Tips for All Teachers

Free Technology for Teachers asked readers to share their best tips for new teachers.  He compiled all the tips into a google docs slide show. The tips are great for all teachers, not just the new ones.  Several people talked about surrounding yourself with positive people, which I definitely agree with.  My favorite tip and the one most relevant to this class came from @ACLjohn:

"Technology won't replace teachers but, teachers who don't use technology may loose their jobs.  Prepare your learners for today's world not the one you grew up in!"

Check out the other tips at http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/08/43-new-tips-for-new-teachers-174-total.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+freetech4teachers%2FcGEY+%28Free+Technology+for+Teachers%29&utm_content=Google+Reader#.UCfUWI7rTzI

Cyberlearning

This is a pretty interesting video on cyberlearning from the article "Technology Adds Spark to Science Education".  I think it's really cool to see a group of girls working on building science and math video games.  It's all way over my head, but is inspiring to see what some young people are doing.  The augmented reality activity looked really neat too.

New Type of Classroom

Katie Dahlstrom of the Clinton Herald, a newspaper out of Iowa, wrote an article about the innovative new way a high school there is setting up their learning.  Instead of a traditional classroom, they using tables for grouping and a room that is about double the size of a normal classroom.  The number of students is also about double.  The students will use computers to collaborate with their group, other groups, and other classes around the world so that the students are the ones leading the work.  The teachers is used as a facilitator and guider, enabling the students to engage more with their learning and become better prepared for the real world.  The University of Iowa calls these types of classrooms TILE which means transform, interact, learn, and engage and they claim that this is revolutionalry and groundbreaking and brand new, but the model sounds a lot like the inspired classroom to me.  The only difference I really see is that the inspired classroom doesn't enlarge the class size or the classroom size.  There may also be a little more traditional teaching with the inspired model since you can do it at all levels and first graders are going to need some more assistance.  But, either of these new classroom designs seem like the way our education is moving and I think that's a great thing!  I just hope there will still be a need for teachers down the road.

Video in the Classroom

I'm pretty interested in having my kids use video for their assessments.  It just seems like a really meaningful way for them to review the information, practice skills of researching, writing, and editing, and be creative.  As an added bonus, the finished products are much more fun to present to classmates and parents.  So, I was happy to see this post over at Free Technology for Teachers.  Richard Byrne discusses 5 video projects that you can do with your students.  When I taught 4th grade, I had my students work on some slide videos which sounds similar to the Common Crafty style videos he mentions.  I think my first graders will be able to handle this type of project too later in the year.  I know I definitely need to try out Animoto as well. Many teachers around my school are using it, but I have yet to test it out.
Do you all use any specific types of video projects?  What do you think is the best for young students? 

Back to School

Whew!  I met my new class today and we start school Monday.  I always forget how busy the beginning of the year is and I found out this year how difficult preplanning is without a computer!  My work computer got a virus and was being repaired for a full 7 days!  It's really nice to finally have it back.
Anyway, I am excited about this new group of students.  I think we're going to have a great year and I really hope to incorporate a lot of the resources we've learned about through this class.  My biggest goal is to have my students work their way to having their own blog and for us to connect more with classes from around the country and world even.  If any of you want to be blogging buddies, let me know! :)  I'd like to have my kids use technology to create more this year too.  I think we could definitely do some podcasts and video blogs.  I plan to take advantage of what Flickr has to offer as well.
I'll try to update this blog with some of the activities we work on and I'd love to stay connected with all of you!

Best Classroom Apps

We have iPads at my school, but I haven't used them a lot for their apps (more for their internet).  I guess when we try to buy apps, we have to buy them separately for each iPad?  Anyway, I have used apps on my phone a little bit with my students.  One I do use is for ClassDojo which is a behavior point type system.  I can give and take points from my students with my phone. 
Hope King hosted a link up on her blog, Second Grade Shenanigans, for the best classroom apps.  The "So App Happy Linky Party" has some good places to start if you're wanting to use your phone or iPad with your class.  The app Hope King talked about seems like a good one.  It's called Book Retriever and is a library system for your classroom.  You can scan in all your books and keep up with them when students check out and return them.  It even updates parents when their child has a book out!  The apps First Grade Garden posted also look very good and educational.  I'm looking forward to trying out more apps this year!  Are there any great ones y'all use?

Real World Math Mistakes

I always love the Jay Leno "Headlines" segment where viewers send in real-life headlines that have some sort of mistake.  Mr. Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers posted the article "Bad Math in the Real World" talking about a similar example he noticed at McDonald's that involved a math mistake!  He then discovered the Bad Maths Flickr group where people post pictures of math mistakes they find in the real world.  Showing your class one of these pictures a day could be a great way for kids to use some of their math skills.  There are pictures on the Flickr group that could be used at every level, so it is worth checking out.  It seems like something kids would enjoy and benefit from as a great skill review and connection with the real world.