SNOW!.jpg

Well...the weatherman was right! We got some snow. This is from our backdoor in Briarwood. Share your picts!
Desiree Caskey
Technology Integration Specialist

Multi-Tasking Muddling Teen Brains?

I listened to NPR on my way to work this morning and heard this story.

Studies with adults have shown that when we multi-task we are actually less productive because the brain has to disconnect and then recreate thought processes as we bounce from task to task.

After reading the article, I wondered if the same is true for the kids of Generation M - a group who learned multi-tasking behavior from the cradle. Do their brains experience these same "brown-outs" or have they adapted/evolved/adjusted?

So my question for all of you is - do you think your students multi-task more productively than you do - or are we all just muddling our brains?

- Karen

Quick Survey for MEA

Creating Online Slide Shows

This is an example of a quick slide show I created on Slide.com. You can also use Moblying.com. They are extremely similar.

A Vision of K-12 Students Today

Adapted From Michael Wesch

This text will be replaced

collaborate.3GP

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service on a cell phone!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required. Visit www.apple.com/quicktime/download to download the free player or upgrade your existing QuickTime® Player. Note: During the download process when asked to choose an installation type (Minimum, Recommended or Custom), select Minimum for faster download.

Check out some new Web 2.0 Tools

As usual, Larry Ferlazzo has come up with another great set of "Best of..." lists. I went through his 25 best web 2.0 tools for Education 2008, and hand-picked a few that I thought were relevant to our TILT days and what you have been doing in your classrooms. I also want to list a few that have been mentioned in the past but need repeating!

Some Web 2.0 Tools to Use inside or out of the Classroom:
1. Flowgram:
You can combine web pages, images, powerpoints and other documents...then narrate to create a tour or tutorial. You can even add highlights and notes.

2. Bookr:
This is a very simple way to create a storybook using flickr photos. You simply search Flickr by user or tag and place your pictures into pages and type your story (or captions) with each photo. It would be a great way to explain a concept or publish and online book. It reminds me of iphoto on the web. You might want a Flickr account and upload photos for students to use.

3. Edublogs.TV:
This is another hosting site for videos. You can upload your own or pull them from YouTube. Like SchoolTube and TeacherTube, this site is dedicated to creating a repository of videos for educational use.

4. Digital Vaults:
You have to visit this site to appreciate it. It is a visual representation of the National Archives in a very cool, interrelated, interactive way. I can't even begin to explain how cool this site is - and how much kids will love exploring it!

5. Moblying:
As you can see from the Sidebar...Moblying is a slideshow creator. It is a lot like other slideshow or photoshow creators. I was able to upload a few photos, add a transition effect, change themes...and customize it until the cows come home! When I was done, I could email it, save it as an URL, or embed it into my blog!

6. Graspr:
Another video site...this one archives tutorials. You can upload your video tutorials, create your own or just use those that are there.

7. Zunal:
If you like WebQuests, you will want to check out Zunal. It lets you build your WebQuest right on the site. You can also browse and use existing WebQuests. The site even gives you a step-by-step tutorial on planning and building a WebQuest.

8. Wix:
This is really a fun site to create a web page! It has great sound effects, easy images, and a built-in tutorial as you go. You can start from a template or blank page...you might get lost in the creativity of the site though.

9. MeBeam:
Man, this is a fun site! You can video-conference with multiple people...as long as they have video capabilities. I learned that I have to set my internal video to USB, and then it worked!

10. Book Glutton:
This site lets you read books online with other people. You can upload your work or search the site for books to read. You can read with a group or on your own. If you go to the site, be sure to watch the video that thoroughly explains how the site works. You need to watch this.

11. CommunityWalk:
I really like this easy to use map creator. You can put pins in the map by address, lat & long or just by clicking. You can then add narrative and photos to your pin. Of course you can tag and share!

12. Definr:
Simple is sometimes better. This site is a very fast dictionary. It even has word prediction for those that have difficulty with spelling.

13. CircaVie:
An online timeline creator. You can place text, pictures, video into a timeline. GREAT for history classes. You can also search and use existing timelines.

14. Digital History:
Another style of timeline. It shows the political, social/economic, or cultural events of the world though map pins. Hover over a pin and you get a description of the event. Click on it and you get a wealth of information.

15. PBWiki and WikiSpaces:
Easy wiki creators for collaboration. Both have simple editing tools and user-friendly interfaces.



So...lots of new tools to play with . How could you use these in the classroom? With your colleagues? With your family?

Geocaching with TILT

On Monday, some TILT III members had a crash course using GPS units and participating in a Geocache in downtown Billings (visit geocaching.com for further information). As the members soon found out, locating a cache in an urban setting proved quite difficult even under ideal conditions.

Would you find educational value in doing such an activity with your students? Can you think of other ways to integrate this technology?

**Posted using BlackBerry Curve!

------
Billings West High
Health Enhancement
(406) 655-1311 672-6634

What about a Wiki?

Kathi Hoyt and I have recently been sharing ideas and resources as we venture into the world of wikis. Elizabeth Waddington introduced me to the wiki years ago but I never took a shine to this tool until I started focusing on the 21st Century Skills initiative...and now after reading Marzano's book (Classroom Instruction that Works), and presenting on the revised Bloom's taxonomy, I am even more determined to make my world a wiki world. (Not to be confused with wacki...I am already there)

Kathi sent me a copy out of the most recent issue of Edutopia (free resource) titled The Way of the Wiki and I thought it fit perfectly with the direction we are taking in phases II & III for TILT this year. When I read, "A simple, cheap technology with a funny name will become an even more powerful portal into creative teaching and learning this year.", and " A wiki is the ultimate enabler for collaboration.", I knew I was on target for introducing wikis to you at the beginning of this year.

I encourage you to read this article and if you don't already, check out the blog by Vicki Davis mentioned...I subscribe to Cool Cat and she is great! You will hear her name mentioned frequently amongst technology educators as a leader in our field.

I would also encourage you to subscribe to Edutopia...you might have heard of the founder and creator...George Lucas. He has great information for the educator that wants to incorporate creativity in the classroom.

May the Force be with you!

What's On the Horizon

These last couple of days I have been gearing up for our first TILT meetings for the school year. As I look at my groups of teachers and where they are in the learning process, I struggle to decide what to focus on for each group. Some teachers need more time to increase their technology literacy while others just need time to develop lessons and activities. BUT...everyone is always interested in the latest technology and how it can fit into education.

If I had it my way, I would just spend the day showing you cool videos from YouTube like
My YouTube Story
The Mom Song

but alas, there is more to technology integration than this.

So...what are some of the things we will be exploring this year...

This year we will be incorporating Bloom's Taxonomy into our technology exploration. There are some great resources for the new revised taxonomy and how it applies to the 21st Century learner.

We will be taking a page (or several pages) out of Classroom Instruction that Works. We will be looking at the 8 most highly effective teaching strategies and what emerging technology works best with each strategy.

Hmmm...sounds like the old school staff development is making a come back - watch out, next we will be studying brain research. If you have been in TILT, you know that is not the case. We will have some great, engaging days.

In Phase III we will be doing a lot more collaboration - get used to Google Docs and wikis folks.

In Phase II there will be more time spent developing lessons and classroom activities.

In Phase I...well, probably the most structured phase, we will explore all kinds of technology. We will start with the basics but work hard to explore many new tools.

One thing to keep in mind. This year my goal is to produce a podcast on how we have been integrating technology in our district. If you have a lesson or activity where you are integrating technology, please invite me!! I want to document as many of these innovative activities as I can.

Be sure to check out our agenda blog to get specifics on our upcoming meetings.

University of Wyoming Football Game - & My Blackberry

I am experimenting with posting pictures from my Blackberry Curve. I can really see a need for a Blackberry for every student! :O)

Can you imagine the type of collaborative projects we could do with other classrooms around the world...sounds like the basis for a grant to me.

Blogging In Billings

Wow! I am so proud of my TILT teachers - taking the initiative to create classroom blogs to use with their students and parents. AND...teaching other teachers around the district to do the same! I think you are going to find some great information and classroom ideas from these folks:

Here is a list (some are by invitation only, so not listed):
Connie Jensen - 2nd Grade
Jamee Wilson - 3rd Grade
Julie Betts - 3rd Grade
Doretta Lambert - 3rd Grade
Sandy Anseth - 5th Grade
Dan Erikson - 5th Grade
Sara Olsgaard - 6th Grade
Elizabeth Waddington - Middle School Art
Susan Veit - Middle School English
Marjorie Zeedyk - Middle School Reading
Doug Van Zee - Freshman Health & PE


Some Ideas of How to use a Blog:

• Communicate with parents about classroom activities, homework assignments, and school events. (replace your classroom webpage)
  
• Post Internet resources for students to use for research projects
• Post assignments for students
  
• Journaling for students
• Book Reviews
• Collaborative Activities
• Creative Writing
• History
• Put lesson content for students that are absent on your blog
• Post classroom calendar events
• post assignments based on literature readings and have students respond, creating a kind of portfolio of their work.
• post prompts for writing.
• provide examples of classwork, vocabulary activities, or grammar games.
• provide online readings for your students to read and react to.
• post photos and comment on class activities.
• publish examples of good student writing done in class.
• show case student art, poetry, and creative stories.
• create a literature circle.

A Little Font Humor

This YouTube Video was shared by Poly Drive Elementary librarian Kelli Delaney. I think it is terrific!

Do You Believe in Me?

This is a keynote speech from a young man from a Dallas elementary school. If you needed a reminder of why you do what you do...here it is!

Welcome Back: Classroom Ideas for Gadgets

Many of you purchased digital cameras and camcorders over the summer and may be wondering how you can use them in your classroom. Here are some ideas for using these gadgets in the classroom.

Digital Camera Ideas:

1. Photos of vocabulary words.
2. Bulletin board photo journal of classroom activities.
3. Create a digital scrapbook of student’s year: art, handwriting, portrait photos, etc.
4. Create a personal or classroom alphabet with pictures.
5. Use pictures for concept illustration (art, math, science).
6. Make an electronic portfolio of student work for Open House or parent review.
7. Create an “About the Author” section of student writing books.
8. Use the camera to create a video yearbook.
9. For math ask students to take pictures of angles in the classroom or school yard.
10. Story Starters: Show a picture and have students write a story based on the picture.
11. Provide a series of photos and have students write a story using what they see.
12. Help students with vowels sounds with pictures
13. Take pictures of objects in different positions to study prepositions
14. Take pictures of objects or students showing different actions for verb identification
15. Take pictures of a tree throughout the year to study growth, seasons, weather...etc.
16. Decisions, decisions. Take a picture of a scene and ask the students to make a decision about what happens next.
17. Take two pictures and compare them using a Venn diagram.
18. Identify the parts of speech in a picture.
19. Create clock "flash cards."
20. What else?
    

Using a Video Camcorder:

1. Record early readers to document progress (share at parent/teacher conference).
2. Create a short video for the manners of the week.
3. Document student behavior for parents, counselors, principal. (positive and negative)
4. Document your teaching for self-improvement.
5. Document experiments for students who were absent.
6. Allow students to interview each other on a topic. (review items for a test)
7. Have students create a "how to" video for a HEPE activity.
8. Have students create safety videos for other students or your school website.
9. Record concerts or school activities for parents or absent students.
10. What else?
    

Welcome Back! It is going to be a GREAT year.

Welcome back for another exciting school year. I know that we are just like the kids...these past months have drained our brains of most of what we have learned over the last school year. Well, I have put together a list of resources that will hopefully jump-start your thinking and get those synapses firing once again. Enjoy!!

Resources For Using Technology In Your Classroom

District Resources:
Links for Teachers & Students: http://www.billings.k12.mt.us/tilt/
• Access to Important District Resources
• Search Engines
• Educational Websites for Both Teachers & Students
• Technology Standards and Guidelines
• Technology Tutorials


Educational Blogs:
Montana Link Share Project: http://tiltlinkshare.blogspot.com/
Top 100 Technology Tools: http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/top100.html
Weblogged - Read/Write Web: http://weblogg-ed.com/


Other Great Educational Websites:
Apple Learning Interchange (ALI): http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/
NOVA Online: Virtual Tour of the Moon: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tothemoon/explore.html
The Discovery Channel: Planet Earth: http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/planet-earth.html
PBS – Yellowstone Park Virtual Tour: http://www.pbs.org/edens/yellowstone/tour.html
The Futures Channel: http://www.thefutureschannel.com/index.php


Great Web 2.0 Sites:
Del.icio.us http://del.icio.us
Blogger http://www.blogger.com
SchoolTube http://www.schooltube.com
TeacherTube http://www.teachertube.com
VoiceThread http://voicethread.com


Get them all! Visit Desiree’s Del.icio.us Site http://del.icio.us/caskeyd

Posting from Blackberry

Today I am demonstrating how to post to Blogger from a wireless phone. In the email settings tab of the blog, you can choose an address to send a message to and Blogger will automatically post it as the most recent article!

I will try and add an image of last nights storm clouds as well to see if it shows...

Doug Van Zee

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

MCCE Summer Technology Conference a Success!

MCCE Sumer Tech Conference

The Best of Series by Larry Ferlazo

I stumbled upon this blog the other day while researching new web 2.0 applications. I forgot all about what I started researching and became immersed in this very informative blog post. Larry has spent a lot of time compiling these sites and you can spend a lot of time exploring them! Although I might change a few of his lists slightly, I learned a lot and added to my collection of resources.

Visit My Best of series to explore!

Google Earth

What is Google Earth? Google Earth is currently available for download as a desktop application, although you need to be connected to the Internet to use it. Every time you open Google Earth, it automatically connects to Google's servers, giving you access to terabytes of geographical, political and social data. See related article on HowStuffWorks.com

• Click here to begin to explore Google Earth


• Click here to download Google Earth
• Classroom activity "Size Is Relative"(.pdf)
• Click here to learn about 5 cool, easy things you can do in Google Earth
• Google Earth Users Guide
• Google Earth BLOG
• Content Area Google Earth ideas
• .KMZ file resources: kmzlinks.com : Google Earth Gallery :
• Other Links
  
  Getting Started with Google Earth
  About Google Earth Files - KML/KMZ
  Google Earth Help / FAQs
  3D Modeling Tools and Resources
  Recommended Reading/Blogs
  Google Earth Related Blogs
  Sightseeing Sites
  Google Earth Conversion Tools
  Google Earth for Teachers
  GPS Visualization Tools/Software
  Google Earth Storm Tracking/Weather
  Google Earth Games
  Other Google Blogs