If you can’t get to Washington D.C., you can still enjoy many fine technolgy presentations on IsteVision.
There is a great little online game called Five Card Flickr . This game gives you sets of random images and asks you to choose five, one from each set. You then have to make a story to go with the images. It is a fun thing to do on a rainy day. Here is the first one I made.
Geocaching is using a GPS to find containers that contain a log (to write your name to prove you found it) and usually some other little trinkets to trade. You find out about where they are hidden by looking on geocaching.com for treasures hidden near you. There are a surprising number of them hidden around Dearborn. I went geocaching last Saturday with a group of teachers and their friends from Discovery Educators Network. I have definitely caught the geocaching travel bug . I hope to do much more geocaching this summer and maybe next fall I will set up soemthing here at McU.
Another rule of geocaching is “cache in, trash out” and we did our share at Proud Lake.
Thanks to Pam Shoemaker for guiding us and posting these pictures.
I have been thinking quite a bit about technology skills for teachers and students lately, since I am part of the district technology professional development committee. This blog post by Ryan Bretag really struck a nerve. I have long insisted that technology is a tool for learning and productivity and ,therefore, having PD about technology is sort like having a PD about pencils. It should be about the content, not the tool. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend the afternoon one Wednesday this month inservicing middle school social studies teachers in my district about technology. It was really a good afternoon, though, because we were really discussing the new social studies standards, particularly the requirement for a capstone project. The Moodle course we media specialists had set up was just really part of a discussion about the best resources and delivery tools to reach that goal. Of course, we need to talk about technology. Of course teachers need support for learning how to use the new tech gadgets that come thier way. But is it really about the gadget or about how the gadget can change the teaching?
We have been doing public education basically the same way for over a century now. Isn’t it time for a change?
Tags: educational change, technology
This great little rap from Temple University Media Education Lab explains copyright in a way that students and teachers will understand. It only takes 3 minutes and it’s downright catchy!
Tags: copyright
Tags: copyright, Creative Commons
I love writing and reading online book reviews. I read and write on a variety of sites, but my favorite is GoodReads.com . You can read my review of my current favorite book The Blue Sweater. 
The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World by Jacqueline Novogratz
My review
rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you have ever dreamed about changing the world, this is the book for you. If you have ever been frustrated by lack of progress in the world, this book is for you. If you have ever wanted to use your gifts and talents to make a difference, this book is for you. The Blue Sweater is brimming with engaging stories and the wisdom born of experience.I highly recommend it.
I also like to take on reading challenges. you can follow my progress on the A-Z Author Challenge here: A-Z Challenge
View all my reviews.
School board member James Schoolmaster reading to students
Reading month continues to progress at McU. School board member James Schoolmaster was kind enough to read to students and donate a copy of the book Have You Filled Your Bucket Today.
Superintendent Brian Whiston reads Dr. Seuss
Superintendent Brian Whiston also paid us a visit and entertained the students with Do You Know How Lucky You Are by Dr. Seuss. Other recent guest readers include school board member Mary Petlichkoff and personell director Tom Raferty. We also have several dozen poems by students posted on The Poetry Page. More contributions are always welcome.
The families of McCollough/Unis School had a very successful Family Reading Night tonight. Activities included bingo.
Bingo for Books was a great hit!
Storytelling is always a hit. This year Mrs. Anderson and Mr. Krengel read poetry to go with our Reading Month theme “Poetry Pops”.
A good time was had by all!
