Social Bookmarking

 Before the start of this class I really didn’t have experience with social bookmarking. I was actually very intimidated by the Delicious website. Now that I have been using it and putting all of my information into it I am so excited because I know that I will always have that information. I also downloaded the free app to my iPhone so accessing the information I tagged is literally at the touch of a button. Social bookmarking makes my job of being a teacher a bit easier especially now that there are the free apps that go along with the website so accessing information is easy. 

In the article 7 Things You Should Know About Social Bookmarking, I found the article interesting and I liked how the article explains what social bookmarking can do for education. Teachers are always looking for ways to save websites for future use and now there is a way to do that. 

7 things you should know about social bookmarking. (May, 2005). Educause Learning initiative. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7001.pdf

 

Creating quizzes

This article is short, sweet and to the point even though I had to read the name of the website discussed in this blog more than once because it’s well… interesting. The article is about an online quiz generator called Quizpoo. (Byrne, 2013) If you are looking for a quick, easy quiz with an option for photos Quizpoo is your answer (Byrne, 2013).

Byrne, Richard. (2013, July 25). How to quickly create simple online quizzes. Free Technology for Teachers. Retrieved on July 25, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/07/how-to-quickly-create-simple-online.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freetech4teachers%2FcGEY+%28Free+Technology+for+Teachers%29#.UfHtG1PgJO0 

 

Wikis (wk 5)

In my experiences with wikis I have really learned to like them and am trying to figure out a way to use them in my second grade classroom. The ease of adding and editing information makes the wiki a great tool for group work. I have considered talking to our principal about incorporating a wiki as our agenda for our staff meetings so if anyone has something to add to the agenda they can just get on the wiki, edit the page and write in their discussion idea.

The article, 7 Things you should know about… Wikis, gives information about what wikis are, whose using them and other ideas like, how wikis can help educators.  The article explains the positives and negatives of a wiki. The article is very informative and also gives an example of how a wiki can be used.

7 Things you should know about wikis. (July, 2005). Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf 

Parent Involvement (wk 5)

This is a great little article giving ideas to teachers on how to keep parents involved in their child’s education. Whether the teacher keeps parents involved through modern day technology or with paper. Keeping everyone up to date on what is going on in the classroom will keep students more involved and possibly increase student success.

Mims, Lisa. (July 17, 2013). Old school or new school, keep parents involved. Retrieved on July 19, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/old-new-school-parent-involvement-lisa-mims?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29

Math! (wk 5)

Why does math have to be so hard for so many? I love math! I love the way it challenges me to think, work and solve to find the correct answer. So when I read  Ainissa Ramirez’s  Blog, “Do the Math… Right”, I started to understand a little more about why people don’t enjoy math. This article was so interesting for me to read. Ramirez has some good suggestions on how to “fix” educating students in mathematics. (Ramirez, 2013)

Ramirez, Ainissa. (July 17, 2013). Do the math…right. Edutopia. Retrieved on July 19, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/do-the-math-right-ainissa-ramirez?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29

Leadership - Week 5 Blog

Leadership isn’t easy especially going in to a new school that you have little knowledge about. Our school is getting a new principal this year and with that comes change. This article stood out to me this week because of the change we are about to undergo. The article has great ideas on how to be an effective leader. This information can be used for anyone that is taking on some kind of leadership role. Click below to read the article.  

Elias, Maurice. (2013, July 18). Six paths to better leadership. Edutopia. Retrieved on July 18, 2013.  Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/educators-improving-school-leadership-maurice-elias?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29  

 

Inspiring student writing

I love finding new ways to inspire my students to get more creative with their writing. Richard Byrne writes about Phrase.it a website that a teacher or student can upload a photo to and then attach words to the pictures with speech bubbles. Byrne gives the idea to use this site to allow students the opportunity to “create stories in a comic strip style.” Check out Richard Byrnes article, Create Stories with Phrase.it because it explains more about the website and what it offers.

What iPads can do for the classroom

This article was very informative and gave me more ideas for uses for iPads in the classroom. The author Beth Holland goes on to explain how iPads can enhance, or "support" student learning.  She also goes on to explain how iPads give students the opportunity to explore or dig deeper into their own learning. This article has some great ideas for uses of an iPad in the classroom and some great Apps that she has also found successful. 

Holland's article

Math Puzzles

I knew that puzzles are were good for keeping the mind sharp, but now they have a different meaning for me. I now plan on implementing puzzles during my center time activities. Check out the following article for some math puzzle knowledge. 

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/recreational-educational-value-math-puzzles-deepak-kulkarni?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29  

 

iPads in Education

This article dicusses the impact of iPads in education.  I was surprised to see that the study showed that the iPad was more successful in “Primary and special schools than in secondary schools.” (Byrne, 2013)  See the article to get all of its information on the impact of iPads in the classroom. 

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/07/best-of-2013-so-far-studies-of-ipad-use.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freetech4teachers%2FcGEY+%28Free+Technology+for+Teachers%29#.UdgjqFPgIzY