Category Archives: Uncategorized

In case you missed it, check out this great blog entry from the Innovative Educator. She lists 10 ways technology supports 21st century learners in being self-directed. This is a fabulous resource for teachers with a single stand-alone classroom computer… to an array of student netbooks.

Here’s a quick way to promote innovation in technology fluency among your staff. You’ll need a bit of preparation and a 70 minute block of time (not to mention the technology). Thanks to Shawna Lyons for this idea. Timeframe: 70 minutes

PREPARATION:
Set up 4 stations…. visualizer, active expressions, netbook, ipods/recorders.
Have the following posted:  “What ways can you use this technology to support student learning?”
Prepare a Google Form to survey teachers and share the results link for debrief.

LAUNCH (20 minutes):
View a 21st Century Learner video (choose one from below).
Discuss students needs in terms of 21st Century skills (aided by graphics).

EXPLORE (30 minutes):
Divide teachers into four groups and have them rotate stations every 7 and 1/2 minutes. While there they discuss as a team how they have, could, or would use the technology to enhance learning.

DEBRIEF (20 minutes):
(10 minutes) Each team of teachers works together to share their top five ideas on how to use each item using Google Docs.
(10 minutes) Teachers peruse the google form and glean ideas from the other three teams. They may choose to compare them to these resources as well.

Instructional Technology resources:

Visualizer:
http://www.aps.k12.co.us/instruct_tech/northwest/documents/101.doc

ActivExpressions:
Student_Response_System_Rubric
Netbooks/iPads:
http://journeyintech.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-khan-be-done-with-it.html

Objective: 3.
NETS for Administrators: Excellence in Professional Practice
-Educational Administrators promote an environment of professional learning and innovation that empowers educators to enhance student learning through the infusion of contemporary technologies and digital resources. Educational Administrators:
a.     allocate time, resources, and access to ensure ongoing professional growth in technology fluency and integration.

~Thanks for Barb Wagers for this.

If you are an elementary teacher and would like supplemental Mondo resources or you are use ipods or ipads in your classroom, then these additional resources are exactly what you need.

376 Mondo audio files (created from the Mondo CDs) are now available for you and your students to use on a computer or on your ipods or ipads. We would like to extend a very special thank you to Kim Duran at Boston K-8 for doing all the work and for sharing these files with all of us.

Over 130 additional Mondo movies (supporting all levels) have also been added to our Instructional Resources. A very special thank you for that work goes to Tammie Doane from the Assistive Technology department.

Check out all the Instructional Resources by going to:

Click on this link: U:Distdata

Or, go to your desktop and open My Computer.

Open the U drive, Distdata folder and then the Instructional Resources folder.

Image: On Flickr by trevorparker

Here’s a clever idea from Willy, who is a Technology Facilitator at Fletcher Intermediate. Fletcher Intermediate has four netbook carts. It is a cumbersome task to organize ‘when’ and ‘where’ four computers carts will be at any given moment during the day. Especially when you have a dozen teachers all clamoring to use them.

The solution he came up with is to enable teachers to organize themselves and the carts using Google Calendar. This pulled him out of the role as an organization middle-man and enhanced the communication between teachers. Now when a teacher needs the cart they go to the calendar that lists calendars for all four carts and they write themselves in to an open time that works best for them. Each teacher is in charge of going to the classroom that last used the cart to retrieve it. The honor-system triumphs again!

If there are ever any problems, they all know who to talk to by using the calendar. Check out the above example of one week with the calendars.

Thanks to Free Technology for Teachers for the head’s up on this.

Mark Your Calendars for Google Webinars

If you’re interested in learning more about using Google Apps in the classroom, next month Google is hosting two webinars that you might be interested in attending. On December 7 Google is hosting a webinar titled Taking the Core Features of Google Apps to the Next Level. This webinar, designed for intermediate users of Google Apps, will explore tips and tricks for Docs, Search, Forms, Sites, and Calendars.

For more information, go to Free Technology for Teachers.