August 2009 Blog Posts (124)

DevLearn 2009

I'm running a session at DevLearn... Learning Library: Design for the Participatory Web 2.0 Culture. Click here for more information

Added by Erin Brockette Reilly on August 11, 2009 at 7:22pm — No Comments

Swedish Preschool, Linguistic Immersion, and Baby College.

Swedish elementary school begins when kids are 7 years old and there's no real formal structure to preschool except "socialization". What do they teach in preschool? Not ABC's, Counting, and Colors...How "To be a good friend and to believe in their own abilities." But that structure offers individual learning plans for each student and lots of linguistic immersion: always talking. The best predictor of human capacity, according to University of Chicago Economist, James Heckman, is linguistic… Continue

Added by Mike Palmquist on August 11, 2009 at 11:35am — 2 Comments

Hard to get an old dog... MY ASS!

Here's a story about one of my best friend's in the world.

He got a parking ticket. And didn't pay it. And then another. And didn't pay that either. And then a few more. Never paid any of them.

So the other day, he was in a rush -- had to get a package off to Fed Ex to meet a HUGE business deadline, the kind that causes cold sweats when big deals are on the line.

And he rushed to his car after getting the final documents notarized and poof! his… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on August 11, 2009 at 6:30am — No Comments

Internet Resources for teachers working with Hearing Impaired students

The 4th post in a series providing an overview of web based resources for educators that work with Special Needs students.

We started this series a few weeks back by looking at resources for teaching students with ADD & ADHD, we focused on… Continue

Added by Kelly Walsh on August 10, 2009 at 6:27pm — No Comments

Top Ten Free Apps

This is a question I always get from parents of my tech students. My fellow-blogger, Dustin, has a good start, although I’ll add a few more tomorrow.
For now, read on--they're all Free (and critical)

Added by Jacqui Murray on August 10, 2009 at 1:26pm — No Comments

Thank Goodness for "Bad" Teachers!

Before I lay me down to sleep this evening, I am going to say a prayer of gratitude for all the crappy teachers I've had and known. That's right -- for the really stinky ones. Why? Because, if you pay attention, you can learn as much from a poor teacher as you can from a strong one... at least in a few very specific ways.

Through being treated like a just another factory widget by some of my cynical, jaded, been at this job way-too-long type of teachers back when I was in… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on August 10, 2009 at 8:44am — No Comments

Reports on ICT in education produced by Education.au for DEEWR

These reports along iwth the Collaboration in Teaching and Learning Report (www.educationau.edu.au/SICTAS-ctl )may be of interest.

Hi all

Some new reports produced by Education.au as part of its Strategic ICT Advisory Service for DEEWR.

Annual Report on Emerging Technologies: Planning for Change…

Continue

Added by Jenny on August 10, 2009 at 12:54am — No Comments

The Weekly Update: August 3 - August 9

Check out last weeks most interesting blogs!

Added by Shawn Roner on August 9, 2009 at 9:32pm — No Comments

There are few programs that say 'competence' more than Adobe Photoshop. If a student can accomplish this photo editor, he becomes the go-to guy for technology. He develops a confidence that carries o…

There are few programs that say 'competence' more than Adobe Photoshop. If a student can accomplish this photo editor, he becomes the go-to guy for technology. He develops a confidence that carries over into so many other skills s/he'll want to use with computers. On my blog, Ask a Tech Teacher, I've itemized some of the favorites among my students, the easiest for a fifth grader to use when they're putting themselves into that… Continue

Added by Jacqui Murray on August 9, 2009 at 8:02pm — No Comments

Self-Regulation and Getting Back to School: 6 Things to Be Mindful Of

It's that time again!

The first few weeks of the school year are so important and set the tone for the entire year. Self-regulation is crucial throughout the year, but there are barriers at the beginning of the year. Children are coming in from less structure. They haven't had to regulate very well for a couple of months.

6 Things to be Mindful of:

1. Flexible reminders during the first few weeks are crucial.

2. Use questions.

3. Challenge the unhealthy… Continue

Added by Brad Chapin on August 9, 2009 at 10:35am — No Comments

21st Century Teaching & Learning

The following commentary discusses my viewpoint on 21st Century Teaching and Learning, based on responses to a PLN survey conducted by Lucy Gray, Technology Integration Specialist at the University of Chicago, on August 8, 2009.

What is your personal definition of 21st century learning and/or teaching?

21st Century learning is the process whereby digital natives utilize the power of modern technology to learn anything, anytime, anywhere. Classrooms are no longer… Continue

Added by David Ligon on August 9, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

Branding in Social Media

The concept of branding is an essential part of social media and web 2.0 literacy. The way in which an individual or business presents themselves online through a variety of online venues is absolutely essential to how viewers will perceive them. This can have either positive or negative consequences depending on how one's web 2.0 brand comes across. Case in point, in the latest issue of Government Technology an article entitled "The Trouble with Twitter and other social networks" depicts an… Continue

Added by David Ligon on August 9, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

Flight Simulator on a Microsoft Surface Table, set to 80's music

The above is a link to a recent post on my Interactive Multimedia Technology blog. The application looks fun!

Added by Lynn Marentette on August 9, 2009 at 8:40am — No Comments

School Supply Shopping

While I LOVE shopping for school supplies, I do NOT love it when my children are along. And I know for a fact that I'm not the only one. I know because I witnessed it myself yesterday. While shopping with my daughter in the school supply aisles I overheard SEVERAL conversations that went something like this:

"Let me LOOK at that list!"

"No, you do NOT need THAT!"

"Argh! I should have just done this MYSELF!"

Adding to that cacophony was my own argument… Continue

Added by Michelle TeGrootenhuis on August 8, 2009 at 10:16am — 4 Comments

Before School Starts Up Again...

Before School Starts Up Again...

I want to make sure I take back with me a sense of optimism about the upcoming year. I know it's gonna be more challenging in many ways due to these absolutely BONKER budget cuts. However, just because we have less money to spend on our kids than ever (at least as long as I've been a teacher) does not mean that we automatically have to provide less of an education to our kids than ever.

And I believe they way to ensure that this… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on August 8, 2009 at 6:30am — 1 Comment

Teaching Technique-expectations

Teaching Technique-EXPECTATIONS

First a story

When I taught in the Memphis City School System, I also worked summers for the Memphis City Park Commission. I worked at a Community Center. The Director of the center and I became friends. Years after leaving the Park Commission job the Director (a lady) shared this information with me.

Her story is this. “I was in a very sleazy night club (if you could really call it that) one night. I was with… Continue

Added by William Lambert on August 8, 2009 at 6:08am — No Comments

Free Collaborative Platforms for Teachers Part 5 - Glide Engage and OS Microblogging and Online Collaboration

Reposted from Meg's Notebook | Exploring the Digital Classroom

Glide Engage is an ambitious service which attempts to capture and serve two of today's most popular online 'application' activities: microblogging and online… Continue

Added by Meg H on August 8, 2009 at 3:00am — No Comments

Toolbox for Teachers and Mentors: Moving Madrichim to Mentor Teachers and Beyond

Toolbox for Teachers and Mentors: Moving Madrichim to Mentor Teachers can now be ordered by clicking on to this web address: … Continue

Added by Richard D. Solomon, Ph.D. on August 7, 2009 at 4:01pm — No Comments

Star Trek Wins Again–Fiction Becomes Reality

So often, StarTrek science predated reality. Here's another story of their amazing vision:

Transparent metal hints at nature of planets’ cores

Transparent aluminum, a sci-fi material brought to 20th century Earth by the crew of The Enterprise in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, turns out to exist after all – if… Continue

Added by Jacqui Murray on August 7, 2009 at 11:28am — No Comments

A Time of Educational Opposites

We are living and working in a time of educational opposites.

*Our class sizes are growing as our teacher ranks are shrinking.

*Our students' needs are expanding as our professional development time is diminishing.

*The public's confidence in our professional abilities is lessening while the public's distaste for supporting public education is broadening.

These opposites are not good. However, there's a bright side as well.

*Socioeconomic… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on August 7, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments