Using Twitter ( http://www.twitter.com ) as a teaching tool has become a new goal of mine. There are so many celebrities that get on or text their 'tweets' from their phones, so Twitter can be full of mindless information, but I think I can change some of it.
I can tweet my kids a question and they can answer back to me - it can create a discussion! I can even post daily history facts, math questions, science information, or links to great news stories from around the world.
The one hurdle I have to jump is getting the kids to log on. We give them email addresses and they have difficulty logging on and checking that, so how can I motivate them to look at Twitter too? That's going to take some brainstorming...
Friday, September 17, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Paperless
The school really wants to be an online school, but I keep getting things in my email that say "Print this out, have the student sign it and then scan it back in and send it to so-and-so." Does this make sense? I understand that there are some things that have to be signed by hand (and not digitally) but 90% of our paperwork should stay online.
I have a fantastic HP that has the touch screen and pen, so I can write all I want all over the screen and on any type of document! Too cool!
The documents I have all stay on my computer, I hand it over to the student and say "read this then sign here." Really simple, no paper, no scanning, nothing. The document can instantly be emailed or placed on dropbox (check out Dropbox.com) and everyone can access it :)
Go paperless, save the planet while you're at it!!!
I have a fantastic HP that has the touch screen and pen, so I can write all I want all over the screen and on any type of document! Too cool!
The documents I have all stay on my computer, I hand it over to the student and say "read this then sign here." Really simple, no paper, no scanning, nothing. The document can instantly be emailed or placed on dropbox (check out Dropbox.com) and everyone can access it :)
Go paperless, save the planet while you're at it!!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Don't Stop Believin'
I can't stop comparing my experiences to "The Jetsons." It seems that around every technological corner there's a nod to the famous future family.
Skype (www.skype.com) is another one of those wonderful nods. We can make phone calls on the internet and actually look at each other during it! How great is that?! [I noticed that the iPhone is taking this one step further and offering this video feature on there mobile devices.]
So even though I am a virtual teacher I can still "see" my students on a regualar basis. We still meet with our students face to face, but only every other week. Those in-between times allow me to talk with my students while not ever leaving my house. They still get that one-on-one contact which is so very important but neither one of us had to make an effort to leave the house!
This technology doesn't only apply to me and my students, it also includes my colleagues. Every Friday we have meetings via Skype, now I've been lucky enough that it's without video, so, yes, I have attended in my PJ's.
I love technology!
Skype (www.skype.com) is another one of those wonderful nods. We can make phone calls on the internet and actually look at each other during it! How great is that?! [I noticed that the iPhone is taking this one step further and offering this video feature on there mobile devices.]
So even though I am a virtual teacher I can still "see" my students on a regualar basis. We still meet with our students face to face, but only every other week. Those in-between times allow me to talk with my students while not ever leaving my house. They still get that one-on-one contact which is so very important but neither one of us had to make an effort to leave the house!
This technology doesn't only apply to me and my students, it also includes my colleagues. Every Friday we have meetings via Skype, now I've been lucky enough that it's without video, so, yes, I have attended in my PJ's.
I love technology!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Meet George Jetson...
Have you ever seen "The Jetsons" cartoon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jetsons)? Remeber seeing George and Jane pick up their son and daughter (Elroy & Judy) at school? The teacher was a robot!!!
In the 1960's they were so sure that we would be flying in our cars by the year 2000, and although the cartoon is set in 2062 I still believe that part of this future is here! I am not a robot but I use my computer to teach. I don't think that robots will ever completely take over for teaching but I do feel that technology will help to drive our education more and more in the future.
So.... the future is here - I can teach students using the internet, Skype, Facebook, YouTube (and TeacherTube), cell phones, and so much more!
Keep an eye on my blog and watch out for my:
ADVENTURES IN TEACHING!!!
In the 1960's they were so sure that we would be flying in our cars by the year 2000, and although the cartoon is set in 2062 I still believe that part of this future is here! I am not a robot but I use my computer to teach. I don't think that robots will ever completely take over for teaching but I do feel that technology will help to drive our education more and more in the future.
So.... the future is here - I can teach students using the internet, Skype, Facebook, YouTube (and TeacherTube), cell phones, and so much more!
Keep an eye on my blog and watch out for my:
ADVENTURES IN TEACHING!!!
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