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 […]
web 2.0
Quietube: Video Without the Distractions
Quietube is a handy tool that allows you to watch videos such a those on YouTube without all the distracting or inappropriate ads and comments etc. Providing YouTube isn’t blocked at your school, this is a great tool for the classroom! Quietube also works with videos from Vimeo, BBC iPlayer (available in UK only) and […]
Virtual Maths Manipulatives
I nearly always use my IWB (interactive whiteboard) for Maths whole-class introductions and often small group instruction. Publisher McGraw Hill and Glencoe have a great maths resource for your IWB that is an alternative to IWB software. It is called Virtual Manipulatives. Virtual Manipulatives is a Flash based website with interactive manipulatives that students and […]
MeeGenius
MeeGenius is a new site that has been popular on Twitter recently. MeeGenius is an online library of picture books for young children. Currently there are nearly 30 books available to read, most of which are popular fairy tales. The books can be read independently or there is an option to hear the book being […]
Blogging Tool: Embedit.in
embedit.in is a site that I saved to my Delicious and Diigo accounts about a year ago but forgot about and have not yet used. I recently rediscovered this site and realised how useful it could be in blogging. This tool allows you to embed almost any sort of file into your blog such as […]
Tech Tools for Teachers #11 VoiceThread
Each week, Simon Collier and I collaborate on a weekly email newsletter called Tech Tools for Teachers to inform teachers of useful online tools. Find out more here. This week we review the website VoiceThread http://voicethread.com VoiceThread is a popular tool that allows you to narrate images, documents and videos. Others can join in the […]
Thoughts on the Ultranet
The Ultranet is a $60.5 million online portal for teachers, students and parents in Victorian government schools. After years of build up, the Ultranet was officially launched on Monday 10th May and my school was in the first group of schools to come online. The first stage of the Ultranet allows students and teachers to […]
Create a Global Avatar with Gravatar
As I read quite a few blogs, I always like it when a commenter has an avatar (picture of self) next to their comment. Even if the avatar is not a true picture, it adds interest and a personality to the commenter. Often, when someone does not have a recognised avatar, their comments on blog […]
Another Cool Blogging Tool
I found out about the site Page Plugins on Mary Ellen Lynch’s classroom blog. It is another fun tool to add something different to blog posts. On the site, you can create all sorts of visuals from glittering text (above) and Easter Bunny notes (below) to embed on your blog. There is also a range […]
A Vision of 21st Century Teachers
I heard about this You Tube clip via a few different people on Twitter. The 4 minute video involves 18 classroom teachers “speaking out” on the topic of tech integration and 21st Century skills for students. It’s a really interesting insight into what the technology in the classroom can look like in all curriculum areas […]
New Page: Embedding Web 2.0 Tools
I’ve just started a new page with a list of some Web 2.0 tools you could use on student or class blogs. When I first started blogging with my class, I simply used text and images. As I got the hang of it, I started using different forms of media to make the blog posts […]
Tech Tools for Teachers – Newsletter #1
As I have previously blogged about, I am collaborating with a fellow teacher Simon Collier on a weekly email newsletter for teachers called Tech Tools for Teachers. I aim to post these newsletters on this blog and have created a page where you will find PDF versions of these newsletters and find out more about […]
More about blogging!
I am currently in the process of introducing my new Grade Two students to blogging. As this is a new concept for many students and parents I have prepared two handouts to send home to families. They are an Introduction to Blogging note and Guide to Getting the Most out of 2KM’s blog note. Feel […]
Rules and Guidelines for my Class Blog
As I previously blogged about, I am about the embark on setting up a class blog for the third time. Before you set up your class blog, it’s really important to think about what rules and guidelines you will put into place and make sure the students and parents are clear about these. Blogging provides […]
Blogging in 2010
The school year begins here on the 1st February and for the third year, I will embark on the blogging journey with my new Grade Two class. As my class will still be called 2KM, I have decided to keep my 2009 2KM blog and customise it to my 2010 class. If you are setting […]