tech.teach.talk.

Document Cameras!

Sandra Thompson Gassner — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:44:24 +0000

With the installation of 15 additional document cameras today, teachers in grades 2-5 have access to another top-of-the-line instructional tool! Teachers are excited and anxious to use these cameras beyond the simple display capability and have already requested professional development in the use of the software which accompanies the camera so that they may record video demonstrations of their instruction for students to use as a resource when completing work at home. Can’t wait to get started!

Thanks Teachers, for Making our Students BLOOM!

Sandra Thompson Gassner — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 01:26:25 +0000

As we head back to school tomorrow, we remember the gift all teachers bring to the classroom, the gift they give their students as they help them find their dreams and bloom into creative, problem-solving, and responsible young people. It is a colorful spectrum of personalities we will greet later this week, so listed below are some links to resources that will assist educators in reaching this diverse population and reminding us that, ALL STUDENTS CAN!

Edutopia’s 10 Tips for Classroom Management

Learning Today’s Blooming Butterfly

Kathy Schrock’s Bloomin’ Apps

Cathleen Rosen’s “Dear Students”

Biographies

Sandra Thompson Gassner — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:31:30 +0000

Learning more about the people who have shaped history can be integrated into all content areas. Many content areas have biographical stories specific to important people in that area, such as the series, Mathematicians Are People, Too. As your students work to learn more about important people, the following resources may be of help.

Bio.Classroom
BBC’s Historic Figures
Bellingham Schools: Biography Maker
AOL and PBS Present: Makers (commercially sponsored site)
infoplease…Almanac: Biography
Academy of Achievement: The Achiever Gallery
S9.com Biographical Dictionary (Wikipedia type system where everyone can edit biographies or even create their own!)

We Remember the Titanic!

Sandra Thompson Gassner — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:43:41 +0000

April 10th marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the Titanic’s maiden, and only, voyage. Our students have spent time reading about the different aspects of this trip, from the passengers, to the crew, ship design and weather conditions that may have been responsible for this tragedy. The links below will provide additional activities and resources. Take a look!

British History: Ticket to Launch Titanic

The RMS Titanic sank on this day in 1912: Read Write Think

National Geographic: Remembering the Titanic

Encyclopædia Britannica presents: Titanic, Unsinkable Ship

Onboard the Titanic!

Titanic in Nova Scotia

Titanic 100: We Survived

he Teacher’s Guide: Titanic

Titanic Timeline

The Titanic: Cloze Activity from Enchanted Learning

The History Channel: Titanic

The Classroom Bookshelf talks about: The Titanic!

Communication is key…

Sandra Thompson Gassner — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 03:29:49 +0000

As we head back to school this week, we will finish setting up our classrooms and workspaces and will make final preparations to welcome our students back on their first day of the 2011 – 2012 school year. Administrators, faculty and staff are well aware that support from home is key to student achievement, and we have all been considering the most effective communication tools to use to as we make the connection between school and home.

Some teachers may choose to use the student information system, Genesis, others may prefer a weekly newsletter sent home via email, or as a hard copy. However, many teachers choose to make this connection using a teacher web page. With the district adoption of Google Apps, teachers now have a quick and easy tool to carry out this task, Google Sites! Where can you turn to find out more about how to create your site? Check out the short list of “just in time” resources compiled for you using the social bookmarking tool, Diigo. If you still have questions, the district has a tutorial posted on the Staff Share, or you can use your subscription to Atomic Learning to view their video tutorials on Google Sites. Any of these resources will provide you with the information you need to set up a new site, or edit your existing one.

Whether it be the newsletter, SIS portal, or teacher web site, once you have decided on your communication tool, be sure to be consistent in its use and keep classroom information current. Parents and members of the learning community will appreciate being “in the know!”

Back-to-School Teacher Resources

Sandra Thompson Gassner — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:51:45 +0000

Welcome Back Teachers!

Click on this Live Binder for links to a collection of resources useful during these first weeks of school!

Don’t forget, the original TechTeachTalk is still available as a resource.

Apps for Education!

Sandra Thompson Gassner — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:57:00 +0000

This year many of the schools in our district will be using mobile devices to enhance learning, allowing us to place more digital tools in the hands of students. I’ve posted about this before, but wanted to add another great resource, Kathy Schrock’s Bloomin’ iPad at http://kathyschrock.net/ipadblooms/.
Kathy has done for educators what I imagine might be on many of our “to do” lists, she’s organized apps according to Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy.

Another site that is helpful for organizing your apps into categories and also for taking a look at how other educators have done so, is Appolicious at http://www.appolicious.com/ Here you can “follow” other app users, such as Tony Vincent and Alline, who offer their recommendations on educational apps.

Teacher Appreciation Week

Sandra Thompson Gassner — Wed, 04 May 2011 15:07:35 +0000

“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.”
-Carl Jung

February Finds

Sandra Thompson Gassner — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 20:44:25 +0000

Spring can’t be far away…

Think Earth Day, think GREEN and check out this offering from Discovery Education.

http://turfmutt.discoveryeducation.com/homepage.cfm

Differentiate Like Never Before!

Streaming and downloading with DE Streaming (formerly United Streaming) is just the beginning! This webinar will provide you with an overview of the resources available within Discovery Education streaming and give you the tools to integrate the content directly into your classroom. You will be inspired to utilize all the time-saving and content-rich resources in the DE streaming Teacher Center!

Check your email for registration information!

Updated Web-Based Resources Page

Can’t decide which Web 2.0 tool to use? Remember to take a look at the district’s recommended tools!

School use of handheld devices continues to grow!

Sandra Thompson Gassner — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:28:15 +0000

As the number of ‘apps ’ available increases, school administrators and educators are looking to handhelds, such as the iTouch and iPad, for use in the classroom setting in growing numbers. It is easy to see the value of putting these reasonably priced devices and free or low-priced applications in the hands of our students. The consumer is the winner in this very active market, as similar apps results in lower prices, as is the case with Proloquo2Go ($189) and Talk Tablet ($139). (For a somewhat biased comparison of the two products, take a look at http://www.gusinc.com/2010/TalkTablet.html)

If you are interested in finding out more about apps that work well in the school setting, and have also been found to meet the needs of our diverse learners, you can get started by visiting these sites: http://www.iear.org/ (join this group and receive updates via email)
http://www.appolicious.com/ (join this site and create and follow lists)
http://web.me.com/meg.wilson/iPodsibilities/Home.html (iPodsibilities, a teacher’s take on apps) http://www.jonandemilysworld.com/ (speech-language pathologist & occupational therapist review apps) and Edudemics 50 Top Apps at http://edudemic.com/2010/12/50-apps/

If you’d like to learn more about where these devices fit into education, start with Tony Vincent’s online resource for iPads and other devices at http://learninginhand.com/. For more information on applications for the special needs population, read what Audrey Watters, of Read Write Web, has to say about mobile learning at http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/apple_adds_special_education_section_to_the_app_st.php#