August 2007 Blog Posts (173)

neuroscience of joy

While we’re setting up “thinking classrooms”, and supporting an “active mindset”, we have to keep right in the forefront the importance of joy, and of play. In The Neuroscience of Joyful Education by Judy Willis, we get all sorts of validation for this.

Think of all the schools and classes you know about that are cutting back on play, thinking less play will translate into more academic achievement. It may be that just the opposite is the case.

“Unfortunately, the current… Continue

Added by Connie Weber on August 31, 2007 at 10:32am — 2 Comments

Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom

I am one of the fortunate teachers who has been using a SMART Board in my classroom for a few years now, and I am always asked, "Where do you come up with such interesting ideas? Where do I start looking for some ideas for my classes?" One site that I recommend and check on a regular basis is the SMARTBoard Lessons Podcast. Joan Badger and Ben Hazzard are the hosts of the informative podcast and each week, they have great tips and lessons. Check it out, I know you will get hooked on this… Continue

Added by Kirsten Carter on August 31, 2007 at 9:58am — 2 Comments

Skype in the Classroom - my first

We had just flown through the plans for the semester- I had so many web 2.0 tools to tell them about. Blogging, podcasting, wikis (showed them the great video) and Skyping with the web cam. My students were lining up to leave the technology lab on their first technology class since returning to school. We heard the now familiar noise over my sound system - my students pointed to the invitaion displayed on the SMARTBoard: ACCEPT or DECLINE the call. I hesitated- I had never seen this…

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Added by JoNelle on August 30, 2007 at 6:44pm — 4 Comments

My Last Book

Not the last book I read but the last book that I read.

A few years back, I received a gift certificate from Coles book store from a friend of the family. I intended on using it during a visit to the city but when I went there was nothing that really caught

my eye. Time passed and I either forgot it at home or, when I went,

there was nothing that grabbed me. So, a few weeks ago while at

meetings, I went book shopping taking the tattered certificate with me.

I had…

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Added by Kelly Christopherson on August 30, 2007 at 4:43pm — No Comments

Laptops coming to a high school near you!

It is official, the Kansas City, KS school district is providing 5700 laptops to kids in our high schools! I am extremely excited, but very nervous at the same time. We are planning on rolling out laptops the end of October. I'll keep updating my blog on how we are progressing.

Added by Julie Leach on August 30, 2007 at 2:38pm — 1 Comment

After 2+ Weeks With Students, A Month in the Building

Oh, my. It’s hard to get back up to full speed! Maybe I’m wiped out because we start almost an hour earlier each day now, and we finish teaching 10 minutes later each day than last

year. It was a 65+ hour week. At least my students and I are finally

finished with our goal setting, skills checklists, beginning

keyboarding tests, introducing ourselves, and have started registering

students on…

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Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on August 30, 2007 at 9:00am — 3 Comments

Workshop now streaming live - Implementing a Multi-Tiered Support System : District & Leadership Model

Now streaming live from The GreenbushEducation Service Center:

Implementing a Multi-Tiered Support System : District & Leadership Model

Grab it here - http://greenbush.ning.com or http://tv.greenbush.org

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Added by Rich White on August 30, 2007 at 8:30am — No Comments

Art Snacks Podcast posted

Tim Holt talks to Kevin Honetycutt about his ning site "Art Snacks"

Art Snacks is a site where teachers and students can come together in a safe atmosphere to learn how to do art projects.

Kevin talks about how these art projects are all integrated with science, math and social studies.…

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Added by Tim Holt on August 30, 2007 at 7:02am — No Comments

No, not another blog nobody reads ..: :-)

When I discovered NING a few days ago, I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed especially by the networking possibilities on here and spontaneous friendship offers, for which I am very grateful.

I cannot blog here, but at least I would like to share from time to time (for those who care) what we are doing in our corner of SL.

The most important project we are working on this time is the Festival of Languages on Belle Isle. On the occasion of "European Day of Languages", which has been… Continue

Added by Martina Schubert on August 30, 2007 at 2:54am — 4 Comments

Podcast/Skype Experiment

Podcast Experiment

Greetings everyone!

I was wondering how many of you would be willing to participate in a podcast experiment that I was contemplating?

What I was thinking of doing was getting a group of my "friends" out here in blog land, having a Skype discussion. The topic of the conversation will be:

"Education Technology Use From Where I Am."

The purpose is to kind of give listeners an idea of what types of Ed Tech are used in different areas… Continue

Added by Tim Holt on August 29, 2007 at 8:37am — 4 Comments

Second Week of School Yields Results

I'm stumbling through my second week of school with a lab full of new computers, hammering out system tweaks like a troll with a chisel, one computer (of the 21) at a time, and I hope this will help explain my silence of late. Going back to our summer workshop wiki reminded me that it's all worth it, and the revisit inspires me to work on an article this week to publish and share out what I think is a solidly replicable model for encouraging…

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Added by Scott Merrick on August 29, 2007 at 5:03am — 1 Comment

Visit my blog, Think Time

I recently renamed and relocated my blog from Blogger to Wordpress. My new blog is named Think Time. It is a work in progress.

Another project I am working on is an ePortfolio. Please visit it! I welcome all comments and questions.

Added by Jennifer Koch Lubke on August 28, 2007 at 9:57pm — 3 Comments

Introducing Teachers to Web 2.0

My first task is not only to start using Classroom 2.0, but to introduce our interested faculty to Web 2.0 in general.

Web 2.0 is, as far as I understand it so far, using web based applications instead of applications that are found on the computer you are using. In this way, it makes little difference what computer you are using or where you are using one. Instead, all the software is on the web and accessible from anywhere you have access to a computer.

Even this… Continue

Added by Jocko McKean on August 28, 2007 at 7:15pm — No Comments

First Post

Hello, everyone! I found this community via Steve Hardagon's blog. I'll be using this blog to knock ideas about, and to learn from the community. Looking forward to "meeting" you all!

Matt

Added by Matt Richardson on August 28, 2007 at 1:08pm — No Comments

Google device plans for the 700MHz wireless spectrum

Obviously I feel a huge wireless broadband Internet enable network would be a GREAT thing for education and educational content providers in general... but what would the initial Google enable wireless communication device look like and cost?
(Via wired.com) -- http://tinyurl.com/ytupna

Rumor: Google Phone Will Be Linux-Powered, GPS-Loaded and Cheap

Added by Rich White on August 28, 2007 at 12:42pm — No Comments

Tacos, Tamales, Technology

Tacos, Tamales, Technology…

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Added by Tim Holt on August 28, 2007 at 12:34pm — No Comments

Eclipse + Moonset = Wow!

I took the photos with my mobile from the car -- sorry they are blurry. Over here in the Western half of the US, in Colorado, we would have had to get up at around 3 in the morning to see the entire lunar eclipse. However, I was on my way to work and was lucky enough to see it about halfway finished. During the short drive more and more of the moon quickly shone, and then just as the light was coming up in the eastern sky, the moon quickly set behind our 14,000 foot mountain, Pikes Peak. I feel… Continue

Added by L. Suzanne Shanks on August 28, 2007 at 6:44am — 1 Comment

Departmental Professional Learning Community planning

Today our school reviewed the guidelines and expectations of professional learning communities. Each department at the school by default is a professional learning community. Together the other members of my department and I reviewed data from last year's student testing. We identified several areas that we can focus on during the coming year. We also decided there was data missing that we needed from administration. We specifically want to look at how we have been able to improve the learning… Continue

Added by Glen Westbroek on August 27, 2007 at 8:48pm — No Comments