Several teachers in our district are excited about BrainPop. Check it out:     Get the BrainPOP Educators, tips, tools, & resources widget.

Google Applications for Education

Recently Tonya and I went to the ACTEM conference in Augusta.  Each of us went to a workshop about Google applications and were very impressed with what Google offers us as educators.  Last night six of us met at Carmel Elementary School to explore Google Apps.  We looked at GMail, Google Sites and Google Docs.

I remember the first meeting I went to about accessing applications online.  As we left that meeting seven years ago, we were all in agreement that even though computer applications were expensive we didn’t want to rely on web applications because the web might not be stable enough for us to access our work when we needed it.  The web has changed a lot in the last seven years.  Few of us use dial-up anymore.  All of our schools have t1 connections which are very stable.  Now might be the time to look at the advantages of online applications such as the ones Google provides.

Here are some of the advantages I see:

Portability:  Anytime we can log on to a computer we can access our documents.  We do not have to worry about the ones we left on our home computer. There is no need to carry key drives and hope that the computers we will use will have the same software as our own.

Price:  We can use Google applications for free.

Latest version:  We do not have to worry about spending money to upgrade to the latest version.  The latest version is always online and is constantly being upgraded.

The ability to collaborate:  When we do documents and calendars online we can share them with other people.  Think about the possibilities for group work with your colleagues and your students.

These are just a few of the benefits I see in using online applications.  Sign on to Google and check out what is there for you.

Students at EDS are taking a stand against negative language. They have all signed a pledge to watch what they say and make their school a safer place for everyone. Teachers and staff are also signing a pledge to watch their language and help make the school more positive. Congratulations to our staff and students for being the first school in Maine to declare: Not In Our School!

Many of you know that one of my favorite blogs is written by a Kindie teacher in Moose River, Canada.  If you haven’t seen it before, please check it out.     http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blog_id=689281

Today, when I checked it out, I checked her wiki for workshops she gives.  One her wiki, she links to Support Blogging, a wiki with lots of education blogs.  http://supportblogging.com/Links+to+School+BloggersOn this wiki, I checked out http://achatwithmary.blogspot.com/This blog is advertised as practical ideas for implementing technology.  Her most recent post talks about LookyBooks.   She also provides a link to this fascinating website.  It is  a website  that links to many online  picture books.  The best part of this is it is FREE.   Check  out Mary’s blog.  I think you will love it!

It has been awhile since I have written on my blog. The start of the year has been incredibly busy. It is wonderful to see the children use Compass Learning. They really seem to enjoy it. Our teachers have done such a great job of making assignments and helping their students learn how to use the system. Even our youngest children are online and learning. We are going to be getting some new teacher laptops so more of the old laptops will become workstations for Compass Learning. We have figured out that if we reimage the old laptops they can access Compass Learning. We will be having more staff development soon about Compass Learning. Lisa is a wonderful resource in the mean time.

I have been using a program called Smilebox which makes interesting scrapbooks and ecards. Parts of Smilebox are free but they do have a premium service which I love. You can send your creations to relatives and friends by typing in their email address. They pick your creations up online so you don’t have to worry about attaching huge files to emails.

Here is one of my Smilebox creations


Make a Smilebox photobook

This is made with pictures from my husband’s cellphone, because, of course, we forgot the camera! This site is so much fun and helps me keep my mom up to date on my grandchildren’s antics! If you like scrapbooking, this site is for you!

I have been spending the first two weeks of school getting the MLTI computers ready to go.  This is frustrating for me because I would rather be spending the time in each school working out the bugs that you are experiencing as you start the year.  Next week (9/8-9/12), I am hoping to start my regular rotation:

Monday:  SES

Tuesday:  CES

Wednesday: CMS

Thursday:  EDS

Friday:  Office

If you want to get in touch with me, PLEASE don’t leave a message on the office phone.  As you can see I am not there everyday.  The best way to reach me is by email.

I am so happy that some teachers have already approached me with technology integration ideas for the year.  I really enjoy working with you to help you and your students integrate technology into your learning.  Jen and Mysti at EDS spent many hours this summer visiting important places in their two communities and interviewing the people who work there.  They are in the process of making a DVD to use as a resource for their community unit.

We have the Kurzweil program in two of our schools.  It is a program which allows you to scan in a book and the files you generate will be converted by the Kurzweil program in files which the computer can read to your students.  This is great for students who are learning disabled or are behind in reading.  Cassi, at CMS, is an expert using this program.  If you have questions, she is the person to ask.  The program is only available at CMS and EDS.  (Your MAC computers can also read to your students.  Ask me how when I am in your building, if you are interested.  You can also record your voice on your macs to make files for your students to listen to. )

Five more teachers got new MacBook computers this week so if you see any of your colleagues with foolish grins on their faces you may know why.  These computers include ISight cameras which allows a teacher to do portfolios of a child’s reading.

Have you ever gotten a file you can’t open in an email?  Try this website to convert files:  http://www.zamzar.com/

Have a great week!

]]> http://4teachingandlearning.wordpress.com/2008/09/04/schedules/feed/ 0 4teachingandlearning http://4teachingandlearning.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/communication/ http://4teachingandlearning.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/communication/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:42:53 +0000 4teachingandlearning http://4teachingandlearning.wordpress.com/?p=32 ]]>

It is important that Tonya and I know your concerns about the technology in your classrooms.  We are currently busy trying to get MLTI computers reimaged and assigned to students.  That means that we are spending nearly every second on that process.  I know that is frustrating for the schools that do not have MLTI computers because you are not seeing us to answer quick questions.  PLEASE do not leave us voicemail messages at Central Office.  I am rarely there because I do spend MOST of my time in the schools.  Email is the fastest way to get to both of the tech staffers because we always have our computers on and check our emails frequently.  Soon we will have a published schedule so you will know exactly where we are each day.  You are welcome to call me on my cellphone as well.  Your principals and secretaries have that number.  You can call me during the evenings at home.  My phone is listed in the local telephone directories.

Some teachers have already started to use Compass Learning and they are impressed.  What they have found is that the printed material Pam gave you is useful as you set up your first students.  This is particularly true for the middle school staffs who attended the first day.  If  you still have questions, please email me and I will see if I can find the answers for you. There is much information contained within the program including a users’ manual.  This is found under curriculum resources.

As the superintendent pointed out, communication is so important as we work to educate our students.  I know that sometimes when I am in a rush to get things done, I do not communicate as well as I should.  I am trying to make sure that all your concerns are attended to in a timely manner.  Please bear with me as the year begins.  I am sure that things will get better as the year progresses and before we know it we will be getting ready for summer again.

Here is an open source program for your advanced math students.  GeoGebra

Remember to please add comments about things your find that are helpful to other teachers.  There are many talented teachers in this district that have MUCH to share.

Can you believe it? Here we are about to start the 2008-2009 school year. A lot has changed since I’ve been in education and I’m sure you have also seen many changes. This year we are going to try to keep you updated with Web 2.0 technology. This is my blog. I initially started it two years ago but didn’t do anything with it. In April I took a Web 2.0 class from Barbara Greenstone, MLTI tech mentor. What an eye-opening experience! We were required to start and post to a blog. So I restarted mine and have decided that this is the way to efficiently communicate with the most people.

Here are some important tech announcements for our districts:

1. The MLTI computers have a new image. You can now automatically back up your files if you program the “Time Machine” to link to a specific removable hard drive. This is a really neat program. You can go into Time Machine and find files you may have deleted. What happens is that Time Machine copies your files at least once a day. If you know approximately when a file was saved you can look by date and find it, EVEN if you have deleted it in the meantime. There is a wonderful new science program on the MLTI computers which works with programming and simulations. It was piloted by Maine science teachers.

2. All MLTI teachers need to have their computers reimaged so that your computer will be like your students’. Other teachers may have their computers reimaged if they would like.

3. Repairs will be handled on a wiki this year. If your computer is not working you will need to take it to your tech lead first and they will troubleshoot the problem. They will then list it on the wiki for the tech staff to attend to. Your tech leads will be introduced either by your principal or at the opening day workshop.

4. Compass Learning has been installed in all four schools. This is a wonderful program which is very engaging to our students. It is one more way to differentiate curriculum for all students. Compass Learning will generate reports about your students’ learning and prescribe other modules for them to complete. There will be a trainer at the opening workshops to help you learn what Compass Learning is all about. If you need help after the training please ask us.

5. We are here to help you integrate technology into your classroom. If you are doing a unit and would like ideas about using technology, just ask and we’ll help you find ways to do just that. Below are links to some helpful resources that have been put together for you:

http://robertadoughty1.googlepages.com/home

http://computercamp2008.wikispaces.com/–Ask to become a member and you can edit these pages.

http://delicious.com/robertadoughty1 –Delicious.com is a social bookmarking site. I have bookmarked many wonderful educational sites here. You might want to get an account to collect bookmarks for your students.

Have a great year. Keep coming back here for ideas and announcements. Also add your own ideas and other information you’d like to share by commenting.  This makes the blog so much richer for all of us.  I learn from each of you every day.

Last week my district held its annual Computer Camp for Teachers. We worked with the Read/Write Web. I have just finished taking a Web 2.0 course and found so many wonderful resources that I was anxious to share my “finds” with my colleagues. To gather the resources together and make it easily accessible to my learners I developed a wikispace with many links.(My Computer Camp Wiki)
Not only did I have a great time finding resources for my wikispace, I find that I am still adding to it. Today I shared it with the total staff of our district. I asked if anyone else would like to take the three day Computer Class later in the summer using these resources. I have already had three replies from teachers who had taken last week’s class. Apparently they enjoyed the experience as much as I did. I was so impressed with the work that the teachers and ed techs did at camp. Three teachers started blogs for their students and parents and three teachers started webpages chock full of resources for their students’ families. The quality of the work they did was awesome. Other teachers looked for resources for units they teach each year from the links I had provided on the wiki. It was a experience that I am anxious to repeat! It is a joy to work in a professional learning community.

This week, my colleague and I have been taking up the MLTI computers and getting them ready to reimage for next year. These IBooks are a great learning tool and we are really lucky to live in a state where they are issued to each seventh and eighth grade student. My concern is though that the students seem to take them for granted and do not take good care of them. This is not all students. In fact, most of the the students do take care of them but as I have said to the principals: When they are good, they are very, very good and when they are bad they are AWFUL! We have had several broken screens, lots of lost or broken chargers and many cases have so much writing on them that they look like a subway wall in a big city that is filled with graffiti. We have meetings with parents at the first of the year and explain the students will be charged for lost chargers and broken screens but at the end of the year, I am faced with writing to parents and requesting payment for their child’s lack of regard for these learning tools.  I try to explain to everyone that when the laptops are misused, they don’t work as well and it takes time and money to fix the problems so that students can use them next year.  How do we teach our children responsibility for school tools?  I think this teaching has to start when the children are very small.  Do we live in a society where we are so busy that we sometimes fail to teach these important life lessons.  How often do we replace things that are carelessly broken by our kids instead of expecting them to somehow help foot the cost of that replacement.  Even young children can do “chores” to help and thus learn responsibility.  This article from the University of Virginia gives some interesting ideas, including changing the caregivers behavior!  http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/family/350-052/350-052.html What ideas do you have?