My Podcast

Student recording of a Tale by Grimm

Twittering

I've been exploring Twitter this year and am becoming more receptive to what it can do for me.  Since my district has blocked Facebook and other social networking sites where I had planned on working with students after-hours, I can see that Twitter might be an alternative to this dilemma.  Since most students have cell phones (or micro personal PCs), they have access to Twitter.  I can see them Tweeting questions and receiving answers from peers or me while they work on the topic at hand.  I can also see using it to send out reminders for things and posing "homework" questions once they leave the school building.

I've been following several people on Twitter, including but not limited to: Ian Jukes, Kathy Schrock, Cyndi Danner Kuhn, Jeff Utech and Alec Couros.  I find it refresing to read their opinions and what they are finding out on the 'Net. 

I did a search for #biology and found some useful sites for my return to the classroom next year.  I picked up several of the tweets and am now following them.

Reflection on 23 things

This 23 Things experience has given me an opportunity to explore several new technologies and tools that I have either not heard of or been too afriad to try before.  I learned much about blogging!  I can see why some people blog.  While it isn't my thing, I have found value in doing it.  I have used Wordle and continue to use it.   Planbook.edu was a website that I found through one of the activities that I am looking at when I do blended delivery next year.  It offers the chance to have online plans, activities, and formative self-assessments for students.

I think that module has enhanced my understanding of the NETS-T.  By dividing the 23 things into groups based on the standards, I was able to see how the standards can be implemented. 

Thing 8: Reflection on a friend's post

My colleague, Jodi, blogged about a website (http://tametheweb.com/2009/02/24/twitter-in-the-classroom-2/) where a teacher is using Twitter as a major component of his classroom.


Here's my resonse: http://23thingsjodiice.blogspot.com/2011/03/thing-17-twitter.html#comments

WV Statewide Technology Conference - Brain Honey with Anne Meadows

This concurrent session on Brain Honey, a blended-delivery tool, was inspiring.  While I didn't use this particular tool, I have thought more about blended delivery and how to further use it when I return to the classroom this fall.  I'm thinking of actually doing very little, if any, lecturing in front of the students.  Instead, I want to spend my time working on labs and hands-on activities.  These labs and things will provide real data that can be analyzed and allow for conclusions to be drawn.   The idea of having the 'book content' online and available to students whenever they need it will hopefully get the students more involved and begin to take control of their own learning.

FETC Webinar/Conference

I attended a "Technology Shootout" the other day via the FETC.org website.  The session was hosted by Hall Davidson, Leslie Fisher, and John Kuglin.  They were very quickly and enthusiastically talking about their favorite, and new, tech tools.  I had seen or heard of many of these things, but some of them were quite neat.   Dropbox was covered (and I've used it!).  I was also excited about screencast-o-matic and other online screencast software.    Stratalogica is an online mapping program that combines real-world data and offers a way to give real-world data to students.   It also offers video feeds and commentary about current events via an interactive globe/map.  Desktop Connect is an app that allows your iPad to connect wirelessly through the cloud to your PC at home/work. 

These are just some of the topics covered.