"If I were President!"

While searching for educational videos at TeacherTube, I came across this video of kinder students sharing what they would do if they were the President of the United States. With 2008 being an election year, what activities centered around the presidential election are you planning for use in your classroom?

“If I were President” video

“If I were President!”

While searching for educational videos at TeacherTube, I came across this video of kinder students sharing what they would do if they were the President of the United States. With 2008 being an election year, what activities centered around the presidential election are you planning for use in your classroom?

“If I were President” video

“If I were President!”

While searching for educational videos at TeacherTube, I came across this video of kinder students sharing what they would do if they were the President of the United States. With 2008 being an election year, what activities centered around the presidential election are you planning for use in your classroom?

“If I were President” video

Podcasting Resources

Check out this brief example of a podcast created by a colleague of mine, Rudy Vidal at Sky Harbour! Podcasts are just one of the technology tools of web 2.0 that teachers can use to enrich instruction. Students do NOT need an iPod to listen to the podcast. Podcasts may be listened to directly from the internet or downloaded to a playing device like an iPod or mp3 player and are basically an oral recording of an online post or message.

 Don’t miss the podcast and view the resources available at “Fabulous Podcast Resources” link (to the left of this article) for more information about podcasting from one of the leading educational bloggers, Miguel Guhlin. His blog is full of information, resources and strategies for implementing many of the web 2.0 tools.

“Plugging in to the Web” Webquest for Teachers

I recently came across a great website featuring the essential elements to understanding the details of “Understanding by Design”. While exploring the extensive resources for enriching teaching at the site, Big Ideas – Exploring the Essential Questions of Education, I discovered a great resources for teachers in the form of a webquest. Many teachers that I work with have no clue or understanding on the benefits of creating and using webquests so the following webquest, “Plugging in the to the Web“, may be a great resource for teachers to experience a webquest first hand and explore in a book study, group project or individual exploration of technology integration. The Big Ideas site is a fantastic compliation of resources explaining and exploring current trends in technology education and integration. Take a look or bookmark as a resource for later use. You won’t regret the time spent here!

It’s About Time

It’s about time! Crazy things have happened and I am now able to devote some time to posting to this blog. Keep checking in or even suggest a topic or question that you would like to see discussed in this forum. I am currently investigating the use of an wiki set up by professional educators to discuss current topics in technology education and the framework “Understanding by Design” to reform and promote positive change in schools.

Taken from the Wiki defining Understanding by Design is:

Understanding by Design is a method for planning using backward design — visualizing the end result (what students should understand) before selecting learning activities.

The link to the wikispace is: http://ubdeducators.wikispaces.com/. Check it out and experience a different form of professional discourse and collaboration. What are your thoughts?