Industrial Engineering Education: blogs

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EdTech Magazine's 50 Must Read EdTech Blogs & my additions to list

<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Home" src="http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12//sites/edtechmagazine.com.k12/themes/edtechk12/images/logo.gif" /></div><br /><a href="http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/">EdTech Magazine</a> is a great, free website that has tons of articles, resources, product and service reviews, information and more about edtech topics and products. It is a great resource for any educator, educational technology specialist or director, or technology personnel.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/sites/edtechmagazine.com.k12/files/uploads/blogger-badge-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="K-12 Blogger Badge 300" border="0" height="200" src="http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/sites/edtechmagazine.com.k12/files/uploads/blogger-badge-300.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>They just published an article <a href="http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2012/06/honor-roll-50-must-read-k-12-education-it-blogs">"50 Must Read K-12 IT Blogs"</a> that is a list, with short description and link, of 50 different edtech blogs. I was surprised, and honored, to find myself on the list. There are some great blogs on there, like <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/">Free Technology for Teachers</a> by Richard Byrne, <a href="http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/">David Warlick's Blog</a>, <a href="http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/">Vicki Davis' Cool Cat Teacher Blog</a>, <a href="http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/">David Pogue's tech blog</a> on the NY Times, <a href="http://www.techlearning.com/Blogs">Tech&Learning Magazine's blog section</a>, and many more.<br /><br /><b>I would have also included the following blogs in the list:</b><br /><br /><br /><img border="0" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CUvGxeP9k40n9ERAqRw19dccSwIsC7SmustaVY-1gkbxU__Kx_5B34YtTMXuwvIpOe-PfNZ8HpwOsD8PFG6jV1Z__2Tu35cguUSb59PdM92ydCN2u-EaxlUExQ4NOU7x3HCT5jLCyGo/s400/Cybraryman+Catalogue+of+Educational+WebSites+-+Educational+Web+sites+for+Teachers++Educators++Parents++Students.png" width="400" /><br />1.  <a href="http://www.cybraryman.com/">Cybrary Man's Educational Web Sites</a> - Jerry has created a one-stop-find-everything resource for educational topics and edtech resources. If you can't find it here, it doesn't exist. Period.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu25tgeB5LPX897_wQPoIWcXbl4BSGiDl5g9etXiGe3cj6KVMxUbbPTQfAmSkpiaelC9aPMEdSWHDhm4hCJ6pOg83vIE3vcDD2Z1KosvhpuR1C8cZNVPC4mOHXDhWwUJmCKN9l78IZHj36/s1600/Technology+Tidbits++Thoughts+of+a+Cyber+Hero-102320.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu25tgeB5LPX897_wQPoIWcXbl4BSGiDl5g9etXiGe3cj6KVMxUbbPTQfAmSkpiaelC9aPMEdSWHDhm4hCJ6pOg83vIE3vcDD2Z1KosvhpuR1C8cZNVPC4mOHXDhWwUJmCKN9l78IZHj36/s320/Technology+Tidbits++Thoughts+of+a+Cyber+Hero-102320.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />2. <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><a href="http://cyber-kap.blogspot.com/">Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber-Hero</a> - David Kapuler's blog is a great place to find tons of great educational resources and apps.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1b-LDIo42UtaIprqjwW79DcGKxN47HDesnwQHp6JTVcwcignvCnvIBqYq1T8YGdDrYLNI7TCbeT2iMsL3Po14QEBP8ibWmC0X0gsI3sdmvhDGZCP08G_H5WTaUZxrkDpfKByUeJJJMhr2/s1600/Connected+Principals+++Sharing.+Learning.+Leading.-103058.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1b-LDIo42UtaIprqjwW79DcGKxN47HDesnwQHp6JTVcwcignvCnvIBqYq1T8YGdDrYLNI7TCbeT2iMsL3Po14QEBP8ibWmC0X0gsI3sdmvhDGZCP08G_H5WTaUZxrkDpfKByUeJJJMhr2/s320/Connected+Principals+++Sharing.+Learning.+Leading.-103058.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />3. <a href="http://connectedprincipals.com/">Connected Principals</a> - a great blog for ideas and resources on edtech, and education, from an administrator's viewpoint.<br /><br /><br /><img height="172" id="il_fi" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS1gblmdpE9miZcGanw8XU2k-GpWn9RhprEE0xAdmf5_Hb6an0Zaw" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="256" /><br /><br />4. <a href="http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/">Discovery Educator Network Blogs</a> - great resource with links, ideas, resources and much more - not just on Discovery Education materials either.<br /><br /><br />Remember, if you weren't on this list and are an edtech blogger, don't worry. These lists, like all lists, are fun, great to be mentioned on, but don't mean your blog isn't an awesome resource too!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

EdTech Magazine's 50 Must Read EdTech Blogs & my additions to list

EdTech Magazine is a great, free website that has tons of articles, resources, product and service reviews, information and more about edte...

7:31 AM

Plagiarism of my blog happening right now

<br /><img src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTt6dam1HZg5XOXBEKLHfm8XInp_dWvwMqq5ZGZc_mnIsZHS8PgkA" /><br /><br />The other day, Richard Byrne over at <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/">Free Technology for Teachers</a>, emailed me to let me know that a site was stealing content from my blog. The site, <a href="http://educationsideasandtips.blogspot.com/">http://educationsideasandtips.blogspot.com/</a>, seems to be automatically reposting entire articles from my blog. I have been using Richard's great post "What To Do When Your Work Is Plagiarized" to work to get the site shut down. There is no real way to contact the blog owner, but I have filed a complaint with Google/Blogger.<br /><br /><img src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRQ9eSXPU1MeIii5BsGkY4PHKcj0Kj6BKx-oftBodnqxSvAHZIu" /><br /><br />I have had a few other blogs do the same thing, but when I contacted the blog owner, they apologized and changed how they shared my content. I spend a lot of time on this blog and I don't think it's too much to ask that people don't blatantly copy entire posts, no matter whether they put a link back or not.<br /><br />I have no problem with people sharing what I write about, but it should be a summary and then link to my article. Copying entire blog posts, even with a link back to my site, is plagiarism and violates the CC license and is just bad practice.<br /><br />I want to thank Richard for finding this site and bringing it to my attention.<br /><br /><br /><br />

Plagiarism of my blog happening right now

The other day, Richard Byrne over at Free Technology for Teachers , emailed me to let me know that a site was stealing content from my blog....

9:06 AM

A Great Blog post on teacher uses of Evernote

<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="161px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tiaRHOrWU_DboowoQJUoYigpjZtZwhCal0KeGem0UZWeOzwW6oKnP8eD70nIQgTkcH_tx8o9BpWS1H9MTJ-JxTLeK0HLiTIWortTOeFRylJKfUhsvWs" width="258px;" /></div><br /><a href="http://richlambert.edublogs.org/2012/02/07/evernote-the-definitive-post/">"Evernote – an attempt at the definitive summary of teacher uses!"</a> is a great blog post by Richard Lambert that does a really good job of describing some great ways of using <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/evernote-for-education.html">Evernote in education</a>. As a huge <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/evernote-for-education.html">Evernot</a>e fan, and user, I'm always looking for new ways of using <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/evernote-for-education.html">Evernote as an educator</a>.<br /><div><br /></div><div>One of his ideas is to use Evernote to record and track student performance and work. Audio notes, photos, uploads of student work, all tied to notes for that student, make it much easier to evaluate a student and their learning. It is a kind of e-portfolio of the student's progress through the class. </div><div><br /></div><div>Read his whole article here: <a href="http://richlambert.edublogs.org/2012/02/07/evernote-the-definitive-post/">http://richlambert.edublogs.org/2012/02/07/evernote-the-definitive-post/</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm adding it to my <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/evernote-for-education.html">Evernote for Education Resource page</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

A Great Blog post on teacher uses of Evernote

"Evernote – an attempt at the definitive summary of teacher uses!" is a great blog post by Richard Lambert that does a really goo...

8:13 AM

Thank you and Farewell to TeachPaperless Blog

<br /><img alt="TeachPaperless" height="138" id="Header1_headerimg" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eVXK8BoJMWWr04WayUjrdoe0bmNHOdBsQey1lu3leP1l-kg1S_5HYd1Xlldv8eeBDtVfCR6CIwm40akL1AI1BrcgMunZEK92Wg09ZN12eq5bgW609A28MIRs1W8RNCwbQMj9Thg9rYo/s760/TO_full_logo.jpg" style="display: block; text-align: center;" width="320" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Shelly Blake-Plock is the creator of the blog <a href="http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/">"TeachPaperless."</a> It was one of the first education blogs I found and started reading years ago and was one of the ones that convinced me that I should start my own blog. His blog was not limited to articles on going paperless, but rather had articles about thinking outside the box as an educator and doing different things with your students. I took many of his ideas and integrated them into my classes.<br /><div><br /></div><div>A couple of years ago Shelly asked me to contribute to his blog and I did write some articles for it. It was a great way to get more exposure for myself and my ideas. </div><div><br /></div><div>TeachPaperless had great articles, and great conversations in the comments sections. I learned and expanding my thinking because of this blog. </div><div><br /></div><div>Last Friday, Shelly posted that he was shutting down TeachPaperless and there would be no more postings. The site is still available for viewing, <a href="http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/">http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/</a> and I highly recommend that people go there and read some of the great articles that are there. </div><div><br /></div><div>I want to take this opportunity to thank Shelly for his excellent blog, his excellent writings and ideas, and for helping me start as a blogger and for helping me thinking differently about how to help my students do well in school and teach them in new ways. Good luck to him in his future endeavors!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><b>Related:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/06/what-i-learned-this-year.html">What I learned this year.</a></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/02/some-more-tips-for-going-paperless.html">Some more tips for going paperless</a><div><br /></div><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/02/paper-we-dont-need-no-paper-tools-and.html">Paper, we don't need no paper! Tools and tips for going paperless</a><div><br /></div><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/unfettered-by-stuff-or-why-i-dont-lug.html">Unfettered by Stuff - or "Why I don't lug stuff home every night"</a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Thank you and Farewell to TeachPaperless Blog

Shelly Blake-Plock is the creator of the blog "TeachPaperless." It was one of the first education blogs I found and started readi...

5:43 AM

How I use Blogs and Sites with my physics classes

<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbAHrnCu7nLmcc1om9KJRsMKokD-8FOUYIdbOF2TgMtNIbffDzcOSam_LfDTTfF_OFQrEEHFPYfdHEIViZJiuz1LRtXBNbfrne09RQFxjx9jn0KlG_xI6EU_cEHwpKdPr43gwHgjQcu4/s1600-h/site+and+blog.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365798402198007042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbAHrnCu7nLmcc1om9KJRsMKokD-8FOUYIdbOF2TgMtNIbffDzcOSam_LfDTTfF_OFQrEEHFPYfdHEIViZJiuz1LRtXBNbfrne09RQFxjx9jn0KlG_xI6EU_cEHwpKdPr43gwHgjQcu4/s400/site+and+blog.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 147px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>I use a class web site, <a href="http://www.physicsmedic.org/">www.physicsmedic.org</a>, and blogs with my classes to give them resources and to keep things organized. I use Google Sites and Google Blogger.</div><div><br /></div><div>The main site is mainly static, containing my schedule, a links section, file downloads of class files and resources, and useful information for the students, as well as sections for new teachers and some educational technology resources. I post PDF copies of handouts, lab resources, materials, lecture notes and much more there for them. Google even has a class web site template available, making it very easy to create your class site.</div><div><br /></div><div>I use blogs, <a href="http://mrandradesphysics.blogspot.com/">http://mrandradesphysics.blogspot.com/</a> and <a href="http://mrandradesapphysics.blogspot.com/">http://mrandradesapphysics.blogspot.com/</a>, as weekly or daily guides to what we are doing in class. I post lesson schedules, assignments (including labs and projects), links to web sites, and reminders about tests and upcoming due dates to the blogs. I have my students subscribe to the blogs via email so that they get updates whenever I add something to the blog. I also use it to share resources, like Evernote, Dweeber, Trackclass, with my students, and school news and information. The ease and quickness to adding something to a blog makes it a great tool.<br /><br />You can even embed a Google calendar for your class onto your site or blog. </div><div><br /></div><div>The students love having these resources available to them and it makes my life much easier and much more organized.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>What online resources do you use with your students?<br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Related:</b><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/10/getting-started-with-blogger-and-google.html">Getting started with Blogger and Google Sites</a><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/blog-as-teaching-tool.html">Blog as a teaching tool</a><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/google-calendar-for-educators.html">Google Calendar for Educators</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/google-for-educators_22.html">Google for Educators Resources</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/technology-i-use-on-daily-basis-updated.html">Technology I use on a Daily Basis - updated for this year</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

How I use Blogs and Sites with my physics classes

I use a class web site, www.physicsmedic.org , and blogs with my classes to give them resources and to keep things organized. I use Google ...

6:10 AM

Twitter buys Posterous - no mention of what's to happen next

<br /><img src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRXLulmKN5hzWHq3isGaLTqfjl7gJSmKRZPk2ObWjnc65wxcHSNAw" />  <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>+</b> </span><img src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRp0pPExVOZRaUrZUPoFD2xRyLy9oAQaoycBDyH1C4K6BOO4046Dw" /> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>=   ???</b></span><br /><br /><br />Twitter announced yesterday that it has acquired Posterous, the popular, lightweight blogging service. There is no information about the fate of Posterous though. Twitter's announcement made note that it was acquiring Posterous to "obtain talent and technology". There is no mention of whether Twitter will incorporate Posterous into Twitter, keep it running as is, modify it, or shut it down.<br /><br />Any teachers using Posterous should probably start looking at alternatives, just in case.<br /><br />Some alternatives could include:<br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/11/twitter-for-education-great-resource.html">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/12/google-more-reasons-its-great-for.html">Google Plus (Google+)</a><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/10/getting-started-with-blogger-and-google.html">Blogger</a><br /><a href="http://wordpress.com/">Wordpress</a><br /><a href="http://alternativeto.net/software/tumblr/">Tumblr</a><br /><br />Posterous may still be around, but there is no information on it's fate yet. Be prepared and have alternative plans if you use it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

Twitter buys Posterous - no mention of what's to happen next

+ = ??? Twitter announced yesterday that it has acquired Posterous, the popular, lightweight blogging service. There is no informati...

6:23 AM

BlogBooker - turn your blog into a PDF book

BlogBooker - turn your blog into a PDF book

BlogBooker is a free site that turns your blog into a PDF book from all the blog's entries and comments. It works with WordPress, LiveJ...

6:26 AM

How do I find the time to write all these blog posts?

<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="200" id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjmv0ukT6EbrOkuUvvwIPktdL1YTK-N1YSJr-6TCszNnrYNnlBEDQ08VgscniFMFMZ_q6NeCTqtSxruwu63g9HQ2tgrh4q1oGcuYDNu3zwhdbgscDG7nUuwjzVbKeiunsFuN72-DZiYI/s200/no-time-480.gif" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></div><br /><br /> A question I get asked a lot is "how do I find the time to write all these blog posts?". To which I answer "I have no idea". Actually, I usually write a few during my free period and lunch at school, and then a couple after school or in the evening, and then a bunch over the weekend. Then I schedule them to post at different dates and times to spread them out.<br /><br />For example, I wrote this article yesterday after school after getting asked the question, yet again, and scheduled it to post on Tuesday at 10am.<br /><br />I sometimes write when my students are taking a test or at different times when I'm waiting for something else or in a waiting room, or sitting on the couch watching TV. I can also write them on my <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/10/android-smartphone-and-apps-i-use-as.html">Android smart phone</a> using the Blogger app.<br /><br />It's something I love doing, so I find the time to do it. There are days that I won't write anything, and other days where I find the time and motivation to write 10 or more posts and then schedule them to go out later.<br /><br />As a blogger, you post as often as you want and have time to. There is no requirement.<br /><br /><br /><br /><i>What about other bloggers out there. How do you find the time to write?</i><br /><br /><br />

How do I find the time to write all these blog posts?

A question I get asked a lot is "how do I find the time to write all these blog posts?". To which I answer "I have no idea...

7:00 AM

Google adds threaded comments to Blogger

<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="198" src="http://www.pestaola.gr/images/blogger_logo.png" width="200" /></div><br />Google has announced a nice <a href="http://buzz.blogger.com/2012/01/engage-with-your-readers-through.html">upgrade to Blogger -t he ability to have threaded comments</a>. This means that people can reply to someone else's comment and it will show up under that comment instead of as a general comment on the post. This can make comment discussions easier to follow.<br /><br />If you use Blogger and want to enable this feature, go <a href="http://buzz.blogger.com/2012/01/engage-with-your-readers-through.html">HERE for full instructions</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />Related:<br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/google-for-educators_22.html">Google Resources for Educators</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/10/getting-started-with-blogger-and-google.html">Getting Started with Blogger</a><br /><br /><br />

Google adds threaded comments to Blogger

Google has announced a nice upgrade to Blogger -t he ability to have threaded comments . This means that people can reply to someone else...

7:39 AM

Share articles from blogs with others with ease and continue the conversation

<br />There are a variety of ways to share blog posts you read with others. You can copy the link and email it to someone or manually post the link on <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/11/twitter-for-education-great-resource.html">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/search/label/google%20plus">Google+</a> or Facebook. But many blogs, this one included, have easy shortcuts to use to share articles.<br /><br />At the bottom of each post on this blog are 6 options for sharing. You can print it using <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/11/print-friendly-if-you-must-print-it-use.html">Print Friendly</a> and hand the hard copy to someone (although we are trying to get away from using paper). You can also click one of the icons and share the article/blog post via Email, share it on your own blog, post it to<a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/11/twitter-for-education-great-resource.html"> Twitter</a> or Facebook and even <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/search/label/google%20plus">+1 share it to Google+</a>.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxq4sotMIP1j1KEH5PZKSgvBtwF1TMWVVKntFoBdtQfnblV5QlVb9Uj9aU7ScC7A20BjrmoZnk7EvGltdGKA-lPdO7MlfK-TWrMRJQgpw-I17ILAah2wWQvFDubXC4LdRKR0kqkcSHws/s1600/share+on+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxq4sotMIP1j1KEH5PZKSgvBtwF1TMWVVKntFoBdtQfnblV5QlVb9Uj9aU7ScC7A20BjrmoZnk7EvGltdGKA-lPdO7MlfK-TWrMRJQgpw-I17ILAah2wWQvFDubXC4LdRKR0kqkcSHws/s400/share+on+blog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>The power of the web is the ability to share and discuss things with a wide group of people. Using these easy methods, you can quickly share things with others. It's also important to not just read things online, but to comment and contribute your thoughts and ideas also. Comment on blog posts you like or are interested in. Share your ideas, thoughts, and experiences with others. This is how we all learn and grow. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Share articles from blogs with others with ease and continue the conversation

There are a variety of ways to share blog posts you read with others. You can copy the link and email it to someone or manually post the lin...

5:40 PM

DEN Blog Network - great resource for all educators

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9QLic0Bbitwh7tb8YoFvt6oX0H9zq8LP9bF0S6VP-bx9tgVvX2bKXNhPuQtFZhuWWX-G3YCAiHUo2VJXsuRePYEoBEayiVccvd3IuO_jRiRmcWQiFFfixcUEoF8hm7o3aZVKq2xSHUc/s1600/DEN+Blog+Network.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO9QLic0Bbitwh7tb8YoFvt6oX0H9zq8LP9bF0S6VP-bx9tgVvX2bKXNhPuQtFZhuWWX-G3YCAiHUo2VJXsuRePYEoBEayiVccvd3IuO_jRiRmcWQiFFfixcUEoF8hm7o3aZVKq2xSHUc/s320/DEN+Blog+Network.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Discovery Education is a great resource for educators. I have detailed some of the <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/09/10-great-free-resources-from-discovery.html">resources they offer (free) in earlier postings</a>.<br /><br />Discovery Education also has a <a href="http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/">blog network</a>. <a href="http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/">The DEN Blog Network</a> used to be set up with each state having their own blog. Now, all of the state blogs, and other group blogs from Discovery Education are all posted in the same place. You can sort the blogs by state and even search by labels.<br /><br />This new set up for the <a href="http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/">DEN Blog Network</a> makes it a great resource for all educators. STAR Educators and DEN Leadership Council members, along with DE employees, post resources and information on the blogs. Some of it is DE resources, but much is other resources. There are also announcements for local DEN events and much more.<br /><br />This is definitely a blog that all educators should consider following.<br /><br />Related Posts:<br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/09/discovery-education.html">Discovery Education summary</a><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/09/10-great-free-resources-from-discovery.html">10 Great Free Resources from Discovery Education</a><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/03/list-of-discovery-education-training.html">List of Discovery Education Training Resources</a><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2010/02/discovery-education-stem-resources.html">Discovery Education STEM Resources</a><br /><br /><br /><br />(Disclaimer - I am NOT paid by Discovery Education in any way. I am a STAR Discovery Educator and CT Leadership Council member, but I do not receive any kind of payment for posting about Discovery Education resources.)

DEN Blog Network - great resource for all educators

Discovery Education is a great resource for educators. I have detailed some of the resources they offer (free) in earlier postings . Discove...

7:53 AM

Blogging 4 Everyone

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfa7Pf9U0vd1xcAwmxubwh0Q77jPFJNtt5wrHDcuXUBfBdMkKMwSFt6jfn8GJkHCwj3q39DIEFzdzAvTVTD0Fr7wpgYORfZOTYzsbf3exnwfCBqTvBitMTH_TwMLBI5OFYzh_yZbVb6w/s1600/blogging4everyone.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfa7Pf9U0vd1xcAwmxubwh0Q77jPFJNtt5wrHDcuXUBfBdMkKMwSFt6jfn8GJkHCwj3q39DIEFzdzAvTVTD0Fr7wpgYORfZOTYzsbf3exnwfCBqTvBitMTH_TwMLBI5OFYzh_yZbVb6w/s320/blogging4everyone.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://blogging4everyone.wikispaces.com/">Blogging 4 Everyone </a>is a resource for anyone who wants to learn how to blog. It has very simple, straightforward instructions for starting a blog including a video.<br /><br />It does not mention Blogger, so here is <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/getting-started-with-blogger-and-google_22.html">my instructions for getting started with Blogger</a>.<br /><br />This would be a good resource to use if you want to create your own blog or if you are trying to get your students using blogs in class.

Blogging 4 Everyone

Blogging 4 Everyone is a resource for anyone who wants to learn how to blog. It has very simple, straightforward instructions for starting a...

9:06 AM

Blogs, Wikis, Docs - which is best for your class

<a href="https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddnzwcn8_15g3jrbpdf">Blogs, Wikis, Docs</a> is a great resource for teachers who are trying to decide when and how to use these tools. The author has created a chart listing the nature, collaboration, updating ease, benefits, drawbacks, and examples of each tool in education. If you are thinking of using one of these tools in your classroom, this <a href="https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddnzwcn8_15g3jrbpdf">site</a> is a great place to start.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ybn3K3846Ik7IYYf9HRH5WxVJn_ENIllmWoTttJTaAeQXcvuSASJgpKAptyD1Ej96fa_ssFgZbPnbVK2x1OCZMSSOf8BV-5UcKAa9HggkVwX5y8_8lKVgXYREmGmGBO5qOaoYjU5CjU/s1600/blogs+wikis+docs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Ybn3K3846Ik7IYYf9HRH5WxVJn_ENIllmWoTttJTaAeQXcvuSASJgpKAptyD1Ej96fa_ssFgZbPnbVK2x1OCZMSSOf8BV-5UcKAa9HggkVwX5y8_8lKVgXYREmGmGBO5qOaoYjU5CjU/s320/blogs+wikis+docs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Related Articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/blog-as-teaching-tool.html">http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/blog-as-teaching-tool.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/getting-started-with-blogger-and-google_22.html">http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/p/getting-started-with-blogger-and-google_22.html</a>

Blogs, Wikis, Docs - which is best for your class

Blogs, Wikis, Docs is a great resource for teachers who are trying to decide when and how to use these tools. The author has created a char...

5:15 AM

My Personal Learning Network

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqQNfzPbPKnO8nYhELOjj5O2yLuFab8jsoIIv-JgCM6Ygr52y-8LgQ65q35FmjwEbEyNTxAJJ24GCSI_ojeysqx7McwaS5Um-hPnwL85PP5YRr9D59_4DqpJDdfUL2bSbsMAIiwjoMF0/s1600/PLN+collage.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410280047007263522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqQNfzPbPKnO8nYhELOjj5O2yLuFab8jsoIIv-JgCM6Ygr52y-8LgQ65q35FmjwEbEyNTxAJJ24GCSI_ojeysqx7McwaS5Um-hPnwL85PP5YRr9D59_4DqpJDdfUL2bSbsMAIiwjoMF0/s400/PLN+collage.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 343px;" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span"   style="  ;font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:small;"><em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">Graphic from http://blog.misterhamada.com/category/k12-learning-2-0</em>/. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>In an <a href="http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2009/11/creating-personal-learning-network-pln.html">earlier post</a>, I talked about Personal Learning Networks. Here is a list of resources and people in my PLN.</div><div><br /></div><div>My wife, Cori, is also in my PLN. She is currently finishing her degree in Biology/Education and will be a high school biology teacher. We constantly talk about education and she has given me some great ideas and tips. It's great having a spouse in the same career! (We also met because of our part time careers - EMS!).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Follow on </b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/"><b>Twitter</b></a><b>:</b> (I follow over 70 Tweeters right now, and I will be expanding - these are my main influences)</div><div>Edutopia</div><div>TechLearning</div><div>Discovery Education (DEN)</div><div>rmbyrne</div><div>web20classroom</div><div>rstoup</div><div>TeachPaperless</div><div>Darcy1968</div><div>DoremiGirl</div><div>smeech</div><div>robchulcas</div><div><br /></div><div>Twitter Resource: <a href="http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com/">http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com/</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Communities:</b></div><div><a href="http://community.discoveryeducation.com/">Discovery Educator Network</a></div><div><a href="http://www.classroom20.com/">Classroom 2.0</a> </div><div><a href="http://www.google.com/educators/community.html">Google for Educators</a></div><div><a href="http://www.nsta.org/">National Science Teachers Association</a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Some of the Blogs I follow:</b></div><div><a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/">Free Technology for Teachers</a></div><div><a href="http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/">TeachPaperless</a></div><div><a href="http://cyber-kap.blogspot.com/">Technology Tidbits</a></div><div><a href="http://www.techlearning.com/section/Blogs">Tech&Learning TL Advisor Blogs</a> (I also write for it).</div><div><a href="http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/">The Innovative Educator</a></div><div><a href="http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/">Dangerously Irrelevant</a></div><div><a href="http://www.smeech.net/">Smeech.net</a> </div><div><a href="http://edtechjen.com/">EdTechJen</a></div><div><a href="http://blogs.learnnc.org/instructify/">Instructify</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Once you start following some blogs and people on Twitter, you will start to find more blogs and people to add to your own Personal Learning Network. I find my PLN to be invaluable to me as an educator and I look forward to seeing what they have to offer each day.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

My Personal Learning Network

Graphic from http://blog.misterhamada.com/category/k12-learning-2-0 /. In an earlier post , I talked about Personal Learning Networks. Here ...

6:09 AM

Edublog Awards 2009 - My nominations

<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8vuTu1Gs43O2IqrlrOpIXK6lEa2vTwZIdR6Z7A4L9xXHvij0ibTZ58AQB3ELz_ByNibaGbqMzoS6jPZId6Ysbg1Eus-DLhtGI79ITJXeSZ4w8Fza43Eu9hozQvh9ph8ke53Hhzjz0Nw/s1600/edublog+awards+2009.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407709761012861250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8vuTu1Gs43O2IqrlrOpIXK6lEa2vTwZIdR6Z7A4L9xXHvij0ibTZ58AQB3ELz_ByNibaGbqMzoS6jPZId6Ysbg1Eus-DLhtGI79ITJXeSZ4w8Fza43Eu9hozQvh9ph8ke53Hhzjz0Nw/s400/edublog+awards+2009.jpg" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 72px; " /></a><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="http://edublogawards.com/">Edublog Awards 2009</a> are open for nominations.</div><div><br /></div><div>These are my nominations: </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span"  style="font-size:medium;">Best individual blog - <a href="http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/">http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/</a><br />Best individual tweeter - <a href="http://www.twitter.com/web20classroom">@web20classroom</a><span class="Apple-style-span"   style="font-family:verdana, arial;color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><b> </b></span></span><br />Best resource sharing blog - <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/">http://www.freetech4teachers.com/</a><br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"   style="font-family:georgia;color:#111111;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"   style="font-family:georgia;color:#111111;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"   style="font-family:georgia;color:#111111;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div></div>

Edublog Awards 2009 - My nominations

The Edublog Awards 2009 are open for nominations. These are my nominations: Best individual blog - http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/ Best...

12:24 PM

Washington Post is looking for Education Blogs

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1SsKVfL5DTnFbfPTj5x8aUmZqIK4p3wEamFqrwx2XbcWmvEHPIKXLTMJqZ4SUt3L0pVSNr6bSF4NmkgoSM3PfuGlyyh4ekEZ_gHBdBIw3wTIEVon3tsjRYBfVWGs5_B49kZc5Gy46Us/s1600-h/washington+post.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400667833047767074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1SsKVfL5DTnFbfPTj5x8aUmZqIK4p3wEamFqrwx2XbcWmvEHPIKXLTMJqZ4SUt3L0pVSNr6bSF4NmkgoSM3PfuGlyyh4ekEZ_gHBdBIw3wTIEVon3tsjRYBfVWGs5_B49kZc5Gy46Us/s400/washington+post.gif" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 47px;" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/imy-incomparable-colleague-jay.html?wprss=answer-sheet">Washington Post is looking for suggestions of great educational blogs</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've suggested <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/">Free Technology for Teachers</a> and <a href="http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/">Teach Paperless</a> as two great educational blogs.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can go to <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/imy-incomparable-colleague-jay.html?wprss=answer-sheet">the article</a> and either comment or send an email to suggest your ideas. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Washington Post is looking for Education Blogs

The Washington Post is looking for suggestions of great educational blogs . I've suggested Free Technology for Teachers and Teach Paper...

9:05 AM

How I use a website and blogs with my classes

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbAHrnCu7nLmcc1om9KJRsMKokD-8FOUYIdbOF2TgMtNIbffDzcOSam_LfDTTfF_OFQrEEHFPYfdHEIViZJiuz1LRtXBNbfrne09RQFxjx9jn0KlG_xI6EU_cEHwpKdPr43gwHgjQcu4/s1600-h/site+and+blog.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365798402198007042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbAHrnCu7nLmcc1om9KJRsMKokD-8FOUYIdbOF2TgMtNIbffDzcOSam_LfDTTfF_OFQrEEHFPYfdHEIViZJiuz1LRtXBNbfrne09RQFxjx9jn0KlG_xI6EU_cEHwpKdPr43gwHgjQcu4/s400/site+and+blog.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 147px;" /></a><div><br /></div><div>I use a class web site, <a href="http://www.physicsmedic.org">www.physicsmedic.org</a>, and blogs with my classes to give them resources and to keep things organized. I use Google Sites and Google Blogger.</div><div><br /></div><div>The main site is mainly static, containing my schedule, a links section, file downloads of class files and resources, and useful information for the students, as well as sections for new teachers and some educational technology resources.</div><div><br /></div><div>I use blogs, with this as a start page <a href="http://mrandradesclasses.blogspot.com/">http://mrandradesclasses.blogspot.com/</a>, as a weekly or daily guide to what we are doing in class. I can post assignments, links to web sites, and reminders about tests and upcoming due dates to the blogs. I have my students subscribe to the blogs via email so that they get updates whenever I add something to the blog. </div><div><br /></div><div>The students love having these resources available to them and it makes my life much easier and much more organized.</div><div><br /></div><div>How do you use the internet in your classroom?</div>

How I use a website and blogs with my classes

I use a class web site, www.physicsmedic.org , and blogs with my classes to give them resources and to keep things organized. I use Google S...

10:49 AM

Blog as a teaching tool

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixlPLGSJSGd1Vh2wMOfmG1kh9FVno4UGFEdWjaWutny_tAAbIlarhqAjqqvf-4chw9mGRL9bHsBL22uK-2tRai1BCKB61Ru3JuQmFanUpMExE-1Fip8Hv5Ekqw1Rjdo6LEEqeLB6A8bs/s1600-h/blogger.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334927905355780210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixlPLGSJSGd1Vh2wMOfmG1kh9FVno4UGFEdWjaWutny_tAAbIlarhqAjqqvf-4chw9mGRL9bHsBL22uK-2tRai1BCKB61Ru3JuQmFanUpMExE-1Fip8Hv5Ekqw1Rjdo6LEEqeLB6A8bs/s200/blogger.png" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" /></a><br />I have started to use blogs in my class as a teaching tool. Since I teach physics, I'm not using it as a writing assignment, but rather a better way to communicate with my students. I'm also trying to eliminate as much as paper as possible. <div><br /></div><div>I post their assignments to the blog and the students go there to get the assignment. I do this for homework and any classwork that they are doing as a group (I have 8 computers in my classroom). For assignments that include graphics or graphs, the students can email me their work. But, if the assignment is just text, they can post it as a comment to the assignment announcement. I have the comments moderated, so I don't publish them until all groups have submitted them. That way, the first group done is not giving away the answers to the other groups. </div><div><br /></div><div>I also put an alternative assignment for any students that were absent from class that day. This way, they can check it from home and do the work on their own.</div><div><br /></div><div>So far it is working out pretty well. Visit the blogs to check out what I'm doing. I'd appreciate any feedback and advice also.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://mrandradesapphysics.blogspot.com/">AP Physics Blog</a></div><div><a href="http://mrandradesphysics.blogspot.com/">Physics Blog</a></div><div><a href="http://mrandradesemt.blogspot.com/">EMT-B Blog</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Blog as a teaching tool

I have started to use blogs in my class as a teaching tool. Since I teach physics, I'm not using it as a writing assignment, but rather ...

6:17 AM

PBL and Prof Dvlpmnt TL Blogs

I am a TechLearning Advisor for <a href="http://www.techlearning.com/">techlearning.com</a> and have been blogging for them. I will post the permalinks here for readers. Some of the articles that I publish on techlearning.com will also be posted here, others may not, but the links will be posted here.<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.techlearning.com/blogs_ektid17052.aspx">Project Based Learning</a> - posted 4/6/2009</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"   style="  line-height: 16px; word-spacing: 2px; font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;"><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "> Project Based Learning - a relatively new idea in high school education, but something I was exposed to many years ago (21) as a freshman at <a href="http://www.wpi.edu/" style="text-decoration: none; color: maroon; ">Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).</a> I received my Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1992 and my education at WPI has served me well in a variety of capacities. WPI is mainly a science, technology, engineering, and math school, with some other majors mixed in.</p><div><br /></div><div>WPI has a unique learning system, called the WPI Plan. This plan stresses project based learning. Why? Because back when they developed the Plan (over 30 years ago) they knew that the only way to truly master subject area content is to apply it. They also knew that students needed to develop teamwork, communication skills, problem solving skills, creativity, critical thinking, and research skills (sounds like "21st Century skills" doesn't it?).<div><br /></div><div>The projects are an integral part of the Plan. All classes are expected to use projects in their curriculum and the school has three projects that all students must complete. The Humanities Sufficiency is a set of 5 themed humanities courses followed by a 1 course long independent study. This project is meant to make the student more well rounded. The IQP (Interactive Qualifying Project) is a team project studying the effects of technology on society or using technology to benefit society that is equivalent to 9 credits. The MQP(Major Qualifying Project) is also equivalent to 9 credits and is a major project in your subject area, similar to a senior thesis.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think that WPI was ahead of the game with their plan, considering this is the route that high schools and even middle schools are going. K-12 education is starting to realize how important these skills are and that project based learning is a great way to engage students while teaching them content and other needed skills.</div><div><br /></div><div>I try to use projects when ever possible in my classes. I found that my WPI education has taught me more than the STEM subjects, it has taught me valuable skills that have allowed me to be successful as a teacher, paramedic, engineer, manager, consultant, and husband. I would love to see high schools implement a more structured project based curriculum and provide more support for teachers. I think many teachers are afraid of projects because they fear that the students will not get all of the content that they need. However, if the project is structured properly, the students will get the content in order to complete the project. They will get the content, develop teamwork, communication skills, problem solving skills, and learn organization. They will also get to be social with other students which is very important to them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Technology can help with project based learning. I always wonder what we could have achieved back then if we had the World Wide Web as it is now. All we had was email and some ftp sites. Students can use technology to do research, organize their projects, and then present their projects as presentations, web sites, blogs, or videos.</div><div><br /></div><div>For more information on project based learning, see <a href="http://www.wpi.edu/" style="text-decoration: none; color: maroon; ">WPI</a>, <a href="http://www.edutopia.org/" style="text-decoration: none; color: maroon; ">Edutopia</a>, <a href="http://pbl-online.org/" style="text-decoration: none; color: maroon; ">PBL</a>, or<a href="http://www.google.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: maroon; ">Google</a> it.</div></div></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.techlearning.com/blogs_ektid16850.aspx">Professional Development</a> - posted 3/27/09</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"   style="  line-height: 16px; word-spacing: 2px; font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;"><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> Professional development is constantly listed as a major factor in improving teaching and learning. Effective professional development is not always delivered and funds are sometimes wasted. A survey by Education Week shows that 77% of respondents feel that their schools and districts do not use professional development funds effectively. In today's financial crisis, this is a major issue. So, how do you deliver effective professional development with less funding? How do we make sure that professional development is timely, interesting, and relevant?</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">The first option to save money is to use in-house "experts". There is no need to go to expensive outside contractors and consultants when you probably have staff with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in your own building. Look for staff who have extra experience or knowledge in technology, curriculum development, tips and tricks, and other ideas. Have them run professional development sessions. In lieu of payment, offer them double CEU credits or other incentives that are free or low cost. Talk to local businesses about donating gift cards or items to your school and use those, or buy them at a discount. Even if you pay them contractual rates for this kind of thing, it will still be much less expensive than bringing in an outside person.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Another idea is to utilize some of the free professional development available on line. Many conferences have virtual conferences that faculty and staff can attend for free on line. Some colleges and professional development providers offer sessions online for free or reduced fees. You can also give staff a list of web sites that go over the material you want them to gain experience in and then give them time to review the sites.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">A great resource that I use is the </span><a href="http://www.teachersourcebook.org/tsb/index.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: maroon; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook</span></a><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">, from the publisher of Education Week. It is available for free in print twice a year, and also available online. They have great ideas, articles, tips, and resources for professional development.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Some other resources online include:</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://corporate.classroom.com/cu.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: red; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Connected University</span></a><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> - over 60 courses available on the site, including technology integration, educational leadership, and curriculum. A yearly fee provides access to all classes.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/instructional-modules" style="text-decoration: none; color: maroon; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Eduto</span><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">pi</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/instructional-modules" style="text-decoration: none; color: maroon; ">a</a></span><span style=" ;font-size:10pt;"> - These free teaching modules, developed by education faculty, can be used for workshops and meetings.</span></span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://vta.isafe.org/" style="text-decoration: none; color: red; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">iSafe</span></a><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> - free training for educators in Internet safety.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://www.jason.org/public/home.aspx" style="text-decoration: none; color: red; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">JASON</span></a><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> - Jason, part of the National Geographic Society, has online professional development on its science curricula.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/default.aspx" style="text-decoration: none; color: red; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Microsoft Office Online</span></a><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> - free, self-paced training courses for Office 2003 and 2007.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://www.neh.gov/" style="text-decoration: none; color: maroon; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">National Endowment for the Humanities</span></a><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> - grants for teachers</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://www.pbs.org/teacherline" style="text-decoration: none; color: maroon; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">PBS Teacherline</span></a><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> - online professional development</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Look for educational web sites and magazines that offer free web casts. Use these web casts, either live or archived, as a way to present information to your staff.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">This is just a small list of professional development resources available. Have your professional development committee do some Internet searches, check out the Teacher Sourcebook, and see what you can find to improve your professional development offerings without increasing your budget.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">When planning Professional Development, make sure you involve a group of teachers in the planning. Have some veteran teachers, mid-career, and newbies in the group to make sure your professional development plans address all of their needs. Work on a small number of topics each year instead of dropping 10 different topics on the teachers with no time to implement or get follow up. Zero in on initiatives that are already in place and help teachers implement them in their classroom. Don't try to bring in every new idea or initiative as this will overwhelm your staff and let to none of it getting implemented. Get feedback from the faculty and staff on what kinds of training they need and want. Use a survey, or other feedback device to get their needs and wants to use when planning the years training. If teachers are involved in the planning and decisions, you will get more buy-in during the training.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Make sure that every professional development session ends with practical tips on how to implement the idea, topic, or initiative in the classroom. Teachers need to know why this is a good thing to do and how to use it in their classroom. Concrete, specific examples are a must.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">When teachers attend off-site training, have them come back and present what they learned to the rest of the staff. Set up a blog where these teachers can post their notes and observations for others to see. Post links to the training provider's web site for reference. Teachers can even post to the blog while they are at the event.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Remember that one size does not fit all. Tailor some professional development by subject area or grade. This will lead to more concrete examples of how to use the training in the classroom. Have people from these areas do the planning also.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Integrate professional development with your normal staff meetings. Have one great idea or tool or tip presented at the end of the meeting. If your meeting agenda is short, have a short professional development session during the meeting too. It's amazing how much can be accomplished in 20 minutes.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Embed professional development in the daily schedule. Emails of tips, ideas, and resources should be sent out to the staff. Have other teachers and staff available to help teachers implement what they've learned. Set up a staff blog for teachers to contribute to.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Many teachers will attend training events that are not necessarily run by official CEU providers. Come up with a way to have that training count towards their professional development requirements. Many times, this type of training is free, but teachers are hesitant to go to it because it will not count.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Some professional development sessions can also be reserved for collaboration time. Give teachers time to meet and work in groups to share ideas, tips, struggles, and triumphs. Also give them time to plan how to implement what they've learned in professional development sessions into their classroom. If teachers are not given this planning time, they may never use what they have learned.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Another idea I've seen recently is to have some students attend some of the professional development sessions and use these students as assistants to help implement some of the new ideas. These students can also give feedback on any ideas they have or any challenges that they may see in using that new idea in class.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Technology is a big part of education now. Teachers need to know how to use technology to improve teaching and learning and professional development must address this. In Connecticut, teachers are required to attend training in educational technology. Have teachers who already use technology teach other faculty about it. Send one or two teachers to train-the-trainer sessions so that they teach the rest of the staff. Have a technology open support session where technology savvy teachers, educational technology specialists, and IT staff are on hand to answer any and all questions teachers have or help them with new technologies that they have been working with.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Remember, the goal is to give teachers interesting, timely, relevant professional development that can help them improve the teaching and learning in their classroom. It should be easy to implement, have specific examples of how to implement, and have support and follow up resources available to the faculty. Make professional development something that the teachers look forward to and want to attend and make sure that they have time to plan out their implementation.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">In this day and age of reduced, or non-existent, funding, technology resources can help you continue offering rich professional development opportunities for your staff.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">Sources of research: Teacher Magazine, TechLearning.com, Edutopia.org.</span></p></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for everyone's comments on these articles.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

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