Cathy Walker’ Blog

I am just about ready to introduce Wikis to my 4th graders. I am really excited because I did Wikis last year, but it was several months into the school year before I learned about them and actually showed my kids. This year, I am starting off right away and they’ll have an entire year of working and learning about Wikis. I am also excited because I figured out a way to make them private and now the kids (and I) don’t have to worry about anyone seeing their work that they don’t want to see it!

I’m also ready to have them start podcasting. This year I’m going to do something a little different, I am going to have them podcast their published writing as well. It should make for some interesting podcasts!

Cathy

I survived my very first United Streaming presentation!! I was so nervous but it was really easy once I got started. Fortunately, I had some really supportive colleagues sitting in the front and I could just look at them for support. I was able to show the teachers in my building how to log into Discovery Streaming and then I gave them a tour of the features. I was able to find a handout called “50 Ways to Incorporate United Streaming Into Your Classroom” and I gave each person one. They seemed to appreciate it. This was a large group of teachers so we had the presentation in the library.

After this first training session, I had to come back three weeks later for the second training. This time if was a smaller group of teachers and it was held in the computer lab. Each teacher was able to login and then as I used the Smartboard to guide them, they were able to play around and see all the Discovery Streaming has to offer. I think the second session went much better than the first.

I think the part that everyone liked the most (me included) is the link to objectives and state standards. It’s so nice to be able to find videos that reinforce the objectives being taught in class.

Cathy

Well, I am back to school already. I know, I just finished the 2007-2008 school year on June 27th and here we are in July and I am back to school! Talk about a short summer (lol).

I am really excited because I am going to be leading the first staff development that my school is having! I get to teach the teachers in my building about Discovery Streaming! I am most excited to show them how to use Streaming in the classroom and all the fantastic things you can do with Streaming! I am a bit nervous though! It’s one thing to talk to kids all day, but definitely another when it comes to talking to adults. It’s even more difficult when they’re my peers. I hope I do well!!

I’ll post again soon. I am still in back-to-school mode and trying to get organized in the classroom. Once I have things together, I’ll blog more. I promise!!

I am so excited! This last week, I had my students record book reviews so I could make them into a Podcast. I wasn’t sure how hard/easy it was going to be, so I did a practice one first. Much easier than I expected! So on Friday, I had nine students volunteer to record their review and then this weekend I converted them into mp3 format and uploaded them to my website.

I also took a video of them dancing at lunch recess and was able to post that to the website as well. The video was much more difficult than the audio.

Be sure to check them out! The kids were super excited to see them! Hopefully I’ll be able to put more into them with my class next year (starting in July), and have several different character perspectives for one book. The sky is the limit!!

Cathy

My vacation is over on Friday but today I was able to use my experience at school to show my parents some great things about North Carolina. They’re here visiting me from Michigan (where I was born and raised) and wanted to see the coast. Specifically, my mom wanted to visit the beach and stick her toes in the Atlantic. Not only because it’s the ocean, but because it’s actually warm enough down here to do so!!

Anyway, we drove to Wilmington, NC and spent some time in the area. I wasn’t really sure where to go or what to do. This past October, our fourth graders went to Wilmington for a field trip. We went to the North Carolina Battleship and then to the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher and then went to the beach (they also learned about the sea turtles). We ended up doing the same trip today. It wasn’t as much fun with my parents as it was with my kids (kids somehow make things more fun) but it was enjoyable and my parents seemed to enjoy the sites.

When I return next week, I need to start getting my kids prepared for the EOGs and then we have our last field trip to Historic Oak View Park in Raleigh. I hope it’s as much fun as the rest of the trips have been!!

I am so excited to have been chosen as a STAR!! I love sharing all that I know about technology and teaching and what a better way to do so than as a STAR!! This is the first of many posts to come!! I just wanted to share how excited and honored I am to have this opportunity! I do have a website (for anyone interested)… feel free to check it out and see all the resources that I have available for teachers and parents!! The address is: www.steveandcat.net/mrswalker.