August, 2010

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A PLN Quick Start Guide

A Principal's Reflections

'Updated 4/17/13 The concept of a PLN has been around for a very long time. PLN''s back in the day consisted of individuals with the same professional interests engaging in mostly face to face communication. Fast forward a good amount of years and enter the internet. No one can argue that the evolution of the real-time web has dramatically altered how we communicate, gather information, and reflect.

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How Educators Connect With Kids On The First Days Of School

The Web20Classroom

'Last week I asked for your ideas on how you make connections with kids on the first days of school. I am overwhelmed by the response. With right at 80 ideas there is surely something here for everyone, or at least a new idea to try. I wanted to highlight a few of my favorites: On day 1, I introduce my new gr. 7 students to their Google Docs account, along with the help of the my gr. 8 students who used it last year.

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Teachers' Hierarchy of Needs

EdTechSandyK

'If you’ve been around education for very long or ever taken an educational psychology course, you’ve probably heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. His theory, in a nutshell, contends that human beings have levels of basic needs, and until the needs at the lower levels are met, we don’t even feel the needs at the next level. Teachers in my school district report back to duty for the new school year on Monday morning.

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Free App Today: iTouchiLearn Words

SpeechTechie

'TODAY for free on iTunes Store, iTouchiLearn Words , a cute app that can be used to review basic vocabulary and written word to word/picture matching. I also really like the app''s animations, which are funny and can be used to model and elicit complex sentences and semantic associations. For example: This fun animation (selected when you tap the picture of a pool on the animations menu) illustrates the words pool, splash, jump, wet.

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Quickly Create Personalized Learning Experiences that Work

How can we actively engage learners 24/7, on their level and according to their interests, while respecting their learning styles? It’s not impossible. In this guide: Explore how to transform traditional, one-way videos into two-way interactive learning experiences Understand different types of artificial intelligence (AI), including - Generative vs.

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Back to School Special: Making You & Your Library Indispensable

The Daring Librarian

'( an after-school special webinar that''s not totally awkward !) Monday September 13th - 8pm EST ( NOTE: changed date due to Labor Day holiday ) Guests: Gwyneth Jones, Shannon Miller & Keisa Williams Host: Gwyneth Jones Back to School Special : Wikipage A casual discussion to generate ideas on how to build school allies, support new teachers & become indispensable to admin & staff at the beginning of every school year.

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Reflections on the Googleplex

The Electric Educator

'This past week I had the opportunity to attend three events at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California. The first was a search class by Daniel Russell which I blogged about previously. The second event was an educational summit for the newly formed Google Certified Trainer Program. Details about the program can be found here. For two days I enjoyed the company of 60 professionals from across the US.

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5 Sites To Explore This School Year

The Web20Classroom

'In my neck of the woods schools have already started or will be starting soon. As we are going back and thinking of new tools to try or sites to explore I wanted to give you a few ideas of each that you may find have a place in your classroom this year. These are quick and easy ways to do something fun and use a little technology along the way. Wallwisher Think of Wallwisher like a corkboard and push pins.

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Career Risks You Take When You Share Your Life Online

EdTechSandyK

'What you post online can have serious ramifications for your career. I''ve said it before , I''m saying it again, and I''m pretty sure this won''t be the last time I write about it. My hope is that people will listen and consider what they post on their social/professional networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. I read and think a lot about this topic, so the CNN clip below caught my attention.

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"Scientists 'discover' the secret of humor"

SpeechTechie

'The news has been spreading around the Internet.humor has now been explained! Well, maybe not quite, but an interesting study in the journal Psychological Science sort of explains why we (well, a lot of us) find Seinfeld funny. Humor "stems from a benign violation of the way the world ought to be." according to a summary of the study in The Telegraph.

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Start of a new semester

Connecting 2 the World

Well, last month was especially busy as we start looking for colleges for next year for my son and he registered to take a couple of college courses while he is in high school. I'll blog about that experience later. Today, though, was the first day of classes for me. I'm excited as I'm trying out 3 new things: 1) I've created a facebook group in place of the Ning.

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Can Brain Science Actually Help Make Your Training & Teaching Stick?

Speaker: Andrew Cohen, Founder & CEO of Brainscape

The instructor’s PPT slides are brilliant. You’ve splurged on the expensive interactive courseware. Student engagement is stellar. So… why are half of your students still forgetting everything they learned in just a matter of weeks? It's likely a matter of cognitive science! With so much material to "teach" these days, we often forget to incorporate key proven principles into our curricula — namely active recall, metacognition, spaced repetition, and interleaving practice.

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Power Searching at the Googleplex

The Electric Educator

'Today I had the opportunity to attend a session on web search led by Daniel M. Russell, "Google Search Quality and User Happiness" guru. With me at the Googleplex in Mountain View were roughly 30 educators, mostly from the Bay Area. Dan was a very engaging host and presented us with several "wicked" search challenges. Here are a few for your enjoyment (you''ll have to find the answers yourself!

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We Have Got to do and Be Better

A Principal's Reflections

'The other day I was reading an article in the New York Times entitled " In Reassessing Schools, a Lot of Bad News to Break ". The following comment in the article stuck out to me and others on Twitter: “There are two reactions those of us in this business can have,” said Geoffrey Canada, the chief executive of the Harlem Children’s Zone, which operates the school.

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New Posted Resources 08/31/2010

The Web20Classroom

'Critical thinking In the classroom tags : criticalthinking favorite 10 Google Forms for the Classroom | edte.ch tags : googledocs GoogleForms favorite critical-thinking - home tags : critical-thinking criticalthinking favorite Getting Started with Google Docs in the Classroom - ProfHacker - The Chronicle of Higher Education tags : googledocs favorite Watch and Learn: 20 Free Educational Video Sites!

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Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) Degrees - What Do You Know About Them?

EdTechSandyK

'I have been working on a Master''s Degree (M.Ed.) and will finish it before the end of this year, Lord willing. My yearning to learn won''t stop there, though, and I''ve been informally contemplating what the next step might be. Continue learning on my own as I already do or pursue another formal degree? I don''t have a deep desire to pursue a doctorate, although that may change with time.

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Reimagining Chickering & Gamson's Principles Post-Pandemic: Technology's Central Role in Modern Edu

This white paper examines and proposes revisions to the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" introduced by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson in 1987 for today's technology-driven world.

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FREE App Today: Pocket Zoo with Live Web Cams

SpeechTechie

'Thanks to Lorraine Akemann of Moms With Apps for organizing another great App Friday- today Pocket Zoo with Live Web Cams is FREE on the iTunes store. This app allows you to navigate a virtual zoo (by clicking on a map), read information about each animal, hear their animal sounds, and access web cams of selected animal habitats at zoos. Web cams of course are hit or miss- sometimes you see the animal, sometimes you see an empty habitat, zoo staff or, if it''s night, nothing.

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Experimenting with Picasa Web Albums

mauilibrarian2 in Olinda

'Our school just started using Google Apps for Education, and Google''s Picasa integrates beautifully into the system. Here''s a slide show of a few photos taken of our Orientation Day. I discovered that it''s less complicated to send direct album links, than to send email invitations to an individual group. (??? ? ) This post was originally published at mauilibrarian2 in Olinda.

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Still Think Social Media is a FAD?

The Daring Librarian

'Watch this video and I think you''ll change your mind! In 2007 I blogged on my MHMS Media blog about the amazing video "Did You Know" by Karl Fisch and Scott Mc Leod -- then last year ''09 I posted the updated version to my community. And as we watch the phenom of Social Media and the newly coined Socialnomics the video above. AND WOW! This has rocked my world - ALMOST as much as the Did You Know vid did in 2007~ I am even thinking of featuring this new video during my MASL keynote !

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The truth about blogging

Learning with 'e's

Anyone who blogs regularly will have discovered several truths. The first is that you are only as good as your last post. Many people struggle to maintain a regular blog that is consistently good, or at least meaningful. The blank page and writer's block are familar companions to all authors. But there is a contradiction here. Although you are only as good as your last blog, all your previously blogs are also out there, archived, published for people to read (and for you to revisit, if you wish)

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Behind the Bell: The Underlying Impact of Tardiness in K-12 Schools

Managing a K-12 campus with constant pressure to meet performance metrics is challenging. And tardiness can significantly limit a school from reaching these goals. Learn more about why chronic lateness matters, and key strategies to address the following impacts: Data errors caused by manual processes Low attendance and graduation rates that affect a school’s reputation Classroom disruption, which leads to poor academic performance High staff attrition and “The Teacher Exodus” Unmet LCAP goals t

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Your Search Has Never Been Sweeter.

The Web20Classroom

'One of the challenges teachers face when teaching kids about content on the Internet is evaluation. It can be difficult for kids (especially the younger ones) to know or be able to see that even if a website looks fancy the information it contains can be misleading or flat out wrong. Most times when kids are giving an assignment the first place they go is Google which can lead them to sites in their quest for information that might not be what we as educators want them to have or, again, could

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Reflection on Creating a Personal Digital Story

EdTechSandyK

'NOTE: This reflection is part of an assignment requirement for Lamar University course EDLD 5363 Multimedia & Video Technology Creating a personal digital story was a rewarding experience for me. I have used Microsoft Photo Story before and even taught teachers how to use it in workshops, but I have never used it to create a product that was truly individual to me.

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Great Conversation Game.

SpeechTechie

'to start the year or get a social group talking. The website EFL Classroom 2.0 features rules and a supporting slideshow for the game "Pass the Paper," a kind of musical chairs for conversation. To quote the site: What is it? Basically, the students are in a group with one crumpled piece of paper among them. The music plays and they “Pass the Paper”.

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Building Momentum

A Principal's Reflections

'Yesterday was a particularly busy day for me. In the midst of interviewing candidates for an open vice principal position, calling prospective teachers, and going through mounds of paperwork I managed to make the time to video conference with administrators and educational stakeholders in Virginia, Iowa, New York, and Florida. Let me begin by saying that I was absolutely honored that various members of my Professional Learning Network (PLN) and the greater educational community reached out to m

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The Battle of the Authoring Tools: A 10-Point Comparison for Picking the Right One

Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions

There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.

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I am a Total Gleek! Hip Cultural Literacy

The Daring Librarian

'So, thanks to my friend Sondra I am totally, irrevocably, and joyously a Gleek now! I just pre-ordered the Glee: The Complete First Season on Amazon to be released on Sept. 14th because I missed the first part of the season - and yes, I know I can watch them on Hulu - but I want to OWN these - maybe even show musical clips at school! And no, Glee may not appropriate for elem kids but for middle+ and hip grownups it''s a HOOT!

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5 Goals for the School Year

The Electric Educator

'Before the start of each new school year I sit down and identify five goals that I want to focus on for the year. These were my goals for the 2010 School year (you can read the full post here ): 1. Improve reverse-instructional model. 2. Continue to improve the Wii interactive whiteboard for class use. 3. Improve assessments to require more critical thinking and problem solving. 4.

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New Posted Resources 08/28/2010

The Web20Classroom

'Googlize Your Lessons tags : google googledocs lessonplans PD favorite Wolfram Alpha Tools in the Classroom | Hack Education tags : wolfram favorite math How to start a PLN tags : PLN favorite ISTE | Essential Conditions for the NETS for Students tags : iste favorite Project-Based Learning Strategies and Research for Educators tags : pbl favorite Posted from Diigo.

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New Posted Resources 08/27/2010

The Web20Classroom

'Learning with ''e''s: Why Twitter is so powerful tags : twitter pln favorite 5 Things To Get Your Twitter Network Off The Ground | edte.ch tags : twitter pln favorite 10 Social Media Competencies for K-12 teachers. tags : socialmedia favorite Tony Vincent''s Learning in Hand - Blog - iPad, iPhone, iPod touch Issues for Schools tags : ipad ipodtouch favorite Welcome to the iPod & iPad User Group Wiki tags : ipad favorite iPads in Schools tags : ipad favorite ipads4education - Exploring iPads for

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The Roses and Thorns of an LMS Strategy: How to Flourish with the Right LMS

Speaker: Amanda Davis, Chief Experience Officer and Liam O'Malley, VP of Association Solutions

The "new normal" is now a little less new, a little more normal. Does that mean your current LMS strategy is in need of a refresh? Is your organization or association leaning into the always-evolving eLearning environment to ensure you have the tools and content to remain relevant through all this change? There are many complex decision-making processes within your learning & development strategy and LMS lifecycle management, including: Selection.

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New Posted Resources 08/26/2010

The Web20Classroom

'Making Connections with Skype tags : skype favorite 100 Ways to Use Digital Cameras | Scholastic.com tags : digitalcamera favorite Using social media to tell stories tags : digitalstorytelling socialmedia favorite How To Effectively Manage Your Online Reputation - by Dumb Little Man tags : digitalfootprint favorite Thinkfinity.org tags : resources technology lessonplans favorite Posted from Diigo.

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New Posted Resources 08/24/2010

The Web20Classroom

'Internet Safety Videos tags : cybersafety digitalcitizenship internet_safety favorite TeachersFirst: Wiki Walk-Through tags : wiki favorite The Digital Native Project tags : digital_native favorite Tech Tools for the English Classroom by kim trefz on Prezi tags : english prezi favorite 10 Ways to Evaluate Blogs - Articles - Educational Technology - ICT in Education tags : Blogging favorite Posted from Diigo.

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Help Us Get To SXSW!

The Web20Classroom

'I am very excited to be a part of a great group of educators who have an opportunity to present at South by SouthWest (SXSW) about using Social Media in Education. However, the event uses crowd voting to determine which proposals make the final cut and get accepted. In short, WE NEED YOUR HELP if we are going to make it to Austin next year. Here are the other educators on the panel, please support us by following the steps below: Richard Byrne who tweets under the name @rmbyrne Cory Plough who

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Just How Valuable Is Your Face-To-Face PLN?

The Web20Classroom

'Last night on #edchat the conversation turned from talking about how valuable student blogging is to whether or not students should learn or have their own Personal Learning Network (PLN). There has been a lot of talk lately of whether or not we should even use the term "PLN" and what place it has in education. (Frankly, a PLN is what you make it. Mine is different, from yours so I dunno why we continue to argue over semantics.

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Building the Foundation for a Modern K-12 Classroom

K-12 looks different these days. But one thing remains the same: you need a reliable learning platform that serves as the foundation for teaching and learning––for all students, in a variety of learning experiences. Discover how the Instructure Learning Platform supports today's K-12 classroom through: A central, consistent, connected hub of the digital learning environment.