Blogging about Educational Blogging

Internet blogging represents the future of education. No longer do teachers have to learn HTML codes to create effective websites for their students. Blogs allow teachers the ability to communicate with their students when ever they choose to. All teachers have to do is log on, submit, and share.
Blogs have replaced standard class web pages, because they make communicating much easier. Teachers can easily link information that they find on the Internet to reinforce what they are teaching in their own classroom. Examples of past student work can be posted on a blog so current students can see what the instructor is looking for. Blogs can be used to summarize what took place in the course of a day so students that were absent can easily catch up. These summaries can also be useful to students that have a hard time tracking information or staying on task. In addition, blogs provide ways for students to easily communicate with their teacher. If a student has their own blog they can easily submit homework assignments, e-mail questions, or post an on-line journal showcasing their work.
The world is changing. Five year olds now have e-mail addresses. Education must stay current to be effective. The future of education will eventually lead to full time teacher blogs. Blogs allow teachers to share content, instruction, announcements, readings, assignments, etc. with their students. Blogging produces a world of endless learning possibilities.

Education Journal

I found a great educational journal called Education Weekly.
This journal allows subscribers to:

• Browse the top stories and Editors' Picks from Education Week and the Associated Press.
• Read unlimited Teacher articles including archives, featuring tools you can immediately use in the classroom.
• Become part of our online community through Chats, Blogs, TalkBacks, and article comment discussion.
• Explore Digital Directions, trends and advice for K-12 Technology Leaders.
• Explore Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook, a guide to ideas and resources on teacher learning.
• Review special reports including topics such as salary, leadership and technology.
• Compare state data and utilize tools from the Research Center.
• Get the first look at all jobs listed on TopSchoolJobs!

PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a fantastic educational tool if used correctly. Word and PowerPoint are the only to applications that most teachers know how to use. As a result, they are over used. It is essential that before students use PowerPoint they are taught about good and bad design. I have a graphic designer come in every year and speak to my students about how to properly design posters, PowerPoints, etc. The main focus of the lesson is to show students that multiple fonts, colors, sounds, picture, and effects are not the answer. When dealing with my 6th graders I preach, "Less is More." Once students have a good idea about what good design looks like then I will assign a PowerPoint project. PowerPoint is a fantastic program, but I try to only assign one to two PowerPoint assignments a year. There are so many other great applications out there. It is imperative that students have the skills to run multiple programs if they are to be successful in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3g4bScZSm8

Presenky

I believe that the two sides most meet in the middle. The old guard and the new guard have always disagreed about what is most pertinent. The old guard most learn to adapt. Presenky says, "Our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language." However, I believe the Digital Natives most also learn some of the old ways. Technology, like education is ever changing. The two sides most work with one another, adjusting to each others strengths and weaknesses, in order to succeed.

Sam

Hello,

I teach science and social studies to 6th graders in Maple Valley.
I recently won teacher of the month.
I enjoy my school and can't wait to get to know all of you better.
Take Care,

Sammy the Bear