Joani's Tech Tips

This gathering of educators interested in the effective integration of technology in education is always filled with keynote speakers and conference sessions that push me professionally to always think out of the box! This year’s conference planning committee did not let me down. The three speakers I gained the most information from were Gail Lovely, Leslie Fisher and Clif Mims. In addition I obtained great information from Bethany Smith on how to create a Ning and customize it to meet the needs of teachers in my schools to discuss issues in a private forum.
Fun is what you think of when attending anything presented by Leslie Fisher. If you are a technical gadget geek like me, it is a must to listen to Leslie. She always is on the cutting edge of new gadgets. One of the gadgets she recommended using is a “card reader” that quickly and efficiently downloads digital images from your camera to a computer. It was empowering to hear her include this piece of technology. For those of you who still use the download cable that was provided with your point and shoot, you will find a card reader a worthwhile investment. If you love capturing digital video and are interested in an alternative to the Flip cam, you may want to give Sony’s bloggie a try.

Last but not least, some of the Roanoke County Schools Tech. Resource Team Meg Swecker, Tina Coffey, Holly Ireland, Courtney Jones and I presented a session on geocaching. You can now view and download all of the geocaching activities that have been created and collected by visiting the following site:
http://geocache.itrtblog.com/

The weather is getting nicer again. Please contact me if you are interested in scheduling a geocaching activity for your students. This is a great resource to get your students physically engaged during instruction!

Classroom blogging just got easier with KidBlogs. The user interface is quite easy and clean for teachers to use and create student accounts without email accounts. This a very simplified form of blogging. You might want to check it out. Oh and the best news is it is FREE!

http://kidblog.org

Another cool website for teachers and students is WallWisher. This is a site that allows teachers to create a wall and post a question. Students can then respond anonymously by creating a sticky note that allows them to write but limits their answers to 150 characters of text. Teachers can choose to moderate student responses before they are officially posted.

When using both of these venues, I would recommend not using the students’ real names in order to protect their privacy. Also, communicating with parents before beginning any student blogging projects is the very first step.

Have fun reading and responding!

There is a distinct change in the feel of the air and temperatures. A change of season is on its way regardless of whether the inhabitants of this planet welcome it. With this change, begins a new school year. Even though some of us regret the departure of hot, humid weather, we welcome the opportunities a new school year provides.

I am truly excited about this new school year. I am currently still serving three elementary schools, Mountain View Elementary (home school), Fort Lewis Elementary and W. E. Cundiff Elementary. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with the teachers and students at each of these schools.

If you are interested in viewing my schedule, please click on the “schedule” tab at the top of this page. If you are a teacher at one of my schools and would like to make an appointment with me to plan and schedule collaborative lessons, please email me at jsotherden@rcs.k12.va.us.

This blog is a work in progress. Please checkback often for updates on links and helpful hints.
In this period of economic stress..
Technology can become a vital tool for use at school and home. Let’s all remember to talk about being safe on the Internet with our students and children. There are lots of educational opportunities available but we all need to assist the students in remembering:
1 – Never talk to strangers in person or on the Internet.
2 – Tell a TRUSTED adult, if something or someone makes them feel scared or confused in person or while on the Internet.
Let’s all have an exciting but SAFE school year.
Joani S.