V.R.Burton’s Blog

It’s the greatest time of the year for us in Louisiana, It’s test prep season.  Whoo Hoooooo.  Yes, I know that technologically alllll year is test prep season, but those few weeks right before testing are the most intense.  I constantly look for ways to use Web 2.0 tools and technology to help my students.   [...]

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Recently my students created onl-line arcade games around a novel that we have just completed.  Thanks to my Twitter PLN and  @russeltarr and his Classtools site, my students created a game to help them review for an upcoming test.  In groups, they accessed an Etherpad workspace that allowed them to collaborate with one another and [...]

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I have just put in my preferences for my travel itinerary for the ISTE 2010 Convention.  This trip is a gift (prize) from the wonderful people at Intel.  I am one of twenty educators who were chosen as winners of the Intel Inspiring Educators competition.  The prize is an all-expense paid trip to ISTE 2010 [...]

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This school year we are using PhotoPeach and Animoto for our digital storytelling needs.  I have used Window’s Movie Maker or Photo Story.  PhotoPeach and Animoto were both easier for the kids to use than the programs included with Windows. Click the links below to see movies  from class. Jeri’s movie, Roshon’s movie, Alex’s movie, [...]

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My class has taken advantage of the world wide web to make friends with people who do not live in their neighborhood.  Their state and even their country.We have made contact with 2 schools from different parts of the world.  We are sharing a wikispace with students from Grimmelshausen Gymnasium Gelnhausen, Germany, www.grimmels.de and we are Googlewaving and Skyping with [...]

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If you have not been able to check it out, go see the wonderful glogs produced by students from around the world.  Go to Greetings From the World to be amazzzed.  Thanks to @abfromz one of my Tweeps for the heads up.

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Blogging Challenge 2010 It’s Blogging Challenge time. I want us to be ready to participate and do WJHS proud. I have done my homework. I have “pimped out” our blog (and you have been asked to pimp out yours as well.) You will need to post and comment often on this blog, your blog and [...]

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Next week my students will select a story from a list that I have prepared for them and present it to their classmates.  They must follow a set list of requirements to receive credit for the assignment.Short Story Setup They must first set up another blog or wiki that is designed around your chosen story. [...]

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Calling all bloggers. Several months ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to join in a Blogging Challenge sponsored by Ms. Wyatt and Ms. Waters.  As with many things that I do, I jumped in head first.  By that I mean my kids had not gotten their laptops and I was entering a Blogging Challenge.  How crazy is that? Oh well, [...]

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Just made a video on Animoto called “Thank You M’am”: http://bit.ly/5pq6he

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I came into contact with a teacher who wanted to collaborate with an English speaking class.  We ”met” through a summer online course offered from PBWorks.  Our initial contacts were feelers to see what and how we could collaborate.  The focus of our original collaboration was to complete wikis together and use them as a way to share [...]

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I have copied a blog post for my English I class.  We are currently reading Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington.  We are reading the story (with either a podcast of me reading the story or a student volunteer. )   Our assignments so far have been to generate: a timeline of national and personal events from the [...]

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First of all I would like to apologize for the inundation of electronic devices for you to keep track of and to use for class.  I am trying to consolidate a guide for each of us to follow.  SOCIAL MEDIA Our means of communicating with one another is as follows: Edmodo for a message board.  We [...]

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Thanks to a Twitter mention, I explored the Vermillion Parish Site for resources.  It is a wonderful site for resource help for those of us who teach in Louisiana and use the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum.  The link below is to a page of resources designed to help teach the 6 units that we must cover [...]

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This link will take you to the Folger site where you will find an abundance of excellent resources.  One of which is a how to about making podcasts with Shakespeare.  As you see from the video the students get pulled into the assignment because they have the ability to create something CREATIVE from their schoolwork.  [...]

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1.      MorphThing.com: Blend two famous faces 2.      Sharegeography.co.uk  3.      Doink: Animation Tool for Digital Storytelling  4.      AutoMotivator ~make posters  5.      Capzles 6.      ToonDoo – The Cartoon Strip Creator 7.      Kickfly: Make a 3D “Virtual Exhibition” from pictures 8.      PhotoPeach: Telling stories over photos. 9.      Brochure Making Tool: Web2.0 version of Publisher 10.  Sketchcast – A [...]

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I have an English I class in a Title One labeled school.  My school was threatened with corrective action and we are striving to develop lessons and activities that motivate and engage our student body.  The school is public and contains approximately 1200 students.  The student/teacher ratio: 25:1 and our student body is comprised of [...]

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RT @keisawilliams: I am so thankful for teachers who post their lessons this thoroughly. Saves me a ton of time http://tinyurl.com/dms868 # RT @russeltarr: Making elearning books using classtools: http://tinyurl.com/r4u7k5 # @MrWCunningham I don’t think that any of us have seen so many teachers. see you in morning # @MrWCunningham Fast learner Mr Cunningham. You [...]

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Monday I go to work and have a chance to attend MANY MANY MANY professional development opportunities.  I even have to host a departmental one.  What will the days hold for us?  How much of it will be useful and how much of it will be not so useful.  I hope that my meeting will have [...]

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