One of the greatest resources we have as educators is each other. This blog will focus on educational technology and its integration into classroom curriculum.
Use this blog to discuss resources, classroom management tips, software selection, troubleshooting tips, and any other educational technology topics.
The end of the semester is finally here, and I have been determined the last week or so to find a little time to construct a blog post before I left for the holidays. It's been a while since I have sat down and spent a little time reading and sharing. So, I tried to do that this morning. Amid the many interruptions, I managed to read parts of several articles -- enough to get my mind moving and start thinking about what I could write about. I figured when I got back from lunch I would be ready - I was even looking forward to it. I would focus and weave, focus and weave.
Back from lunch. Unfortunately, neither the focusing nor the weaving is happening. I'm not even going to pretend like I am surprised. Like everyone else, I am tired. I'm ready for something a little more lighthearted, I guess.
In doing some digging for a new class I am teaching (insert shameless plug here-- Social Networking Tools for Educators - Nov 11th at 4:30) . . . back to the conversation . . . in doing some digging for a new class, I have run across some great resources. The English Companion Ning is one in particular. I really wish this sort of resource had been around when I first started teaching. What a great place to bounce ideas off of others testing the same waters you are. I have seen ning sites for just about every subject.
One of the things that I like about ning sites is that they allow the greater lump of members to self-select into smaller, focused groups. For example, I can belong to a group within the larger group that focuses on teaching English with technology. What's not to love about that?
Of course, we have started a ning site of our own at the Eighth Floor, and we have started to create a few groups that are gaining momentum, slowly but surely. We have a group for our advisory committee and we have a group for anyone interested in SMART tools in the classroom. If you have an idea for a group, get in there and make it happen!
If you want to know more about ning sites or social networking tools in general, check out some of the sites I've been rolling around in - http://delicious.com/lamorris/socialnetworking . And if you are interested in more conversation, come join the class next week.
Often Special Education teachers are left out in the cold when it comes to new technologies and classroom resources. While reading through a few tech journals this morning, I found VizZle, a web resource for Special Education teachers. This resource allows teachers to create and share visual resources for special education and autistic students. Resources are also available on the VizZle website. If you follow the link to their parent website, there is a video you can watch to see the benefits of this product. You can also sign up for a free trial. The coolest thing about this resource is that it is compatible with Interactive Whiteboards like the Smartboard. You can also check out a tutorial on their website, here.
Have you ever been at home and you wanted to view or edit your SmartBoard files, but you didn't have Notebook loaded on your computer? Or say you were using a public computer and you were browsing through lessons on the web, but you couldn't view them without Notebook? Smart has a solution for you. Still in the beta stage, Smart has introduced Smart Notebook Express. This site allows you to open and edit files on your computer, as well as view files on the internet. functionality is a bit limited at this time, but you have the ability to type, write and draw on pages using Smart tools. Check it out today and give them a little feedback. Your comments may be used to make this resource better.
Looking for ways to use your projector besides the same old powerpoint? Take these tips from Tech and Learning: http://techlearning.com/article/17198 If you have tips of your own, comment on this article. Tell us what you do that's outside of the box. We'd love to hear from you.
Recently Smart (maker of the Airliner and the SmartBoard) released the Smart Table. This tool allows elementary educators to create themed lessons that can be pushed out to a stand alone table. Because the table has a multi-touch feature, several students can interact and work through the lesson at the same time. Smart has produced a video to introduce the product here:
If you're interested in how the table works, call the 8th Floor and sign up for our Smart Table class. Classes are available on October 22nd and November 5th. This is a new offering, so classes will fill up fast!
One of the greatest resources we have as educators is each other. This blog will focus on educational technology and its integration into classroom curriculum. 
