I don't normally promote any particular product on this blog but when I do find something worth sharing, I figure, why not? A few weeks ago I found a product which claimed it would clean electronic equipment quickly and efficiently, but I didn't have a chance to actually try it until this past weekend. Wow! It absolutely does what it claims, so I have to share. The next time you are in a store, look for Windex electronic wipes. They come 25 in a re-sealable package made by the Johnson company. These wipes easily clean televisions, cell phones, desktop and laptop computers, etc. with no residue left behind and a streak-free shine! I was very pleased with the results after cleaning my laptop, my desktop, my cell phone and my main television at home over the weekend. I could have cleaned a lot more with the same wipe, too! I was impressed with this product and highly recommend it.
In the latest edition of eSchool News (October 2011), there was a resource mentioned which I'd like to share. SAS has released a new version of its free Curriculum Pathways resource. The new version includes expanded content, a more user-friendly interface, and enhanced search capabilities. Teachers can find material for specific state or Common Core standards either by looking at a standard and finding resources to fit or by looking at a resource and finding the standard that goes with it. At no cost, teachers and students can access highly interactive content for grades 6-12 in English/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Spanish and Technology. The only drawback I found is after signing up for an account in order to access the information, they specified an account executive would contact me to determine the best way to set up an account - in my case, this meant an e-mail was received instructing me on how best to serve my district in my role. This was due to the fact I am a district-level employee and not a classroom teacher. It was not a problem to go through their instructions and set up a coordinator account, though. It would be worth a look at their demo to see if this is something you might be able to use in your classroom. From what I could see, it looks like a solid resource across the board. Here is the link to their portal where you can see the product demo or subscribe. Here is the link to their main education Website where you can read more about their company. Clicking on the K-12 Education link will take you to more information about their efforts to help K-12 educators. Very quickly I looked at an economic systems lesson. I watched a 7 minute video and then took a quiz on the material. (Interesting to note - I couldn't access the quiz until I had watched the video.) After taking the quiz, I had the option of saving my results and the actual quiz questions and e-mailing my results. This would be a teacher choice - either save and print the results to hand in or save and send the results through e-mail. I found the lesson to be very informative and I assume other lessons in the other disciplines would be just as good. Again, this would be worth a look for teachers in grades 6-12.
One other resource I want to share today is the Homeland Security Department's effort to help students learn about Internet safety. Their "Stop.Think.Connect" campaign is a national public awareness campaign aimed at increasing the understanding of cyber threats and empowering the American public to be safer and more secure online. With students constantly online, the topic of cyber security has never been more important. You can sign up to become a Friend of the campaign and receive periodic e-mail notifications if you wish. For more information, simply click the link above.
Don't forget - if you find interesting sites or information about educational technology to share, please e-mail me at melissa.earnest@caldwell.kyschools.us. I'd be thrilled to include your ideas and suggestions, especially if it's something you've found to be successful in your classroom. I will promise to give you credit, too!
Have a great week!
