Create Your Own Class Web Page in Just a Few Easy Steps!

Have you ever wanted to create a web page for your class but don't have the right software or skills to do it? Well, all that is changing now! You can create a blog or wiki for free and they are super easy to use. It is a live URL (web page that you can share with parents, students, staff, etc) that you can update as often as you like. You don't need any special software to create the page, just internet access and a computer. Blogs and wikis are easy to edit too. Basically, if you can edit a Word document then you can edit a blog and/or a wiki too.

Blogs

Blog is short for 'web log'. It works as an on-line journal. Blogs can have many classroom uses. Typically, a blog is started by one person (a teacher posts a question to students or writes a paragraph to read) and others can post comments about the question/information. You can add pictures, files, widgets and links too! Here are just a few classroom examples:
o To post materials/resources for parents and students
o Create a class website
o Share student work/ group projects
o Post writing prompts
o Literature circle: student comments, observations, connections, predictions
o There are unlimited possibilities!!!

Check out these examples of Blogs in the Ross District:
http://eldamusic.blogspot.com/
http://trishtechnews.blogspot.com/
http://eldaartblog.blogspot.com/
http://mrsgriffith.edublogs.org/

Wikis

A wiki is a website that you can create or edit without any special technical knowledge, tools or software. Editing a wiki is very much like editing a Word document. The end result is a web page that you can share with other staff, students and/or parents. You can set the privacy settings on wikis to let others change and edit content (great for group projects and working with other staff) or lock it down so only the creator can change information. This use would be more like a 'traditional' website that others can visit and view.

Wikis are great for sharing/organizing information, web quests, posting study guides/homework, classroom resources, links to other sites, etc. You can add pages, links, pictures, widgets, content and more!

Here are a few ides of how to use wikis from: http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/wikiideas1.cfm

• An elementary class “encyclopedia” on a special topic, such as explorers or state history – to be continued and added to each year!
• Post new spelling or vocabulary words each week
  
• Family Twaditionwiki- elementary students share their family’s ways of preparing Thanksgiving dinner or celebrating birthdays (anonymously, of course) and compare them to practices in other cultures they read and learn about.
• An annotated virtual library: listings and commentary on independent reading students have done throughout the year
• Collaborative book reviews or author studies
  
• A virtual tour of your school as you study “our community” in elementary grades
• A travelogue from a field trip or NON- field trip that the class would have liked to take as A culmination of a unit of study: Our (non) trip to the Capital and what we (wish) we saw.
• Detailed and illustrated descriptions of scientific or governmental processes: how a bill becomes a law, how mountains form, etc.
• A wiki “fan club” for you favorite author(s).
  
• A Where is Wanda wiki: a wiki version of the ever-favorite Flat Stanley project. Have each Wanda host post on the wiki, including the picture they take with Wanda during her visit. Even better: keep an ongoing Google Earth placemarker file to add geographic visuals to Wanda’s wonderful wanderings as a link in the wiki. WOW! Where in the world IS Wiki Wanda?

The link below is a fantastic resource for educational wikis. The site contains background information wikis as well as many ideas for classroom integration through multiple subjects and grade levels. Check it out!
http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/

Personally, I use Blogspot for blogs and Wikispaces for wikis. However, there are many great sites offering free space to create blogs and wikis. Wikispaces offers free educator accounts that restrict advertisements. I have found both Blogspot and Wikisipaces very easy to use. To create your own accounts visit the sites, check out my wiki (linked below) for handouts (created for Blogspot and Wikispaces) or contact me for help!

http://triciakluener.wikispaces.com/Hand+Outs

Good luck!

Welcome Back! Great News for EasyTech and Other Updates!

What's New?

EasyTech:
EasyTech will have a new feature this fall. Students will now be able to save their progress through the interactive lessons! They will be able to 'bookmark' their spots and pick up where they left off in a lesson instead of starting all the way at the begining! The scheduled date for 'bookmarking' lessons to be available is currently October.

We also updated the Classroom and Media pacing calendars (list of lessons) for the EasyTech curriculum. Most of the changes are due to new/updated lessons replacing the outdated ones along with removing some of the review lessons in specific grade levels. The other changes deal with the 'Technology Mastery Grid' that will be implemented this year. If you are wondering what that is and think you missed something, read on! It's new! You haven't missed a thing!

Check your email for a list of updated EasyTech assignments for your grade level.

Technology Mastery Grid:
The grid lists out specific skills for each software program and grade level. The district tech team wants to make sure that all students are learning software skills. It creates a base level skill set that each student should have by the end of each grade level. It will also help the teachers know what skills the students should have when they enter each grade level.

There are 4 levels students will work through from grades K-5:
Introduce
Learn
Proficient
Reinforce
Each level has different skills associated with them depending on the software program and grade level. Software programs covered in the grid include: Word (grades 1-5), Power Point (grades 2-5), Excel (grades 3-5), and Web Browsing (grades 2-5), A/R, EasyTech and Pro-Ohio.

Hopefully everyone had a great summer and is refreshed for the new year. The student data base for EasyTech is up and ready to go. If you need help adding your students to your class or updating your lessons please let me know! I am happy to help!

Technology Updates for Next Year

There are a few updates and improvements in store for the technology use in Morgan and Elda for the 09-10 school year. Some of the details are still being worked out, but here is what we know so far:

EasyTech:
EasyTech will have a new feature this fall. Students will now be able to save their progress through the interactive lessons! They will be able to 'bookmark' their spots and pick up where they left off in a lesson instead of starting all the way at the begining!

We will also be updating the Classroom and Media pacing calendars (list of lessons) for the EasyTech curriculum. Most of the changes are due to new/updated lessons replacing the outdated ones along with removing some of the review lessons in specific grade levels. The other changes deal with the 'Technology Mastery Grid' that will be implemented next year. If you are wondering what that is and think you missed something, read on! It's new! You haven't missed a thing!

Technology Mastery Grid:
The grid lists out specific skills for each software program and grade level. The district tech team wants to make sure that all students are learning software skills. It creates a base level skill set that each student should have by the end of each grade level. It will also help the teachers know what skills the students should have when they enter each grade level.

There are 4 levels students will work through from grades K-5:
Introduce
Learn
Proficient
Reinforce
Each level will have different skills associated with them depending on the software program and grade level. Software programs covered in the grid include: A/R, EasyTech, Word (grades 1-5), Power Point (grades 2-5), Excel (grades 3-5), and Web Browsing (grades 2-5).

Professional Development-August 17, 18 (Possibly 19th)
Ross will offer Technology Professional Development this summer to get ready for next year. The sessions will cover a variety of subjects for all grade levels. Keep an eye out for the 'save the date' email listing the available sessions.

Tips from the editor:
Keep and eye out for the Excel classes! There will be beginner and intermediate sessions. Excel is a fantastic program for teachers to stay organized at school and in personal lives. The skills will also come in handy for the Technology Mastery Grid for grades 3-5. :)

Also, keep in mind that your 'Technology Integration Specialist' will be out of commission from sometime in October until probably sometime in December/early January due to a new arrival! The summer sessions are the perfect opportunity to get all of your ducks in a row for tech use during the 09-10 school year!

As always, let me know if you have any questions!

Have a great summer!

Coming Soon: Elda Art Blog!

Elda has another teacher on board to create a classroom blog! Patricia Kerr, Elda's Art teacher has just started her own Art blog! She was inspired by the other blogs in the building and district (Stacy Strawser's 'Elda Elementary Music Blog', my 'Ross Elementary Tech News' and Mr. Yohey's 'Ross Ramblings' blogs). I worked with Pat yesterday to set up her account. She has already added pictures and is writing about the great projects her students have created!

Blogs are a great way to keep others informed. Whether you are a teacher and want to keep staff and/or parents updated or use them for social purposes to keep friends and family updated they serve as a great communication tool! Teachers can also use them with students for writing assignments as well. I know Mrs. Strawser's students love reading the Music blog and seeing themselves in the pictures! They seem to always be asking their parents to check it out too! I'm sure Pat's Art blog will be just as popular! If you are interested in setting one up, there is no better time then this summer. You can update them as much or as little as you want and take your time to get a feel for what you want to say.

There are many free websites you can use to set up your own blog. The preferred site in Ross seems to be Blogspot or Blogger.com (same site). This is the site I use and I really like it. It is user friendly and provides several options to customize your page. You can keep your blog as basic and easy as you want through pre-created templates and layouts or add your own to personalize it! To set up your own account, go to:

www.blogger.com

You will need a valid email address and be asked to create a password. The website will walk you through the steps to set up your own account and blog. If you have any questions, I am happy to help! Good luck!

Breaking the Code: Switching Between Macs and PCs

Which one is better? A PC or a Mac? Well, I think that answer will vary depending on who you ask and what you are using your computer for. They are both great products and have strengths in different areas. So, what is the answer? If you ask me, I say just learn to use both! This can be tricky if you are already used to one platform. However, with the right tips you can easily learn to navigate both types of machines. I have broken down a few features and functions that I have found to be very helpful when switching between a PC and Mac...or a Mac and PC. The list below will help you get navigate and find what you need if you are already familiar with one type of computer.

For a printable version in Microsoft Word, click the link below:
http://triciakluener.wikispaces.com/Hand+Outs

Video-Conference at Morgan

We had our first video-conference at Morgan this week! Ms. Tara Smith and her 3rd grade students were able to communicate on-line with Nik Scheffler through Skype (video-conferencing software). It went really well! Several students had questions about how it worked and what we were actually doing. It was a great opportunity to talk about communicating on-line and current technology! We used a laptop in the classroom this week and plan to use a computer in the Media Center with a web camera for future conferences.

Ms. Smith tutors Nik at home to keep him caught up on all of his school work. Nik's classmates have been divided into groups called literacy circles to read books and discuss them. Up until now, Nik has not been able to participate and discuss the books with his classmates. That is about to change! Ms. Smith's idea is to be able to include Nik in the literacy circle discussions for the remainder of the year. I will be downloading Skype on a computer in the Media Center next week and working with Tara to get her own account set up. She will be able to send Nik's literacy group down during the group discussion times so they can video-conference with Nik about the current book they are reading.

Nik and his classmates are really excited to see more of each other and work together in the literacy groups! I am sure this will go well and lead to more opportunities to include students who are unable to be in the school buildings.

For more information on how this works, check out an older post: 'Video Conferencing In the Classroom'. You could also Google search video-conference software or go to:
www.skype.com

Aha! Math Software for Everyday Math

The teachers and students at Elda have been fortunate in getting a trial account to use software called Aha! Math. The software was created by the same company who produced EasyTech. EasyTech is web-based software that provides standards-based tutorials, interactive lessons and activities for teachers and students to learn technology skills. Aha! Math uses the same teacher management system, however is based around Math standards. The version we are currently using is designed to work with the Everyday Math program that has already been implemented into the Math curriculum. Like EasyTech, it is also web-based and interactive. Students really seem to enjoy (and of course learn from) using the Math software. It has instruction modules that will explain the concepts to students and "re-teach" the concepts. It also has lessons, which are interactive and will teach students concepts along with helping them actually work out problems. Once they are comfortable with a skill, they move on to learning games. These are not regular games! They incorporate problem-solving skills, practice time for students, and increase in difficulty as students get correct answers. Students accumulate points as they progress through the games and higher levels. The software will also provide immediate feedback if the child needs more explanation. Once the students have had time to practice they move on to a quiz over what they have learned. It is a great way for teachers to track progress!

The software targets students in grades K-5. The feedback from Elda teachers and students has been fantastic! The software really works well for differentiated instruction. Students who need more help can work through the tutorials on their own or at home with parents, then practice the skills. The software also provides opportunity for students to move ahead if they need more of a challenge. This happens by increasing the difficulty level of the games or moving on to new concepts assigned by the teachers but not covered in the classroom yet. Teachers have complete control over what the students are working on and assigned. They can also run grade book reports to see how the students are performing. The students will even have access to the software over the summer to keep their skills sharp!