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Once a Creeker, always a Creeker
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This last week before retirement has been full of tears and laughter - and
to think I just wanted a simple breakfast... I guess I should have known
that t...
Friday, February 27, 2009
Shout Out to Melanie Holtsman
I love this gal. She is smart, funny, quick and fabulously sarcastic. She is also someone who takes technology and runs with it. She is the Digital Literacy Coach at Chet's Creek Elementary School, and a good friend who teaches me endlessly through her blogs and connections. She has been the bridge for me from my stint as stay at home mom/ consultant to my current role as obsessive-about-learning-through-technology. Geek, whatever, it's all good. Anyhoo, if you want to keep up with her, and therefore keep up with a comet, or a rising star, go here . Thanks, my friend!
I'm officially addicted to learning...
about learning.
There, I said it. Now you know why I have dark circles under my eyes and why I always seem to be doing SOMETHING. I am never still, and I am exhausted, but I can't stop!
This site has free images-- generally a tough thing to come across. I don't know how much money I have spent on stock images, but I am sure I could drive a nicer car if I had the money back. Anyhoo...drumroll...
www.morguefile.com
From the site: The term "morgue file" is popular in the newspaper business to describe the file that holds past issues flats. The purpose of this site is to provide free image reference material for use in all creative pursuits. This is the world wide web's morguefile.
There, I said it. Now you know why I have dark circles under my eyes and why I always seem to be doing SOMETHING. I am never still, and I am exhausted, but I can't stop!
This site has free images-- generally a tough thing to come across. I don't know how much money I have spent on stock images, but I am sure I could drive a nicer car if I had the money back. Anyhoo...drumroll...
www.morguefile.com
From the site: The term "morgue file" is popular in the newspaper business to describe the file that holds past issues flats. The purpose of this site is to provide free image reference material for use in all creative pursuits. This is the world wide web's morguefile.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
More Cool Things
Yes, more cool things! This means kids in the media center and kids in the classroom can be working on the same activity (possibly research) and it all comes together on the virtual notepad.This looks like a great tool. This is free.
http://etherpad.com/
Here are some ideas how it can be used in the classrooms. (taken from various sources...thank you!)
Using it with Guided Reading groups, where maybe 5-6 kids are reading the same book. Instead of having a group meeting where we all start discussing what the kids read, we begin by having the students all write their thoughts on Etherpad and begin responding to each other. Then, in our meeting, we already know the basics and can move right into the more in-depth issues where perhaps the group was not in agreement. We get more out of our in-class reading sessions as a result.
I was facilitating a workshop session where teachers were creating a lesson plan from scratch. At the beginning, on person was typing everything into a Word document. Other teachers were making suggestions and recommendations but the typist had a hard time keeping up with the process. I quickly created a new "pad" and sent the URL to all the teachers in the session. After they got to the site, they all were able to edit the document, make additions, and generate a well-structured lesson plan that they could all take with them. In this situation, not only did EtherPad help the process move faster, but it also gave everyone an opportunity to collaborate, and consequently, design a better lesson.
Student can use the tool to work on collaborative writing project.
Students can partner with other students in locations around the world use the site to generate / create documents products independent of physical location.
Students can invite subject matter experts to work with them on projects.
Another amazing tool for digital storytelling—
http://education.animoto.com/
It is free. Yes free. The sky is the limit when we can use these tools to engage our students!
http://etherpad.com/
Here are some ideas how it can be used in the classrooms. (taken from various sources...thank you!)
Using it with Guided Reading groups, where maybe 5-6 kids are reading the same book. Instead of having a group meeting where we all start discussing what the kids read, we begin by having the students all write their thoughts on Etherpad and begin responding to each other. Then, in our meeting, we already know the basics and can move right into the more in-depth issues where perhaps the group was not in agreement. We get more out of our in-class reading sessions as a result.
I was facilitating a workshop session where teachers were creating a lesson plan from scratch. At the beginning, on person was typing everything into a Word document. Other teachers were making suggestions and recommendations but the typist had a hard time keeping up with the process. I quickly created a new "pad" and sent the URL to all the teachers in the session. After they got to the site, they all were able to edit the document, make additions, and generate a well-structured lesson plan that they could all take with them. In this situation, not only did EtherPad help the process move faster, but it also gave everyone an opportunity to collaborate, and consequently, design a better lesson.
Student can use the tool to work on collaborative writing project.
Students can partner with other students in locations around the world use the site to generate / create documents products independent of physical location.
Students can invite subject matter experts to work with them on projects.
Another amazing tool for digital storytelling—
http://education.animoto.com/
It is free. Yes free. The sky is the limit when we can use these tools to engage our students!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Okay, Two Du Jour's! Jing
A must have to create tutorials on just about anything! (It is what I used to capture a previous post about how to set up a blog.)
http://www.jing.com/
http://www.jing.com/
Educational Tool Du Jour: VoiceThread
My school district has this blocked right now, but it is my hope to get it unblocked so we can use this amazing tool for collaboration. It is basically a free online tool which allows teachers to lead a discussion and then have various means of commenting, via the web, in real time. The teacher is the administrator and can set parameters and filter commenting. A true Web 2.0 tool.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
In Case You Were Wondering...
My name is Marie, and I am a teacher by heart and by trade. I taught 3rd grade, then fell into Kindergarten for 12 years. I am a self-taught techno geek, and find it fairly addictive to learn new things on the computer. Early on, if you asked me what kind of computer I had, I would have said a shade of biege, almost taupe-y. I figured out web design, and did that at the school level, then trained high school students at the Shultz Center for Education. I worked at the Florida DOE as a consultant for a few years, then moved to the wonderland of the Florida Center for Reading Research. I had two beautiful daughters who happened to be born on the same day, and now they are 5 and off in Kindergarten on their own. Now my education begins again, as I learn to teach, and teach to learn. Educational Technology Teacher--This is gonna be fun!
Friday, February 6, 2009
What is a Blog and How Can I Use One?
What is a Blog?
The word weblog is derived from the words “web” (referring to the World Wide Web) and “log” (meaning to write or record). The term weblog is commonly shortened to just “blog”, and refers to web-based publications, or postings, on an author’s blog site.
From an educational standpoint, blogs provide a means for administrators, teachers, and students to read, reflect, write, and comment on their own, and others’ writings. In its simplest form, blogging is about reading and writing. Blogging is about communication!
1. Use blogs to increase student motivation.
2. Use blogs to increase reading and writing skills.
3. Use blogs as an interactive collaborative tool.
4. Use blogs to help build social networks.
Social networks may sound daunting, but really, it means connecting with others who share the same passions and interests.
The word weblog is derived from the words “web” (referring to the World Wide Web) and “log” (meaning to write or record). The term weblog is commonly shortened to just “blog”, and refers to web-based publications, or postings, on an author’s blog site.
From an educational standpoint, blogs provide a means for administrators, teachers, and students to read, reflect, write, and comment on their own, and others’ writings. In its simplest form, blogging is about reading and writing. Blogging is about communication!
1. Use blogs to increase student motivation.
2. Use blogs to increase reading and writing skills.
3. Use blogs as an interactive collaborative tool.
4. Use blogs to help build social networks.
Social networks may sound daunting, but really, it means connecting with others who share the same passions and interests.
2 Minutes to Set up a Class or Personal Blog
http://www.screencast.com/users/marierush/folders/Jing/media/ff12d15c-a240-44d8-ac94-1740b3888c9c
This is a quick screen capture of how I did it! It is free, and easy, and in my next post, I'll explain how you can use it for your classroom!
Here is another link...I don't think my friend Melanie will care!
http://sites.google.com/site/geekitupnow/Home/blogger
This is a quick screen capture of how I did it! It is free, and easy, and in my next post, I'll explain how you can use it for your classroom!
Here is another link...I don't think my friend Melanie will care!
http://sites.google.com/site/geekitupnow/Home/blogger
I'm going back to teaching!
My love for all things children and all things technology have merged! I'm the new Instructional Technology long term sub at Orange Park Elementary School in Orange Park, Florida, and I am thrilled! It is my hope to spark an interest in all things geeky in both children and adults. I'll be blogging about blogging, and software, and websites and applications, and Facebooking, and Skypeing, building Wiki's and Twittering...and if you don't know what any of these things are, come along...we'll figure it out together. Ah, the future is here! I can't wait for the jouney!
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