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!

Podcasting and Education

This week I want to expand on the information given last week about podcasting.  Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, has been such an enlightening read with all sorts of good ideas for using the Internet for educational purposes.


Here's one way to utilize podcasting in a classroom - if you and your students are interesting in doing a radio broadcast but can't afford all the necessary equipment, you can utilize podcasting as a way to have a "radio" type program on the Internet.  Here is a link for an elementary school in Omaha, Nebraska that has "podcasts for kids by kids".  Just click on any of the podcast links to hear one of their productions. 


Here's another link to a school in Murrieta, California that regularly posts podcasts.  And here is one more  link for a middle school in Marietta, Georgia where you can learn about their film festival and other interesting events and subjects.  With this last example, you not only get audio, but video, too!


Now that you've had an idea of what has been done by a few sample schools around the country, start thinking about how you can utilize podcasting.  For example, language teachers could use podcasts for their students to listen to a particular language lesson.  Social studies teachers could use podcasts as a way to record oral histories or interviews.  Music teachers could record their classes singing or playing instruments.  Technology classes can create weekly or even daily news programs for their school or perhaps with the use of video, a virtual tour of their school building.


Don't forget that Apple also has many ideas for using the iPod and the iPhone in schools.  Check out some of the things that can be done with those handheld devices!


Next week, we will be on spring break, so I probably won't have an entry in this blog.  Well, that is, unless I see or learn about something that I just can't wait to share!  Have a wonderful week!

Podcasting and more . . .

The last chapter of "instruction" given by Will Richardson in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms is on podcasting, video and screen casting and live streaming.  Richardson notes that multimedia publishing on the Web is only going to continue and more of what we are consuming online is self-produced, homemade entertainment.  Richardson acknowledges the incredible growth of YouTube and how the expansion into multimedia has come about quickly with broadband connectivity and cheap memory.  He adds that it no longer takes hours to download a full length feature film and the computers of today have all the tools necessary to be able to store and play such files.  It's become much easier to create and consume multimedia today. 


PODCASTING


In 2005, a 13-year old starting podcasting from his home and thus, became one of the first to create and distribute amateur radio across the Web.  Many podcasts are by basically normal, every day people.  Others are more serious and focused in content.  Podcasting has become all the rage and one of the reasons is that you do not need a lot of technical expertise to make it work.


According to Richardson, the best place to start your podcasting indoctrination is to take some time listening to a few shows.  Remember, most podcasters are just average people from all different walks of life with all sorts of interests.  Apple has incorporated podcasts into iTunes.  (iTunes is available for download from the Apple site, free for both Macs and PCs.)  To find some interesting podcasts, just go to the iTunes store homepage and click on the podcasts link in the top left section.  Once you open it, you can watch a tutorial or start broadcasting podcasts in the iTunes store.  You can even subscribe to certain podcasts and when a new episode is available, it will automatically download it for you.  


One of the available podcasts featured today in iTunes was "Laughing Historically".  It is available for a free subscription.  Episode 01 was How Edgar Allan Poe was Expelled.  It's about a 5 minute "show" about Poe's problems in life, especially at West Point, and how they affected his outlook and his future writing.  As you are searching for podcasts to listen to, take a look at the Podcast Quick Links on the right-hand side of the iTunes podcast screen.  There are links for Audio, Video, New Releases, Staff Favorites, etc.


Another idea - visit the Education Podcast Network which includes information on what a podcast is, how to find a particular podcast or subscribe to a podcast, and other information about podcasts.  You can find particular subjects and even student and class podcast projects.  Some of these podcast require QuickTime or other media player and some are no longer available, so be aware you may not be able to access all of them.  


Check out a few podcasts this week and next week, I'll expand on how podcasts can be used in schools and classrooms. 

A little extra for this week . . .

In reading one of the educational technology magazines I receive, I found five other sites that might be of interest to teachers . . . check these out sometime this week!


Teachers.net


Teachnology


Super Teacher Worksheets


Teachade


CybraryMan

3 Great Online Tools that will Inspire and Engage Your Students

This was the title of a short webinar I watched last week with a trainer, Russell Stannard, from the UK.  He mentioned three specific Web tools that he uses with his students and even though I have mentioned one or more of these before, it was a good reminder of how they can be beneficial. 


Todaysmeet -
• Works like a "live" feed
• Allows instant feedback, reflection and sharing with a class
• Everything that is written by anyone who is signed in can be seen by all
• When done, you can click "Transcript" and save the information
• You can also copy and paste the information if desired
• One caution - there is little control - anyone who knows the URL can join the conversation
• Simple to use - name your "room"; tell the site when to delete the room; add a twitter hashtag (if desired); click Create Your Room; send/give anyone the URL for your room; all they have to do is input their name and click Join; the "conversation" will show on the left-hand side


Vocaroo -
• A simple audio tool
• Record and share easily by email or embedding the URL online in a blog, etc.
• Use for lectures
• Ask students to record reading, language practice, conduct an interview, etc.
• Play the best examples in class and give feedback
• Simple to use - click "Click to Record"; click "Allow"; once your recording is done, you can Listen to it; if you need to, you can Record Again; once you are satisfied with the recording, simply choose whether to "Send to a friend" or "Post on the Internet" (Send to a friend will send an email; post on the Internet gives you HTML Code and a link to use)


Jing -
• A screen capture tool
• Records the screen of your computer as if a camera was facing it and recording
• If you have a microphone on your computer, it will record sound, too
• Simply mark the screen and click Record
• When you are done, a link is made available that you can share with others
• Idea - have a student type and send you an essay in Word(r); you can then highlight errors and record your voice guiding them through what they need to address or you can simply give them verbal feedback as you "move" through the essay onscreen; when done, make the recording available to the student
• Another idea - have a student type a timeline of their lives and then record their voice talking about their life as they move through their timeline
• One more idea - have a student type a timeline of a point in history and then record their voice talking about the various points on their timeline
• Just one more! - have a student type a math problem and then record their voice as well as their typing (drawing) as to how they solved the problem
• There is a free version which will work fine for classroom use, but there is a paid version if you wish to do more with Jing; Jing is available for Windows or Mac OS; simply download and install the version you wish to use;  Jing also has a newsletter and training videos available


If you are ever looking for quick ways to learn how to do something with technology or incorporate technology into a lesson, go to Russell Stannard's Web site - http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com.  The site has a monthly newsletter that you can subscribe to, but if you don't want to do so, just click the X or the "No Thanks" button.  Once you are on Stannard's site, you can find all sorts of links to short training videos on a variety of technology subjects.  And it's all free!  Look at the site this week and see what you can learn in a few minutes time.  And then, see where and how  you can apply this to your classroom. 


Have a wonderful week!

Some ideas for using Flickr in the classroom

Last week I introduced Flickr and this week I want to focus on what you can do with Flickr in your classroom.  Here are some ideas:


Use Flickr . . .
1.  anywhere visual images are required, such as a presentation
2.  for single image analysis - a good way to encourage discussion in an art class
3.  as a single image writing prompt - let someone post an image and then have a student start a story as a comment, with the story continuing by other students adding to it through comments
4.  for multiple digital storytelling projects
5.  for creating slideshows
6.  for virtual field trips
7.  for the creation of visual arguments
8.  for illustrating poetry
9.  for visual documentation of school events
10.  for visual documentation of student artwork


Thanks to David Jakes, an educational technology coordinator in Illinois for these suggestions.


One of the most useful tools in Flickr is the annotation feature.  You can add notes to parts of an image simply by dragging a box across an area and type test into a form.  When you move your mouse across that area of the image, the boxes and annotations will pop up.  Click here for an example of how this could be used.  (This example of Jane Goodall's camp was created by a 3rd grader!)


Organizing photos in Flickr is easy because you can create separate albums for different sets of pictures.  So, students can create their own personalized collections of photos and images, complete with annotations and comments.  This way it can become a reflective online portfolio.  What if a student took pictures of all his/her artwork throughout school, put them on Filckr, and then used that as a way to share the work with potential scholarship donors or university art departments.


Or, just look for a good random photo on Flickr, display it for your class and ask them to play "Flicktion".  Let them write a fictional story about the photo.  A simple photo can often bring out creativity in students!


Hopefully you will begin to see the possibilities of using Flickr in your classroom.  Even if you don't add your own images to Flickr, you can utilize the thousands of images that are already there.  Have fun exploring!

Another week and a new month has arrived!

It seems like time is going faster and faster!  March is upon us and before you know it, the school year's end will be here!


Today's entry is taken from Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, and discusses creating, publishing, and using images online.  If teachers and students are looking for a way to begin experimenting with creating and publishing content other than text, then digital photography is a great way to start!  Digital cameras have come down in price over the years and most of us now have cameras on our cell phones.  Software to edit and resize photos is available for free on the Internet, so it is easy for classrooms to include digital images to their sites, their blogs, etc.


Disclaimer - some photo editing Web sites are not available to schools due to image-blocking that has to take place because of CIPA, so consider this when utilizing them.


So, why would you want to post images in the first place?  From a classroom view, it would be wonderful to share daily events or highlights with parents/guardians and the community at large.  Pictures of field trips, guest speakers, art projects, concerts, sporting events - all are great ideas of what to share online. 


One place to start is Flickr.  Flickr is free as long as you meet their guidelines for publishing.  It is simple to sign up for a Flickr account.  Once you get an account, they suggest three steps - 1, personalize your profile; 2, upload your first photos; and 3, find your friends on Flickr.  Once your profile is complete, you can begin uploading photos and videos.  (Videos are limited to 90 seconds in length and 150 MB in file size.) 


As you begin uploading, be aware the limit is 300 MB of photos and 2 videos for the free account.  Also note that you can mark your photos/videos as Private or Public.  Once you upload a photo, you can put a title on it, add a description, etc.  The last part, finding friends, is just as easy as importing email contacts or using a Facebook account to add friends.  If you have friends attached to your account, you can then mark your photos as Private and only allow your "friends" to see them.


Try Flickr and see how easy it is to use.  Next week, I'll share some ideas of how you can use Flickr in the classroom. 

Not a typical Monday . . . then again, maybe it is!

This was supposed to be a holiday and a day off for most of us, but due to the snowy weather we've had this year, Presidents Day is being used as a make-up day in our district.  I sincerely hope the winter blues were chased away by the primary school's "Hootie Hoo" (or Hoodie Hoo as it is in some circles) celebration on Friday and that the snowy period for our end of Kentucky is over for 2011.  This morning several of my colleagues found that they could no longer print within Infinite Campus, but after some investigation, I found that updating to the latest Java version seems to be the solution.  Hopefully those of you who were having that issue have been able to update your Java and correct the problem.


For several weeks now, I've been sharing information from a terrific book that I own, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson.  Today's blog entry concerns "The Social Web", as Richardson puts it.  I must admit that I was not one of the first to try many of the social Internet sites and resisted them for a long time.  However, my daughter pointed out some of the positive aspects of Facebook and a co-worker got me into Twitter, following our state's tech help desk which puts out feeds about the status of the network.  Sometimes I am able to learn about an e-mail outage, for example, quite early so when colleagues call me because their e-mail isn't working, then I know what information to share with them.


As far as social networks like Facebook, I must tell a short story about a good friend of mine.  My husband is a veteran of the United States Army and for six years, we lived in Germany.  While there I met a wonderful woman whose husband was also in the army.  After we both returned stateside, we kept up with each other with phone calls now and then and written letters sent through the U.S. Postal Service.  As most long-distance friendships go, our contact finally dwindled down to the annual Christmas card and the last few years we lost contact completely.  Once I signed up for Facebook, I was so excited one day to be contacted by my friend!  We were able to re-connect and that very month, she and her husband were coming through Kentucky as a part of their summer vacation.  (They still have relatives here in Kentucky.)  My husband and I were able to meet them for a delightful dinner and long conversation to catch up on our lives.  None of this would have happened had it not been for Facebook!  (And yes, we still keep up with each other.)


So what does Richardson have to say about "The Social Web"?  He thinks the most sweeping change in our relationship with the Internet lies with the ability to share and connect and create with many, many others of like minds and interests.  Richardson notes there are well over 1 billion people online and the ways in which we are connecting and creating together is exploding.  The first social media he covers is Twitter.


Twitter is a "micro-blogging" tool that was introduced in 2006.  Originally Twitter was supposed to be a way to send quick updates to anyone who "follows" the person posting the update.  Twitter limits the user to 140 characters per tweet.  According to Richardson, what's evolved is something much more interesting.  People are asking questions and getting answers.  Users are posting links to resources.  Still others are posting information about natural disasters across the world and giving hints and tips about technical support issues.  It has become a blend of personal and professional.


So what are some ways that Twitter can be used in education?  One teacher is using it to share ideas and experiences with his classes.  Another is using the cell phone feature of Twitter to get instant feedback to an assessment type question from the students.  Still another used Twitter as a way to get students' opinions while they were on a field trip.  Using cell phones, the students used Twitter to send "journal" updates to their accounts and their teacher followed their tweets.  Also, students who did not make the trip could stay updated by following the tweets of their classmates.


There are all sorts of social sites out there and what you use or don't use is a personal decision, especially when it comes to using these sites with students.  Many school districts block the use of these sites while using school computers, but that doesn't block the use of these sites at home.  Our district has taken the stance that many have - be mindful when interacting with students using social Internet sites.  Always remember that you are the professional and the adult!


I will be in and out of the office this week, mainly due to trainings for Thinkfinity and SchoolLoop.  By the end of the week, the instructors at the Area Technology Center and the teachers at the primary school should be working on their own Web pages, so I'm excited about that!  It's also the last week to be able to post a 470, which is a request for service through the e-rate program, so that will be taking up some of my time in the office.  As always, I can be reached through e-mail no matter where I am.  I hope all of you have a wonderful week!

A Writing Contest Has Been Announced!

http://blog.stenhouse.com/archives/2011/02/11/contest-take-us-on-an-adventure/ 


David Somoza, an elementary school teacher, and Peter Lourie, adventure travel book writer, have teamed up to write a new book titled Writing to Explore: Discovering Adventure in the Research Paper, 3-8.  In the book, the authors show teachers how to guide students to write interesting, adventurous, well-researched papers that are rooted in real places, supported by facts, and developed with detailed descriptions of images from real locations.


With that in mind, they are challenging students to send their best writing about a state or place they have lived in, visited, or daydreamed about and any form of storytelling is acceptable.  The entries will be judged by the authors and the top five submissions will be featured on the Stenhouse Blog.  One winner will receive a library of Stenhouse books (a $150 value) of your choice and other books by Peter Lourie (a $180 value) to start your own classroom adventure library.


The deadline for the contest is May 1st, 2011.  Stores can be submitted by e-mail or on CD or USB drive by postal mail to Stenhouse Publishers.  For the address and more information, click the link at the top of this entry.  For more information about Stenhouse, click the link in the above paragraph. 

Welcome back to school!

After a very snowy week, the sun is shining and all the ice and snow is melting away.  Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! 


Will Richardson, in his book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, notes how difficult it is to keep up with all the Web sites that change, sometimes daily and sometimes hourly!  For example, Richardson says if you're a political science teacher and you've found twenty or thirty sites that are consistently publishing interesting and relevant information for you and your students, finding time to click  through all the sites to keep up with the new information is nearly impossible.  So, what if you could go to one place and read all the new content?  That's exactly what an RSS feed allows.


RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication.  In simple terms, Internet sites generate a behind-the-scenes code in a language similar to HTML called XML.  This code, usually referred to as a "feed" makes it possible for readers to subscribe to the content that is being created without having to visit the site to get it.  What you use is a piece of software called an "aggregator" or feed collector.  The aggregator checks the feeds you subscribe to, usually every hour, and it collects the new content.  When you're ready, you open up your aggregator to read the individual feeds, and decide whether to read the stories, file them to check later, or delete them.  Basically, you are checking one site instead of twenty or thirty to keep up with all the content. 


Richardson says there is a better reason to use RSS.  Not only can students have the news and ideas of the day come directly to them, but they can also use RSS to let them know when someone has published something with certain keywords that they might be interested in.  For example, using RSS, the student creates a feed for "global warming" that will bring new results as they are published right to their mailbox.  Students can be immediately updated when new information about a particular research topic is published. 


Richardson's advice to using RSS is to go slowly.  To explore a list of aggregators you can choose from, go to http://newsonfeeds.com/faq/aggregators.  Richardson, though, suggests the use of Google Reader because it's free and easy.  If you already have a Google account, you can go to http://www.google.com/reader/ to access your reader account.  If you click on Home, you can click on the link for the "getting started guide" to learn more about the use of Google Reader.  If you know exactly what you are looking for, you can click on the "Add a subscription" link at the top left of the page and search for particular keywords.  Once you get some subscriptions set up, all you have to do to keep up with the new content is to login to Google Reader and check your subscriptions on the left-hand side of the home page - if a name is bold with a number after it, that means there is new content available.  To organize your feeds better, you can even create folders, i.e. "Education", "Technology", "World News", etc. 


I hope you take a little time this week to look at Google Reader or one of the other available aggregators and set up an RSS feed.  Enjoy exploring!

Wiki Tools for Schools

Snow?  Again?  Looks like this week is going to be a snowy one again, but maybe it will stay off the roads enough that we can still get out and about - just keep a watch on the weather, know your surroundings and be careful!


Creating a wiki is easy.  Wikispaces offers free wikis for educators.  It's simple to create one by going to http://www.wikispaces.com and clicking on the "Wikis for Individuals and Groups" area.  (If you want to find out a little more about Wikispaces before you start one yourself, just take a look at this initial screen.)  The basic plan is free to educators and includes a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, 2GB of file storage, built-in discussion forums, support, etc.  You can join by entering a username, a password and your e-mail address.  But before doing that, you might want to click on the link to the right of the page that says "Learn more and create your own classroom wiki today."  Wikispaces original goal was to give away 100,000 free wikis to educators and according to this site, 415,000 have already been established!  That should tell you something about how wikis are being used with classes in K-12 education. 


Once you sign up for a free wiki, you will notice 3 tabs across the top - Dashboard, Mail and Settings.  The Dashboard contains several sections which are fairly self-explanatory.  The Mail section works much like any e-mail system.  The Settings portion is where you can upload a profile picture, a profile page, change your username and password, etc.  If you decide in the future you do not want your Wikispace any longer, you can also delete your account on this page. 


To create a wiki, go back to the Dashboard and click on the "+ Create a New Wiki" button at the top of the page.  You need to give your wiki a name and select what permissions you want for the space.  Be aware that the Private setting is only free for the first 30 days.  The Public and Protected settings are free.  The Wiki Type you select should be K-12 Education (Primary and Secondary) if you are going to use the space for your classroom.  Once you have made your selections and given your wiki a name, simply click the Create button.


The next page you see will tell you all about "Your New Wiki".  Simply look through the instructions on how to set up your wiki, invite members to your wiki, and even establish accounts for your students.  Once your wiki is started you can always go to the My Wikis link at the top of the page to work on your wiki. 


According to Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, here are some ways you can utilize your wiki with your classes:


1.  Create a separate page for your students to collaborate on a class essay
2.  Use the discussion portion of your wiki and start a thread about something you are doing in class and have students respond to it
3.  Put a math problem on the wiki and have students post their answers
4.  Include a daily social studies entry, such as "This Day in History" and have students respond in some way
5.  Enter assignments so students and parents/guardians know what is expected each day/week; students can post questions they might have for you about the assignments
6.  Include important links to appropriate Web sites for students to explore and then allow them to respond about what they learned


There are all sorts of ways to utilize your wiki with your students.  I'm sure you can think of many more!

More about George Washington

I received an e-mail promoting a lesson plan so that students can learn more about George Washington and other United States Presidents.  The lesson is applicable to both elementary and secondary classrooms and everything you need to teach the lesson is included. Go to this site:


http://blog.teachtci.com/by-george-its-a-presidents-day-lesson


and scroll through the lesson to see if it's something you might use.  I have downloaded the pdf file, so if you want it, please e-mail me at melissa.earnest@caldwell.kyschools.us and I will be glad to send it to you!