Wednesady May 14 2008

Do you suffer from technophobia? Technophobia is the term used to describe any feelings of fear, discomfort, or anxiety towards one or more forms of technology.
If you need help in this area, you can learn more about this phobia at http://www.rediff.com/netguide/2001/dec/24techno.htm
If you discover you do have technophobia, there is hope! A cure can be found by enrolling in Carol Kane’s Courses at University of the Arts.


Hey Carol,

Thank you for teaching me not to fear technology.
I'll always remember your fearless statement-"Whatever new technology is out there--I WANT IT, GIVE IT TO ME!"
That statement had me realize learning new technologies can be exciting and fun. There really is nothing to fear but fear itself and you can teach an old dog new tricks!
Have fun
Janet Burke

Monday May 11 2008

Much was accomplished this weekend. I downloaded numerous flip charts I thought would be useful for reviewing math concepts such as, time, money and geometric shapes. I discovered that the same concept may be presented better in some than others, therefore, teachers really should preview several Activboard flipcharts hosting similar concepts to find one that will best compliment your lesson.
My kindergarten students are learning about pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters and their values. I previewed four flipcharts pertaining to money.
One specific flipchart seemed to meet the @Everyday Math criteria objectives and standards more accurately with the exception of an important factual blunder.
Where the nickel is introduced, the flip chart shows the head of Jefferson on the front and the Monticello Building on the back (Jefferson’s Family House). The flip chart author incorrectly refers to this building as the “White House.” Blunders such as this could be turned into a teachable moment if the teacher is prepared. Editing and hyper linking to www.explorer.monticello.org and www.whitehousemuseum.org/ residence.htm to research and compare buildings may result in students’ further inquiry and learning.

Friday May 9 2008

Wow! It has been a busy, exciting but exhausting week.
Here is a little poem for all you "teacher moms" out there.

A substitute for student's moms,
she comforts, pampers, soothes and calms.
With all the love she has to share,
She's great to have when mom's not there.

She loves to rock a fussy child,
corrects the one who gets too wild.
She hears her share of tearful pleas,
and comforts those with skinned up knees.

With little children she plays a peek,
for bigger ones it's hide-and-seek.
She is an expert at each game,
but somehow loses just the same

She helps them learn the alphabet,
and gives them hugs when they're upset.
She is a true and trusted friend,
who helps them learn and play pretend.

Although she's paid, it's plain to see,
She serves them with a love that's free.

Monday May 5 2008

Today our kindergarten class had an unexpected guest teacher visitor.
Ms. Wice wanted to introduce us to the life cycle of silkworms.
Each student received their very own set of silkworm eggs and mulberry leaves. Using a magnifying glass students excitedly observed dozens of little black specs eating their way out of the egg sacs and crawling right onto the leaf to eat! For the next month or so, students will continue to feed fresh mulberry leaves to their silkworms and record their observations. While students were engaged with the worms, I quickly browsed @Teacher Tube and @United Streaming. Teacher Tube had a wonderful video from Turkey showing how silkworm silk is spun, dyed hung to dry and woven into beautiful fabrics and rugs. This video helped children gain a sense of how silk worms are helpful to people. Another video I discovered by browsing is www.Truveo.com, It is a video search engine. Check it out!

Sunday May 4 2008

Today I discovered I am a "Digital Immigrant." I was not born into this world wired and strapped with the digital tools of the 21st Century. Therefore, it is up to me to commit myself to learn what's out there. Now we are wired 24/7 and can get information instantly from around the world about any topic in a multitude of media formats. I am learning about all the tools available and a plethora of ways to gain the skills needed to utilize them. Most importantly, I do not have to do it alone. Instant global social networking is the way to go. Technology classes, Wikipedia, tutorials, websites (Mlearning & Vlearning), audios, videos, and slide shows are available for learning on demand. People are willing to share what they know. Carol found a slide show someone else created for the purpose of informing and sharing. The slide show introduced us to Web 2.0. Carol could modify it and add additional features she thought would enhance our learning if she preferred, as long as the original creator of the slideshow, was given proper credit. This immigrant is ready to… interact, join, ping, poke, post, share, browse, comment, contact, connect, communicate, collaborate and sign-up. My motto is…If it’s free, it’s me! (30 day Trial periods are your friend).

Saturday May 3 2008

Thank You Beth for your time and knowledge downloading the Activstudio3 Program! I have been spending hours viewing and exploring Activboard flipcharts!
Thanks to you, I will have opportunities to view, practice and implement new technology skills that will enhance the classroom experience. This teacher is extremely motivated to use some of the thousands of readily available flipchart lessons in my kindergarten class.
I am eager to observe how my students will react to the colorful, large images and concepts. I am excited to discover the affects the lessons will have on their learning!
Once again..Thank You

Saturday May 3 2008

On the way to market...I learned creative and innovative ways to use a Vroom.
Lisa and I collaborated on the story of "Piggy went to Market." We shared control of the screen and communicated through text chat boxes, audio conversations and drawing with annotation tools.
We searched for and inserted images to match various lines of the rhyme. The final product was awesome, but exploring creatively together was the hightlight of the process.Lisa also introduced me to a new and easier way to save images to my desk top!