"I Learn, You Learn, We Learn" Blog

Education Facts, Games and Tools

Tracy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:19:21 +0000

The NCES Kids’ Zone provides information to help you learn about schools; decide on a college; find a public library; engage in several games, quizzes and skill building about math, probability, graphing, and mathematicians; and to learn many interesting facts about education. There might be something you could use in your classroom at http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/index.asp.

Ideas to Teach 21st Century Skills

Tracy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:40:57 +0000

Here’s a short and sweet list of just 10 ways you can easily begin to incorporate 21st Century Technology Skills in your classes. Check it out at http://techlearning.com/PrintableArticle.aspx?id=22558

Doing Flips for Flip

Tracy — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:10:13 +0000

I love my Flip video camera. Its a great little gadget for taking quick, short videos. It is very easy to use, there are no cords needed and you can generate still pictures from your videos.

Flip has just released a new, FREE, version of Flipshare - the software to edit the videos taken by the Flip video camera. Click this link to see an interactive video of the camera and software - http://www.theflip.com/demos/amazon/flipshare/#scene=sceneMain.

Here is a very short sample of a video I created in about 5 minutes from individual photos taken from videos - vid00156.wmv

Click here to learn more about Flipshare and to download the newest version for free - http://www.theflip.com/app/prius/31/update/index.aspx

Buy Flip products Here

Inch by Inch

Tracy — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:11:19 +0000

I came across this saying today that relates to the stresses many of us are going through as we, here in upstate NY, had the official start to our school year today. Although we had just district and building meetings and no students until Tuesday, the stress of some major changes in building structures and building construction (which is not quite finished) are taking their toll on some.

So the quote goes like this ” INCH BY INCH, LIFE IS A CINCH. YARD BY YARD, LIFE IS HARD.” You can obviously draw the conclusion that having small realistic, attainable goals is going to be more of a success to you than big, impractical and unreachable goals.

So to all my friends and colleagues as we start a new year with students and families who are counting on us: take things in small, manageable and realistic chunks. Reap the benefits from those small things, because in the end they will add up to a huge success for both you and your students as you progress through the school year.

For more inspiration on success, view a short movie clip at http://www.simpletruths.tv/store/movies.php?movie=TNOS.

Next Week Is Last Week of DEN Summer School

Tracy — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:57:49 +0000

Why not join one of these really cool FREE webinars before the return to school? It is guarenteed you will have some great new tools to start the new year with.

All sessions begin at 11 AM ET. Register Here. It’s free and easy.

Web 2.0 Week

8/24/09 Get Your Glog On! The DE streaming Builders and Glogster

8/25/09 The Thread that Ties it All Together: Discovery Education Content and Voicethread

8/26/09 Two Roundtrip Tickets to Anywhere in the World: Designing Virtual Field Trips with Discovery Education Media and Google Earth

8/27/09 Learning Through the Funnies: Mixing Discovery Education Content with Free Comic Tools

Enroll today.

August = Many Free Webinars = So Many Ideas to Use in Your School

Tracy — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:43:05 +0000

Check out this jam-packed list of FREE webinars offered by Discovery Educator Network. Get ready for back to school with a visit to one , a few or all of the sessions listed below.

All sessions begin at 11 AM ET. Register Here. It’s free and easy.

Digital Storytelling Week
8/3/09
Thinking Outside the Slide: Creating non-linear PowerPoint presentations and learning centers with Discovery Education Media
8/4/09
Digital Storytelling Made Easy: Using Discovery Education Content with Animoto and PhotoStory
8/5/09
Director’s Cut: Discovery Education Media and MovieMaker (PC)
8/6/09
Director’s Cut: Discovery Education Media and iMovie (Mac)

Leadership Week
8/10/09
The Information Society is HERE: Are our schools up to the task? with Dr. Scott McLeod
8/11/09
Policies, Safety and Social Networking
8/12/09
Web 2.0 for Administrators and Others: Schools, Tools, and the 21st Century
8/13/09
Data Driven Decisions with Discovery Education Assessment

Science Week
8/17/09
Myth Busted: Easy Ways to Integrate Digital Media into Your Science Classroom
8/18/09
Getting Your Hands Dirty with Discovery Education Science
8/19/09
Differentiating Instruction with the Discovery Education Science Assessment Manager
8/20/09
More and Muir Tech Tips for Going Green

Web 2.0 Week
8/24/09
Get Your Glog On! The DE streaming Builders and Glogster
8/25/09
The Thread that Ties it All Together: Discovery Education Content and Voicethread
8/26/09
Two Roundtrip Tickets to Anywhere in the World: Designing Virtual Field Trips with Discovery Education Media and Google Earth
8/27/09
Learning Through the Funnies: Mixing Discovery Education Content with Free Comic Tools

Enroll today.

Quotes

Tracy — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 23:03:14 +0000

Momentum

“If you’re coasting, you’re either losing momentum or else you’re headed downhill.”~ Joan Welsh

“We are either progressing or retrograding all the while. There is no such thing as remaining stationary in this life.”~ James Freeman Clarke

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.”~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Momentum is the most unstoppable force in sports. The only way to stop it is if you get in your own way, start making stupid mistakes or stop believing in yourself.”~ Rocco Mediate

“Commitment is the igniter of momentum.”~ Attributed to Peg Wood

Online Book Builder

Tracy — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:22:57 +0000

I love PhotoStory 3 and Windows Movie Maker for creating stories in the classroom; however, the UDL Book Builder deserves a few shout outs for being a free online tool to create books and stories. Along with the tool itself, there are tips for authors, model books to explore and resources galore for creating the online books. I think I’ll have my 7th grade students create children’s books using this site as part of my Child Development unit.

Check it out at http://bookbuilder.cast.org/.

Free Digital Storytelling Webinars

Tracy — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:42:30 +0000

Digital Storytelling week begins at Discovery on Aug. 3. Sign up today to learn many ways to incorporate Digital Storytelling in your classroom.

Aug. 3 Thinking Outside the Slide

Aug. 4 Digital Storytelling made easy with Discovery Education Content, Animoto and PhotoStory

Aug. 5 Discovery Education Media and Windows Movie Maker

Aug. 6 Discovery Education Media and Windows iMovie

All webinars start at 11:00am ET. Click here for a complete list of webinars and registration information.

Is there really alternatives to the old fashioned book reports?

Tracy — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:32:37 +0000

There sure is. Over at The Apple .com there are 10 great technology enhanced ideas for getting kids juiced about the dreaded book report. Why not try one of these in your classroom:

1. Let students create a cartoon version of the book they have just finished.
2. Let students create a short video clip about the book.
3. Create a virtual poster advertising the book.
4. Encourage students to create their own virtual bookshelves with Shelfari or GoodReads.
5. Book Adventure is an online reading motivation program.
6. Bookcasting is a recorded audio podcast about a book.
7. Allow students to create a timeline of events in the story they just read in an online timeline.
8. Wikis are an excellent place for students to share book reviews.
9. Excite and motivate students to read with Book Wink .
10. Voice Thread is an amazing site that allows students to create web 2.0 slide shows that become interactive and collaborative.

Read full article at http://www.theapple.com/benefits/articles/8529-10-technology-enhanced-alternatives-to-book-reports