www.frontoftherim.net
I created my first website several years ago in a graduate class at Aquinas. This past summer we had our desktop tower worked on, and I lost the settings to my original web page. I created this new site using Weebly, which I had heard about from someone at school. I like the site better than what I had been using because I wasn't able to make changes to my site from a remote location, like my classroom. Now, depending on how busy the server is, I can make instant changes at school or anywhere else. I like being able to make those instant changes. There are many things that I like about Weebly, for instance, I like the assignment upload page and being able put videos or screen casts right on the page. I have a smart board at school, and I put a screen cast lesson on my site that is very accessible for all of my students and parents. There are also some things that I would like to see improved as well. I find it hard to upload an entire document like I should be able to do. I found that I lost some of my editing when I tried this feature. I am not sure if I will stay w/Weebly or if I will try something else next year, but for now I like the site.
B. Sack
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Thing 1 - Diigo
http://www.diigo.com/user/bsack13
I visit many sites throughout the day looking for science information, experiments and videos. I have bookmarked many sites on all of the computers that I use throughout the day, which in any one day could be 3-4 different computers. I had been copying url's and emailing them to myself when I found something that I wanted to share another time on another computer. Diigo or any other online bookmarking site will be much easier and more practical to use.
I visit many sites throughout the day looking for science information, experiments and videos. I have bookmarked many sites on all of the computers that I use throughout the day, which in any one day could be 3-4 different computers. I had been copying url's and emailing them to myself when I found something that I wanted to share another time on another computer. Diigo or any other online bookmarking site will be much easier and more practical to use.
Thing 1 - Shortcuts
http://screencast.com/t/pwRiQqDmzhk
I am not sure if I did this correctly, uploading what I captured in Jing. I was not able to click on the video that I had hyperlinked to the study guide that I had created for 8th grade science. I did use the ctrl k shortcut to link the video, and I had copied and pasted, using the control keys, the target information and new vocab words from curriculum crafter when I was creating the study guide. I was already familiar w/the short cut keys for copying and pasting and the select all. I use these keys frequently. The short cut keys allow me to be a little more efficient when typing and creating documents for school. I do not have to use the drop down menus to make my selections when editing documents.
B. Sack
I am not sure if I did this correctly, uploading what I captured in Jing. I was not able to click on the video that I had hyperlinked to the study guide that I had created for 8th grade science. I did use the ctrl k shortcut to link the video, and I had copied and pasted, using the control keys, the target information and new vocab words from curriculum crafter when I was creating the study guide. I was already familiar w/the short cut keys for copying and pasting and the select all. I use these keys frequently. The short cut keys allow me to be a little more efficient when typing and creating documents for school. I do not have to use the drop down menus to make my selections when editing documents.
B. Sack
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
2nd Post
I am not sure what makes a good blog at this point since I am not sure that I have truly seen a good blog. I have looked over many different blogs, mostly as they are related to science, since I teach middle school science. I notice more things that I don't like about blogs and that is that they are too opionated In watching the video it talks about how basically everyone is a "news reporter" (my words, not sure that is what they said in the video) which means anyone can write and "report" on just about anything. So I guess to answer the question, "what makes a good blog", I think a good blog sticks to the facts and is short and to the point.
In saying that, I am interested in how I could use blogs to enhance my classroom. I have had a blog through wordpress before, and I didn't maintain it all. I made a few posts and a few students repsonded, but I don't think it really enhanced the classroom. I have seen blogs used basically as a diary or summary of weekly happenings in a classroom and I am not sure that is what I want to use it for. I already send out a weekly "shoutout" to all the parents about upcoming assignments and important information for the coming week(s). In science a blog could be used by the students in publishing observations and results from on going experiments and investigations w/their class and the "worldwide classroom". Using blogs as a component of problem based learning assignment could be useful for the students in collecting and sharing data and results.
I think blogs are an easy way to self publish, because anyone can set up an account. I do have glogsters accounts setup for my students as well and that is another way of self publishing.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
21 Things – Getting Started
I want to learn how to keep up w/middle schoolers in the digital age. As our principal says, when our kids come to school they "power down"; meaning that they are using less technology at school then they do at home. I want to learn the skills to help them advance their skills and become problem solvers of the 21st century.
B. Sack
B. Sack
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