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.
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The Eighth Floor
Secure Websites in Plain English
Common Craft has another "Plain English" video you won't want to miss.
Secure Websites in Plain English
These days websites make security a priority, but it is hard to know when a website is secure, or what makes it so. This video teaches the basics of website security and how to recognize a secure site.
- An overview of the most common security threats
- How SSL encryption works
- How to recognize a secure connection
In which situations security is most important Just Sharin'
Lee Anne
Technology Tips & Tools for National Board Certification
 In this Eighth Floor class, participants will discuss tips and technology that will help them get and stay organized throughout the certification process. You will want to bring a flash drive and leave with CONTROL!
Due to weather issues last week - we have reschedule this class for February 18th, 2010 from 4:30 - 7:30 pm.
Contact your advisory committee representative for enrollment.
Just sharin'
Lee Anne
20 Types of Blog Posts - or Blogging Across the Curriculum!
 I have had possibly more than a million dozen teachers ask me, "What can I do with blogging in my classroom?" I tell them anything they can imagine, they can do. There are as many ideas as there are teachers and classrooms. I tell them to start out by reading some blogs. Any good blogger was first a good blog reader! Then I tell them to consider their purpose, the nature of their students, and how much time they are willing to commit. I also caution them to replace something they are already doing with the blog - not add the blog to the incredible amout they are already doing. It becomes too much and they will just hate it later.
And all that is some solid advice, if I do say so myself! I realize that for some (me included, often) that solid advice is not always enough to get the juices flowing and motivation running high. Examples, samples, ideas, . . . possibilities! These can help me be creative. So, when I saw this blog post, I thought BRILLIANT! This is just a casual list of 20 different types of blog posts. What I saw was a great list of blogs across the curriculum. See what you think:
20 Types of Blog Posts
Just Sharin'
Lee Anne
Getting the Word Out About our Classes
 Every semester we try our best to get the information about our classes out to our consortium members. We use several methods: printed schedule, eNewsletter, emails to the advisory committee, posts and notes on various social media sites, word of mouth, . . . that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Still, we are not sure we are REALLY getting the information out there. We quite often hear from first time participants who have been in a school for many years that they have never heard of us or didn't understand what we were about. OUCH! We do an impressive repeat customer kind of busniness - meaning, once people take a class here, they are hooked.
We have a few questions you all may be able to help us with:
- How do we combat being invisible without being annoying?
- How do we get first timers up here - what might make them notice us?
- What could we be doing to get folks to interact with the Eighth Floor more?
I know people don't have a lot of extra time, and absolutely no schools have any extra money, but we are the best deal in town when it comes to professional development - hands down. How do we let people know????? Just wonderin'
Lee Anne
Protecting Your Reputation Online - in Plain English
The folks at Common Craft have come out with another short video that puts "life online" in simple terms. This video, Protecting Your Reputation Online in plain English, is aimed at younger social media users and discusses some of the short and long term risks of posting inappropriate or potentially embarrassing information online about them or their friends.
Although it is meant for the tween/teen crowd, there are good reminders in here for us more mature users. I think of this particularly as so many parents and grandparents get on Facebook and other social networking sites. Not only are we connecting with our day to day friends, but we are connecting with kids, siblings, parents, high school friends, work friends, people we don't really know so well, etc. Sharing on the web is a good thing, and I certainly do not want to warn anyone away from productive or fun use of networking sites. I can not imagine my work or personal life without them. We simply need to be mindful of what we are sharing, both about ourselves and others. Does your best friend from high school really want his or her kids to see that hilarious picture? Do you have a frosty beverage in your hand in every picture of you on Facebook?
We don't always think about what goes into shaping our online persona, but of course, we should. This video is a gentle poke in the direction of mindful posting.
Just thinkin'
Lee Anne
I'm in a "JibJab" Frame of Mind
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. Here's what I came up with:  We hope you have a great holiday season.
Just Sharin'
Lee Anne Labels: video
Mobile Learning
Have you ever used a cell phone for educational purposes?
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