Education Service Agency 4

Blogs in the Classroom

2009-06-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

This blog talks about using it in the classroom. I liked it because it gave examples for uses of blogging in the classroom. I also liked the idea of putting assignments on a new post. This allows students that are sick or not in school to know what is going on in class. It would also make easier for teachers, would not have to write out assignments for students that are missing in class.
Also gave help on how to navigate the template tab and bling for your Blog.

Check this out to see what you think.

http://classroomblogging.blogspot.com

21st Century Skills Blog

2009-06-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Garitt Irey

My blog dealt with a teacher that utilized Google Maps with Blogs as well as Wikis to provide enhancement to students learning. The teacher provided several examples about how these skills increase student achievement. The blog also included directions and instructions of how to incorporate this lesson, a link to questions and additional websites to answer questions or provide supplemental instruction. This website also included a blog from the teacher discussing the positives of utilizing the internet to promote student learning.

http://www.c21skills.blogspot.com/

Tech. in Schools - Wegner's Way

2009-06-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

From Kirk regarding Graham Wegner's blog.

This blog is written by an Australian teacher who loves technology. Greg is anxious for others to have that same positive experience. He does seem a bit frustrated at how slow others are to adapt to new ideas. The greatest fun of reading this blog is to feel the excitement and enthusiasm that Wegner has for new technology and all that it can offer students. If that would interest you, take a look at this blog. I think you will like it.

http://gwegner.edublogs.org/

Brandon Valley Art Dept

2009-06-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

I choose to showcase the blog for the Brandon Valley Art Dept.

It may have only been up and running for less then a month, but I really liked the idea behind this blog. In addition to incorporating class discussions online, my favorite thing about this blog was that the students each had a blog linked to the class blog. For example, here is Rob's blog.

Visuals have a very strong impact on the web, that is why I think having a blog for an art class is a great idea. Not only are the students getting to share their work with the world, they are learning how to use web 2.0 tools to help them do it.

-John Vogel

Blogger Hacked

2009-06-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Deepak is the creator of blogger hacked and he teaches the reader how to decode or hack blogs. Deepak gives the reader several different tips and ideas so that they can hack the right way. Deepak says, "The hidden codes are in the tumblers, do you have the right keys?" I believe if your into hacking you will find what you need at this site.

Thanks,
Joshua

http://blogger-hacked.blogspot.com/

Islay High School in Scotland

2009-06-24T19:24:00.000-07:00

From: Jodi

This blog spot by Ian Stuart who is one of Islay High School teachers in Scotland has a blog that tells the world what himself, his school, and other technology devices are doing. If you read his blog you become quite aware of how involved he and his school is in the uses of web 2.0 skills and 21st century skills. This teacher has a lot of technology skills and talks about implementing them in many different ways of learning especially on student travels. I thought it was just exciting to learn what other schools and students in other countries are doing and learning.

Check out his blog:

http://islayian.blogspot.com/

6th Grade: School and Life

2009-06-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

Check out the following blog: http://brandonsixthgrade.blogspot.com/

Mr. Klumper a 6th grade teacher for the Brandon Valley School District has created this blog for his students, I think, to get a taste of 6th grade life and to learn some cool web 2.0 tools. There are some pretty entertainging you tube clips on here.

So, what did you think of his creative use for blogs?

Lynx Principal

2009-06-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

It is neat that Mr. Talcott has his own blog. What a great way for him to communitcate to the community. For the couple blogs Mr. Talcott posted, he had a fair amount of feedback. I personally would like to see all administrators blogging. However, I would expect at least one blog a month if not more.

You can look at Mr. Talcott's blog at http://www.lynxprincipal.blogspot.com/

What are your opinions concerning administrators and blogging?

EDFN 750 Guest Bloggers

2009-06-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

The students in the first summer session course EDFN 750 are required to complete a stint as a guest blogger on my ESA 4 blog. Above is a photo of this good-looking group of people.
Here is a link to our class wiki http://edfn750.wikispaces.com/

"You are what you annotate," Diigo.

2009-05-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

Diigo is a social bookmarking tool that takes collaboration to the next level. Instead of simply tagging websites and sharing them with friends, diigo allows you to highlight, add comments, and add tags to web content. Everything you create is saved for instant collaboration with others. Collaboration with a group is made easy with bookmarking, highlighting, sticky notes, and discussions all saved through the diigo social bookmarking site. Imagine grouping students for a reading assignment and assigning the "discussion" to be done as homework using diigo. This would be great for students who may not want to speak out in class, but given the time to gather their thoughts, would be willing to share them with written comments and highlighting.

San Francisco Exploratorium

2009-05-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

Science teachers looking for online, interactive labs, resources, and teaching tips should visit the San Francisco Exploratorium's educator resources pages A must visit feature of this site is the digital resources page which has podcasts and webcasts for both teachers and students, as well as full length episodes of Iron Science Teacher. This show is based on the Food Network's Iron Chef, and features middle and high school science teachers who are shown a table full of various items and have a short period of time to create a science experiment based on the items they selected. The teachers then perform their experiments with a live audience, who votes on the best one. Try this with your fellow teachers, or with your students as they prepare for next year's science fair.

Wordle

2009-05-19T11:46:00.001-07:00

Wordle is a free online tool for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide by pasting text into the space provided or providing a URL for a website. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. Wordle has many classroom uses, such as providing a visual "summary" of a text, a journal or discussion starter, or as a pre-reading strategy to prompt students to make predictions about what they will read.

Cool Tools for School, Guest Blogger, Stacy

2009-04-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/ is a wiki website that can be very useful to teachers of all grades to find different ideas and resources that can be used in their classroom. The homepage opens up with different tabs in areas including: writing, mapping, drawing, music, quizzes etc. When opening up a tab, it gives a list of different tools that can be used in a classroom to help improve learning. This is a great website for teachers to use to get ideas for different tools to meet the different needs of the students in the classroom.

Science Website for Girls

2009-04-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Women's Adventures in Science (WAS) project is designed to support kids, especially girls, in their scientific explorations so they learn the fundamental skills of scientific investigation and feel empowered to tackle such adventures. This site highlights women scientists, an interactive timeline, games, and an opportunity for kids to submit questions which will be answered by Lia, who serves as a tour guide for the site. Turn on your speakers, as Lia can read information to students as they peruse through the site. This site is sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences.

Voki - Guest Blogger Josh

2009-04-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

Voki is a service that allows you to create personalized speaking avatars and use them on your blog, profile, and in email messages. I think Voki can also be useful for students who are having problems in reading fluency. It allows them to record what they are reading and then they can play it back to see what they sound like. It can be useful for teachers also. Teachers can create a Voki avatar and us that as an example of how a fluent reader should sound. It can also be enjoyable for the student because they are able to create their own personal avatar. To get started all you need to do is go to this website: http://www.voki.com/.

PBS Teacher Resources

2009-04-21T07:22:00.001-07:00

PBS TeacherLine contains free pdfs that include internet resources and teaching tools and tips for all content areas and grade levels. You will find summaries of on-air and online resources organized by subject and/or topic. These will help you get acquainted with the PBS free educational content, use it in your teaching and share it with parents and colleagues. I like the lessons and ideas that can complement many of the great PBS videos I use in the classroom.

Thinkfinity - Guest Blogger - Dustin Vogel

2009-04-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

Thinkfinity.com is a great web site for educators who are relatively new at teaching and working with students who struggle with literacy. The website features separate links at the top of the page that direct you to a number of useful classroom resources. The link I like the most is titled "Literacy Network". This link takes you to separate page that features individual links for teaching, learning, managing, and volunteering in the classroom. The individual pages are complete with a special toolbar that allows for a specific search of the web site's database of lesson plans and classroom interactive activities. Thinkfinity is sponsored by the verizon foundation for education.

Meet Me at the Corner- free video website

2009-04-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

Want to show your students ages 7-12 short educational videos made from a kid's point of view? Meet Me at the Corner contains dozens of videos made with video podcast technology and also includes contests, activities, and suggested readings to go along with videos. This free site also allows users to create an account, which is necessary for creating and posting video podcasts on their site. How about watching a couple and then allowing your class to create their own to post to the site?

Virtual Immigration to Ellis Island

2009-04-14T11:59:00.001-07:00

Travel back to 1916 and take on the identity of a child immigrating to the United States through this video-intensive website. Create an identify by choosing your name, gender, and home country and continue through the experience of entering the US through Ellis Island. See video clips of working and living conditions, and make choices about food, money, and leisure activities. The video clips are short enough to share with a whole class, or students can work by themselves using headphones and they maneuver through the whole site.

Guest Blogger Anna Professor Garfield 4-8-09

2009-04-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

www.professorgarfield.org Is a great website that allows students to participate in a variety of educational games. It is easy to manuever around for teachers as well with a link to the teachers lounge at the bottom of the page. The site also categorizes the activities by grade, content standard, or the reading category (phonemic awareness, comprehension, vocabulary, writing, phonics and fluency, and motivation.) The website also offers printable materials such as rewards, activities, instructions, and communications with parents. It even includes a link to lesson plan activities for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

National Geographic Xpeditions

2009-04-07T13:40:00.001-07:00

National Geographic Xpeditions
Xpeditions is home to the U.S. National Geography Standards—and to thousands of ideas, tools, and interactive adventures that bring them to life. This site includes lesson plans, activities, and several mapping tools that can add excitement and interaction to any lessons. One of my favorite items is the critter cam, which give kids a critter's eye view of habitats and fellow critters in the ocean, jungle, even the arctic. I also liked the migration station which used mapping, visual aids, and writing to teach students about human migration-where, when, and why.

Virtual Field Trip

2009-04-06T13:45:00.001-07:00

Tramline offers virtual field trips on a variety of topics from science to Shakespeare by leading students through a well-organized and easy to navigate set of websites. Each field trips guides students through a sequence of Web pages on any given topic. For each page, there is simultaneous commentary in an accompanying frame. You move forward and back through the Field Trip using the tour Control Panel and you can leave the Tour to explore links and return to it whenever you want. A set of objectives is provided at the beginning of each field trip to let students and teachers know what will be accomplished by the end of each field trip. Teacher resources are also provided, and teachers can create tasks to go along with each page that students will visit. All that's needed are computers-everything else is free and ready to go.

Guestblogger, Megan

2009-04-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.thinkquest.org/en/

Think Quest is a great website for teachers and students. It is a learning platform where teachers and students can create learning projects, participate in a website competition, and browse a library of student projects. The library includes 7,000+ projects and it offers students a chance to have their work published. Participants develop 21st century skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, communications, creativity, technology, self direction, and cross cultural understanding. Integrate learning projects into your classroom curriculum. Choose a topic, assign students, invite teachers, and collaborate with members around the world.

Global Newspapers at Your Fingertips

2009-03-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

Want to use newspapers in your classroom without having to purchase a subscription? Try the Newseum, The World's Most Interactive Newspaper.

Just click your mouse on a city anywhere on the map, and the front pages of that city's newspaper will pop up. There are about 580 newspapers from over 80 countries. This site changes everyday to post the most-up-to-date editions of the paper.

Great for teaching students to read nonfiction, evaluate information from multiple sources, compare current events from different parts of the U.S. or the world, and increase confidence in evaluating reliability and credibility of sources.

Novel Recomendation by Guestblogger Erin

2009-03-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

In today's world, school shootings are something we hear about all too often. In Jodi Picoult's novel Nineteen Minutes, she tackles this issue with a few twists. The novel is told from various perspectives including victims and their families, but also the shooter and his family. It focuses on what drives a student/child to commit this horrible act. It was one of the best books that I have ever read. I would recommend it to anyone in education, as it gives an insight to issues that teachers may not always see such as bullying and the feelings that adolescents may experience on a daily basis. http://www.amazon.com

Guest Blogger, Carolyn

2009-03-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

http://http://pbskids.org/lions/ PBS Kids is a great website for kids who are learning different aspects of the English language. There are games and video clips that focus of the different parts of our language. For example, there is a video clip that looks at Q always going with U. This website could be used as a whole class activity or just as centers or individual exercises. This is also a great way to get the students using technology.

novel recommendation

2009-03-19T17:55:00.001-07:00

Main character twelve-year-old Catherine struggles to be a regular kid while dealing with an autistic younger brother in Rules by Cynthia Lord. Treated by her parents as an additional caregiver at times, Catherine creates rules for her brother as a means of hoping he'll appear more "normal" around her friends. While taking her brother to his therapy session, Catherine meets a boy who is in a wheelchair and uses a picture board to communicate. Their relationship moves from friendship to more in this touching story. Many other novels have focused on the special needs child, but Rules provides an excellent depiction of the life of the sibling of a special needs child. My twelve-year-old daughter and I both loved this book. It's a tear-jerker, so be prepared.

Reading Resource

2009-03-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

Looking for some resources to provide reading interventions in groups, individually, or as part of classroom centers? Getting Ready to Read by Jo Fitzpatrick contains FIFTY no or low cost phonemic awareness interventions leveled from easiest for children who are not yet reading whole words to most difficult for emergent readers who are mastering reading independently. Masters of all needed game pieces, cards, pictures, and materials are included in this book.

Draft Builder-technology assisted writing tool

2009-03-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

Draft Builder is a technology-based writing tool that assists students in grades 2-12 in planning, organizing, and draft building. This software breaks down the writing process into manageable, visual steps. In addition to the outlining, note taking, and drafting tools, the program contains over 50 templates for all types of writing from essays, to book reports, to research papers.

SOLO Writing Coach

2009-03-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

The SOLO Writing Coach is a comprehensive writing intervention program that consists of 64 scripted lessons in high-quality writing strategy instruction combined with SOLO technology for maximum results in increasing student achievement in writing. The SOLO Writing Coach is designed around the RTI (Response to Intervention) Model and comes with a comprehensive implementation guide to assist teachers and administrators with creating an RTI writing program that will provide interventions and assessments to monitor student progress. The SOLO Writing Coach program is ideal for individual student tutoring and working with groups who need specific skill instruction and is also a great addition to a summer school curriculum for students who struggle with written expression.

Write: OutLoud Talking Software

2009-03-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

Write: OutLoud is a talking word processor and software package designed for grade 3-12 that takes text-to-speech to a whole new level. This program provides auditory feedback to students as they write by reading letters, words, sentences, or a whole document as it is being typed. Other features include oral spelling and homonym checkers and a talking dictionary that provides student-friendly definitions. A neat feature is the bibliography wizard that will assist students who have used multiple sources to create an MLA or APA format bibliography.

Co:Writer Word Prediction Software

2009-03-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

Students who struggle with spelling, vocabulary, sentence structure, reading, or language deficits can improve both the quality and quantity of their writing, as well as increase their enjoyment of writing by using Co:Writer Word Prediction Software. Created by Don Johnston, Co:Writer is a word prediction tool that predicts the word a student in trying to type, even if the student spells the word incorrectly. Innovative features include an optional voice to read words aloud to students and a word predictor that offers grammatically correct options to students as they type sentences and paragraphs. I was impressed by the topic dictionaries; these are vocabulary specific lists that can be accessed by students who might otherwise search for words or key terms to include in a piece of writing. For example, a student might enter the topic of Martin Luther King, Jr. and immediately, a topic dictionary with words pertaining to the topic will appear on the side of the screen. It is also possible for students or teachers to create their own topic dictionaries by simply copying a page from a website of choice like Wikipedia and pasting it into a topic dictionary. Co:Writer will automatically pick out the nouns, adjectives, or verbs for a comprehensive vocab list that is content specific.

Smart Board Resources

2009-03-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

Teachers already using Smart Boards or those who are interested in how they can be utilized in the classroom are encouraged to visit the Smart Board training center for online sessions, 19 two- minute video tutorials and various printable materials. Topics include general instructions in the use of Smart Boards and other add on technologies like Smart Syn and the Senteo Student Response System.

Soundsnap- Guest Blogger Amanda

2009-03-04T16:18:00.001-08:00

Soundsnap.com is a site where you can download different sounds and put them in movies or PowerPoint's. This site is great for allowing students to incorporate sounds into their work. For instance if the students need to do a PowerPoint this is a great tool for incorporating sounds into the presentations. Teachers can also use this to enhance their lessons. Through the site you get 5 free downloads a month, after registering for the site. You can download either an MP3 or a wav. You can pay monthly, tri-monthly, every six months, or annually.

http://www.soundsnap.com/

TechMatrix

2009-03-04T07:31:00.001-08:00

TechMatrix is a tool to assist teachers in finding and selecting appropriate educational and assistive technology based on a student's needs. It's possible to search by subject or by needed learning supports; simply enter information about the student needs and TechMatrix will generate a customized list of possible products. Also included is a consumer guide and research studies which show the results these different products have produced in increasing student achievement.

Writeboard-Guest blogger Janessa

2009-03-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

Writeboard is a website that you can use to write, edit, share, and compare your work with others. All you have to do is write something in your email program or word processor. Then, using Writeboard, you can share your work with others for editing or collaboration. If, after editing, you decide you want to return to another version of your work, you simply click on the version you want to return to on the side panel. You can also compare two versions of your work by selecting two versions and clicking the "compare" button. This is a great website for students who are collaborating with others on a group paper.

http://www.writeboard.com.

Usborne Books-Guest Blogger Sarah

2009-02-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

Usborne Books is a website where you can purchase books. There are books for all ages and activities such as flashcards or puzzles. The flashcards are nice because they are heavy and can be wiped off in case they are spilled on. There are books for first learners that teach phonics. This site also has seasonal items along with products in foreign languages.
http://www.usbornebooks.com/

Students become authors at tikatok.com

2009-02-26T10:43:00.000-08:00

tikatok.com assists kids ages 5-14 in writing, illustrating, and publishing their own stories. Multiple prompts and ideas are available to assist students in generating ideas, or kids can bypass the prompts and make their own original creations. It's free to log on and create a book. Ordering printed copies of the books will cost about $15. The neatest thing about this site is that it takes kids through the layout of a book; what a great tool for generating interest in writing and teaching text features. It's also great for student artists because kids can upload their own artwork to feature in the books or choose from existing illustrations. Teachers can also create a free class password, which will allow their students to log on and for the teacher to monitor their work from the teacher dashboard.

Book ideas by grade level, Guest Blogger Jennifer

2009-02-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

Hedgehog books is a great tool when looking for a book to read to your class. It has the books listed according to grade level. It also has books listed by different type of book: example: science fiction, fiction, non-fiction. This is great when looking for a new variety of books. These books are all up to date and ones that students would love to read. You may also purchase books from here. Some teachers have also listed reviews on the books for you to read. There is also a section to ask a teacher, the top 10 books, series picks, and also a newsletter. Great site to look at. http://www.hedgehogbooks.com/

What's a Mimio?

2009-02-20T10:36:00.001-08:00

A Mimio is similar to interactive whiteboard, but Mimio's technology is housed in a compact bar that attaches easily to any whiteboard, converting it into a vibrant teaching medium. The mimio Interactive Stylus acts like a mouse, so you can manipulate anything on your computer screen right from the whiteboard. Just turn on your computer and your LCD projector, install the mimio Studio Software, and you are ready to go! Weighing under three pounds, the entire mimio system is easily carried from classroom to classroom. A Mimio is about half the price of a traditional interactive whiteboard, and educator pricing is available.

Case Studies-What do I do when a student . . . .?

2009-02-20T09:20:00.001-08:00

All Kinds of Minds is a site dedicated to providing information about various social, mental, physical, and behavioral conditions that can hinder effective classroom learning, with the goal of enabling parents and educators to identify and address these obstacles. The case studies outline a student's strengths, weaknesses, and affinities, but also provide ideas for management strategies for accommodating learning differences and providing interventions to assist students in achieving success. Case studies range from students with attention and communication issues, to reading, organization, math, and social behavior issues.

Stationery Studio-software to inspire and motivate young writers

2009-02-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

Software Studio provides K-5 students with over 200 designs, templates, and activities to assist them in getting their ideas onto the printed page. This award-winning, flexible program supports writing stories, reports, letters and countless other writing projects by hand and at the computer.

With easy to use tools and colorful graphics, featuring motivating art by award-winning children’s book author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds (illustrator of Judy Moody series, author/illustrator of The Dot, Ish), this program will inspire even the most reluctant writer of any age.

For free demo and to view sample activities, go to http://www.fablevision.com/stationerystudio/index.php Cost is about $70 for a single-user.

Eye-Fi- Guest blogger Rachelle

2009-02-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

http://www.eye.fi/ Eye-Fi with any camera that uses an SD memory card. Just insert the Eye-Fi card. Your camera is now wireless. Ready...to go take pictures. Later, when you arrive at home just turn on your computer and automatically save your photos to your computer. Effortlessly share your memories to your favorite photo website with Eye-Fi share and Eye-Fi Explore. No cables, cradles or hassles to save your pictures.

Scholastic "book" clubs

2009-02-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

Scholastic Corp. has recently come under fire for using its "vast, venerable network of school-based book clubs to market toys and other non-educational items such as video games and lipgloss." The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which is a national coalition of educators, health care professionals, and parents have launched a protest against Scholastic for marketing items other than books in their book club flyers.

As a teacher, I regularly handed out Scholastic book orders and enjoyed assisting students in selecting books they might like and ordering to add to my own classroom collection. Back in my day, (yes, I'm that old;)there weren't a lot of non-book items included in the order forms. As a parent of a 6th grader, I have seen the orders become more and more commercial with items like necklaces, erasers, and make your own doorbell kits. It's especially frustrating when books are packaged with such items. Kids may or may not be interested in the book, but if it come with a "prize," they might be more likely to purchase it-or ask parents to make the purchase. What do you think? Go to http://www.scholastic.com/ to look at book club selections.

The Downsiders, Guest Blogger, Reagan

2009-02-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

The Downsiders, by Neal Shusterman, is about a whole civilization that lives below New York City. All of their clothes and accessories are made from the garabage that makes it's way below the empiric NYC. You'll meet Talon, Gutta, and Railborn who are looking for "fallen Topsiders" to deliver to their superiors of the Downside. These "fallen Topsiders" are the poor and depressed of the city who feel like they have no other options but to die alone and without a fulfillment of life. The Downsiders believe that anyone above ground is corrupt and incompetent. But when Talon's younger sister becomes ill and he knows that Topsiders have advanced medicine, he must venture above ground to save his little sister's life. There he meets Lindsay, a victim of her parent's divorce who is also looking for a friend. Together they venture between worlds - both discovering something new. But when Lindsay's dad's construction business hits a snag that reveals part of the Downside, their blooming relationship (and all of the Downside) is in peril.

"Shusterman also uses their [Lindsay and Talon's] relationship to illustrate how much a particular culture both shapes our identity and affects how we view people from backgrounds other than our own. This call to look beneath the surface is cleverly and subtly woven through an original story with broad appeal." -- Jennifer Hubert from Amazon.com

Jing Project

2009-02-05T10:16:00.001-08:00

http://www.jingproject.com Jing Project is a free software download for both Macs and PCs. With Jing, you can capture screen shots, images, and record video. Users may also share their captures via the web, email, or IM. Jing is similar to Snagit software, but Jing is free.

Poll Everywhere

2009-02-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.polleverywhere.com/

Poll Everywhere is a site that can be used to take instant polls in classrooms. It's free, and all that's needed is the Internet and for every student to have a computer or cell phone for voting. It works without SMART boards or PROMETHEAN boards.

Why use Poll Everywhere?
Collect data while interacting with your audience
Poll Everywhere replaces expensive proprietary audience response hardware with standard web technology. It's the easiest way to gather live responses in any venue: conferences, presentations, classrooms, radio, tv, print — anywhere. It can help you to raise money by letting people pledge via text messaging. Its simplicity and flexibility are earning rave reviews.

Photo Gallery by Subject

2009-02-03T09:17:00.000-08:00

You've heard of Flickr, and you've heard of Google Earth, but have you heard of http://www.taggalaxy.com ? Taggalaxy is a mash up of Flickr and Google Earth. Simply enter a "tag" or topic into the text box and watch as your topic is broken down into subtopics. For example, if you entered the tag castles, subtopics like French castles, English castles, etc. will appear on satellites floating around your original tag. Click on any of the satellites and any Flickr photo thumbnails that match your tag will automatically appear on your satellite. Click on any photo to enlarge it. Note that since Flickr photos are constantly being updated, it's important to save any photos you might like to use in class to a PowerPoint, slide show, or voice thread. Use the photos for journal prompts, time lines, story starters-great possibilities.

Do you Twiddle?

2009-02-03T09:11:00.001-08:00

http://www.twiddla.com is a free, no set-up, web based meeting playground. Make America's most popular pastime - web surfing - a team sport. Browse websites in a shared, real-time whiteboard, while marking them up, sharing files, and chatting along. It's called co-browsing; all the cool kids are doing it. You can invite people to join by adding their email or simply giving them the URL of the twiddla site you get to by clicking "start a meeting."

Welcome Guest Bloggers

2009-01-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of the SPED 440 Assessing and Diagnosing Reading and Writing Difficulties class I am teaching this semester. These students will be guest blogging on reading assessments, interventions, and technology throughout the upcoming months. I hope you will enjoy their informative posts and get some ideas to incorporate into your classroom.

Online Graphic Organizer Tool

2009-01-27T07:48:00.000-08:00

Let the brainstorming begin with bubbl.us!

What is it? Bubbl.us is a simple and free web application that lets you brainstorm online.
Why use bubbl.us? Because you can: create colorful mind maps online, share and work with friends, embed your mind map in your blog or website , email and print your mind map, save your mind map as an image , and it's FREE!

Guest Blog Post-Clay Burrell

2009-01-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

Read Clay Burrell's blog about how to incorporate bloggging into the classroom. http://beyond-school.org/2007/11/17/from-the-classroom-blogging-doldrums-what-would-teacher-20-do/

Reading Interventions Website

2009-01-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.freereading.net is an open-source site for free reading interventions for k-3 students. Click on the activities for lessons on everything from phonological awareness to letter naming to reading passages based on the types of words your students know or need to work on. Type "intervention a" into the search bar to find up to 40 weeks of intervention lessons ready to go-select the ones that are appropriate for your students.

What kind of technology user are you?

2009-01-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

Where Do You Fit?
Do you cringe when your cell phone rings? Do you suffer from withdrawal when you can't check your Blackberry? Do you rush to post your vacation video to your Web site? The questions below allow you to place yourself in one of the categories in the Pew Internet Project's Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users. To identify the typology group to which you belong, please answer the questions below. When you press the 'Calculate My Results' button, a new page will tell you in which group you fit, along with a description of the general characteristics of that group. Take the quiz here http://www.pewinternet.org/quiz/quiz.asp

Free Online Promethean Foundations Skills course

2009-01-17T09:16:00.000-08:00

This course can be taken online and is a great introduction to Promethean Boards. You do not need to have a Promethean Board to this skills course.

Level 1 - Foundation Skills course - FREE These courses have been developed to introduce the main features of our Activprimary and Activstudio software. To enroll on one of these courses you first need to create a new account. If you already have an account click here.

Brain Pop-Where Have I Been?

2009-01-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

I'm wondering how many of you are already familiar with the Brain Pop website? I found it today while searching for some videos and lessons to use with Promethean Boards, and it is really neat! A subscription is needed, but they have many free videos, quizzes, and resources, and you can get a free trial as well.

BrainPOP creates animated, curriculum-based content that supports educators and engages students. Our award-winning online resources include BrainPOP, for grades 3 and up; BrainPOP Jr., for grades K-3; and BrainPOP Español. Our newest resource, BrainPOP Educators, features free tips, tools, and best practices by and for our teacher community. Ideal for both group and one-on-one settings, BrainPOP is used in numerous ways, from introducing a new lesson or topic to illustrating complex subject matter to reviewing before a test. Content is aligned to state standards and easily searchable with our online state standards tool. All products are fully compatible with PCs, Macs, projectors, and interactive whiteboards. No downloading, installation, or special hardware is required.

Teacher Tube-Video for Spanish Teachers

2009-01-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

I know you are loving Teacher Tube as much as I am! I have found that some schools' firewall will block You Tube, but often allows Teacher Tube. Check with your technology administrator for details about your school's firewall. In the meantime, check out these two teachers who have created an AWESOME video about conjugation done to the tune of Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back. You may not know who he is, but trust me, your students do! http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=de9da6da41723b5ab427&page=2&viewtype=&category=

70+ resources for tablet/laptop classroom

2009-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

Check out this article from Tech & Learning magazine http://www.techlearning.com/article/14480 for over 70 resources for teachers in tablet/laptop classrooms, including ideas for blogs, wikis, digital ink, managing technology, online homework assignments and more. Plus, this article is by a fellow South Dakotan-pretty cool.

Assistive Technology

2009-01-12T07:42:00.000-08:00

Teachers have always been required to meet the needs of diverse learners, and now more than ever, those students are being served more and more in the regular classroom. Using assistive technology is one strategy for providing differentiation. The Family Center on Technology and Disability http://www.fctd.info/ provides a great background on assistive technology in their fact sheets, which includes Assistive Tech 101, Assistive Tech and the IEP, and Assistive Tech Laws. Monthly newsletters and family guides for parents are also available in English and Spanish.

It's Science Fair Time!

2009-01-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

As the parent of a 6th grader, I am knee deep in a science fair project! Luckily this process started before Christmas, with the students having to get teacher approval for their ideas before the kids could get started. Our supplies have been gathered, a hypothesis formed, and the research has begun. For those of you who haven't started, or are still looking for an idea, go to Steve Spangler's science fair website http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/category/science-fair?utm_source=081231&utm_medium=homepage&utm_content=top25&utm_campaign=image for items that can be purchased or just a list of ideas for projects you might have all the materials for already. FYI-not sure what we learned from the Mentos is the 2 liter pop bottle, but it was a blast on a long winter afternoon! Try it and take a video-you'll be glad you did.

Teaching Social Interaction

2009-01-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

Teachers can recognize which students know how to interact appropriately with others and which don't, often within the first few days of the school year. LDonline, a comprehensive website with ideas for working with diverse learners, offers this article http://www.ldonline.org/article/21025 full of ideas for teaching social interaction with those students who struggle in the social and behavioral setting of the classroom.

ESL Lesson Plans and Class Activities

2009-01-06T19:19:00.000-08:00

Teachers of English as a Second Language (TESL) publishes a monthly EJ or electronic journal. This link http://iteslj.org/Lessons/ houses over 170 lesson plans and class activities complied from previous issues of the electronic journal. Included are ideas for getting the ESL students involved in classroom activities and groups, articles, and other resources all housed in one web page.

Resources for Tablet PC Users

2009-01-02T12:41:00.001-08:00

Teachers looking for new ideas for using their Tablet PCs in presenting content to students can check out http://www.tabletpcpost.com/ TabletPC Post is a directory of over 192 software downloads for use on tablet PCs. Read about the downloads, see them in action, and have access to reviews of each software.

Another presentation software is Classroom Presenter. This is a Tablet PC-based interaction system that supports the sharing of digital ink on slides between instructors and students. When used as a presentation tool, Classroom Presenter allows the integration of digital ink and electronical slides, making it possible to combine the advantages of whiteboard style and slide based presentation. The ability to link the instructor and student devices, and to send information back and forth provides a mechanism for introducing active learning into the classroom and creates additional feedback channels. Find it at http://classroompresenter.cs.washington.edu/

Podcasting- No iPod Necessary!

2008-12-30T12:16:00.001-08:00

Have you caught podcasting fever yet? Podcasting involves creating sound files that can be saved, sent, and published to a website or blog. Students and parents can listen to the podcasts through their computers or even save the files to listen on an MP3 player, iPod, or other listening device. A few classroom ideas for podcasts include weekly spelling lists, class notes, readings from text books or other literature-kids can listen at their own pace and replay as often as needed. Because podcasts are simply sound files, not images, teachers can have students create recordings to be published to the web safely-no pictures or names of students need to be included. For information about finding, subscribing, listening, or creating podcasts, click here http://learninginhand.com/podcasting/

Virtual Manipulatives in Math

2008-12-29T08:17:00.001-08:00

Teachers understand the power of using manipulatives to increase students' understanding of abstract math concepts, but at times cost and storage issues may prevent the use of manipulatives. A new idea is to use virtual manipulatives, which are defined as interactive web-based visual representations. The power behind these manipulatives is their level of interaction and their manipulability. Of course a computer is needed, but many free websites offer a variety of virtual manipulatives. Check out this article for at least 10 ideas/sites http://www.techlearning.com/article/14468

Interactive Math, Science, English site

2008-12-22T13:58:00.001-08:00

The BBC (British Broadcasting Company) has great programming and also supports an educational website, which hosts interactive math, science, and English games and activities. Try the science activities for interactive learning, which can immediately be followed by brief online quizzes over the activities just completed. Activities included target about third grade and up (including adults-I had a great time quizzing myself on lots of English and science facts!). Click to check it out http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/

Digital Readers

2008-12-22T13:20:00.000-08:00

E-books are textual documents that have been converted in an electronic format and are displayed on e-book readers (like Amazon's Kindle), computers, or other mobile devices like calculators, cell phones, and MP3 players. One of the most unique features of e-books are their size, or lack of it. Students and teachers can access e-books anywhere without carrying heavy books back and forth or dealing with the problem of forgetting materials at home or school. There are lots of sites with free e-books; I like http://www.tumblebooks.com/ Sign up for a free account to get started. The Tumble Readables have a variety of choices for different age levels and interests. Students can read along as the text is highlighted or choose to turn up the audio and have the book read to them; bookmarks can be used to keep their place if students can't finish the book in one sitting. Fonts can also be increased if needed. Not only are Tumble Readables convenient, but also great for students who need assistance with reading fluency or would like to have the same passages read to them more than once to assist with comprehension.

Computer Lab Teacher's Survival Guide

2008-12-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

Looking for complete units to use with your K-6 students in the computer lab? The Computer Lab Teacher's Survival Guide found here for around $25 http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Lab-Teachers-Survival-Guide/dp/1564841782 includes units on computer basics, keyboarding, technology ethics, real-world solutions, Internet research, telecommunications, multimedia presentations, graphs, and how a computer works. Each lesson includes tips for both independent and guided practice, extension and remediation activities, as well as accommodations and ideas for assessing each lesson. Published by the International Society for Technology Education (ISTE), these units align to the National Educational Technology Standards which are the basis for our SD Educational Technology Standards.

Project-Based Learning: A 21st Century Skill

2008-12-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

Project-Based Learning provides students with real-world experiences through activities like simulations and case studies and can increase student motivation. Incorporating project-based learning can eliminate the "When am I ever going to use this?" question because the projects are mirrored after real life situations and allow the students to immediately apply their knowledge and engage in higher-level thinking. For videos, ideas, and possible projects, click on http://www.edutopia.org/project-learning

Google Docs

2008-12-13T09:03:00.001-08:00

I've heard people talk about using google docs, but didn't know what they were, so I did some research. What a neat tool for sharing documents, especially those that need multiple editors! Google docs is a way to post a document on the Internet and allow the users of your choice to have access to the document, spreadsheet, PowerPoint, etc. for editing purposes. This eliminates attaching a document in an email, allowing others to make changes and saving the doc on their computer, and then sending the new version to you or all the others involved. This way everybody sees the changes as they are made, making collaboration easier and more efficient. All you need is a computer with Internet access and a free Google account. This video has a description and brief instructions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA

ePals

2008-12-11T08:56:00.001-08:00

Imagine your students interacting with classrooms across the globe and participating in projects with students from other countries. Providing these collaborative experiences to our students in SD is easier than you think. ePals is a free service that allows you to safely connect your students with other classrooms. Teachers can ask to be matched with other grade level or content alike classrooms or students, allow their students to create and participate in blogs, write to penpals, and collaborate on projects all within the epals website. Visit http://www.epals.com to learn more about this free opportunity.

RSS Feeders

2008-12-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

What the heck is RSS? An RSS feeder allows the Internet to find the content for you rather than you searching for content. Here's how it works. . . Users create a "reader" through Google or other site, then users subscribe to the sites of their choice. Your reader regularly checks your subscribed feeds for new work, downloads, and updates and posts it to your homepage. Rather than you searching your favorite sites for content, any new content will be posted automatically to your homepage, putting everything in one place. Check out this video for a brief tutorial on getting started with RSS feeds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU

21st Century Skills

2008-12-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

Almost a year ago, Governor Rounds signed on to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills project, joining SD with 10 other states to work towards the goal of implementing 21st Century Skills into SD schools. So, what are 21st Century Skills? These skills include learning and innovation; information, media, and technology; life and career skills; core subjects; global awareness; and financial and economic literacy, to name some of the skills in the list. As you can see, computers are only part of 21st Century Skills, which focus on assisting students in being knowledgeable and productive citizens and consumers in a technologically advanced and changing environment. Go to http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/ to find out more about 21st Century Skills, the partnership, and ideas for teaching and assessing the skills.

Revisit an old favorite-PBS

2008-12-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

I have always enjoyed the programming on PBS; for pure entertainment, I love the British comedies. As a teacher, I utilized many PBS programs to bring real-life events to my students and to generate both discussion and writing, and was happy to find my local library had a good selection of PBS programming and guides available for checkout if I missed taping a show. Now PBS offers teacher resources via a website http://www.pbs.org/teachers/ One of my favorite features is the subject area search. Simply click on one of the subject areas, select a grade level and specific topic area to bring up a list of lessons. These lessons include a comprehensive description, so it's easy to see right away if it will include what you want without wasting time reading through additional pages. Also included are websites, books, and other resources that enhance the lesson. Not all lessons are based on PBS programming, so DVDs, etc. are not required.

Assessing Technology in SD

2008-12-05T18:40:00.001-08:00

In spring 2009, all eighth graders in SD will participate in a mandatory assessment based on their proficiency on educational technology standards. This online assessment is not hardware or software based, but emphasizes the educational technology standards that were adopted almost two ago, which include informational literacy, digital citizenship, and appropriate technology use. For more information on the assessment and standards, as well as a sample online assessment, read the article found here http://doe.sd.gov/educationonline/2008/December/art_article5.asp from the DOE Education Online.

Tech Learning Magazine online

2008-12-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

Want a resource for teacher-friendly articles and information about technology? If you have a spare minute or two, browse through Tech Learning magazine online http://www.techlearning.com/index.php I especially like the tech guy question feature, as they are short, easy to understand, and make learning about technology fun, even for a tech newbie like me!

Writing Strategies for Middle and High School Teachers

2008-12-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

Writers' Workshop, writing in the content areas, revising, editing, which type of writing instruction has been proven to have the greatest impact on student achievement in writing? This document http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/COI%20SPED%20synopsis1.pdf from the Center on Instruction is a meta-analysis, or compilation of years of studies on which types of writing instruction are most (or least) effective for student achievement. The authors reviewed scientifically-based research and list 11 strategies in order from greatest effect to least effect. Of particular interest to me was what the research shows about stand alone grammar instruction, meaning done independently of student writing, as in, stand alone grammar exercises from textbooks, workbooks, or worksheets. Hopefully, this article will reinforce what you are already doing and give you some ideas of strategies to incorporate into your classroom.

50 Web Tools for Digital Storytelling

2008-12-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

I know you've heard of PhotoStory, but did you know there are more than 50 other web-based tools you can use for digital storytelling? Check out this wiki http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/StoryTools by Alan Levine; he not only provides links and directions for each of the tools, but has also used all of the tools to create versions of the same story about his dog to give users a great visual of how each tool differs and ideas for their uses. Other visitors to his wiki have also uploaded examples of their work under each tool.

Think of the slide shows and other uses your students can come up with using these tools-timelines for historical events, sequences of science projects, novel summations, bring their own writing to life. . . Kids will be excited about the opportunities available through these digital storytelling tools.

Spanish Language and Culture resource

2008-12-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

Buenos Dias! This website http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/index.php has everything a Spanish teacher needs to offer online enrichment lessons on culture, language, conjugation, you name it. The culture study modules include videos, songs, and grammar and language lessons that students can do independently or in groups. I think one of the best features is the interactive "assignments" that students can complete and submit online and are immediately scored for instant feedback and correction.

Thinking back to my 12 years of teaching Spanish, this would have been a welcome resource to use on days when I was absent, but still wanted the kids to something with Spanish even though the sub would not be able to lead a lesson in Spanish. It would also be a great tool for classrooms with laptops for each student; kids could utilize this site when they are done with tests or other work.

Intervention Website Three-Reading

2008-11-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

You've done both formative and summative reading assessments with your students and identified their areas of need, now what do you do? For a comprehensive list of reading interventions, visit the Florida Center for Reading Research website at http://fcrr.org

Look for the Student Center Activities and browse through hundreds and hundreds of interventions and lessons complete with all needed printable materials for everything from fluency to letter recognition, to improving comprehension when reading nonfiction and literary elements such as characterization, plot elements, and everything in between.

Ideal for individual centers, partner work, small groups, or whole class instruction, these research-based strategies are easy to use immediately-no additional fancy materials needed.

What is SBR?

2008-11-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

SBR, or scientifically-based research, is a term used often in education. Districts, schools, and teachers should be using it; SD district accreditation plans, school improvement plans, and consolidated applications should reference it; and students should be experiencing it. But, what is it? Simply put, instructional strategies and teaching materials that are based on SBR have been proven through research studies to be effective in increasing student achievement. For examples and ideas of SBR, visit the website for the Center on Instruction found at http://www.centeroninstruction.org/index.cfm The work of Center on Instruction is focused on the areas of reading, math, science, special education, and English Language Learners, and provides SBR ideas for those content areas and populations.

Making Science Fun!

2008-11-29T06:29:00.000-08:00

If I were able to go back in time, I think I would have changed my major to science! I did get to teach 7th grade science for one year back in the olden days before things like Highly Qualified status and Praxis tests, and I had so much fun doing experiments and building and discovering things with the kids. Steve Spangler is the guru of making science interactive, and above all fun. His blog http://www.stevespangler.com/ is filled with experiments, ideas, and videos which can be shown to students or simply used to give teachers ideas. Since it is time to think about shopping for holiday gifts, his latest blog entry gives 25 ideas for FUN educational gifts, including a "magic wand" which actually works through static electricity. Very cool-I want one.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T16:12:00.001-08:00

I promised I would blog every day, and one topic I promised to blog about was technology. The technology in today's blog is . . . the crockpot! My favorite fun blog is called A Year of Crockpotting found at this link http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ The author decided to use her crockpot every day for one year and blog about it. Each day she posts her recipe, pictures, and comments from family and friends about how the recipes turned out. It's fun to see how creative a person can get with a crockpot, and the recipes I have tried have been delicious. Recipes for non-food items like candles and other craft items are also included. Hopefully the cooking portion of your Thanksgiving is over by now, but you can always refer to this blog for ideas on using your leftover turkey. Happy crockpotting!

What's on the DakotaSTEP?

2008-11-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

Educators in South Dakota are well-versed in content standards-we're involved in writing them, revising them, mapping them, and teaching them. Teachers are also well aware that standards are assessed both formatively in the classroom, but also summatively on the DakotaSTEP test. I'm often asked what will be assessed on the DSTEP, and instead of just referring teachers to standards, I often refer them the the test blueprints found here http://doe.sd.gov/octa/assessment/dakSTEP/index.asp Just scroll down to the 2009 STEP section and you will find the blueprints for math, reading, and science.

The blueprints tell you not only what indicators will be assessed, but also which standards WILL and WILL NOT appear on the 2009 DSTEP, and how many questions per standard and strand. For example, in every grade level math test, algebra has the most questions with the measurement strand having the least questions. Reading and science follow the same protocol, with some strands heavily assessed and some with very few questions. Having the DSTEP blueprints will not solve every problem, but might provide teachers with more information about how to align curriculum as needed.

Writing in the Content Areas-math

2008-11-25T03:51:00.000-08:00

Incorporating writing in the content areas is a great avenue to increase higher level thinking skills in your students and allow you as the teacher to do a quick check for understanding. Having them write just a few sentences can really highlight what concepts students have mastered and which concepts need more attention. Imagine asking your students to write out the steps to a math problem or explaining in writing how they came to the answer or how they know it is correct. Allowing them to share what they wrote with each other is also a great way to encourage peer assistance; it seems there is always a kid or two who can explain things in a way that reaches the kids who struggle.

I recently found a blog called "Let's Play Math!" which is all about using games, reading, writing, and challenging activities in K-12 math. This entry deals specifically with writing in the math class http://letsplaymath.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/writing-to-learn-math-ii/#more-1869
The author gives math journal prompts, ideas for math poetry, essays, word plays, etc.
Happy writing!

Assessment Questions-Free of Charge

2008-11-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

We are all certainly familiar with the Dakota STEP test, but what do you know about the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP? The NAEP assesses what the average 4th, 8th, or 12th grader in the United States should be able to know and do. The NAEP is given across the nation to compare achievement in states and to track changes over time in grades 4, 8, and 12 in math, reading, writing, science, history, etc. If you teach grades 4, 8, or 12, you may have had some or all of your students included in a test sample. NAEP hires its own assessment teams to plan, administer, and ship the tests at no cost to the state or school districts. How do the NAEP and the DSTEP compare? The NAEP has higher cut scores, meaning it is more difficult to score proficient on the NAEP than it is on the DSTEP. Even though, SD students generally continue to do well on the NAEP. Our DSTEP and NAEP reading scores are fairly similar, but there is a larger gap between our NAEP and DSTEP math scores. Want to see some sample test questions? http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/itmrls/

The questions tool allows you to select grade, content area, and the year from which the question was used. (Reading questions also have the reading passages, and the writing prompts have samples of student writing)

Want to play your own version of "Are you Smarter Than a 4th, 8th, or 12th Grader?" Click the test yourself icon to take a short sample test and have it immediately scored and compare your results with how kids across the nation responded to the questions. Try using the questions to assist with teaching test-taking skills or project the site for whole class involvement.

Intervention Website Two

2008-11-23T18:24:00.000-08:00

Probably the best part of my job is being able to visit so many wonderful schools, teachers, and classrooms. I usually go with the intent to share some ideas at the request of a teacher or administrator, but I always come away with so many great ideas from them! I was recently at Huron Middle School and saw intervention wheels hanging in many of the classrooms and teacher planning areas.

These intervention wheels come from a Texas company called http://www.mentoringminds.com/ Mentoring Minds has a variety of products for grades K-8 (but they could certainly be used at the high school level) for interventions and teaching materials in most content areas. What caught my eye about the wheels was their similarity to the EZ grader I used to use-just slide the card over to show what the student's percentage would be based on the total number of questions and the number right. Turn the intervention wheel to a new intervention to try, document its success or failure over time, turn the wheel and try another one. The wheels are about $9.00. Check out their online newsletter and other products.

P.S. I do not work for this company, but after seeing their products in use at a school, wanted to share the resource with you.

Intervention Website One

2008-11-23T18:01:00.000-08:00

As we use more formative classroom assessments to find out what our students know now compared to what they need to know, we search for ideas to assist us in closing the gap. One great website I found is http://www.interventioncentral.org Website author Jim Wright is a school psychologist who offers downloads, lesson ideas, short movies, and articles on everything from several printable behavior contracts to intervention ideas on reading fluency, math, motivation, you name it. Check out the peer reading/tutoring manuals for ideas and directions on implementing this strategy into your classroom.

Three great things about this website: Jim keeps it updated with new information all the time, everything is free, and all ideas are applicable to k-12 learners with or without diverse needs.

Welcome to the blog of ESA 4 in South Dakota!

2008-11-23T17:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my first day as a blogger. I have decided to start blogging as both a means to share ideas with the teachers of Region 4 and to create a personalized opportunity for me to learn more about technology and 21st century skills. Check back each day for a new blog with ideas about curriculum, assessment, teaching, professional development, technology, and education updates from ESA 4 and the SD Department of Education.