Passion and the RSS feed?

That's right! If you have a passion for something, you can find a group and the click "subscribe."  That's all there is to it!  The site, blog, wiki, whatever you find will instantly become part of your RSS feed. Check this out for some ideas to add to your feed.

TWITTERpated...

copied from: www.howaboutwe.com/date-report/lets-get-twitterpated/

Definition of twitterpated: to be completely enamored of. Description of my daughter for twitter.
For the past 6 months my 15 (soon to be 16) year old daughter has lobbied for a Twitter account. And my husband and I have replied with a resounding NO!
After reading Chapter 6 in Will Richardson's book, I still have reservations about her starting to "tweet." But I am warming up to the idea of Twitter as a tech tool for the classroom.
Do you use twitter? Personally or professionally?

There's so much to learn!

After I completed reading the article Online Collaborative Inquiry-Classroom Blogging Ventures and   Multiple Literacies, I felt overwhelmed.  There is so much to learn about technology and how it can be used in the classroom.  The article was rich with examples of working teachers who are navigating and implementing technology in their 21st century classrooms. On my second read through, I picked one such teacher, Karen Lirenman.  As a seasoned teacher, she states  that she is on a "quest to be the best teacher she can be" and how she incorporates technology into her classroom.

I noticed a post about Apple TV(January 10) on her blog.  My school is in the process of implementing Apple TV onto our campus. I have many questions about it. Her post and subsequent comments have sparked even more questions but I feel as if I have a person I can contact for answers to my questions!  The world seems to be getting smaller!

Classroom Animoto

I've been thinking how I might use Animoto in my classroom.  For vocabulary? With word families? Highlighting high frequency words? Maybe in math? What should I create? One for shapes or solids? Number line? Counting? I settled on counting.  The class has been working with the "tricky teens"- the numbers from 11 to 19. They have used various manipulatives to accomplish this task.  I thought a good use of  Animoto was to create a movie that showcased each number by using digi blocks and their fingers.  Each slide would show the number and the number word.

The children were excited when I told them they would be in a movie!  But they were surprised to hear the movie would be about math!  'Math?!', they said.  Then the questions started. How? Why? When would we do it? How can you use digi blocks-they aren't real?  I explained how it would work and how we would accomplish this task together.

The children worked together to put the correct number of digi blocks in the cases.  I took the pictures of the blocks when they were ready.  Then they worked in pairs to show the number of fingers for each number. Another photo op!  

Finished product:

What do you think?  Should it be longer? Slower?

2 Birds with One Stone

How do I load a youtube video onto my blog?
Step one: look for a video on youtube.
Step two: find one that is an Animoto too!
Step three: Post!!

The Word "free" Catches My Eye!

After reading Chapter 3 in Richardson's book "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, I decided to surf and look at some of the links included at the end of the chapter. I decided that the Edublog Awards was a good place to start! The word 'free' caught my eye immediately. Who doesn't love a bargain? I choose Free Technology for Teachers.  Check it out!

Searching for inspiration....

In my quest for ideas and inspiration about blogging,  I came across this great group of blogs.  Enjoy!

Social Media-Blogs

Social media is changing the way students learn, communicate, and behave.  Teachers need to change also!  Through professional development and a continuous desire to learn, teachers can be taught alongside their students.  Schools are incorporating the use of iPads, cell phones, and e-readers in the quest to keep students engaged in the learning process.  

It is very important that students learn how to safely use these devices.  It is the job of parents and teachers to work together to guide students while surfing the net. Appropriate language, etiquette, and safe practices must be part of the tech curriculum. 

Blogging can be advantageous to the learning environment. Teachers can use blogging as a communication tool for parents and students.  With daily posts, parents would be able to experience the school day along with their children.  Pictures and video can be uploaded to highlight a new activity. 

Blogs are easily created and maintained.  When students use blogs as part of the learning process, the classroom grows into a global classroom.  They are now able to communicate with other students from around the world about any topic.  Writing skills, communication skills, and the opportunities to see the world beyond your school walls has enabled students to think outside the box.

My Views of New Literacies

My understanding of the term of “new literacies” pertains to the growth of technology that is being utilized in the education world.  Tools of technology (computers, e-readers, iPods, iPads, document readers, and so on) have changed the landscape of education.  With that change, teachers need to be able to use and to teach students how to find their way around the internet using different tools.  Teachers will show students how to read, to understand, and to assess the information being presented.

The NETS, like the CCSS, are standards created for students and teachers as a road map in the ever-changing digital world.

I am incorporating technology into my classroom by using it as a documentation tool.  I take photographs and movies of my students while they are in action.  I am able to share this documentation with my director as well as my student’s parents during conferences.  I am eager to learn more about integrating tech into my classroom practices.  My school is currently implementing the use of a web program, edoctrina .  For our professional development, each teacher is required to put in their units of study and lesson plans in order to create a cohesive scope and sequence for the school in anticipation of an upcoming accreditation process.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle
First attempt at using Animoto.  I used some pictures from a trip.  Very easy to use!

Hmmm.....this is interesting.  I've wanted to make a blog and now I have one and not sure what to do with it.  This is the beginning of my technology journey.  Let's go!