Interesting Things I Have Found
Sheryl Winstead

March 18, 2010

Websites:

My e-book-I use this for technology updates for my faculty and staff (and any others I think would enjoy).  I start off a new e-book and add sites or information as I come across it.  I try to do this at least once a month and post the link to my website, blog, and wiki for quick access. I hope to expand this to add video tips when I have time.

http://www.myebook.com/index.php

Another one that I want to try: Live Binders

http://livebinders.com/

Here is one that was created for SmartBoards.  When you sign up it allows you to create your own or to copy ones already made.

http://livebinders.com/edit?id=9418

Fur.ly:  Combine several websites into one link.  Very helpful when teachers are wanting their students to visit a group of site on a subject area or for research purposes.  Also helpful for younger students.

http://fur.ly/

http://fur.ly/il0 This is one I used about George Washington and the presidents.

This is one that I created for Earth Day.

http://fur.ly/il7

Media Literacy/Ad Awareness:

Using this with my fourth and fifth grade students after spring break. This is a game for students.  http://www.admongo.gov/

There are also lesson plans & worksheets at:

http://www.scholastic.com/admongo/index.htm

Amazing Web Projects-free book by Terry Freedman

http://www.terry-freedman.org.uk/web2_2010/Amazing%20Web%202%20Projects.pdf

For my own personal learning network:

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy

http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy

Working my way through the first key resources.

This is written by Andrew Churches, a curriculum manager of computer studies and Teaching and Learning Technology Trainer from Auckland, New Zealand.

Here are the grant and website links that I have posted for my faculty and staff in Myebook.  Please post a comment and let me know what other items would be helpful.

This has been a crazy year for me and I’ve fallen way behind on my posts.  We have had our school server melt and our technicians had to recreate our data from a backup then we migrated  from a Novell environment to a Windows one so needless to say we have been extremely busy the last couple months.  Now just in time for MAP testing I’ve had a moment to create a post.

My faculty and staff have to take a SC Technology Assessment each year and they are in the process of doing that at this time.  I want to help them stay current on technology buzz words and the latest applications that can be used in the classroom and I think the best way to do this is by using this blog.  Therefore I will resume posting great resources and updates through this medium.  More to come very soon!

This is the first post for the new school year.  It is also the fourth year that I have had a blog devoted to technology resources!  Our school district has been MAP testing our students with NWEA for the past several year and this year we are going to be testing kindergarten and first grade.  This should be interesting as some of the kindergarten students don’t even know how to hold a mouse!  I do think the data that we will get from these tests will be very helpful in planning individualized instruction.

I have created my usual update in an ebook format this time using Myebook.  Please check it out and leave a comment. It was sometimes difficult to move items around and you have to use hotspots for links and the one in my text box on Wolfram Alpha didn’t hold so you’ll have to copy and paste it. Or use the link here.  I would like to use this with students and see a lot of possibilites as long as they don’t wander on the site and find inappropriate items.

We were reviewing Google’s Sketchup Friday at Clemson and I wanted to share a resource I have found to use with students.
The one that I found helpful for elementary students is called 3D Vinci and has free activities that you can download. There is also a teacher guide from this site.
They have also found many people on the autism spectrum have visual and spatial strengths, and 3D design software plays to them, therefore they have created Project Spectrum for April’s Autsim Awareness Month.

 

I’m at Clemson training today and we are learning about Doodle and ClassTools.net.  I really like the Doodle site and feel that teachers could use it to have students sign up for projects or reports by limiting the choice to one person.  The ClassTools site has some cute applications like the hamburger interactive to help with writing and also I really like the Light it Up.  I haven’t decided how to use this but know the younger students would love it.  We have also used igoogle to develop webpages and a dashboard that has various gadgets. 

More to come…