The Kids Should See This

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The Kids Should See
This Site

Check this excellent site, The Kids Should See This, for videos to use in the classroom. They range from science to music and other creative arts to any number of areas including the language arts. Browse through the collection, and let us know what you find that is of interest to you and what you might use in the classroom. If you have other favorite sites for finding videos to use in the classroom or a favorite educational video that you think we should see, please post information and a link for us. Thanks for sharing.

Skype in the Classroom: Connecting Students across Schools

Connecting Classrooms with Skype describes a project connecting students in two states: Washington and North Carolina.  Students in both classes created PowerPoints on Native Americans and also created questions for their Skype exchange. The site Connecting Classrooms with Skype provides tips for creating cross-classroom Skype projects and contains some informative videos. Have you used Skype? Have you seen cases of classrooms Skyping with one another? What did you think of the Connecting Classrooms with Skype project? Was the Connecting Classrooms with Skype site helpful?

Top 50 School Technology Blogs

This list of Top 50 School Technology Blogs will surely contain some that will pique your interest. Among them are iLearning Technology and the Cool Cat Teacher Blog. With 50 listed, you will definitely find some blogs of value to you professionally. After checking the list and browsing a few of the blogs, let us know which of the blogs appeal to you and why.
If you have other favorite blogs, let us know and leave a link

21st Century Curriculum and Assessment Framework

21st Century Curriculum and Assessment Framework

Use the headline link to connect to the National Council of Teaches of English's recent position statement on 21st Century standards for literacy, which includes points about multimedia literacy. This position statement is relevant to all disciplines and grade levels. After reviewing the position statement and its points, post your response to the content and rationale for this position statement.

Looking for Ideas for Students to Blog About

Check this resource: 10 Teen Blogging Topics to Jump Start Creative Ideas The topics apply to other age groups, as well, and will also help you think of new ideas. Which of these ideas would you use? What new ideas do you get from reading through these 10 topics?

Image from: http://www.peacefulmind.com/creativity.htm

Yes to Blogging in the Classroom

On the Cool Teacher blog, Vicki Davis, gives 12 reasons to incorporate student blogging into the curriculum. Among them, blogging gives student a chance to practice writing in a form other than the conventional essay, it helps students develop their writing voice, it encourages collaborative learning, and it affords students opportunities to enhance technology skills in a real-world writing situation. Read Vicki’s full explanation on her blog post: 12 Reasons to Blog with Your Students. Do you agree with Vicki? Do you use blogging in your teaching? If you are not using it now, would you in the future? What do you see as the pros? Are there drawbacks?

TodaysMeet: Perfect Tool for On-the-Spot, Total Student Engagement

Looking for a way for students to write comments during class for all to see and interact. TodaysMeet is the answer. It is a safe environment for students to post comments, a bit like Twitter, but all comments are just seen by those who are given the URL to join the discussion. It is easy for a teacher to moderate the comments, and the students are not off on the Internet using an open, public site like Twitter. TodaysMeet is excellent for backchanneling, having a place for students to write comments and pose questions while a class is in session. Check out at the site's About TodaysMeet, and then grab some friends, set up a room at the main TodaysMeet page by entering a URL, and then sending the URL to those you want to join in. TodaysMeet is definitely a powerful teaching tool. Here is also a video to learn more about TodaysMeet. Additionally, check this blog post one educator wrote about using the tool: Backchanneling with Elementary School Students. If you have checked out TodaysMeet, let us know your thoughts. If you have used it, tell us about your experiences. What are your suggestions for using the tool with students?

Web 2.0 Tools by Category

Image from: docentesenextremadura.wikispaces.com

At the 2011 International Society for Technology in Education Conference, David Clough, an elementary school technology education coordinator, shared a helpful grid, 3X3 Links that offers links to Web 2.0 tools by such categories as Sound, Collaboration, and Avatars. Click on any one of the boxes in the grid to get a listing of tools that fall into each category, and then access each tool online for more information. You will likely discover new tools and familiar ones. Which are new? Which would you like to try? Which have you used that you would recommend? At the conference, we tried most of the tools, and then we shared what we created in a site called Stixy.

Ideas for Using VoiceThread, A Powerful Learning Tool!

Image from: elearningclouds.com

What is a VoiceThread?  Check this introduction video.

Looking for samples of ways VoiceThread has been used in a variety of classrooms, K-12? This wiki, VoiceThread4Education is your excellent source. Samples are sorted by grade level.

VoiceThread is an excellent tool to promote the 4 C’s: Communication, Commenting, Creativity, and Collaboration. I am including a link to access from a wiki a Slide Show (use arrow keys to advance through the show) that outlines these four features as well as links to specific VoiceThreads that illustrate each concept.

Once you access the wiki, VoiceThread4Education, note the side links to access VoiceThreads by grade level and to meet other needs.

Here is a list and links to some of the model VoiceThreads you will find through the wiki. In addition, the links will take you to the teacher tips about the VoiceThread, and then as you scroll down the page, you will find the VoiceThread itself. Use the arrow keys to advance through the VoiceThread. Be sure to have sound on and to click on the comments and soundbites alongside the displays as you go through the VoiceThreads. The listed VoiceThreads are categorized by the feature they exemplify: commenting, collaboration, commenting, or creativity, though all VoiceThreads are likely to integrate all four features in some way. Check the wiki, VoiceThread4Education, often for additions, and if you create with your students a model VoiceThread, be sure to add it to the wiki.

Commenting

• My Fellow Americans - http://voicethread.com/share/300897/
• Many Voices of Darfur - http://voicethread.com/share/85497/

Communication

• 1st Grade talking about books - http://voicethread.com/about/library/1st_grade__Reading_Analysis_from_Leanne_Windsor/
• 8th Grade debate - http://voicethread.com/share/774475/
• 10th Grade Career report - http://voicethread.com/share/70584/

Creativity

• 2nd Grade - I Spy (photos) http://voicethread.com/about/library/2nd_graders_play_ISpy/
• Year 7 Water Cycle (artwork) http://voicethread.com/share/118753/
• 6th Grade Math (video) http://voicethread.com/about/library/6th_Grade_math_from_Jackie_Ionno/

Collaboration

• 4th & 5th Grade progressive stories http://writeyourstory.wikispaces.com/story++40
• 4th Grade Letters from the Internment Camps http://voicethread.com/about/library/4th_Grade__Letters_from_the_Internment_Camps/

Other Examples shared

• VoiceThread for Online Teaching and Learning http://voicethread.com/share/908650/
• 5 yr old collecting 100 comments for 100th day celebration http://voicethread.com/share/321990/
• 3rd Grade – Strategies to help with bullying http://voicethread.com/share/1814765/
• 5th grade Flip book animations - http://voicethread.com/share/253737/
• Professional Development: Reflecting on NETS for Teachers http://voicethread.com/share/330098/
• Booktalks from Ms. Skalkottas's Class - http://www.mchslibrary.org/booktalks-from-ms-ss-class.html

Thank you to Colette Cassinelli for sharing this excellent information at the June 2011 International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) Conference.

Do You Meet Teacher Standards for Technololgy?

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) publishes the national standards for technology competency for teachers, students, and administrators. Provided below are links to the standards for both teachers and students. Review these standards, and comment upon where you fit and where you believe the students you see in local schools fit. How well  are schools in your local area meeting these standards? How well do you meet the standards as a professional in the field of teaching? There are five standards for teachers, each with sub parts. Do you meet all of these standards?
Teacher Standards
Student Standards
Do you think teachers should be required to demonstrate how they comply with student standards when authoring teaching materials, such as lesson plans, unit plans, compliance reports, etc.? Should students in Schools of Education incorporate the student standards in lesson and curricular plans that they author?
Do you see a need for any updates in the teacher or student standards? If so, what is missing or needs changing? How well overall do you believe schools and teachers meet these general standards?

Web 2 Tools that Will Instantly Impact Your Classroom

This blog post, Web 2.0 Tools that Will Instantly Impact Your Classroom is an excellent resource for any teacher looking to expand his or her toolbox. Some on the list you will recognize, but have not tried, and maybe the descriptions will entice you to do so now. Others you might not have heard of, but the descriptions will help you decide if they are worth investigating for your teaching or professional needs.  The site is worth bookmarking, assuming you use a bookmarking site like Diigo, one of the tools actually mentioned in the blog. Explore the link, and get back to this blog to let us know your findings and what you plan to research and what you would recommend to others. The blog, Fishing for Technology looks like a good one to remember and bookmark for other blog postings as well.


Image from: http://fishingforedtech.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/web-2-0-tools-that-will-instantly-impact-your-classroom/

Where's Education Heading Today?

Watch these two videos back to back. The second one you have probably seen, but seeing the two in juxtaposition should trigger insights worth sharing about where education, learning, students, and teachers are heading today or need to be. Share your thoughts.

Visions of Students Today (from Michael Wesch)





Social Media Revolution 2011, by Erik Qualman -

12-Year-Old Autistic Boy Surpasses Einstein's Theory of Relativity

Last night, I caught in Autism News an amazing story that is worth passing along in case you have not heard of this genius boy: Autistic Boy, 12 with Higher IQ than Einstein Develops His Own Theory of Relativity.  Already a college student, ready to take on doctoral research in astrophysics, he has created his own theory of relativity, adding to Einstein's work. Jacob Barnett, the boy, taught himself algebra, geometry, calculus, and trigonometry--all within a week, and he is now tutoring college students in these subjects. Check the story in Autism News, and let us know if you have heard about this wonder boy already. If not, do you find the story credible?

Watch Jacob teach Calculus 2:



I'm having trouble thinking of tags (labels) for this blog, so let me know your suggestions. Where do you think I originally heard about this story? Where else, but through a Twitter tweet from a colleague who provided the link to the Autism News story. I am finding the story so incredulous, I don't know if I yet believe it or not. What about you?

Have You Tumbled Upon Tumblr?

Tumblr is an easy-to-use blogging site that is fast becoming popular among teens and pre-teens who are blogging on their own time. Check Tumblr's About page. Also, review the page, Why Everyone Loves Tumblr. Listen to David Karp, Tumblr's founder, talk about Tumblr:



Blogger is just as popular, if not more so, but it's the ease of use and many visual effects on Tumblr that make the site appealing to new bloggers.
 
If you are not blogging with one of these sites, what site do you use? If you are not blogging at all, what are you waiting for?
 
Here's a blog post by one educator,Kim Cofino, who sees blogging as way for students to showcase their accomplishments: Blogs as Showcase Portfolios. She includes in her post links to parts of her students' showcase portfolios. Do you agree with Kim that blogging is a way for students to showcase their self-reflection, accomplishment of goals, and progress? Would you consider using blogging with students,  or do you already? If so, do you recommend it to others?

Time to Remind You About Edmodo

What is Edmodo? Watch this video to find out how this microblogging site with a wide variety of features works:






Here's a YouTube that gives an overview of Edmodo and how it works:




Now that you have watched these two videos, what sense do you get of the potential of Edmodo in the school setting? Not sure, maybe this Glogster poster will give you some ideas. Tools for Edmodo glog shows what can be embedded into Edmodo.

And for those of you looking for more ideas, here is a Prezi supporting the integration of Edmodo in the school setting:

Edmodo: An E-Learning Essential on Prezi

If you want to peek into how a teacher is using Edmodo, take a look at this clip of it from Mrs. Munzo's 3rd peirod class.

Well, this here is quite a bit to introduce you to Edmodo. What have you learned about this tool's place in the schools? Would you encourage school administrators to look into it? Will you consider playing around with it yourself to get a feel for its capabilities?

Twitter Finds a Place in Schools

In this powerful CNN video, an East Los Angeles teacher, Enrique Legaspi, recaps how Twitter changed the dynamics of his social studies 8th grade class. Watch the video at this link, Twitter Finds a Place in the Classroom, and read the accompanying article. Let us know your response.

Not sure of how Twitter will work at the school system level. For instance, followers need not even have a Twitter account to get the tweets. Check this blog post, and note that there is also a Listen button on it to hear the blog read aloud: cool idea. Twitter in Schools: Getting Started. Do you think it is only the techies who are promoting Twitter? Do you realize that most universities and colleges already have a Twitter account and use it regularly to inform the public? Are you following your school's account? Are you following the one of your undergraduate institution? Do you know of school systems with Twitter accounts? If so, how are they using it?

Image from: http://web20classroom.blogspot.com/2011/06/twitter-in-schools-getting-started.html

It's SummerTime: Spring into Action

Next week begins the summer solstice. What does that mean for teachers? Time to kick back and relax, and time to extend your professional learning network. The Educators' PLN, The Personal Learning Network for Educators, is a wonderful community to join in the summer. With over 8,000 members, where else can you find so many educators willing to share? There are 89 special interest groups, daily blogging, forums to join, videos to catch, and more. The Educatiors' PLN,is open to all educators. Sign up today, and avail yourself of the many resources. Remember it is free to join. As an educator, you have nothing to lose, and tons to gain.

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/popoever/1349897444/

Not to Be Missed: The Power of VoiceThread

Image from tgbarrett 

Biology teacher Stacy Baker created a PowerPoint of tips to help her students with blogging. She uploaded this tutorial to Voicethread and added voice, comment boxes, and more. On Voicethread, viewers looking at the PowerPoint or other uploaded media can also add comments. Definitely view on Voicethread Stacy's: Blogging Tutorial. While viewing and listening to the PowerPoint on Voicethread, you'll glean ideas for helping students with blogging as well as learn about how Voicethread works and what its capabilities are. Would you consider uploading one of your PowerPoints to Voicethread and making use of some of the features you see in Stacy's work? What functions of Voicethread impress you? What helpful hints did you take away from the tutorial about helping students with blogging?

Here is a link to a Voicethread on poetry created using third graders'. Picture Writing. In this Voicethread, you will see children's pictures and poetry. Use the arrow key to advance through the presentation. On each slide, you can wait to hear the voices individually or you can click on the sidebars' images to jump around to hear or see others' comments.

You might consider uploading to Voicethread a PowerPoint you created or images you have and then using Voicethread's features to embellish your work.  Think about how you can use Voicethread in your teaching. What ideas do you have now that you have viewed two Voicethreads?

The Browse feature on the Voicethread homepage will allow you to select other samples to check out. If you find ones you like, let us know and copy and paste the URL to share your findings with others.

Image URL on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kardon/2674272852/

Textbooks Versus Laptops: A Parody

Check this parody created by 7th graders in Erin Klein's class. Feel free to leave a comment after watching the video. Do you think the students did a good job of getting their point across? Was a video a good medium for conveying their message? Did watching this video give you ideas for videos you might have students in one of your classes create?



Also, feel free to leave a comment on Twitter for the teacher, Erin Klein, and consider following her on Twitter at  @Mimadisonklein

PowerPoint Posted on SlideShare: Blogging, Forums, and Wikis with Some Tips for Success

Found this PowerPoint on SlideShare tonight, and thought I would share it for several reasons: to illustrate SlideShare as a site for sharing educational resources, to see the power of PowerPoint to create a helpful tip sheet in a graphically appealing way, and to gain some tips about how to introduce students to collaborative tools like blogs and forums. Post a comment after you view the PowerPoint. Have you checked SlideShare recently for PowerPoints you might adapt for your teaching? Is this PowerPoint helpful to you?

Kid's comments and posts

View more presentations from Jacqui Sharp

Use the right arrow to advance through the show, or click on the full screen option and advance as you would with any PowerPoint show.