What was introduced today that was new to you?
Blogs
Google Page Creator
Twitter
Google Calendar
Image Chef
Google Docs
Image Chef
Lewis and Clark KMZ
What applications are you going to try within the next two months?
I will try using youTube with my staff
Google Earth will be downloaded at home
I will get Google Earth loaded on more teacher computers
I will learn to blog this week.
What would you like to know more about?
How to convince the powers that be that all of this is something to put on their agenda!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Monday, November 05, 2007
Dusting Off the Virtual Dust
No excuse this time that it has been a very long time since my last post, but I am back blogging!
I am preparing for an administrator academy about blogs, podcasts ,and wikis here in Northern Illinois and I am wandering around the Internet, twittering (just started that last Friday morning), Skyping (started that a few months ago, but actually made my first independent call last night!),investigating uStreamed (Signed up last Friday, a participant uCasted me that afternoon) and my usual reading of my RSS feeds using Bloglines.
Many of you reading this blog post and wondering "YIKES, where has Meg been, under some virtual rock"? Actually, I have been busy teaching. Teaching all day and driving kids each evening. My teaching schedule was heavier this Fall than usual and in my mind I was keeping up with the great folks at classroom 2.0 over on Ning, researching using wikis, watching some great mashups on You Tube, investigating Teacher Tube, following my blogs using RSS feeds, and keeping up with my friends on Linkedin.
Just so you don't think I was standing still I also have been immersed in the virtual world of Second Life where I have been designing my dream home, serving on committees, and participating in amazing networking events. My avatar Meg Writer is getting more hits than my real name Meg Ormiston, based on the data from my Google Alerts. I have been using my shared Google Calendar to coordinate carpooling to and from school, and playing with Google Docs and Spreadsheets.
My current professional development is learning to master Google Sketchup, for this I am using videos found on You Tube. I LOVE this, and can see amazing applications for everyone! I particularly love to browse through the 3-D Warehouse and look at the things that others have built and shared. Still Google Earth is one of my favorite tools of all time, could rant and rave all day but not to be missed is the Street View in Google Maps.
With my teaching I also have learned how to use Garage Band to create Podcasts with students, Comic Life across the curriculum, and taught myself Adobe Fireworks. I have helped teachers create iMovies, Windows Movie Maker projects and made amazing websites using Google Page Creator. Exploring Flickr with various staff members they have created some great lessons, and others have learned advanced searching in Google to locate resources.
There is much more as I reflect over the last month working with k-12 teachers, but still look how much I missed in the short time. This world of Web 2.0 is absolutely amazing and it is changing every second.
As I reflect over what I have written here, I am wondering a few things:
Big questions, lot to think about!
I am preparing for an administrator academy about blogs, podcasts ,and wikis here in Northern Illinois and I am wandering around the Internet, twittering (just started that last Friday morning), Skyping (started that a few months ago, but actually made my first independent call last night!),investigating uStreamed (Signed up last Friday, a participant uCasted me that afternoon) and my usual reading of my RSS feeds using Bloglines.
Many of you reading this blog post and wondering "YIKES, where has Meg been, under some virtual rock"? Actually, I have been busy teaching. Teaching all day and driving kids each evening. My teaching schedule was heavier this Fall than usual and in my mind I was keeping up with the great folks at classroom 2.0 over on Ning, researching using wikis, watching some great mashups on You Tube, investigating Teacher Tube, following my blogs using RSS feeds, and keeping up with my friends on Linkedin.
Just so you don't think I was standing still I also have been immersed in the virtual world of Second Life where I have been designing my dream home, serving on committees, and participating in amazing networking events. My avatar Meg Writer is getting more hits than my real name Meg Ormiston, based on the data from my Google Alerts. I have been using my shared Google Calendar to coordinate carpooling to and from school, and playing with Google Docs and Spreadsheets.
My current professional development is learning to master Google Sketchup, for this I am using videos found on You Tube. I LOVE this, and can see amazing applications for everyone! I particularly love to browse through the 3-D Warehouse and look at the things that others have built and shared. Still Google Earth is one of my favorite tools of all time, could rant and rave all day but not to be missed is the Street View in Google Maps.
With my teaching I also have learned how to use Garage Band to create Podcasts with students, Comic Life across the curriculum, and taught myself Adobe Fireworks. I have helped teachers create iMovies, Windows Movie Maker projects and made amazing websites using Google Page Creator. Exploring Flickr with various staff members they have created some great lessons, and others have learned advanced searching in Google to locate resources.
There is much more as I reflect over the last month working with k-12 teachers, but still look how much I missed in the short time. This world of Web 2.0 is absolutely amazing and it is changing every second.
As I reflect over what I have written here, I am wondering a few things:
- How many of the sites referenced in this post will the administrators I am working with know and have used?
- If I can't keep up with the explosion of possibilities how can our administrators add that to their over burdened plate?
- How do we extend the learning beyond a one day face to face session?
- How do we reach the teachers in the classroom with students and help them stay current?
Big questions, lot to think about!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Second Life
I am wandering around Second Life and having a ball! This is such a learning experience for me, I love it! I have a house and I am about to totally rearrange everything. Come join me in-world at (SL) Meg Writer
http://slurl.com/secondlife/megwriter/80/27/22/
http://slurl.com/secondlife/megwriter/80/27/22/
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Visualize Information
This was part of a blog post I read, amazing ways to visualize information!
http://mashable.com/2007/05/15/16-awesome-data-visualization-tools/
http://mashable.com/2007/05/15/16-awesome-data-visualization-tools/
Friday, May 18, 2007
I'm Back in Google!
Celebrate!!
I have no idea what happened, but a few months ago Google stopped indexing most of the pages in my web. Upon further Googling I found this can happen for a number of reasons, none I even understood, much less did (I think). Today I did a search on something, there I was! Back! Now I have some serious updating to do!!
yiiipppee!
I have no idea what happened, but a few months ago Google stopped indexing most of the pages in my web. Upon further Googling I found this can happen for a number of reasons, none I even understood, much less did (I think). Today I did a search on something, there I was! Back! Now I have some serious updating to do!!
yiiipppee!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
A Modest Curriculum Proposal | Edutopia
A Modest Curriculum Proposal Edutopia
Like always Edutopia is right on! This example of teaching students to play basketball with a textbook is perfect. In so many of our classrooms the books are ruining teaching, the passion the stories. Instead we have a race to get through the book, but is that real learning?
Like always Edutopia is right on! This example of teaching students to play basketball with a textbook is perfect. In so many of our classrooms the books are ruining teaching, the passion the stories. Instead we have a race to get through the book, but is that real learning?
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Today is my SL Birthday!
This is a copy of a post I made on the four eyed technologist blog, thought you would enjoy it!
Hello all!
I am giddy, especially about my new house on EduIslandII! What a wonderful opportunity to meet Ryan in real life, Existential Paine comes to life! Today is my birthday, I am one month old today, and no new wrinkles! I absolutely feel I have learned more in the past month than I have with my professional reading in years. Like most people I wondered in after hearing about SL, and wondered around orientation island like a fool. I chatted with a man in Italy and thought I was virtually visiting match dot com. I logged off and left.
Kathy Schrock dragged me back on April 17th and her teleport to the island saved me! Wondering around ISTE, meeting the wonderful helpful people, I started to get it. I jumped in with the help of my boys, and we are all learning together. They are over on the teen grid, having a great time!
For me the collaboration has been wonderful! I have met so many people willing to help! Existential Paine and Kathy really saved me! Think about how we could save so many other teachers from the isolated boxes we call classrooms. We can bring people in and talk professionally. My goal for my house is focus on k-8 curriculum connections. High school folks seem to “get SL” k-8 might need more concrete examples of what is possible. Just an observation, I am still a baby, one month old (today)and who am I to become the expert!
I better go make a Google Alert for my aviator, a birthday gift to me!
Come check SL out! My in-world name is Meg Writer!
Hello all!
I am giddy, especially about my new house on EduIslandII! What a wonderful opportunity to meet Ryan in real life, Existential Paine comes to life! Today is my birthday, I am one month old today, and no new wrinkles! I absolutely feel I have learned more in the past month than I have with my professional reading in years. Like most people I wondered in after hearing about SL, and wondered around orientation island like a fool. I chatted with a man in Italy and thought I was virtually visiting match dot com. I logged off and left.
Kathy Schrock dragged me back on April 17th and her teleport to the island saved me! Wondering around ISTE, meeting the wonderful helpful people, I started to get it. I jumped in with the help of my boys, and we are all learning together. They are over on the teen grid, having a great time!
For me the collaboration has been wonderful! I have met so many people willing to help! Existential Paine and Kathy really saved me! Think about how we could save so many other teachers from the isolated boxes we call classrooms. We can bring people in and talk professionally. My goal for my house is focus on k-8 curriculum connections. High school folks seem to “get SL” k-8 might need more concrete examples of what is possible. Just an observation, I am still a baby, one month old (today)and who am I to become the expert!
I better go make a Google Alert for my aviator, a birthday gift to me!
Come check SL out! My in-world name is Meg Writer!
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