Article: "Tech Encourages Students Social Skills"

Researchers have found that technology encourages student's social skills as students learn to collaborate on projects. The researchers found that "Well-integrated technology opens social networks for students and allows children to develop key social skills..." The entire article is available here (eSchool News 4/23/08)

Google Talk Chatback Badge

Would you like to chat to those who visit your blog? If so, add a Google Talk Chatback Badge. For more information click here. You will want to paste the provided code into a HTML/Java Script Element. If you are logged into your Google account, visitors to your blog will be able to chat with you.

Also a group chat is available through Google Chat. For more information click here

"ELL Spoken Here" article

This is a great article regarding resources that are available for educators working with ELL students. Be sure to check out the list of resources which include Childtopia, ESL Flashcards and ESL-Kids

"Free Social Media Tools for Educators" article

This article talks about web-based collaboration tools that educators are using to "supplement instruction, engage learners, and encourage their students to become producers of information, as well as consumers of it." from T.H.E. Journal, April 2008

How-to: QuickFlicks

Another great discovery from TechLEARNING is How-to: QuickFlicks Video Tech Tutorials Every Monday. The tutorial on March 17th was "Creating a New Chart" using Google Spreadsheets.

Site of the Day

Check out Site by the Day from techLEARNING. A new site is features every day.

Women of the Web 2.0 & Ed Tech Talk

I have a great discovery! I was looking at the Cool Cat Teacher Blog (Vicki Davis) and saw a link to Women of the Web 2.0. Every Tuesday evening Vicki and three other teachers host a discussion regarding teaching and Web 2.0 tools. Previous webcasts are archived so you can listen to all of them. And there are even more podcasts available at EdTechTalk. What a great way to learn from others who are exciting about teaching and learning.

NCCE 2008 - Marc Prensky, Keynote Speaker

Keynote: Engage Me or Enrage Me: Educating Today's Digital Native" Learners

Here a some highlights of what he shared:

• The greatest challenge for teachers is to keep up with change. Most of us like to walk backwards as we can keep our eyes on the past. We need to understand the speed and magnitude of change


• Social networking is the cause of most change today


• Change that empowers students often threatens teacher


• Teachers new role is to find and make sense of information and to help students invent new tools


• Students are no longer "little us's"


• Educators see technology as a tool, students see it as the foundation for all that they do


• Kids used to "grow up in the dark" intellectually and in school they were "shown the light" by their teachers. Today they grow up in the light and in school they are asked to "turn off the light"


• Teach skills that can be used throughout student's life: 1)knowing the right thing to do 2) how to get it done 3) do it with others 4) doing it creatively 5) consistently doing it better
  5 Stages of technology 1) hiding 2) panic 3) acceptance 4) comfort 5) power


• Recommended that teachers read 7 Habits of Highly Effective People


• We need to change the way we teach kids before technology can help. If we don't change how we teach, technology gets in the way

Northwest Council on Computer Education 2008 -- Seattle

I attended the NCCE conference last week and wanted to share some of the things that I learned.

Three highlights of the conference were:

Hearing Marc Prensky speak -- although most of what he shared he had already written in his articles

Meeting Eric Langhorst, the creator of Speaking Of History. He is an 8th Grade History teacher in MO and has won a number of awards include MO Teacher of the Year.

And winning the drawing for a InterWrite SchoolPad, which is a writing pad with bluetooth capabilities. They will send it to me...and I am waiting to play!


See the other NCCE entries for what I learned in the workshops and from the Keynote speakers.

Flashcard Friends

See this announcement in the Feb 28th Smart Classroom newsletter regarding Flashcard Friends the beta of a site that "Taps Social Media To Share Educational Resources".

Free Version of Camtasia

A older version of Camtasia Suite 3 is now available free. Click here for download information.

Give Away of the Day

Check out this site: Give away of the day