An interesting perspective: Do you have a hand in this?

 by Olga LaPlante

I am a dy/dan blog reader, and recently there has been a post about bloggers – especially the successful ones – who unknowingly become part of a game to improve money flow to certain institutions. If you are a blogger and don't want to improve the third party's bottom line in this way, you may be interested in learning more: http://blog.mrmeyer.com/?p=9672.
I would love to hear other people's thoughts about this one!

Edublog 2009

Richard Byrne's Free Technology for Teachers blog wins again! He is a social studies teacher at Oxford Hills High School. Congratulations, Richard!

The Edublog Awards 2009

Blasting Awaying with Blogs at MSAD 37

Workshop Link

MSAD 37

Complete 2-day Agenda



Photo Credit

Student Blogging at Wiscasset

Link

Blogs in Portland Schools

For an example of school use of blogs, check out the Portland Public School Department Blog Server.

What makes blogging desirable for schools? See Joe Makley's post here.

Who else has some examples to share of blog use in Maine schools?

Blasting Away with Blogs

MAEA Conference, Friday, October 17, 7:30 - 10:15, Simonds

“One of the reasons we fear these technologies is because we as teachers don’t yet understand them or use them. But the reality is that our students already do. It’s imperative that we be able to teach our kids how to use the tools effectively and appropriately because right now they have no models to follow.”

~ Will Richardson

Essential Question: How can classroom communication and collaboration be enhanced with the use of blogs?

Connectivity and Warming Up

Blog Definition/Description

• Blogs in Plain English
• 
  

Why Blog?

• Blogs in Education at LIM Resources Wiki
• eMINTS eTHEMES: Using Online Journals and Blogs
  
• Using Weblogs to Promote Literacy in the Classroom

View Blogs

• Support Blogging Listing of School Bloggers
• Margie's Maine
  
• International Edubloggers Directory
• Bloggers in Maine (Please add Maine education blogs that you are aware of . . .)
• Jason Long in China
• Reflective Practice in Adult and Community Literacy
• Shawn's Journal
• Richard Byrne Blog on Free Technology for Teachers
• Maine Ideas in Education
  

Create a Blog

• Sign Up for a Google Account
• Video Tutorial
• Make Your Own Blog
• Dashboard

Promote Your Blog

• How to Grow a Blog
• Twitter
• Del.icio.us
• RSS

"Back to School"

There's a very thoughtful discussion going on at Will Richardson's Weblogg-ed about change. Check it out here. I especially appreciated the comments of Christian Long.

What do you think?

"The Benefits of Blogging"

Richard Byrne outlines the benefits of blogging in the classroom on his podcast today at Free Technology for Teachers

Podcast Link

MARTI - Blogging in Adult Education

The adult education staff at Oxford Hills and I will be working on how blogging might be used with their students. Click here to view the agenda.

Essential Question: How can classroom communication and collaboration be enhanced with the use of blogs?

Margie's Maine Blog
HartfordGarden Blog

TelstarToo Session: Blogging

“One of the reasons we fear these technologies is because we as teachers don’t yet understand them or use them. But the reality is that our students already do. It’s imperative that we be able to teach our kids how to use the tools effectively and appropriately because right now they have no models to follow.”

~ Will Richardson

Essential Question: How can classroom communication and collaboration be enhanced with the use of blogs?

Connectivity and Warming Up

Blog Definition/Description

• Blogs in Plain English
• 
  
  

Why Blog?

• Blogs in Education at LIM Resources Wiki
• eMINTS eTHEMES: Using Online Journals and Blogs
  
• Using Weblogs to Promote Literacy in the Classroom

View Blogs

• Support Blogging Listing of School Bloggers
• International Edubloggers Directory
• Bloggers in Maine (Please add Maine education blogs that you are aware of . . .)
  

Create a Blog

• Sign Up for a Google Account

Promote Your Blog

• How to Grow a Blog
• Twitter
• Del.icio.us
• RSS

...........................................................................................................................
Bonus: Drawing /Painting/Photo Editing Programs for the Classroom

• TuxPaint
• Project Draw
• Gliffy
• Photoshop Express
• Picnik
  
• Appleworks
  

...........................................................................................................................

Closing . . . .How did it go? What next?

Blogging

Blogs in Plain English

How to Grow a Blog

Blogs in Education at LIM Resources Wiki

How To Blog with Blogger

Support Blogging Wiki

Promoting Academia

by Harold Shaw Jr.

Good day to all!

I am going to have my students prepare a PPT presentation on WHO AM I and when discussing it with them last week they asked me to prepare an example of what I wanted. As you can see this going to be part of the presentation. I haven't changed a bit!!!!! yeah right. Does anyone else dare to share their H.S Graduation picture and maybe a comparison picture or at least a link. Something fun to do?

Well I just registered at the University of Phoenix - Online CED 515 Secondary Methods of Teaching Technology to take one of the two courses I need to take by 2010 for teacher recertification yesterday. Yes, I do enjoy taking college classes and despite some of my previous tongue-in-cheekiness - I have a great deal of respect for most of academia. The course itself sounds very interesting.

Course Description: This course focuses on technology teaching methods, the process of integrating technology into curricula, and advocating for technology utilization at the secondary level. Students will learn methods to evaluate and enhance learning. Students will also analyze exemplary lesson plans that incorporate technology, create lesson plans, and units for the secondary grade levels. In addition, an overview of strategies for educational technology leadership will be provided. UOPX Course Catalog

So although I don't start until March 18, I am looking forward to learning more about this technology in teaching in a more shall we say "disciplined" environment.

Then I remembered a blog/promotion from the first of the year from Microsoft about their "Ultimate Steal" program for registered college students. Well it seemed as though I qualified, and registered for their program. I have wanted to upgrade for a while and this gave me the opportunity to get Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate for a very, very reasonable price. So far I tend to agree that Office 2007 ribbon is a much better way to navigate (just in a short time it seems more intuitive) and wish they had used it more in Outlook (perhaps they will later).

Otherwise, I have had a real busy weekend correcting papers. I really have to give credit to my students! I gave them an assignment to write a letter to themselves in 20 years. Yeah I got the usual family, career, wife, kids and where they will be living, but I also got predictions on the presidential election, effects of global warming and if they were in careers that would be helping others. I thought it was actually a pretty good assignment and was pleased with level of effort that the students gave.

Personally, I have run two miles, two days in a row and although I know the hip is there, it is a bearable sort of discomfort. So I can get back on that bet with Bill and loose those 15 pounds, but Mary just made a whole batch of Chocolate No-bake cookies. She is soooo mean, but I do love her.

Well I have made a promise to myself as part of my lessons learned to stay close to 500 words unless, I have something very important to say. But it is hard, once I start writing it is like a switch has been turned on the words just seem to flow out of my fingers without a hardly any effort. But then I have to go back and proofread what my fingers did, that is the issue isn't it. The word count says I am done have a great day --

I just noticed that Jim put my name up with some pretty high flyers in the blogging world, and I thank you for the compliment. But putting me on the same page as the rest of that group is not really appropriate, as they are some of the movers and shakers of the online educational community and I certainly am not. I am simply a teacher from a small school in central Maine. I certainly don't belong in that select group. But thank you Jim -- it did kind of make my day.

Harold

Workshop: Blogging in the Middle School Curriculum

This afternoon at the MAMLE conference I'm attending a workshop on blogging by Carl and Joyce Bucciantini from the Auburn Middle School. They have developed two great NoteShare notebooks on blogging which were offered to everyone via flashdrive. Good stuff!

AMS Blog Page