Monthly Review of Goals from October

October has come and gone along with the warm temperatures. It seems like it went from hot to cold and forgot about the gradual cool period of fall. It is time to review my goals and see how I did last month. All of my goals can be found here. The ones that are in bold are ones that I have already accomplished.

For the year:

1. I want to spin the alpaca fiber that I processed with some wool. (I accomplished this!)

2. I want to knit a sweater. (I’ve finished the Gnarled Oak cardigan and added these really cool wooden buttons!)

3. I want to dye yarn. (I just bought some acid dyes at SAFF to try.

4. I want to spruce up my gardens this year. (I’ve been out cutting back dead branches and spent stalks of flowers.)

5. I won’t commit to more to more than I can handle. (I am getting much better at this. In fact, I turned down a teaching opportunity that would have committed me to teaching from January to April.)

6. I will find something good in each day. (I have had a harder time with this lately because my allergies and a cold have kept me miserable.)

7. I will learn archery. (We had our lesson and hope to give it another try. I really enjoyed this but not sure I’m ready to invest a $1000 in bows and arrows for us.0

8. I will nurture old friendships. (I joined two friends and went to the Southeastern Animal Fiber Festival with them for the day.)

9. I will lose at least 20 lbs. this year. (I’m down 22 lbs. and inches off my measurements.)

Daily:

1. I will eat healthy. (I haven’t done as well this month since we have done a lot of traveling.)

2. I will exercise. (I am hitting 10,000 steps regularly.)

3. I will stretch. (I stretch and do strength exercises for 20 minutes each day.)

4. I will read my bible. (I did better this month since I’ve found my old bible.)

5. I will do something that I have been avoiding. (I have a schedule on my Google calendar with a chore each day. This helps me get it accomplished before I do fun things.)

6. I will contact a friend and let them know I am thinking of them. (Every day I try to send an email or message through Facebook.)

7. I will be happy. (Consciously thinking this helps me start each day with a smile.)

I’m still doing pretty well with my goals. Knowing that I have to update this each month helps me stay current and that daily things don’t fall by the wayside. I think I will do this again next year.

Have you reviewed your goals or resolutions you made at the beginning of the year? How are you doing? If you haven’t achieved something yet, don’t give up. Just begin now.

Image: 'La Jolla Goal Wall'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30011527@N05/3876577832
Found on flickrcc.net

Universal Design for Learning Puts Tech Together For all Students

(I recently attended the SC Ed Tech 2013 Conference. One of the great reasons I like this conference is that it is in my town so I don’t have to pay for a hotel! The other reason is that I connect with so many other educators. I always pick up something new from a session and if I don’t learn something new, I’m always looking at how the material is presented in order to hone my own presentation skills. This is the last day of my notes that I took from the sessions.)

UDL by Cheryl Wissick

http://Udltechnology.wikispaces.com/ - great resource!

Barriers to learning and solutions chart

Text to speech

Word correction

Voice recognition

Simply web page

Ebooks with supports

Screen capture

Access tools

Language tools

Tool doesn't need research to back it up. Need tools to access material that is research based. (Think of wheelchair ramps)

Browser -photon flash player for iPad -$4.99

My Takeaway:

There are so many great tools out there to use in the classroom. These tool can help students overcome the barriers to learning. I like how Cheryl divided them up on her wiki according to the barrier along with the possible solution.

Sharing Discus in the Information Age

(I recently attended the SC Ed Tech 2013 Conference. One of the great reasons I like this conference is that it is in my town so I don’t have to pay for a hotel! The other reason is that I connect with so many other educators. I always pick up something new from a session and if I don’t learn something new, I’m always looking at how the material is presented in order to hone my own presentation skills. For the next few days I plan on sharing the notes that I took from the sessions.)

Sharing Discus in the Information Age - Ruth Thompson

Discus – only free for SC residents

Brain pop jr. - k-3

Educator code in Brittanica: Discus7

Access to lesson plan builder

Persistent links /permalink/PURL -consistently points to a specific information source

How to acquire the correct URL to use as persistent links:

Blooms Literature - Use record URL

BrainPOP jr. - browser

Brittanica school use "cite" feature in the tools section

Credo reference - browser

Culture grams - browser EBSCO databases - look for per slink, share, or display link

Ferguson's Career Guidance Center - use record URL

Gale/Cengage Learning Databases

* Biography in context and Opposing Viewpoints in Context - use bookmark feature in the tools menu *Nursing Resource Center and Kids InfoBits - browser

LearningExpress Library - browser, register for your own account

Kids infobits - images for students to use with credit

History reference center

Professional development collection

My Takeaway:

I learned that Permalinks were not just the urls listed in the address bar. I also found a lot of great links from Discus and see how underused Discus is in South Carolina

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 10/25/13

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.


Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers


Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All


Debate Graph: “is an award-winning, cloud-based service that offers individuals and communities a powerful way to learn about and deliberate and decide on complex issues.” (L:H; SA:SS, LA)

Bedtime Math – “to spark fun nightly math alongside the bedtime story.” (L:E; SA:M)


Cartoon Prints – Library of Congress; “This assemblage of more than 500 prints made in America during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries encompasses several forms of political art. Most of the prints are from the division's PC/US series, which consists of individually cataloged political cartoons and caricatures.” (L:H; SA:LA, SS)


What is Money – “…business editor Derek Thompson  pays a visit to a branch of EagleBank in Arlington, VA, to bother the world's friendliest bank teller with a series of dumb requests. As goofy as it seems, this little experiment is a helpful way to illustrate three essential functions of money: a store of value, a unit of account, and a medium of exchange.” (L:M,H; SA:SS)


Flippity – “where you can easily convert a Google™ Spreadsheet into a set of online flashcards” (L:H;T SA:A)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

iStreamline-Simple Teaching Ideas for iPads in the Classroom

(I recently attended the SC Ed Tech 2013 Conference. One of the great reasons I like this conference is that it is in my town so I don’t have to pay for a hotel! The other reason is that I connect with so many other educators. I always pick up something new from a session and if I don’t learn something new, I’m always looking at how the material is presented in order to hone my own presentation skills. For the next few days I plan on sharing the notes that I took from the sessions.)

I streamline -simple teaching ideas for iPads in the classroom by Donna Thompson

Cat video playing patty cake

Project: Take sound out of videos and have students narrate) Teachers dance behind students, Escalator

Streamlinesc.org

SCETVStudent/scetv

dthompson @scetv.org

QR codes

ICab mobile app $1.99 lets you download videos

Air server:share and project your iPad display through your classroom computer to your projector. $11, download on your computer, must be on same network

Splash top:control your desktop computer with your iPad. Your iPad becomes a mobile presenter tool in your classroom. Don't be tied down to your desk. $10

iMovie -$4.99

Edit movies made on iPad

My Takeaway:

I liked the idea of taking sound out of videos and letting the students come up with their own dialogue. I think this would encourage creativity and imagination.

Do you have students do this? If so, what did you do? Please share.

Image: 'Paddy Cake, Patty Cake...' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10101046@N06/2819040761
Found on flickrcc.net

Tech Tips 2013

(I recently attended the SC Ed Tech 2013 Conference. One of the great reasons I like this conference is that it is in my town so I don’t have to pay for a hotel! The other reason is that I connect with so many other educators. I always pick up something new from a session and if I don’t learn something new, I’m always looking at how the material is presented in order to hone my own presentation skills. For the next few days I plan on sharing the notes that I took from the sessions.)

Tech tips 2013 by Robert Sherer (EB Morse Elem.)

He showed different web tools/sites:

Poll everywhere
Qrafter
http://www.only2clicks.com/ - Visual bookmarks (15 -20sites)
Random student picker Score keeper
Culturegrams (part of discus). -
Studyjams
Quizlet
Animated history - www.classzone.com, grade level, state, then go, then part of history
Pete's power points
Tween tribune - current events middle school (tt jr. -up to 2nd graders) Teen tribune - teenagers Screenshots Math practice IXL (IXL.com) 20problems per day is free
Rubistar - rubric creator
American rhetoric - Jesus and sermon on the mount, we need a bigger boat
Kids zone
create a graph

Apps
Find my iPhone/iPad
Class dojo
Remind101

My Takeaway:
Print the QR code out on a piece of paper for people rather than one big one on the screen. Instead of a QR code for each site, it would have been better for a QR code to the list of sites that included the hyperlink for each. People love lists of great sites because this session was standing room only and people were sitting on the floor all around. Some of the sites looked great but I will have to look up the links for each one when I have time.

Image: 'bridging knowledge to health' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99771506@N00/5791228117
Found on flickrcc.net

Google Earth in the Classroom

(I recently attended the SC Ed Tech 2013 Conference. One of the great reasons I like this conference is that it is in my town so I don’t have to pay for a hotel! The other reason is that I connect with so many other educators. I always pick up something new from a session and if I don’t learn something new, I’m always looking at how the material is presented in order to hone my own presentation skills. For the next few days I plan on sharing the notes that I took from the sessions.)

Google earth in the classroom by Tom Taylor

This can be found in more detail on his website at: http://www.geopackrat.com/workshops

“The phrase “virtual tour” can be used to describe an number of Google Earth applications.  Most often it’s used in reference to a set of placemarks with information about one geographical area.  A tour can contain text, images, video, and audio, as well as external links to more information on the Internet.

Begin by creating folders to contain your placemarks and other tour elements.  This is done in the “Places” box in Google Earth.  Right-click on My Places and select Add, then Folder.

A dialog box will appear.  You can give the folder an appropriate name, and type a brief description of the folder.

It is possible to have folders within folders in Google Earth.  You will need to decide what hierarchy you will use for your folders.  In the example below I created three sub-folders - one for historic locations, one for schools, and one for recreation.

Once you have your folders in place, you can begin to add elements to your tour.

Linear vs Non-Linear - You will need to decide how users will interact with your tour.  Do you want them to be able to select random locations from a list, or do you want them to follow a prescribed path?

A good virtual tour will most likely be non-linear, but have linear elements from which your users can select.  In Google Earth it is actually easier to create non-linear elements, such as a simple collection of placemarks with information within a folder.   Linear elements can be effective, but require more planning and thought.

Once you have a basic plan for your tour you are ready to start adding content to your folders.  The “Description” box for any Google Earth element, which includes folders, placemarks, shapes, paths, and overlays, is actually a miniature web page.  It can contain text, images, hyperlinks, and even audio and video.

Unfortunately, Google Earth doesn’t provide a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) editor for the description boxes.  The only way to format text and add images is to add it as HTML code.  However, it is possible to format your information using other programs and copy the codes from those systems.

Linking vs Embedding
As mentioned earlier, text, images, and even audio and video can be displayed in the description box.  The boxes can also contain links to information that opens in an external browser.  As you create content for your tour, you can decide what information should be embedded into the box itself, and what should be linked to an external website.

Linking
Advantages:

• Greater control over formatting and display.
• Opening in a separate browser provides a larger display area.
• It’s possible to link to data that is constantly updated.
• Multiple links can be included in a single description box.

Disadvantages:
· Requires that an external browser be opened.
· Information isn’t as readily available
· Making hyperlinks look “pretty” requires knowledge of HTML

Embedding
Advantages:

• All of the information is readily available in the placemark itself without having to open an external browser.
• Codes are usually created in another program and copied into the placemarks, so no knowledge of HTML is usually required.
• It’s usually easier to create a visually appealing placemark with embed codes.

Disadvantages:
· Some content can be unpredictable when embedded.
· Content formatted for a larger area, such as a web page, may not display correctly.
· These are not mutually exclusive.  It’s possible to have embedded content in a placemark that also contains hyperlinks that open in an external browser.  You should decide which method works best based on the type of content.

Creating Original Content
The simplest placemark consists of plain text typed into a description box.  The only formatting allowed is simple paragraphs.  Images can be linked in-line using HTML codes.

Images:
Online - <img src=“http://www.webpage.com/image.jpg”>
Local -  <img src=“c:\some folder\image.jpg”>
You can share local images only if you save your file as a KMZ file.

Links:
If you put the entire link in the placemark, it will work, but won’t look as clean.  For example, you could copy the following URL in your placemark to link to an article about Shoeless Joe Jackson…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoeless_Joe_Jackson
However, it would be much cleaner to do the following:
<a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoeless_Joe_Jackson”>Shoeless Joe Jackson</a>
What appears in the placemark is Shoeless Joe Jackson.  Users can click on the underlined word and be taken to the article.

Text Formatting:
Paragraphs  - <p> and </p> as follows:
<p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Sed lacinia. Etiam pretium viverra urna. Nam vulputate tellus in lorem. Aenean a ligula. Nunc arcu. Quisque fermentum est ut felis. </p>
Bold - <b> and </b> - example: <b>Bold Text</b>
Italics - <i> and </i> - example:  <i>Italics Text</i>
Underline - <u> and </u> - example:  <u>Underlined Text</u>
You can combine HTML tags, but be careful with placement.  For example the following would be acceptable:
<b><i>Bold Italics</i></b>
Or
<i><b>Bold Italics</b></i>
However, this is NOT acceptable - <b><i>Bold Italics</b></i>

Copying from Google Earth Resources
There is already a wealth of information available in the Layers section of Google Earth.  Zoom into areas of interest and turn on selected layers in the gallery.  Right-click on the points of interest and select “Copy” from the menu.  The placemark can be pasted into one of your folders.
Not only will this provide some excellent content for your project, but it will reduce distractions on the map.

Embeddable Content
Some websites offer free membership and the ability to upload content.  Some of the sites are blocked by districts because of objectionable content or bandwidth usage.  Some of the sites are supported by advertising content.  Embedding the content into other contexts such as Google Earth may eliminate advertising.  All of these have been tested and are known to work with Google Earth placemarks.

Note about StreamlineSC, Discovery Education, and downloaded content…
Videos from Discovery Education are provided as part of a subscription service.  The ability to embed this content would violate licensing agreements, so those HTML codes are not available.  You can, however, link to StreamlineSC videos so that they play in an external browser or application such as Media Player.  You just can’t embed them so that they play in the placemark itself.  Discovery’s MediaShare does have some embed capabilities.

<iframe>
Just about ANY website can be embedded into Google Earth using the <iframe> tag.  Simply use the following code:
        <iframe src=”http://www.somewebsite.com” height=500 width=500>
Replacewww.somewebsite.com with the website you want to use.  The height and width settings can be changed, but these are the ones recommended.
Some websites work better than others.  Sites that already have embedded media such as audio and video will probably not work.
Google Earth creations can be saved by following these steps…

1. Right click on the folder you want to save.  You can save individual placemarks, but it’s best to save them in groups or as collections.
2. Select “Save Place As” from the menu.
3. Type in a file name and decide if you want to save it as a KMZ file (default) or KML file.

KML and KMZ Files

KML Files:
•          Keyhole Markup Language
•          KML is text only, and cannot contain actual image files.  However, it can contain links to images online.
•          KML files are XML files and can be directly edited with a text editor.
•          KML files can be renamed as XML files and opened with programs such as Excel.
For example, a file named myplaces.kml could be renamed as myplaces.xml and opened in Excel.  Either file could be opened in a text editor.
KMZ Files:
•          Keyhole Markup Zip file
•          KMZ files are KML files that have been compressed into ZIP files.
•          KMZ files can contained image files.
•          KMZ files cannot be directly edited with a text editor.
•          KMZ files can be renamed as ZIP files and decompressed.
Probably the best policy is to save everything as a KMZ file.  That will make sure that all of your resources are included with the file.

IV.        Resources
Finding other tours online
You can do specific searches for Google Earth files.  Try doing a Google search using the following phrase:
        filetype:kmz virtual tour
This will find any KMZ file with the phrase “virtual tour” in it.  You can substitute “kml” for “kmz” to expand your search.”

For more info:
Tom @randomconnections.com

My Takeaway:
There are so many ways to use Google Earth in the classroom. I like how detailed his directions were in order to do this. I hope to use this information to develop my own virtual tours.
Do you use Google Earth in the classroom? If so, please share how you do.

Image: 'Peace' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17731548@N00/2051756510
Found on flickrcc.net

Google: Harnessing the Tool

(I recently attended the SC Ed Tech 2013 Conference. One of the great reasons I like this conference is that it is in my town so I don’t have to pay for a hotel! The other reason is that I connect with so many other educators. I always pick up something new from a session and if I don’t learn something new, I’m always looking at how the material is presented in order to hone my own presentation skills. For the next few days I plan on sharing the notes that I took from the sessions.)

Google:harnessing the tool by Cathy Jo Nelson

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1akiQLS5RQJqklS96Bb4BpGriH6ggGu-PAtTUldql4Aw/pub

Edmodo code: 1m50c3

Kathy Schrock - google tools to support blooms taxonomy

Easywhois to find out who made the site

How google search works by Matt Cutts

How search works-infographic

Check sites for currency, reliability, authority, purpose/point of view (crap)

Radcab - relevancy, appropriateness, detail, currency, authority, bias

Ted talk -beware of filter bubbles
Eli Pariser

My Takeaway:
The presenter shared great information on her google docs page and well worth checking out. We need to teach students how to find reliable valid sources on the internet. We need to show them how to evaluate the sites they find.

Do you teach students to evaluate the resources they find on the internet? How? Please share.

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 10/18/13

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Writing Mysteries with Writers – “Learn how to craft your own spooky story. This workshop includes writing tips, strategies, and challenges to help you write a mystery. When you're done, you can publish your own mystery online!” (L:G; SA:LA)

Halloween Web Hunt – “Discover the history of Halloween traditions and learn about mummy burials, vampire bats, and other frightful facts.” (L:E,M; SA:SS)

The Halloween Tooth: A Max's Math Adventure – “In “The Tooth” (grades K–2), a learning activity from Scholastic’s Max’s Math Adventures series, students first read a fun, rhyming poem (with audio) about Halloween candy. Next, they must complete this activity page by making a pattern of candy objects.

Finally, students can complete four Extra Challenges of varying difficulty levels: two challenges about making patterns, one about counting, and one about probability.” (L:E; SA:M)

What Colors Communicate – “I will show you how to choose your colors wisely by understanding what they communicate” (L:G; SA:A)

The Right to Food:A Window on the World – learn about world hunger and malnutrition (L:A; SA:SS,S)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Stop, Collaborate and Listen

(I recently attended the SC Ed Tech 2013 Conference. One of the great reasons I like this conference is that it is in my town so I don’t have to pay for a hotel! The other reason is that I connect with so many other educators. I always pick up something new from a session and if I don’t learn something new, I’m always looking at how the material is presented in order to hone my own presentation skills. For the next few days I plan on sharing the notes that I took from the sessions.)

Stop, collaborate and listen -classroom videoconference projects by Tim van Heule

How could the use of videoconferencing impact the classroom?

Virtual field trip
Museum
Zoos
NASA
Museum of London
$75-$150
Australian aquarium -$400

Classroom projects
Talk about novels with classes in other areas
Watch time zones
Red is awful on camera, so are stripes,
Holding stuff in front of camera is hard
Look at equipment
Evaluation rubric: How will you explain it to admin and parents?

Examples:
New Jersey day – Learn about SC
Spanish Harlem kids riding the subway
Wyoming
Calving season in Nebraska -snow season, riding yellow suburban Fork shoals elem. taught the civil war in 12 min.
Magpi video center
Project with Gov. School
Science lab -teaching through video
Custom lessons - how to make a shoebox fly. Do it and present back to the NASA person.
Greenville zoo – need to contact 6 weeks in advance
Buena Vista elem. research an animal from the zoo, speaker, present back to zookeeper, custom pricing

Places online to look for projects:
Skype education
Click
Read around the planet

My Takeaway:

Students learn so much more when they are interacting with real people. Rather than just learning the concepts through textbooks, let them connect and learn from others who are live in the areas they are studying or actually do the things they are learning about.

Do you connect with others virtually? Please share how you do.

Image: 'connect' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/96043139@N00/2628074710
Found on flickrcc.net

The Ravens of Solemano - A Book Review

I recently sent the book The Ravens of Solemano by Eden Unger Bowditch and asked to review it. This is the review that I gave the book (I am not being paid to give this review):

This book is Book 2 of the Young Inventors Guild and would be appropriate for a middle to high school student to read on their own. I don’t think I would use this as a classroom novel because it is so long and also because it is the second book in a series. If students haven’t read the first book, this would not be a good one to use for whole class instruction. It does involve magic and science which would appeal to many.

As I started reading this book it reminded me of a cross between The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, A Wrinkle in Time, and Harry Potter books all thrown into one big pot. Since this was the second book in a series and I had not read the first one, I had a hard time figuring out the story line. There were a lot of references to the first book and I was wishing that I had read the first book before this one because I would have understood more about what was going on. The characters seemed already developed in this one and it was like walking into a party where everyone knew everyone else but I didn’t know anyone. There was some interesting twists that had me reading on though and I think I want to find the first book to see what I missed.

This book involves a group of children who are extremely smart and part of a group of special child inventors. The book begins with them already on an adventure and they don’t really understand why they are on this adventure and what is happening. The story unfolds as you read on about who is after them and why. They meet some interesting people as well as being surrounded by caretakers who are a mystery in themselves.

There were glimpses of familiar places and famous people which would be great for a child to learn more about. I could see parents reading this book along with their child and having interesting discussions. For example, Nicola Tesla appears and this becomes a great opportunity for a science lesson. Wouldn’t it be great if we were a child and met him in person! For those who like a good mystery with fascinating characters, this book is for them.

Developing Creativity in Every Learner

(I recently attended the SC Ed Tech 2013 Conference. One of the great reasons I like this conference is that it is in my town so I don’t have to pay for a hotel! The other reason is that I connect with so many other educators. I always pick up something new from a session and if I don’t learn something new, I’m always looking at how the material is presented in order to hone my own presentation skills. For the next few days I plan on sharing the notes that I took from the sessions.)

Developing Creativity in Every Learner presented by Doug Johnson

Daniel Pink - (AAA) = Asia, automation, value added

Google car video with blind man was great to see

With the use of technology - What's jobs are lost? What jobs are created?

Luddites -don't like technology
Skilled workers feeling their skills devalued

Einstein – “we cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking we used to create them.”

Creativity isn't always about art.

Johnson’s Multiple Creative Abilities:
· Writing/Presenting/Storytelling
· Numeric problem-solving
· Graphic artistic (drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, designing)
· Athletic/movement (sports, dance)
· Musically artistic
· Humor
·
Creativity must be accompanied by craft and discipline. It is okay to have parameters
Shakespeare sonnet 116
Structure forces creativity

The world is frightened by creativity.

If we ask students to show creativity or innovation, we need some tools to determine whether they have done so.

Standardized test mentality discourages creativity.

Ways to encourage creativity:
1. Ban clip art
2. Ask for information to be given in multiple formats
3. Encourage the narrative voice when writing and giving oral presentations
4. Ask for multiple possible answers to questions or multiple possible solutions to problems.
5. Give points for “design” on all assignments
6. Instead of marking an answer wrong, ask for a reason given.
7. Take advantage of free online tools
8. Ask students to design class rules, modify procedures, and solve issues.
9. Honor students’ personal interests and unique talents.
10. Seek out the creative ideas of other educators.

My Takeaway:

We need to do a better job of encouraging creativity in our classrooms. There is still a way to meet standards and instill creativity by using different ways of assessing the content that we teach.

Do you incorporate creativity in your classroom? Please share the ways you do.

Image: 'create' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19844101@N00/2512983749
Found on flickrcc.net

Entertainment vs. Engagement

I recently attended the SC Ed Tech 2013 Conference. One of the great reasons I like this conference is that it is in my town so I don’t have to pay for a hotel! The other reason is that I connect with so many other educators. I always pick up something new from a session and if I don’t learn something new, I’m always looking at how the material is presented in order to hone my own presentation skills.  For the next few days I plan on sharing the notes that I took from the sessions.

  SC Ed Tech Conference – The Keynote Speaker was Doug Johnson.

Http://dougjohnson.wikispaces.com

Difference between entertainment and engagement

Disruptive technologies vs. Distractive technologies

“If I die I hope it is during an inservice because the transition is so subtle.”

Entertainment is for leisure, ephemeral , low relevance, escape, of others, passive

Engagement is for learning. Permanent, critical relevance, solving, of learner, interactive

Wiifm –“what's in it for me.”

Relevance: What you are teaching should be Local, topical, personal

Problems: authentic problems, questions

authentic question -teacher doesn't know the answer

Asking questions is a sign of intelligence.

“Show a kid a movie, you entertained her for an hour.
Give the kid a camera and you engaged her for a lifetime.”

Is the computer telling the child what to do or is the child telling the computer what to do?

Strategy 1: ban it
Reality of banning student owned devices – Unsustainable,, Online resources are useful, Kids go underground Parents want devices used, Positive things happen

Strategy 2:business as usual - Unprofessional

Strategy 3:limit uses
Not during whole group instruction
Not distracting others
Following the AUP
Have list of acceptable uses.
Clear rules and expectations.
Can ease classroom management
Describe the way that it will improve your learning

Strategy 4:enhance educational devices

Strategy 5: restructure the educational process – true differentiated instruction

My Takeaway:
When teachers ask me why we should entertain our students, this gives me a way to share that we don’t need to entertain but we do need to engage our students. I can also share ways to do it.

What things do you do to engage your students? Please share.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Affordable and simple enhancements for Screencasting

I recently attended the SC Ed Tech 2013 Conference. One of the great reasons I like this conference is that it is in my town so I don’t have to pay for a hotel! The other reason is that I connect with so many other educators. I always pick up something new from a session and if I don’t learn something new, I’m always looking at how the material is presented in order to hone my own presentation skills.  For the next few days I plan on sharing the notes that I took from the sessions.

Ben Daniel presented on the “flipped classroom.”

Instead of being the sage on the stage, be the guide on the side.

Activity based, group work

Aaron Sams and John Bergman started it

Kids without Internet - Google drive or web page for Internet so kids can go to the library or use someone’s computer; those with computer but no internet can use 2 G flash drive; kids with no computer - use rewritable DVD.

Don't spend too much time on video. You are presenting the material not teaching it.

Make it interesting!

Video game music in the background gets their attention

Possible Programs:
Educreations
Explain everything
Screen chomp
Screencastomatic
Action movie
iMovie - $5

For more information Ben Daniel teaches at John W. Moore middle school in Florence, SC.

My takeaway:
I think this would be an effective way to use class time more wisely. This would take more time on the teacher’s part but it makes sense. I liked the suggestions for students without internet or computers.

Do you use this strategy? Share your opinion about it.

Image: 'White Men'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32434850@N00/221934936
Found on flickrcc.net

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 10/11/13

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Writing Mysteries with Writers – “Learn how to craft your own spooky story. This workshop includes writing tips, strategies, and challenges to help you write a mystery. When you're done, you can publish your own mystery online!” (L:G; SA:LA)

Halloween Web Hunt – “Discover the history of Halloween traditions and learn about mummy burials, vampire bats, and other frightful facts.” (L:E,M; SA:SS)

The Halloween Tooth: A Max's Math Adventure – “In “The Tooth” (grades K–2), a learning activity from Scholastic’s Max’s Math Adventures series, students first read a fun, rhyming poem (with audio) about Halloween candy. Next, they must complete this activity page by making a pattern of candy objects.

Finally, students can complete four Extra Challenges of varying difficulty levels: two challenges about making patterns, one about counting, and one about probability.” (L:E; SA:M)

What Colors Communicate – “I will show you how to choose your colors wisely by understanding what they communicate” (L:G; SA:A)

The Right to Food:A Window on the World – learn about world hunger and malnutrition (L:A; SA:SS,S)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

SC EdTech Conference 2013

I am having a ball at the South Carolina EdTech Conference. Doug Johnson was our keynote speaker. It’s great to be able to connect with friends that I don’t usually get to see other than these conferences and it is great making new friends. Hopefully next week I will have my notes cleaned up and ready to share with you so watch for them! I really am learning lots of great stuff. Some things I knew already but it is great to have some things refreshed.

Original Photo by Pat Hensley

Finding the Right Fit

I don’t know about you but I like to buy clothes that fit me. This makes me feel good because I think I look good.

The same thing should be said about our job, no matter what we do.

I see a lot of teachers talk about how they are burned out in the first few years but I wonder if it is because they haven’t found the right fit. Imagine wearing a pair of shoes all day that were the wrong size!
 
Just like clothes shopping, we might have to try a few different places before we find the right fit. Sometimes spending a couple of years in one place help us determine what we are looking for because when we first become teachers we are so thankful to get a job that we don’t think about whether it fits us or not.

I worked at my first school for three years. I learned about working with colleagues. I learned about having an administrator that I respected was important to me. By reflecting about my time at this one school, it helped me look for a better fit for the future.

For six years I worked on getting a better fit about my second school. During this time, besides honing my teaching skills, I was able to learn more about professional development and allowing myself time to grow in my career.

My third school was a great fit. I really liked my principal and he encouraged me to take a leadership role during this time. I was able to look at my values and realize how important they were to me. My values were a big part of how I saw my job and myself in that position. When I left there, it was because the administration with a new principal had different values from me and I wasn’t willing to compromise on them.

My last school was a fabulous fit! The principal encouraged me to spread my wings even more than I imagined and I took a major leadership role in my department. I was able to help the department become better and well known for its student success and paperwork accuracy.

If you notice from each job to the next, I was constantly trying the place on for size and seeing if it “fit” me. Sometimes it takes more than one school and a lot of patience.

I hope that new teachers don’t give up so easily when times get tough. It may just be that where they are isn’t the right fit for them. They need to look at other places and try something new. Each new place should be a better fit than the last one.

Hopefully, they will find the right fit like I did. Maybe that is why I love my career so much! Maybe that is why I didn’t burn out so easily like my colleagues. I’m not sure if that is the reason but I know it worked for me and it made my career a success.

How do you go about finding the right fit for you? Please share!

cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by espelina: http://flickr.com/photos/espelina/14202413/

Little House on the Prairie Lessons

Book 2 of the series by Laura Ingalls Wilder was another book that I read this summer. I wanted to read this series from the viewpoint of an adult and a teacher to see how to make this novel relevant in the classroom.

I think the lessons could be adapted to any grade level. It could be informational on the lower levels and it could be a research topic for the upper levels. Upper levels could also do the research and teach a lesson to the lower levels. I can also see lessons being taught through Universal Design for Learning and have students exhibit their understanding in a variety of ways.

These are topics to be used in project based lessons:

1. Traveling by wagon
2. Heading into Indian country.
3. Traveling across ice covered rivers.
4. Thawing of ice.
5. Indian Territory
6. Missouri River
7. Starting fires on prairie land.
8. Fire safety.
9. Wolves
10. Gophers
11. Hunting game for survival
12. Building a house
13. Fiddle Music
14. Building Doors
15. Building a fireplace.
16. Being Good Neighbors
17. Indian clothing
18. Making beds
19. Candles and gas
20. Texas Longhorns
21. Milking cows
22. Malaria

Have you read this book from an adult point of view? What other lessons would be useful for the classroom? Please share.

Connected Educators Month

October is Connected Educators Month. According to the Office of Educational Technology, this month is “…a celebration of online communities of practice and networks in education.  The Department of Education invites all states, districts, and educational organizations to participate in Connected Educators Month.”

During this month:

I plan to write a blog post on every week day and ask a question that may lead to a conversation involving my readers.

I plan to read educational blogs on a regular basis and leave a comment every day on at least two blog posts.

I plan to show my students (who are pre-service teachers) ways to be connected so that when they become teachers, they will already have a running start.

I will be attending the South Carolina Edtech conference where I will meet with other professionals and learn ways to use technology more effectively in the classroom.

Are you being a connected educator? What things are you doing? Please share!

cc licensed ( BY NC ND ) flickr photo by Jerry Wong: http://flickr.com/photos/wongjunhao/2761709029/

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 10/4/13

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Writing Mysteries with Writers – “Learn how to craft your own spooky story. This workshop includes writing tips, strategies, and challenges to help you write a mystery. When you're done, you can publish your own mystery online!” (L:G; SA:LA)

Halloween Web Hunt – “Discover the history of Halloween traditions and learn about mummy burials, vampire bats, and other frightful facts.” (L:E,M; SA:SS)

The Halloween Tooth: A Max's Math Adventure – “In “The Tooth” (grades K–2), a learning activity from Scholastic’s Max’s Math Adventures series, students first read a fun, rhyming poem (with audio) about Halloween candy. Next, they must complete this activity page by making a pattern of candy objects.

Finally, students can complete four Extra Challenges of varying difficulty levels: two challenges about making patterns, one about counting, and one about probability.” (L:E; SA:M)

What Colors Communicate – “I will show you how to choose your colors wisely by understanding what they communicate” (L:G; SA:A)

The Right to Food:A Window on the World – learn about world hunger and malnutrition (L:A; SA:SS,S)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Fall Allergies

I don’t know if you are suffering like I am but fall allergies have hit. The news says that fall allergy season can be just as bad as the spring. I don’t feel up to snuff but I don’t feel terrible. I sound worse than I feel but I don’t feel 100%. Of course, I still have responsibilities and obligations to fill that can’t be put aside.

This makes me wonder how many of my students are going through the same things. How many of them aren’t bad enough to miss class but just don’t feel wonderful? How many really know the answer but they don’t feel in the mood to answer or think about finding the answer in their brains.

How do you fight this allergy season? What can I do to make the students feel better or survive this season? How can I fight it too and still keep up the quality of teaching that I can feel proud of.

I don’t know the answers to all of these questions but I know I have them. I guess right now I feel so miserable that all I have are questions. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

If you or your students are suffering from allergies, I hope you survive this season too. But remember to take pity on those others who are suffering too.

mage: 'Yellow' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20741443@N00/2883411763
Found on flickrcc.net

Angels All Around Us

This past Sunday, Pastor Crowell from Trinity Lutheran Church gave a sermon about angels. One of the passages she mentioned was from Psalm 103:20 –

“Bless the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who do God’s bidding, who obey the voice of God’s word.”

She talked about the angels in our daily lives and gave examples of the times angels had touched her life. These angels are the ones who are hearing God and being guided by him.

This reminded me of so many times that angels have touched my life and I think it happens on a daily basis for me. Sometimes it might just be the smile of stranger when I’m needing it most.

I began to think about the angels that have been around me during my career as a teacher.

On my first day with students at a new high school, I had no furniture because we were still somewhat under final construction and was so overwhelmed that I didn’t know where to start first. At that moment, an assistant principal happened to stop by and check on me. He assessed the situation and said he would take care of it immediately. Within the next hour, I had desks being delivered!

One time I had to hold an emergency IEP meeting for a student with autism but I was also scheduled for bus duty (which is not something to be missing in action if you teach on the high school level). Since I was at a new school and it was the beginning of the school year, I didn’t know many but one teacher noticed my panic stricken look and asked me if she could help. When I told her my problem she immediately told me that she would cover for me. In fact, this was just one of many times that she was there for me when I needed her.

My first year teaching on the high school level back in 1984, I had agreed to be in charge of the prom in order to get the job. What was I thinking?! I knew nothing about organizing a prom. Seeing my dismay, another teacher and her boyfriend offered to help me and with their guidance, I pulled off an awesome prom!

One time my husband and I double dated with a student from my class and his date for the prom. When they arrived at the restaurant, his car was overheating and my student was so distraught about his car but we had no idea how to help him other than encouraging him to eat while we figured out a solution. After dinner, he went out to try to work on the car when some man drove by who works on cars at a dealership. When the man noticed my student in a tux under the car, he stopped and helped get the car running. Then they went home to get another car so they could go to the dance. This man was a true angel for me and my student!

These are just a tiny sample of all the angels who have been there for me during my teaching career. I’m sure these angels never know how much they meant to me at that time or even now. All the thank yous in the world couldn’t show my appreciation for them being there.

Then I began to wonder about how many times I might have been an angel and an answer to someone else’s prayer. I wonder if I was there when someone needed me. Have I reached out a hand without being asked?

One year two of my students worked so hard working at a nursing home as part of their education program that the staff and residents took up a collection so they could go to the prom. They bought their prom tickets, rented him a tux, bought her a gown and shoes, and paid for a $50 dinner at an elegant Italian restaurant. Unfortunately both of my students had disabilities and there is no way they would have been comfortable going to this restaurant on their own. So, my husband and I decided to double date so we could be there for them. What a wonderful time we had! I still hear from these students even though it is 9 years later!

I realize that my actions don’t have to be big or grandiose. It can be the small things that can make an impact too.

Besides actual teaching responsibilities, I hope that I can be an angel for my students. I hope I can be there when they need me. This might mean noticing something good that they have done and giving them praise. It might mean supporting them at an extracurricular event that they are involved in. It might just be believing in them when no else will.

How have you been an angel in your classroom? Please share.

Photo of Trinity Lutheran Church from the church's website
Original photo by Pat Hensley

Monthly Review of Goals from September

September is gone and another birthday has passed. October has arrived and the fall temperatures are invigorating. I am excited to see the leaves change colors. It is time to review my goals and see how I did last month. All of my goals can be found here. The ones that are in bold are ones that I have already accomplished.

For the year:

1. I want to spin the alpaca fiber that I processed with some wool. (I accomplished this!)

2. I want to knit a sweater. (I’ve started on the Gnarled Oak cardigan from the Coastal Knits Book. The body is finished and most of one sleeve is done.)

3. I want to dye yarn. (Still haven’t done this yet but I’m getting closer to being in the mood!)

4. I want to spruce up my gardens this year. (It is time to do some fall cleaning in my flower beds. I also need to separate some compost from my worm composting system.)

5. I won’t commit to more to more than I can handle. (It has really been wonderful not to be overcommitted!)

6. I will find something good in each day. (I haven’t had one day that was totally horrible. There has been something good in every day)

7. I will learn archery. (We went for our lessons on Monday.)

8. I will nurture old friendships. (I haven’t had lunch with any old friends this month and I need to do a better job this month).

9. I will lose at least 20 lbs. this year. (I have lost a total of 21 pounds since January. I would like to lose 9 more this year.)

Daily:

1. I will eat healthy. (I have been eating around 1300 calories each day. I need to eat healthy calories and not bad ones though.)

2. I will exercise. (I am hitting 10,000 steps regularly.)

3. I will stretch. (I stretch and do strength exercises for 20 minutes each day.)

4. I will read my bible. (I haven’t done this at all in September.)

5. I will do something that I have been avoiding. (This goal has helped me get a lot of things done around the house.)

6. I will contact a friend and let them know I am thinking of them. (Every day I try to send an email or message through Facebook.)

7. I will be happy. (Consciously thinking this helps me start each day with a smile.)

I think I can be proud of all that I have done so far. I see that I only have one goal that hasn’t been touched so far. At least I still have 3 months to work on it.

Have you reviewed your goals or resolutions you made at the beginning of the year? How are you doing? If you haven’t achieved something yet, don’t give up. Just begin now.

Image: 'La Jolla Goal Wall'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30011527@N05/3876577832
Found on flickrcc.net