Let's share links to our blogs!

I recently came across a few long-standing blogs that never crossed my path during my Google searches, and I was thinking that a Classroom 2.0 discussion about blog-sharing might be helpful, since we are members of "the social network for educators using collaborative technologies".

If you have a blog you'd like to share, either your own, or one that you'd recommend, post a reply with a link to the blog, the author's name, the focus of the blog, and perhaps a few words about why you find it interesting or useful.

Update: Follow me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/lynnmarentette
Here are my blogs:

TechPsych
Interactive Multimedia Technology

I have another blog that I use to post my reflections about what I'm learning in my mid-life journey as a computer/tech student:
The World Is My Interactive Interface

(I changed the name of the blog to reflect my current topics.)

Update 6/15/10

It has been a very busy school year! The exciting news is that one of my schools has a multi-touch SMARTTable, and every classroom has an interactive whiteboard. The teachers worked very hard to ramp up their IWB skills and I'm amazed at how quickly this interactive technology was adopted. Of course, interactive applications and websites are pretty awesome on a huge screen or display! The best part is that this technology has opened up the minds of a good number of students with severe autism characteristics.

In April, I participated in a workshop at ACM's 2010 CHI conference. The topic of the workshop focused on the next generation of human-computer interaction and education.

I also joined the SparkOn group, "a social platform for people that are sparked (inspired) by creative and emergent technologies".

Tags: 2.0, Classroom, blog, blogging, collaborating, edublog, networking, odiogo, sharing, social, More…technology, web

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Permalink Reply by ddeubel on May 13, 2008 at 9:00am

I'd like to add a link to our member's blogs. Lots of great teachers participating in our community who deserve more mention. http://eflclassroom.buzka.com/Member_Blogs_Webpages

David
http://eflclassroom.ning.com

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Permalink Reply by Kevin on May 18, 2008 at 3:01pm

I have two sites. My blog is Siyensya.com. This is the Filipino word for science. I focus on middle school teachers learning some new labs and activities and creating a community of other teachers sharing some of their labs and such.

I am also the president of a 501(c)3 non profit company called the Southern Philippine Children's Shelter. We are trying to help those in great need with food, shelter and also science/math tutoring and English skills. I will be going back to the southern Philippines this summer to visit family and to oversee the nonprofit. We are currently having a clothing drive. Visit our website for more info or if you could help in any way. Thanks, Kevin

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Permalink Reply by Gerald Ardito on May 18, 2008 at 3:36pm

Kevin,

Your blog looks terrific.
I am also a middle school science teacher and would be interested in sharing labs and activities.

My class blog:
http://arditoscience.blogspot.com

My own blog:
http://teachingownership.blogspot.com

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Permalink Reply by Kevin on May 18, 2008 at 4:07pm

Gerald,

Hey, thanks. I checked your site and they look really good. I was wondering how to get my students blogging. How did you get that going at your district? Here, everything needs permission and would have to be monitored. I'm not sure how to do all that.

Right now my 8th grade science class is building a mars habitat, enough for 100-200 students to fit inside. It also has 5-6 tunnels. It's pretty cool. I'll get some video on my site the end of this week. Kevin

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Permalink Reply by Gerald Ardito on May 18, 2008 at 4:11pm

I was fortunate to be the first person in my district to start blogging with students (this was last year), and so nobody was afraid or had already had a bad experience.

I have the kids create fake names to use on the blog and spend some class time walking them through the process. I also have them sign an agreeement to be appropriate.

In over 8000 or so posts, I have only had 2 (yes, 2) that have been at all inappropriate.

Fortunately, my principal and superintendent have been very supportive, and very impressed by the students' work. I have only had positive feedback from parents as well.

I have been experimenting this year with a Ning network with one section of my students. Before starting this, I brought the parents in to walk them through. They were very excited and very supportive.

If you want/need some support/help, just give a shout. My email is gmanb5@gmail.com. Skype is gmanb5.

Please post that video. It sounds great.

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Permalink Reply by Dorit Eilon on May 19, 2008 at 11:57am

Hi Lynn,
I think this a great idea. It is amazing that even with good search techniques it is still hard to find material created by educators unless you know the person or got a link from a friend who knows....

This is why a group of us (educators who love tech) had decided to try and change things. We want a search tool that is tailored to the needs of the education community. We have done some research on the topic. According to recent studies students struggle with
•Identifying trustworthy and useful information
•Managing overabundant information

A Report of the Web-based Education Commission to the President and Congress from 2000 states that "not enough is being done to assure that today's educators have the skills and knowledge needed for effective web-based teaching. And let's not forget lack of time...budget cuts, teachers still working in isolation.

So we want a search tool designed for our needs. If you would like to comment on the topic we would like to hear about it, we feel there's a real need that we are not alone in this boat.
We posted a discussion post "We need your voice" on Classroom 20 and here's our blog -
www.cangooglehearus.blogspot.com

Together we can make a difference.

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Permalink Reply by ddeubel on May 19, 2008 at 12:19pm

Sorry to be sceptical but here I go...

so typically "modern" that you want a search engine. Education is a "search" and not a "search engine"....... I also won't go along the road of how much ease has eroded public and even private education.....

There are many educators making a difference already. That difference won't come about imo by "better searching" or better anything. It will come about by educators participating in the sharing and openess of their lessons - with students and colleagues wherever.

Education won't come about by a better "google". It is churned ahead by the day to day efforts of teachers that care and that motivate students through resources THEY make and share/edit. Most fundamental to any great educator are two salient features and both don't include a search engine.

1) passion for their subject.
2) teachers making their own materials.

So you want google just to lay it all out there for you? No need to think, make, do ? I say this with all due respect. I have probably more credentials in the copyright/sharing fight and giving open source access to materials than most.

What I'm really saying is that you stop focusing on "needs" and focus on what you can do.

David
http://eflclassroom.ning.com

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Permalink Reply by Dorit Eilon on May 19, 2008 at 12:32pm

Hi ddeubel,
Would appreciate if you could post it on our "Google" discussion "we need your voice"
or directly on our blog
www.cangooglehearus.blogspot.com
do want to comment but this is Lynn's post regarding sharing blogs :)

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Permalink Reply by Paul McMahon on May 19, 2008 at 9:59pm

What a good idea!

Check out my blog where I record the often frustrating experience of trying to get teachers in Hong Kong schools onboard with the use of appropriate 21st Century Learning Technologies here:

http://xpatasia.edublogs.org/

Hope you enjoy it.

Paul

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Permalink Reply by Camilla Elliott on May 20, 2008 at 3:19am

Hello Lyn
You may be interested in my blog www.edubeacon.com which I use to keep track of Web 2.0 and other ICT learning and literacy. It's an adjunct to my website www.linkingforlearning.com that I've maintained for a number of years to support Australian and other teacher-librarians and educators.

Cheers
Camilla Elliott

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Permalink Reply by Tim Schilling on May 20, 2008 at 7:31am

The blog of the Powell Center for Economic Literacy where I'm employed is titled MV=QP. That's a basic equation in economics linking money, growth and prices. The blog is for all teachers interested in integrating economics and personal finance into their curriculum. It can be found at

http://www.valuingeconomics.blogspot.com

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Permalink Reply by Rashmi Kathuria on May 20, 2008 at 10:25am

I am a math teacher.
Here is the list of my cyber houses.
Planet Infinity which is my class blog.
Mathematics Learning for sharing teaching learning strategies in mathematics.
Figures Speak for learning math through pictures.
Platform for Sharing ...Passionate teachers