Learning in the Lou

Have you ever made that statement before?  Maybe you started a sweet new project that had a million videos, tools and apps all in one.  You get to the end of it all and now are a bit lost on how to grade it? Enter our old friend the rubric. (click image to visit the site) Not all the rubrics will fit 100% to what you are doing but does anything really fit 100%  No way.  You always adjust what you are teaching from hour to hour based upon the need of the kids.

Do you ever wish you could take a trip to a particular location mentioned in the book you are reading? Click on the image above for the ride of your life! What is a Google Lit Trip? Example: I clicked 9-12 Then found the book The Kite Runner and clicked on the link. In the upper right corner of the page I downloaded the kmz file. Double click on the kmz file you downloaded and it opens Google Earth. Now the story is mapped out in Google Earth. On the right side of the Google Earth screen you can go chapter by chapter to follow the story in a way that is unlike anything most of us have ever done.

Here is the paper user manual that came with a new iPad and the Kindle Fire.  It is a small bit of paper with minimal writing on it. I find this pretty interesting.  Only a few years ago our devices would come with a small textbook that would describe how to use the new product.

I don't know about you but I am very excited about the holidays.  If you want some fun activities to use at home with your little ones, here are some great ideas. The Elf on the Shelf You can create your own "Elf Scrapbook." Or share your stories on Facebook to the Elf on the Shelf Page. Portable North Pole Personalized E-mail Video from Santa See Santa's Facebook Wall

What a fun app for cooking at home!  Has recipes, videos, and tutorials for great kid friendly recipes.  Try it out today.

These resources actually provide over 110 ideas for, and examples of, using Twitter in the classroom.  How are you using Twitter?

Here are a few things that I learned from twitter today. Facebook Helps the Unemployed Find Work I have heard a lot about how modern day job seekers are looking for employment using social media.  Here is some proof of that.  From the mashable site. Blogger Awards The Edublogger awards are coming up again soon.  I have used the award winners to seek new and interesting people to follow.  What they post usually leads to inspire me to grow in directions I did not know where possible.  This year I decided to step it up when I saw the edublogger nominees list was posted.  Take a look and see what these inspirational teachers have to blog about.   Hint: take a look at the left side of the screen to see the categories. FYI - I know some think that blog is a four letter word.  I promise these blogs can have a serious impact on your classroom.  Google Docs and Classroom Writing This post discusses using google docs for the digital wr...

A word of caution!  When watching these videos step beyond the video and really listen to what the message is.  There is some very deep learning opportunities for all of us in these online conference sessions. It is very difficult to remove yourself from the curriculum and just listen for the sake of listening.  What do I mean by that odd statement?  Don't judge the session by the title.  All of these sessions have bit of gold and wisdom within them.  It is easy to pass up a session because you do not see the immediate application.   Trust me and take a leap into a learning adventure unlike something most of us have experienced before. Who is with me?  Anyone?

Did you know the Lindbergh libraries have Nooks available for student check out? AND students can check out ebooks from the Lindbergh eLibrary! So awesome...check out the selection! Click here to visit the eLibrary.

Here are some refresher videos for those of you working on your Moodle course. Topic Bars Inserting Labels Link to a File or Video Embedding a Youtube Video to Moodle Enrolling a Student in Moodle For more Moodle videos, check out our YouTube channel. Link to Lindbergh Linc's YouTube Channel

Got your attention? Here is an amazing learning opportunities for all your kids. Game play is a great way to explore and discover new learning. These simulations will cover many different subject and they are able to be embedded into websites and moodle courses. They are broken down by grade level.     Why not check it out?   Simulation Games

Time is running out! Have you signed up for the most amazing learning opportunity? It is FREE!!! I have read about a number of these events and every post was out of this world. Click on this link and sign up! edcampstl

I learned something pretty amazing today from twitter. There is a area on youtube that has curated videos for teachers based upon a title or subject. Take a look at the site. Youtube Teachers What can you find on this site?

Check it out....Santa and the grinch. White Christmas App

Check out how Megan Vallis and Desiree Bagot are using Google Forms to keep anecdotal notes during reader's workshop. As the teacher, you create a form like this one. Here is how it looks as you are filling it out on your laptop. <p><p><p>Loading...</p></p></p> Then you will be able to see the data in a form similar to Excel.  It looks something like this.   Here are the directions on how you can create and share a form in addition to using a form someone else has already created to make it your own.

Do you recall those trapper keepers from long ago? There is a site that called LiveBinders that is very similar to that binder from long ago. This LiveBinders site is full of some really good resources to print out and use in the classroom.

  Check it out!   XtraMath is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to math achievement for all. Our goal is to develop effective, efficient, adaptive and intrinsically rewarding supplemental math activities and make them available for free. XtraMath Overview from XtraMath on Vimeo .

Check out blogger Jessica Dimitro using her Epson toolbar for a brainstorming lesson.  She shared this on her blog and students commented on how they show good citizenship at home and at school.

Great way to remind students to visit your blog. Make a QR code to put in their assignment book.

Take a look at this presentation about how to use phones in the classroom.  There are over 30 different ideas shown here.

Check out this Prezi on a 1st grade teacher's use of Facebook in the classroom. 1st Grade Facebook on Prezi

  Go to Edmodo to sign up for FREE webcasts    

Here is a post on how to add Facebook to your SchoolCenter Account. 1:   Teacher must have Facebook Classroom page set up first. 2:   Get FB class page URL by logging into Facebook.   In left sidebar, you should see a section called PAGES, which lists your classroom page.   Right-click on the title of your page and select COPY SHORTCUT (Internet Exploder) or COPY LINK LOCATION (Firefox) 3:   Go to your START Button, select PROGRAMS, then ACCESSORIES and click on NOTEPAD to open a new blank text document. 4:   Paste the address of your classroom page here for safe keeping. FILE, SAVE this to your desktop or H:/ drive. 5:   Go to http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/like-box/ 6:   In the field marked Facebook Page URL , paste the address of your classroom page.   If you 7:   Leave the WIDTH and Color Scheme settings alone. (292 and light ) 8:   Uncheck SHOW FACES and SHOW HEADER 9:   Click the GET COD...

ELITE training...great discussions about Facebook and blogging.

Click on the picture above for some really awesome interactive activities using your Activinspire software.

Having fun learning! Here is a link to our notes-check it out! http://goo.gl/Fz0UZ

Take a look at this free conference coming up in a few months. http://edcampstl.wikispaces.com/edcampstl It takes place just down the road from us.  It will be similar to what you experienced here but with 100+ educators from the area.  These type of conferences are very unique and powerful. Will you join me? Colin will be there.  This has the making for being one of the best conferences you will ever have the opportunity to attend.  That is my challenge to you.  Come and see.

From Spelling City's Website: Did you know that you can import lists onto your VocabularySpellingCity homepage? Our list importing feature is one of the biggest time-savers that the site has to offer! You can import lists from teachers, parents, or from our Teacher Resources section . Imported lists are copied onto your homepage for your students to access. Once imported, lists can be customized . You can add or remove words, choose alternative definitions and sentences or write new ones. Customizing the content will not affect the original list, but customized content will appear on any games and activities your students play. Prior customizations are imported along with lists, so if a teacher in your school has already selected the appropriate definition of scale and key for your Geography list, these selections will be imported with the list. To import lists: Log in to your account. Find ...

Non Fiction Text Features : Promethean Planet Congratulations to Becky Joy, Concord Elementary 3rd Grade Teacher, on submitting her 1st flipchart to Promethean Planet. As of now, it has been downloaded 1,234 times! !!!! How amazing-talk about collaboration!

Short u CVC Sorting : Promethean Planet Congratulations to Krissy Evans, 1st grade teacher at Concord, for submitting her 1st flipchart to Promethean Planet!

Click the icon to register for this awesome event! MO DEN ~ Fall VirtCon 2011: St Louis, MO Fall Virtual Conference: St. Louis, MO Join us for a free day of professional development and networking as we "Tech or Treat" with the Discovery Educator Network. This event will feature live as well as virtual sessions provided by the DEN Leaders across the country and locally. Participants will choose between large group virtual professional development & discussions or small group hands-on breakout sessions offered throughout the day. Audience: PreK-12 Classroom Teachers, Curriculum Specialists, Instructional Coaches, and Library Media Specialists Participants Will Leave With: -Deep exploration of the variety of digital content available within Discovery Education. -Integration strategies to bring digital content alive in your classroom and engage students. -Exposure to a wealth of professional development through the Discovery Educator Network. -Experi...

In our ELITE courses, we have been talking a great deal about BYOD-bring your own device. Mrs. Strebler decided to try out a new project. Click the link below to see the pictures her class took. She was inspired by this lesson on the Scholastic website. Here is the text she sent to her parents: PEGS Parents, Mrs. Brooks and I were out yesterday at a Technology training. Part of what I did was create a Flickr account. Here is the link to it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/concordpegs/ In science, all of the classes are learning about plant and animal cells along with the 6 Kingdoms. As an extra credit assignment this weekend, if you have access to a cell phone that can take pictures you can email to my flickr account, please let your learner take some pictures of living things and send them to me. On Monday, we will use them to classify them into Kingdoms and Phyla (many tend to get this part confused). It could even be in the fungi, bacteria or protist kingdoms....

Check out this awesome site to create a QR code Treasure hunt.  In four easy steps, you can have an easy activity to get students moving and learning with their mobile devices. http://www.classtools.net/QR/

Good point about 3:1. Ties back to my cooking/shop analogy. You don't have a stove for every kid, but they work in groups. #edchat from @geraldaungst I really like to follow that hash tag #edchat

I was watching the CBS Sunday Morning show and this came on.  This topic is something that many of us have been talking about.  Is handwriting really dead or just changing?  Will there always be a need for pen and paper?  What are your thoughts? What the clip and read about it here .

Read this article to see how social media such as facebook and twitter have experienced such stunning growth.  Amazing!

This is a pretty moving video.  Some of the comments from the youtube page are pretty moving.  What if he was your high school science teacher?  Could he have altered your path?

Stone Soup: A Classroom Parable from The Blue Skunk Blog MultiMedia Schools, Nov/Dec 1996 When Ms. Eastman returned to school one fall she found a large boulder had appeared in the middle of her classroom. It was about the size of washing machine, gray with silver glints, and could neither be ignored nor moved. “I think you’ll just have to make the best of it,” the principal advised, unable to explain how or why it came to be there. “I think the Board may have wanted it, and the budget just won’t support hiring a professional rock mover,” he said in a single breath, and resumed his telephone conversation with the parent of child who had just eaten a wall-mounted pencil sharpener. *** When Ms. Eastman’s students returned, they immediately pounced on the rock.      “Hey, it’s like the one in my backyard.”     “Check it out. It’s a throne.”     “Nah, a bomber.”     “It’s perfect for my desk!” ...

Are we going to be replaced with robots someday?  I think there is a possibility.  Check this out.  What do you get when you cross 7-eleven and Amazon? Click for the amazing answer .

www.blurb.com Check out this amazing website that allows you to turn (slurp) your blog into a book!  This site allows you to import your blog into easy to use software and turn your work into a beautiful coffee table piece of art.  Kelly P. at Long shares this with her parents at the end of the year as a class "yearbook" that they can order.  It is an awesome record of her year and a great reference to review the projects she did with her class.  Check it out today!  I plan on making one for my own personal blog.

This is a collection of videos created in order to help you successfully use the Epson projector. How to Calibrate Your Epson Projector How to Find and Launch Your Epson Easy Interactive Tools White Board Mode-Easy Interactive Tools Importing a Picture with the Easy Interactive Tools Using the Easy Interactive Tools-Pen Additional Tools in Mouse Mode

This might be the most important step for using Diigo in the classroom. The tool bar will allow you quick access to many of the one-click powerful tools this site offers.

Check out this awesome link to see how this 6th and 8th grade teacher uses Evernote to share information with students, for research and labs, and for extending the classroom beyond school walls.  AWESOME!  How are you using Evernote in your classroom?

Check this out! Here is the simple process of saving a great site to your Diigo account. Stay tuned. The next exciting edition will show you how to find the sites you have saved to your account.

Watch this video for a quick explanation on the sign up process for Diigo. Don't forget the final step is clicking a link in your email.

Have you ever had some great bookmarks but you loose them all when your computer crashes?  Do you have so many bookmarks that it is getting difficult to figure out where you saved that great resource you need for class that starts in five minutes? We are starting a short series of posts to help you maintain and organize your bookmarks. Take a look at this video to start to along the path to learning how Diigo is better than sliced bread. Diigo V5: Collect and Highlight, Then Remember! from diigobuzz on Vimeo .

No joke.  I watched this video that describes 10 ways to use the ActivExpressions in the classroom and I was speechless.  I never thought on leveraging these devices in ways these teachers do. The video is linked to the Promethean facebook page. You can also view it here. Trust me.  Take 8 minutes and 18 seconds to watch this. Tip #2 - This was the most impressive.  What a great way to help run a classroom at about any grade level.  ( Now you have to watch the video to figure out what tip #2 is.) Tip #4 - Not sure if this will work if the kids are not in range of the hub.  I can see many ways to use this idea in the classroom.  It really got me thinking about how I can take a simple clicker and notch up the engagement. Tip #5 - I could see this with reading anything in a textbook or a group project. Tip #6 - High school math!

I was listening to a TWiT podcast today and heard a stat that 90% of people were unaware of how to find something quickly on a webpage.  This post aims to reduce that percentage. Have you ever searched for something and when you pull up the webpage it is about a mile long?  To read the whole page to find one nugget of information takes too long.  Solution? 1. search for something 2. open a webpage 3. hit Ctrl+F and that will open a small search bar The search will be limited to what is on the page and NOT the whole internet. FYI - A TWiT (This Week in Technology) podcast is my secret weapon on keeping up to date on all things technology.

We sent an email this week with a number of links in it.  Each link directed you to our youtube channel where you would find short videos that detailed how to reconnect your LiNC equipment. Here is an example of connecting your Windows XP machine to your ELMO.

Where do you go for help? The one site I keep returning to is youtube.  Is there anything that youtube can't teach me? The LINC team has created a youtube channel to help you understand some of the wonderful tools we have to work with.   We are up to almost 100 videos for your enjoyment. Don't see something you need?  Let us know what you would like to learn.

What is google+?  I really don't know or totally understand it yet.  It feels a lot like facebook or twitter.  I didn't really understand but I know it was something big and powerful. Here is the official blog post about it: Google+ What are your thoughts? Update:   Here are some cheat sheets from The Daring Librarian blog.

As you are creating your Facebook pages, feel free to utilize these logos for your "image."  You can right click on the the logo and choose "Save Picture As" for a copy of the image. Update:  I have fixed the issue.