Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Video of Physical Science Gestures
Instead of trying to explain in words my gestures for CLASSIFY, MATTER, ENERGY, MASS, and VOLUME, here is a link to a video I made demonstrating the gestures and the song I use to teach the definition of Matter:
https://www.wevideo.com/view/93001495
https://www.wevideo.com/view/93001495
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Edmodocon 2013 - Connecting and Collaborating
Wow -- I watched several hours of Edmodocon 2013 yesterday. I was inspired by the teachers who spoke. I was intrigued by the way they used Edmodo. I need time to go through my notes and to watch the presentations I missed. I understand they will be available on the internet within the next few days.
Here are two of the ideas I am pursuing:
- Global Read Aloud -- http://www.globalreadaloud.com/ -- Four books to choose from based on reading ability of your students. Children from around the world connect by reading/hearing the same book during the same time period.
- Skype for Education -- https://education.skype.com/projects/5743-wolf-haven-international-wolves-of-north-america-back-from-the-brink-of-extinction -- lesson on North American Wolves by Wolf Haven, a nonprofit wolf sanctuary in Washington state. Topics include prey/predator, habitat, effect of humans on ecosystem.
Check out the sites and see how you can join in. I hope you will be inspired to connect and collaborate with others this school year.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Tell Your Story Or Someone Else Will Tell It For You...And You Probably Won't Like It
My school is paying the price for not having told our story. We knew we weren't telling our story well, but we never took enough time away from "getting those scores up" to deal with how we were being perceived. Putting our students first was the right thing to do; Failing to tell our story was not.
This summer, I realized I could take control of the my classroom's story. Thanks to Discovery Education (@DiscoveryEducation), Chad Lehman (@imcguy), and Steve Dembo (@teach42), I learned all about the power of social media and how to use it. So, I am going to use text picture messages once or twice a week to show parents what goes on in my class. I am also considering a 1-Second-Everyday-type of visual record to show at Spring Open House.(http://1secondeveryday.com/)
I act out my story every school day with dedication and lots of hard work. I want my story told -- and I am going to be the one to tell it.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Next Time Someone Asks Me...I Will Be Prepared Because I Read This Article
I love my job. I love being a teacher...yet, when I hear about testing, test scores, and how they seem to be the driving force in education today, it makes me sad.
So next time I have to comment on the topic, I will remember the words I read today in this wonderful article by Christopher Lehman http://christopherlehman.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/educations-own-47/.
What are your thoughts?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)