January 2010 Blog Posts (153)

Open Source Voice and Vision Enabled Tutorial Software

Equip a computer with a webcam and a headset microphone and it can watch and listen to a student while delivering audio and visual instruction.

One open source project developing these capabilities is Open Allure DS, a dialogue system written in Python.

The idea is to have as natural and as immediate a connection between a student answer and the instructional response as… Continue

Added by John Graves on January 31, 2010 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Multiple Intelligence Inventory

Who am I? What is it that I do well? How do I best express myself? How do I learn well? These questions are ones many people come across at some point in their lives. Whether it be continuously on their mind or just a passing thought, there is still the desire for it to be answered. Yesterday, I sat down at my computer to take the Multiple Intelligence Inventory(MII) for a class in which I am currently… Continue

Added by Kylee Michelle Gephart on January 31, 2010 at 7:00pm — No Comments

BLOG TOPICS BY TAGS

Hello! I created a ning network just two months ago and my students and I really like it. Now we are all trying to add TAGS in each post so that we can all visit previous posts that are relevant to our tasks. I find tags a bit awkward. They are case sensitive and they appear differently “song” SONG” . Also, they don´t appear in alphabetical order and it takes time to find the tag you are looking for.

On the other hand, I asked my students to add tags to their posts but that is going a bit… Continue

Added by Delia Bakaikoa on January 31, 2010 at 12:50pm — 1 Comment

Marzano's Strategies

I have found Robert Marzano's nine strategies to be very interesting! The one I chose to focus on was 'summarizing and note-taking.' There were a lot of very interesting websites relating to this area of Marzano's. I like how he points out that taking notes 'verbatim is the least effective way. When I think back to when I was in high school and college, I always took too many notes word-for-word and it made it so hard to study for test because I didn't even know where to start :S I also agree… Continue

Added by Melissa Loetscher on January 31, 2010 at 11:19am — No Comments

3rd grade Science

One of my goal this year is to use our video conferencing equipment. The school year is half way over and so I really need to get on this. We are taking a science experiment though the whole process and would like to incorporate that in presenting to another class. I know people get really creative. I just am new to this and need ideas and a class to connect with!

Added by Karen Teegarden on January 31, 2010 at 11:05am — No Comments

Apple iPad vs.the Lenovo U1 Hybrid

from my Library Media Tech Musings Blog

Anyone who knows me knows i'm a Mac grrl.... from way back. From my first apple classic, apple IIe,… Continue

Added by gwyneth jones on January 30, 2010 at 9:01pm — No Comments

Generating and Testing a Hypothesis

I am studying the effectiveness of students generating and testing hypothesis. Should they be deducted or induced by the teacher?Thoughts?

Added by Chad Ackerson on January 30, 2010 at 2:08pm — No Comments

Technology in the classroom this week

This week was kind of a crazy week. Several teachers in the school scheduled time on Wednesday to use Cover It Live with students. If you haven’t used it before, it is one of the coolest ways to have a class discussion in a digital format.

Anyway, Wednesday was also the day of the iPad release. Because of this, there were several different news sites and blogs using Cover It Live to discuss the new computer and watch Steve… Continue

Added by Jeremy Kaiser on January 30, 2010 at 11:44am — No Comments

Open source, cross-platform PhoneGap uses HTML & Javascript to create iPhone apps.

Open source PhoneGap lets you create iPhone & cross platform applications using HTML & JavaScript http://bit.ly/cdiOIA

I'm not sure if PhoneGap plays well with iPad.

Added by Lynn Marentette on January 30, 2010 at 11:23am — No Comments

Protecting Your Privacy on Facebook

In an attempt to compete with more open social networking platforms like Twitter, Facebook’s management made an important and very controversial decision in December to change the privacy settings for the popular social networking site. MORE...

Added by Shawn Roner on January 30, 2010 at 9:39am — No Comments

The Perfect E-Storm

This week we discussed the "Perfect Storm" which was written by Dr. Curtis J. Bonk. It was a very interesting article. I will post my thoughts on the article.

The first storm was introduced as "Emerging Technology". There is so much"innovative learning technology" emerging everyday that it is really hard to keep up with the new. My experiences so far in the Assessment Class is that there are some many really useful sources that can be used to assess the students in the real world… Continue

Added by Carol E. Kubota on January 30, 2010 at 7:39am — No Comments

Meet Kelly Kovacic -- California's 2010 Teacher of the Year and National TOY Finalist

Last week I was part of an amazing banquet where we honored the 2010 California Teachers of the Year in Sacramento. Big kahunas were all over the place. State senators. Educational policy makers from the Department of Ed. And of course, the inimitable State Superintendent of Public Education in California, Jack O'Connell. (Being a part of this crowd is like being a part of my only real Skulls and Bones Society -- aside from this ning, that is... LOL!)

The point is, okay, I… Continue

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

Searching for Marzano "Effort and Recognition" teaching Strategies

Jan. 29th, 2010

I have recently started researching Robert Marzano's teaching strategies and I would like to find teachers who have used Effort and Recognition in their classrooms. I would like to learn more on the subject from educators who have practiced using this stategy.

Added by Rebecca Donelson on January 30, 2010 at 3:07am — No Comments

Are You Modeling a Passion for Reading?

I adore "The 2 Sisters" Gail Boushey & Joan Moser of The Daily Five and the CAFE Book fame. (If you're not sure, ask an ELEMENTARY teacher--they'll fill you in!) This morning, in my Inbox, I was excited to see their "Tip of the Week" from their site http://www.thedailycafe.com. This week they were remembering something Regie Routman had once said at a… Continue

Added by Michelle TeGrootenhuis on January 29, 2010 at 6:57pm — No Comments

One to One solutions

I am a principal who wants to move to one to one. I am leaning toward the IPod touch or IPad for this. Can anyone give me some suggestions? I want something that students can own and take home with them and then use at school. I would really appreciate any suggestions you may have on this subject.

Added by Brian Hoelscher on January 29, 2010 at 11:48am — 2 Comments

Why Do Students Disrupt Classroom Instruction: Summary Statement

For many years teachers and researchers have been studying the complex problem of understanding student misbehavior in school. There is an increasing body of evidence (*Solomon & Solomon, 2008) that suggests a student’s disruptive behavior is related to three key classroom variables or conditions:

1. The negative thoughts and feelings that dwell within the student. (e.g. I’m having a miserable day, and I’m going to make certain that everyone else in class has a miserable day as… Continue

Added by Richard D. Solomon, Ph.D. on January 29, 2010 at 7:58am — No Comments

Salinger's passing.

If I was going to craft a list of the top 10 books of the 20th century in our nation's English classes, the ones that have most shaped, informed, been taught, and so on, I have a feeling The Catcher in the Rye would make the list.

Today we note that the author of that work, J.D. Salinger, passed away yesterday at the age of 91.

I always really liked the fact that Salinger was a so-called "recluse". Especially since in this day and age, the rush for media… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on January 29, 2010 at 6:00am — No Comments

Design as Experience

Alright, here's an interesting thought in the wake of the roll out of the iPad. When we are discussing a design of any kind, we are talking about a design of a full experience. Any product cannot be thought of merely as a product. All products provide some type of service. The user experience with the product, ie the production of the service, is merely the centerpiece of the overall experience with the product. That experience begins with the user first hearing of it and extends through the… Continue

Added by Nick Siewert on January 29, 2010 at 12:08am — No Comments

Using Cloud Computing to Improve School Communication

If schools are going to use technology to improve organizational processes, it’s important their leaders consider moving many of the school’s daily operations onto a cloud-based network. MORE...

Added by Shawn Roner on January 28, 2010 at 6:17pm — No Comments

Technology Committee

Today my principal called me in to ask if I'd be interested in serving on a committee chaired by our superintendent. The committee will be making recommendations about opening up our district to using (and allowing students to use) more technology and social networking at school. From the way it was described to me, it seems as though the main focus will be social networking. Anyway, I'm going to do some research prior to the first meeting. I'd like to go in with research, anecdotes, lesson… Continue

Added by Jennifer Hall on January 28, 2010 at 3:49pm — No Comments