Setting up class blogs

A great link above on setting up class blogs. Some of these steps we followed when we set up our blogs but we need to have another look at blogging rules.... which is what our ICT club is on to at the moment.

I think we as teachers really need our vision clear and the purpose about why we are blogging. We can then begin to integrate blogging into the curriculum.

We are also looking at ways to inform pur parents and get them commenting on our blogs. I'm hoping we can target a big bunch of parents at our E-journals night in a couple of weeks.

I also can't wait to start e-mailing parents about certain blogs posts and getting them hooked in that way! :)

FREE interactive whiteboard resources!!

I found this site via twitter and it is filled with so many wonderful interactive whiteboard resources. I currently use some of these and they are very worthwhile. I can't wait to explore the many more sites on this list!
My goal is to get children to create their own IW pages for groups of children or whole class to compete.

Google spreadsheet

My trial with embedding a google spreedsheet in a blog.
I used Excel with my class, took a screen shot of the graph, saved it as a picture then added picture to blog. This way is much simpler as google docs give you a html to copy.

Literacy Posters

Look at these great finds on Pinterest! I'm not sure how to sign up to this but I found I could embed them. So now need to find out to to print them for my class. :)

Source: flickr.com via Catherine on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Catherine on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Catherine on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Catherine on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Catherine on Pinterest

Free backgrounds and buttons

Great websites for blog backgrounds and buttons. Just copy the code and add a gadget (click plus sign on html) and paste!

http://shabbyblogs.com/ (for teachers)

http://leelou-freelayouts.blogspot.co.nz/p/free-blog-templates-and-backgrounds.html ( this one for great for class and student blogs - check out the middle teams class blogs for an example)


I love the ideas and resources I have found via the links on the side of my teacher blog. Check them out for inspirational ideas!!!!

Learning at Schools 2012

Wow! What a great time I had at #LAT12. I enjoyed the sessions and also networking with others either face to face or on twitter.
I'm still new at twitter so am still building my followers and finding good educational contacts to follow. last year I remember thinking... twitter?? I'll never be part of that. I actually did not realise the potential and importance of twitter to make connections with others from across the globe and also to 'hitch-hike' great ideas and I can't forget the readings and links that people tweet which are a great read!
I encourage you to join twitter and try to find as many people to follow so that can then follow you back!!!

Metacognition.
One thing I picked up from this session as to give chn "wait time" and "Thinking time". I have already implemented this in class and it worked great. I asked chn what they thought of "thinking time" and they thought it was great.... time to think, quiet time, no interruptions.

Kevin Honeycutt...
was the best speaker I have listened to for quite a while. Not only were his messages clear and precise, he spoke so easily and made connections to the audience. His life story touched my heart and I loved his expressions.... "What are you doing with your heartbeats?" and when he talked about just hugging chn... (need to be a bit careful there but who doesn't enoy a hug?)
He also challenged my thinking on where to next for us here at Vardon and what technologies we are using with chn. I definitely agree with him when he said that we need to let chn be creative and nt put so many restrictions on the outcome of work e.g; if a child wants to publish using this IT tool then let them (was it Kevin that talked about this?)

Digital Photography
I thought this session would give me different tools to use but it was on using the digital camera and the things you can do with photos....still a great session. I have linked with this presenter on twitter... Rachel Boyd for those of you who want to follow her.
I am going to try portrait weaving (which I have done before) but this time with black paper and get the chn to take thier OWN photos (of a buddy). Also photo symmetry.
Rachel's class were year 2's and they were taking ALL their own photos. She taught them how to use a camera, the parts of a camera sn how to take different shots. See my previous post for her workshop notes and heaps of examples!!

I also picked up the idea of an "Exit pass". Before chn go to play or lunch they need to post a sticky note on the wall/paper of a thought or a question about the lesson/day so far etc. I thought this would be great to see what chn picked up form lessons and just a different way instead of always asking what did you learn form that today? It would also be great form of formative assessment!!!

So where to from here?

• I am keen to extend our ICT club and further teach them the skills required to go back and teach their class... the skills to further their knowledge of how IT tools work and the benefit of them and how to incorporate them into every day learning.


• further explore engaging with a wider audience via our blogs


• letting chn explore, engage and choose their own pathway of learning??? with guidance of course???

I'm excited to hear back from our other teachers throughout the year on their sessions!!!