In March 2018 I wrote a comprehensive post about teaching typing. I also compared four free online tools for learning keyboarding. Find that post here. On 21st July, 2011, all of my students participated in a typing test using 10fastfingers. They had to test themselves three times and then I recorded their best words-per-minute score. […]
Tools, Sites, And Apps
Are You On Twitter Yet?
Earlier this year, Kelly Jordan and I gave a few presentations on using Twitter for educators at various events. If you’re not yet on Twitter, read this post to find out some reasons why you should be. Confused about the Twitter language? Hopefully this brief explanation will help. Need more tips? Check out my post […]
New Blog by Shawn Avery: Tech Tutorials
One member of my PLN who I have formed a strong connection with is Shawn Avery (aka @mr_avery). Shawn is a 6th grade teacher in Massachusetts and his class blog is http://mravery.edublogs.org Shawn has some excellent ideas for integrating technology in the classroom and has done some inspiring work with movie making (check out his […]
Doing Things the Long Way
In many ways, technology can be time saving. Especially if you know the best way to use it! Yesterday I attended and presented at the 2011 VITTA (Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association) Conference. One of the sessions I attended was run by Andrew and Beverly from Mitcham Primary School. They gave a terrific presentation about […]
Looking Back 2004-2011
I finished university at the end of 2003 and started teaching in January 2004. Like all graduate teachers, the beginning of my teaching career was a steep learning curve. Fortunately, I felt like I had a lot of role models around me on staff. As I embarked on my career, I remember thinking a lot […]
Using an iPod Touch in the Primary Classroom
2011 is the fourth year I’ve been using an iPod Touch in my classroom. My students enjoy using these hand held devices and they can be used to enhance student learning in many different areas. In this post I will describe how we set up our iPod Touches and how we use them. Funding In […]
Learning to Type
Over the years, the need for my students to be able to type has become increasingly important. Being able to type with reasonable speed and accuracy helps students to better cope with the technological world they live in. Students are increasingly going to be held back in their school work, everyday life and future career […]
All About Twitter Hashtags
After writing my Teacher Challenge guest post on using Twitter to build your PLN, I was asked by a number of people about hashtags. I know when I first started using Twitter, it took me a little while to get my head around what the # symbol meant. This is a handy feature of Twitter […]
Windows 7 Features I Love
I’ve been using Windows 7 for eighteen months now. I felt a bit silly when I finally decided to learn how to use one of Windows 7 most advertised features the other day- the “Snap” feature to display two windows side by side. It looks great! This discovery made me think about the large number […]
Are you on LinkedIN?
Recently I read on the oz-teachers mailing list a warning for teachers about using social networking sites unprofessionally. This UK article, suggests that teachers should be cautious of what they post online and check what information is available about them. Teachers are warned that schools are scouring social networking sites and googling potential candidates for […]
Top 10 Email Tips
Email is something many people have been using for 10-15 years now. I remember first getting an email address in 1999 although the way I use email has changed dramatically since then. I would never have thought of checking my emails over breakfast in 1999 yet now my breakfast email session is ingrained into my […]
Top 10 Twitter Tips!
Without a doubt, Twitter is my number one form of professional development and I am always recommending it to other educators. I first joined Twitter in early 2009 although I didn’t start using it daily until early 2010. I find Twitter to be a one stop shop to meet like-minded educators. It is a place […]
Are you a Learner or Learned?
Today I attended the first session of PLP ConnectU project. This project, sponsored by the Victoria Education Department (DEECD) is run by Will Richardson and Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach. The project offers year long, job-embedded professional development that helps teachers to re-envision their classrooms, schools, and their roles in education. Five reasons why I enjoyed the day… […]
Using Downloaded Fonts
For almost as long as I have been using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, I have enjoyed downloading a range of fonts to enhance the appearance of my presentations or documents. A couple of people have asked me lately how to use downloaded fonts. This post is an overview. I’m sure many people agree Times New […]
Skype in the Classroom
As I have blogged about many times in the past I love to flatten my classroom walls and collaborate globally with my students. I have found Skype to be a wonderful tool for collaboration. It is easy, free and has countless uses. Skyping can bring learning to life! In my grade two class we have […]