Weebly: Quick and Easy Way to Make a Website

Are you looking for a super easy way to make a FREE classroom website? Try Weebly at http://education.weebly.com/ . Weebly makes is so simple to create a classroom web site. You can have your site up and running in less than 30 minutes.  The price is right!

Weebly not only allows you to create a website from anywhere with the Internet, but also allows you to create student accounts too! What a fun way for students to keep an electronic portfolio of their work over the school year!  

Here is a link to our BPS site at teacher-sites.weebly.com

View some BPS examples on the blog.  Teachers from around the world can also post their Weebly Educational Website to the blog so we can all get inspired from each other and learn some pretty cool things. 

Check it out!

Great Document Camera, Great Price

The iPEVO document camera is a very simple, portable, and easy to use camera. The price is right too, only $69.   We just finished a week of training for all of our elementary teachers on the new camera and projectors and I have to say that I am impressed with the camera.  

The camera has a great picture quality, timer feature, and a zoom.  Photos can be added to other applications such as PowerPoint very easily.  The camera is two megapixels and features a zoom that makes it easy to see what is projected.  Even better is the ease of use and portability.  Set up is simple and the camera is small and light weight.  Teachers were up and running in minutes.

 It is an amazing little camera that is an excellent tool for any classroom.      Find out more details at http://www.ipevo.com/prods/Point-2-View-USB-Camera .

Turning Off Notifications in Tweetdeck

Things I learned on Twitter Today

1. Great resources for iPads in the classroom http://interactioneducation.com/ipadsineducation.html#.TinrXLrKzds.twitter


2.  Three Things All Teachers Need - Great article at http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2011/07/three-things-all-teachers-need.html


3.  Social Media Finds a Place in the Classroom - Article from USA Today at http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-07-24-schools-social-media_n.htm

Three Things I Learned on Twitter Last Night

1.  The Super Book of Web 2.0 at http://issuu.com/ktenkely/docs/webtools?mode=a_p

2.  A to Z Box of Tricks, web resources for educators at http://www.boxoftricks.net/internet-resouces-for-education/ 

3.  Clickable Book Mark with iPad apps that correlate with Blooms Taxonomy from Kathy Schrock at http://kathyschrock.net/ipadblooms/.

Getting Started in Tweetdeck

Here is a quick video to get you up and running on Tweetdeck (made the screencast using Quicktime on my Mac Book Pro)!!

Digital Citizenship

Social media has flattened the world.  People of all ages share pictures, videos, instant message, and create all kinds of information collaboratively using on-line cloud computing. These socializing and communication options can be fulfilling, yet they also come with risks.  

 Digital citizenship is more important today as students are using technology independently and interacting in both a physical and online world.  In the book, Digital Citizenship in Schools by Mike Ribble and Gerald Bailey, nine elements that together comprise digital citizenship are outlined.   They are digital  access, commerce, communication, literacy, etiquette, law, rights and responsibilities, health and wellness, and security.   

Many times people (kids and adults both) forget that their online actions can have real world consequences because of the feeling of anonymity while online. Tweens and teens share thoughts and plans with the world.  This type of socializing can create a hurtful environment if words, photos, or videos are meant to damage a reputation  

Cyberbullying is an issue that is emerging and comes with a large audience.   Students can help stop cyberbulling by not responding and report the issue to the site where it happened. 

Free resources are available to public schools from the Federal Trade Commission at http://bulkorder.ftc.gov/.    The kit contains videos, handouts, and resources for students, parents, and teachers.  There is also great material at http://www.onguardonline.gov/. 

We offered a parent session on digtial citizenship held during conferences.  The details of the presentation is found at  http://techtools4teaching.wikispaces.com/Digital+Citizenship.