Screen Recording Ideas

I think one of the first things I would do in an upper elementary classroom, would be to provide a screen recording as a help file for parents and students on how to use the classroom wiki that I MUST now have in place. I could go through the steps in logging onto the wiki, finding assignments, project details, reading the calendar, how to make comments, how to reach other parents, etc. This is a very valuable tool that I could use in my current profession as well. I have a few other businesses that I do computer troubleshooting with. After the initial set up, this would save me a lot of travel time to and from the other businesses. I may no longer need to be there in person.

Teaching Enhancements with Flickr

As the IT person in my company, I could use Flickr instead of a website photo gallery. It might free some download space on the host server.....

In the classroom, I would use it after a field trip to display images of what we saw. Then, the students might write a brief summary of a particular picture and what they learned.

I would also use it as assignments, such as, "Find and take pictures of examples of things that are symmetrical." After they upload their photos, we create the collection on Flickr for all to view the real-life examples.

I would use Flickr as a spring board for ideas. I can see showing photos to stimulate creative responses or ideas for writing stories. Sometimes just a photo is enough to spark that creative process.

You Tube Learning Experiences

If I were teaching about the Lewis and Clark Expedition:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEVdgSH5Q9c This is a dramatic, 2 minute overview of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It highlights why the expedition was needed, how much it cost, who organized it, and the general idea of expanding west. This would be a great introduction to the unit prior to teaching the full unit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFn3jQUYwf4&feature=related This is a darling 7-minute video done by middle schoolers and their interpretation of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It could be a springboard for discussion and critical thinking regarding the land, animals and people they encountered along the way. Some of the content if far fetched (the animals portrayed don't really exist, like dinosaurs), but it gets the kids thinking, "What kind of animals WERE present along the trail?" This could also be used as an example for their own podcast or You Tube presentation in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItvqlNmLFRU&feature=related This is the Ballad of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Yes, you guessed it, a complete, professional musical production set to visions of statues and landmarks marking the expedition history. Good for younger listeners and YouTubers.

0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-FAPBc_vak A very good explanation of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Given by a high schooler. Accurate and interesting for other high schoolers.

Podcasting Ideas

One subject that would lend easily to podcasting would be history. I would include history as one of the first units to introduce podcasting. Have students who are studying a period in history write and record journals from the perspective of a person living in that time. By choosing different people on many sides of a conflict or event, the resulting series of podcasts could provide a rich tapestry of perspectives on and reactions to historical events and people. There are a variety of resources, online and otherwise, that provide access to diaries, journals, and other primary source documents that would be useful in creating Historical Audio Diaries.

http://libtextcenter.unl.edu/lewisandclark/index.html
http://dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/oralHistory.html
http://www.intelligenic.com/blog/?p=126

Small Town Diners

Our town, as most small towns do, has one of those small soda fountain diners in one of the buildings that seems to change hands every other month. While the food is never that stupendous, the ambiance usually is if you get into it a little bit. Pictures of old cars or old movie stars on the wall reminds us that life used to be just that simple. I find myself just relaxing in the diner, able to take a breath, away from the busy life outside. I did notice that it's never that crowded with people...which is probably why they change hands every other month. I challange you to try one out this summer. Do it not only to patronize a local establishment, doing your share to keep it in business; but also for the moments of calm you may feel when you think of the life you may experience if you had lived in earlier times. Or maybe it's just the company you keep that choose to go with you to places like that. That's a true friend that will eat the fried food, tough steak, or stale deli sandwich with you. It's all good.

Internet Safety

I was recently asked about what I thought about internet safety. I am one of those parents whose computer is in the kitchen where ALL eyes can see what is being typed. My kids know that I MUST have current passwords or they loose computer privleges, and I check regularly. As a teacher, I would do the same thing. I don't think parents do this and that's where we let our children down. It's hard enough battling peer pressure and rude comments in person, let alone in writing on a blog or public forum. It's not that hard to set parameters for internet use. As a teacher, it would be very easy to create a case for the use of blogs for paperless homework or lesson reflection, given the controls were set appropriately.

My New Favorites

Check out my favorite blogs at the bottom of the page. I really enjoy my college friends who have kept their keen sense of humor as well as their audacious sense of the written word.