According to Kevin Cummins, EdGalaxy, Cool Stuff for Nerdy Teachers
“Just a quick note to advise anyone thinking of looking at the Microsoft Live@Edu Master Teacher program. Don’t bother it is crap and just a shameless heap of advertising about their live products dressed up as training. You will not gain anything from doing this except wasting 30 minutes of your life.”
Hmm….haven’t been, but seen the invites. I read Kevin’s blog regularly and I think I will trust him on this one. Actually I am not much of a Microsoft user these days. I pretty much use iWork-Pages, Keynote, Numbers OR Google Docs.
Thanks to the American TESOL Institute, there will be conducting 6 free 30 minute online workshops on the Adobe Connect platform every Friday at 4pm EST (New York Time), 9pm London Time, 8pm GMT:
- Digital Storytelling with Young Learners, Oct. 22nd
- Here are the digital storytelling wiki resources that accompany this presentation!
- Mobile Motivation: Getting Your Students to Learn English Using their Smart Phones, Oct. 29th
- Check out this post, Mobile Motivation: 17 Digital Storytelling and Literacy Apps and Resources for Kids
- Check out this post, Texting and Teachers Experimenting with Technology
- Using Wikis to Integrate Effective Online Tasks for Learners, Nov. 5th
- Here are the wiki resources that accompany this presentation!
- Cooperative Learning to Motivate & Effectively Manage Young Learners, Nov. 12th
- Check out this post, Cooperative Learning vs. Competition
- Enriching the Young Learner Classroom with Drama Tasks, Nov. 17th
- Using Graphic Organizers to Enrich Discussion, Nov. 26th
Check your time zone here! This is the Adobe Room to join at 4pm EST http://americantesol.adobeconnect.com/terrell/. I will be updating this page with the wiki and blog resources I prepare for each presentation so bookmark and visit this website every Saturday for the latest updates.
Larry Ferlazzo, Websites of the Day, has a great list with details to help teachers use Blooms Taxonomy in the classroom.
“Bloom’s Taxonomy is talked about a lot in educational circles. However, if you believe a recent survey of visits to 23,000 U.S. classrooms, the higher-order thinking skills it’s ideally designed to promote doesn’t get much use.
And I can understand why.
It’s easy to get caught-up in the day-to-day work involved in teaching a class or multiple classes, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of doing the “usual stuff” and not “think out of the box.”
To read more and access the resources Larry suggests, CLICK HERE
http://k12onlineconference.org/
This is the fifth year for the K12Online Conference and it is better than ever. Dean Shareski’s pre-conference keynote, “Sharing: The Moral Imperative,” was live last week, but now the fun really begins. With all the negative press about education with that Waiting for Superman movie, seems only fair to have some positive press.
The K12 Online conference is 100% FREE. Yup, that’s right FREE. There are new presentations everyday through November 1st. You can participate live online or view the recorded version. Remember, it is FREE, how about that, GREAT professioanal develop when it is convenient for you. K12 Online has the best and brightest minds in K12 education today, how exciting is that. And, did I mention, FREE.
Check out the schedule. Follow @k12online on Twitter. Tune in to an Elluminate session. Join the discussion on the conference Ning. You can even subscribe and listen through iTunes. Wouldn’t it fun to gather a group of teachers at your school and watch a presentation together and then have a discussion?
And don’t forget, all for FREE!
A while back I signed up for the PBS teachers newsletter and it really does have some great resources. Here is a sampling from the recent edition.
THE ARTS
NOVA: Building the Great Cathedrals
On-Air | Tuesday, October 19, 8pm Grade Range: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Explore the intricate artistry and majestic architecture of the world’s famous cathedrals with engineers, art historians, architects, and computer scientists who are working to save some of the structures that are threatening to collapse.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/building-gothic-cathedrals.html
Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook: A New Step Every Day
On-Air | Wednesday, October 20, 8pm
Grade Range: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Join Grammy-nominated vocalist Michael Feinstein in the final episode of his celebration of America’s great composers and lyricists, such as the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer and Harry Warren. A New Step Every Day explores the exciting jazz age of the 1920s and 1930s.
http://www.pbs.org/michael-feinsteins-american-songbook/
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Fizzy’s Lunch Lab: P is for Protein
Online Webisode and Lesson Plan
Grade Range: K-2, 3-5
Replenish with the lunch labbers after vigorous exercise by learning about protein’s role in the body and making lean protein burritos.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/7837/preview/
Independent Lens: HIP-HOP: Beyond Beats and Rhymes: Homophobia
Online Video Clip and Lesson Plan
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
Look into the world of hip-hop at homophobic language and behavior that is rarely talked about but carries a significant influence (contains graphic language).
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/5752/preview/
MATH
Sesame Street: Abby’s Treasure Hunt
Interactive
Grade Range: PreK
Help Abby Cadabby find pumpkins that are hiding all over her friends’ pages and reveal pictures that you can print and color.
http://pbskids.org/sesame/#/treasure_hunt
SUPERWHY!: Make a Clock
Lesson Plan
Grade Range: K-2
Learn to tell time and spell number words by making your own paper clock and writing about what time different activities take place each day.
http://www.pbs.org/parents/superwhy/activities/112.html
Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise: Calculating the Cost of a Sound Basic Education
Lesson Plan
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
Use math and explore civil rights concepts by discussing what makes a good education and how much it costs for school districts to provide.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/1351/preview/
READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS
Access, Analyze, Act: Asking Questions That Make a Difference
Lesson Plan
Grade Range: 6-8, 9-12
Think like a journalist and examine what it means to ask the right questions of politicians and public figures to make sure the public learns what they need to know about leaders in the community and the nation.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/6467/preview/
The Electric Company: Sort It Out
Interactive
Grade Range: K-2
Help put words in the right categories according to whether their sounds are soft or hard.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/7043/preview/
SCIENCE AND TECH
Dinosaur Train: Hatching Party
Interactive
Grade Range: PreK, K-2
Watch a baby dinosaur hatch in its nest by using a webcam that places kids in the middle of the action.
http://pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain/games/hatchingparty.html
Nature: Echo: An Elephant to Remember
On-Air | Sunday, October 17, 8pm
Grade Range: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Trace the life of Echo, the world’s most studied and documented elephant, as she led her family through the wilds of Kenya.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/echo-an-elephant-to-remember/introduction/5755/
SOCIAL STUDIES
We Shall Remain: American Experience: After the Mayflower
On-Air | Monday, October 18, 9pm
Grade Range: 9-12
Follow the negotiations of a leader from the Wampanoag tribe as he dealt with English colonists to try to find the best way of living alongside unexpected neighbors.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/weshallremain/
Maya & Miguel: Exercise Your Vote
Lesson Plan
Grade Range: 3-5
Discover how people running for office need to listen to voters both before and after they’re elected.
http://www.pbs.org/parents/mayaandmiguel/english/activities/vote.html
Frontline: Death by Fire
On-Air | Tuesday, October 19, 9pm
Grade Range: 9-12
Investigate the execution of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was convicted of the arson death of his three young children, but who may have been innocent.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/death-by-fire/
I know most of the schools in Kansas where I teach have subscriptions to Discovery United Streaming. Sadly, I don’t, it is quite expensive, and incredibility useful. But, when my future teachers get out there in the schools they do have access.
This morning Bryan Perry, a new teacher to Twitter posted a link to the iPads in Education website where Chris ONeal has posted a tutorial on How to get United Streaming video clips into iTunes to then add to an iPad or iPod. Yipee!!! Check it out. Not sure how legal this is, but, I do know it is possible and for some content I am sure it is legal.
By the way the iPads in Education site is a NING, which if you are not familiar with Nings, it is a social networking site of sorts, which means, it is really a collaborative place to share resources and have discussion about iPads in Education. It is very powerful, check it out and join the discussion.
Due to popular demand and positive feedback from our EdTech UNconference Kickoff Session, we’ve decided to host another free, open online session for both EdTech UNconference members and NON-members.
IMPORTANT: This session will cover the same information given in last week’s EdTech UNconference Kickoff Session. If you attended the Kickoff session, you are still welcome to attend, but please realize that 90% of the information covered will be identical.
What: EdTech UNconference Orientation PLUS Free Tech Tools for Teachers
When: Wednesday, October 13, 2010, from 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM EDT
Who: All are welcome, but space is limited
Cost: Free!
How to Enroll: Click here to register, or copy and paste the following URL: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/211011275
The LIVE session includes a brief orientation for the EdTech UNconference, including your:
- Technology Toolbox
- LIVE Events
- Forums
- Blogs
- Reporting
- Support
Along with the brief orientation, we will talk about our new eBook, “101 Free Tech Tools for Teachers”.
Lisa and I will each choose our 3 favorite tech tools for classroom use, and explain:
- What the tool is
- The basics of using the tool
- Applications for classroom use
SPECIAL BONUS: For anyone who attends the sessions (member or non-member), we will give you a FREE copy of our eBook “101 Free Webtools for Teachers”.
So, please join us! Space is limited – click here to reserve your spot now.
PS – EdTech UNconference members: The recording of the kickoff session is available for anytime viewing in your learning portal’s Technology Toolbox, under “LIVE Session Recordings”.
You can now find Edutopia content and community that’s relevant to you.
Check out content by grade level:
Learn it in 5 is a must see resource for every teacher. It has lesson ideas, video tutorials, visionary apps and loads of tools and content you can access quickly and easily. This has some real useful content and I am sure you will find something new and innovative to try with your students.
Check it out here.
Date: Sat., July 31, 2010
Time: 9:00am PST/10:00am MST/11:00am CST/12:00pm EST
Location: http://tinyurl.com/cr20live (http://tinyurl.com/cr20live)
This Saturday, July 31st, Kim Caise, Lorna Costantini and Peggy George will be hosting another Classroom 2.0 LIVE show. As an extension to the Classroom 2.0 Ning community, Classroom 2.0 “LIVE” shows are opportunities to gather with other educators in real-time events, complete with audio, chat and desktop sharing. A Google calendar of upcoming shows is available at http://live.classroom20.com/calendar.html. If you haven’t used Elluminate before, we encourage you to view this tutorial to prepare for the Elluminate session: http://www.youtube.com/elluminated#p/u/1/fKQZM4slwzA.
The topic this Saturday will be, “What’s New in Diigo v. 5?“, with special guests, Maggie Tsai, Jason Schmidt and Shannon Miller. Join us to discuss the new features in the latest version of Diigo and how teachers use the social bookmarking tool in the classroom with students. “Dip your toes in” the conversations until you feel comfortable enough to “jump into the conversations with both feet”! More information and session details are at http://live.classroom20.com. If you’re new to the Classroom 2.0 LIVE! show you might want to spend a few minutes viewing the screencast on the homepage to learn how we use Elluminate and navigate the site to find the archives of previous shows and resources. Each show begins at 12pm Eastern and may be accessed in Elluminate directly using the following link: http://tinyurl.com/cr20live.
On the Classroom 2.0 LIVE! site you’ll find the recordings from our recent “Summer PD Share-a-Thon”, with , YOU as the special guests. Click on the “Archives and Resources” tab to view this and past recordings.
Special thanks to our sponsor, Elluminate, for providing the forum that allows us to do this!
Warm regards,
Kim Caise, NBCT
Classroom 2.0 LIVE! Co-host
Elluminate/LearnCentral Community Facilitator
Flat Classroom Administrator
Texas DEN Leadership Council
FableVision Ambassador
Visit Classroom 2.0 at: http://www.classroom20.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network
OK, I hate to be sarcastic, but is this a surprise to anybody? Gee whiz, staff development does work!! Ok, I know it has to be the right professional development and it has to be QUALITY, but come on , really!!
In Birmingham, Ala., teachers are participating in workshops to help prepare them to teach using laptops. Teachers begin by learning about the low-cost computers provided through the One Laptop Per Child initiative. Workshop organizers say the success of such programs is dependent on how comfortable and familiar teachers are with the technology. “Some participants weren’t even using them in class because they didn’t know what to do with them,” said the University of Alabama at Birmingham associate professor who developed the training. Read the full story at T.H.E. Journal
Game-based learning, mobile devices, and cloud computing will find a place in schools nationwide
eSchoolNews: The New Media Consortium that says that cloud computing, collaborative learning, game-based learning, and mobile devices are set to “take hold” within the K-12 environment within the next couple of years.
Cloud computing and collaborative learning environments are set to take hold in K-12 schools in the very near future, with mobile devices, game-based learning, and other education technologies to follow suit in the next few years, according to the 2010 Horizon Report’s K-12 Edition, released by the New Media Consortium (NMC).
NMC researchers examined 100 different technologies and whittled them down to the six most prominent technologies that are on the verge of classroom adoption in the next five years. Those six technologies were placed into three categories according to how close schools are to implementing them on wide scale.
To Read the FULL story, CLICK HERE
by Bill Wolff’s Composing Spaces, assistant professor, department of writing arts, Rowan University
- Use the Flip Video Camera and get students to play with it right away
- Ensure that students have the ability to edit video outside of class and from home
- Teach students more advanced editing techniques over time
- Talk with students at length about best practices for working with video files, moving video files to and from USB drives, and backing up their work
- Provide multiple avenues for file conversion and anticipate some problems
- Require students to use only Creative Commons approved music
Bill has a a great deal of good information and resources. It is worth the read.
To read the full story and see all the resource, CLICK HERE
Teachers who often use technology in the classroom believe their students are learning more, according to a survey of more than 1,000 educators. The data, collected by researchers at Walden University, also found that newer teachers were just as likely as veteran teachers to utilize classroom technology, and that many teachers said they lack training in classroom technology. Researchers said teachers’ skill level when using the technology is the most prominent factor in how much students benefit. T.H.E. Journal (6/28) , Education Week/Digital Education blog
ISTE 2010 conference just ended and I am home now. It was a great time reconnecting with with old freinds. I even saw all my grant teachers! I learned tons of stuff about, teaching, Integration, Technology and Education.
Here is a way to discover find many of the websites shared during ISTE 2010, ISTE 2010 Diigo group. If you have links from the conference not in the list, please join the group and add them. I found lots on the list I did not know about. I wish I had seen the Tweet about this Diigo site during the conference, but I will be adding a few links today and exploring a whle slew there already.
And Lisa Thurman has an excellent post with links to blogs, and wikis and all kinds of stuff from the conference: #ISTE10 Where to go, What to see, What to d. Thanks Lisa.
I love photography. It wasn’t until I started doing Project 365 as a new year’s resolution that I really started to be so intrigued with it. Often times, I find myself pretending I’m some professional placing things or people, looking for lighting, finding unique angles, etc… but it is most definitely fun. Last night when I was uploading my photo for the day to my Flickr account I started to think about how Flickr could be used in the classroom.
To read the full story, CLICK HERE
P.S. I started the Project 365 too, was trying to shoot a photo everyday with my iPhone, I lasted about a month!! I applaud Elizabeth!!!
Making sure staff members have the professional development they need to ensure effective 21st-century teaching and learning is the top challenge facing school district chief technology officers (CTOs), according to a survey that queried more than 50 Illinois school district CTOs.
The survey, titled “The Challenges and Professional Development Needs of the District Technology Leader,” was conducted by the Illinois Chief Technology Officers (ILCTO), a nonprofit organization that helps CTOs in “realizing their [school districts’] visions and goals for the effective, secure, and rapid implementation of instructional technology and operational information technology.”
Read the full story, CLICK HERE
Jerry Blumengarten or Cybraryman1 has created a an amazing website dedicated to new teachers. Check it out here. But, for any teacher, new or experienced who is ready to begin learning about how to harness technology as a teaching and learning tool should also check out his new e-book, The Beginner’s Guide to 21st Century Teaching and Learning.
“The Beginner’s Guide to 21st Century Teaching and Learning, designed for the digital immigrant, will answer these and many more of your questions, hesitations and fears surrounding integrating the internet and technology into your curriculum. It serves as a technology handbook for teachers ready to harness technology as a teaching and learning tool.
Web-based instructional activities have an enormous potential to enhance and entice learning. However, integrating the internet into your curriculum in a way that has a positive impact on students’ learning can seem like a daunting process. This e-book is meant to serve as a starting point for 21st century teaching and learning. It, like 21st century teaching and learning, will continue to evolve. Check back regularly for updates and new volumes.”
If you are interested in podcasting, you need to check out this wiki:
Podcasting provides an avenue for educators and students to have on-the-go access to audio on the web ranging from curriculum-related content to professional development. Podcasting is also a way for faculty and students to publish and distribute content. In this session participants will learn how educators are using podcasting to enhance instruction; the equipment required for producing podcasts; classroom recording basics and methods for distribution of podcasts.
Here is a wiki with excellent informationa bout Google tools. We hear all the hipe, but WHY should we use it. Maybe this will help.
Description: You’ve heard the buzz about Google tools – Docs & Spreadsheets, Maps and Sites. A Google Certified Teacher will share real classroom examples of how Google tools can encourage communication and collaboration. Find out which ones are right for you and what options are available in “Google Apps for Education”.
