I have not blogged about the special needs blog that I am following in a while because there was not much going on. That is why I was excited for this weeks post. A teacher named Adrien just attended the CEC 2014 convention (Council for Exceptional Children). The most exciting part of the convention for her was the session she attended on video modeling to teach transition skills to teens moving into the workplace. The videos can be accessed by the cell phones or iPods and can be used as to access continued support that students may need. Since so many teens need support this is a great way for them to feel normal while accessing the information...with technology of course! http://www.cecreality101.org/2014/04/adrien-geeking-out-on-transition-at-cec-2014.html#more

8 rules of Facebook posting

Following Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher on Twitter has been extremely useful. She "re-tweeted" an article about having teens on Facebook. I found it particularly interesting because Facebook is the one social media outlet that I use daily for personal reasons and business. I thought the 8 tips in the article were not just useful for teens. Adults also need to follow these rules. One topic in particular that I have strong feelings about was complaining. So many people use Facebook to complain about their friends, job, teacher, team etc. I am always so shocked when I see people do this. I am Facebook friends with my oldest child and I would never post something that I would not want him to read. It keeps me in check! http://moreinmedia.com/teen-on-facebook-discuss/

Twitter...Simpsons predict future technology correctly!

I am finding Twitter to be quite useful. Love History in Pictures @HistoryInPix and think that I will always keep my account (even after the class is over) just to receive the great info that I could pass on to students. The tweets are always entertaining and for those who think that history is boring, it is the cool facts and photos that could change their minds. For example there was a tweet tonight about "21 Times the Simpsons Predicted the Future" and many of them were about technology related items of today...hilarious and scary at the same time!

http://a1.ahfunny.com/stories/comedy/21-times-the-simpsons-predicted-the-future/18

LBJ Speech

In the US History blog I am following, a teacher named Ken Halla posted a video that he found on Twitter of Lyndon Johnson announcing that he would not be running for re-election. It was one of the most shocking presidential speeches in history considering there are many who believe that he had JFK assassinated. I have loved watching presidential speeches since I was a child.

Storify

The US History Teachers blog that I follow is a constant source of information pertaining to technology. This week, a teacher named Ken posted about Storify. Using Storify, you can collect things from Twitter, YouTube, Google+, websites, etc. and create a storybook that you can edit later. Check out this video!

Twitter continued

I found that once you are following someone on Twitter, they recommend other people for you to follow. Some of those people are obviously from my email contacts because I actually know them. Others are people that the few that I am following happen to be following. Today Twitter made a recommendation of ClassFlow because that is someone Vicki Davis follows. ClassFlow is a "revolutionary cloud-based platform that makes lesson planning more efficient and lesson delivery more dynamic". It basically allows you to use technology to enhance the learning of your students. I read about interactively and collaboratively teaching the students from anywhere using handheld devices. I think that this is a really cool website and want to share it.

Nings

I was really confused about Nings when I first learned about them. I watched a few YouTube videos about them and found this one very helpful and worth watching.

Nasa Before PowerPoint

This is my favorite tweet of the week from History in Pictures that I am following on Twitter. I am not a big technology fan (although I must admit it is growing on me a bit). Not sure if any of the students I will teach in the future will even know what a chalkboard and chalk is and this would be fun to show them. I can remember being excited to get my turn to clean the chalkboard with water and a sponge when I was in school. This photo is entitled "Nasa Before PowerPoint"

Google Forms

This week in the US History blog that I am following, there was a great slideshow presentation entitled "80 Ways to use Google Forms in the Classroom." Having just learned about Google Forms for the first time in my INTC 2610 class, I found it very timely! It was almost like hearing a word you have never heard before and then all of a sudden you are hearing it everywhere. If you watch the entire slideshow, there are actually 81 ways. Some of them were very unique and I will definitely refer back to this presentation when I am a teacher. http://ushistoryeducatorblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/80-ways-to-use-google-forms-in-classroom.html

I admit it...I was wrong...I like Twitter!

I am completely new to Twitter. At first I was confused as to why you would want to follow someone you don't even know. Facebook I can understand. These are photos and thoughts of my friends. Some of my Facebook friends I have not seen since high school over 20 years ago. For me it is really cool to see photos of their children, hear about their jobs and say hello to them. After following a few people on Twitter for the last week, I can see how it would be useful to me. I am following History in Pictures @HistoryInPix and I totally love it. I will continue to use Twitter for this reason alone. There are some really great photos that are tweeted every day and I love history. Being able to get a visual helps refresh my memory on my history facts as well. For example here is a photo that was tweeted today of Al Capone's cell at Eastern State Penitentiary. I thought it was really cool and I want to show my 6 year old son. He is fascinated with Al Capone stories and prisons so I know he will love it.

Snagit for Google Chrome

This week in my US History teachers blog someone posted a video about Snagit. Snagit was just released just released by Google and the really cool part about it is that it has a screencasting feature. I thought that this was perfect timing because we are learning about screencasting in INTC 2610. Every time you capture a picture with Snagit, you can share it and Google deposits the picture in your Google drive. Check out this video. )

PDF converter

In the US History blog I am following, a teacher named Ken blogged this week about how he has been using a free website called pdftoword.com to convert PDF files to a Word document. He mentions that this can also be done using Google Drive but that he finds pdftoword.com to be better. https://www.pdftoword.com/

Visual graphic in my environment

I am currently the owner of a small fitness business. This is a visual graphic that I use on my fitness facebook page when I am cancelling a class or adding a class. I never gave it much thought until we started discussing visual graphics in INTC 2610 class. This is the graphic that I use most often. I like it because it is simple but I think that it captures attention and prompts my clients to read further.

Flipped Classroom

During class we learned about "Flipped Classroom". Flipped Classroom is a form of blended learning in which students learn new content online by watching video lectures at home. What used to be homework is now done in class with teachers offering more personalized guidance and interaction with students instead of lecturing. As a teacher I have mixed feelings about flipped classroom. I think it would work great for students who have the discipline to carve the time out to watch the lesson. As a parent of a gifted student in the public school system I think the idea is great. My son John masters math concepts quickly and would benefit from the personal attention and ability to advance at a more accelerated rate. I also think it would be great as a parent to view the lesson myself and understand how to assist my child if he needed it. When asked from a student perspective, John was not a fan of the idea. He thought it sounded like more work, although he agreed that sometimes it would be nice to get ahead.

Hard Lesson

In the Special Ed blog I am following, a teacher named Lisa wrote about an extremely difficult situation she had to handle. She was told one of her students brought a knife to school and when confronted by her, completely lied about it. In the end he did actually have a knife, received a ten day suspension and was returning this week. In the current school climate where there is so much violence, this type of situation needs to be handled so carefully. I felt she handled it extremely well. She is having a harder time dealing with the fact that he could calmly lie to her more then the actual act of bringing a knife to school. I completely agree that the lie is worse than the act. I always tell my own children that I can forgive any situation as long as they are honest.

US History blog about Google Drive!

I could not believe what I found when I went to the US History blog I am following.  I teacher named Ken posted a short YouTube video tutorial on how to search inside a Google Drive document.  Since we are currently learning how to use Google Drive and must incorporate it into this weeks assignment, I thought it was good timing. Check it out...history teachers blogging about technology!

Visual Literacy

"Life on the Screen: Visual Literacy in Education" was a great article.  I just assumed George Lucas would have been a standout student and to find out he struggled was interesting.  I wonder how many students would excel if the arts were included in English class.  His "circle of communication" made sense to me.  My kindergartner is very musically talented and already dislikes traditional learning in school.  He is very sensitive and including image and sound in his traditional education would definitely benefit him and I do believe it is just as important as reading and writing.  

http://www.edutopia.org/lucas-visual-literacy


While watching "Reading Film: The History of Movies" there was one thing that really stood out to me.  The children seemed to believe anything they saw because they saw it on a screen.  I never realized how important it is to formally educate children that film is not reality.  My own children who are very young understand this concept, so I just assumed that children in middle school would know.  Martin Scorsese's free program is awesome and something that kids would probably never forget!

http://www.edutopia.org/reading-film-story-movies-visual-literacy-video

President's Day Facts

This week I decided to blog about the US History Teachers Blog in spirit of President's Day.  I love historical facts that I can share with my children and this short video was very cool and perfect for my 10 year old.  I don't understand why people think history is boring, maybe they had boring teachers.  I am thankful that I had great teachers and that my parents made learning history fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t588B3vqq8A&feature=player_embedded

iPads in the Classroom podcast

I really enjoyed listening to the podcast about iPads in the classroom because it changed my perspective.  I am not a "tech lover" so my initial reaction was that iPads in the classroom were not going to benefit the students.  I felt that it would keep the kids so "plugged in" that their social skills would suffer.  I wondered what would stop the kids from "playing" rather than "working".  However, Shayne Evans from the University of Chicago Charter Schools was able to address most of my concerns and I now think that the positives of iPads in the classroom far outweigh the negatives.  As a parent that is not on top of technology, I felt that the suggestion of parent technology sessions to help the parents learn and get on board was a fantastic idea. 

http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/10/24/ipads-in-the-classroom

Adrien teaches the disabled to be self-advocates

This week a teacher named Adrien blogged about how she tries to teach her special needs students to be self-advocates by educating them on what special needs are on a level that they can understand.  She shows videos with someone with a disability doing something interesting and then discusses the content with her disabled students.  They discuss the person's strengths, weaknesses and supports and she hopes that this will empower them.  I thought this was a really cool way to teach all children about disabilities.

http://cecblog.typepad.com/cec/

German Bomb Golf Rules

A teacher named George just posted a really interesting photo in the US History blog I am following.  It was a photo of the temporary rules that were posted in Britain's Richmond Golf club in 1940 after German bombs hit the golf course.  Apparently you were allowed a penalty shot if your stroke was affected by a bomb.  I thought it was actually funny that rules were made.  I am very happy I found this blog...it is a keeper!

This weekend

A teacher named Rob wrote an interesting post this weekend about why he is a teacher on one of the blogs I am following. It was a good reminder about how important it is to find something you are passionate about when choosing a career. I needed to see it because I am in the beginning of my journey as a teacher. Things are new and difficult for me right now and I have to keep reminding myself why I am going back to school while raising four children. This adjustment period is part of the process of learning and growing as a person. Just like Rob, I feel that I will be more prepared to help a child learn and grow as a person if I have a deeper understanding of self, my own children included.

First blog about the blogs I am following

I found two really good blogs to follow this week.  Since my goal is to teach Social Studies and/or Special Education upon completing my education at Stockton, I looked for a good blog to follow in each area.

So I started following a blog written by high school teachers who teach US history that is intended to be a resource for ideas and technology that you can use in the classroom.  The blog is called US History Teachers Blog.  This week they posted a really cool video with tips on how to remember history facts by using acronyms.  The teachers in the video were hilarious and I am looking forward to following this blog not only during this class but in the future.

http://ushistoryeducatorblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/history-tips-from-three-educators.html

The second blog called Reality101: CECs blog for new special education teachers is a blog I am also going to follow for my assignment.  It has great information, and although it lacks the humor that I like in the other blog the content will be equally as useful as I continue a path in education.  This week a teacher named Lisa posted about the snow days.  She is concerned for her students and is hopeful that they will be prepared for the standardized tests that are approaching.  They have missed 4 days due to snow and she is feeling stressed about missing opportunities to help her students prepare.

http://cecblog.typepad.com/cec/

I am hopeful that I completed my assignment correctly but even if I didn't I found two great blogs to follow.

Welcome

Welcome to Lynn's Blog 2014