You can find ideas in the strangest places. For example, tonight I was browsing a $4 bargain book at Barnes and Noble called 1628 Country Shortcuts from 1628 Country People. In this book of all places I found a great idea to help organize all the extra cords my media class is tangled in! The books suggestion:

"Keep electric cords organized by storing them in empty cardboard toilet tissue tools. You can write on the roll what appliance the cord is used for."

Now I have have a free and easy solution to organizing a big challenge. The only real problem now is keeping a strait face in front of my 13 year old students when I ask them to bring in their family's used toilet paper rolls.

Low-Cost Multi-point Interactive Whiteboards Using the Wiimote

A handout about constructing one of these interactive whiteboards was provided at a ELL workshop I was at this morning. Check out this video on how it works.

All you wanted to know about digital photography

My friend Michael sent me this link tonight to review and add to my media class lessons. This site breaks down how to use a digital camera in a very simple way.

All you wanted to know about digital photography

How to Engage the Dotcom Generation (Reach Out and Teach Someone)

I have been playing with Google Docs for about a month now. I love it! This link is a great introduction to how Google apps can be used in the classroom.

How to Engage the Dotcom Generation

New wall poster I stole off the internet.

YouTube - Tips and Tricks for the classroom

I was searching for new ideas to use in my classroom next year when I came across this fun video for new teachers.

YouTube - Tips and Tricks for the classroom

Those persuasive 6th graders...

I have spent the last two days scoring district 6th grade papers. The
persuasive writing prompt ask students to propose what they thought
their school should spend extra funds on. The highlight of my day was
when I read this misconstrued student suggestion. "Please buy balls
for our school principal."

The Top 50 Proprietary Programs that Drive You Crazy — and Their Open Source Alternatives | WHDb

The Top 50 Proprietary Programs that Drive You Crazy — and Their Open Source Alternatives | WHDb

Amazon Web Services @ Amazon.com

Amazon S3 provides a simple web services interface that can be used to store and retrieve any amount of data, at any time, from anywhere on the web. It gives any users access to the same highly scalable, reliable, fast, inexpensive data storage infrastructure that Amazon uses to run its own global network of web sites.


Amazon Web Services @ Amazon.com

THE ABCs FOR FIRST YEAR TEACHERS

Education World compiled this list of the 26 top tips for surviving the first year:

• Admit your mistakes -- and learn from them.
• Be firm but flexible.
• Communicate with parents.
• Develop a homework policy -- and stick to it.
• Empower your students; don't just lecture to them.
• Find time to attend after-school events.
• Get to know all the teachers in your school and make friends with the cooks, custodians, aides, and secretaries.
• Have the courage to try something else if what you're doing isn't working.
• Institute a clear discipline policy -- and enforce it consistently.
• Just listen -- both to what the kids are saying and to what they're not saying.
• Keep a journal.
• Learn your school's policies and procedures.
• Model desired attitudes and behavior.
• Non carborundum ignorami. (Don't let the imbeciles wear you down.)
• Overplan.
• Prepare interesting lessons.
• Quit worrying and just do your best.
• Remember that you teach students first, then you teach whatever academic discipline you learned.
• Stay alert.
• Take pictures.
• Understand that the learning process involves everyone -- teachers, students, colleagues, and parents -- and get everyone involved.
• Volunteer to share projects and ideas, and don't be afraid to ask others to share their ideas with you.
• Work within your limits.
• Xpect the unexpected -- and plan for it!
• Yell if you need support.
• Zero in on your strengths, not your weaknesses. (Remember -- nobody's perfect!)

email hell

I would be interested in any software and habits other teachers use in
handling email. How do you quickly move through what is worth reading
and worth deleting? When do you find time during the school day to
check and reply to email?

automatic printing of email

One of the responsibilities of my Media Class is to read the daily announcements during our news show. Sometimes these announcements never make it into the show because a teacher emails me to late, or a I forget to print them, or take them from my English classroom to the studio. So I got to thinking...What if my students could have the news printed right in the studio the moment it gets submitted? In order to do this a printer would have to be dedicated to to the email address news requests are sent to. This could be done using the software listed below. I'll be sure to mention if this works out or not.

Official web site for automatic print email

How do I post via email?

Click Here to read about how to post via email.

Another use for email!

This post was made by using my email. For more information take a look at the post above!

Very Cool!

An interesting page from Carl Glickman's Leadership for Learning: How to Help Teachers Succeed…