a time when photocopiers and handheld calculators were the height of educational technology. Thankfully most classrooms in the United States have graduated to bigger (or smaller), faster, more efficient technology. It begs to ask the question then, what will the classroom look like in the future? 

Here’s what we think:

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) offers the ultimate immersion learning experience. It provides students with unbelievable, even otherworldly, experiences they can’t get anywhere else - all without leaving the classroom. The benefits are many, including helping to develop empathy as students can personally witness communities in crisis or by allowing students to experience different careers through the eyes of a surgeon, soldier or other professional fields, plus it promotes curiosity and wonder. This technology is already available in classrooms. The Lenovo VR Classroom is being shipped out to schools across the country. The kit includes everything administrators need to introduce this type of immersion learning to students. We think it’s just a matter of time before more classrooms catch on and VR becomes as common as a Chromebook.

Paperless Classrooms

Classrooms are quite possibly the one area where paper is still widely used, especially for younger students; but as apps and software improve, paper will disappear. Take Microsoft OneNote, which eliminates the need for handouts as it creates notebooks for each class, offers a collaboration space and holds all the content students need, like assignments and calendars. It even offers opportunities to communicate with parents. Don’t forget Google Forms which take the place of worksheets, quizzes and paper tests. And, if your school isn’t already sending newsletters electronically, we guarantee it will in the future.

Global Capabilities

The world is opening up to schools, both with speakers and knowledge networks. Classroom speakers are no longer regulated by who is available locally. With Skype in the Classroom, students in Indiana can hear from a speaker in Egypt about an archeological dig. Or students can questions directly to the author of the book they’re reading. There are also several global learning networks that connect students by collecting and sharing data internationally about issues like The Globe Program and The National SEED Project. These global capabilities show students just how much in common they have with others across the world and we think it is destined to become commonplace in all classrooms.

What do you think will be a “must have” in classrooms in the future? Let us know in the comments.

Microsoft Teams For Education: Are you on board yet?

Microsoft Teams in Office 365 Education is just into its second year since launching in June 2017 and is being touted as one of the best ways to further classroom engagement, strengthen professional learning communities and streamline staff communication.

 Microsoft Teams puts everyone on the same page, especially if they aren’t always in the same room. Microsoft Teams works off one central platform where everyone can see what everyone else is doing. You can upload and share any Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, SharePoint and Power BI) and also comment on others’ work. Teams is also a complete chat and online meetings solution allowing users to host video, audio and web conferences and chat with anyone inside or outside an organization.

Teams For Education

Educators have used Teams to transform the learning experience at schools. Its uses are many.

• Microsoft Teams allows any virtual student or collaborator to participate via webcast and encourages collaboration across classes.

• Teams Assignments helps develop a digital classroom. Content, conversations and assignments are all in one hub so students can sign in, get started and begin connecting with each other.

• Rubric grading is also being introduced into Teams. Your teachers can create, store and apply rubrics to assignments to make it easier for students to get feedback. Not only does this help students improve their work, but it is a consistent way for your teachers to grade.

• With Microsoft Forms, a teacher can quickly add a quiz for students to complete and return. Plus Teams allows educators to keep track of feedback and grades.

What’s New?

Microsoft Teams is the fastest growing business app in Microsoft history. It is currently being used in more than 325,000 organizations, 87 Fortune 100 companies and is available in 44 languages. It only makes sense that Microsoft will continue to expand this valuable tool.

• Page locking in OneNote assignments. The pages of the student will now automatically “lock” as read-only when the due date/time passes. The teacher can still edit and annotate these OneNote assignment pages with feedback.

• Mute all students. Educators can now pause students from posting in the conversation tab.

• Join codes. Teams allows administrators to create a simple code for members to join a class, PLC or staff team, making it easy for many people to join a team all at once. Display the code in ‘projector mode’ so that everyone in the room can see it.

• Reusing a team as a template. Teachers can reuse an existing team as a template when creating a new team, then customize what they want to copy over: channels, team setting, apps, and even users.

• Archive teams. Safely store a Class, PLC, or Staff team content in read-only mode. Easily reference archived teams while setting up a Teams experience for the next school year. 

Love Microsoft Teams for Education? Let us know how you use it in the comments below.

Combine OneNote And Flipgrid To Make EdTech Magic

Learning today is digital, interactive and even 3D, so why shouldn’t it be social as well? Microsoft Teams, the digital hub that brings conversations, content, assignments and apps together in one place, has integrated Flipgrid into its Microsoft Teams for Education.

Flipgrid is a video discussion platform for educators and students. It allows students to share their ideas, wonderings, projects and questions in new and creative ways. This social learning app is now supported by OneNote, Microsoft’s digital notebook. Teachers add the topics, students respond with short videos, and everyone engages.

Why is this a magical match made in learning heaven?

Utilizing both Flipgrid and OneNote allows educators to use fun, engaging ways to help students retain and care about the information being presented, all in one place. It’s like throwing the best learning products into a cauldron to brew up the best edtech tools.

Flipgrid works like this:

• Grids are the communities built by educators. Once created, you receive an automated Flip Code which is shared with students. The students don’t create their own accounts, giving educators the ability to control what’s being posted and seen.

• Topics are discussion questions or prompts. These can be text-based or include images, videos, emjoi, attachments and more. Educators can add unlimited Topics to their Grids.

• Student-to-Student Replies allow students to respond to their peers within a Flipgrid Topic and participate in ongoing dialogue. Replies-to-Responses is controlled by the educator and can be toggled-on when the creating the topic.

• MixTapes can be created for student portfolios, semester showcases, project highlights, school yearbooks and student TED talks. You pick what goes on your MixTape (any Response from any of your Topics in any of your Grids) and you set the order you want the Responses to play. Your MixTapes are view-only and can be shared anywhere.

• Students can use the camera to capture and share their ideas, reflections, projects, creations, environments, experiments, imaginations and more. The app grants the user the ability to trim video, plus they work on every device, including desktops.

Because Flipgrid is supported by OneNote, all of the grids, topics and videos created will automatically appear as soon as an educator or student posts a link into OneNote. 

Since Flipgrid joined Microsoft Education, it’s completely free for every educator and student in the world. Try it out today and let us know what you think!

Try These Webinars For Professional Development

Webinars have become a popular method for professional development and for good reason; they offer direct contact with an instructor, give you the ability to interact with an audience and save traveling time and expenses. It’s no surprise there are plenty of webinars out there to choose from.

Here is a great list, from some of the best groups, organizations and companies out there, to get you started:

• EdTechTeam, the global network of former teachers turned educational technologists, not only has live webinars educators can pre-emptively sign up for, but archived webinars from this year and past are available as well. Educators can learn “Empathy in the Classroom,” “Chromebooks as Tools for Creativity,” and “Pathway to Google Certification.”

• ASCD, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development which represents more than 114,000 educators, lists free webinars on its website that address timely and relevant topics like student engagement, classroom technology and instructional strategies. Topics include: “Building Students’ Problem-Solving Skills Through Complex Challenges,” “STEM by Choice: Embedding Career Challenges in Classrooms and Communities” and “Shifting Our Thinking About Educational Technology: How to Place Tasks Before Apps.”

• Education Week offers both free and premium webinars. If you act fast, all webinars are accessible for a limited time after the original live-streaming date. Live viewers also receive a post-event confirmation email to prove participation. Topics include: “Reducing Chronic Absenteeism With School Climate and SEL,” “Maximizing Conference ROI” and “The Role of Ed Tech and Professional Development in Driving Personalized Learning.”

• Google for Education offers several webinars to watch live and on demand on Education On Air. Just sign into your Google account and hit play. Courses include: “Integrating G Suite with Instructional Tools,” “Back to School with Google Classroom” and “Google Data Studio: Build Custom Dashboards with Ease.”

• Microsoft Learning Consultant Program is hosting a Webinar Series throughout 2018. Session topics include: “Build it, make it, know it! Design thinking with Minecraft:EE and more,” “World changers unite! Level the playing field with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Translator” and “Won’t you be my neighbor? Skype, Teams and O365 building global communities.” Additionally, past webinars are available to view by following the links attached to those topics.

Webinars are awesome and cater to all interests and budgets, i.e., free. Attend a webinar that left you inspired? Share it below!