Bev's Educational Blog

How to Write a Quality Comment!

2012-01-23T16:58:00.000-08:00

This video, created by Mrs. Yollis' students is excellent. Follow it and have your students create great comments to their classmates' blog or others. See more about blogging and commenting at http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/2011/02/22/student-blogging-activity-3-beginner-teaching-quality-commenting/.

Edublog award winners for 2011

2011-12-17T15:44:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to those who won Edublog awards for 2011. I was happy to see so many who have offered suggestions and ideas for my new book among the winners. All candidates are great models for those who are interested in starting their own blog, a class blog or whose students want to begin blogging.

Thanks to all educators who provide incentive to others. That's what education is all about.

Global Education Conference Reflections

2011-11-25T19:31:00.000-08:00

A week full of speakers, videos, keynote presentations and so much more took place from Nov. 14-18 at the Global Education Conference. Topics from Virtual Field Trips to Digiteen, Bloggers Collaboration to Lit Trips with Google Earth illustrate the versatility of the conference. Extremely well-organized, sessions included content and examples for all grade levels and subjects and a wide range of countries. Three or four presentations each hour let educators find out about new technologies, special sites to review, and each session was recorded so you could review the sessions you missed.

Congratulations to the co-chairs who did a fantastic job! As follow-up a downloadable spreadsheet of all conference sessions is available at http://globaleducation.ning.com/page/2011-conference-quick-links?xg_source=msg_mes_network. And, you can connect to a list of recordings at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0AhKqffzq3AqvdFhhT3VOOGVwQ3NxakdZUVpFZmZqUHc&single=true&gid=1&output=html.

Global Education Conference

2011-11-13T15:51:00.000-08:00

Take some time to attend the Second Annual Global Education Conference this week Nov. 14-18. Register for free and take advantage of a week of sessions, keynotes and more. The session descriptions, forum discussions, and session calendars (one for each of the world's 36 time zones!) are available at http://www.globaleducationconference.com/?elq=a2e11da8020b4d169d8e31d8278eabbe&elqCampaignId=781. Look at last year's reviews, check out this year's awesome sessions and keynotes.

Brought to educators by Blackboard, learn what others are doing to promote collaboration, use Web 2.0 and social networking tools. Each session is about an hour and there are numerous ones at each hour to choose from--something for everyone.

Don't miss this exciting event!

New Book -- New Look for the Blog

2011-11-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

My new book Using Web 2.0 and Social Networking Tools in the K-12 Classroom is in production so...it's time to have a new look to the accompanying blog. The website at https://sites.google.com/site/bevseducationalwebsite/home is also being updated and when you see the "new look" you know it's ready for YOU.

Keep your eye on the blog for updating at least once a week. All the URLs located in my new book will continue to be added to the website as a first priority, as well as new What's New, suggestions for lessons incorporating Web 2.0 and social networking, and new tools that will enhance your lessons.

Stay tuned...

New Book for the New Year

2011-06-27T13:02:00.001-07:00

You probably are wondering why you are seeing limited posting from my blog--well, that's because I am writing a new book: Using Web 2.0 Tools and Social Networking in the K-12 Classroom.

Completely new with additional tools for the curriculum, a Teachers' chapter illustrating how to set up your own Personal Learning Network (PLN) and much more. This new book will kick off 2012 just right by giving you new ways to use Web 2.0 and social networking tools in your classroom.

In the meantime you can still check out Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom and Internet Workshops--10 Ready-to-Go Workshops for K-12 Educators, both available from Neal-Schuman Publishers at the American Library Association (ALA) at a discount and also online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Neal-Schuman sites. Check the Neal-Schuman site for more information.

Learning with Skype

2011-03-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

Teachers all over the world are using Skype to make learning more exciting and memorable. Students find videoconferencing motivating when they talk to an author about a book they are reading or ask questions of another class halfway around the world. Check out some of their projects and get started yourselves.

Some articles from educators using Skype may give you some ideas about projects, how to make connections with classes and experts or with those who want to practice their language skills:
http://record-eagle.com/sunday/x998539803/Teachers-find-learning-tool-in-Skype
https://sites.google.com/site/chattingacrosstheusa/
http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com

Try social networking

2011-02-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

My New Year's resolution is to be more faithful to posting on my blog.

For your New Year's resolution you might consider signing up for some teacher blogs or Twitter posts. They are very informational from new sites you don't have time to find but might find handy to ideas on how to use different technologies. I watched a one-hour Skype demonstration last week that I found quite useful. Try these to start: http://www.teachhub.com/, http://ilearntechnology.com/

You'll see Skype in a chapter of the new book I'm working on now.

Google Science Fair

2010-12-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

On 11 January, 2011, Google is launching its inaugural Google Science Fair, partnered with NASA, CERN, National Geographic, Scientific American and the LEGO Group. The goal is to create a new STEM competition that is more open, accessible and global than ever before. Google is reaching out to educators prior to launch to extend an invitation to schools and teachers to get involved early in its global competition.

To sign up for fun and free resource kits for your classroom or school (with bookmarks, stickers, posters and more!) and a reminder notification when GSF registration opens, go to the Google Science Fair at: http://www.google.com/sciencefair

Finding K-12 Grants

2010-10-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

Grant Wrangler is a free grants listing service. This site makes it easier for teachers, librarians, and parents to find funding, including grants and awards for arts, history, mathematics, science, technology, and more. From the Voice of Democrary Scholarship Program for social studies to grants for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to ones for your school library, you can find examples at Grant Wrangler. They even list grants for teachers.

Subscribe to their newsletter to find the most up-to-date listing of grants for K-12.

Understand grant programs available to you and how you can meet the requirements for each program.

Librarian roles

2010-09-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Library media specialists have a twofold teaching role:

They are teachers of students, facilitating the development of information-literacy skills necessary for success in all content areas, and they are in-service trainers of teachers, keeping abreast of the latest information resources and technology.

Library media specialists also must embrace technology to be effective. They must ensure that school networks extend the availability of information resources beyond the walls of the library media center, throughout the building, and, in the best cases, into students' homes

The school year has started. Let's begin training both our students and teachers to be better users of technology.

Multiple Intelligences and Web 2.0

2010-08-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

Espoused by Howard Gardner, the eight (8) multiple intelligences can be enhanced in your classroom using Web 2.0 tools. For example, let's say that some of your students seem to learn best through "interpersonal" intelligence, that is learning best through interaction with others-- activities to promote collaboration, discussion and social engagement

Here are some ideas. Your students can write their own blogs, create their own social networks and wikis, share SMART Board files, and collaborate in real time using Google Docs. Video conferencing (like Skype) and video tools (Animoto) are also ideal for learners who like to act interact face-to-face.

One of your goals as a teacher is to encourage exploration and inquiry, promote global citizenship, and deepen knowledge and understanding. Web 2.0 tools provide the technology, and your classroom activities are only limited by your own imagination!

A new school year

2010-08-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

School is getting close to starting if it hasn't already. School supplies, school clothes for the kids and for the teachers, it's time to think about this year's lessons, students and all the myriad of details that goes into a school day.

If you haven't already incorporated new technologies into your lessons, now is the time to start. Review my Website at http://sites.google.com/site/bevseducationalwebsite/ and take a look at my book Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom at the Neal-Schuman Website http://www.neal-schuman.com/bdetail.php?isbn=9781555706531.

Check the blog and Website often for new ideas for using technology in science, social studies, language arts and with second language students.

Good luck in the new school year!

Google Drawing Tools

2010-07-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

Have you wanted to add your drawings to a story you are writing? Google drawing editor makes it easy. A handy guide provides information to get you started. Use this tool in your writing classes to have students illustrate stories they write. You can Insert drawings into Google documents, spreadsheets, or presentations using the web clipboard, then edit them inline. You can also get drawing templates from the template gallery, especially when you want to express your ideas using diagrams.

Getting Started with Video

2010-07-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

Despite that many Web sites require paid subscriptions, these sites may also have numerous free information to help teachers and librarians set up their own projects. To get started with a video classroom project, Atomic Learning contains a series of very short videos explaining how to set up basic camera shots and visual composition rules. In addition, a free Video Storytelling Guide reviews important concepts to think about when beginning the project like creating a storyboard. You can download the storyboard for free and learn how to add new shots to the storyboard and new links, to name some.

Learn about using video in your classroom so you can start a new project when the new 2010 school year begins!

American Library Association

2010-06-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

The American Library Association conference is taking place in Washington, D.C. If you are there (6/23-30), stop by the Neal-Schuman booth 2401 or online at www.neal-schuman.com for a 20% discount! Use coupon code ALA10A. They have copies of my book "Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom."

Reviews of the book appear on the Neal-Schuman Web site. I'm thrilled that folks are using it and like it.

Training sessions on Web 2.0

2010-06-03T16:53:00.001-07:00

CMLEA, California Media and Library Educational Association, has created a number of training tools to teach you more about Web 2.0 tools. Of course, my book Using Web 2.0 in the K-12 Classroom provides many suggestions and ideas for lessons. You can then go to one of the sites below and actually create your own blogs or wikis or use tools described in my book. The combination of the suggestions in the book on how to use these tools in the curriculum and the actual practice of using them is a "Win-Win" combination.

If you are a teacher or librarian--try one of these now!
Classroom Learning 2.0
School Library Learning 2.0

Classroom Learning 2.0

2010-06-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

T.H.E. Journal most often focuses on teachers in their monthly articles. However, May is different. Take a look at the article entitled Classroom Learning 2.0 to see how librarians or TLs (Teaching Librarians) are handling the responsibilities of teaching about Web 2.0. The author interviewed a number of teachers and librarians, including me(!) to get our take on what was currently happening in the library and how the library and classroom related and promoted Web 2.0 tools together.

Read this article to learn more.

Math Video Lessons

2010-04-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

Do you teach math? Need new methods for getting concepts across to your students? Then check out the resource site--TeacherZone--containing thousands of math video lessons for grade 3-10. Most videos are 3-5 minutes long and can be used in your classes, embedded as homework help, and shared with parents and students.

A list of concepts covered from addition to geometry to measurement and much more displays on the Home page. You can view three sample videos to see what you think before signing up on the site. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Using Wordle in Classroom Lessons

2010-04-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

April 12-18 is National Library Week. Show your appreciation to your library media specialist by creating a Wordle word cloud. Review the post I created earlier where I mentioned Wordle as a neat tool for the classroom. Here are some ideas for using Wordle in lesson activities from Jonathan Wylie.

Create a Wordle Gift: Input your favorite adjectives for your librarian, generate the word cloud, and add it to a greeting card, poster, calendar, or whatever else you choose. This can be a class gift with each student adding one or more words to a poster.

Other ideas for using Wordle include: historical document analysis, student profiles, compare and contrast activities, unit review and preview posters and more. Try some of these ideas in your lessons to give visualization to some of the concepts you are teaching.

Enter the Video Science Challenge

2010-04-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

An interesting and motivating way to challenge students at the 5th to 8th grade level to become more involved in science is the 2010 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, sponsored by Discovery Education and 3M Corporation. The video only has to be one to two minutes on a topic emphasizing “safety and security.” Each entry must be individual and explain the science behind the danger and the science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics behind a possible solution.

Some sample topics include food safety, spread of germs, protection from the sun to name a few. Sample videos and lesson plans are also available on the site. Visit the 2010 Video Topics to learn all about the requirements, entry regulations and date of submission. If you have students interested in science here’s a way to stimulate that interest. More on this topic and how to create videos on my Web site.

New Additions to Web Site

2010-03-27T11:57:00.001-07:00

New additional have been added to my Web site Bev's Educational Website that accompanies my book Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom.

--Enter the Video Science Challenge contains information about an individual science project for middle school students as well as Web sites that offer free resources to get started using video in the classroom. The project is similar to Science Fair projects with video as the main tool.

--New wiki projects for the social studies.

Improve your English: An ESL tip

2010-03-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

If your native language is not English, the easiest way to improve your speaking and listening skills is to practice every day. Perhaps you don’t have a partner to speak to every day. At Elllo you can listen to videos recorded by speakers from all over the world on topics of interest, for example, what is my favorite pizza or is your country multicultural? In addition, a written transcript can help you improve your reading skills and learn vocabulary you may not know. A quiz tests your knowledge of grammar requiring you to put in the correct form of a word. Other videos emphasize vocabulary—do you know what the “crust” of a pizza is?

You can find more tips and suggested projects to use with ESL students in my books Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom (Chapter 7) and Internet Workshops: 10 Ready-to-do Workshops for K-12 Educators (Workshop 8).

New posts each week

2010-03-20T12:18:00.001-07:00

Watch for new posts each week highlighting new curriculum ideas using technology, new technologies, lesson ideas and more. To participate send me your comments, ways you are using technology with your students, successes and innovate ideas.

Share with your colleagues!

Using Wikis – New Projects

2010-03-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Essential questions activities usually lend themselves well to multidisciplinary investigations, requiring that students apply the skills and perspectives of math and language arts while wrestling with content from social studies or science. Two new projects emphasize the use of Wikis, collaboration, and inter-disciplinary learning.

Take advantage of some exciting new Wiki projects put together by Vicki Davis at Westwood Schools. Ms. Davis, teacher and author of the Cool Cat Teacher blog , has a wiki-centric classroom as shown in a previous example on the Flat Classroom in Chapter 4, page 65 of my book Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom.

Click Current Events to review two new projects, ideal for social studies, history, mathematics and English/language arts: 1) Arab-Israeli Conflict Simulation: Political Reality in the Classroom, a joint project with the University of Michigan and 2) Stock Market Simulation.

All the material is available so you, too, can create your own Wiki project. Send me your comments! I'd love to hear from you.

• Website: http://aic.conflix.org/ - A joint project with the University of Michigan. Six teams will participate on the project this year.
• Stock Market Game: http://www.vse.marketwatch.com/Game/Homepage.aspx

Security for Google Apps for Educators

2010-03-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

Security is included free for K-12 schools and districts who add the service Google Apps by July 2010. Security allows administrators to easily set-up and manage group email policies and create robust content filters. http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=159594

My book "Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom" has a chapter on using Google Tools in the classroom--this is a new feature you will want to check out. After all, security is an important factor when using the Internet with K-12 students.

21st Century Teaching

2009-10-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

A recent article I read in the THE Journal referred to the age-old problem of technology vs. pedagogy. It emphasizes the fact that new teachers coming into the classroom are saavy about technology but that they have little knowledge of how to use this technology to enhance the subjects they are teaching. These new teachers need the guidance of technology leaders in the K-12 classrooms--teachers such as Vicki Davis, who uses Wikis in her classroom or Brent Coley's 5th grade podcasts.
Join some of these teachers blogs and explore their school Web sites to learn more.

Growing Up as a Baby Boomer--new book of short stories

2009-09-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

A new book of short stories Growing Up as a Baby Boomer follows the main character Robert Greenway from his elementary days when he practically burned down Gatsby's house to his teenage years as a roller coaster operator to his early married years running a British pub and conducting pigeon races. Hilarious and poignant at the same time.

Check it out on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It will bring back memories for each of us!

Reviews for Using Web Tools in the K-12 Classroom

2009-05-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

Three new reviews make Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom worth reading....

We recommend this book for its usefulness....Highly Recommended.-- Teacher Librarian, Volume 36, No. 4

...a "how-to" and "why should I?" manual all rolled into one easy-to-understand text....widely appealing to teachers, librarians and school media specialists.-- VOYA, June 2009

Crane...has conducted workshops for educators on literacy and the mentoring of teachers for many years, and her guide on using Web 2.0 technology for K-12 classrooms uses this wealth of experience to describe the proper use of these learning tools for teachers, librarians and technology coordinators.-- SciTech Book News, February 2009

Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom Visually

2009-02-05T16:47:00.000-08:00

Attributed to www.wordle.net

Your kids will love wordles. This is a wordle visual representation of the new book Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom. Each word in the Wordle depicts a part of the book whether it is a chapter title like Blogs or Wikis or teacher exercises or the subject areas covered such as language arts, social studies and science. Check out the book at www.neal-schuman.com/and visit my website at http://sites.google.com/site/bevseducationalwebsite/ that accompanies the book for new ideas, examples of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom and more teacher and library media specialist exercises to practice using the tools in the classroom.

If you have new ideas, send me a comment.

Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom is Here!

2009-01-05T15:42:00.000-08:00

My third book "Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom is here. Check the publisher site at http://www.neal-schuman.com/blog/?p=73 and take a look at the accompanying web site at www.neal-schuman.com/webclassroom.

Check it out--lots of practical ideas for using Web 2.0 tools in different subject areas, handouts to copy, and exercises to try. Each chapter has a unit plan on topics in literature, writing, science, social studies and English as a Second Language.

A Newsletter for K-12 Librarians and Teachers

2009-01-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

Librarians/Teachers, are you familiar with the newsletter Information Searcher, designed for K-12 educators who want to use technology in the curriculum? This quarterly newsletter, written for and by librarians, is great for educators who are interested in incorporating technology into their lessons. It contains articles on the latest technologies being used in K-12 and provides ideas on how to get started, sites to visit for curriculum ideas and projects. Books, such as Podcasting at School or Educator's Podcast Guide, were reviewed in the last issue. A complementary web site contains additional ideas and suggestions for using the Internet in the curriculum. Check out the web site.

250,000 Free Wikis for K-12 Educators

2008-09-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard, Wikispaces.com has committed to offering 250,000 free wikis for K-12 educators on their website. They had previously offered 100,000 and had such a good response that they have agreed to offer 250,000 more. Check their site to see what teachers are saying about this unprecedented offer.

Podcasting Ideas

2008-09-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

When using technology we want curriculum to be the most important aspect. I want teachers and librarians to see how technologies such as podcasting can be integral to curriculum at all grade levels and subjects areas. Go to http://socpodcasts.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/podcast171-brainstorming-k-12-curricular-uses-of-podcasting/ and listen to a podcast where educators suggest a myriad of ways that they plan to use podcasting in their classrooms. At least one or more ideas will be useful and perhaps initiate ideas of your own to use with your classes. Try it and send your comments with new ideas!

Teacher Resources

2008-09-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

Have you “tapped in” to the website known as “Tapped In”? This website manned by library media specialists with special sessions provided by teachers is a site that gives you teaching tips and focus on a variety of topics including ESL, math, language arts, and more. All month long you can sign up for special sessions on topics of interest to you. Check the calendar for Tapped In at http://tappedin.org/tappedin/do/CalendarAction.

Watch for a new book!

2008-08-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

My third book--Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom--designed for K-12 educators will be published by Neal-Schuman this Fall. Bev's Website will accompany the book with a link to my blog.

I have created this blog so that K-12 librarians and teachers can find tips and tricks related to the Web 2.0 technologies in my book--podcasts, wikis, blogs, VoiceThread, Google Tools, digital storytelling, and social bookmarking. I want you to send your comments so that all educators can benefit from the experiences of others.

Share your ideas with your colleagues and I'll try to find educational sites where teachers and library media specialists are using technology to improve student learning to give you new ideas too.

For example, have you gone to Teacher Tube? http://www.teachertube.com/ Here you can find videos on a variety of subjects from Marco Polo or Ben Franklin Flies His Kites to the transcontinental railroad. Check out this site to see if there is a video that your students might find interesting.

Cuba: Then and Now

2008-03-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

This social studies topic is the focus of one of the units from my book Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom. The island nation of Cuba, which recently changed its leadership after over 40 years under Fidel Castro, close to United States' shores, has for a long time been out of touch with the U.S. politically and economically. In the unit plan you will review the history of Cuba, take a virtual tour around the island, research political and economic issues. Add comments and suggestions for other activities to use in the unit plan on this blog.