Kidblog

If you are interested in creating a blog for your classroom, then try Kidblog. This safe and secure website is a suitable platform for elementary and middle school students. Kidblog was created by teachers for teachers. Students will have a blog directory and simple navigation links that are user friendly. The Kidblog team created an advertising free blog that offers clutter-free designs. What more could you ask for? I'm looking forward to using this blogging platform with my students during the first week of school. Enjoy!

Reference:
Kid Blog Development Team. (2007). Kidblog. Web. Rerieved on 31of July 2011 from http://kidblog.org/about.php

Tropical Storm Don

According to the National Weather Service, Tropical Storm Don is now over the center of the Gulf of Mexico should make landfall Friday evening into the early morning. As of 1pm, the current wind speed is approximately 45mph traveling NW at 15mph. If Tropical Storm Don remains on it's current path, the coastline of Corpus Christi to Galveston will receive the most rain.

Please view the National Weather Service and see if your area will be affected. Simply browse through the Texas Prepares website and follow a few simple steps. You too can be prepared if a disaster strikes in your area.



REFERENCE:
National Weather Service. Tropical Storm Don. National Hurricane Center. Web. Retrieved on 28 July 2011 from http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.shtml.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (2007). Ready or Not? Have A Plan. Texas Prepares. Web. Retrieved on 13 July 2011 from http://www.texasprepares.org.

Jing & Camtasia

This is a short video I created which will guide you through Jing and the Camtasia Studio Software. I feel that using Jing alone doesn't quite capture your message. If you there is an activity you would like to share, try using Jing. This program is a simple as capture and share. Again, this software works much better with Camtasia. Camtasia allows you to edit your project.

Please share any ideas you have on how to use in your classroom or workplace. The video below, shows a brief example.



REFERENCE:
TechSmith Corporation. (1995).Camtasia Studio. TechSmith. Web. Retrieved on 21 of July 2011 from http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/.

TechSmith Corporation. (1995).Jing. TechSmith. Web. Retrieved on 21 of July 2011 from http://video.techsmith.com/jing/2.1/overview/default.asp.

JING

As part of my final project, I had to research Web 2.0 tools select one to create a project on. After reviewing several tools, I felt most comfortable using Jing.

Jing appears to be an easy program to operate. Like anything else, practice makes perfect. Jing is provided by TechSmith and is a FREE software you can download. The purpose of Jing is to instantly share images or videos straight from your computer. Visual elements can be added as well as voice. After a video has been created, TechSmith offers a 30 day free trial for Camtasia Studio, another software you can download. With this video software, you can enhance your recordings, insert music, draw images and much more.

I recommend you try JING then add the FREE Trial for Camtasia Studio. These softwares will trigger  ideas on how you can better use this in your classroom. Both programs offer a tutorial which I found very beneficial.

REFERENCE:
TechSmith Corporation. (1995).Camtasia Studio. TechSmith. Web. Retrieved on 21 of July 2011 from http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/.

TechSmith Corporation. (1995).Jing. TechSmith. Web. Retrieved on 21 of July 2011 from http://video.techsmith.com/jing/2.1/overview/default.asp.

Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Wiki Wiki Teaching- The art of using wiki pages to...

Cool Cat is an excellent blog that provides ideas on ways to use wiki pages in a classroom. Ms. Davis introduced wiki pages to her students and then gave an assignment. In that assignment, students were given six words to define using internet resources. Then students had to create a wiki page, add their information, and the present.

Ms. Davis's blog includes her instructions for the lesson, and my favorite part, a link to her students' pages. You can view the wiki pages to the students who collaborated in teams. Many of the wikis were pretty well organized and informative over their topic. By viewing these examples, I think we get a better understanding of how well students can create an online project.

REFERENCE:
Davis, V.A. (December 9, 2005). Cool Cat Teacher Blog. Web. Retrieved on 16 July 2011 from http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2005/12/wiki-wiki-teaching-art-of-using-wiki.html.

Schools Embrace IPADS

Here's another example of how technology has impacted our daily lives. If we use technology daily, why not have our children exposed to it at school? If the lesson covers the TEKS and technology is incorporated, then I see no problem using tech gadgets.

This elementary school in New York embraced the use of IPADs in their classrooms. The IPAD replaced some of the textbooks used and was part of a pilot program. Students were able to create and submit digital portfolios of their school work. This will open the line of communication between parents, teachers, and students. However, if students can submit their work at the click of a button, are parents going to expect teachers to grade their child's work faster?

I think schools need to focus on applying for technology grants so schools can receive better funding for their students. If some classrooms have a maximum of two desktop computers (which sometimes are inoperable), then how are teachers suppose to provide their students access to use computers, laptops, or ipads? Students are clearly engaged in the latest technology gadget and if it's a matter of reaching lower students, then why not make the investment on i-pads? The students who typically score lower on standarized tests and sometimes classroom report cards need manipulatives. I think i-pads is an excellent way to go!

REFERENCE:
Hu, W. (January 4, 2011). Education- Math That Moves: Schools Embrace the iPad. The New York Times. Web. Retrieved on 13 July 2011 from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/education/05tablets.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all.

Hurricane Season

The Texas Department of State Health Services has developed this website so Texans will be prepared when a hurricane strikes. Texas prepares offers a way to organize your information and promotes
emergency awareness.

I recently shared this website at our Neighborhood Watch meetings this past week. The website shares plenty of ideas and check lists to ensure you have your emergency pack ready. We are all encouraged to practice our family's emergency plan "in case" a disaster strikes. We may never be fully prepared, but taking this simple steps is a start in the right direction.

Personally, I think organizing an emergency pack will work in various situations. For example, I have have a travel size luggage that is filled with my family's birth certificates, Social Security cards, Immunization Records, marriage license, pass ports, an external portable drive (which I monthly back up files from our computer), valuable jewelry, our wedding album, and a few other items we find valuable. I have it stored in a central location inside our house and is accessible at all times. My husband and I figured it was the best way to be prepared incase of an emergency. Whether a fire or flood, we have ourselves covered. My husband and I have assigned each other responsibilities in the event something happens. We have experiened last minute hurricane evacuations and by being prepared, we saved time and got out quickly.

Simply browse through the Texas Prepares website and follow a few simple steps. You too can be prepared if a disaster strikes in your area.



REFERENCE:
Texas Department of State Health Services. (2007). Ready or Not? Have A Plan. Texas Prepares.  Web. Retrieved on 13 July 2011 from http://www.texasprepares.org.

Purpose for Blogging

The purpose of this blog is to keep students, staff, and administrators informed on the latest technologies that can be incorporated in a classroom setting. There will also be examples of how technology connects, informs, and conveys information.

RFDN. (December 15, 2008). Technology in the Middle Teaching, Learning and Technology-21st Century Literacy: Network Literacy. Wordpress.Web. Retrieved on 11 July 2011 from http://pwoessner.com/2008/12/15/21st-century-literacy-network-literacy/.

Why We Need To Teach Technology in School

This video illustrates the importance on technology and how it has changed over time. By learning these new technologies, teachers can incorporate these tools in their classrooms. If used correctly, not only will students be engages, but they will have gained knowledge. When students are engaged in a hands-on activity or learning more about their interest, they will have retained that knowledge. Thus, they will have a higher success rate.




REFERENCE:

Anderscj. (August 12, 2007). Why We Need To Teach Technology In School [Video]. Retrieved on 10 July 2011 from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VnHdqpE4RM

Latest Gadgets

The follow websites are great resources for individuals and/or schools looking to increase and/or improve their technology inventory.

Popular Science | New Technology
POPSCI is an excellent website that offers the latest gadgets, cars, science, and technology. This website offers you the opportunity to enroll for a weekly newsletter and a monthly magazine. The uniqueness of this website is that it offers the monthly newsletter just as it first did when it was first published. By subscribing to either of these offers, it confirms our facination with technology in the future.

When you  have a few minutes to view a new site and are curious about updates, check out POPSCI. With at much information as it offers, my favorite parts of the site are MOST RECENT and NEW FEATURES.

Geek Gadgets
Geek Gadgets is a great website to read up on when you are looking for reviews on a specific technology. You can click on a feed to follow up on the website or find them on Facebook or Twitter. Here's the added bonus! If you remain up to date with Geek Gadgets, you have the opportunity to free gadget giveaways.
Latest Gadgets
Engadget is another web magazine that offers great reviews on technology. They are posted by the most recent which can assist you when searching reviews on a certain item. If you are as comfortable as I am, you can follow this page or remain up to date by downloading the Engadget App on any platform. This two column layout is user friendly.
REFERENCE:
Code and Theory. (2007). Engadget. AOL Inc. Web. Retrieved on 12 July 2011 from http://www.engadget.com/.
GadgetLite. (2007). Web. Retrieved on 12 July 2011 from http://www.gadgetlite.com/.
POPSCI- The Future Now. (2009). A Bonnier Corporation Company. Web. Retrieved on 12 July 2011 from http://www.popsci.com/.