Welcome Laurie. Is that a picture of you at Space Camp?

Welcome Laurie! I love your pic!

I figured when I saw the space camp picture, you were a TOY. I don’t go until next summer (but I’m looking forward to it). I was just named TOY on June 21st so my year is just beginning. Did you get the year off? We don’t in MA, but I heard it is manageable.

What was the year like for you? I’ll attend the D.C. ceremony in April. I can’t wait for my SMART Board to come in. Do you use yours often?

Hi Mike - No, I did not get the year off when I was TOY. I was sad to miss so many days away from my students when I was requested to speak at various conferences and participate on committee work in Richmond. It was a crazy busy year but I would do it again. I started being more adventurous as I traveled to different parts of Virginia (I was born and raised in CA, and started my teaching career there). As I visited different parts of the state for events, I would go to the science museums or tour the city. I also asked to visit schools in the area and got some great ideas to take back to my school.

You asked about my SMART Board. I totally LOVE IT!!!! Did you get the student response system too? I use the SMART Board a lot more now that it is mounted on the wall and I have a projector in the ceiling, instead of on a cart that the students bumped into as they sat on the carpet around it. I also now have a Polycom video conferencing system and 6 Macbooks with the built in video camera (I love writing grants…I think I have written a little over $60,000 in grants to get technology for my school). Maybe my second graders can video conference with your students sometime.

My school is only a metro ride away from DC, so if you can spare any time away from the White House next April, stop on by.

Welcome Laurie,
I´m from Germany and I´m involved as to some European Schoolprojects.
Check out one of my blogs
http://e-competences.blogspot.com
Please consider to join my group DigiSkills (digital teaching methods) on Classroom 2.0 as well!
Cheers
Hans

Hi Laurie,

I'm glad to hear that it is possible to survive the TOY year while being in the classroom. I did get the student response system. Is it as cool as it looks? My stuff should be arriving within the next few weeks. My MacBook Pro should be here any day now.

I would love to do some video conferencing with your second graders. I have this Bridgit Conferencing Software from Smart Technologies. I'll have to play around with it.

I am going to be in your state in August giving a weeklong workshop in Bristow. Do you know anything in the area for sight seeing?

Thanks for joining the Distance Collaborations group. I thinkwe'll be really moving once the school year gets going!

If you can afford the new NXT versions of LEGO robots, I would go with that model. They are so much easier to program and use with elementary students.

Thanks for the advice. We can buy the NXT Lego Robotics kits with our NASA Explorer School technology budget.

Hi Laurie! I hope that we can put our heads together at some point and get the kids in our schools together.