Guest post: Kleinspiration – technology treasures for today’s teachers, by Erin Klein

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Rachel

Erin Klein is a middle school teacher in southern Michigan with her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Erin has created a fantastic resource for educators in her blog Kleinspiration, showcasing web 2.0 resources that can be used as tools to enhance teaching and learning. Below is more information about Erin and Kleinspiration:

Kleinspiration, a newly created educational blog, brings readers technology treasures for today’s teachers. Classroom teacher, Erin Klein, showcases a rich display of web 2.0 sites for grade levels K-12 and all content areas. Klein states that her focus for selecting sites is based on three main factors: free sites that encourage student collaboration and project based learning, parent-friendly sites that support the student’s studies, and websites that spark higher-level thinking in a manner that is engaging for both teacher and student.

Klein has extensive training in reading intervention programs and roots her style in Dr. Spencer Kagan’s Cooperative Learning Structures to infuse natural collaboration within her classroom and increase active engagement so that all students’ learning potential is maximized. Klein decided to pursue her passion for technology integration when she realized how much her own children were becoming acclimated to technology, and learning so much from it, all at such a young developmental and cognitive learning age. She knew this was their world, and she should embrace it. Times have changed; sadly, classrooms haven’t. Thus, Klein began networking with other teachers and developed ways to comfortably embrace technology.

Klein has worked with teachers across the state of Michigan to help develop creative ways for technology integration into the classroom. Though Klein firmly believes in preparing students for a global society, she continuously reinforces that technology is simply a tool to support and enhance instruction – the teacher and the students drive the learning. Those who have worked with Klein state that the most surprising aspect they walk away with is seeing how truly motivated the students become. Not only are her resources beneficial, but her enthusiastic approach is contagious as she works with fellow educators and students.

Oftentimes, the Internet can become cumbersome for those who only have a brief moment to utilize its full potential. Though most of us would love to include more technology into our lesson planning, we find that we simply run out of time. We run out of time when planning (as there are so many sites to choose from), and we run out of time covering content within the classroom (as there are so many weekly disruptions). Kleinspiration provides a spot where teachers can browse the newest technology finds, while still being reminded of quality sites that have been around, read comments/reviews other professionals/parents have made about a particular site, and peek directly into Klein’s middle school classroom as she shares her own lessons and student product examples. Furthermore, Klein has a contact page where she welcomes questions and opportunities to work together through conferences and workshops.

Kleinspiration provides inspiration to students looking for the ‘just right way’ to present an upcoming project, the parent at home wishing for support to assist with homework, and the teacher who is searching for the perfect gem to jazz up his or her lesson.

Thankyou, Erin, for sharing your wonderful blog with the readers of Bright Ideas. If any readers would like more information, or would like to work with Erin, visit Kleinspiration.

’55 interesting ways to support writing in the classroom’

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Rachel

55 interesting ways to support writing in the classroom (and counting) is a compilation created by Tom Barrett, that can be contributed to by whomever. It is a ‘this is brilliant’ Google Doc resource that is flying around Twitter and is being contributed to through crowdsourcing. It is part of Barrett’s ‘Interesting Ways’ series and is definately worth a long look. Literacy is cross-curricular, so remember to share this resource with all.

Guest post: Class blog ‘Learning Together’ by Marie Kennedy

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Rachel

Marie Kennedy is a prep teacher at St. Luke the Evangelist School, Blackburn South, Victoria. Marie and her prep students’s class blog, Learning Together, is a wonderful example of how web 2.0 tools can be used to support and extend teaching and learning, and as a way to make connections:

I started my class blog following the SLAV Personal Learning Network PD I was a part of early in 2010, where I had learnt so much about Web 2.0 tools and the many benefits of blogging for Learning and Teaching. I was excited about the potential for local and global collaboration and creating strong links between home and school. I had always used ‘myclasses’ as a way to communicate with parents about what was happening in the classroom however I could see the enormous potential of creating a class blog.

As a Prep teacher I spend a lot of time modelling how to use a blog. Through this modelling the students are learning important protocols and safe behaviours when navigating the online world. I am responsible for posting photos, writing most of the posts and moderating comments. My students take part by sharing reflections on their learning using tools such as voicethread, wallwisher and videos. I share their writing, reading, maths and art through slideshows. My students also become involved in commenting. I model the process and at this early stage of the year I type their thoughts and ideas. My students are articulating to a global community what they have discovered helping them to consolidate and deepen their understandings. Many visitors to our blog ask interesting questions that extends the students thinking and challenges them to consider new perspectives. These are some of the powerful advantages of blogging.

While we have had success reaching out to the global community one of the challenges of blogging is involving our parent community. My major aim for developing a class blog was to connect with parents and families. To provide a springboard for conversation at home about what is happening at school and how the students are thinking and learning. While some parents do visit and comment I have had limited success with this. As a school we are hoping to provide a parent night on blogging to address this issue.

Blogging allows for authentic and rich conversation both within and beyond our school community.

Thankyou, Marie, for sharing your fantastic work, and the work of your students. I particularly like how visually appealing Learning Together is, with the images of your students and their work. Your adopted pet Freddie, the spider, is a cute extra on the blog and a good way to create interest in any blog (e.g. name the virtual pet or avatar). Learning Together provides uses of web 2.0 tools that will offer inspiration to many.

Performing arts resources

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Rachel

ArtsAlive.ca is the performing arts educational website by the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is an amazing site that, among other things, has performing arts related resources for teachers and students. ArtsAlive.ca has heaps of great tools for teachers of music, theatre, dance, and collections (costumes, etc.):

The virtual dance studio is amazing. Students can choreograph their own dance compositions by putting together beginning, middle, and end sequences of dance movement. They can choose from female ballet, male modern dance, or female modern dance.

Blog for art teachers: the seventh string

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Rachel

A creative blog for art teachers is the seventh string byDavid Hulston (England). Hulston has 20 years of experience working in education, and brings this to his blog. The blog provides examples of art creations by different year levels that will inspire art teachers. There are some beautiful creations, such as ‘Never underestimate the power of dreams’ that uses multimedia to capture students playing with shadows. Have a look at the blog below and be inspired:

Zoos Victoria and digital learning

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Rachel

Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo, and Healsville Sanctuary offer some fantastic educational experiences for all ages. In a brilliant move, particularly for schools distant to the zoos, the zoos have ‘wild digital learning for students’:

Students can choose from three different areas – conservation mashups, primate behaviour research, and bushfires and wildlife challenge – to contribute their learning to. In a world first, if students choose ‘primate behaviour research’ there are real time web video cameras that allow students to conduct a behavioural study of the Orang-utans and Siamangs. Students are able to enter their data and share their findings, or interpret the data that is already there. This real research will be used by the zoo to encourage the natural behaviour of these animals. This is authentic learning at its very best!

In ‘conservation mashups’ students can choose the options of ‘don’t palm us off’ or ‘beads for wildlife’. In ‘don’t palm us off’ students are asked to create a mashup video that can be used to campaign the palm oil issue. The site provides all the information on the issue, and all the things students would need to create their mashup. To really convince students to take part, there is a gallery where they can share their mashup video with the world.

If students choose the ‘bushfires and wildlife challenge’ they are asked to improve biodiversity and reduce fire risk in their community. Again, the zoos are providing the real-life, authentic learning tasks that prove to be so powerful in creating knowledge. These activities can be undertaken by primary or secondary school students.

Foursquare in education

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Rachel

Foursquare encourages people to get outside and explore and share their environment, whether that be a city or a town. They do this by using their mobile device to share check-ins, tips, and to-dos, while earning badges and discovering new things. It is a geo-networking tool.

How this can be used in education as a tool for learning seems to be debatable. It is now linked with Google Earth, and perhaps may be great for geography teachers, and as an orientation tool for year seven students new to the college, to familiarise themselves with buildings and areas. It could also be a brilliant tool for school camps (especially excursions to cities). Furthermore, you can create apps using foursquare’s API, so media teachers may like the sound of this. The apps that have been created are listed in the 4sq app gallery (great incentive for technical-minded students).

4sq app gallery

Accredited Online Colleges have a post on their blog called ’30+ ways to use foursquare in education’. There are some good ideas listed, especially in the ‘field trips’ section.

Purdue University has a page in its wiki repository that details foursquare, including its history, how it relates to other applications, and its real world application. The real world application section includes lesson plans from geography, economics, technology, and music.

Foursquare seems to be a great networking tool for universities, with many getting on board. If any primary and secondary school educators are using foursquare as a teaching and learning tool, please leave a comment and share your experiences.

Twitter4Teachers

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Rachel

Teacher librarian Camilla Elliott, of Mazenod College, Victoria, recently brought my attention to Twitter4Teachers. It is a wiki designed to help educators connect with other educators on Twitter. You can use the extensive list on the front page to search by subject area to find teachers in your area of interest. Using the search tab you could look for only Australian educators if you wanted to. You can also add yourself! Many educators listed on the wiki also include their blogs, wikis, nings, websites, or any other online site they are part of. Once you find someone that you would like to follow, it is simply a matter of adding them to your Twitter account.

Worth reading: SLAV’s Synergy

Posted on March 3, 2011 by Rachel

Synergy is an online publication by the School Library Association of Victoria, edited by Dr. Susan La Marca. The journal is published twice annually in May and October. SLAV members have access to this online resource, using a username and password.

Volume 8, Number 2, 2010 had a particularly thought-provoking article written by the United State’s Kristin Fontichiaro entitled ‘2.0 or 2.Faux?: Wrapping our heads around digital assessment – An interactive article’. Yes, an interactive article. During the article, Fontichiaro has the reader visiting a wikispace she created to compliment and extend the article. As she says, ‘pull up a chair, fire up a laptop, and surf over…’ to the wikispace. Fontichiaro gets you to question how you are using ICT in your school and whether it is ICT for ICT’s sake.

La Marca has suggested this would be a brilliant article to discuss at branch meetings for SLAV members, and would be just as useful being analysed as a professional development opportunity for staff at school. If you are not a SLAV member and want to view this article, contact SLAV on (03) 93495822 or slav@netspace.net.au.

Image search tools

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Rachel

Danny Nicholson, from The Whiteboard Blog: Supporting technology in the classroom (a fantastic blog for information on activities for the IWB), wrote a great post called ’12 useful image search tools’. The post gives practical examples and tools that will help you and your students find images that do not breach someone’s copyright.

School Library Association of Victoria

Category Archives: Web 2.0 tools