One of the sessions I attended at the recent Tennessee Educational Technology Conference in Nashville was "Open Source Mania". The presenter, Scott Nash, was excellent! He was a former instructor, so he knows what it's like not having funds for all the bells and whistles software there is for educators. He always looks for free versions of the most popular software and other free programs and such he can share with teachers.
Google Apps - I am not as familiar with Google Apps as I hope to be in the future. If you go to the homepage, it states "Google Apps for Edudcation offers a free (and ad-free) set of customizable tools that enable faculty, staff and students to work together and learn more effectively." There is a link at the top of the page for "How Schools Benefit" so you can read about ways educators can use different parts of the site, including "10 Reasons To Choose Apps".
The part I want to focus on for this week's Blog, though, is under the "Learning" menu. Go to K-12 Lesson Plans. On the bottom of the page you can find a link to the Training Center where you can get chapter-by-chapter instruction on using Apps in the classroom. On the right-hand side, there is a Getting Started Guide and other downloadable documents. There is a link, though, that says "K-12 Lesson Plans". If you go to that page, you will see some currently spotlighted lessons, plus there is a search function at the top where you can search by product, by subject, and/or by grade level. These lesson plans have been reviewed, so they should be safe for you and your students to use. You also have the ability to submit a lesson plan for possible inclusion in the database.
I believe that Google Apps was originally most used by colleges and universities, but there is so much out there now, there are lots of lesson plans and other items you can use for K-12 classrooms. Over the winter break would be a great time to spend some moments searching for lesson plans that you might be able to use in the spring semester. All you need is an Internet connection and the link to Google Apps!
I trust all of you had a productive "snow day" on Monday. I was able to work on some ideas from the Infinite Campus Interchange that I attended in November. I sent out a couple of e-mails that detailed two new Custom Tabs that I have created for the benefits of our teachers and students. It was nice to have a day like that where I could catch up slightly on items just like the Custom Tabs!
Here's hoping that the predicted ice, freezing rain, sleet, snow, etc. is not that bad for Wednesday and Thursday and we will be able to finish out the week at school. It's always difficult to have everything planned for the week before school is out for the holidays and then have to miss school due to weather conditions. So, let's hope that doesn't happen and we're able to get everything accomplished that we wish to by the end of the week. I will probably not post a new entry on the Blog until we return on Monday, January 3rd. Well, that is, . . . unless I find something exciting to share that can't wait!
14 December 2010
13 December 2010
Snow Day on Monday, December 13th!
We had a snow day in Caldwell County today (Monday, December 13th), so even though I worked on the abbreviated Central Office hours, I worked on other tasks and totally forgot to update my blog! I'm so sorry! I usually do so every Monday morning sometime before noon, but this was our first snow day and since it came on a Monday, I just didn't get into my normal routine. I will try to do better and the next day we are in session for the full day, I will get the blog updated. Hope all of you who were "off" today found exciting things to do!
06 December 2010
Sharing information from the Tennessee conference . . .
I had a wonderful experience at the Tennessee Educational Technology Conference last week! They really know how to host a conference - great sessions, good hotel, easy to get from point A to point B, time to digest everything, delicious meals, time to check out, etc. I thought the entire experience was one of the best and I have so much to share with all of you!
I'm going to start by sharing the titles of the sessions that I attended:
Transforming Your Classroom with Web 2.0
21st Century Skills in Action
Using Google Forms and Inspire Data Surveys
Using Skype to Extend and Expand Your Classroom
Open Source Mania
Exploring World Book Web
Think Possibilities - Think Thinkfinity
E-Rate Update
Once Upon a PodCast
Television 101
Best Practices for Online Instruction
Come Fly Away with Google Earth and Google Lit Trips
The Future of Curriculum Content (Education City)
I brought back an entire tote bag full of information, demo CDs/DVDs, and lots of freebies (like a mug, some ink pens, a stress reliever, mints, a stuffed World Book dog, and lots more). Many of the sessions had handouts to go along with their session and lots of them had specific Websites to share. In the next few weeks, I will try to share several sites in each posting that might be of interest. I don't want to overwhelm you! Of course, some of the sessions I attended had costs associated with them, but for the most part, I tried to select sessions that were FREE!
The first site that I am sharing this week is the one that caught my attention from the very beginning - it was a site that a presenter had learned about in another session and felt like it was something to share at all her sessions, too! Check this out - The Week in Rap - each Friday they update the site to include a rap about the week's news. It's terrific! This would be very appropriate for middle school or high school social studies classes or even as a starter to any class at those grade levels.
Another neat site is Flocabulary or Hip-Hop in the Classroom. There is a link for "How to Rap" that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to construct a rap. There is also a link for "Free Teacher Resources" that include a free song from each of the titles in their library. Some are just available for you to listen to, but others include a video. To give you an idea, watch the video for Edgar Allen Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum". The nicest feature is that they give you the lyrics to the rap as well, so you don't have to try to keep up! Another good sample to review is under the Social Studies, Hip-Hop U. S. History section. Just click the play button under the picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. You can also check out the sample teacher resources and student resources. Of course, they want you to purchase the student books, teacher resource books, etc., but there might be enough free samples for you to use in your classroom. Don't think it's only for middle and high schoolers, though - the Vocabulary/Reading section starts with samples as low as the 2nd grade! You can sign up for a free newsletter - just click the "Get Free Updates" link.
If you are interested in exploring some resources on your own, the conference set up a Wikispaces site for presenters to download information and links that is available to anyone. Click here - TETC 2010 Wikispaces Site - and look for the session links for each day on the left. If you are not familiar with Wikis, there is a short video you can watch. The link is one of the first things you'll see on the TETC10 site.
I hope you enjoy looking at the links I've given you for this week. In subsequent weeks, I will be continuing to give you a few links at a time to different sites that I learned about while attending the sessions.
I'm going to start by sharing the titles of the sessions that I attended:
Transforming Your Classroom with Web 2.0
21st Century Skills in Action
Using Google Forms and Inspire Data Surveys
Using Skype to Extend and Expand Your Classroom
Open Source Mania
Exploring World Book Web
Think Possibilities - Think Thinkfinity
E-Rate Update
Once Upon a PodCast
Television 101
Best Practices for Online Instruction
Come Fly Away with Google Earth and Google Lit Trips
The Future of Curriculum Content (Education City)
I brought back an entire tote bag full of information, demo CDs/DVDs, and lots of freebies (like a mug, some ink pens, a stress reliever, mints, a stuffed World Book dog, and lots more). Many of the sessions had handouts to go along with their session and lots of them had specific Websites to share. In the next few weeks, I will try to share several sites in each posting that might be of interest. I don't want to overwhelm you! Of course, some of the sessions I attended had costs associated with them, but for the most part, I tried to select sessions that were FREE!
The first site that I am sharing this week is the one that caught my attention from the very beginning - it was a site that a presenter had learned about in another session and felt like it was something to share at all her sessions, too! Check this out - The Week in Rap - each Friday they update the site to include a rap about the week's news. It's terrific! This would be very appropriate for middle school or high school social studies classes or even as a starter to any class at those grade levels.
Another neat site is Flocabulary or Hip-Hop in the Classroom. There is a link for "How to Rap" that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to construct a rap. There is also a link for "Free Teacher Resources" that include a free song from each of the titles in their library. Some are just available for you to listen to, but others include a video. To give you an idea, watch the video for Edgar Allen Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum". The nicest feature is that they give you the lyrics to the rap as well, so you don't have to try to keep up! Another good sample to review is under the Social Studies, Hip-Hop U. S. History section. Just click the play button under the picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. You can also check out the sample teacher resources and student resources. Of course, they want you to purchase the student books, teacher resource books, etc., but there might be enough free samples for you to use in your classroom. Don't think it's only for middle and high schoolers, though - the Vocabulary/Reading section starts with samples as low as the 2nd grade! You can sign up for a free newsletter - just click the "Get Free Updates" link.
If you are interested in exploring some resources on your own, the conference set up a Wikispaces site for presenters to download information and links that is available to anyone. Click here - TETC 2010 Wikispaces Site - and look for the session links for each day on the left. If you are not familiar with Wikis, there is a short video you can watch. The link is one of the first things you'll see on the TETC10 site.
I hope you enjoy looking at the links I've given you for this week. In subsequent weeks, I will be continuing to give you a few links at a time to different sites that I learned about while attending the sessions.
29 November 2010
A new week has begun . . .
We are all back, rested and recovered, from a holiday break. I had a wonderful time getting a lot of things accomplished at home and spending time with my daughter who came from Alabama to visit. I hope all of you also had a restful time at home with your family and friends.
This week is an pretty active one for me. I am continuing to work on the Civil Rights Data Collection federal report for our district and can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! I hope to have it all completed and entered online by the end of the day Tuesday. I will also be working on my December newsletter, putting the December menus on the district Website, and working with various teachers on establishing their Websites. I am happy to report that Mr. Cummins now has a live site for the high school. Again, if any of you wish to learn about SchoolLoop and get your initial page established, just let me know. It only takes an hour (or less) for me to guide you through the basic steps of setting up a page. It really is easy!
I will be gone the last three days of this week, attending the Technology Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. I hope to attend many sessions and bring back all sorts of information for our district.
I attended the regional TIS meeting in Murray on the 19th and as part of that meeting, we had a demonstration of lots of handheld electronic devices. Many of these are now finding their way into college classrooms and ultimately, they will probably find their way into our public school classrooms. This week I want to share a few sites with you so you can find out more about these handheld devices:
Entourage Edge and Pocket Edge
Dell Streak
Kindle (from Amazon)
iPod Touch
iPad
HP Palm
If you are interested in more information about these types of devices and others, check out this page for Teacher Tap - it contains a whole site of information and links that might be useful.
This week is an pretty active one for me. I am continuing to work on the Civil Rights Data Collection federal report for our district and can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! I hope to have it all completed and entered online by the end of the day Tuesday. I will also be working on my December newsletter, putting the December menus on the district Website, and working with various teachers on establishing their Websites. I am happy to report that Mr. Cummins now has a live site for the high school. Again, if any of you wish to learn about SchoolLoop and get your initial page established, just let me know. It only takes an hour (or less) for me to guide you through the basic steps of setting up a page. It really is easy!
I will be gone the last three days of this week, attending the Technology Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. I hope to attend many sessions and bring back all sorts of information for our district.
I attended the regional TIS meeting in Murray on the 19th and as part of that meeting, we had a demonstration of lots of handheld electronic devices. Many of these are now finding their way into college classrooms and ultimately, they will probably find their way into our public school classrooms. This week I want to share a few sites with you so you can find out more about these handheld devices:
Entourage Edge and Pocket Edge
Dell Streak
Kindle (from Amazon)
iPod Touch
iPad
HP Palm
If you are interested in more information about these types of devices and others, check out this page for Teacher Tap - it contains a whole site of information and links that might be useful.
23 November 2010
Celebrate the Holidays!
I know some of these ideas might be a little late for the Thanksgiving holiday, but maybe some of you will want to bookmark them for next year. Plus, some other sites were shared with me about the upcoming holiday season and winter months, so I wanted to go ahead and share those with you as well.
Packing the Pilgrim's Trunk - This theme exploration helps students in grades K-2 explore who the Pilgrims were, learn about their trip aboard the Mayflower, think about what it was like to move to a new world and discover how they adapted and built new lives at Plymouth Colony.
National Museum of the American Indian - Many resources are provided on this site, including poster images and photos, lesson plans on the topic of Thanksgiving, sections on American Indian perspectives on Thanksgiving, and a selection of instructional ideas/links for the classroom.
Let's Talk Turkey: The Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner - According to Butterball, 90% of U.S. households eat turkey on Thanksgiving and 50% eat turkey on Christmas day. This lesson is for grades 9-12 and includes information about the consumer price index and how much a typical Thanksgiving dinner costs.
Myth and Truth: The First Thanksgiving - This lesson is for grades 6-8 and helps students explore myths surrounding the Wampanoag, the pilgrims, and the first Thanksgiving. Students should learn the difference between myth and historical truth through the course of the lesson.
A Christmas Carol - This book was an instant success for Charles Dickens and remains one of his best-known works. One idea from this site is to have a middle school or high school class write a script for "A Christmas Carol" on a level that primary students can read and perform.
Using Snowflake Bentley as a Framing Text for Multigenre Writing - This is for grades 3-5 and is based on "Snowflake Bentley", a Caldecott Medal-winning book about Wilson Bentley. In this lesson, students examine multiple texts about snow and develop a working definition of the term multigenre.
Frosty the Snowman Meets His Demise - In this lesson, students will be asked to consider the case of when Frosty the Snowman met his demise (began to melt). The exercise they go through will help them understand how scientists use carbon dating to try to determine the age of fossils and other materials.
Holidays 2010 - This site has other activities, lesson plans, podcasts and other resources about the holiday season.
Consider this post an extra treat for this week!
Packing the Pilgrim's Trunk - This theme exploration helps students in grades K-2 explore who the Pilgrims were, learn about their trip aboard the Mayflower, think about what it was like to move to a new world and discover how they adapted and built new lives at Plymouth Colony.
National Museum of the American Indian - Many resources are provided on this site, including poster images and photos, lesson plans on the topic of Thanksgiving, sections on American Indian perspectives on Thanksgiving, and a selection of instructional ideas/links for the classroom.
Let's Talk Turkey: The Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner - According to Butterball, 90% of U.S. households eat turkey on Thanksgiving and 50% eat turkey on Christmas day. This lesson is for grades 9-12 and includes information about the consumer price index and how much a typical Thanksgiving dinner costs.
Myth and Truth: The First Thanksgiving - This lesson is for grades 6-8 and helps students explore myths surrounding the Wampanoag, the pilgrims, and the first Thanksgiving. Students should learn the difference between myth and historical truth through the course of the lesson.
A Christmas Carol - This book was an instant success for Charles Dickens and remains one of his best-known works. One idea from this site is to have a middle school or high school class write a script for "A Christmas Carol" on a level that primary students can read and perform.
Using Snowflake Bentley as a Framing Text for Multigenre Writing - This is for grades 3-5 and is based on "Snowflake Bentley", a Caldecott Medal-winning book about Wilson Bentley. In this lesson, students examine multiple texts about snow and develop a working definition of the term multigenre.
Frosty the Snowman Meets His Demise - In this lesson, students will be asked to consider the case of when Frosty the Snowman met his demise (began to melt). The exercise they go through will help them understand how scientists use carbon dating to try to determine the age of fossils and other materials.
Holidays 2010 - This site has other activities, lesson plans, podcasts and other resources about the holiday season.
Consider this post an extra treat for this week!
22 November 2010
Short week!
I wish for all of you a relaxing and refreshing time with your families and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday. I will be working on Monday and Tuesday of this week. My daughter is visiting from Alabama and she has not been home since last year's Thanksgiving, so I want to spend as much time with her as I can.
I am continuing work on the Civil Rights Data Collection for our district and want to thank all of you who have helped me gather the data to input. I hope to have the majority of it done by the time I leave work on Tuesday afternoon. That is my focus for these two days.
This week I want to share some Websites that contain lots of links and information about becoming a 21st century educator:
5 Tips to Becoming a 21st Century Educator
More Great Web 2.0 Tools
10 Cool Web 2.0 Tools for Educators
10 Cool Web 2.0 Tools for Educators, Part 2
Web 2.0 Science Tools
Creating a Facebook Page for Your School
Maybe you will find something you can use in your classroom!
I am continuing work on the Civil Rights Data Collection for our district and want to thank all of you who have helped me gather the data to input. I hope to have the majority of it done by the time I leave work on Tuesday afternoon. That is my focus for these two days.
This week I want to share some Websites that contain lots of links and information about becoming a 21st century educator:
5 Tips to Becoming a 21st Century Educator
More Great Web 2.0 Tools
10 Cool Web 2.0 Tools for Educators
10 Cool Web 2.0 Tools for Educators, Part 2
Web 2.0 Science Tools
Creating a Facebook Page for Your School
Maybe you will find something you can use in your classroom!
15 November 2010
Plans sometimes don't work out!
Last week proved to be an interesting one, to say the least. On Wednesday I was able to attend the STLP Showcase at Murray State with 17 middle school students and their sponsor, Mrs. Everette. It was a terrific day and 3 of our students won prizes! On Thursday I had plans to work with Mrs. McClung's 6th grade classes on their ILPs, but woke up that morning with fever and other such ailments, so I made a couple of quick visits to two schools where I needed to get something done and then returned home. On Friday, I was able to get into the doctor's office to see the nurse practitioner and ended up with two prescriptions. Luckily, I didn't have anything planned for the weekend, so I could stay inside and rest and let the medicine do its job. I am happy to report that I am back at work and ready for a week on the road!
Here's my schedule for this week -
Monday and Tuesday - in the office (working on CRDC report, e-rate, etc.)
Wednesday and Thursday - in Louisville at the Infinite Campus Interchange
Friday - in Murray at the Regional TIS meeting
As you can see, this week is completely full and busy! Hopefully I will learn a great deal to bring back and share with everyone from my travels to Louisville and Murray. (And, hopefully, my medicines will continue to work and I'll feel good the entire time!)
Here are some sites that I thought I would share this week:
The Road Ahead - General Motors takes you and your classroom on a tour to explore how electricity is generated and how it is poised to change how we live. There is a digital magazine available, a classroom poster that can be printed and a teacher's guide and worksheets that can be downloaded, as well as free lesson plans for Grades 3-5 and Grades 6-8.
Soundzabound - The only royalty free music library which meets all the licensing and technology requirements needed for education. Their music library offers a wide variety of music, audio themes, and sound effects that ensure copyright safety. There is a cost for this service, but a school site license can be purchased which will cover all teachers, students and administrators. (Why is this important? Here's an article about a current court case in which a woman has been ordered to pay a $1.5 million song-sharing fine.)
Google Tricks for Your Classroom - This is a site that lists 8 Google tricks, including converting units and time, exploring the sky, and finding specific documents.
Thanksgiving (affectionately known as "turkey day" to me) is right around the corner and we should all be thinking of how much we are thankful for, not only this year but for our entire lives. I'd like to say thanks to our veterans for providing us the freedoms we all enjoy in the United States. Having lived overseas, I can honestly say most of us don't appreciate what we do have as Americans. Hope you stay healthy and happy this week!
Here's my schedule for this week -
Monday and Tuesday - in the office (working on CRDC report, e-rate, etc.)
Wednesday and Thursday - in Louisville at the Infinite Campus Interchange
Friday - in Murray at the Regional TIS meeting
As you can see, this week is completely full and busy! Hopefully I will learn a great deal to bring back and share with everyone from my travels to Louisville and Murray. (And, hopefully, my medicines will continue to work and I'll feel good the entire time!)
Here are some sites that I thought I would share this week:
The Road Ahead - General Motors takes you and your classroom on a tour to explore how electricity is generated and how it is poised to change how we live. There is a digital magazine available, a classroom poster that can be printed and a teacher's guide and worksheets that can be downloaded, as well as free lesson plans for Grades 3-5 and Grades 6-8.
Soundzabound - The only royalty free music library which meets all the licensing and technology requirements needed for education. Their music library offers a wide variety of music, audio themes, and sound effects that ensure copyright safety. There is a cost for this service, but a school site license can be purchased which will cover all teachers, students and administrators. (Why is this important? Here's an article about a current court case in which a woman has been ordered to pay a $1.5 million song-sharing fine.)
Google Tricks for Your Classroom - This is a site that lists 8 Google tricks, including converting units and time, exploring the sky, and finding specific documents.
Thanksgiving (affectionately known as "turkey day" to me) is right around the corner and we should all be thinking of how much we are thankful for, not only this year but for our entire lives. I'd like to say thanks to our veterans for providing us the freedoms we all enjoy in the United States. Having lived overseas, I can honestly say most of us don't appreciate what we do have as Americans. Hope you stay healthy and happy this week!
08 November 2010
Busy, busy week ahead!
This week is filled with great opportunities to work with students at the middle school level as well as learning about all sorts of technologies and strategies to be used in the classroom. Here's my schedule for the week (as it stands now):
Monday - in the office, but working on the Civil Rights Data Collection for our district, as well as other items; judging Digital Art entries from the middle school STLP students at 1630
Tuesday - in the office, but have a webinar on Lesson Plans at 1400 and a webinar on Web 2.0 Tools at 1500; however, I will have to leave the 2nd webinar a little early to get to the TRT meeting at CCMS at 1530
Wednesday - attending the STLP Showcase at Murray State University with the middle school STLP students and their sponsor, Mrs. Everette
Thursday - at CCMS, working with 6th graders on their ILPs (Individual Learning Plans); after school, I'll be at CCPS judging the CCEA Logo Contest entries; at 1900 I have a webinar on Differentiated Instruction
Friday - in the office, but working on the CRDC plus other items; have a webinar on Podcasting at 1000
Whew! It makes me tired just typing the schedule out! Hopefully everything will go as planned and the week will be a successful one.
Since bullying and cyberbullying have been in the news lately and seem to be a focus of technology instruction for schools and districts all across the nation, I thought I would share some sites this week on the topic:
Bullying.org - This site's purpose is to prevent bullying in our society through education and awareness. They provide educational programs and resources to individuals, families, educational institutions and organizations. They make available online learning and educational resources in order to help people deal effectively and positively with the act of bullying and its long lasting negative consequences.
Cyberbullying.org - This site states that "Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others." There are links for Examples, What Can Be Done, Facts and News, and Related Resources.
Netsmartz.org - NetSmartz is a great resource for keeping students (and adults) safe online. This particular link, http://www.netsmartz.org/Resources/reallife.htm, takes the user to real-life stories about Cyberbullying, from both the victim's viewpoint and the bully's viewpoint. Many of the videos are geared specifically toward certain age levels and some contain activity cards and related news articles as well.
Cyberbullying.us - The Cyberbullying Research Center is dedicated to providing up-to-date information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying among adolescents. You can find fact sheets, books and other publications, watch videos, read the blog that is posted, and read the latest cyberbullying headlines/articles.
Stop Cyberbullying - The initial screen for this site gives information on what cyberbullying is. Once you enter the site, there are links for what is it; how it works; why cyberbully; prevention; take action; and what's the law. There are also specific links for ages 7-10; 11-13; 14-17; parents; educators; and law enforcement. I particularly like their slogan - "Don't be part of the problem. Be part of the solution!"
Hopefully you will find something that you can use not only with your classroom but also with your family members with regard to online safety and cyberbullying.
Monday - in the office, but working on the Civil Rights Data Collection for our district, as well as other items; judging Digital Art entries from the middle school STLP students at 1630
Tuesday - in the office, but have a webinar on Lesson Plans at 1400 and a webinar on Web 2.0 Tools at 1500; however, I will have to leave the 2nd webinar a little early to get to the TRT meeting at CCMS at 1530
Wednesday - attending the STLP Showcase at Murray State University with the middle school STLP students and their sponsor, Mrs. Everette
Thursday - at CCMS, working with 6th graders on their ILPs (Individual Learning Plans); after school, I'll be at CCPS judging the CCEA Logo Contest entries; at 1900 I have a webinar on Differentiated Instruction
Friday - in the office, but working on the CRDC plus other items; have a webinar on Podcasting at 1000
Whew! It makes me tired just typing the schedule out! Hopefully everything will go as planned and the week will be a successful one.
Since bullying and cyberbullying have been in the news lately and seem to be a focus of technology instruction for schools and districts all across the nation, I thought I would share some sites this week on the topic:
Bullying.org - This site's purpose is to prevent bullying in our society through education and awareness. They provide educational programs and resources to individuals, families, educational institutions and organizations. They make available online learning and educational resources in order to help people deal effectively and positively with the act of bullying and its long lasting negative consequences.
Cyberbullying.org - This site states that "Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group, that is intended to harm others." There are links for Examples, What Can Be Done, Facts and News, and Related Resources.
Netsmartz.org - NetSmartz is a great resource for keeping students (and adults) safe online. This particular link, http://www.netsmartz.org/Resources/reallife.htm, takes the user to real-life stories about Cyberbullying, from both the victim's viewpoint and the bully's viewpoint. Many of the videos are geared specifically toward certain age levels and some contain activity cards and related news articles as well.
Cyberbullying.us - The Cyberbullying Research Center is dedicated to providing up-to-date information about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of cyberbullying among adolescents. You can find fact sheets, books and other publications, watch videos, read the blog that is posted, and read the latest cyberbullying headlines/articles.
Stop Cyberbullying - The initial screen for this site gives information on what cyberbullying is. Once you enter the site, there are links for what is it; how it works; why cyberbully; prevention; take action; and what's the law. There are also specific links for ages 7-10; 11-13; 14-17; parents; educators; and law enforcement. I particularly like their slogan - "Don't be part of the problem. Be part of the solution!"
Hopefully you will find something that you can use not only with your classroom but also with your family members with regard to online safety and cyberbullying.
05 November 2010
Wordle
Have you ever considered using Wordle in your classroom? If not, you should! It's a free tool that allows you to create word clouds that show prominent words in a body of text. You can copy and paste any text, including individual words. You can also use the Advanced feature to specifically tell the program which words should show more prominently. (http://www.wordle.net/)
Here are some quick ideas on how to use Wordle in class -
• Analyze Presidential addresses - google a President's speech, then copy and paste it into Wordle; do two or more speeches to compare
• Use as a cover for a report - at a quick glance, the teacher can see what is being emphasized in the report
• Use for vocabulary or spelling words - introduce a unit, a story or the weekly spelling words in a Wordle word cloud
• Use for reading comprehension - design a Wordle with the important terms from some content area; ask students to make predictions of what they will learn as they read or ask students to review what they've read by writing sentences using the words in the Wordle
• For math or social studies, easily see results of surveys - for example, take a survey of the class as to their favorite colors or favorite foods, then use the Advanced feature of Wordle to input the results; at a quick glance, the entire class can see what the favorite color or food is (the one that was answered most)
• For language arts or social studies, use Wordle to find bias in news reporting - take a news article and copy and paste it into Wordle, then look for the prominent words
Wordle is very easy to learn and use. For more information, go to http://tedteachersnetwork.pbworks.com/w/page/30355297/Wordle. This is a Wiki page that includes 1) What is Wordle?; 2) How to make a word cloud in Wordle (video); 3) How can it be used in class? (list and video); and 4) Useful Links (at the time of this writing, there were 48 ways to use Wordle in the classroom listed).
Try using Wordle in your classroom today! It's that simple and easy to do!
Here are some quick ideas on how to use Wordle in class -
• Analyze Presidential addresses - google a President's speech, then copy and paste it into Wordle; do two or more speeches to compare
• Use as a cover for a report - at a quick glance, the teacher can see what is being emphasized in the report
• Use for vocabulary or spelling words - introduce a unit, a story or the weekly spelling words in a Wordle word cloud
• Use for reading comprehension - design a Wordle with the important terms from some content area; ask students to make predictions of what they will learn as they read or ask students to review what they've read by writing sentences using the words in the Wordle
• For math or social studies, easily see results of surveys - for example, take a survey of the class as to their favorite colors or favorite foods, then use the Advanced feature of Wordle to input the results; at a quick glance, the entire class can see what the favorite color or food is (the one that was answered most)
• For language arts or social studies, use Wordle to find bias in news reporting - take a news article and copy and paste it into Wordle, then look for the prominent words
Wordle is very easy to learn and use. For more information, go to http://tedteachersnetwork.pbworks.com/w/page/30355297/Wordle. This is a Wiki page that includes 1) What is Wordle?; 2) How to make a word cloud in Wordle (video); 3) How can it be used in class? (list and video); and 4) Useful Links (at the time of this writing, there were 48 ways to use Wordle in the classroom listed).
Try using Wordle in your classroom today! It's that simple and easy to do!
01 November 2010
November is here!
Another month has arrived and it won't be long before we'll be planning for Thanksgiving and Christmas and everything in between. This week I will be in the office for most of the time. I will not be working on Election Day, November 2nd. On Wednesday morning I will be spending some time with a teacher about SchoolLoop and on Thursday I will be at the middle school all day working with 6th graders and their ILPs (Individual Learning Plans). The rest of the time I should be in the office working on various projects and tasks.
This week I want to share some sites that I found through Simple K12. These are considered to be Web 2.0 tools, which usually means they are free and easily usable in a classroom.
Graphic Organizers #1 - This site contains PDFs of graphic organizers to help structure projects and help students learn more effectively. They are easily downloaded.
Graphic Organizers #2 - Graphic organizers are an illustration of your thoughts on paper. They can help you brainstorm, organize, and visualize your ideas. These graphic organizers have teaching notes that go with each type. They are easily downloaded in PDF form.
Geography Mapping - This site gives you a place at the top and some hints on finding the place. Your job is to find the corresponding place on the map at the bottom of the page. Interesting!
Word Clouds - Create your own word cloud. Type in or copy and paste text, then adjust the background and word colors, etc. You can save, print or put the resulting Word Cloud on items to purchase.
Exploring the Planets - This site lets you compare and explore the planets, plus lets you learn about the tools of exploration that are used.
Hopefully you'll find something usable this week! Don't forget to exercise your right to vote on Tuesday!
This week I want to share some sites that I found through Simple K12. These are considered to be Web 2.0 tools, which usually means they are free and easily usable in a classroom.
Graphic Organizers #1 - This site contains PDFs of graphic organizers to help structure projects and help students learn more effectively. They are easily downloaded.
Graphic Organizers #2 - Graphic organizers are an illustration of your thoughts on paper. They can help you brainstorm, organize, and visualize your ideas. These graphic organizers have teaching notes that go with each type. They are easily downloaded in PDF form.
Geography Mapping - This site gives you a place at the top and some hints on finding the place. Your job is to find the corresponding place on the map at the bottom of the page. Interesting!
Word Clouds - Create your own word cloud. Type in or copy and paste text, then adjust the background and word colors, etc. You can save, print or put the resulting Word Cloud on items to purchase.
Exploring the Planets - This site lets you compare and explore the planets, plus lets you learn about the tools of exploration that are used.
Hopefully you'll find something usable this week! Don't forget to exercise your right to vote on Tuesday!
28 October 2010
Another interesting article . . .
For whatever reason, interesting articles keep coming my way this week! In the November, 2010 issue of "Tech & Learning", there is an article entitled "Top 10 Ways 21st-Century Schools Can Protect Themselves from Copyright Violation". It was written by Renee Bangerter, a professor of English at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California. Bangerter states that educators and students must have a clear understanding of copyright regulations and lists 10 ways that educators and students can safeguard themselves and their schools.
10 - Be mindful that copyright regulations apply to various media. Copyright laws apply to virtually all copying, including copy machines and all-in-one printers that have copying capability.
9 - When using video, get permission or licenses. One of the most frequent causes of cease-and-desist letters to schools is for showing entertainment films that are not tied to the curriculum.
8 - If it's a consumable - that is, something that is destroyed or altered by being used for its intended purpose (and thus is intended for a single use only) - don't copy it. Schools can get in trouble when teachers make photocopies of tear-out sheets in student handbooks or workbooks.
7 - Lead by example. Teachers should cite the sources of the materials they use and make sure they have the necessary permissions.
6 - Just because it's easily accessible doesn't mean you can use it freely. Material on the Internet is not exempt from copyright policies.
5 - Student copyright should not be overlooked. Schools should put the same effort into protecting students' work as teachers' work.
4 - Unpublished work requires citation. Even if a work has not been formally published, it still has to be cited when referenced.
3 - Utilize your resources. Teachers should use software programs that check the originality of students' work.
2 - Policies must be in place. Without proper policies in place, including punishing copyright offenses, the whole concept of copyright becomes moot. Everyone needs to have an understanding of copyright policy and the ramifications of violating it.
1 - Teach students the importance of academic honesty. If students understand the fundamentals of academic integrity, including the value of producing original work, obeying copyright policies will become second nature to them.
All of us can use a reminder now and then to make sure we give credit where credit is due and make sure we do not just blindly copy materials because of budget cuts and such. Thanks, Dr. Bangerter, for a very informative article!
10 - Be mindful that copyright regulations apply to various media. Copyright laws apply to virtually all copying, including copy machines and all-in-one printers that have copying capability.
9 - When using video, get permission or licenses. One of the most frequent causes of cease-and-desist letters to schools is for showing entertainment films that are not tied to the curriculum.
8 - If it's a consumable - that is, something that is destroyed or altered by being used for its intended purpose (and thus is intended for a single use only) - don't copy it. Schools can get in trouble when teachers make photocopies of tear-out sheets in student handbooks or workbooks.
7 - Lead by example. Teachers should cite the sources of the materials they use and make sure they have the necessary permissions.
6 - Just because it's easily accessible doesn't mean you can use it freely. Material on the Internet is not exempt from copyright policies.
5 - Student copyright should not be overlooked. Schools should put the same effort into protecting students' work as teachers' work.
4 - Unpublished work requires citation. Even if a work has not been formally published, it still has to be cited when referenced.
3 - Utilize your resources. Teachers should use software programs that check the originality of students' work.
2 - Policies must be in place. Without proper policies in place, including punishing copyright offenses, the whole concept of copyright becomes moot. Everyone needs to have an understanding of copyright policy and the ramifications of violating it.
1 - Teach students the importance of academic honesty. If students understand the fundamentals of academic integrity, including the value of producing original work, obeying copyright policies will become second nature to them.
All of us can use a reminder now and then to make sure we give credit where credit is due and make sure we do not just blindly copy materials because of budget cuts and such. Thanks, Dr. Bangerter, for a very informative article!
27 October 2010
An extra bit of information for this week . . .
I just read something written for the EdTech UNconference Website that I thought was too good to wait to post! This was written by Lisa and was published on 10/27/10:
"21 Signs You're a 21st Century Teacher"
Are you a 21st Century Teacher? Find out!
1. You require your students to use a variety of sources for their research projects...and they cite blogs, podcasts, and interviews they've conducted via Skype.
2. Your students work on collaborative projects...with students in Australia.
3. You give weekly class updates to parents...via your blog.
4. Your students participate in class...by tweeting their questions and comments.
5. You ask your students to study and create reports on a controversial topic...and you grade their video submissions.
6. You prepare substitutes with detailed directions...via Podcasts.
7. You ask your students to do a character/historical person study...and they create mock social media profiles of their character.
8. Your students create a study guide...working together on a group wiki.
9. You share lesson plans with your teacher friends...from around the globe.
10. Your classroom budget is tight...but it doesn't matter because there are so many free resources on the Web you can use.
11. You realize the importance of professional development...and you read blogs, join online communities, and tweet for self development.
12. You take your students on a field trip to the Great Wall of China...and never leave your classroom.
13. Your students share stories of their summer vacation...through an online photo repository.
14. You visit the Louvre with your students...and don't spend a dime.
15. You teach your students not to be bullies...or cyberbullies.
16. You make your students turn in their cell phones before class starts...because you plan on using them in class.
17. You require your students to summarize a recent chapter...and submit it to you via a text message.
18. You showcase your students' original work...to the world.
19. You have your morning coffee...while checking your RSS feed.
20. You are reading this.
21. You tweet this page, blog about it, "like" it, or email it to someone else...
In the comments section, several users have added some other worthwhile points to this list:
22. You encourage students to use the right technology for the job...sometimes the right technology is silicon, sometimes it is paper, and sometimes it is slate.
23. You give your students choices on what type of project they want to do.
24. When playing a video game, i.e. Wii, counts as PE.
25. For homework, your students create written responses...by commenting on your blog post.
I'm sure many of you could also add to the list!
What can you do to integrate technology into your classroom? Here's a good idea to start with - walk through the halls at your school and see what type of work is posted. Then, think about how you could do the same project/assignment but utilize technology in some way. It may be something as simple as gathering information about likes and dislikes in class (i.e. favorite color) and drawing it out on paper - instead, show students how to enter the data gathered into a spreadsheet and make a colorful bar or pie chart! Sometimes integrating technology into your class is as easy as "pie" - a pie chart, that is!
"21 Signs You're a 21st Century Teacher"
Are you a 21st Century Teacher? Find out!
1. You require your students to use a variety of sources for their research projects...and they cite blogs, podcasts, and interviews they've conducted via Skype.
2. Your students work on collaborative projects...with students in Australia.
3. You give weekly class updates to parents...via your blog.
4. Your students participate in class...by tweeting their questions and comments.
5. You ask your students to study and create reports on a controversial topic...and you grade their video submissions.
6. You prepare substitutes with detailed directions...via Podcasts.
7. You ask your students to do a character/historical person study...and they create mock social media profiles of their character.
8. Your students create a study guide...working together on a group wiki.
9. You share lesson plans with your teacher friends...from around the globe.
10. Your classroom budget is tight...but it doesn't matter because there are so many free resources on the Web you can use.
11. You realize the importance of professional development...and you read blogs, join online communities, and tweet for self development.
12. You take your students on a field trip to the Great Wall of China...and never leave your classroom.
13. Your students share stories of their summer vacation...through an online photo repository.
14. You visit the Louvre with your students...and don't spend a dime.
15. You teach your students not to be bullies...or cyberbullies.
16. You make your students turn in their cell phones before class starts...because you plan on using them in class.
17. You require your students to summarize a recent chapter...and submit it to you via a text message.
18. You showcase your students' original work...to the world.
19. You have your morning coffee...while checking your RSS feed.
20. You are reading this.
21. You tweet this page, blog about it, "like" it, or email it to someone else...
In the comments section, several users have added some other worthwhile points to this list:
22. You encourage students to use the right technology for the job...sometimes the right technology is silicon, sometimes it is paper, and sometimes it is slate.
23. You give your students choices on what type of project they want to do.
24. When playing a video game, i.e. Wii, counts as PE.
25. For homework, your students create written responses...by commenting on your blog post.
I'm sure many of you could also add to the list!
What can you do to integrate technology into your classroom? Here's a good idea to start with - walk through the halls at your school and see what type of work is posted. Then, think about how you could do the same project/assignment but utilize technology in some way. It may be something as simple as gathering information about likes and dislikes in class (i.e. favorite color) and drawing it out on paper - instead, show students how to enter the data gathered into a spreadsheet and make a colorful bar or pie chart! Sometimes integrating technology into your class is as easy as "pie" - a pie chart, that is!
25 October 2010
A very busy week ahead . . .
This week will prove to be a busy one! I will be out of the office two days. Tuesday, October 26th, I will be in Frankfort at the KySTE (Kentucky Society for Technology in Education) training. On Friday, October 29th, I will be in Christian County/Todd County for the monthly Regional TIS (Technology Integration Specialist) meeting. On Wednesday after school, I will be involved with the STLP (Student Technology Leadership Program) at the middle school. We are working on digital art as our focus this month and will be attending the STLP Regional Showcase in Murray where we will display their results. The rest of my week will be filled with working on Infinite Campus issues; the Civil Rights Data Collection, Part II; working on our SchoolLoop Website and helping teachers create their own pages; working on the November edition of my District TRT newsletter; etc. It will certainly be a busy, but fulfilling week!
Since our CCMS STLP is focusing on digital art, I thought this week I would share some sites that enable you to manipulate photos. Sometimes we don't think about using technology in traditional art classes, but this is a way you can integrate technology into an art classroom, even at a young age since most of these sites are easy to use.
http://pixenate.com/ - Pixenate is the photo editor of choice. It is a powerful, flexible photo editing program right from the Web. Simply choose your image to edit and upload it. You can then crop, resize, flip, rotate, normalize and enhance, add light, fixing crooked pics, fixing red eye, whitening, changing saturation and hue, and even doodle on it! There are also many fun effects to choose from. When you’re done, you can save the picture to your own computer or upload it to Flikr (if you have an account). You can also turn the picture into a gift using Pixenate’s partner site, Zazzle.
http://mypictr.com - Are you looking for a way to make a picture for a profile or social network? Upload any picture to this site, then choose the size and selection. Select the Network (i.e. Facebook, Skype, Blogger, etc.) and then select “pictrit”. You can then decide whether to e-mail your picture to yourself or download it to your computer.
http://wetfloormaker.com/ - Here’s another site that you can use to upload and change a picture, but this one is different in that it produces an image that is “reflected”. First browse and upload your picture. Then change the angle, camera height, brightness, reflectivity, sky color and floor color and size. Generate the image as you go to see the changes. Once you are satisfied with your picture, you can save it to your computer.
http://roundpic.com/ - Use this tool to make rounded corners for images. Simply upload your image and click Round it! You can then select which corners to round, the size of the rounded corners, the size of your image and the quality. You can also select a background color or whether or not to make your picture a transparent PNG image. Once your image is done, you can download it to your computer.
http://avs4you.com/ - This site has downloadable software to do all sorts of things to images, videos, audio files, etc. The software is free, but basically only for Windows XP, Windows 7 or Vista operating systems. For each software piece, you can click on Features overview or Overview to read about what the program can do and what the requirements are to download and use it.
Since our CCMS STLP is focusing on digital art, I thought this week I would share some sites that enable you to manipulate photos. Sometimes we don't think about using technology in traditional art classes, but this is a way you can integrate technology into an art classroom, even at a young age since most of these sites are easy to use.
http://pixenate.com/ - Pixenate is the photo editor of choice. It is a powerful, flexible photo editing program right from the Web. Simply choose your image to edit and upload it. You can then crop, resize, flip, rotate, normalize and enhance, add light, fixing crooked pics, fixing red eye, whitening, changing saturation and hue, and even doodle on it! There are also many fun effects to choose from. When you’re done, you can save the picture to your own computer or upload it to Flikr (if you have an account). You can also turn the picture into a gift using Pixenate’s partner site, Zazzle.
http://mypictr.com - Are you looking for a way to make a picture for a profile or social network? Upload any picture to this site, then choose the size and selection. Select the Network (i.e. Facebook, Skype, Blogger, etc.) and then select “pictrit”. You can then decide whether to e-mail your picture to yourself or download it to your computer.
http://wetfloormaker.com/ - Here’s another site that you can use to upload and change a picture, but this one is different in that it produces an image that is “reflected”. First browse and upload your picture. Then change the angle, camera height, brightness, reflectivity, sky color and floor color and size. Generate the image as you go to see the changes. Once you are satisfied with your picture, you can save it to your computer.
http://roundpic.com/ - Use this tool to make rounded corners for images. Simply upload your image and click Round it! You can then select which corners to round, the size of the rounded corners, the size of your image and the quality. You can also select a background color or whether or not to make your picture a transparent PNG image. Once your image is done, you can download it to your computer.
http://avs4you.com/ - This site has downloadable software to do all sorts of things to images, videos, audio files, etc. The software is free, but basically only for Windows XP, Windows 7 or Vista operating systems. For each software piece, you can click on Features overview or Overview to read about what the program can do and what the requirements are to download and use it.
18 October 2010
Welcome Back!
I hope everyone had a great fall break and have returned rested and ready to work!
This week I have two webinars scheduled, one on Monday and one on Friday. The rest of the week will be spent working on training teachers and other staff members on SchoolLoop (Web host), preparing the November DTRT newsletter, solving Infinite Campus issues as they arise, etc. Most of this week will be spent on gathering information for the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC), Part II. Part I was completed last spring and Part II will be completed this fall. The CRDC is run by the U. S. Department of Education. The data collected for Part II includes such items as the number of retained students in grades K-12, discipline/behavior events, number of students harrassed or bullied and number of students disciplined for such action, number of students who've been restrained or secluded, the number of interscholastic athletics sports and the number of participants, teacher absenteeism, and some school financial data. Items continued from Part I that will also be included in Part II are the number of students who passed Algebra I, the number of students who took the ACT or SAT or took AP tests plus the pass rate for those AP tests, etc. As you can see, the CRDC is a huge report that takes a lot of focus and assistance from various personnel to complete. Thanks in advance to all those who help me complete the data collection!
This week, here are some interesting Web sites to review and use in your classroom:
Scale City - Welcome to Scale City, the biggest, smallest road trip ever! Created for grades 6-8, but fun for everyone! Explore amazing roadside attractions and learn about the mathematics of scale. At each stop, a short video field trip and a fun interactive simulation help students understand proportional reasoning. (This site is supported by KET.)
Teachers' Domain - Teachers' Domain is a free digital media service for educational use from public broadcasting and its partners. You'll find thousands of media resources, support materials, and tools for classroom lessons, individualized learning programs, and teacher professional learning communities.
Dictionary - Dictionary.com's reference section contains a Thesaurus, Quotes, an Encyclopedia, and a Translator. A new portion is Flashcards (beta). There is also a Question of the Day on the home page which might make a good, engaging class starter each day. From the home page, you can also find a Daily Crossword, a Crossword Solver, and other Word Games, plus all sorts of helpful links under the Tools & Resources section.
Hopefully you will find something on one of these sites (or all three!) that you can use. Please e-mail me any sites you have found during the first nine weeks that might be helpful to your colleagues. I would love to feature them (and you!) in a future blog entry.
11 October 2010
The first nine weeks end October 12th!
It's hard to imagine that the first nine weeks will be over in another day. Hopefully you have found this blog to be of some help. My ultimate goal is that I can give you sites that can be used in your classroom with little or no funding and little or no effort. This week I want to highlight some sites from KET (Kentucky Educational Television). Most of us don't think about KET other than being a television channel where lots of documentaries and shows about Kentucky are aired. However, KET provides lots of opportunities for teachers - they host professional development sessions at their studios and they have online resources that are easy to use.
To start, go to the main KET site. There you can find a program listing, episodes of shows to watch online, access the KET encyclomedia, and even donate to KET. Here are some other interesting parts of the KET site:
http://www.ket.org/education/ - look for workshop information, education blogs, sign up for Classroom eNews, etc.
http://www.dl.ket.org/physicslabs/labs/ - this is a virtual physics lab that was created by a physics teacher for use with the AP Physics B course; twelve pieces of apparatus are now online for teachers of any physics courses (costs $50 per school)
http://www.ket.org/trips/belle/ - excellent electronic field trip (video) to the Belle of Louisville
http://www.ket.org/artstoolkit/ - look for lesson plans and other resources for dance, drama, visual arts and music
http://www.ket.org/education/medialab.htm - with help from a grant from AT&T, KET now offers free workshops for educators, students and community organizations in the KET Media Lab in Lexington; check this site for a list of offerings and descriptions
Enjoy exploring these sites and enjoy your fall break!
To start, go to the main KET site. There you can find a program listing, episodes of shows to watch online, access the KET encyclomedia, and even donate to KET. Here are some other interesting parts of the KET site:
http://www.ket.org/education/ - look for workshop information, education blogs, sign up for Classroom eNews, etc.
http://www.dl.ket.org/physicslabs/labs/ - this is a virtual physics lab that was created by a physics teacher for use with the AP Physics B course; twelve pieces of apparatus are now online for teachers of any physics courses (costs $50 per school)
http://www.ket.org/trips/belle/ - excellent electronic field trip (video) to the Belle of Louisville
http://www.ket.org/artstoolkit/ - look for lesson plans and other resources for dance, drama, visual arts and music
http://www.ket.org/education/medialab.htm - with help from a grant from AT&T, KET now offers free workshops for educators, students and community organizations in the KET Media Lab in Lexington; check this site for a list of offerings and descriptions
Enjoy exploring these sites and enjoy your fall break!
04 October 2010
Fall break is almost upon us . . .
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with the new STLP group at the middle school. As usual, I always learn something being around the students! Below I have included a link to a really cool Web site where you can change text easily and for free! The students shared this site with me and I had a lot of fun playing around with my own name and seeing all the different ways I could change it and save it to use. It's neat!
On Friday I spent some time with the teachers from the technology committee at the primary school. We went over the basics of starting a Web page with SchoolLoop and I am proud to announce that they found it easy to learn and use and several of them now have a Web page posted. Over the rest of this month, I'm hoping we can get more teachers trained so we can start seeing lots of teacher pages up and running.
I also attended a Webinar on "101 Tech Tools for Teachers" on Friday afternoon. I learned a great deal about sites, especially those that are FREE, that teachers can use in their classrooms. As part of attending that Webinar, I was able to download an e-book which contains lots of Web sites and information for teachers. I will be sharing sites from that e-book and from the Webinar this week, so enjoy exploring them!
My schedule for this week - I will meet with the schools' TRTs on Tuesday afternoon at the elementary school. I have another Webinar on Wednesday at noon and will be meeting with the STLP group again on Wednesday afternoon at the middle school. I hope to spend some time this week working on trainings for teachers on SchoolLoop, getting some information out to teachers about Thinkfinity training, working on the Civil Rights Data Collection for our district, and all my other normal activities and duties!
Here are some sites to check out this week:
Storybird - collaborative storytelling
Bibme - a fully automatic bibliography maker
Kideos - a kid friendly place for videos (search for Star Wars A Capella - it's great!; also look for 44 Presidents Rhyme - interesting if you are a history teacher!)
And the one given to me by the middle school students . . . CoolText - a free graphics generator
Hope you have a great week and remember, fall break is just around the corner!
On Friday I spent some time with the teachers from the technology committee at the primary school. We went over the basics of starting a Web page with SchoolLoop and I am proud to announce that they found it easy to learn and use and several of them now have a Web page posted. Over the rest of this month, I'm hoping we can get more teachers trained so we can start seeing lots of teacher pages up and running.
I also attended a Webinar on "101 Tech Tools for Teachers" on Friday afternoon. I learned a great deal about sites, especially those that are FREE, that teachers can use in their classrooms. As part of attending that Webinar, I was able to download an e-book which contains lots of Web sites and information for teachers. I will be sharing sites from that e-book and from the Webinar this week, so enjoy exploring them!
My schedule for this week - I will meet with the schools' TRTs on Tuesday afternoon at the elementary school. I have another Webinar on Wednesday at noon and will be meeting with the STLP group again on Wednesday afternoon at the middle school. I hope to spend some time this week working on trainings for teachers on SchoolLoop, getting some information out to teachers about Thinkfinity training, working on the Civil Rights Data Collection for our district, and all my other normal activities and duties!
Here are some sites to check out this week:
Storybird - collaborative storytelling
Bibme - a fully automatic bibliography maker
Kideos - a kid friendly place for videos (search for Star Wars A Capella - it's great!; also look for 44 Presidents Rhyme - interesting if you are a history teacher!)
And the one given to me by the middle school students . . . CoolText - a free graphics generator
Hope you have a great week and remember, fall break is just around the corner!
27 September 2010
A new week!
I attended another terrific Region TIS meeting in Christian County on Friday, September 24th. It's good to hear what other schools and districts are doing with regards to integrating technology, plus I like the way they introduce us to new Websites and give us time to actually explore those sites.
I was reminded of something at the meeting - don't just download or purchase a technology tool and then try to see where it will fit, instead, identify a need that you have and then see what technology tools are out there that will fulfill that need. Too often we tend to see a cool tool and buy into it without really thinking about how we will utilize that tool. Then it sits in a corner (either in our classroom or office) or on our computer desktop and is never used. That's not the best use of our time or our funding or our efforts at integrating technology. Once needs are identified, we can usually find something that's available at low, or no, cost that will meet those needs. In that case, we are more apt to learn and use the tool.
Here are some sites that were shared at the meeting you might want to review:
Kentucky Department of Education Open House - KDE Open House is composed of multiple applications, such as the Kentucky Student Information System, MUNIS, and data from other sources, such as the state assessment system. Reports derived from these sources are provided on this site for all stakeholders within the Commonwealth.
Mission US: A Revolutionary Way to Learn History - This site is now live! It's an interactive role playing game entitled "For Crown or Colony" which puts students in the shoes of Nat Wheeler, a 14-year-old apprentice navigating 1770 Boston. The entire site is FREE and teachers can register themselves and have their students register so that results of their activities throughout the site can be shared. Kentucky is one of ten states participating in the special training initiatives and as a part of that privilege, Kentucky will be recognizing a MISSION US Teacher of the Year. If a teacher uses MISSION US with students this fall and lets KET know by December 1st, telling them when and how the game was used and what the students gained by the experience, they will be eligible for this honor. Teachers may nominate themselves or may be nominated by other teachers, administrators, parents or even students! Visit www.ket.org/missionus for the nomination form. If you have additional questions about the MISSION US project, e-mail tday@ket.org.
LiveBinders - LiveBinders is exactly what the name implies, a "three-ring binder" for the Web. It is a neat way to organize and share information with colleagues or with students. It's a FREE service, too! All you have to do is collect your resources, organize them in the "binder", and then share the information. To see what other educators have done, when you first arrive at the site, click on the Featured Binders tab. Under the LiveBinder Categories section on the right, click on Education. Then on the left you will see lots and lots of educational binders already developed. For example, there is a binder called "Online Art Games" which contains a teacher's links to all sorts of art game links. If your art class were to visit the computer lab, instead of giving them a bunch of links to try to type in themselves, you can have the students go directly to the LiveBinder and then all the sites are there for them - all they have to do is click on the tabs that you have set up for them. One of the best things about this process is that you can also use "binders" that have been developed from other teachers. Don't reinvent the wheel - find something that's already out there you can use!
My schedule for this week is as follows:
Monday, September 27th - Technology Committee Meeting at CCPS at 1500
Tuesday, September 28th - All Day - Thinkfinity Training at Christian County
Tuesday, September 28th - Parenting Workshop at Butler Auditorium at 1800 (topic - Infinite Campus Parent Portal)
Wednesday, September 29th - STLP at CCMS at 1500
Friday, October 1st - Visiting CCPS for technology integration
Friday, October 1st - EdTech Webinar at 1430
I'll also be working on the October edition of the District TRT Newsletter this week, so be looking for that on Friday. All of this is in addition to my normal, everyday duties with Infinite Campus, e-rate, etc. It's going to be another busy week! Have a great one!
20 September 2010
Best laid plans . . .
I think there is an old saying about best laid plans going awry or something like that. Last week my intentions were good, but they just never materialized due to my health. So, I didn't make it out to the schools like I wanted to, but the plans are still in the works to do that in the near future!
Here is an update on my schedule for this week, September 20th-24th:
September 21st - Meeting at 1500 with a middle school teacher
September 22nd - Meeting at 0800 with a primary school staff member
September 22nd - District PLC Meeting in the CCHS library at 1530
September 23rd - Growth Factor Webex Training at 0900
September 24th - Regional TIS Meeting in Christian County at 0930 to 1300
I'll also be working on my October District TRT newsletter this week.
I believe it makes a lot more sense for me to update this blog every Monday morning since I will know more about my weekly schedule at that point. So, hopefully I'll try to get an update posted each Monday and that will keep everyone informed and up-to-date.
Here are some great Websites to review this week:
12 Tips for Safe Social Networking Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
CyberSmart! Student Curriculum
American Association of School Librarians Best Websites
Maybe you'll find something that you can use in your classroom or personally!
10 September 2010
Some projects done . . . others to be done . . .
Another week has come and gone. The preschool households have all been built and the phone directory has been distributed, so two of my largest projects have been completed. That's a good feeling!
We had our first district TRT meeting at the primary school on Thursday. As I told the building TRTs, I'm going to try to start getting out into the schools next week and the remainder of September just to visit classrooms. I'd like to start this new process of having a District TRT by finding out what lessons teachers are giving that could be done using technology of some sort. I know a lot of our teachers are using technology each and every day, but I also know there are some teachers who could definitely utilize technology more in their classrooms. I hope by starting simple - visiting classrooms and seeing where technology could be used - will be a good way to let teachers know what is available and how easy it is to integrate technology into their everyday lessons.
I hope all of you are finding my District TRT newsletter helpful. I want to use it as a way to give you some Web sites to view (and hopefully use) and to keep everyone informed of what is happened across the district and throughout the state. In future editions, I plan to add some technology tips and maybe even spotlight a classroom or two where technology is just one part of delivering content to the students successfully.
03 September 2010
Plans for September
As of this date (September 3rd), the following meetings/trainings, etc. are on my September calendar:
7th - Mandatory Procedures Training in the Butler Auditorium @ 1030
7th - Demonstration of new Simple Assessment Web features @ 1300
9th - TRT Meeting at CCPS @ 1530
16th - CCEA New Teacher Orientation at Pagliai's @ 1800
20th - Caldwell Co Bd of Ed Meeting at the Butler Annex Boardroom @ 1900
22nd - District PLC Meeting in the CCHS Library @ 1530
24th - Regional TRT Meeting in Christian County @ 0930-1300
27th - CCPS Technology Committee Meeting in the CCPS Library @ 1500
28th - Parenting Workshop in the Butler Auditorium @ 1800
As most of you are aware, one of my large projects is finished thanks to the help of several colleagues - Sue Simms, Stephanie Feagan and Ron Berry. Everyone in the district should be receiving their 2010-11 phone directory sometime the week of September 7th.
I am finished with building kindergarten households and have begun working on preschool households in Infinite Campus. Once that task is completed, I hope to start getting out into the schools on a regular basis to meet with teachers and visit classes to see where we can integrate technology into everyday lessons and content delivery. Also being planned for the month of September is the startup of STLP again at the elementary and middle schools. We'd like to see this program be re-activated and revived in our district.
As you can see it's going to be a busy, busy month!
27 August 2010
The beginning of something new . . .
I am establishing this blog as a way to communicate information that can help teachers easily integrate technology into the classroom. Hopefully as the weeks pass by, I will be adding online resources and giving suggestions. Maybe you will find something interesting that you can put to use immediately. That's the ultimate goal of any technology integration specialist - that the end user find resources and instructions on the use of those resources so that they reach a comfort level where they are confident in using those resources each and every day if desired.
I'm excited about what the 2010-2011 school year will bring to all of us in the area of technology. Let's work together to improve the delivery of content to all our students and help them learn skills that will serve them well. It truly is "ALL ABOUT KIDS"!
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