Fine Tech in the Classroom

Thanks to Jen at Jenuine Tech.com for organizing and facilitating the holiday card exchange.  My class participated and have sent out their cards and just received their first card from Connecticut.  They are looking forward to seeing where the cards are coming from, especially those from overseas.  She is also having us create a KMZ file for Google Earth so that we can view the location of all participants - what fun!

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!

Thanks to whoever added the new presenations templates for our blogs.  I absolutely love, love WordPress and the flexibility.  I’ve been using WordPress since Dreamhost added as a “goodie” to those who use their service.  This template is my favorite.  You are able to add you own photos.  

Other free WordPress blogs I have use is through the WordPress site and through Edublogs.

My students are trying to decide on a name for our new mascot.  I found an easy poll to make part of my website.  Go to PollDaddy to create your own for your site.  This is our mascot, nameless:)  He comes from animationfactory.com

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.

I keep changing my class blog template.   I like the clean lines of this one and my students enjoy the animation I get from animationfactory.com that match with what we are learning in class.

Today I conducted two sessions at our statewide Alabama Association for Gifted Children’s Conference.  I had a great time teaching my colleagues in using Windows Movie Maker and blogging.  One session was called The Age of YouTube.   The description was - Students can use the Windows Movie Maker program to capture video, images, and audio clips, which they can then edit and arrange into their very own movie and even upload them to TeacherTube to share with others!  I wanted to get them to see the importance of digital storytelling.

I could not help but to include Discovery Streaming in my session.  We ended up talking more about what was available to include in a Movie Maker from DS than how to create a movie maker.  I believe I got a few more followers of Discovery Streaming (through APTPLUS.ORG) today.

I finally used my eBeam with my students today.  Mind you - I teach 4th grade gifted in an urban school - so they can be easily impressed.  I hooked up my laptop and projector and connected the eBeam - magic!!!  First, I had a tour set up on Google Earth (which none of them had ever seen) and they were so hooked.  When I went up to the board and touched it to start and stop - they wanted to know how I did that.  Then I pulled up a doc and drew on it and changed the color and then highlighted with the stylus - it is so cool.  I have not used a whiteboard before - we have none in our school -so this was new for all us.  I have a lot to learn still on operating this but —- Kudos to eBeam.

I am so excited!  My eBeam has been delivered.  Each year I try to purchase a new piece of technology for my classroom.  Because I’m not in a Title I school (even though I teach children from other Title I schools), there is not money for the school to purchase new technologies.  The school district also has been leaving it up to the individual schools to come up with the money for these technologies.  Well, if you are in a lower middle class socioeconomic school, the money is just not there from the parents.  So, because of this, and a generous hubby, I bought it myself.  Anyway, I digress.

I chose an eBeam over a SMART board because I can move it around.  It’s portable and works on any white surface - even the wall.  I am fortunate to have a white dry erase board to project on in my classroom.  If I get moved to another classroom (which happens yearly) I can easily take it with me.  When I do demonstration lessons at other locations, it can easily travel with me.  I can’t wait for the students to see it in action.