All Blog Posts (9,941)

Joining Classroom 2.0

I am an English Language Arts teacher, and so glad to become part of the Classroom 2.0 community. I look forward to sharing ideas and activities with other teachers here, and to having a new way to communicate with my students and their families. I am reading "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms" and I am hoping that, as author Will Richardson suggests, I can using blogging to "expand the walls of my classroom" (p. 27). Richardson says "the idea that the… Continue

Added by Sherrie Brann on January 10, 2010 at 5:12pm — No Comments

Comparing 12 Free Screencasting Tools

Combing through the basic functions and features of a list of tools I’ve become aware of, to select some for further testing.

Over the course of the week, the list of Screencasting tools that have been recommended to me, or that I’ve otherwise learned of, has grown to a dozen.

I have a goal of trying identify a free tool or set of tools to use to create… Continue

Added by Kelly Walsh on January 10, 2010 at 4:51pm — No Comments

A student witness to murder-suicide in the age of NCLB

To many students, the holiday break of 2009 is long gone. But I have a student who will never forget it. That's because his uncle strangled his aunt to death -- and then shot himself in the head in a murder suicide -- with his nephew, my ninth grader, in the next room.

And yes, my student heard the whole thing.

Of course I am setting my goal to do all the humanistic work I can to make sure this kid, well... doesn't go off the deep end. But how his story will play… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on January 10, 2010 at 6:00am — 1 Comment

Burnout and the Joy of Teaching

Today I read the following from one of my favorite e-newsletters from Brenda Power at Choice Literacy.

"So many of us are experiencing burnout these days, even when we're getting better or more efficient or more competent at our work. If the job is exhausting, you may be paying too much attention to what others expect, and not enough to the joyful aspects of teaching." -Big Fresh Newsletter, Jan 9,… Continue

Added by Michelle TeGrootenhuis on January 9, 2010 at 9:50am — 3 Comments

Is the playing field of teacher accountability truly equal?

I love sports. Always have, always will.

And if you love sports the way I do you really get into all aspects of the game. This even extends to coaches and how they speak with the media.

I have a feeling I should start to take a hint. (More on that in a sec.)

In today's world, it's a simple truism of life. If you can't "manage" the media (no one really "controls" it, but most coaches and players -- the more high profile, the more important this… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on January 9, 2010 at 6:30am — No Comments

Classroom Scene: Making New Year' Resolution

So what in your New Year’s resolutions? Hopefully, it will be study hard and learn to value all the teachings and knowledge you are gathering in your school.

I can see now the scenario in most classrooms; it could be that the teachers and advisers are letting students to some essays and reflection in their New Years’ hopes and promises.

For students, as well as teachers, the first few weeks after winter break are… Continue

Added by ConorK on January 9, 2010 at 2:18am — No Comments

Social Learning Tools

Jane Hart (Center for Learning and Performance Technologies) put together a very useful chart comparing the three different ways to build a social learning environment. MORE...

Added by Shawn Roner on January 8, 2010 at 10:45am — No Comments

Another great Fireside Chat 1-9 6:30-8:30pmGMT

We will host our "week 2 fireside chat" for the 2009 K-12 Online Conference this coming Saturday, January 9th! The week 2 keynote speakers, Rachel Boyd and Diego Leal, will present and engage in Q&A with participants via EdTechTalk's Ustream channel and backchannel chat. Time: January 9, 2010 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm GMT. NOTE: This is 1:30pm EST on Saturday, January 9. Please click the following link to see your local time:…

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Added by Durff on January 8, 2010 at 10:30am — No Comments

Accountability and Irrationalism

I genuinely do believe in accountability.

I think this message of mine gets lost when I rip on the bubble tests as being the end-all, be-all of assessment in public education.

Yes, I do want elevated academic performance.

Yes, I do want high student achievement.

Yep, I am a big fan of improved classroom work.

However, I think the measures we use to gage accountability in education are flawed... and when flawed measures are used to evaluate… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on January 8, 2010 at 6:30am — No Comments

Practice AIEEE 2010 Sample Papers to Get High AIEEE Score

In past one month many class 12th grade students in India have been asking for tips to crack AIEEE 2010 with good score as they know they won't be able to make it to IIT and their only hope is AIEEE 2010 to get admission in to top engineering colleges of India. In this article I have tried to highlight some of the basic but important points regarding aieee preparation.

1> Practice lot of aieee 2010 sample… Continue

Added by Saumil Shrivastava on January 8, 2010 at 2:30am — No Comments

US Olympic team

In the past one of my 4th grade teachers has contacted the US olympic athlethes and/or the general mailbox of the individual sports. His contacts are very old and we are having trouble finding addresses for the upcoming olympics. Does anyone have any info?

Added by Jeanne on January 7, 2010 at 9:29pm — No Comments

Ether Pad

Does anybody use this and if so any comments?

Added by Jamie on January 7, 2010 at 6:57pm — 3 Comments

Raise your test scores -- that's all they want.

Yesterday I wrote about how first and foremost I must raise my standardized test scores. I also expressed how I was disheartened by such a cold, black and white reality.

However, these are the cards I've been dealt. The federal government is literally strong-arming the states through a lording of the purse strings over their heads (i.e. no comply, no money -- no comply, no money -- no comply, no money) to either raise bubble test scores in our schools -- particularly in our… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on January 7, 2010 at 6:30am — No Comments

Day 15

Day 15, students need to be riminded to read the requirements on their folder checklist. Student viewed the worst and best iMovies and have a good idea of what is being required of them. The next class is just a quick reinforcement of what the final project needs to look like.

Added by Ernest Dodson on January 7, 2010 at 5:43am — No Comments

State Projects?

Are there any state projects going on out there? My second graders are learning about the states. I would like them to communicate with students in other states to get an authentic account of life in those places.

Added by Eric Demel on January 6, 2010 at 6:22pm — No Comments

Fight the Filter: ISTE SIGMS Webinar with Buffy Hamilton!

"Fight the Filter" ISTE Sigms 2nd Webinar!

Wednesday, Jan 13, 2010 at 8 pm E.S.T., 7 pm C.S.T., 6 pm M.S.T., 5 pm P.S.T Presenter: Buffy Hamilton

Want to start your new year off by making a positive difference in your library program? Join SIGMS for our second… Continue

Added by gwyneth jones on January 6, 2010 at 1:36pm — No Comments

The Ugly Truth That's Black and White

The Ugly Truth is that my number one goal for my students right now has to be to raise their 2010 standardized test scores.

I find it disturbing, off-base, heart-wrenching, and almost something shameful to admit. However, NCLB has my entire school's back up against the wall right now. The state is on the doorstep of taking over the district. The district has already informed us that if we sink to the next level of NCLB probation status, tenure for everyone on campus will be… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on January 6, 2010 at 6:30am — No Comments

The Electronic Village Online Sessions

Copying what I have found on the website.

The Electronic Village Online Sessions

For six weeks, participants in EVO can engage with ESOL experts in collaborative, online discussion sessions or in hands-on virtual workshops of professional and scholarly benefit. These sessions will bring together participants for a longer period of time than is permitted by the land-based TESOL convention and will allow a fuller development of ideas and themes of the convention or of professional… Continue

Added by cem balcikanli on January 6, 2010 at 5:49am — No Comments

Use of CMC

Nowadays there is extensive usage of computer mediated communication (CMC) in schools such as email. How do you think email can be used to enhance learning? Is it possible that students can learn without much face-to-face contact with their teachers?

Added by Eunice Ntobedzi on January 6, 2010 at 5:48am — No Comments

QUIA Web - A Great Web 2.0 Tool

http://www.quia.com/web

I found this great site that teachers can use as a mini website for their students.

You can create your own project activities and add links to support your lessons.

You can also check out my QUIA page (Still in the beginning stages)

http://www.quia.com/profiles/rgordonmatthews

But it does have a minimal cost ... but it is… Continue

Added by Reba Gordon Matthews on January 6, 2010 at 3:00am — No Comments