If you teach elementary school or work with young children, you might want to check out the Global Read Aloud. This year's fall selections are Charlotte's Web and the One and Only Ivan. You can find out more about the Global Read Aloud at this site. Global Read Aloud.
Looking for new fonts to spice up your website, publications, instructional materials, etc., check out 1001 Fonts. The fonts are free to download. Have fun browsing. If you download and use any of the fonts, let us know for what purpose and what you think of the site. Here are some screen shots of fonts you'll find at the site.
Also, note Google Doc now offers tons of fonts to use. You need to access these, and they will be part of your Google font options. Anyone using one of your Google Docs will need to have the font installed on his or her Google account for the selected font to display in the Doc. To learn how to access the fonts, as well as the many templates Google now offers, check this blog post:
Today, I found an excellent lesson plan about how to teach students to use Google searching well and how to critique websites for credibility. It was on this blog:
The lesson plan was designed to be used with students in the upper elementary grades, but could be used in other grades. The blog post in which I found the lesson plan also has a link to download a comparable lesson plan for younger students.Here is a link to the lesson plan as found on the blog: 3rd to 5th Grade Search Lesson The blog also has a link to download the lesson to Google Doc, which might be a good idea if you want to try to find it later--another advantage to Google Doc.
I suggest reviewing the lesson plan and trying it out with students. Also, note the blog that the plan is on. Its author, Jeff Utecht, promises to post a new lesson plan daily. If you can, follow his blog and also follow him on Twitter.
Note that when you go to Jeff's blog, there is also a way to follow him on Facebook. This teacher has a lot to share, so stay in touch with his teaching ideas any way that is convenient to you.
After reviewing Jeff's lesson ideas for helping students to be better "consumers" of Google searches, let us know what you think. You might even try the lesson yourself. Do you have other tips for helping students to make better use of Google to find reliable websites?
This is an excellent list and explanation of 12 essential tools teachers should consider implementing in their classrooms. It is offered by Richard Byrne, the author of the well-know blog Free Technology for Teachers. Review the recommended tools and comment upon the ones you use, and ones you would like to explore. Do you agree with Byne's recommendation? Do you think he left out any tool you would include in your list of 12 awesome ed tech tools. (Use the sroll feature to go through the full list.
photo credit: ~Sage~ via photo pin cc
Do you think Photo Pin will be a site you will be using? What sites do you use to find images to use in presentations and multimedia that you create?
Image: http://www.katemessner.com/authors-who-skype-with-classes-book-clubs-for-free/
Looking for a way to connect your students with the authors of books. Take a look at this post about authors who will Skype with classes. The post also includes ideas for online book clubs. Here is the link to the post: Authors Who Skype with Classes and Online Book Clubs (for free). After exploring the information, leave a comment about your response to what you found on the post.
Check this list of 100 Best Video Sites for Teachers. The list covers general video sites as well as subject area specific sites. Now is the time, early in the school year, to plan what videos fit your curriculum and to plan lessons that integrate them effectively. Lesson ideas are offered on some of the sites as well.
A topic of constant discussion--should young children be using digital devices, and if so, which ones and for what purpose, and how often. Since we are all concerned with the welfare of young children, I suggest checking this article and letting us know your thoughts.
Pros and Cons of Digital Tools in the Hands of Young Children
Found an example of a teacher's website with a varierty of resources that you miight want to look into. It's also a good example of web authoring with Weebly. Even you don't use Weebly, you'll find the resources on the site useful.
Me and My Laptop is the name of the site.
EduClipper.com, a new website, provides an excellent way to clip what you find on the Web, organize it into groups, and share what you want with others. To learn about what promises to be an excellent ideally suited tool for educators, check out the site and the short video on it that explains its features.
If you sign up for the service now, you will receive an email to let you know when you can start using the site. EduClipper.com just came out, so you might have to wait to use it, but it also looks worth it to sign up now, so you're ahead of the curve when the site is available for wide-scale use, including use in the schools. This tool looks to be one excellent social bookmarking site intended specifcially for schools and educators, and it already has come highly recommended by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
Those of you interviewing for teaching jobs will appreciate advice from Pernille Ripp, an experienced elementary school teacher. I follow her blog, Blogging through the Fourth Dimension, and she just posted: More Tips for Landing that Teaching Job.
If you have time, browse further on the blog. This is a teacher who does lots of innovative technology activities with her students, including each student keeping a blog. She uses KIdBlog for this. I've read their blogs and can attest to their enthusiasm for learning through blogging. Access to their blogs is restricted, but you can read Pernille's teacher blog The Adventures in Mrs. Ripp's Class to find out how she conducts her class.
Using Vokis with Students:
As you know, I like playing around with Voki. I created another quick one this morning, and although I will create another one for the start of classes in the fall, I embedded the one I just did. In this case, instead of typing text for one of the characters to speak, I decided to record myself.
Press the play button to start the Voki.
Bookmark the site, Teachers First, to browse now, in the summer, and when school starts in the fall. The site is updated weekly with information about top-picked websites to use in teaching. Each site is described. The grade level appropriateness is given, and ideas for using the site in the classroom are suggested. Here is a link to the main site and link to this week's picks.
Featured Sites, Week of June 17
I already found some sites for week of June 17 to explore. Look around the site and let us know what you find. I am going to explore Knovio, a site I browsed around before, used a couple times, but have not used again. Now, I want to try it further. The site lets you upload a PowerPoint and turn it into a video.
Let us know what sites you find that are value to you through using Teachers First. What do you think of the site?
You can use the search box on the Photo Pin to find free photos. Note you just need a link back to the original source. The site is easy to use. Check it out. Here is an example:
photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography via photo pin cc
When you find a piciture you want, download it in the size you want, copy the code to give credit, insert the picture where you need it, and then use the html button on your site so you can embed the code. The photo credit line will appear similar to how you see it on this blog post.
Try out Photo Pin and let us know what you think.
Check this wonderful PowerPoint slide show that I found on SlideShare today. It demonstrates once again that PowerPoint is a visual tool. The message in the presentation is incredibly relevant. It showcases the digital world we live in and variety of sources of information confronting us every day. Please leave a comment after viewing the presentation regarding the impact of visual messages, using a medium such as a slide presentation tool to collect a series of visual images, and the the overall message of the presentation. Note also how effectively the author of the presentation, Steven Wheeler, has captured on each slide the source for all his borrowed images.
Do you think it is essential today for teachers to stay current of technology? If they don't, do you believe they will lose out on the job market? Ann Mayer, author of Fried Technology blog, offers some insights into this topic as well as some tips if you're on the job market.
Take a look at her blog post: Fried Resumes, Because Everything is Better Fried.
You might not agree with her, but take some time to review her points. Her ultimate message probably reflects the position she is in as a technology coordinator in a school. Do you believe schools today are ready to recruit top-notch candidates who have technology skills and know-how and realize how to use these skillls in the classroom, or do you believe in the age of standards and assessment mandates, it does not matter as long as teachers can teach to the test?
In the spirit of sharing and acknowledging Ann, I am using an image she has on her post. She obtained this image from a subscription service and added the text to the image. Reflect on the quotation, and let us know your thoughts.
Have you ever had an image you want to use but don't remember its source. You can do a reverse image seach with Google. You use Search by Image and copy and paste the image into the search box or drag and drop the image into the search box. This video explains the process. Try the technique with an image, and see if the process works for you. Let us know what you find.
Check this blog post The 33 Digital Skills Every 21st Century Educator Should Have. Do you agree that educators need these skills? Which do you consider the most vitall? Why?
Screenshot attributed to Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
In case you don't know about Jerry Blumengarten's Cybraryman Catalogue, want to make sure you do. This is a site you should explore and bookmark for future reference. There is a weath of information on the site for teachers and other education professionals. Jerry started the site a decade ago, and now that he is retired, he has the time to continuously build it. Many teachers and educators recommend the site as must-a go-to resource. Join the crowd. Here is a link to the site and screen capture of the opening page.
I found this graphic display of how to evaluate iPad apps for education. The display works well for evaluating any website for classroom usage. Review the form, and let us know what you think. Would you use this form to evaluate
websites for appropriate use in the classroom? What do you agree with on the form? What do you find confusing or irrelevant? Would you consider saving this form for future reference? To access the evaluation form, created by Sylvia Rosenthal Tolasini, use this link: iPad Evaluation Form. (illustration: screen shot of the top of Sylvia's form.)
