Using Twitter in the Classroom

Once again I found another quality article from  The Innovative Educator site,  3 Reason for Using Twitter In Your School.  It includes a Prezi presentation with videos embedded to provide more information.

Apps for Cash Strapped School Districts

I found this article on the EmergingEdTech.com site that gives information about 5 apps that can be a great resource for those school districts that are experiencing a cash flow problem (isn't most school in this category these days).  Some of the have been mention on the blogs posts and some of them have been bookmarked on Delicious.  But I think it would be worth your time to check out the 5 apps.  The author, Ann Davis, provides a brief summary of each.

5 Ed Tech Resources I Used While Working in a Low-Income Class

by ANN DAVIS on JULY 23, 2013

7 Things to Know about Ning

I had never heard of the social networking site called Ning until reading this article.  I could really see the application of using such a concept for my classroom, however, I would feel the need to purchase the premier version to avoid advertisements that might cause issues or parent concerns.  The article addressed the fact that someone could participate in a number of different networks but mentioned the downside of trying to keep up with the number of contacts you are a part of.
Interesting enough, my POA just set up something very similar to Ning so the neighborhood can stay up with community events, safety and crime issues, and ways to meet your neighbor.  The site is called NextDoor and it has been very useful so far.  As a matter of fact, I need to go to cook my dessert for our neighborhood gathering for tonight.  Talk to you later!

Audio Recordings

Wouldn't you like to "get into your students heads" even when they are not in the classroom?  What better way than to create an audio recording of an important point or idea using anyone of the audio voice tool mentioned in the article from Free Technology for Teachers entitled
"5 Services for Creating & Sharing Audio Recordings Online"
I would also like to encourage you to search through the links under the article to help your students create audio recordings and slideshows.

Goggle Voice

I read this article about Google Voice and thought I'd share it.  I am thinking this is a perfect way to allow parents to "call" you without having to give out your number.  Place the widget on your wiki, blog, or webpage and stay in touch.  View on the Innovative Educator blog.
Link to article

Quick Read on Bloom's Taxonomy

I found this short like article on the iLearnTechnology.com entitled Bloom's Taxonomy Paint Palette that give a colorful and informative summary of Bloom's  I know most of us have seen many version by this was a little different so I thought I'd pass it along.

ChatWing

I was very interested in the article on Free Technology for Teachers about the free program called ChatWing that you can embed into your website or blog.  It is a chatbox that allows you to set up a mini social network that could be used in the classroom on your blog.  I haven't tried it yet (chicken I'll mess up my current class blog to be honest) but would like to know if anyone out there has ever used it.

Use ChatWing Embed a Backchannel Into Your Blog  retrieved July 18, 2013 from Free Technology for Teachers

Do The Math...Right

I just read an article on Edutopia about why we are having so much trouble in the United States over reaching future STEM students.  The problem, according to the article, is the way math is being taught at the university level and how courses are set up and designed to weed out the less committed math students.  Little, if any, change in the way math is being taught at the university level over the years has dramatically affected the attitudes and desires for student to pursue math and science majors.  Being a math teacher myself, I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard parents say how they struggled in math in school and explain their shortcomings on why their children struggle.  I like the Ainissa Ramirez (blog author) statement that "we need to take math back" and "let's do the math...right".  Read the article by clicking the link below:
Do The Math...Right

Wikipedia Video

Prior to watching the video assigned for the week, I thought (and as what was pointed out in the video) that Wikipedia is not the direction I would steer my students if they were doing academic research on a given project.  But as the video pointed out, Wikipedia will certainly provide a starting direction in finding notable people, events etc. within the wiki to leads you to seek out information from more reliable, research based articles about these people and/or events.  The reference section will also provide a good source to explore when searching for source material for the project or paper.  The video also mentioned the use of imprtant vocabulary words and terms to help the student have a better understanding and, again, allow them to continue a search for other sources the made have a solid research foundation.  Like any academic research, student need to verify the reliablility of the information they use in their project/paper regardless as to where they find it. 

The Unengagables

This is a short little article by Dan Meyer about how affect the "unengagable" students and lots of quality responses that address the issue.  The link is below:
The Unengagables

Trying to keep up

I must confess trying to keep up with everything for the class and still trying to spend quality time with my new grandson has been more difficult than I thought. For all my classmates I want you to know I'm reading your blogs and your post.  And I have seen some really great points being made. I just haven't responded as much as I have. But know I'm still trying to keep up.

History of Aviation

I figure that few if any of you out there thought too much about the article from Free Technology for Teachers, The Timeline of Flight and Other Resources For Learning About Aviation  but I was a former helicopter pilot in the Army and I kinda enjoyed the video clips and looking over the
scholastic resources covering the history of aviation.  I know this may not be directly related to this class but I had to chase that rabbit a little in pursue of personal enjoyment.  Thanks for letting me "wander" a bit.
Free Technology for Teachers, A Timeline of Flight and Other Resources for Learning About Aviation viewed July 09, 2013

Chapter 8 Reading about Podcast

As I was reading through chapter 8 of this weeks assignment, I found that it took entirely too long to get through it.  Every time I got to a section where it would suggest you go to a particular site and check out other podcasts, I found myself chasing rabbits of the multitude of quality podcasts that are out there.  I was really impressed when I read the section about how you can go to the Itune store and find education podcast already assembled and, more specifically, how you can search down to K-12 podcasts relevant to your grade level.  I started to view several educational technology podcasts (some an hour long) and found myself only part way through my reading assignment.  I'm anxious to get started with our weekly podcast assignment to see how easy they are supposed to be to create.
Richardson, W.  "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. 3rd ed.  Corwin Publishing, Thousand Oaks, CA

7 Things You Should Know About...Instant Messaging

As I read the article about instant messaging, the first thing that came to mind was distracted and bored students "chatting" with friends about things that are completely off topic.  But the article pointed out how, if used appropriately, can be a valuable way of receiving information about what is taking place in class without disrupting the flow of class by having the capability of getting clarification from another member of the class.  I suppose that, with proper training, students can learn what is appropriate and not, and how to use IM as a tool not a toy.
I must confess that it never occurred to me that unsolicited Spim (IM version of Spam) was something to watch for and didn't give it much thought that it can be a source of viruses etc. because it oftentimes circumvents the security software on your computer.  All in all however, I can see it as one more available and inexpensive form of technology that can be incorporated into the classroom.
7 Things You Should Know About ...Instant Messaging

Transform Education thru Technology HR 521 Bill

A piece of legislation in Congress right now that will have a significant impact in our classroom is HR 521 Bill.  Read the article and, if you agree get involved.  The article can be found at http://www.emergingedtech.com/2013/07/transforming-education-through-technology-hr-521-bill/

7 Things You Should Know About... Twitter

After reading the article from our class reading about the use of Twitter, I can say that I still haven't been able to see the relevance to its use in a classroom setting.  I have used Twitter over the years, primarily to keep up with a few missionary friends in  Africa,  Recently, however, I started  to follow some "math experts" who are addressing issues with the new Common Core and he has been interesting and insightful at times.  And it lend itself to a few laughs as well.  I guess you really have to get committed to Twitter to fully understand its importance to the educational setting.
7 Things you should know about ... Twitter

Project Based Learning

How do we as educators truly get our students involved in the learning process?  Are we simply trying to convince ourselves that, if a student scores well on a formalized test, they have really mastered the skill?  One way to truly see if your students are comprehending the skills and objectives are through project based units. They are a little scary for most teachers because it takes them out of their comfort zone.  Here is an article, with video included, that gives an excellent justification for moving toward PBL (Project Based Learning).
Project Based Learning:  Start to Finish
viewed on Edutopia July 1, 2013

Math Folks

For those of you who teach math and want a great resources to use to extend children's thinking and make them think out side of the box, a guy you should look into following is Dan Meyer.  Here is an example of some of the things he comes up with:
Makeover - Bedroom Carpet