Eric Strommer’ Blog

My Top 10 for a One-to-One Computing Classroom

Eric Strommer — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:00:15 +0000

It still really has not sunk in yet but I have a one-to-one computing classroom. When I checked into my room at the start of the year I found a laptop cart in there. Even though they are half as old as my students, most don’t hold any charge at all, and just able to pick up the wireless signal in the next room I have pressed them into service. To keep myself sane as I do this here is my top 10 list for 0ne-to-one computing in my room.

10-make sure that the cart works to charge the laptops. (mine works on one side)

9-see which laptops hold a charge before passing them out to be used (most of mine don’t)

8-get enough power strips to plug the laptops in ( I gathered 6)

7-label those that show the blue screen of death or whatever ills it so I don’t keep passing those out

6-reconfigure the room and desks at least 3 times before you find an effective layout for students to see IWB, and run cords out of the way

5- make log-in cards (student log-in info) before hand and make sure they work

4- plan on taking one session on how to log into the laptop, RenPlace, DE, Kerpoof, etc.

3-plan on channeling MacGyver when running the cords, powerstrips, etc.

2-Buy an industrial sized package of zip-ties (for securing the cords and strips to the desks

1-don’t get overwhelmed by all the “Can we get on the computers today? Are we going on the computers? When are we getting on the computers?”

An example use of Bubbl.us

Eric Strommer — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:07:36 +0000

As most teachers do when summer starts I am taking a class. This one is on-line and uses Moodle and the group feature of Facebook as its platform. One of the tools used is the web 2.0 site Bubbl.us.
Here is one mind map that I put together for an assignment on early Woodland culture. This is only the second time I used the site but I plan to use it with my students next school year.

Techbook in Action, a film by a student

Eric Strommer — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:42:49 +0000

After the DE Techbook became available for perusing by DEN STARs I began to use it in my class. And speaking of class the techbook is one class act. As per the offer by the DEN team I had one of my 1st grade students take control of a Flip-type video camera. She and a couple of others guided me in making the video in Movie Maker. They told me what they wanted and I put it together.
Don’t expect an award winning documentary. Just a neat little quickly-made video.

2011 Geocaching Day in Grand Blanc

Eric Strommer — Mon, 23 May 2011 02:30:11 +0000

Six members of the Michigan LC and 3 guests gathered for a beautiful couple of hours of geocaching at Creasey Bicentennial Park in Grand Blanc. For a few of them this was the first time ever geocaching. Even though we had to navigate some flooded areas we were able to find 3 caches out of four (1 may have been washed away).

Reminders

Eric Strommer — Sun, 01 May 2011 20:02:59 +0000

In case you missed all or part of this spring’s DEN Virtual Conference you have two ways to watch the sessions. The first is at the DEN’s webinar archive page. The second is at the Discovery Education YouTube page . Just give them a couple of days to upload the sessions.

Also, don’t forget about Spring Training DEN style. Deadline to enter in your stats is May 13th. Reach 50 points and you get this canvas bag embroidered with the DEN logo.

Go here for up-to-date information and the top DEN’ers.

Thirdly, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week. It runs May 2-6. Check in each day for cool thank-you’s from the DEN.

Peter Reynold’s at ASCD Conference

Eric Strommer — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:53:12 +0000

I had the honor and pleasure to spend some time at his company Fablevision this past summer while attending the DEN’s LC Symposium. They were great to host us for a couple of hours there. Here is his talk at this year’s ASCD Conference.

Kevin’s Tech Toolbox

Eric Strommer — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:00:19 +0000

MACUL’s On-Line Conference Planner

Eric Strommer — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:33:05 +0000

In years past I was all a-tither about about getting the MACUL Conference book with all the sessions and their times.

I have had to sit and highlight sessions that I was interested in and then have to figure out times, locations, etc.

That was nice, but now we have the On-Line Conference Planner at http://planner.macul.org/selectconference.aspx

You can search by either session or exhibit, by the conference strand, by date, by presenter name, and by the name of the business.

You then get a list on sessions in chronological order. On the left just click on view/add and get a window with the details.

After reading the details you can then add it to your planner.

It will also let you know when you have a conflict with two sessions added for the same time block.

Under the “view planner” tab you can download your planner as a PDF and a VCS file.

Then you have either a hard-copy of your schedule or an electronic one for your portable device (which is what we all do right?).

Now off to get my planner set up. See you at the conference!

Weather Resources

Eric Strommer — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:12:08 +0000

With most of the nation experiencing a huge winter storm many schools are canceled. What can you do when you get back to integrate the “stormagetton” ? Here are some online and downloadable tools to use with your students.

Desktop Weather Stations to download (all free)

Weather Exchange http://www.ambientweather.com/weex1.html (I use this one)

WeatherBug http://weather.weatherbug.com/ (site has video and other weather data, but lots of ads)

Weather Channel http://www.weather.com/services/desktop.html

Web Sites:

National Weather Service: http://www.weather.gov/

Weather Underground http://www.wunderground.com/education/education.asp

Weather Channel Kids http://www.theweatherchannelkids.com/

Mount Washington Observatory http://www.mountwashington.org/ (great webcams of some of the worst weather)

Weather Wiz Kids http://www.weatherwizkids.com/

The Weather Dude http://www.wxdude.com/

Scholastic’s Weather Maker http://www.scholastic.com/kids/weather/

Put the Interactive in IWB

Eric Strommer — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:49:08 +0000

Our district and a number of districts in our county have purchased a large number of Promethean and Smart interactive white boards in the past couple of years. For many of the teachers who had one installed in their room they are learning on the fly how to use the basic features on them. It is also up to them to figure out how to effectively integrate the IWB (Interactive White Board) with their lessons.

I am one of those teachers to have a board in their room. Last year was a Smart Board and this year it is a Promethean ActivBoard. I have been working to help out the other teachers in my building and in the area to make the best of their boards.

One of the ways that I make use of the Interactive feature of the board is to have the students take control of the board. Have them get up to it and use it, touch it, manipulate what is projected onto it.

And the beauty of this is that you are not constrained to the software and online content from the company that made your IWB. To start with if you have access to the games, interactive labs, and science simulations at Discovery ED. you have interactive content for your board. Recently, I have been searching for interactive content on-line than can work with any IWB. Listed are sites that either have interactive activities at the site or links to other sites.

Interactive Resources

Interactive Websites at Internet4Classrooms

All Interactive Whiteboard Resources

Interactive Resources at Scholastic

Interactive Math Projects using Flash

www.topmarks.co.uk

BBC’s Bitesize