Click on the link below to see some great Apps for iPads and other devices for Special Needs students and families!!
http://www.snapps4kids.com/
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
21st Century Teachers.... Check out this blog for some interesting ideas!
We are 11 years past the mark of the 21st Century and if you believe the current news the trends in education are going backwards and not forwards toward more improving the student and the teacher and the educational environment. But when I run across a blog that provides should good insight and gives me hope that those who are "called" to education will in the end prevail.
CLICK HERE to read and watch the videos that Kharbah Med has written and added to his blog.
-Don-
CLICK HERE to read and watch the videos that Kharbah Med has written and added to his blog.
-Don-
100 Websites from TED Blog...
Even though these were posted in 2007 I have double check the links and found that they are still live.
There are several that are interesting and some that make me curious. So be sure to check them out thoroughly before you pass them on.
CLICK HERE to go to TED Blog 100 Websites.
There are several that are interesting and some that make me curious. So be sure to check them out thoroughly before you pass them on.
CLICK HERE to go to TED Blog 100 Websites.
Brain Breaks are a great idea!!
Blink Brain Break
Tom DeRosa has a blog that is titled "I Want to Teach Forever" He had his readers send in ideas for Brain Breaks. If you haven't checked out his blog please do. It is wonderful. One of the ideas that was sent in was called BLINK. It was submitted by Molly Tanner and I did in class and it is very fun. This brain break takes just 45 seconds to do, and the students love it. Watch the video and you will get a feel for how the students like this one.
Sent in by Molly Tanner
BLINK
1. Stand Up.
2. Blink your left eye and snap your right hand finger and thumb at the same time.
3. Now blink your right eye and snap your left hand finger and thumb at the same time.
4. Go back and forth as fast as you can
Sent in by Molly Tanner
BLINK
1. Stand Up.
2. Blink your left eye and snap your right hand finger and thumb at the same time.
3. Now blink your right eye and snap your left hand finger and thumb at the same time.
4. Go back and forth as fast as you can
Try this and watch the kids have so much fun... then watch how well they work on their assignments after words.
-Don-
Kinesthetic Math and Flip Video --- what a way to teach Geometry!
Kinesthetic Right Triangle Trig with the Flip Video
I tried to reach my kinesthetic learners with this activity. Basically, the students are laying down on the floor and making right triangles. Then there is some right triangle trigonometry going on. I think it reinforced the SOHCAHTOA concept in a new way.
This is from the blog by Dave Sladke --
you can find his full description by clicking HERE!
-don-
Here's a great blog by a High School Math Teacher that provides some unique teaching strategies...
Reflections of a High School Math Teacher
Using Pipe Cleaners for Transformations of Graphs in High School Math Class
I keep trying to find activities for my kinesthetic learners. This activity helped students to actually "DO" the math.
Click on the link above to read Dave's blog on this great teaching strategy!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A great blog on "How Kinesthic Folks Learn Math"
This is a great blog for helping students that learn kinesthically to enjoy MATH!
http://wildaboutmath.com/2007/11/06/how-kinesthetic-folks-learn-math
Thanks to "Wild About Math" bloggers for great information and great examples!!
_Don_
http://wildaboutmath.com/2007/11/06/how-kinesthetic-folks-learn-math
Thanks to "Wild About Math" bloggers for great information and great examples!!
_Don_
ParaProfessional Blog Site -- Excellent Resources!!
Our in-service today was great! We had Dr. Rebecca Hines as our guest and she gave me permission to add her blog site to a post -- go visit her site here: http://paraprofessionalcollaboration.blogspot.com/
She has great information, tools and other links that are good not just for ParaPros, but for anyone in Special Education or Regular Education... be sure to click on the "wordle" on the right hand side for some special links that she's sharing with us all!
-Don-
She has great information, tools and other links that are good not just for ParaPros, but for anyone in Special Education or Regular Education... be sure to click on the "wordle" on the right hand side for some special links that she's sharing with us all!
-Don-
Saturday, February 19, 2011
QR Codes in the classroom??
I just updated my Android HTC phone to the QuickMark scanner software and then after reading the link below about using the QR Codes in the classroom, thought how cool this really was!
Cell phones and other scan devices -- unite!
http://itcboisestate.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/10-ways-to-use-qr-codes-in-your-classroom/
-Don
Cell phones and other scan devices -- unite!
http://itcboisestate.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/10-ways-to-use-qr-codes-in-your-classroom/
-Don
20 Free Digital Classroom Tools from 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com
Over 20 Free Digital Classroom Tools… Customize… Plus No Log In!
Click on the link above to see some really great classroom tools!!
-Don
Use of document cameras are increasing... here's a good listing of how to use them.
Click HERE to link to 50+ Ideas for Using Document Cameras!
Looking at KidsConnect -- a great site for kids and their parents!
KidsConnect is a safe internet gateway for kids...
There are 427 portal pages on KidsKonnect
To get there click HERE!
-Don
Creating A Google Site as a Collaboration in the classroom....
The following eight videos were created by TCEA 2011 Create Google Sites
for use in the classroom as a collaboration tool.
Thanks to TCEA for doing these YouTube videos!!
Ten great sites with free teacher resources
Ten great sites with free teacher resources
eSchool News has compiled this list of some of the best free teacher websites on the web; what are your favorites?
Read more by Jenna Zwang
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2011/02/18/ten-great-sources-of-free-teacher-resources/?
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Returning to normal...
After spending Friday, February 10th at the NASA Ames Research Center it has taken me several days to "return to normal." I'm reminded of when I first heard the audio version of "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" -- there is a spot where the space ship's abnormalities affect the crew and after a correction has been made, the ship's computer announces, that "all systems have been returned to normal, any abnormalities from this point forward are merely your own."
That's how I felt as the day at NASA progressed. I was so excited about all of the people that I met that were among the 72 attendees; but also, the people from NASA Ames that were our presenters. These were specialists in their fields and they were spening their precious time to explain to us about their discoveries and their missions. These were the top in their field.
As we sat in the visitor's center for Ames, surrounded by examples and exhibits of the vast accomplishments of NASA centers around the globe, then a screen filled with the information from the Keplar; SOFIA and other missions that we had been allowed to come together for the details and information. It was truly what one person labelled, "a geek fest". But never had a "tweetup" geek fest occureda t this location. We were the first. (There had been previous "tweetup's at NASA, Florida; but this was the first one for Ames!)
After listening to not only the science behind Keplar, Astrobiology and SOFIA; when heard the passion that each of these scientists offered us about their mission or their whole body of work. This excitement in their voices and their presentations as well as their body language carried over to their teams as well. As we travelled by bus after lunch to the various mission offices, we saw and heard this same excitement and passion from the team members. They were excited in what they were doing. They were excited that we were there to hear their story and could have possibly talked for hours on end to us, but the day was packed full of hands-on demonstrations, presentations and visual effects that for this writer overwhelmed me with not only the amount of information and data that I was receiving but the quality of the visual, emotional and instructional informaiton. For the first time in a very long time, my brain was full!
I was experiencing such an overwhelming amount that it was hard at first to digest and compartamentalize the information for later retrieval. My whole purpose in going was to bring back to my classroom the information and excitement so that they could see how exciting science and technology is and how pertinent and important this is in their world, now and beyond.
Now that it's almost been a week, I'm just now working on the several hundred photos, hours of video and returning to "normal" -- but I'm still excited to spread the passion and the excitement to not only my students, but throughout my school and even farther to make sure that we get students today to experience that science, technology, engineering and mathemathics are NOT boring, but where they can do more than reach for the stars, they can hunt and find new planets!
Thanks, NASA Ames for such a great mind-strectching event!
Don
That's how I felt as the day at NASA progressed. I was so excited about all of the people that I met that were among the 72 attendees; but also, the people from NASA Ames that were our presenters. These were specialists in their fields and they were spening their precious time to explain to us about their discoveries and their missions. These were the top in their field.
As we sat in the visitor's center for Ames, surrounded by examples and exhibits of the vast accomplishments of NASA centers around the globe, then a screen filled with the information from the Keplar; SOFIA and other missions that we had been allowed to come together for the details and information. It was truly what one person labelled, "a geek fest". But never had a "tweetup" geek fest occureda t this location. We were the first. (There had been previous "tweetup's at NASA, Florida; but this was the first one for Ames!)
After listening to not only the science behind Keplar, Astrobiology and SOFIA; when heard the passion that each of these scientists offered us about their mission or their whole body of work. This excitement in their voices and their presentations as well as their body language carried over to their teams as well. As we travelled by bus after lunch to the various mission offices, we saw and heard this same excitement and passion from the team members. They were excited in what they were doing. They were excited that we were there to hear their story and could have possibly talked for hours on end to us, but the day was packed full of hands-on demonstrations, presentations and visual effects that for this writer overwhelmed me with not only the amount of information and data that I was receiving but the quality of the visual, emotional and instructional informaiton. For the first time in a very long time, my brain was full!
I was experiencing such an overwhelming amount that it was hard at first to digest and compartamentalize the information for later retrieval. My whole purpose in going was to bring back to my classroom the information and excitement so that they could see how exciting science and technology is and how pertinent and important this is in their world, now and beyond.
Now that it's almost been a week, I'm just now working on the several hundred photos, hours of video and returning to "normal" -- but I'm still excited to spread the passion and the excitement to not only my students, but throughout my school and even farther to make sure that we get students today to experience that science, technology, engineering and mathemathics are NOT boring, but where they can do more than reach for the stars, they can hunt and find new planets!
Thanks, NASA Ames for such a great mind-strectching event!
Don
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Getting ready for the time of my life!
In just a few short hours I will be boarding a flight to take me to the NASA Ames Research Center near San Jose, California. I will be a part of the NASA_#Tweetup for Feb 11, 2011. To say that I'm excited is an understatement. I have look forward for a day with NASA since I was a little boy watching the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle missions. My wife says that this is on my "bucket" list -- but I don't know. I think it was on many lists - even the one that we keep of "never to be done". But now it's closer than ever and I'm just a blessed man to be working toward a certification to be a Special Education Teacher; taking advantage of this learning and to be able to share these experiences that I will be a part of with my current students and many more in the years ahead.
More tweeting and blogging as the day approaches. Now to figure out just how difficult the journey to the airport will be after getting blanketed by 2.5 inches of snow and ice for the "upteenth" time this winter.
Stay tuned!
Don
More tweeting and blogging as the day approaches. Now to figure out just how difficult the journey to the airport will be after getting blanketed by 2.5 inches of snow and ice for the "upteenth" time this winter.
Stay tuned!
Don
Monday, February 7, 2011
A great reading website for elementary kids...
Here's a great website that is interactive and helps kids on reading... check it out HERE! Story Time For Me
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Smart Board Templates!
Here's a link complete with several great SMART BOARD templates.
Remember that you have to have a Parmetheon or other type of Smart or IWB board software loaded in order to open these files. If you are using a SMART board already, then that shouldn't be a problem.
http://www1.center.k12.mo.us/edtech/SB/templates.htm
-Don
Remember that you have to have a Parmetheon or other type of Smart or IWB board software loaded in order to open these files. If you are using a SMART board already, then that shouldn't be a problem.
http://www1.center.k12.mo.us/edtech/SB/templates.htm
-Don
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A Great Quote...
"Preparing Children for Their Technological Future" is a white paper, authored by Bill Daggett, covering the use of technology in the classroom and the impact it will have on global competition.
-Dr. Dagget
New Apps for the iPAD or iPOD for help in the classroom...
Following are 10 noteworthy apps, which can be downloaded on Apple devices, such as iPhones and iPads, that K-12 students and teachers and can use to enhance learning:
1. Molecules is a free app that allows science students to manipulate colorful 3-D models of protein molecules. New models can be downloaded from the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics, managed by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and the University of California, San Diego.
2. Word Lens is a free video translator app that foreign language teachers can use for scavenger hunts.
3. Blackboard Mobile Learn allows students and teachers whose schools already use Blackboard instant access to course listings. Students can download assignments that instructors have posted. The app is free.
4. Today in History is a free app that lists notable historical figures and events, which history teachers can use for trivia quizzes or facts of the day.
5. Math Ref Free, a free version of the math reference application, Math Ref, includes helpful formulas, tips, and examples in advance math courses. Subject matter includes algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.
6. PI83 Graphing Calculator can be used in place of any graphing calculator to input data and make graphs or matrices. The app costs 99 cents.
7. Star Walk engages students who are learning about the solar system and beyond, highlighting planets, constellations, and the sky in motion. It costs 99 cents.
8. Cram, which costs $3.99, can be used by teachers and students to create flashcards and tests to be electronically shared with others.
9. Essay Grader allows teachers to choose from a bank of prewritten comments, which saves time compared to writing the similar comments over and over again by hand. Teachers can e-mail the grade sheet directly to students or export it to the computer for editing and printing. The cost is $5.99.
10. eClicker,which costs $9.99, is a personal response system that allows teachers to poll their class during a lesson, providing teachers with real-time feedback. Developed for smartphones and laptops.
_
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