BabelWith.Me

babelwith.me allows users to create a free chat room.  It is so easy!  I set one up in about 30 seconds.  I have featured other backchannel chats before, but had some trouble with them when I implemented them into my classroom.  I am going to try this one tomorrow.

How I use this in my class:  Social studies is full of movies...so much so, we are often referred to as the movie theater of the school :)  I was wondering how I could engage my students while watching movies, and stumbled across a backchannel chat.  The first thing I did was create my chat room, I then posted the link that was given to me on my website.  All the students went to my site, clicked on the link, put their name in, and thats it! While the movie is playing, all my students have a laptop in front of them.  We are then able to discuss the movie as it is going on.  What I really love is being able to send links to the students to add to the discussion.  The kids have LOVED doing this.  I'm going to try to create a video of my class chatting tomorrow, and share it.

Little Kids and iPods

My daughter loves to use the iPod, and she can navigate through screens and find the games she wants to play.  My daughter is almost 3!

Why did I post this?
If a 3 year old can work her way through an iPod, what does that mean for the future of education?  If our students are coming into our classrooms knowing how to do this already, does it change the way we teach?  I'm curious to hear your takes on education and technology!

FAQ's Page Added

I have added a FAQ's page to assist you with any questions you may have.  If you have any questions that you think should be added to this page, please email me or post them below.

Test Your Memory

Happy Thanksgiving from me to you!  Here is a little Thanksgiving game to test your memory.

Thanksgiving Game

Laptop Buying Guide

Video from CNET

I have had many questions recently about what kind of laptop to buy.  First of all, this is a great time to buy, even if it is for yourself.  There are some GREAT Christmas deals out there!  In the end, it all comes down to preference and what you are going to be doing with your laptop that will guide your direction.  I will give some of my suggestions without pushing a brand.

Battery Life: Spend the extra bucks and upgrade your battery.  It's better to spend the $50 now and get extended battery life, then have to shell out $200 a couple years down the road.

Screen Size: I recommend 13-15 inch models.  Anything under 13 seems a little small and anything over 15 is overkill.

Memory: 2GB...I would not settle for anything less.  Rule of thumb is, $100 per GB.  If you want to upgrade, do it!  On a side-note, if your kids download music or you have tons of pictures, get an external  hard drive...it will lengthen the life of your computer!

Processor: If you are buying new, processor should be good.  If you can spend the money, go ahead and upgrade, but I wouldn't be too worried about it.

Accessories: A carrying case is a MUST!  I would suggest getting Bluetooth built into your laptop, you may never use it, but the one time you do, you'll want to have it.  Bluetooth upgrade is really cheap anyway!

Check out Geek.com for their laptop buying guide.

Assess your needs, and go from there!

SMART Education

SMART Education is a great place to get lesson ideas for your SMARTBoard.  I use it as a starting point for lesson ideas.  I very rarely use the complete lessons, but rather use it to get ideas of how to use my board.  It takes about 5-10 minutes to browse around and find what you want.  It is pretty easy to navigate the lessons.  Give it a try today.

Chrometastic

Google Chrome is a faster, safer, and easier way to browse the internet.  I use it on both Mac and PC, and love the browsing experience it has given me.  If you use Firefox, it is very similar, but well worth the switch!  You won't be disappointed.  Take a look at the screenshot and the video on Chrome.

Download Google Chrome for Mac
Download Google Chrome for PC

SMARTBoard users will love it!

Adding Posts

If you would like to add posts to this page.  Let me know and I will give you the permissions to do so.  This could be a great place to share what is going on in your classroom with other educators.

Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time. ~Hebrew Proverb

Classroom Management

I came across this discussion posting on Edutopia.  The question was started by Larry Ferlazzo.  The question he asks is "What is the best classroom management advice you have ever gotten?".  This got me thinking...

I can't pick just one piece of advice, and because this is my spot to write what I want, I am going to list a couple.

Pick your battles
Respect them and they will respect you
Don't belittle or argue with a student in front of their peers
1 on 1 meetings go a long ways
Smile :)
Laugh
Let kids, be kids
Don't sweat the small stuff
Give the kids ownership
Find something good in ALL students and praise it!
Be real

What is your best classroom management advice?

On a side note, check out the video of a teacher that probably has very few classroom management issues!

Online TV!

Clicker is a database of television shows.  Some are through paid services like iTunes, but there are many episodes that are free.  I find myself watching tv and realizing that what I am watching would fit really well into a lesson I have, but have no way to get the program to my students.  Clicker will now allow me to do this.  Not all tv shows are online, but they do have a good variety!  Even if you don't use it in your classroom, it can be fun to just browse the site.

60 Second Recap

60 Second Recap is video site that offers exactly what it says, 60 second recaps of classic novels.  Use the site to introduce plot, characters, setting, etc...  It is a good way to let someone else do the teaching for 60 seconds.  The kids can also use it as a review for their big literature test.  Give it a look today!

Number Munchers

Number Munchers is a CLASSIC math computer game!  The game was created by MECC in the 1980's.  I remember playing this game in elementary on the old AppLE machines.  Click on the Number Munchers link to take you to the online version.  They also have an iPod/iPhone app for it!  Check out the video.

Be Funky!

Befunky is photo editing online.  It is a great tool that allows your students to manipulate photos.  Befunky is awesome for having students add things to photos.  The kids already use photo editing within their Facebook pictures, why not allow them to do it in school!

Backchannel Chat

Today I used TodaysMeet in class.  TodaysMeet is basically a free service that allows you to set up a chatroom.  We were watching a documentary on Jamestown, which I found at SnagFilms, and I used the chatroom to discuss the movie while it was playing.  The kids LOVED it!!  The next time I do it, I am going to create a Jing of it and post it on here.  The kids actually watched the movie and were engaged, even the students who didn't really participate in the chat, they were still engaged.  Awesome resource!!!

Library of K-12 Links

The Library of K-12 Links.  Is an awesome resource for any grade level or subject.  The site breaks things down nicely for the user.  I used it today to help find some online resources for teaching Jamestown.  Why would I go here instead of Google?  The Library of K-12 Links takes out all the "other stuff" I don't need to look at when searching in Google.  Give this one a try today!  Happy Friday!

Delicious is Delicious

Social bookmarking has really come to light for me over the last couple days.  Delicious has become...well, delicious for me!  Social bookmarking allows you to access your bookmarks/favorites from anywhere in the world!  My initial thoughts, and the thoughts I had for years on Delicious was; Why do I need that?  I have now figured it out.  It's not necessarily for me, but for others.  Other people can have access to your bookmarks and you can create a giant network of people with awesome bookmarks.  I am looking for more people to network with, and at this very moment I am about 1/3 of the way done importing my bookmarks.  Here is my delicious address.  Check it out, and lets expand our bookmark network.

http://www.delicious.com/braymo22

MSDC Tech Conference

I am at a conference today listening to Will Richardson. Will Richardson is a world renowned blogging expert on educational technology.  He is giving an awesome discussion on technology in our schools.  I have created a list of links he has given us, and will share that via Delicious sometime tonight.  Learning the benefits of Twitter right now...I have never really been a big Twitter person, might have to start doing it :)

Here is my Delicious bookmarks.

Google Books

Google Books is a great place to find books to read online.  They have tons of classics to read entirely online, or you can also use Google Books as a search for a book you are looking to buy.  This is a great way to save money in schools.  Find a book within Google Books that is free, and you don't have to pay a dime.  Kids can also have access to these books at home!  They also have tons of magazines!  You can even embed them on your site.  Give it a look today.

Voxli

Voxli is an online voice chat service.  It is so easy to start a conversation and then send a link to the people you want to chat with (It really is just that easy!).  You do not even need to set up an account (you can if you want).  Another cool thing is the 200 person limit.  The "push to talk" feature is also very nice.  Voice chatting is huge in the gaming industry and I do see many educational aspects to this.

• If you are going to be gone, but will still have access to your computer, you could set up a voice chat for your students to go on and ask questions.
• Great for distance education courses as a way to "connect" with students.
• Have students from different schools discuss or debate a certain topic
• Read a book to someone in a different country or classroom
• Broadcast lectures and still be able to get student responses

XBox Kinect and Education!

The latest greatest advancement in video game technology is here!  XBox Kinect has hit the shelves.  It is a controller less video game system that connects with the XBox 360.  Now, you are probably wondering why would this be on an educational resource page?  Well, think about the implications for Physical Education.  What will this do for obesity in American kids?  Special needs kids?  This can be a great tool to getting kids active.  I can't wait to see their lineup of games.

The Jimmy Fallon video came from Hulu.  Hulu is an awesome place to find videos from some of the top shows on TV, from reality tv, to game shows, to drama...they even have a classics section!  This database not only house TV shows, but movies as well.  A great way to bring a little spice into your classroom discussions.  Ask your kids about it, I bet most already use Hulu!

PBS Teacher Resources

This might be one of the most underutilized resources for all subject areas.  The PBS teacher resource page is SO rich  in resources for all levels and subject areas.  It not only has video and audio for almost anything, but also great ideas to use in your classroom.  Spend 5-10 minutes browsing and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Creating Interesting Presentations

If you think your presentations are boring and PowerPoints are not holding the attention of your students.  Well! Try Prezi.  Prezi is a presentation tool that allows you to present your material in a unique way.  I have played around with it a little bit and the learning curve looks a little steep, but once you figure it out, it can be an awesome way to present material.

Jing!!

Have you ever wondered how to take a picture of your screen or record what is happening on your screen?  Jing is a GREAT free tool used to accomplish this.  I absolutely fell in love with Jing the first time I used it. It is extremely easy to use.  It is so easy I have created a Jing of me typing this post!  I have used Jing to create tutorials for different computer projects I have my students doing.  I will never know how many questions my tutorials have answered.  It is so great because I post these on my classroom site, and students then have the ability to access them at home.  You could do a lesson for a day when you are gone, have the sub press play and show it over your projector.  This is by far the best free screencasting tool I have found!

Chatroll

I was pretty excited about this one!  I have been looking to add a chat service to my blog and FINALLY came across this one.  Chatroll allows you to embed a chatroom right on your blog.  There is a basic free version that allows for up to 10 chatters at a time and unlimited events.  The plans range from $9/month to $49/month.