“I Learn, You Learn, We Learn” Blog

The NCES Kids’ Zone provides information to help you learn about schools; decide on a college; find a public library; engage in several games, quizzes and skill building about math, probability, graphing, and mathematicians; and to learn many interesting facts about education.  There might  be something you could use in your classroom at http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/index.asp.

Here’s a short and sweet list of just 10 ways you can easily begin to incorporate 21st Century Technology Skills in your classes. Check it out at http://techlearning.com/PrintableArticle.aspx?id=22558

I love my Flip video camera. Its a great little gadget for taking quick, short videos. It is very easy to use, there are no cords needed and you can generate still pictures from your videos.

Flip has just released a new, FREE, version of Flipshare - the software to edit the videos taken by the Flip video camera.  Click this link to see an interactive video of the camera and software - http://www.theflip.com/demos/amazon/flipshare/#scene=sceneMain.

Here is a very short sample of a video I created in about 5 minutes from individual photos taken from videos - vid00156.wmv

 Click here to learn more about Flipshare and to download the newest version for free - http://www.theflip.com/app/prius/31/update/index.aspx

 Buy Flip products Here

I came across this saying today that relates to the stresses many of us are going through as we, here in upstate NY,  had the official start to our school year today. Although we had just district and building meetings and no students until Tuesday, the stress of  some major changes in building structures and building construction (which is not quite finished) are taking their toll on some.

So the quote goes like this ” INCH BY INCH, LIFE IS A CINCH. YARD BY YARD, LIFE IS HARD.” You can obviously draw the conclusion that having small realistic, attainable goals is going to be  more of a success to you than big,  impractical and unreachable goals. 

So to all my friends and colleagues as we start a new year with students and families who are counting on us: take things in small, manageable and realistic chunks. Reap the benefits from those small things, because in the end they will add up to a huge success for both you and your students as you progress through the school year.

For more inspiration on success, view a short movie clip at http://www.simpletruths.tv/store/movies.php?movie=TNOS.

Why not join one of these really cool  FREE webinars before the return to school?  It is guarenteed you will have some great new tools to start the new year with.

All sessions begin at 11 AM ET. Register Here. It’s free and easy.

Web 2.0 Week

8/24/09 Get Your Glog On! The DE streaming Builders and Glogster

8/25/09 The Thread that Ties it All Together: Discovery Education Content and Voicethread

8/26/09 Two Roundtrip Tickets to Anywhere in the World: Designing Virtual Field Trips with Discovery Education Media and Google Earth

8/27/09 Learning Through the Funnies: Mixing Discovery Education Content with Free Comic Tools

Enroll today.

Check out this jam-packed list of FREE webinars offered by Discovery Educator Network. Get ready for back to school with a visit to one , a few or all of the sessions listed below.

All sessions begin at 11 AM ET. Register Here. It’s free and easy.

Digital Storytelling Week
8/3/09
Thinking Outside the Slide: Creating non-linear PowerPoint presentations and learning centers with Discovery Education Media
8/4/09
Digital Storytelling Made Easy: Using Discovery Education Content with Animoto and PhotoStory
8/5/09
Director’s Cut: Discovery Education Media and MovieMaker (PC)
8/6/09
Director’s Cut: Discovery Education Media and iMovie (Mac)

Leadership Week
8/10/09
The Information Society is HERE: Are our schools up to the task? with Dr. Scott McLeod
8/11/09
Policies, Safety and Social Networking
8/12/09
Web 2.0 for Administrators and Others: Schools, Tools, and the 21st Century
8/13/09
Data Driven Decisions with Discovery Education Assessment

Science Week
8/17/09
Myth Busted: Easy Ways to Integrate Digital Media into Your Science Classroom
8/18/09
Getting Your Hands Dirty with Discovery Education Science
8/19/09
Differentiating Instruction with the Discovery Education Science Assessment Manager
8/20/09
More and Muir Tech Tips for Going Green

Web 2.0 Week
8/24/09
Get Your Glog On! The DE streaming Builders and Glogster
8/25/09
The Thread that Ties it All Together: Discovery Education Content and Voicethread
8/26/09
Two Roundtrip Tickets to Anywhere in the World: Designing Virtual Field Trips with Discovery Education Media and Google Earth
8/27/09
Learning Through the Funnies: Mixing Discovery Education Content with Free Comic Tools

Enroll today.

 Momentum

“If you’re coasting, you’re either losing momentum or else you’re headed downhill.”~ Joan Welsh

“We are either progressing or retrograding all the while. There is no such thing as remaining stationary in this life.”~ James Freeman Clarke

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.”~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Momentum is the most unstoppable force in sports. The only way to stop it is if you get in your own way, start making stupid mistakes or stop believing in yourself.”~ Rocco Mediate

“Commitment is the igniter of momentum.”~ Attributed to Peg Wood

I love PhotoStory 3 and Windows Movie Maker for creating stories in the classroom; however, the UDL Book Builder deserves a few shout outs for being a free  online tool to create books and stories. Along with the tool itself, there are tips for authors, model books to explore and resources galore for creating the online books. I think I’ll have my 7th grade students create children’s books using this site as part of my Child Development unit.

Check it out at http://bookbuilder.cast.org/.

Digital Storytelling week begins at Discovery on Aug. 3. Sign up today to learn many ways to incorporate Digital Storytelling in your classroom.

Aug. 3  Thinking Outside the Slide

Aug. 4  Digital Storytelling made easy with Discovery Education Content, Animoto and PhotoStory

Aug. 5  Discovery Education Media and Windows Movie Maker

Aug. 6  Discovery Education Media and Windows iMovie

All webinars start at 11:00am ET. Click here for a complete list of webinars and registration information.

There sure is. Over at The Apple .com there are 10 great technology enhanced ideas for getting kids juiced about the dreaded book report. Why not try one of these in your classroom:

1. Let students create a cartoon version of the book they have just finished.
2. Let students create a short video clip about the book.
3. Create a virtual poster advertising the book.
4. Encourage students to create their own virtual bookshelves with Shelfari or GoodReads.
5. Book Adventure is an online reading motivation program.
6. Bookcasting is a recorded audio podcast about a book.
7. Allow students to create a timeline of events in the story they just read in an online timeline.
8. Wikis are an excellent place for students to share book reviews.
9. Excite and motivate students to read with Book Wink .
10. Voice Thread is an amazing site that allows students to create web 2.0 slide shows that become interactive and collaborative.

Read full article at http://www.theapple.com/benefits/articles/8529-10-technology-enhanced-alternatives-to-book-reports 

Because I am in the Historical Capitol of the US, it seems fitting for me to share with you this inspirational movie from Simple Truths. Enjoy.

Do I need say more? A terrific celebration with digital gifts for everyone!

 

Summer school is fun for teachers too! The DEN is hosting an amazing series of webinars on many topics of interest: Digital Storytelling, School Leadership (one with Dr. Scott McLeod), Science Integration of Discovery Education, and many Web 2.0 apps. Visit the Discovery Summer School Webinar Series web-page for the complete list and registration information. Remember….. these awesome PD opportunities are FREE!!!!

Image  - Skateboarding to Summer School (Color). . 2009. Discovery Education. 27 June 2009 <http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/>

If you are still questioning the validity of digital media in our schools,  read and watch the video below.  I have had the awesome opportunity to be a part of the Discovery Educator Network and I’m appreciative and grateful Schenectady continues to offer the DEstreaming service to our schools.  I use the materials from Discovery every single day in my classes and I can honestly say I don’t know what I would do without this invaluable resource.

I encourage any of you or your colleagues to become more acquainted with DEstreaming and if you’ve had a chance to view Discovery Science or Health, let your coordinators know how much you LOVE them.  In addition, if you are interested in becoming a member of the Discovery Educator Network (DEN), let me know. It’s a fantastic opportunity and I will be happy to assist you in the process!

Two days ago, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to examine how technology, innovative education tools, and digital content are transforming and improving education in America.  The DEN’s very own Scott Kinney, Vice President of Outreach and Professional Development for Discovery Education, served as one of seven panelists who testified as to how technology and digital content can improve American education in the future.

Citing recent research, Scott illustrated that students use technology profusely at home, while most are unable to use that same technology in the classroom.  Today’s tech-savvy students function by consuming, processing, and learning from media, in many forms simultaneously.  Scott asked the committee to envision an educational system that supported the use of technology in the classroom, therefore, supporting how students learn naturally.

30 Twitter Tips for Teachers

Our district had the fantastic opportunity to host Will Richardson for his presentation of A Web of Connections.  During an informal chat session for about 40 educators before his presentation, Will mentioned and showed a little about Twitter.  The mention of this tool sparked quite a bit of interest in this group of teachers. Many of them  set up accounts and are busy tweeting with each other and have found others around the country to tweet with. I know a couple have found some interesting people to collaborate with professionally about the content area in which they teach. Some even have some interesting ideas of how Twitter can be used as a classroom tool by their students.

The problem is it is blocked in our district(surprise, surprise). Twittering by our professionals has to take place after school hours away from our district network.  In time, I think Twitter might be something that teachers might eventually have access to. In the meantime, for those teacher who wish to begin using it, here is an article I learned about that might help some beginners get started: 30 Twitter Tips for Teachers

To find teachers using Twitter who teach in the same content area as you, check out: Twitter4Teacher Wiki