Ruffing ITInformation Tech and Education…Tryin’ it, Lovin’ it, but sometimes just Ruffin’ IT.

Just came across a link(via eSchoolNews) to a free curriculum offered by Microsoft to teach digital citizenship, especially in the area of intellectual property rights. It seems to have been around for several months though I am just now discovering it. Obviously Microsoft has a vested interest in young digital citizens understanding these concepts, but they are important concepts nonetheless. I have signed up (registration required) and then downloaded the 4 modules of the program. I will take a closer look at it this summer but it looks quite interesting. Program is listed for grades 8-12 but is adaptable down to 6th they say. There is also a website for students to access for their activities in each unit.

I highly recommend the resources at the ThinkGreen site, one of the many educator resources available through Discovery. I used this recently in third grade tech class. We discussed the topics and watched several of the videos, with students summarizing key points learned from each video. I added each idea to a master list and at the end, each student chose an idea to depict with KidPix Deluxe. Images were exported to jpegs and inserted into PhotoStory for our PSA. They each added a narration for their picture. Can you believe, our school does not recycle? Maybe with the help of those new fourth graders in the fall, we can make it happen. Video is posted on our school website in wmv format.

Talk about feeling like a small fish in a big pond. Just saw this video which is an awesome way to get across the concept of size in the universe. And the background music is great. Wish I had had this when I was teaching eighth grade earth science. Star Size Comparison HD

A little timidly I am finally posting something to my DEN blog which has existed since August 2007. Wonder if I can get tutored on some of the choices offered on this blog site.

I am shaking the dust off in a lot of areas this past week now that school has ended. I also started a Twitter account back in 2007 and did zilch with it. Currently going by Patti211 changed from pruffing…I am so wishy-washy. Got back into it this past week. I said to my sister last night, “Hey, I noticed you didn’t tweet since Easter” and she said, “Oh, I don’t really bother with Twitter too much. I use Facebook now.”  Aaarrrggghh.  She proceeded to tell me about some cool pictures my son had on his Facebook page, WHICH I DON’T GET TO SEE!

Went back to my blog page (Blackberry Alley) also created in 2007 on edublogs and updated that. Saw on that site that my blog roll had some favorite blogs that had relocated and so I updated those links. Since it uses WordPress like this site, I wish I could just have one blog and have it show up both places. Tell me there is a way to do this! Although my daughter told me that I write waaaay too much, who wants to read all that. Well, probably nobody but it makes me feel good to let it flow…so there.

Yeah I was on fire in 2007. Followed lots of bloggers, starting using Skype and Twitter and classblogmeister and SecondLife (Vita Demina) but now it is 2009. Did I disappear from the face of the earth in 2008? Maybe just trying to keep my head above water in a lot of ways. So for the summer of 2009 I resolve to:

1) get more sleep …MUST be a priority for me

2) try to accomplish the home to-do list

3) try to accomplish the school to-do list, big item being purchase a new server…scary

4) become a better blogger and a more active member of the DEN. Vita Demina has been trying her best in Second Life already.

Thinking about all that I might just need to take a nap.