http://www.leadertalk.org/

This is a great blog I ran across last Spring. There is great motivation for teachers and educational leaders from other leaders in the United States. Two posts today were particularly profound for me, in regards to the use of technology in the classroom.

http://www.leadertalk.org/2007/11/sharing-ideas-a.html refers to the power of social bookmarking and twitter (!) to connect with other educators around the world, and to quit re-inventing the wheel of technology.

http://www.leadertalk.org/2007/11/co-create-thril.html slams the OEA's recent decision to "suggest" that teachers avoid social networking sites like myspace and facebook. He believes, as do I, that kids need role models on these sites (and everywhere else, as well!). We would never recommend teachers stop shopping at the mall, or the grocery store, or working out at the club just because they might run into a student. The key is to maintain professional boundaries and relationships, as in everything else. Teachers can have a powerful impact on students' lives, both online and off. Let's not ban a tool based on fear and hyperbole.

mood lifters

Some days in the classroom are hard. Sometimes it seems like we're fighting the entire force of the universe to get the kids to stay in one place at one time. Uff da. As we edge closer to the holidays, with a higher sugar intake for the kids, and less sleep for adults, more and more I'm feeling that the kids resemble this little guy:



When I need a break from the momentum, I love to cruise for videos like this. Everyone needs the ability to laugh (at themselves and with others).

Other digital stress relievers I like include:

My Grateful Journal (http://mygratefuljournal.blogspot.com/)- a woman's notes to God about the things she is thankful for. It began as a way to fight her own depression, and now she helps me remember how much I have to be thankful for, as well.

-and-

The Splintered Mind (http://thesplinteredmind.blogspot.com/)- a man with ADHD and depression uses humor to alleviate his symptoms, or at least make light of them for sanity's sake!

Grades due soon

I am grading papers fast and furiously in hopes of entering the grades into our software program this week. Once they are there, I have to print a final grade report, and enter each grade by hand into the Report Card Maker. Apparently, the gradebook software company hasn't made a link between its software and the report card software. I know they've done it for other programs, because it worked in my old district. I know, it's a petty thing to be stressed about, but at this time of year, it is a pain to have to hand enter 22 report cards for my homeroom, 19 more for ELA, and 13 for Math.

At least I have the software to do the calculations for me. I'm not sure what I would do if I had to calculate everything by hand! I am definitely part of the technology dependent generation. I am not a digital native, but I have emigrated, and I don't ever want to go back!

To do lists

So, I'm a bit concrete random, so my to do lists no longer look like a traditional to do list. They exist, but in several places for several things. My random nature has kicked them out of my Palm Pilot, into my lesson plan book, and then onto random sheets of paper wherever I find to write them down. Apparently, I'm not alone! Check out these statistics: http://todolistblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/eight-surprising-to-do-list-facts.html

I admit, when I am working from a real-life pencil and paper list, I will regularly add and cross off items I have already done just to have that feeling of accomplishment! How about you? How do you use a to-do list? Any good technological advice? I know there are to do list websites, such as http://www.tadalist.com/. I'd love to hear from someone who had used one.

I used to use a program in Palm that prioritized my to-do list by date due, category (home, work, school, etc.), and level of importance (1-5). I found that I spent more time organizing the to-do list than actually doing the tasks, so I gave it up.

The kids loved it! So do the parents!

My students got to see my ezedia project Friday, and they LOVED it! They thought it was SO cool that I made it myself (they didn't believe me when I first told them. They thought I was kidding!).

Another fun tech moment: Tuesday after school the Brownies were in our cluster, and were talking about biomes and habitats and animals. The mom in charge had forgotten her visuals, and the kids weren't really understanding what a biome is. So, me being the tech nut that I am, pulled up Internet Explorer, found a website with good pics and information on the major biomes, tagged it in del.icio.us, and pulled out the projector so the kids could see real-life images in living color before they began their project. The moms were SO pleased, and I owe it all to del.icio.us!

eZedia

Ok, ok. I have to admit, when my professor told us we were going to use this "great, user-friendly, multi-media software", my eyes rolled to the back of my head. Yeah, right! When am I going to have time to put together fancy multi-media presentations. C'mon. Some days, I feel like I can barely get my lessons planned, much less grade papers. How am I supposed to fit in professional looking multi-media?

Then, he gave us two hours of class time to play with this software, eZediaQTI2. I produced a ten slide multi-media presentation including a sound file and a movie, and fifteen pictures with captions. I could have even narrated my presentation if I'd brought a microphone. I will use it in my classroom tomorrow! I'm so excited, I can barely contain myself. I would post a link to it, but unfortunately, the movie I used is not free-use. Our district provides access, but I can't post it to the web for free. Sorry- guess you'll have to try it out for yourself to see how easy it is!

Technological Tidbits

Have you ever kicked yourself because you bookmarked a cool website to show your kids, only to realize that you bookmarked it on your classroom machine and you can't find it again in the computer lab? del.icio.us is the solution!! Del.icio.us allows you to tag bookmarks with (one-word) keywords, so you can view only your math links, or only your comprehension links. It is important to use single-word keywords, because each individual word turns into a new tag. I will run two words together, or add an underscore between two words to avoid this glitch. del.icio.us is SO much more than just a list of bookmarks, though. It is social networking, also. You can link to other people with similar interests, and share links with each other. For example, I have three other teachers in my network on del.icio.us, and I can see their links and they can see mine. I can also “tag” links for them, as I find useful educational sites, by typing for:username in my tag box.












Try it out and tell me what you think!