Shaping the Future - One Click at a Time

Give up some control...

2011-11-29T10:59:00.003-06:00

As teachers, we like our classroom to run exactly as we planned in our lesson. Unfortunately, students don't learn in the same manner as they used to. They are MUCH more "wired" than we are.

I think we try so hard to keep up with technology, we sometimes forget to give some of the responsibility to the students.

For example:

Challenge:I want to be able to share a google doc with my 3rd hour class. I don't want to have to type in all of their addresses manually. That would take a lot of MY time.

Solution: Have a computer set up in a wordprocessing document. When students walk in (or as part of a center) have them type their school email address on the page and then press enter. Once the class is done, you now have a document with the email addresses of each student. You can copy/paste this into the share box or even use it to email all the students.

Benefits: Students have taken ownership. If they didn't type it or type it in correctly, they won't be getting the documents they need. The teacher has just saved a lot of time, especially if they teacher several classes. We are modeling the fact that we all have to work together as we journey towards success!

You can't do it all! Just do your best job at what you can do!

Don't sweat the small stuff :)

SHOW ME!

2011-11-29T10:55:00.002-06:00

The Show Me app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes store. It can be used on an iPad/iTouch to record voice and writing on a whiteboard. You can even add images. You can save the screen cast you create right on the device or upload it for free to their site. They have a private or public option for you also.

There are several teachers having students create screen casts to show mastery of skill and to build a library of RTI resources for their students.

Nothing is better that having students take ownership of their learning!

Feed Books public domain ebooks

2011-11-29T10:50:00.002-06:00

Feed Books allows you to download public domain Feed Books allows you to download public domain pieces from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to The Call of the Wild. The formats are .pdf, epub, and kindle. These can be used easily on any apple device with iBooks or on a kindle. What a great resource for students to read digital text!

Did you know?

2011-09-30T10:57:00.002-05:00

We are starting a series of videos for staff. Some are created using iMovie and some will be created using iPad apps, so they could look a bit different.

They are all short, sweet, and to the point!

iTunes

2011-02-03T13:45:00.002-06:00

iTunes has 69cent love songs for sale right now! 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, pop, country, modern and classic are some of the great categories! Check it out!!!

Changing Education...

2010-10-18T09:32:00.002-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=youtu.be

This was a very interesting video that I got from Pam. There are so many things that I agree with in here. One being that kids should not be grouped by age. I have felt that as a teacher, however, I feel very strongly about it as a parent. When my son started school, he wasn't always up to "grade level" standards. However, he eventually got it. His light bulb eventually turned on. I wasn't worried about it because I had confidence that it would come. Everyone's light bulb just turns on at different times, so why do we say that a 5 year old should be able to do certain skills when every person learns at a different pace? It makes some feel inadequate, while holding others back from extended learning... When will we embrace some of these ideas and begin to see some change?

Email Organization

2010-05-04T12:53:00.002-05:00

I have started to become more aware of how disastrous my email box looks... If an email gets pushed to the "2nd page" on my long inbox list, it is sadly forgotten!
So - I am trying to take Jon's advice and keep it clean and organized.
You can watch Jon's presentation here.

The GMail Blog also has some great tips. These are two that I have just implemented and they work GREAT!
Inserting a Calendar invite directly from your gmail message.
Nesting your labels.

Enjoy!
:)

Love is in the air...

2010-02-03T12:46:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, one of our 3rd grade classes came and did some shared writing on Wall Wisher. Click here to see their writing.

We took their ideas and created a motivational poster using BigHugeLabs.

Google Wonder Wheel

2009-10-01T13:32:00.001-05:00

I had to give it it's own spotlight post because I think it's so cool!
Check out the Google Wonder Wheel for searching!

Homecoming Week in Oregon

2009-09-25T08:53:00.008-05:00

It has been a busy week! BKE 4th grade took pictures of their students at a desk w/green screen last week. I edited them last Friday and put them sitting at the President's desk in the oval office. On Monday and Tuesday, we recorded their voices in Photostory, I added music and exported them out as .wmv files. They showed them at the Open House we had on Thursday night. I am sure they were a hit!

Dawn Bagniefski was inquiring about iTunes library sharing. So, I dug and and we tried it! It works. Now, thanks to Dawn, Emily Laga is going to put together a playlist for staff to use in their classroom each month! Go Brooklyn!!

Jennifer Lynch and I worked on getting her website/glogster updated and running smooth! Mary Weber was bummed that we don't have the old Kid Pix with the COOL panther mask to printout for homecoming! I found one to satisy online and I can't wait to see those kindergarten students wearing their masks at the parade today!

I am in my 3rd week of doing internet safety lessons with 3/4th graders at BKE. We talk about keeping their personal information private, creating online screen names/log ins and passwords, online predators, and appropriate online ettiquette. I show them all the soccergirl rewind video, which they LOVE! It prompts some good discussion.

I worked with a few TIP students that had to miss the last part of class. We got them set up and running with a Delicious account!

I spent some time at OHS working with Erika on voicethread and Google Presentation options for a project she it planning for her students. I also worked with the new Flip Ultra Cameras at OHS and found that the software we had didn't work with those cameras. So, we cancelled the training we had planned on Thursday and rescheduled for next week. Doug got the software working and Jeri and I have a handout created for staff!

I got some time on Thursday for my own professional development! I worked on cleaning out email and reading/cleaning my reader! I got to catch up on some of my blog postings and share many sites with staff members. Some of the sites I discovered were:
My favorite - Google Wonder Wheel
Discovery has a great site about natural disasters and Africa
Jenn is going to start the Flat Stanley Project this year!

I also worked on my NING account and got Chris and Jenn to join the Global Collaboration Project, as they are both interested in collaborating with other classrooms. My PLP participation is getting better, I got accepted to the NING and I have a good feel for the wiki at this point, but I still have a lot of questions and feel like I am sailing in unchartered waters. I am stretching!

Today, I am off to graph with Mrs. Klein's class at NKE and then pulling the float for PVE in the parade!
Go Panthers!!

Our Chicago Trip

2009-08-12T10:27:00.001-05:00

Green Screening Video

2009-06-18T09:10:00.002-05:00

I took a class this week and one of the great things I learned is how to green screen myself on to a video file and/or still image! So fun!
Here is the link to my YouTube video! Enjoy!

Boys Adrift - Dr. Sax

2009-04-17T13:21:00.002-05:00

This is the sequel to Why Gender Matters. I found it quite interesting. Basically, he discusses why boys are having a tough time having that drive to succeed.
#1 - We need to let Kindergarten be what it used to be. Focus on reading in 1st/2nd grade. The expectations at 5 for a boy to read is too early. They need more movement in school. The expectation for them to sit still for long periods is difficult.
#2 - Limit Video Games. Engagement in the REAL world is good. They shouldn't play video games in which they are the "bad" guy shooting the police or figures of authority, like an officer. This gives them the ideas that it might be ok to kill the "good" guy.
#3 - ADHD medications. They are finding that the effect of taking medications for ADHD are actually CHANGING the demeanor of children and they are turning out to be different beings even AFTER they are off the meds.
#4 - Endocrine Distruptors - basically, the polyethylene terephthatlate seeping out of plastic bottles in which they drink soda/water from is distrupting their hormone/testosterone development.
#5 - Loss of Positive Role Models - restoring the bond between generations.

If any of this peaks your interest, I would recommend checking this one out!
Below are the links to his page and to some sites that talk about endocrine distruptors and our current environmental situation.

www.boysadrift.com
www.ourstolenfuture.com
www.noharm.org

Heather Fish 3M projector video first draft

2009-01-04T19:38:00.002-06:00

My Friend Dan...

2008-12-16T14:57:00.002-06:00

This was created on the "speechable" site. Interesting...

It saves as a .png and you can email and link to family and friends...

My Voki

2008-10-16T14:52:00.002-05:00

Get a Voki now!

DEN Midwest Conference

2008-09-21T19:00:00.003-05:00

iVelvet, iShelly, and iPam went to Glen Ellyn, IL for the DEN Midwest Conference this weekend! We learned a lot, ate a lot, and had a GREAT time!!! Bonus - Velvet won a prize!!

R U a Google Educator?

2008-08-14T10:08:00.000-05:00

Google is holding their teacher academy in Chicago on September 24th!! So close to us! Applications must be in by August 24th!
Click here for more info...

Games

2008-05-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

I envision that gaming could be a way to engage our students and keep them learning. It would be great if the MAPS test could just be a game. I believe the data would be more accurate.
GLS - Right here in Madison!

Involve the teachers...

2008-05-22T13:45:00.000-05:00

The key to building our learning community...take the time to involve the teachers and teach them. I look forward to the time I will have to do that next year.

Learning to Change

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

2008-05-02T10:46:00.001-05:00

Would you like to win a new computer lab for your school?

Each week on the show, they have a "club question" that was submitted by a student. If your question is selected, you win a new computer lab for your school.
The questions need to be geared towards 1st-5th curriculum.
Go to Are you Smarter than a 5th grader? and click on "Classroom Club Challenge" to download the entry form.
Good luck!

A vision of K-12 students today

2008-04-14T13:03:00.000-05:00

This video really makes you think about how we need to change the way we deliver content to students. We need to engage them more. Our learners have changed, we need to change also...

I am a bridge maker!

2008-04-12T17:13:00.000-05:00

My official title is a Computer Resource Teacher. I like "technologist" though...
Click here for the explanation...

Are you paying attention??

2008-04-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

Click here to watch - Pay Attention

We showed this to our TIP class, but I think it's a powerful video worth watching. It really makes you look at the way you teach and how we need to adapt to meet the needs of our digital students. :)

Why Blog?

2008-04-09T18:13:00.000-05:00

I had two 3rd grade teachers start classroom blogs today! YIPEE!! Shannon said her kids were so excited they stayed in at recess just to finish their entry! Their links are at the bottom of my page.
Click Here for some articles and even a video that Shannon found about blogging with kids!

I am such a geek!

2008-04-08T18:51:00.000-05:00

www.blabberize.com

Can you imagine using a photo of a famous person and talking?? Perhaps an idea for some students???

R U visual?

2008-04-08T18:10:00.000-05:00

Check out this news site! WOW!

WEMTA

2008-04-08T16:17:00.000-05:00

It's amazing the inspiration you get from attending a conference. I have all of these thoughts swirling through my head! Let me share a few...

I have added many sites to my del.icio.us site (on the right). If you don't have a delicious site, we need to talk!

I saw two spectacular presenters named John Pederson, Jennifer Wagner and David Jakes called "Really Cool New Tool Trio Face Off" They had some AWESOME sites and tools. I will let you check out their sites, but the ones I think I could use right away is Google Spreadsheet with forms and ZoomIt. I already use Creative Commons/Flickr with my 3rd/4th graders and it has been a wonderful resource for copyright free images for our Powerpoint and Photostory projects. (You can also use Creative Commons for music and video files.) These guys were really fun. They showed us the tools and entertained us at the same time!

I saw a good differentiation presentation by an 8th grade teacher and the GT teacher from Silver Lake, WI. They used Blooms Taxonomy and the multiple intelligences to put together an excellent unit on the Civil Rights Movement. Spectacular! We are so powerful as a team!
They let the students choose the project. They are responsible for their own learning and the teacher is the facilitator! One of the 4th grade teachers I work with, Margo VandeZande, allowed her 4th graders to choose their project for their Native American unit and it is AMAZING to watch the learning that took place(and the fun!).

David Jakes talked about how students are networking online through blogs/wikis/social networking sites and that we need to use these tools to facilitate their learning. It's time for a change in how we teach. We need to extend our classroom past the walls. Let's go global!