March 2008 Blog Posts (128)

Poem #1 Title: Intimidating

Maurice, such a big snob
danger, he was a little older
What I'd do
How can I one up him
and then, I finally and quiet
struck him down like the
tadpoles and the bait.

Added by Brendan Wesley-Smith on March 31, 2008 at 9:14pm — No Comments

Hi all,

Just sending a quick post to say hello from the beautiful country of Dubai. I'm here presenting at their international GETEX conference. Dubai is an amazing country - very very technology and internet focused. I'm presenting here on technology leadership and Web 2.0. Interestingly enough, a few of the web 2.0 sites I use most often are blocked at the national level here - flickr and twitter just to name a few. But, the bulk of what I like and use are open here, so that works… Continue

Added by Chris ONeal on March 30, 2008 at 8:55pm — No Comments

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY I

We've recorded a vocabulary game that we use very often in our classes. We're sure most of you are familiar with it already, but we wanted to start with something easy, short and fun. There are different names for this game: category-game, the letter game, stop or, in Spanish, alto, basta, etc.

We're also working on our website (www.bablingua.com). We're very excited about it, and we hope it'll be ready in the next days. It'll include many videos, activities and a forum to discuss all kind… Continue

Added by Bablingua on March 30, 2008 at 1:40pm — No Comments

Audio Transcript - Immersive Education Forum March 28th : Touch devices and Immersive Education

Greenbush Island was fortunate to host las weeks immersive education

forum focusing on the role of interactive surfaces in virtual

environments. The event was held in the auditorium on Greenbush

Island by immersive education enthusiast and researchers

from around the world.

The audio transcript is below:

http://tinyurl.com/ynu8p8

The Immersive Education Anouncement:…

Continue

Added by Rich White on March 29, 2008 at 3:16pm — No Comments

evolution of a homeroom class, ongoing. March 26, 2008

It's been a few months since my last entry; the entries used to be weekly, as I adjusted to a new kind of teaching. Now, here I am just a bit later and completely on the "other side."

There's no going back.

This year my students and I have experienced a fundamental “shift” in education. We are not only a strong classroom community (in real time, face to face, here and now), we are also a strong networked community online.

Our network is private. It's a ning… Continue

Added by Connie Weber on March 29, 2008 at 1:39pm — 1 Comment

So much information...

I have always been pretty on top of the most recent technology. I remember Mr. Hodges telling us all about this new thing, "The World Wide Web." We got to go online and get information about our favorite animals before we wrote our reports in seventh grade. I actually turned mine into a hypercard presentation. This was in 1993. This was huge.

I met my husband in high school and he was the senior that worked with the underclassman to e-mail eachother. We sat at my aunt's house and he… Continue

Added by Kathleen on March 29, 2008 at 12:02pm — No Comments

Watercooler Learning

In my intro post, I mentioned that I am interested in trying to find ways to use social media to capture "water cooler" learning in a corporate environment. I got the term from an article entitled "Your co-worker your teacher: collaborative technology speeds peer-peer learning" by E. Frauenheim in the journal Workforce Management.

"Water cooler learning" is the informal learning that happens between peers. Where I work, if you are lucky enough to sit at lunch with the right people,… Continue

Added by Gina Minks on March 29, 2008 at 11:19am — No Comments

Adobe's Photoshop Express - A Review

I've been waiting on Adobe to toss its hat in the ring. Finally, it's been tossed. About six months ago, Adobe started promising an online photo editor totally web-based, and totally free. In the mean time, I've had my students...read more

Added by J Black on March 29, 2008 at 10:00am — No Comments

Moving along nicely on this first full day of Spring Break!

Thank you for the posts to push me to individualize the blogs! This month they really worked on collaborating to create a nice summary for our blog. I have been hesitant with taking the next step of giving them their own to work with, but I think they are ready. I set up a classroom page through Ning and have created an account through my email address (They do not have school email addresses) for each one of them. I already put up a discussion for them to work on next Monday when we come back… Continue

Added by Mini on March 29, 2008 at 9:00am — 2 Comments

Chatlog from Will Richardson's TAIS08 session on RSS--from ustream.tv

This is up and online and embedded at my blogpost at http://scottmerrick.net. I'm posting the text chat here so Will and others can see the robust conversation that went on in the backchat. Life is good:).

10:14 LucyGray : Is there a web site for this conference?

10:15 scottmerrick : yeah hang on

10:15 kpruitt : learn how to use a reader

10:15 kpruitt : RSS

10:16 tsakshaug : learn how to filter info is the answer?

10:18 scottmerrick : google TAIS… Continue

Added by Scott Merrick on March 28, 2008 at 5:26pm — No Comments

I'm taking my classmate's advice and diving in!

Hello fellow teachers! I am a 4th grade teacher up in Schiller Park, IL which is about a mile outside of the NW city limits of Chicago and literally right across the street from OHare Airport. I enjoy teaching so much and am working really hard this year at integrating technology. I have been reading so much of how this generation of learners are so different from us. Although I am in my late 20's, I still feel like an ancient fossil compared to them in the computer world. At the beginning of… Continue

Added by Mini on March 28, 2008 at 4:58pm — 2 Comments

Colorado Conversations: Learning 2.0

If you just found me because of a Learning 2.0 connection, welcome.

I’m at the end of a great conference in Denver organized by Bud the Teacher (Bud Hunt). I believe Karl Fisch had a lot to do with setting it up as well, so thanks to them both. How energizing and encouraging to be surrounded by 100 or so other geeky, web 2.0, mostly Colorado educators! I have met several people who have felt as I have–that they were the only ones in this part of the country besides Karl and Bud who… Continue

Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on March 28, 2008 at 4:15pm — No Comments

More News About Movement (Of My Blog, That Is)

If you are looking for my personal blog about Ed Tech, you have found it! And the cross-posting location is http://2020nexus.edublogs.org.

I was hoping to use my old blog space (thetechtrainer.edublogs.org) as one of my classroom teaching sites. However, even though the blog itself isn’t blocked at school, the editor is. So are all wikis. What more can I say? Denied again by the whims of Websense and the Powers That Be.

I’m still using Learn With Tech with my students,… Continue

Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on March 28, 2008 at 4:14pm — No Comments

Shake It Up!

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!

First I’ll just say that there has been a lot of talk around here about a big snow coming. But as I look out my window I hardly even see wind, much less the several inches that were predicted. Sigh. I must admit I was hoping for a snow day. We haven’t had one yet this year, despite a lot of very cold weather, small snows, and near misses. We’re ready. It would have been a great Valentine’s Day present.

Our staff just got word yesterday… Continue

Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on March 28, 2008 at 4:13pm — No Comments

Valentine's Day Passion Quilt Meme

Miguel Guhlin is sending around a Valentine’s Day meme asking folks to post a picture symbolizing” what they are most passionate about for kids to learn in schools today.” I wasn’t tagged; I just saw the tweet, but here’s my entry.

“Its Future is in our Hands” by aussiegall

Sure, it seems like a cliche’ but I do feel zealous about it. I’m concerned with teaching students to consider the environment and our physical earth… Continue

Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on March 28, 2008 at 4:12pm — 1 Comment

Moving My Other Blog...

I’m gradually moving all my blogs, web pages, etc. to a new space and concurrently wiping out any old material under the previous name “The Tech Trainer.” The blog wherein I cross-post from here is http://2020nexus.edublogs.org. Watch that blog space for updates and improvements.

You will also be able to find me soon at 2020Nexus.com and associated domains.

Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on March 28, 2008 at 4:08pm — No Comments

Can It Be A New Year and January Gone Already?

I haven’t been here in a few weeks. I haven’t been able to corral any particular thoughts that were worth blogging about. Could it be because I’m taking a spreadsheet class, a web design class, a data-driven instruction class, and an Italian class, plus another regular meeting once a week? I’ve been reading my RSS feeds just enough to find gadget news for my students (they love it when I take a few moments of class to show them new gadgets, online services, or mini-videos). Of course I followed… Continue

Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on March 28, 2008 at 4:07pm — No Comments

I Have A Dream

I have a dream. I have a dream of a day when all our children, no matter what color, creed or nationality, will work, learn, grow, and play together online inside our schools!

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is next week. I am not being flippant or hinting that my work is anywhere near as important his was. This post is my homage to his brilliance, leadership, inspiration and sacrifice. Our country is a different and profoundly better nation because of his influence. Rest in Peace.

Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on March 28, 2008 at 4:06pm — No Comments

Where To Go, What To Do, My Next Mission

There’s been a lot of talk in the edublogosphere about possibly leaving the classroom for higher-level positions, consulting, and the like. The discussion continues to challenge me about my practice, my career, my future and my mission more than ever. I’ve been seeking direction on a personal level since I became an empty-nester, so it follows that I would do it professionally as well.

I have some possible long-range goals and have previously made some attempts to move toward… Continue

Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on March 28, 2008 at 4:05pm — No Comments

Signs of Life

First the bad news, then the good news. I’ve been trying since August to get my District to unlock our network to allow me to use my TabletPC in my classroom. I’ve got my own WIFI router working and I even have Bluetooth connecting the Tablet to my two teacher machines. I was so excited!

However, now the Almighty Network Gatekeepers have decided I can neither hook up to the Sacred Network nor the Dangerous Web because it’s a personal machine. Mild expletive. I’m just trying to… Continue

Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on March 28, 2008 at 4:05pm — No Comments