Google Reader Rocks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've seen the term RSS feed used many times but never knew what it referred to. Well, I sure am glad I learned! I found out you can subscribe to a RSS (really simple syndication) feed for just about anything. A few posts back I wrote about how I found a blog that listed many first grade blogs on it, so there wasn't a need to go "blog hopping" all over the Internet. Now, by using the Google Reader and subscribing to first grade blogs I can get the latest blog posts delivered to me, ready to read, all in one place! All of the blogs that I visit for great ideas on a weekly basis now just magically appear on my Google Reader. The Internet just keeps getting better and better! Here's a YouTube video explaining how RSS works.

Paper Blogging

I've been very frustrated lately that I do not have enough computers or iPads for my first graders to begin blogging on. My school reading consultant suggested a way for my students to get the benefits of blogging without having the technology.  She suggested a class message board where the students could post messages using paper and push pins.  How old school, but better then nothing I guess!  Then when the technology in my school is in working order the kids will have some background on just what blogging actually is.  It's still frustrating that by having to blog on paper  my students won't be meeting any of the NETS for students. I did find this video on YouTube showing a class using what they called Paper Blogging.

My First Animoto

I had fun putting together some pictures of my class into an Animoto. It was actually very easy and sort of fun. The fun ended when I tried to embed the video to this blog. I actually had to watch a YouTube video on how to do it. I'm going to press publish and keep my fingers crossed.

I Love First Grade Teacher Blogs!

For years now I have been surfing the web for blogs written by other first grade teachers. These blogs have given me awesome ideas to use in my own classroom from lesson planning to classroom management. Sometimes reading what other first grade teachers' days have been like makes me feel like I'm not the only first grade teacher out there with a crazy class that has an aversion for learning! I could spend hours bookmarking and reading these amazing blogs. Then about a year ago I stumbled on a blog that post links and makes updates daily to a myriad of just first grade blogs. I had found Nirvana! No more having to make my own Sqworl to bookmark blogs. http://sqworl.com/  This had been done for me. I am posting a link to the First Grade Faculty blog where you too can find your own Nirvana. (If you're a first grade teacher!)
http://www.firstgradefaculty.com/   

Can You Trust Wikipedia?

After hearing so much negative information about Wikipedia I thought I would test it out myself and what better way then with my alma mater The University of St. Joseph.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Joseph_College_(Connecticut)

To begin with, Wikipedia has not changed the name of the school from Saint Joseph College to University of Saint Joseph. Doesn't seem like a good sign to me. On the web page, in a box on the side, it says also know as The University of Saint Joseph. I guess someone should update this Wiki! I don't think the information is wrong on this page, just not up to date.

I Want to Go Viral!

My friend and I were bored one day between parent teacher conferences and we made a video in my classroom. We actually got over 150 views! maybe now we'll get more. let's go viral!

What Did We Do With Our Free Time Before the Internet?

 Reading chapters 1&2 in Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts
  reminded me that the Internet has only been in existence for 20 years. I forgot that the Internet at first was just for reading. The average user could not write or post back to the information given. The read/write Internet that we enjoy and use today has been in use for about 15 years. When I was at UCONN studying for my Bachelors degree in the late 1980's we had to go to the library to do research. I don't feel today's students realize this. Now working for my Masters degree in education I research from the comfort of my couch. What a different world we live in than just a short time ago!

Now with blogging becoming such an easy thing to do, the Internet has made what author Douglas Rushkoff calls "a society of authors." Everyone now has the ability to contribute their ideas. There are now more than 133 million blogs in existence and 2 new blogs are started every second. In my teaching I have visited other first grade teachers' blogs. I get ideas for lessons and it is just nice to read about what is happening in other first grade classrooms around the United States and even some in Great Britain and Australia. I never thought about about actually writing my own blog until taking this graduate class in technology. I'm now even thinking about having my students begin blogging. First graders love to write about them selves and what a great way to get them interested in writing. I know they would enjoy commenting on their classmates posts, and the bonus is they would have to be reading the posts and practicing their keyboarding skills which they will need for the new round of testing coming in 2014. students blogging seems to me to be a win-win situation!

Technology Standards, Who Knew?

I hate to admit this but until last week I didn't know there were common core standards for technology. It totally makes sense though, with the end of the CMTs and the new SBAC testing being done all on computers. To be successful students will have to be much more computer literate than just playing Call of Duty. The technology standards are called the National Educational Technology Standards or NETS. The NETS for students comprise everything today's students need to know to be successful in in the global computer based society that now exists. If you would like to know more specifics about these standards visit the NETS website at http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students. There are also NETS for teachers. These are the standards that educators will use to evaluate their students' performance working with technology. If you would like to know more about how students will be evaluated visit http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.

Starting Out

First post! Here's to a long healthy bloggy relationship!