"Meme: Passion Quilt"

"Meme: Passion Quilt" was a completely new concept to me, so I was happy and excited to be tagged by Allison Miller.

If you would like to read more about "Meme: Passion Quilt", here are some great websites!

First of all, I never do chain-letters but I found this quite easy and enjoyable. Plus I was honored by Allison's choosing to tag me. I plan to keep this social networking chain-blog letter going.

So, to follow the rules I have posted a picture from flickr and added a caption!

Presenting Class Blogmeister to My Students!

Now, to answer the question: What am I passionate in 'teaching' my students?

I am passionate in teaching my students to think and create. I have been having my students blog this year to improve writing skills as well as letting the students find their voices. They are encouraged to write their opinions, ideas, and concerns. They are just starting to realize that they can have opinions too. We spend time working on numerous short stories that had been fun to create.

Now for the fourth part of the rules, I now have officially tagged the following people.

Lauren

Kate

Josephine

Joyce

Rachel

If you choose to participate, please follow these rules:

Meme: Passion Quilt rules:

1. Think about what you are passionate about teaching your students.
2. Post a picture from a source like FlickrCC or Flickr Creative Commons or make/take your own that captures what YOU are most passionate about for kids to learn about…and give your picture a short title.
3. Title your blog post “Meme: Passion Quilt” and link back to this blog entry.
4. Include links to 5 folks in your professional learning network or whom you follow on Twitter/Pownce.

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Web 2.0 Tools for the classroom!

Here is a slideshow by Vicki Davis that is excellent in showing what a school district can do to open up learning with the Web 2.0 tools, Horizon Project, or the Flat Classroom Project. A lot of good information !

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Web 2.0

Twitter

What an interesting week reading Tweets on Twitter! I have been learning about some wonderful things that I will be sharing in the upcoming weeks. For example, add Gadgets to your homepage with Google Gadgets at http://tinyurl.com/2qrfz3

In addition, here is an excellent article on Google Docs http://www.google.com/google-d-s/whatsnew.html

Twitter

I attended the National Educational Computing Conference in Georgia during the summer of 2007. One of the Web 2.0 tools that I was introduced to was Twitter. Twitter is social networking and micro-blogging put together around the question "What are you doing?"

In 140 characters or less, you post answers to that question. It is instant messaging from your computer or phone.

Once joining Twitter, you build a network of people you would like to follow. I am following people that have many of the same interests as I do. I am learning as much as I can about the Web 2.0 tools, educational technology, and specifically blogging.

Advantages to Twitter:

Everyday, I have a notebook beside me so I can write down any information that I need to look up later. In this way, I am keeping a journal on educational technology and Web 2.0 tools. Most of the time, the information leads to free "stuff" just waiting for me to tap into. For example, here are a few Web 2.0 tools I have been learning about:

voicethread, where you upload pictures and add comments or audio. What is really unique is that you can have others add their comments or leave an audio recording. Voicethread can be used to teach about a specific topic to commenting on family photos. The sky is the limit with this tool.

audacity, If you are interested in making MP3 files, this is a free tool that you must check out.

Social bookmarking with del.icio.us, If you want to be able to get to those bookmarks that you have made at home on your computer from work, use del.icio.us. You can "log in" to any computer, anywhere and tap into your bookmarks.

co.mments,
Co.mments is a new tool for me. I will be able to feed my comments into a reader to keep updated on recent comments made to me. You can read more about this @dswaters

To learn more about technology, here is Sue Waters' homepage:
http://aquaculturepda.edublogs.org

Podomatic is a great place to upload your MP3 files!
podomatic,



skype
Skype has several features, but the one I am interested in is computer to computer Skype calls. I can Skype my girlfriend in Italy for free. I will write later how that turns out.

Well, this is just a few of the things that I have been learning from my Twitter friends.

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Blogging to Encourage Writing!

For years, it has been the teacher’s responsibility to motivate and encourage ALL students to write. Every year students must practice and learn to write persuasive, narrative, and expository essays. Not only do they have to learn the different types of writing, but they have to take a state test that only provides 45 minutes to do the writing successfully. The rough draft to final polished piece must be written in 45 minutes. That is a hard task for anyone to complete!

I feel this is where blogging throughout the year has been encouraging and motivating for students. My students are coming early to class so they can work on the computers and write stories. They want to publish these stories to their blogs. Practice, practice, and more practice makes better writers. How do you get good at something? You practice!

How do readers get better at reading? by reading! Then it is only logical that to get better at writing, we must write more. Practice, practice, and more practice.

I do not have to make my students write. They want to write using word processors, wikis, and blogs. Having an audience to write for is a powerful tool for the classroom. My students are very excited that they have a blog and wiki to work on.





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February 1

My students are really motivated to blog, especially, due to the fact we have been invited to Tech 2008. We will be taking an all day field trip (3 hours one-way) to Springfield, Illinois. The students will present what they have been working on this year while explaining wikis and blogs to representatives, senators, superintendents, principals, board members, etc.

As I have written in earlier posts, we are using Classblogmeister and at the Pritchardpress wiki as our web 2.0 tools so that the students can write and publish their articles.

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Social Networking

I sat here this morning reading Twitter messages and viewing the Ustream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/educon-channel-1

and was amazed and excited about what I was learning through an educational conference called Educon 2.0

While multi-tasking during the morning by reading tweets at twitter, reading/watching a live chat and Ustream, and writing notes for this blog, I realized I wanted to shared what educators at this conference were saying:

* Web 2.0 tools such as social networks, twitter, blogging, wikis, Voicethread, podcasting, and skype (just to name a few) are being used in many schools around the world.

* The use of these tools are increasing in schools across this country.

* One of the problems was that teachers and students were not using these Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms. (Note: It is assumed here that Web 2.0 tools are available for use, but teachers are choosing not to use them and therefore; students cannot use them).

* Web 2.0 tools promote reading and writing just like the pencil and paper has promoted reading and writing.

All of this made me think of my students and realize that they are using critical thinking and higher order thinking skills while trying to use Web 2.0 tools. For example, the students create stories, post them to their wiki pages at school, then when at home at night, they copy and paste their stories onto their blog at Classblogmeister

What a great experience for kids if they were allowed to blog at school! There is no doubt that Blogging promotes their creativity, writing, and communication skills.
In fact, students need audiences that will read and comment directly to their creative stories or informational articles. Students need to feel their articles are being read by an audience of people. This motivates students to write more. One child told me that “I didn’t think I was a writer until I started writing in here, Mrs. Pritchard”……..He was referring to his blog articles!

Learn more at http://educon20.wikispaces.com/EduConTV


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Educon 2.0

Today, Twitter was an exciting place to be when you couldn’t attend the Educon 2.0 conference held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For example, by watching a Ustream of the opening keynote speaker, I was able to go to a live blog. A live blog is just what the name implies. Live (real-time) blogging at the same time you are attending a conference. If you want to know more check this out Liveblogs at

http://www.coveritlive.com

Exciting news for Whittier School!

We have been invited to participate in the Springfield Technology 2008 http://www.springfieldtech2000.org day held at the capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. My class along with Ms. Esparza’s class will be going on May 7 to this event.

What will we be exhibiting? Blogs, wikis, and podcasting!

About Blogs:

Through The Landmark Project and David Warlick http://classblogmeister.com/ a blog engine provides us with a safe environment for students to work with blogs. My students have created various stories and articles to place on their blog spot. If you are interested in reading more about my students visit us at http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=141343

About Wikis:

Our wikis are at http://pritchardpress.wikispaces.com and http://fantasticfifth5.wikispaces.com
Unfortunately, our blogs are private and can only be viewed through our presentation at Springfield. Otherwise, you will need to come to visit us at school.

About Podcasting:

We have used Audacity to create podcasts for various projects throughout this school year. Our podcasts have been placed on our Classblogmeister homepage. Unfortunately, they are private and you will need to come to school so we can show them to you.


As you can see, we are keeping our Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasting safe for kids!

Getting out the bugs!

Up early today working on my feeds for my other blog. I wanted people to be able to subscribe to feeds such as feedburner. I was also spending time searching for a new look for both blogs. Something with a cleaning, sharp, and refreshing look. This lead me to spending time putting in a picture of my husband and me out in Arizona. What a beautiful desert!!!!

I feel it is important to keep updated on many of the wonderful tools and opportunities going on in the educational technology world of Web 2.0, so I included my del.icio.us links and will eventually add more to my blogroll. All the blogs I read have a tremendous amount of information. It seems the more I read and learn about technology, the more I realize that I need to read and learn more. It is a never ending cycle.

I spend at least 2 hours a day reading my Twitter information and visiting sites recommended by the technology people that I am following. Twitter is a social networking place where the users answer the question “What are you doing?” Many times, people contribute wonderful information regarding technology that I am able to link to and read about. My knowledge of educational technology has been growing because of these fabulous people.