"Life In The 21st Century"

Storm blogs offer Katrina insight

Is There Blame for Katrina?

Now that I found out how stupid I am (I'm not giving my score...sorry :( okay it was pretty high!

I'm very afraid to take the nerd test...not that those two go together. (courtesy of Bill Ives) Not the EYES on your face; come on I'm not that dumb!

Here are some Hurricane Katrina blogs from the people who are there. Actually, my mother is coming home tonight and will be hearing some "not so good" family news....sorry, too private to blog about. So I'm calling her the Real Katrina.

Know your blogs with the aid of PubSub By David Radin

I'm in the process of adding to my Broadcast Journalism curriculum. This year is different because I'm teaching two separate programs 1) introduction journalism for grades 9 & 10 and 2) advanced journalism for grades 11 & 12. This link Education for Freedom has some wonderful lesson ideas for the first weeks of school.

This post I will add to as the days progress.

No matter what you told them? It's one of my irritants of course.

Well, Will really hits the nail on the head in his post, Why This is Going to Take Longer Than I’d Hoped. He writes that, "42% of all teachers are over 50, and it’s been my experience, stereotypical as it might be, that by and large, technology is not something older teachers come easily to. In fact, I did a training this morning where the frustration level among the older teachers was palpable, while the younger teachers were much more at ease."

I've had similar experiences when training teachers on technology integration. However, I must admit that the younger-teacher-trainees often have (what I term) the, KNOW IT ALL Syndrome. You could tell them you went to Mars and back and found a really neat rock for their science class. And they would say, "I know. I know...been there done that. Next..." [as they use a coquettish snap of their finger in the air] Now, that's not to say that ALL younger teachers do this. But sometimes it's easier working with veteran teachers (although I have had my most resistance with upper school faculty members) once the TechWallOfFear is broken down. The key (for me) is trying to develop a bridge with both factions by having one-on-one collaborative training sessions. It ain't easy though. And they say teaching students is hard.

Jack Humphrey's article, Is Blogging And RSS ALL THAT? Yes, And A Bag Of Chips! has a link to a fairly new tracking system called Pingoat to track my blogs.

He writes, "I use pingoat lately with great results. I like to make sure I am pinging every blog engine out there. They have a considerable list of places to ping and I do it every time I post to my blog."

Now...since I'm not completely sure what this means (to ping) I'll have to do some more research. Although I did register both of my blogs to pingoat.

I missed the CBS Evening News piece on Vlogging ..."For those striving to stay on the cutting edge, blogging is so "last year." Now, it's all about "vlogging."

Last trimester my students used Visual Communicator Software which was amazing for them to produce their own pieces. This fall, the goal is to definitely get them jazzed about the uses of Vlogging and PLogging (this is a term I use for putting their packages on the web). It will provide a vehicle for students to see their reporting skills from anywhere and any computer terminal. Last year, I had so many parents ask me to dub their child's work to dvd which took way too much time. The vlogging will eliminate that piece at least.

For some reason, I don't think I am using the right term for what my journalism students are producing regarding vlogging.

What the curriculum will entail is producing mini packages for "air" to be viewed on the web (provided we have the bandwith).

A good friend of mine and chess grandmaster Susan Polgar gives her "jewels" on Why Chess?

Polgar writes...and these are just a few reasons,
-Chess dramatically improves a child's ability to think rationally.
· Chess increases cognitive skills.
· Chess improves children's communication skills and aptitude in recognizing patterns.
· Chess results in higher grades especially in English and Math studies.
· Chess builds a sense of team spirit while emphasizing the ability of the individual.
· Chess teaches the value of hard work, concentration and commitment.
· Chess instills in young players a sense of self-confidence and self-worth.

By the way Susan Polgar was recently listed as one of the 50 smartest people in Parade Magazine.

Now I must admit, I am a little BUMMED that the summer seems to speed by in August. And before you know it, it's back to school again. Slow down some, Ms. Summer!

I also know that students can sometimes, drive you up one side of a wall and down the next. So after reading this NYT's article on a Truant Teacher Who Lost Job Finds Revenge in the Ring;
It made me wonder about Mr. Kaye and if he turned to wrestling as the result of being in the classroom. I certainly hope not; as I keep my day job.

It's been a while since I've posted my CBS 2 NY Internet Parent Pack...been too busy. However, I still receive emails on free and interactive, educational sites for the young and the "old at heart." I actually had a BLAST with the Eraoke link; even though I was summoned by my kids to wear my headset. This was also after the dinosaur question; so I obeyed for fear of verbal attack.

ASK-A-BEAR

Anyway, these links are sure to keep your kids or students, busy, engaged, laughing, but most importantly, LEARNING.
A2zKB.com:
-Set up like a book, this site includes many online games and fun environments in which children can learn and listen to new words and sentences. The site includes coloring pages, fun games (such as a Snowboarding race) and an interactive house-with voices and sentences.

Eraoke.com:
From great classic hits to children’s favorites, Eraoke has a song for everyone in the family. And, if you can’t find your favorite song to sing-a-long to, you can always send us a request.

Borrico.com:
-Animals from A to Z, with sounds, pictures, information, and animal coloring pages. Games include online connect the dots, simple animal sound maps, and memory games.

KBears.com:
-KBears, has great interactive Geography maps, arcade games, and pictures you can actually print or save. In addition, the site’s Sciences World includes information on our Solar System, as well as a fun Science Fair Project that will teach you how to build your very own Hot Air Balloon in one day.

I thought these were cute.

O'Baby!

Baby Slave

Nicola's Baby Blog

We just got home from a very spontaneous, evening trip to Jones Beach field 6 and the waves were awesome. So just as we're settling in, with sand everywhere, wet towels, and broken shells, what do you think my 5 year old daughter asked my husband? "Daddy were you born before the dinosaurs or after?" His response, "No. I'm not that old dear." Boy, what a way to end a great evening escapade.

Honestly, I don't think I would have been that kind; but I did run quickly to the computer to post this. I really thought those questions were the television, cookie cutters (or fake).

Should she repeat Kindergarten?

I remember when I first heard about the Web over 10 years ago now. No one was talking about it. Now, years later, it's a way of life for most people. Here it is, just 8:00 am and I'm ONLINE.

Where am I going with this? Well, in Joe Gandelman's article, Americans Are NOT Addicted To Blogs, he writes, "Yes, blogs are satisfying to write. And, yes, some blogs have big circulations but this new info-and-(at times)-propaganda tool has a long way to go as a major molder of opinion according to a new study. The Boston Herald reports:''

So if blogs are a propaganda tool, why then are more and more people (no stats on this one) using this medium to access their news (journalists and me included)?

But more important was the comment written by Andrew Dodge (No relation to Bernie) "A blogs potential is what you make of it. I know of bloggers who have gotten writing gigs, publishing deals, media appearances offers etc etc. Most bloggers will post for a few weeks or months and get bored but some will use it for all its worth. The beauty of blogs is that no one has any idea, whether in academia or the media know, what impact they will have."

# posted by Mrs.Bowllan @ 8:12 AM 0 comments