July 2009 Blog Posts (175)

Next Generation of Web Search Engines - SpaceTime3D

SpaceTime3D allows you to see your searches. After you type in your search term, you will see pictures of the web pages for your search. You can shuffle through these pages to make finding the information you are looking for easier. The SpaceTime Browser which is a download and SpaceTime3D, which is a web version (no download) of our Visual Search interface available at http://www.spacetime.com. We're proud to announce that The SpaceTime Browser… Continue

Added by Ajaan Rob Hatfield on July 31, 2009 at 8:16pm — No Comments

Five Best Ways to Use Your Economic Stimulus Payment

this is funny. Take it as the all-American approach to spreading humor about difficult situations...

Some time this year, we taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus payment. This is a very exciting new program. I will explain it using the Q and A format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus… Continue

Added by Jacqui Murray on July 31, 2009 at 1:33pm — No Comments

Critical Thinking and Social Media Technology

With the emergence of social media technology in the classroom, teachers are finding innovative ways to promote student learning. As educators become more sophisticated in terms of utilizing Internet and mobile-based technologies to share information, they are taking advantage of new and exciting opportunities to improve their teaching practice. One particular area of interest to me is the way in which this sort of… Continue

Added by Shawn Roner on July 31, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

How can Theatre teachers use Web 2.0 Tools?

I am wondering what Web 2.0 tools can be integrated into the theatre classroom. This summer I have been working on teaching for film materials. Film acting teaching and film studies teaching seems to be a natural integration of Web 2.0! But what about theatre? It is sad that an art which is so collaborative can be seem to fit into this collaboration web world!

I developed a Comedy Writing Project that could be used in the theatre classroom, but it is really more of a film project.… Continue

Added by Carrie Vlaming on July 31, 2009 at 9:20am — 7 Comments

Remembering

I woke up with all intentions of not ruminating over this at all. Didn't work out that way at all.

Last year about this time, Lee Baber lost her battle with cancer. Here is the link to the EdTechTalk Memorial Page --> http://edtechtalk.com/lee_baber

I hear August 19th was her birthday. I wonder if an impromptu webcast… Continue

Added by Durff on July 31, 2009 at 8:22am — No Comments

Thanks to All This Guidance, I Have No Idea What I am Doing in My Classroom

Basically, I have little idea what to do in the classroom. The more guidance I am provided, the less clearly I understand what I ought to do. And I have a feeling I am not alone.

Am I supposed to teach my kids how to properly punctuate an appositive phrase? Yep. And how do I know that? Because it says so right there in the English Language Arts standards.

So, am I supposed to teach a kid that they should live their life with a sense of passion and purpose? I'd… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on July 31, 2009 at 6:30am — No Comments

Shrinking School Budgets and Disruptive Innovation

The current recession is having a major impact on public schools as district leaders find their budgets squeezed by shrinking revenues. Administrators in districts all throughout the country are facing the worst funding crisis in decades, and many analysts anticipate next year’s circumstances to be even worse. MORE...

Added by Shawn Roner on July 31, 2009 at 6:00am — No Comments

uSync - The Social Networking...

I just saw a demo in New Hampshire of a new Social Network web 2.0 site... The reason I heard of them was because of a local press release. I was shocked with what these students and teachers accomplished. Has anyone else heard of them? I want this in my class and was wondering if anyone else had any experience with them.

It is a web 2.0 and totally safe within the school community. Simply beautiful..!!!!

Everything we want is right there, and no need to surf 3 or 4… Continue

Added by Isabelle Allende on July 31, 2009 at 4:36am — 1 Comment

Visit my Blog Space

Here...
http://msbrenner.journalspace.com/

Added by Ms. Brenner on July 30, 2009 at 2:50pm — No Comments

Blended Learning Boosts Achievement

A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education found that students involved in blended learning programs generally performed better than students who participated in face-to-face instruction. According to the study, “The difference between student outcomes for online and face-to-face classes was larger in those studies contrasting conditions that blended elements of online and face-to-face instruction with conditions taught entirely face-to-face.”… Continue

Added by Shawn Roner on July 30, 2009 at 12:13pm — No Comments

Education Week: ‘Race to Top’ Guidelines Stress Use of Test Data

Accepted wisdom rejects the idea that teachers ‘teach to the test’. But, President Obama wants to judge teachers on scores. Hmmm… Education Week: ‘Race to Top’ Guidelines Stress Use of Test Data

I suppose this will sort itself in the end.

See more on… Continue

Added by Jacqui Murray on July 30, 2009 at 11:41am — No Comments

Is it okay...

Is it okay to have limitations?

Is it okay not to be the most cutting edge, 21rst century tool wielding teacher on the planet without having aspersions cast on my professionalism?

Is it okay to not be the most phenomenal teacher of persuasive writing, expository writing, autobiographical writing, compare and contrast writing and creative writing ever to hold a dry erase marker?

Is it okay to feel hurt when my kids feel hurt by the budget cuts, impacted… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on July 30, 2009 at 10:31am — No Comments

Guidance on Ed Tech Funds (ARRA 2009) Released

The U.S. Department of Education has just published this "Guidance on Enhancing Education through Technology (Ed Tech) Program Funds Made Available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009“.

This is certainly one of the most significant things to happen to Education Technology here in the US in years. The ARRA adds $650 million in funds to the original 2009 appropriation of $265 million,… Continue

Added by Kelly Walsh on July 29, 2009 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Spicing up nanotechnology with social network

The heat is on for a networking site for nanoscientists. The Internet Nanoscience Community, TINC, was created by Hungarian chemistry student Andras Paszternak and now has more than 2000 members.

The heat is on for an online social networking community for nanoscientists. The Internet Nanoscience Community, TINC, was created by Hungarian chemistry student Andras Paszternak. It now provides a rich menu of communication tools for the… Continue

Added by Andras Paszternak on July 29, 2009 at 2:37pm — No Comments

Added by Pierre-Etienne Chausse on July 29, 2009 at 9:39am — No Comments

What if we assess our schools/kids/teachers like Golf?

I love sports. I love hoops, football, baseball, boxing, soccer, hockey, tennis and so on. And when I mean "and so on", I mean, I can watch table tennis, badminton, lacrosse, rugby and golf.

Yep, I can watch golf.

But I only like to watch when there is level competition. If a game is a blowout, it's off. If a team has a 35 point lead heading into the 4rth quarter, a 3 goal lead late into the second half, an 11 run lead in the bottom of the seventh, I am usually… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on July 29, 2009 at 6:30am — 2 Comments

How to Copy and Edit Protected PDF Files?

Great security is one of the reasons why so many people use PDF format. A PDF author can set password to prevent readers from opening it, or set restriction for copying the text or printing the PDF document. They are the “User Password” and “Owner Password”.

But the security also bothers many PDF users. In some situations, we need to copy the text from a PDF, print the PDF out or edit the PDF, legally of course. For example, we need to open or edit an old PDF file but we forget the… Continue

Added by Melvin James on July 28, 2009 at 8:33pm — No Comments

Motivating Students with the Time Bank Philosophy

WHAT IS A TIME BANK?

I recently went to an informational session on Time Banks, where I got to hear about the philosophy behind Time Banking from its founder, Edgar Cahn. For those not familiar with the concept, Wikipedia's quick description of Time Banking is below:

Time Banking refers to a pattern of reciprocal service exchange which uses units of time as currency and is an example of an alternative economic…

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Added by Chris Fritz on July 28, 2009 at 9:24am — No Comments

The Hero's Tale of Teenage-hood

As I write my next YA book right now, I am weighing some deep principles of story. And as I do, I realize that the reason these deep principles of story apply so well to the world of tales is because they apply so well to the real world -- to life, if you will.

For example, today I am probing the world of rich characters and what truly motivates them. Now most characters have some form of inner conflict going on in their lives -- especially when we meet them in the early… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on July 28, 2009 at 6:30am — No Comments

Internet resources for special needs educators (this week, Autism & PDD)

Second post in a series on Internet resources for educators that work with special needs students

Last week I started this series of posts by researching web based tools and resources for teachers who work with students with ADD & ADHD. This week we continue this series with a look into resources specifically geared towards helping… Continue

Added by Kelly Walsh on July 28, 2009 at 6:00am — No Comments