During the beginning of the school year I stumbled upon a great image of the “Blooming Butterfly” This image was created by Learning Today as a tribute to Benjamin Bloom and Lori Anderson. I think that it is a fantastic visual to encourage all learners to become better thinkers.
Blooming Butterfly
Wordle.net was one of my “finds of the year” last year. I love to create word clouds for training sessions to introduce new topics or to stimulate discussion. I know that many of you are using Wordle in your classroom as well. I’ve included some links with ideas on how to use Wordle in your classroom. If you have any addtional ideas please share how you use Wordle word clouds in your classroom.
Teacher Tube Video: Using Wordle in the Classroom
YouTube Video
Check out our “Learning on the Go” Podcast examples! Our teachers in this strand worked hard this year as they learned what a podcast was and how to create one.
Use this Web 2.0 tool to create online timelines to share with other.
As many of you stated in your comments, this year has been a busy, ever-changing and somewhat stressful year. My job has changed dramatically but I have tried to stay as positive as possible. This can be tough some days but reading the book, How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton has helped me do this. This book tells us that each of us has a empty bucket and we can fill that bucket with positive interactions with others. Each time we say or do something positive to fill someone else’s bucket our bucket fills up as well. In turn any time we dip into someone else’s bucket by saying or doing something that has a negative affect, we are also draining our bucket. We may feel as though we do not have a lot of choices some days but we do have a choice that can make a big difference. We can either fill one another’s bucket or empty it. My choice is to fill it…
I’ve included some links that you can use to get started today!
Positivity at School - Students: share your thoughts on the concepts of bucket-filling, the importance of “moments” and ways to put the power of positivity into motion.
The Drop Zone - Send an electronic drop or create printable drops.
If you can fill someone’s bucket today I would highly recommend it.
This year in the School District of Rhinelander we were met with many new changes and challenges. Time off and sub requests, central purchasing, new initiatives, new job assignments or requirements…the list goes on and on. I read a great book in August that has helped me deal with the changes that have occured in my job so far this year and I would recommend it to all of you. The book is called “Who Moved My Cheese, An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life ” by Spencer Johnson. It’s an easy to read story about two mice and two little people named Sniff, Scurry, Hem and Haw who deal with change in their cheese. This story helped me see that change can be good and that we all need to watch for change because it typically does not just happen over night.
As I began the new school year I remembered this quote from the book, “The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese” This helped me move on and accept the changes in front of me.
In the book the cheese is something we need and value, our achievement, our goals etc. What is your cheese this year? How can I help you find your cheese?
You Tube Video Part One http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSbjph4KBXA
You Tube Video Part Two http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri1A22pb_HA
It’s summer vacation and I have been busy learning through teaching, reading, conferences and graduate classes (face to face and online). My head is full of 21st Century skills, Curriculum Framing Questions, Understanding by Design, Essential Questions, Assessments, ISTE Teacher Standards (Released at NECC), SMARTBoards and more and more Web 2.0 tools. My list of books, resources, websites and ideas to share with teachers continues to grow and I look forward to sharing them. Here are just a few to get you started!
Intel Assessment Tool - Click on “Workspace” to find great assessments that you can use as is or edit. You will need to create an account to use this free resource.
ISTE NETS for Teachers - ISTE’s Teachnology Standards for Teachers (New!)
Edublogs.TV - A new video hosting site dedicated to education
Teaching with SMARTBoard - Using the SMARTBoard to TEach Engaging Lessons (with a 6-12 math Emphasis) More SMARTBoard Resources to come!
There are many tools out there where you can record podcasts using your phone or cell phone. I played with a couple including gcast and gabcast and I found gabcast much easier to use. Here is an example of a simple recording using my cell phone. You can use Gabcast to record your audio files and then publish the basic audio files. In addition you can download them to your computer so that you can edit them in audacity.
Link to Gabcast
Gabcast! SDR Training #1
Embedded Player
Subscribe Free
Add to my Page
Poll Everywhere is a Web 2.0 resource that allows you to use simple text message voting. Your audience (or students) can vote via a cellphone and your results can be posted in a PowerPoint or in your blog.
Let’s try it! Vote for your favorite Web 2.0 tool via your cellphone! Send a text message to 41411 and then use one of the codes to vote for your favorite:
Blogs – CAST 2195
Wikis – CAST 2196
Social Boomarking – CAST 2197
RSS Aggregators – CAST 2198
Podcasts – CAST 2408
Online Video – CAST 2409
Click here if you can not send a text message. Web 2.0 Poll
Hi! The Technology Tools strand will be working with GPS units during their last strand training. Here are some resources to help introduce the topic of GPS in the classroom.
