June 2007 Blog Posts (163)

Developing a technology training plan.

I look forward to communicating and sharing great ideas with fellow educators. I am starting to develop a professional development schedule for my teachers in Lyons. My vision includes sessions conducted remotely as well as in person trainings on how to improve their own technology skills and integration. Those of you that have established successful programs please feel free to make suggestions. I have personally participated in Intel's Master Teacher Training, current member of the…

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Added by Dean Mantz on June 5, 2007 at 8:38pm — No Comments

It's Coming!

Was I excited to see the post on the Israel Ministry of Education English Instruction Website! It announced the The Literature Module Program for teaching and assessing literature in English in high schools. This new Module, which will be implemented during the next school year, is the first fruit of a new Ministry initiative for reform of the high school matriculation program to encourage teaching and assessing…

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Added by Reuven Werber on June 5, 2007 at 6:29am — 2 Comments

Are Web 2.0 Technologies For Kindergartens?

The whole new world of Web 2.0 sometimes seems daunting to me. I strongly believe that older children can benefit from the new technologies but I wonder - are these technologies for four to six year olds? I have (briefly) tried using webcams with my classes to try and enhance learning but because of technical problems it didn't work. I know that it may not be true web 2.0 but has anyone ever successfully used collaborative technologies with their Kdgn. class(es)? I'd love to hear your thoughts,… Continue

Added by Peter Dawson on June 4, 2007 at 8:36pm — 2 Comments

RETA PD Weekend

It was a hectic but rewarding weekend with the RETAzens. We provided them workshops on PD 360, Wired Safety, InspireData, Podcasting, and Web 2.0/Social Computing. To peek in on the fun, you can view the pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/retazens/.

Added by julz on June 4, 2007 at 2:31pm — No Comments

My First Classroom 2.0 Blog Entry

Still trying to formulate my thoughts and strategy on classroom 2.0 and using integrating of social media technologies into the classroom.

First of there is so much information to wade through when it comes to social media and web 2.0 in general. I have focused on the following areas:

Wikis
Social Networking Sites
Blogs
Social Bookmarking
Forums
Image & Photo Sharing
Videos Development, Sharing &…

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Added by Kin Lane on June 4, 2007 at 2:24pm — 2 Comments

Why is this guy inviting me to be his friend?

First of all let me say that I am pleased to be a part of the Classroom 2.0 experience and the Web2.0 world. It's amazing how rapidly friends can communicate and share like thoughts and ideas. This community is very much a part of what WeAreTeachers is about. That is, leveraging the power of Web2.0 tools and resources and empowering teachers the power to share, create, and publish content and make available for teaching and learning... We are developing a network that will be free to anyone who… Continue

Added by John Costilla on June 4, 2007 at 1:47pm — 1 Comment

Added a Smartboard Video and Some Music!

Hey, ya'll,

I had a couple invites from 2.0 this morning, which got me to looking at it more closely, and before I knew it I was adding some music from my CD and from a new one I've been working on for, oh, like a year. Also posted (in the forums) a call for chat during a week-long teacher professional development seminar I'm facilitating at my Nashville school this summer. See you at NECC (I hope)!

Added by Scott Merrick on June 4, 2007 at 12:34pm — No Comments

Immediate project - Tuesday

Howdy,

the idea came up in the Global Education ning forum:

On Tuesday, take a picture of the highest clock around or of the area around your school from a high point within your school at the right moment: 02:03:04 on 05.06.07. Post the image to Flickr with the tag "020304050607".

(So far there is only one image with that tag taken on the 6th of May. The project makes more sense on a Tuesday than on a Sunday, hence 05.06.07 rather than 05/06/07.)

Let's see… Continue

Added by Torsten Otto on June 4, 2007 at 2:43am — No Comments

Computer Games in the Classroom?

By Alix E. Peshette (Cross-posted from http://edtechgoldrush.blogspot.com/)

There is a residual knee-jerk reaction to the idea of kids using computers to play games. It’s the sworn duty of every teacher…

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Added by Alix E. Peshette on June 3, 2007 at 7:49pm — 1 Comment

Role-Playing Games

I have found one great idea for using a role-playing game similar to Dungeons and Dragons for getting relunctant writers turned on to writing. I'm trying it out on my summer school kids. Check it out at this site: http://www.creative-writing-solutions.com/legends-of-druidawn.html

I'll let you know how it works. Anyone have ideas on how I could incorporate an online role-playing game into language arts?

Added by Connie Mitchum on June 3, 2007 at 7:05pm — No Comments

Shooting Trouble - Helping Students Help Themselves.

As we close out the year here in the Northeast U.S. - our last day isn't until June 20th - I am still struggling with students and teachers who just want me to tell them what to do. Despite the multitude of screencasts and written directions I have created, kids and adults still want me to solve their technology problems. I've started responding with a new question: "What have you tried so far?" Unfortunately, the answer is often "Nothing."

I believe that the best thing you can learn… Continue

Added by Elizabeth Davis on June 3, 2007 at 6:55pm — 4 Comments

Do We Really Need to Learn to Carry the One?

I've been writing this post in my head all week and was going to post it to In Another Place, my other blog, but it seems a good way to get started at Classroom 2.0. Twice this past week, I heard two different people make essentially the same statement: the rise in the use of calculators has contributed to the deterioration of math skills in students. Because they can just punch in the numbers, they reason, they aren't really learning to do… Continue

Added by Karen Richardson on June 3, 2007 at 11:04am — 4 Comments

Multi Networking

One of the challenges the Internet is presenting is that the number of communities a person can participate in is constantly growing. The time to participate, and write blogs, is not.

Thus, I work from two strategies:

a) I seek out forums like this, with people who have a shared interest, and I set up a profile and introduce myself.

b) I point people to my primary web site at http://www.tutormentorconnection.org…

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Added by Daniel Bassill on June 3, 2007 at 7:41am — No Comments

Summertime...and the livin' is easy (yeah right)

What is it about overachieving educators that we can't seem to take time for ourselves? Here we are at the beginning of our "3 month vacation" and in perusing my calendar, I truly only have 3 weeks off. I will be spending 4 weeks serving as tech support for the South Central Kansas Writing Project and will definitely be promoting Web 2.0 applications during that time. I will also be participating in a workshop on podcasting, a workshop on SMARTBoard use and the newest version of Blackboard.…

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Added by Teralyn Cohn on June 3, 2007 at 4:17am — 1 Comment

New Trends in Education

Let's have a roundtable discussion about how the following will impact the way we view/run education in not only our specific locales, but across the US.

(questions are based on info on a book from Eric Marx(?), a member of the World Future Society)

1. The old will outnumber the young.

2. Majorities become the minorities.

3. Standards and high stakes tests fuel a demand for personalization of learning in the educational system that's… Continue

Added by Ginger Lewman on June 2, 2007 at 12:22pm — 1 Comment

First time blogger long time reader:)

This is my very first blog. I hope I don't end up sounding stupid, but hopefully anyone who reads it will understand my weirdness. Ahh, summer is here! Still working, but at least theres a light at the end of the tunnell. I don't have to work weekends at school anymore! Yeah! Will write more later, for now, Im going to check out some other blogs to see what kinds of things people say.

Added by Tracey Gould on June 2, 2007 at 10:08am — No Comments

Open Letter to My Children

Dear Parker and Audrey,

I have been meaning to write to you about your futures, but the pressure

has not really mounted, being that neither of you can read just yet.

However, the ideas and thoughts I have about your futures are beginning

to overwhelm me at this point, and I felt that I should at least

commence something in the way of a… Continue

Added by Patrick Higgins on June 2, 2007 at 7:53am — No Comments

Idea...."Rock my Lecture".

I was listening to a free lecture from The Teaching Company, available here. I first read about this company in the in-flight magazine on American Airlnes. I soon began to feast on these lectures from amazing professors and to fill holes in my understanding. Many of my current keen interests have emerged recently as the need to understand has become more clear. Truthfully, much of my knowledge feeding has been personal interests like… Continue

Added by Kevin on June 1, 2007 at 7:41pm — 5 Comments

How did they Do that?

A lot of you have emailed me asking about the videos I posted that my school district used as part of an ad campaign to get teachers thinking about technology.

I relent! I will write how we did it!

First of all, here was the problem:

We knew several things:

Teachers looked at technology as a class, not a tool (see the post below)

Teachers hated being told what to do

Teachers accessed their email through the district's teacher portal

Teachers like… Continue

Added by Tim Holt on June 1, 2007 at 7:15pm — 5 Comments