Fine Tech in the Classroom

I was looking over the DEN website and new STAR member blogs as well as a few STAR members I like to follow and I thought it was about time I posted something.  Each year I learn new things I want to share with my students and this year was, I thought, the exception.  I have, after all, three Window 98 computers in my classroom and everything I introduce to them has to be through my personal laptop and projector and then share 10 computers in the lab (which are at least XP, but slow).  Then, I remember there has been something I have been sharing with my students – learning a step ahead of them. 

This past summer I was able to attend an XO laptop training.  Last year, our mayor (now indicted and convicted – but he did one decent thing for the kids) gave an XO laptop to each child in 1st through 5th grade.  While at first I thought it was just a toy, I learned it could be a powerful tool.  My favorite program to learn on it was Scratch.  This program was created by MIT and is free.   I am learning just one step ahead of the children and we are having a blast learning to create our own stories and games.  To download this great program go to http://scratch.mit.edu

Today my 87 year old Dad did something that most people do not even know what it is.  He Skyped!  I took my laptop to his assisted living apartment and I set it up so he could Skype with my brother, who lives in West Virginia and my niece and children, who live in Tampa.  He was thrilled to be able to see and talk to them at the same time.  Now he will be able to see his great grandchildren grow.  It was truly awesome. 

I don’t know how I’ve not done this for so long, but I have finally joined Facebook.  It’s a little addictive.  I keep finding myself going to it to see what my friends are up to – truly could be hooked.

I must have been buried under a rock since I have just now found this cool tool for fun!

I am taking an eLearning class through our state PBS group.  It is called ” Wikis and Blogs and Podcasts and Skypes.”  While I’m pretty confident about blogs, I have been wanting to really create a wiki with my students.  So I created one through pbWiki.  We learning about Greece, but I’ve got that covered through my blog.  I was thinking about learning and discussing about internet safety and bullying.  I’m looking for some good resources on both on the internet.