OPSD Professional Learning Network

Cool Tools for Schools

2012-02-14T10:33:00.004-07:00

If you've ever tried in desperation to hammer a nail with a shoe or tighten a screw with a butter knife, you understand that the right tools can make all the difference.

Web 2.0 Cool Tools for School is perhaps the most comprehensive listing of technology tools I've seen, broken down into categories like "Music," "Writing,""Presentation," and 'Collaborative." The "Creativity" category, for example, is broken down into subcategories like Games, Simulators, Classroom Activities, Animations and even "Create-your-own-Activity."

If you've been trying to include more differentiated instruction into your classroom, these sites will prove invaluable. Your high-ability learner will find endless, challenging activities (Scratch computer programming, anyone?). Perhaps a resource student would like to see her work turned into a 3-D online book? There is also an excellent Teacher Resources page.

The only drawback is the sheer number of incredible tools available- I believe there are over 100 (!) Imaging Tools alone. The site provides an A-Z listing of the tools and links, but needs to allow a way to more easily search for what you need.

As it stands now, you'll want to allow yourself an hour (or ten?) to explore all the site has to offer. It will be time well spent.

An Introduction to Plurk

2012-02-09T14:20:00.004-07:00

Need an excuse to "plurkratinate"?" Plurk is the newest so-called microblogging social network. Imagine Twitter but with a timeline layout and the ability to allow users to easily follow 140 character conversations and "plurk" their own updates. The service has been marketed as an alternative to Twitter and is growing in popularity in the Far East, especially Taiwan. Accounts are quick and easy to set up- just go to www.plurk.com.

A social network, Plurk is currently blocked by our filter; it's still a good idea for you to be aware of the next up- and- coming thing, though. And to know what students are talking about if you ever hear them mention that something is "plurkworthy."

Online Classroom Through Edmodo

2012-02-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

Screenshot of our English 9 Edmodo Page

When our server went down before Christmas break, our online classroom at the high school (Sakai), also went down with it. I relied heavily on Sakai to post classroom documents, have discussions, offer online quizzes, etc. that I scrambled to find an equivalent site that I could throw together quickly. My solution: Edmodo.

Last year a colleague and friend from Lincoln Public Schools introduced me to the site. It's been an incredible tool in my classroom. It looks very similar to Facebook, so it's easier for me and the kids to navigate. And because of its resemblances to the popular social media site, the kids were excited to give it a whirl.

What can you do with Edmodo?

Create multiple pages if you have several different classes
Create a library with folders for individual units and then post links, documents, etc. for students to access
Have online discussions
Use for students to turn in assignments
Connect parents with the class with Edmodo's parent code feature
Create a calendar of events for students to access
Keep track of grades
Create a multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, or short answer quiz for students to take
Post updates or notes to groups, classes, or individual students/parents

Edmodo is easy to use for both teachers and students, and it's not stored on the school's server...so in the event of another server crash, you could still access this site. The site also allows teachers to have a great deal of control over student access; teachers can limit individual students' access if need be. Here's a link to the help center that has many useful tools for getting started with Edmodo.

List of Web 2.0 tools

2012-01-20T13:59:00.006-07:00

It is always a treat to find links to great web 2.0 tools that are first and foremost, easy to incorporate into class, and secondly, easy for me and my students to use.

I came across this first short list of Web 2.0 tools, broken out by grade, that are specified for the English and Language Arts realm (K-12) and thought I'd share. Of course you don't have to be in those content areas to use and benefit from them though!

I liked the bubbl tool for online brainstorming - easy, fun, and worked well with my kids!

The Acapela tool/site would be great for an English OR foreign language class...

For those of you who are looking for a more extensive list, here is a link to the top 100 Web 2.0 tools of 2011, according to edudemic.com

I KNOW there are some tools on there that you can use in your classroom. Give some a try!

Featured Blog: Film English

2011-12-15T18:35:00.006-07:00

I stumbled across this blog tonight: Film English via Richard Byrne's blog. The Film English blog won a 2011 EduBlog award for Best Individual Blog, so I had to check it out. Let me tell you, it's incredible! The blog boasts a diverse amount of short films that all teach unique ideas: critical thinking, developing passions, creativity, social justice, human rights, writing, empathy, grammar, vocabulary, conservation, ecology...I could go on and on. Not only does each post contain multiple short video clips and images, each post contains step by step lesson plans for how to utilize this in the classroom. Posts are labeled by age appropriateness and difficulty. This teacher is committed to using film creatively to promote critical thinking and language acquisition. I can't wait to use a few of these in my own classes!

Professional Development: Nebraska Writing Project Summer Courses

2011-12-10T16:15:00.005-07:00

The semester is nearing an end; that means it's time to start thinking about summer professional development opportunities!

Hands down, the best professional development opportunity I've had as a teacher is through the Nebraska Writing Project (NeWP). The NeWP instilled in me the importance of professional inquiry, gave me a network of quality teachers around the state and country to consult with and learn from, helped me to improve my teaching skills in a way that puts students first, and has helped develop my leadership and writing skills. The NeWP has two courses this summer that are open to K-16 teachers in ANY content area:

1. The Lincoln Summer Institute will be held on UNL's campus from June 4-June 29. Participants may qualify for up to a $750 stipend to offset the cost of 6 UNL grad. credits in the Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education or English department.

2. The Humanities Institute (which has a focus on social justice this year) will also be held on UNL's campus from June 4-June 22. This course counts for 3 UNL grad. credits in the Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education or English department.

Interested in learning more? Check out this link or send me an email. Below is information about the Nebraska Writing Project.

About the NeWP:
The Nebraska Writing Project (NeWP) is in its 34th year of existence and is under the direction of Dr. Robert Brooke of UNL who is assisted by three co-directors: Mary Birky of Papillion La-Vista High School, Dan Boster of Ralston High School, and Beverly Hoisted of Pyrtle Elementary in Lincoln. The NeWP is the state affiliate of the National Writing Project, a federally funded network of teachers that works to improve students' writing abilities by promoting teacher development through summer institutes, year-long continuity and school in-service programs. (more about the National Writing Project)

Mission Statement of the NeWP:
The Nebraska Writing Project, a network of professional educators and affiliated writers, provides opportunities to improve, enhance and celebrate writing for classrooms and communities across Nebraska.

Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus

2011-11-09T12:31:00.006-07:00

ESU 16 has signed its schools up for a subscription to a wonderful new resource, http://www.visualthesaurus.com.

The site is difficult to describe- it's a dynamic combination of blogs, word maps, "Word of the Day," teacher topics, lesson plans, headlines and much, much more. As long as you are using the site on the school network, you will not need to log into the web page. If you- or your students- need to use the site from home, please contact Susan Krab to see about setting up an account.

If you love words and language, you owe it to yourself to take a moment and check out this website!

Great for Students AND your own Kids

2011-10-26T11:45:00.008-06:00

At times I tend to be an NPR (National Public Radio) junkie (exciting I know), and I often get great ideas from their programs. Yesterday at lunch I came across a new program NPR created to celebrate kids' books. As I investigated further, I thought to myself, "This would be great for grade school and middle school reading, but also for those of us with kids at home!" So I thought I'd share.

It's called The Back-Seat Book Club. Starting in October on the PBS show All Things Considered, a new children's book and author will be featured each month. You can choose to read the book with your class or child/children, or you can go the NPR.org website for a link to the author's site where you can listen to the book online for free. You then have the option to join in the conversation with that book's author. Students can write the author and tell him or her what they thought about the book or ask the author questions about the book - a great way to get students and kids thinking and talking about what they've read.

I'm going to try to incorporate this into my daily Drop and Read time with my students. Perhaps you could try this in your classroom, or give it a go at home with your own kiddos. Just turn off the TV, sit, and listen together for 10 or 15 minutes in the evening. Give it a try!

Trying Twitter?

2011-10-25T12:54:00.002-06:00

I was slow to come to love Twitter. A constant stream of everyday babble and gossip?
No thanks- I get enough of that in the high school's hallways.

But then Roger Adkins at ESU 16 taught me the first rule of Twitter- It's all about who you follow. I’m sure following Lady Gaga or Ellen DeGeneres can be rewarding, but I’ve benefited daily from following national tech leaders like rushtonh, dwarlick or megormi. You can also follow “threads,” which are designated by a hashmark (#); K12, edchat or even "3^rd grade science" are just a few examples. Instantly, you have access to like minds across the globe.

The only (and I do mean only) reason I have not pushed Twitter more as a staff development tool for the district is because of filtering issues. Unfortunately, we have students who have learned to use social networks to cheat. I’m hopeful we will soon be able to open up Twitter to staff during the school day. In the meantime, check out Twitter at home some night, search for skrab, dmhelzer and ogschools, and give us a follow.

You don’t even need to actually Tweet to benefit from Twitter; just get an account, sit back and dip your toes into the stream of knowledge as it rushes by!

Book Reviews: For Students, By Students

2011-10-23T20:40:00.002-06:00

Looking for a way to spark enthusiasm in middle-high school readers? Check out this blog of book reviews written by Logan High School students in Logan, West Virginia. I'm looking forward to having my students get on and read reviews to help them find books that interest them. I've had the great privilege of meeting their teacher, Laura Baisden who is also the director of the Coalfield Writer's Satellite and co-director of the Marshall University Writing Project, at a few conferences I attended last school year. She is an incredible teacher who is always willing to share resources---thanks Laura!

Creating Your Own How-To Videos

2011-10-05T13:29:00.004-06:00

Tired of explaining how to use some piece of technology over and over again? Here's a simple fix: record a tutorial video demonstrating how to complete a task using Jing.

Jing is an easy, free downloadable program that allows you to record a tutorial type video on your computer. The program takes a video of what you are doing on your computer---so you can demonstrate where to click, what to open, etc. At the same time, it records your verbal instructions creating a pretty slick tutorial video that can be easily shared with others. Here's a sample video I created to teach my 9th graders how to create a Google Site.

Applications:

Use it to explain how to complete a technology task
Teachers can pull up an essay or other assignment on their computer screen and record their oral feedback while pointing to specific portions of the assignments and then send the link back to the student
When you're sick or can't be at school, use it to explain what you want your students to do and send it to them so there are no confusions what they are to be doing

Educational Documentaries

2011-10-05T08:41:00.003-06:00

Some of you might be interested in perusing this educational site I came across, Snag Learning. I was looking for some good, educational films or documentary snippets I could show my World Cultures class for Hispanic Heritage Month and stumbled on to this site.

You can search by subject, and I've added the links here to make it easier for you, (arts & music, foreign language, history, math & science, political science & civics, world culture & geography) or search by grade level, or by specific channel (your choices are PBS, National Geographic, Explore, and Sundance). The few I checked out were really good. There are some full-length films, as well as some shorter 10-15 minute films that you might be able to work into your lessons if you need an extra "boost" to show your students something and not just talk about it. Let me know what you think...

Not Your Great-Grandfather's Classroom...

2011-10-04T11:05:00.006-06:00

I was struck by this picture I stumbled across on Twitter.

I've been reflecting this week on the new instructional tools and practices our staff have discovered this week. I know it can be intimidating- perhaps downright scary- to introduce all this into your classroom.

One great resource is the Tech Tutorials page at www.internetforclassrooms.com. Filled with Tutorials for topics ranging from Mac basics to Podcasting, this site can make it a little easier to move classrooms into the current century.

The Learning Network - New York Times

2011-10-03T11:31:00.004-06:00

I have had good success with some of the lesson plans and ideas from the The Learning Network, a site dedicated to teachers and students which utilizes content from the New York Times. You can search for lesson plans by curriculum or topic. Or start simple and follow the Student Opinion pages (an online blog) and have your students comment/blog on the topic of the day if it seems like it might fit your class. Either way, it should get your students thinking and writing.

For an easy start... Here's a link to 150 questions you could try (surely there's one that might work for you).

Give it whirl if you like and see what you think! ~ :) Loree Cain

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

2011-10-03T10:21:00.004-06:00

OHS teacher, Shane Fruit, sent me this RSA Animate lecture from the absolutely fabulous Sir Ken Robinson about the paradigm shift needed in education. If you have ten minutes to listen in...do it! It presents great ideas for what needs to happen in the world of education.

Prezi...A New Way to Present

2011-10-02T21:39:00.005-06:00

The first time I saw a presentation created on Prezi, it was as shocking as being slapped in the face with a fish (sorry for the bad simile...we're working on figurative language in English class!). It was so out of the ordinary and honestly, way cooler than PowerPoint. Then I started creating my own Prezis; when I found it was easy--I fell deeper in love.

Benefits:

Your trusty PowerPoint or Keynote slides can be "Prezified!" There's a simple import tool to "Prezify" your existing presentations
It's cloud-based (meaning it's on the internet), so if your computer crashes...your Prezis aren't lost
It's more interactive and visually pleasing than Keynote or PowerPoint
Video, images, hyperlinks, and sounds can be embedded
Prezis can be made public and editable--so a person can search for a Prezi that's already been created by someone else and then use it in your own class or make a copy of it and tweak it for your own use
People can collaborate on Prezis and create one together
Prezis can be printed as handouts for your students

Applications:

Use it to create presentations that will knock your students right out of those uncomfortable desks
Have your students create their own Prezis---they can embed them on their own blogs or websites OR email you the link for viewing and grading

Take a few minutes and learn how to use Prezi! Here's the Google Docs presentation I "Prezified" to create for our teacher in-service tomorrow:

NETA 2012

2011-10-02T21:33:00.004-06:00

Mark your calendars and plan on attending this year's NETA conference on April 26-27 in La Vista. If you haven't attended NETA yet, bug your administrators until they let you go. Or...submit a proposal to present at this year's conference. It's a top-notch professional development opportunity and a great way to network with teachers.

Google Docs

2011-10-02T21:19:00.003-06:00

I feel blessed to teach in a district that holds a Google Apps for Education license (GAFE). I can do so much more in my classroom with Google Docs. Rather than writing about it in a boring blog post, I'll let you check out a boring presentation! Here's a portion of my presentation that I created for last year's NETA conference. It contains how I use Google Docs in my classroom and some student work and feedback about the tool. If you haven't used Google Docs yet...don't wait another day!

Stories of Teachers' Impact

2011-09-25T20:51:00.003-06:00

One of my absolute favorite parts of Fridays is listening to StoryCorps--an oral history project--on NPR. This I weekend I learned of a new StoryCorps project called the National Teachers Initiative. This new project includes recording and airing the stories of teachers in an oral history fashion. NPR will be airing these during their Sunday Weekend Edition shows.

The teaching profession and education has been the source of much scrutiny lately, so it's refreshing to me to see a positive portrayal of teachers on a national media outlet. I'm thrilled that StoryCorps is recognizing the good work teachers do and is devoted to telling our stories. The first story has aired on the radio and is posted on NPR's website. Give your busy week a jump start and listen to the first story for a dose of encouragement.

Tween/Teen Tribune

2011-09-20T09:38:00.006-06:00

Tween/Teen Tribune is a fantastic news website specifically geared for junior high-high school students that presents high interest news stories arranged into categories so it's easy for students to find a story that interests them. Teachers and students can comment on stories, publish their own stories (and we all know that writing for an audience causes students to invest more!), and take quizzes over the news stories.

How it works: Teachers create classrooms and students add themselves to the classroom. Then when a student adds a comment to a story, the comment is sent to the teacher's approval queue for the teacher to approve or delete. It's a great way to immerse students in non-fiction at an accessible reading level.

I'd like to give a shout out to Pam Abbott from Progress Elementary who sent me an email regarding a sweet feature in Tween/Teen Tribune: parents can be added as readers to teachers' classrooms. They only have to be added once, and then they can read all comments posted by students in the class. What a great way for parents to stay informed and be a part of their child's education!

If you're interested, check out Tween Tribune--specifically, their Top 10 Lesson Plans page.

Thinking Blocks: Model Your Math Problems

2011-09-16T09:02:00.004-06:00

Yesterday our building had a staff meeting to discuss our 1:1 laptop program. A few of the math teachers mentioned how difficult it is to find ways to use the laptops in math classes. Later that day while perusing my Google Reader account (by the way, if you don't have a Google Reader account, you should consider signing up for one! I'll put up a blog about this later), I came across Richard Byrne's post on his blog Free Technology for Teachers about a website called Thinking Blocks--a website that helps students model their math word problems.

Because of my extreme disdain for math, I hesitantly checked out the website. After playing around a bit, I can see how this could be useful for students. Byrne recommends that this be used for K-8 math, but I really think this could be used in some of the lower level math courses we offer at the high school. The website allows students to visually map out their process when solving a problem. Students can use shapes, number lines, colors, and text to solve the problem. It's like having manipulatives on the computer. I struggled with math in high school partly because I am such a creative, visual, hands-on learner who was quite honestly scared of the subject. I think this tool would've taken the edge off of math for me. It would've given me a visual, hands-on way to solve word problems. If you're interested, check out the Modeling Tool page to find videos of the tool in action.

"Twenty Tidbits for New Teachers"

2011-09-07T21:16:00.004-06:00

Props goes out to Mr. Dietz today for sending me a link to "Twenty Tidbits for New Teachers" on Edutopia.

After reading this article, I am convinced the title should be edited to read, "Twenty Tidbits for Every Teacher." As we rack up the years of experience, it sometimes is hard to grow professionally. I truly believe the mark of a quality teacher is one who is seeking to improve. Some of the tips mentioned in this article may seem daunting (especially if you're a techno-phobe), but I challenge you to pick five to work on throughout the semester...you might amaze yourself!

Free Technology for Teachers

2011-08-31T19:11:00.002-06:00

This is an incredible blog for K-12 teachers that highlights several interesting technology tools and ways to use technology in the classroom. Check it out when you have a few spare minutes!

Backchanneling in the classroom

2011-08-31T18:37:00.004-06:00

At NETA this spring, backchanneling was all the rave. So, when I got back to my classroom---I tried it. The verdict: love. it. I've been using TodaysMeet to set up my temporary chat rooms for my students ever since. I create a new chat room for each section of my English 9 classes, leave it open for a week for absent students to participate when they return, and then open it up to students for one class period. I pull the chat up on my projector and jump in with the kids. It's a great way to start a class period and jog students' memories about a reading assignment. Students generally love this activity because it has that familiarity of an instant message but allows for multiple people to be chatting at once.

Application: Could be used in almost any high school/junior high classroom with internet access---also works on iPods! It's also a great tool to use when presenting at conferences. When I presented at NETA this spring, I opened up a TodaysMeet chat specifically for my presentation so attendees could chat about my session with one another in real time. It was a really effective way to share ideas right in the moment.

Benefits: TodaysMeet only allows posts to be 140 characters long (similar to Twitter), so students must be concise. Great virtual discussion tool to ease students into a larger class discussion; very excellent for shy students who don't participate much in a class discussion. Great way to start or end class and check for comprehension.

Welcome

2011-08-31T11:53:00.003-06:00

Yes, it's true...another school year has commenced. This fact may find some of you still wallowing, longing for your summer freedom while others are running full-force ahead into the great unknown of a new group of students. No matter where you're at on the spectrum, we can't deny it...school has started. And that means it's time to gather resources. And that's where I can (with your help!) step in.

Throughout the year we are bombarded with emails, brochures, etc. advertising the latest and greatest in the world of education. As a new-ish teacher who doesn't quite have her feet planted firmly yet, I eat up any resource I can get, but the problem is: keeping track of all these! I have brochures falling out of my car, a clogged email inbox full of resources from other teachers, and millions of sticky notes and memos shoved in the most random of places. So, in order to make it easy to share resources, I've created this blog---the OPSD Professional Learning Network. I want it to be a space where we can share ideas for how to provide the best K-12 education possible.

From time to time I will be posting entries that deal with professional development opportunities, available grant funds, technology resources, professional reading material, educational policy updates, etc. I'll keep these organized through a series of tags and labels so it's easy for you to navigate. If you want to receive notifications of blog updates, then type in your email in the top right. And, most importantly, if you have something you want featured on the blog---shoot me an email through the school's webmail and I'll do my best to post it in a timely fashion.