Online safety continues to be an issue both for educators and for parents.  Matthew J. Bowerman had an interesting article in the Fall 2011 New Teacher Advocate titled "Online means all the time".  "Being online also means increased opportunities for cyberworld dangers, such as cyberbullying."  Cyberspace is still relatively unsupervised.  According to a study cited by Bowerman, 93% of children ages 12-18 are online with 32% of those being harassed in some way.  26% are also victims via cell phones.  So what can schools and teachers do?

According to Bowerman, being safe doesn't mean blocking out or locking down all technology.  A better option would be to teach students how to be informed online community members and to be more aware of what students are doing and how they are using their computers and cell phones in the classroom.  If teachers and staff become more informed, then they can help parents become more aware and educated.  "Teachers can - and must - navigate students toward safe and positive computer and technology usage!"

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you know where your students are when they are online?  In school and at home?

• Do you know who your students are talking to online and what they are doing?

• Do you know what you can do to help them (and yourself)?

Here are some ideas:

• Block known inappropriate sites - be aware, though, that usually by the time a block is established, a student somewhere has already created a way to evade it)

• Translate acronyms and icons - familiarize yourself with LMIRL, POTS, TDTM, PRW, TIR, ASL

• Be observable - keep computers in open areas where you can monitor the screens

• Monitor history - check the Internet history of browsers used by students periodically

• Get alerts - fix your browser to show, or consider having messages e-mailed about, potentially dangerous online behavior

• Learn about online safety and its risks - be aware of resources

• Educate students on the acceptable use policy

• Create a class contract regarding how students are to treat the computers and one another while using them in your classroom

• Practice what you preach!  Maintain appropriate and professional online behavior yourself (think about what you have posted - pictures, persons who are your "friend", affiliations with groups, etc.)

Next week I will share some information about "computeritis" and how instant connections with others can be both an asset and a hindrance.  Thanks to the Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society in education, for their New Teacher Advocate publication!  It is always full of wonderful and inspiring information. 

Better late than never!

As most of my district is aware, I am helping at the high school each morning while an employee is off due to surgery.  So, I did not get to complete my blog entry this morning as I usually do.  I apologize, but know everyone understands.

I know this has nothing to do with technology per se, but I wanted to remind everyone of the organizational meeting for KAPE on Tuesday afternoon at the high school library about 3:15 p.m.  KAPE stands for the Kentucky Association of Professional Educators.  I discovered this organization last fall when I was working on a class for my doctorate and joined to see what they were all about and what they offered.  I was very impressed with their vision and mission and their offering of liability insurance at a much lower cost than other organizations also appealed to me. 

We will have all sorts of brochures and comparison information for anyone who is interested in learning more about KAPE.  KAPE accepts memberships from both certified and classified employees.  I hope to see a lot of interest in KAPE - come visit us on Tuesday afternoon!

History 2.0

I'm borrowing my title for this blog entry from the latest edition of the History Channel Club magazine.  Given this past weekend was full of thinking about events in history, specifically the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001, reading about the changes in how history teachers are teaching was very timely.  Even though some of this entry will target history teachers, there's quite a bit that applies to all teachers.

Michael P. Lavelle is quoted as saying, "The real key to connecting learners with history in the digital age in a meaningful and lasting way is combing the scholarly authority of the textbook with virtuoso digital storytelling and visualizations."  Again, this could also apply to many of our other subjects, like literature, science, and even math.  The methods of teaching have changed just as history has changed throughout the years.  First was a class where an adult paced at the front of the classroom, using a piece of chalk and blackboard or greenboard to emphasize points.  Then came the projector and teachers could show some film strips to enhance the learning.  Next the overhead projector came into the classroom and this was especially a great tool for math teachers (and still is).  Then came the televisions, the video cassette recorders (VCRs)s, and then the DVD players.  Now we have computers, both desktop and laptop, and teachers can utilize software like PowerPoint(r) and Keynote(r) to give spectacular presentations that catch the student's eye and hopefully, their brain! 

In today's classes, digital is much more than a new delivery method.  Energizing and engaging students, it creates new learning opportunities.  Students and teachers can co-create, collaborate, and use primary sources like never before.  These digital tools can help students with critical-thinking skills and help them form great questions, which are at the core of inquiry-based learning.  The best thing about digital tools, though, is that many of them are available for free! 

Back to history and social studies classes, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) and History have banded together to offer free materials and links to teachers, regardless of which textbook and curriculum programs they use.  Go to their site and look at the Resources and Current Events sections.  Naturally, if you use the HMH textbook/curriculum programs, you can also get a private URL to gain access to additional materials at no additional cost. 

One last caution about the use of digital tools in teaching . . . To be effective, digital materials must be presented in an orderly way targeted to learning outcomes, rather than simply arriving on the computer screen as a cool data dump of possibility.  Well said!

Resource:  Brataas, A. (September/October 2011).  Launch History 2.0.  The History Channel Magazine. 

Free Flashcards!

Free ESL Flashcards has many flashcards that are 100% free to download and use.  Currently they have 968 total images and 2,904 total flashcards available.  Every set comes in color and 3 different sizes to make teaching easier.  According to their Website, the big set is great for vocabulary presentation to a larger group, the medium set is good for teaching small groups of students and playing language learning games, and the small set is good for games such as Go Fish.  You can use the flashcards for teaching English, Spanish, Chinese or whatever language your students are studying.  As I looked at these, though, I could see how they would be valuable to younger students in preschool or in the primary grades, not just those who are learning English or another language for the first time.  For example, there is a set called Body Parts which include items like foot, toes, mouth, nose, shoulders, ears, etc.  These would be terrific for teaching preschoolers the parts of the body.  Also, they have two sets for the alphabet - one set has colored uppercase alphabet letters and common punctuation and the other has all the letters of the alphabet in both uppercase and lowercase.  These might be good to use in kindergarten classes.

To use the flashcards, simply select the set you want on the initial page.  Take a look at the preview of the flashcards on the next page.  Then if you want this particular set, scroll to the bottom and select either the big, medium or small size and download them.  You can then decide whether or not to print them on cardstock paper or regular paper and cut them apart for use. 

Hopefully some of you will find these flashcards beneficial.  Enjoy your shortened week!  I hope everyone had a good Labor Day holiday. 

Monthly Teacher

I have been a little off this week and did not get a chance to include an entry in this blog on Monday as I usually do.  Hopefully those who follow this blog will find today's entry instead!

I recently discovered another wonderful Web site just for teachers.  According to their site, Monthly Teacher, they try to find quality materials for teachers including as many free resources as they can.  You can sign up for their free newsletter which is delivered the first week of each month highlighting all the resources they have found. 

Just to give you a quick idea of what they have spotlighted lately, here are some links to check:

http://www.monthlyteacher.com/newsletters/sept2011.html

This is the link to their monthly guide for September 2011.  It includes free September printable worksheets and lesson plans; important dates to remember in September; printable reading comprehension sheets; puzzles, labels, worksheets and organizers from the Worksheet Library; a centimeter ruler worksheet; and much more!

http://www.vocabmaker.com/freeworksheets/animalsworksheets.html

This link is from the September guide.  VocabMaker.com has fixed all sorts of animals puzzles, vocabulary and study sheets which are downloadable for free!  

http://www.monthlyteacher.com/sept2011/mwwunit.html

This is another link direct from the September guide.  Math Worksheet World is very impressive with their volume and quality of math worksheets.  Their site contains lessons, quizzes, home work and independent practice.  

http://www.monthlyteacher.com/sept2011/wlpack.html

This link takes you to some information about the Worksheet Library.  They cover a wide range of K-8 content areas and have some of the best graphic organizers available anywhere. 

http://www.monthlyteacher.com/sept2011/gwsheets.html

If you are looking for some reading worksheets, try this site.  Getworksheets.com is featured on this page which contains grade 1-6 reading comprehension worksheets. 

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/holidays/september/

If you go to this site, you will see some Start of School Lesson Plans, some lesson plans specific for September and some lesson plans just for fall/autumn. 

http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/misc/september/

This is another link from the September monthly guide which takes you to some printable worksheets for September and for the start of school.  One cute worksheet is answering questions about your school, such as how many fire extinguishers are there in the classroom and in case of a fire drill or alarm, where do you go?  These types of worksheets could be used as bell ringers or even as end-of-the-class or end-of-the-day questions to discuss when you have a few minutes left and need a "filler".

I do hope you'll find something valuable using the Monthly Teacher.  It's free to sign up for their newsletter, so I would encourage you to do that, too, as you're previewing what all they have to offer.

Animoto!

I had promised some of you I would post information about Animoto, the video software I learned about last week.  The link is http://animoto.com/.  Once you're on the homepage, you can click the Sign Up link at the top to see the different options.  Animoto Lite is free, but you are limited to 30 second videos.  Animoto Plus is only $5 per month, but $30 per year (that's like half-price!).  You might want to sign up for one month at $5 just to check out all the additional features and then you can decide whether or not you want to purchase a full year membership.  Animoto Pro and Animoto Reseller are much more expensive and probably way more than what you'd ever want to do in a classroom.

I did go ahead and sign up for an Animoto Plus account because I wanted to check out all the features a teacher might want.  Very quickly I was able to create my "I Love Tigers" video.  Here is the link if you want to see it - http://animoto.com/play/GvZl6F5580EeAe9G919CGg.  I selected one of their pre-made templates, just uploaded a few of my tiger pictures (being careful about copyright, of course) and a quick part of a song I happened to have on my computer.  The "work" of putting together the video was all done by Animoto!

So how do you do it?  Simply click on the Create Video button at the top of the page.  Select a video style (template).  You can click Preview to see a sample.  The templates are clearly marked as to which ones you have access to and which ones require a pro membership or above.  Once you decide on a video style, click Create.  The next step is to load the video with images (or video clips - I did not have any clips to work with, so I did not do this with my first one).  You can upload the images from your computer, or retrieve them from other sites, or you can start by selecting some images from their collection.  If you decide to upload an image, simply click the plus sign by Upload and browse to find the image.  Once you add your first image, you will  be taken to the editing screen.  At the bottom are the selections you can make - add more (add another image), add text, spotlight (a particular part), rotate, duplicate or shuffle, plus you can delete anything here as well.  Once you've made all your selections, you can simply drag and drop the different pieces wherever you would like them to go.  Click Done when you are finished.

The next step is to select the music.  Again, you can select from their vast library of music or upload music from your own computer.  (Just be careful about copyright issues!)  You can preview any of their music easily to find just the right one.  Once you have selected your music you can customize it by starting the music at any point in the song - just click the "Choose start point ->" link.  When you're done, click Continue.

The last step is to finalize your video.  Once you are done, click Continue.  Add a Title for your video, a description (if desired) and your Producer Name (I use cctyger for things like this).  Click Create Video.

It will take a little while for Animoto to produce your video.  You can watch the "circles" on this page as it processes, composes, and produces your video or you can go do something else.  It will e-mail you whenever your video is ready to view.  Eventually the video will show under your "My Videos" menu at the top of the page.

That's how easy it is to produce an Animoto video!  While I was typing this, I fixed a quick Happy Birthday video (with Charmed music - I couldn't find the Happy Birthday tune that quickly).  http://animoto.com/play/iyo3EdUYaLfvEN7PjLD0yQ is the link in case you want to check it out sometime.  At the very least, go to Animoto and sign up for the free account and try a quick 30 second video using their images and music and see how easy it is!

I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL OPENING DAY!  MAY IT BE THE SMOOTHEST OPENING DAY EVER!

WatchKnowLearn . . . free educational videos

Some of you may already know about this resource, but I just learned about it today!  WatchKnowLearn has indexed over 20,000 educational videos in over 3,000 categories.  The videos are available without any registration or fees to teachers in the classroom adn to students at home 24/7.  WatchKnowLearn believes everyone should have the same opportunity to learn.  They will even accept suggestions for videos to be added to their directory.  The videos on their site are guaranteed kid safe!  WatchKnowLearn is a non-profit program and was the idea of the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi and a Memphis-area philanthropist.  Dr. Larry Sanger, a co-founder of Wikipedia, was tapped to help plan the educational video service.

Very quickly I was able to find some videos on Ferdinand Magellan, using the History > History of Exploration > Magellan, Ferdinand path.  The first video listed was a cute song about Magellan's journey performed  by the Animaniacs.  The second was a beautiful video with music and images, plus different facts about Magellan.  It was so quick to find something I could use if I was teaching about the exploration period of human history.

I also noticed you can filter by age, so that would help if you were looking specifically for primary school or high school videos.  There are even some informational videos which adults would find helpful - such as "Using an Asterisk in Google Search" which explains how the * is used in a Google search as a placeholder.

Check it out and see if there is something you can use in your classroom!  Simply click the title of this post and it will link you to their Web site automatically. 

New Teacher Tools in Infinite Campus

With one week to go before students enter Caldwell County Schools on August 23rd, it is important teachers are aware of the new teacher tools now available in Infinite Campus.  They have streamlined the method of entering assignments and scores and it is much more user-friendly.  I'm going to outline some of the enhancements below, but I will be sending out some instructions by e-mail as well. 

The first change you will notice is the old Lesson Planner link is gone!  In its place is a link called Assignments.  Clicking on the Assignments link will bring up a screen with several options - Edit Teacher Preferences, Edit Grade Calc Options, Edit Categories, Create Assignment, Copy Assignments, View Tree and Validate.

Edit Teacher Preferences - basically the same as the old preferences; here you can set to hide dropped students, set the default grading task, whether to show student pictures, etc. 

Edit Grade Calc Options - this is where you will set how your grades are calculated; using the Fill All button will save time if all your grading tasks will use the same calculations and grading scale

Edit Categories - on this screen you can set your categories, i.e. homework, exams, classwork, etc.; the point to note here is if you use points only to calculate your grades, you will want to leave the weight as zero

Create Assignment - this is where you will create your assignments; the same information is there as previous editions of IC, but the look is a little different; you will enter your assignment names, whether the assignment is active or not, when it was assigned, when it is due, etc.

Copy Assignments - from one screen you can now copy assignments from one course to another course easily; just select which course to copy from and where you want the assignments to go; you can also do multiple assignments at one time

Entering grades is just as easy.  You can still go back and enter grades through the Grade Book just as you did with previous IC editions.  However, you can utilize the new Assignments link to add assignments and enter grades at the same time.  Also, there are different checkboxes to help you quickly signify whether an assignment is turned in, missing, late, incomplete, exempt, or if the student cheated on the assignment.

The last change is to the Daily Planner.  I'm not sure how many teachers actually used the planner in previous editions, but the new Daily Planner is a great way to keep up with activities and events for your classes, quickly checking attendance for a previous date, etc.  You can view the planner by month, week, or day.

Hopefully these changes will be good changes for everyone.  Infinite Campus worked with teachers across the United States to find out exactly what they wanted and made changes accordingly.  I believe the changes make the program much more user friendly and hopefully, you will, too! 

If you are a teacher in the Caldwell County School system, be looking for an e-mail which contains the pdf file of instructions on the new teacher tools.  I hope to set up some training sessions after school starts for anyone who needs one-on-one or small group help.  However, I think you will find the instructions are easy to follow and most of you will be able to set everything up and start working right away.

Have a great week!

More Back to School Ideas

Here are some great ideas to start the school year off to a good start!

1)  POW - Have all the students complete information note cards about themselves with questions like: What is your birthday? What do you have in common with others? What is unqiue about you?  What is your scar story (or tell me about a time you were hurt)? What is your least favorite food? What is your most favorite food? If you could have one superhero power, what would it be? If you could go anywhere in the world where would you like to go? Is there anything else I should know about you?

Put the note cards in a box and once a week, draw one and have a Person of the Week (POW).  Use the information on the card to narrow the class down to one person standing.  For example, ask the class "Stand up if your birthday is in the summer months of June and July" or "Keep standing if you own a dog named Fred".  Do this with the information from the card until only one person is left standing.

This just takes a few minutes and the POW student becomes the "helper" for that week.  You could also reward this student in some fashion - maybe first in the lunch line or give them a special pencil or pen.  Also, write the student a short note acknowledging something the class (or you) learned about them and how interesting they are!

2) Get to know the secretaries, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and guidance counselors (or anyone else students may not know or see on a regular basis) in your building.  Invite them to your classroom and introduce them to your students.  Explain how difficult their jobs are and what could make their job easier.  Give them a small gift to show your appreciation.  This can be done any time of the year, but would really be appropriate in the first few weeks of school.

3) Don't forget - everyone loves to laugh!  Find a few appropriate school-related cartoons to share with the students or tell a funny story to start the day/class (even better if it relates to the subject matter!).

4) Create a box for each school month.  In the box, collect everything you use for that month.  For example, April could have everything related to spring, Easter, spring break, etc. and November could have everything related to fall, Thanksgiving, elections, etc.  If you keep everything organized and add to the box as the years progress, you'll have a great resource to use and simply update every year, plus everything will be easily accessible and available.

5) Create a binder notebook for every course you teach.  In it, put you lesson plans, your resources for the course (such as worksheets, quizzes, tests, answer keys, vocabulary, etc.), samples of student work from previous years, etc.  This way, you'll never lose anything valuable for that course and you can update it as needed.  Create yourself a personal library which will become a resource for you every time you teach that particular course.

Just remember - every day is a new day.  If you have had a bad day, just think - the next day will be a new one, no matter what!

The above information was adapted from WeAreTeachers, a site devoted to the teaching profession.  The site has loads of information, ideas, grants and contests, a community where teachers can "talk" to each other, Webcasts, etc.  Check them out soon! 

Building Parental Engagement in Classroom Activities

I just experienced a webinar sponsored by District Administration and Shutterfly centered on parental engagement in classroom activities.  Two teachers, a mother, and two professionals from DA and Shutterfly gathered together virtually to talk about how parental involvement has changed.  The old idea was parent focused, then family, then school with teacher and administrator agendas driving the engagement.  The new idea is to be focused on the family as a whole, to involve hard-to-reach families, to think about family priorities, and to use community agencies and home/neighborhood settings.  We in education know parent engagement leads to better student outcomes, increased confidence in those students, and fewer disciplinary issues.  Including the whole family also improves reading skills and math proficiency in students.  An illustration was used of steep stairs with no "support" which is the old thinking and a stairway with periodic platforms and a railing which provided "support" which is the new thinking. 

The plan for success to engaging parents successfully is to first consider any barriers which must be overcome.  Following that are establishing personal relationships, establishing communication, forming a partnership between the home and the school, training anyone who needs it, and getting the support of the administration.  A question was asked - What will your school be?  Negative?  (which includes only reporting behavior problems, only reporting grades, only contacting the home when there is a problem of some kind) or Positive?  (which includes celebrating all learning, sharing news from the classroom, complimenting student strengths, listening to problems and finding solutions)  These are all items we should be considering as we think about the communication  between home and school, especially as we start a new school year.

Of course, one of the intents of the webinar was to introduce Classroom Share Sites to the audience.  This is a completely free space offered to schools, churches, scouting groups, clubs, etc. - pretty much anything which involves children in some way.  There are lots of great features to this site, but perhaps the most interesting to me was the fact it can be password protected.  Teachers who set up a classroom site or club sponsors who set up a club site can input certain members on the site and give them appropriate access.  This ensures student and family privacy.  Parents and guardians can become a member of the site and have access to all information, but you can also allow or block permission to save photos or documents.  Some ideas from the audience including teachers establishing a site for their grade level or department which would provide a way to share information and documents. 

I hope to explore this resource further in the near future and will be glad to share with anyone interested.  Of course, our district has individual teacher Website capability through School Loop, but this might be a way to enhance those sites.  It would be very easy to establish a Classroom Share Site and link to it from a School Loop page.  Then you could take advantage of everything each company has to offer. 

More and more people are getting online for information and our schools should establish a positive presence on the Internet.  Caldwell County Schools began this process last year with School Loop and we hope to continue our efforts this year.  

Getting parents involved . . . and the classrooms of today

Every now and then, District Administration, a digital magazine I read each month, sponsors webinars about different subjects.  On Tuesday, August 9th I'm attending a webinar entitled "Building parental engagement in classroom activities".  The leaders of the webinar note "strong parental engagement with their children's classroom experience is highly correlated with successful learning outcomes, especially in earlier grades."  The sponsor of the webinar, Shutterfly, is going to share information about their classroom Websites and how such sites can increase parental involvement.  I believe the use of classroom sites can help give timely information to parents and guardians and provide a way to support students in their academic career.  After tomorrow's webinar, look for another entry in this blog to share what I learned.

Now, for another piece of information I found interesting.  This morning (Monday, August 8th) in the New York Times opinion portion of the e-mail newsletter I receive every day, Virginia Heffernan states "full 65 percent of today's grade-school kids may end up doing work that hasn't been invented yet."  Heffernan goes on to say we continue to ask if the Internet is bad for our children, but the better question is whether the form of learning we are instilling in our children is useful to their future.  Very simply, we cannot keep preparing students for a world which doesn't exist.  Heffernan says "the contemporary American classroom, with its grades and deference to the clock, is an inheritance from the late 19th century."  Quoting a book by Cathy N. Davidson, Now You See It, Heffernan notes year after year, teachers and professors ask students to write papers and they are appalled when they turn out terrible.  However, those same students can write very intelligent blog entries and exhibit fewer typos and factual errors. 

According to Davidson, "a classroom suited to today's students should deemphasize solitary piecework."  It should facilitate collaboration instead and have new ways of measuring progress.  "The new classroom should teach the huge array of complex skills that come under the heading of digital literacy."  If you are interested in the entire article, click this link.  There you can read all of what Heffernan says, plus read many of the interesting comments which have been posted.

Don't forget - Opening Day will be August 22nd and the First Day for Students will be August 23rd.  Have a wonderful week! 

Back to School Ideas!

School will be starting in a few weeks and after receiving notice of a Blog entitled "Back-to-School Boot Camp: First Day Essentials" from WeAreTeachers, I thought I would share this information:

According to WeAreTeachers, the first day of school needs to be a successful day not only for the teacher, but for the students.  Here are 12 ways to make the first day (or week) a great one:

1.  Have a new friend scavenger hunt where students hunt around the class to find students who have done certain things.  (They have a template on their site - look below for the link to the Blog page.)

2.  Have students toss a beanbag around the room and the person who catches it has to tell the class their name and something about themselves.

3.  Have a piece of cardstock and markers available for students to decorate a nametag to put on their desk.

4.  To help you learn the students quickly, memorize them in groups - memorize the students in row one the first day, row two the second day and so on.  Or take photographs of the students sometime the first week and associate the photo with their name - spend time each day quizzing yourself by looking at the photo and naming the name.

5.  Wear something you love the first day of school and use it as a starting point to introduce yourself to the students.

6.  Make a video where you introduce yourself, showing them some of your favorite things and talking about your summer.

7.  Create a class e-newsletter that you can send out on a regular basis throughout the school year - send parents information about what you are doing in class.

8.  Have each student write a letter to himself or herself, listing their goals and hopes for the coming school year; put the letters in a time capsule to open on the last day of school.

9.  Make a classroom crossword - write an adjective that describes you on the board, then have a student come up and write an adjective that describes themselves, using at least one letter from your word, etc.

10.  Make a wonder web - grab a ball of yarn or string and toss it to a student while keeping a hold of the end; when the student catches it, they have to tell the class one thing they wonder about another student; then throw it to that student without letting go of the string and the new student has to answer the question and then wonder something about another student; by the end you'll have a web around the classroom and know a lot about your students.

11.  Have each student make a personal "coat of arms" that has pictures of their favorite things, people and activities.

12.  Give students a large sheet of white paper and have them draw pictures of what they wish they were seeing out of the classroom window - whether it's a beach, the mountains, or a picture of their home. 

Here is the link to find many more ideas to make your classroom start off in a positive way:

http://community.weareteachers.com/t5/WeAreTeachers-Blog/WeAreTeachers-Back-to-School-Boot-Camp-First-Day-Essentials/ba-p/7057.

At the very bottom of the blog page, they llist the top five ways you can use WeAreTeachers as a resource  - lesson planning, teacher grants, hot topics, educational resources and information about educational technology.  WeAreTeachers is a wonderful place to get ideas and share information.  Be sure to check it out before school starts!

Administrative Retreat This Week

The Caldwell County School District Administrative Retreat will be held August 2nd and 3rd.  This retreat is for the purpose of distributing information about all aspects of our school district.  It is always an interesting time together where we review our mission and belief statements and learn about any current legislation affecting schools, transportation, special education, food service, health, evaluations, technology, grant programs, and get a look ahead to the 11-12 school year.  We also participate in team building exercises and truly get to know each other which helps us as the year progresses. 

The school year is only a few weeks away now.  I am very busy getting all the new staff entered into the various programs, setting up the 11-12 phone directory, filing e-rate forms, working on building households in Infinite Campus for new students, etc., etc., etc.  It is an active time around the office!

The newest portion of Infinite Campus is the new teacher tools which are available for the 11-12 school year.  Hopefully teachers will find it to be more user-friendly.  I will be setting trainings for these new tools and for School Loop for interested teachers once school begins and is settled. 

I am taking a trainer course for Thinkfinity this summer and also want to set some trainings for the middle school and high school this year.  I trained the primary and elementary teachers last year, but they will be welcome to come to a training to re-fresh themselves with Thinkfinity.  Also, any new teachers in the primary and elementary will be welcome to attend.  Thinkfinity is a powerful place for finding all sorts of lessons and activities to go with just about any curriculum.  I'm excited about sharing this resource with our teachers!

Have a great week!

July is here and almost over!

As I read over my last post, I was reminded I was going to try to keep this blog going over the summer, but I have neglected my duties!  I was able to take a few weeks off and visited my daughter in Alabama so I didn't have as much time available to keep the blog up to date.  I hope now that I am back at work I will continue to post information on a regular basis, usually at the first of each week.

I am a very busy person these days.  A few months ago I decided to start my doctorate studies, so I am spending a lot of time reading and writing and completing projects for my courses through Northcentral University.  I am into my third course and absolutely have loved every minute.  I take one course at a time and should be finished with my Ed.D. in a couple of years.  Along with some of my volunteer positions and my church, plus work and extra Webinars and online courses associated with my job, I find my personal time is less and less.  Oh, well, I feel much better when I am busy anyway!

Today, I am taking 5 Webinars provided free by SImple K12 so look for some posts in the near future about those.  I truly want to focus on quick and easy ways teachers can incorporate technology into their lessons over the course of this school year.  Hopefully you will find something in the months ahead that you can use!

Enjoy the rest of your summer - Caldwell County Schools opening day for staff is August 22nd and the first day for students is August 23rd.  See you then!

3 more days!

As this school year comes to an end this week, I'd like to wish all members of the Class of 2011 a successful and happy future!  Congratulations! 


I will be traveling to an Infinite Campus user group meeting and training today (Monday, May 16th), so this entry will be short.  I do plan to continue blogging throughout the summer at least once a week so I hope you will check back periodically to see what is going on in our district and in the world of technology.  I have thoroughly enjoyed learning to use this method of keeping in touch with you and hopefully giving you information on integrating technology into your classroom which you could put to use immediately or with little preparation or effort.  This summer will be my first "tech" class for my doctorate program so I'm excited about what I will learn there that I can share.  To me, that's the whole point of going to meetings, attending trainings, taking classes, etc. - to share what we learn with others so all of us can get better at what we do! 


Thanks again for sticking with me and this new adventure called a "blog" for this school year.  I truly hope you have found it interesting and valuable in some way.  I look forward to continuing this effort over the summer and next school year.


Have a restful summer!

One week more (after this one)!

I apologize for not having an entry earlier today (Monday, May 9th) . . . I have been at the middle school helping students complete their ILPs (individual learning plans).  We are very close to having 100% complete for 6th, 7th and 8th grades, so congratulations, CCMS!


Are you "techphobic"?  The wonderful people at Simple K12 "work with all types of teachers - from Techphobic Tracy to EdTech Eddie."  They compiled a document that contains 32 tips from real teachers from around the world who have practical advice to share about technology in the classroom.


Here are some of the tips that might be of interest to you:
1.  Take the time to play - no one ever knows enough and by the time you think you might, things have changed; if possible, bring it home to try it out
2.  Don't be afraid - you can't "break" the computer; experience different pieces "hands-on"; allow for "oops" moments; be prepared to be uncomfortable (at least for a little while)
3.  Follow your own instruction - model for your students; tell students you are learning right along with them; ask a student to go through the directions to make sure they work; you are in charge, so stop when you want to; learn from your mistakes (Isn't that what we ask students to do?)
4.  Keep it simple - don't try to do everything at once; take one step at a time; take what you are already doing in class and add a technology piece to it to enhance the lesson
5.  Ask for help - allow your students to teach you; don't be afraid to ask questions; connect with other educators who are successful in integrating technology; find an educator who is using something you'd like to use and let them mentor you


Again, these are just some of the quick tips given by educators across the globe.  The bottom line of integrating technology into your classroom is to go slow, practice yourself, keep it simple and ask for help! 


Enjoy your week!

The year is winding down . . .

I took a look at the calendar today and realized we only have 13 more instructional days left in this school year.  Wow!  It doesn't seem the year should be over this soon . . .


I came across some tips in a magazine a few months ago and want to share them with all of you this week.  Even though the title of the article was "Seven Technology Tips for Younger Elementary", I believe these tips can be used for most of us, whether we teach elementary age students or not.  Mary Beth Hertz notes in the article that "there is a sense of frustration or even fear in bringing technology into the classroom".  Hertz adds, though, many of the emotions associated with technology are not truly fear or frustration with the technology itself, but instead having issues with how to train or prepare students to create multi-step and engaging projects.  So here are seven tips Hertz gives to help ease the transition into utilizing technology in the classroom:


Tip 1 - Before introducing a new tool, play around with it enough to figure out where you think your students will struggle the most. 
Tip 2 - Don't try to teach too much at one time.
Tip 3 - Let students who master the goals quickly help others.
Tip 4 - Use your students as a resource.
Tip 5 - Start small.
Tip 6 - Have a student who is a non-reader or who has a fear of writing due to their low reading level dictate what they want to type or write it on paper first.
Tip 7 - Assess student progress with technology tools.


Hertz says you need to be able to predict problems your students might have so playing with the technology first yourself and starting small with short steps is best before introducing anything to the students.  Also, don't be afraid to let a student or students who know how the technology works to take the lead in the class.  What about the use of technology tools to assess their progress?  Start simple!  Use a spreadsheet with student names down one column with skills across the top.  Simply print and check off the skills as the student learns them.  This doesn't take long to prepare and students can see you using a spreadsheet in the classroom for a practical purpose.


Hertz reminds us that anytime we bring new tools into the classroom, there will be a learning curve.  Hertz says "Don't think that you will achieve rock star tech integrator status within your first year of making the plunge.  Don't get discouraged if you feel like your projects aren't complex or deep enough.  You'll get there."  According to Hertz, the important part is that you take the first step towards integrating technology into your classroom, no matter the age or skill level of your students.  I might add to that it really doesn't matter about your age or skill level either!  Just be open to new things and willing to try!


I hope each of you will take these tips to heart and if you've not yet taken the plunge to bring technology into your classroom, I trust you will feel confident enough to try one new thing in the next 13 days!  If I can help you in any way, please call or e-mail me. 

Testing is upon us and that means summer is around the corner!

I hope everyone is getting a good night's sleep and is eating good nutrition because the testing season is upon us.  I know all our students will do their best!

Thinking about testing causes me to think about the end of the school year and summer!  Apparently that is also on the minds of others as I've begun to see some e-mails and information about what students (and adults) can do over the summer to keep their minds sharp!  This year I had the opportunity to hear Rushton Hurley at a technology conference.  Hurley was a fantastic speaker!  He has taught at the high school and college level, been a principal, and has even organized and run an online school.  Hurley established "Next Vista for Learning" which includes all sorts of good information, but I want to focus on two particular items, one of which can be found on the Web site and the other which came as a link in Next Vista's e-mail newsletter.


If you click on the above link for Next Vista, you will land on the home page.  Go to the Light Bulbs section - it's in green on the left on the home page or on the menu bar going across the top of the page.  Light Bulbs are quick videos made by students to introduce or teach something.  There are ten (10) categories and each category has a number of short videos associated with it.  Just click on any of them and take a quick look!  All the videos are 2 minutes or less in length.


A friend of Hurley's, Adam Welcome, shared a Google Docs presentation that includes all sorts of information and links for students, and even adults, to utilize over the summer months.  Just to name a few - Google Books, Open Culture, iPad Resources, Math Playground, White House 101, Alder Planetarium, PowerTyping, The International Children's Digital Library, Physics Central, and even ChessKid!  There are a total of 28 different slides, many with more than one link on them, so check them all out - don't even wait until summer, try some now!


Have a great week (and try to stay dry - we need the rain, but gee, enough is enough)!

What It All Means

What It All Means . . . that's the title of the last chapter in the book by Will Richardson entitled Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.  I thank Mr. Richardson for a very insightful book with lots and lots of solid information about the use of technology in the classroom.  I've learned a lot and hope that many of you readers have done the same over the past months.


Richardson states that pages and pages are being added every day to the Internet, which includes new sites and also items like books.  Add to it all the music and streaming videos and it's almost more than we can comprehend.  Plus, the Web is becoming more collaborative.


Here are some "big shifts" to consider . . .
1.  It used to be schools and teachers 'owned' the content they taught and used in their classrooms; today, information is as far away as a Google search or Wikipedia; teachers and students have begun writing their own content
2.  As our access to content increases, so does our access to other teachers - those outside our buildings; teachers and students can tap into primary sources and connect with authors and historians and researchers across the world; learning has become 24/7
3.  In the past, students have worked independently or produced work for a limited audience (perhaps the teacher who graded their work and their classmates); students can now work in collaborative ways for large audiences; the work can now have real purpose and real meaning
4.  Students are learning their voices matter now that they can publish content to a wide audience; people do listen/read and respond
5.  It's no longer essential to know what the answer is as it is to know where to find it; today, factual answers are just a click away; we just need to know where to find sources that are worthy of our attention
6.  The Web is a printing press for the masses, so readers must learn to be critical consumers of the information; readers must also become good writers as they engage in debate and discussion across the Web
7.  Educators are now seeing the value of electronic learner portfolios that can be easily shared
8.  Writing is no longer limited to text; we can now include audio, video, photography, and much more
9.  Mastery used to be shown by 'passing the test'; now students can display mastery in countless ways that involve the creation of digital content
10.  Instead of simply handing in countless assignments to teachers to be read, graded, handed back, and most likely thrown away, we can now offer our students a totally new way at looking at the work they do; it's not meant for the teacher or the class or even the school, it's meant for the world, literally


Obviously these changes create all sorts of challenges for educators.  According to Richardson, teachers must start to see themselves as connectors, not only of content, but of people.  Teachers must become content creators as well.  Teachers also need to become true collaborators.  And teachers need to think of themselves more as coaches who model skills that students need to be successful.  Finally, teachers must be change agents.  We need to find ways to use these tools in the classroom and beyond.


When our students leave high school, Richardson says odds are pretty good they will be asked to work with others from around the globe, utilizing the Internet in some way to create content for diverse and wide-ranging audiences.  Due to that fact, students need to know how to be editors as well as readers.  We must teach our students to become more active consumers of the information instead of just passively accepting it as legitimate.  We must teach and model the ways in which ideas and products can be brought online.  We need to teach the ability to work closely with others in virtual environments.  And we need to teach students how to manage the information they consume.  These are all skills that will support students who can flourish in the networked personal learning spaces they will inhabit the rest of their lives.  Richardson states if we graduate students who are not able to create, sustain and participate in these networks in safe, ethical, and effective ways, we've done them a disservice.




Again, thanks to Will Richardson and his wonderful book!  I truly hope you have found something within these Blog pages that has helped you in some way with your students and with your classroom.  I also hope you may have found something you could use in your own life at home.  I know I did!  Have a wonderful week . . .

Screencasting - A Step Above Podcasting

Welcome back!  I hope everyone had an enjoyable spring break.  I know I did!


This week I'd like to finish the information from the chapter on podcasts and screencasts from the book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson.  Screencasts are very simply, podcasts with video.  One tool that is free and easy to use that is described by Richardson as his favorite is Jing.  On their Website, click on the link for Free Version and you can read a lot more about the program and how it works.  Whenever you are ready, just click the Download link.  Jing has a free version for both Mac and Windows operating systems. 


While you are downloading the Jing program, you can sign up for their newsletter or watch a tutorial.  Once the program is downloaded and running, you will see a "sun" in the upper-right corner of your screen.  To use Jing, it's simple - move your mouse over the "sun" and three rays of sunlight will appear.  One ray is the Capture tool, one ray is the History tool, and the other ray is the More tool (where you can set your preferences, etc.). 


The Capture tool is what you use to make a recording of your screen and your voice (or other audio like background music).  Simply click on the ray with the plus sign icon.  Using the crosshairs provided, click and drag across the portion of your screen that you want captured, or recorded.  Once that is done, click the video icon at the bottom left.  The first time you use Jing, you might see a pop-up window asking about your microphone.  Make your selection as to what type of microphone you have.  Once you continue, you will see a countdown - 3...2...1... - and then you can start recording.  Jing will record both your screen and your audio.  Beware that Jing does limit the screencast to five minutes.  When you are done, simply click the Finish Recording button.  Jing will then show you a screen that you can playback.  If you like what you've done, click Save.  Otherwise, you can click Cancel and start over if you wish.  That's all there is to it!  Once you have something you believe is useful for others, you can even share your file!


So how can this be used in a classroom?  What if you let students record small instructional videos for other students and staff?  What if you let students type a short poem and then go through the poem using Jing to capture the "picture" of the poem, along with the student reading it?  What if you utilized PowerPoint and pictures of your school and allowed students to record their voice, guiding users through the "tour" of their school?  There is no limit to the creativity of how this could be used, both inside and outside the classroom. 


Next week I plan to finish the information from the book.  I certainly hope you have found something along the way that you could use in your classroom either for your personal use or for your students to use.  Using this blog has been a great way to share information from a wonderful book and I've enjoyed it!  We'll wrap things up with the book next week and then finish out the school year with some other quick Web sites and some tips and tricks of using technology.  Have a great week!