Favorite+Tech+Links+&+Resources

=Share your favorite websites and other resources you've found especially helpful in implementing 21st century technology and web2.0 in your classroom. =

NINGS
Nings are a great way to set up a safe private social network for your class. They are also a great way to connect with teachers and other professionals around the world. You can go to www.ning.com to get started. You can set your own ning up and make it public or private or somewhere in between. Some nings I've used include the art ed one. I also have created my own ning that students from phs are using to complete assignments and discuss art. Last year at the National Art Education Association conference one of the big highlights for me was to connect with all the wonderful online teachers I'd become friends with. As of August 2010 nings are no longer free. You can be a member of a ning network for free, but to set one up there is a fee. Pearson Education is sponsoring the mini nings for this year, so if you have a mini it is free. For more info go to the [|ning link.]

BLOGS
A blog I've been following is the paperless classroom. It has some interesting discussions of web 2.0 and social networking usage in the classroom. Very provocative stuff!

A lot of the fun of blogs is following them. If you love reading this is a great way to read for free and not even leave your home or chair. There are several ways to follow a blog. One is through the RSS feed and the other is through the follow button if you already have an account with that blog service (blogspot/blogger works this way). If you choose to follow a blog you get updates sent to your dashboard through google or through the blog itself. There is also a site called bloglines that lets you manage the blogs you follow. I find this really helpful as you can organize the blogs you follow into folders and get the updates through the site. If you have your students setting up blogs this makes it easier to keep track of all of them and get the updates. It posts by dates so you can tell if someone did or didn't meet their deadline!

You can check out my blogs. I have two professional ones and one personal one. I'll share the links to the 2 professional ones. One pertains to art and art education. The other pertains to my journey through the digital realm as I try to learn and keep up! @http://theparttimeartist.blogspot.com/ @http://digitalsojourns.blogspot.com/

There are tons of blogs out there. If you want to get started and try your own there are several blog sites that are very easy to use. Most blogs are free. Remember a blog is like a digital journal. It is opinion based and supposed to be personal. People may comment on your thoughts so be prepared. Blog posts should occur often (weekly is great) and they are always nice when they include links and images. You can even embed videos in them. Also brief posts go over better than long. @http://wordpress.com/ @http://www.blogger.com @http://www.typepad.com/

TED TALKS
This is a great website for video clips on a variety of topics from many industry leaders. They are easy to download and good for teachers to enhance their knowledge and also to share sometimes with students.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">TEACHER REBOOT CAMP
<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">This one I just discovered. Nice discussions of how to "reboot" how we teach and how we engage students in the 21st century.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">This is the the National Scholastic Press Association website section that offers free forms for those teaching yearbook, journalism, graphic design, including camera equipment checkout forms. There are a lot of cool articles on the general NSPA site too.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">At our administrative meeting on September 17, we discussed Tony Wagner's book //The Global Achievement// Gap. Courtesy of Mark Hansen, here are some of the more interesting links for information on what other school districts are doing (innovatively).

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> As follow up to our discussion of 21st Century Skills and //The Global Achievement Gap,//some asked for the links to the Fayeteville, Arkansas School District:__ http://www.fayar.net/community/wagner.html __

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> The video about High Tech High: __ http://www.edutopia.org/collaboration-age-high-tech-technology-video __ If you scroll down there are other valuable video storyboards about how schools are adapting to the technology.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Here is the link to the Iowa Core Curriculum:__ http://www.corecurriculum.iowa.gov/ContentArea.aspx?C=21st+Century+Skills __

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Partnership for 21st Century Skills can be found at [|www.21stcenturyskills.org]

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **__Why we need to address technology__** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Here's the link I mentioned during our full staff meeting with regards to data out there on technology usage/surveyed.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> []

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> Here's another one we just talked about yesterday during our administrative team meeting

Classroom 2.0 Website: []
 * Melinda added:**

Apple Learning Interchange: []

I have also explored the use of blogs, wikis, Skype, and Twitter in my classes

[]

[|Logmein.com]m - Allows faculty members and students to access their home computer from any computer that is connected to the internet. It also has a free version which could be installed on every computer on the network that would allow faculty members to view what their students are doing in the labs. This would also work like classroom spy but it would be FREE. The paid version allows you to have mini meetings, share documents over the entire internet, and also print from your home to the nearest printer.
 * Nikolas added:**

[|Animoto.com]- Allows people (students and staff members) to make slideshows and post them to Facebook, Myspace, on their website(s) or also email them.

Here is a large PDF document I found on Pewaukee's District page [|Link]. Contains a bunch of info on well... just about everything. Definitely worth a quick read.
 * Colin added:**

[|Microsoft's Dreamspark Program] - Giving legal access to College and Highschool students to very expensive Microsoft software for their studies and use. Software includes: Visual Studio 2010, 2008, 2005, SQL Server 2008, Server 2008, 2003, Expression Studio 3, and a couple other apps. Pewaukee is not listed as one of the High Schools, I had to email their support and they requested a scan of my School ID card and a list of the classes I'm currently enrolled in, they gave me an access code and I was able to get permission. Maybe, as a school, request if PHS can join? No classes currently use this software, but just putting it out there!

Just found this link to a web poll on schools and internet filtering. Some interesting comments and the chance to take part in the poll. @http://www.edutopia.org/poll-schools-filter-internet-content
 * Jeanne Added:**


 * __Tech Tips for Teachers__**

In this month's Principal Leadership magazine they had a techtorial we might be interested in. (Dan) [|www.educationworld.com/a_tech/archives/techtorials.shtml]