Widgets and Gadgets

It's hard to believe this is our last full week of school in 2014.  We will have some interruptions with concert rehearsals and the performance on Thursday and Friday.  Please try to stay on task so you can publish your second blog post before we leave for our break.  During class one you will be adding widgets and gadgets to your blog.  I have resources on the second page of this blog to help with this task.  Please include the following gadgets on your blogs:

• Page Counter  (Blogger:  Blog Stats)
• Blog Roll  (Blogger:  Blog List)
• Subscription Gadget (Blogger:  Subscription Links)

You may add others if you choose.  I would suggest a translator gadget and you may also want to look at VOKI and clustrmap as well. Think about where you are putting your gadgets.  Remember-the most important part of your blog is your words.  Nothing should distract your readers from your words!!

Please be sure to settle on your title and URL. Once you are comfortable with it; you will need to share your blog information with me by completing the blog creation form found on:  Blog Collection Form resource.

During class two this week you will work on your second blog post.  Please be sure to use the BPS Blogging and Commenting Guidelines as you are working on it.  Create a Google doc, title it Blog Post #2, and compose away.  Once you have finished this post, please have a classmate edit your work.  Once it has been checked out by a peer (peer edit) you will need to copy and paste it on to your blog.  Remember to give your new post a title, and a label (tag).  Check it one last time before you hit "publish."

Have a super week!

     ~Mrs. White :)

Here We Go......

Today was our first day of school, but I did not get to see my classes.  Instead we were given the time to get to know the students on our "Connecting" team.  I really appreciated having the whole day to spend with these students.  We have some amazing students attending BIS this year!!

Tomorrow, Wednesday, I will begin meeting and "teaching" my classes.  I am so excited for this year.  We will be having a totally different approach to learning in Room 231 this year.  I have taken my inspiration from so many places; my students, bloggers, tweets, books, classes, conferences, Suggestions from my students being implemented include students working in groups or with partners some times, changing seats, and resources displayed on both front and back boards to name a few.  In addition I will be sharing the map for our entire school year with my students.  Of course, this is just a draft and my students will help me make the adjustments as we chart our course together.

First order of business is to discuss "passion."  What does it mean and what are the passions of my students?  You will be completing the Passion Assignment and then be using Wordle, WordItOut, and Tagxedo to create word clouds displaying their passions.  You will be printing out your word clouds and hanging them on the walls of the lab to continue inspiring us throughout the school year.

That's all for now (another piece of feedback suggested I make my posts shorter).  I can't wait to meet you all!!!

image link

Stay Calm and Blog On!!

As promised I am giving you an opportunity to create and publish another blog post in class this week.  Most of my classes have finished discussion the Social Media Survey results.  If we have not yet finished, we will do so by the end of the week.  I know the end of the year feels very close, but please remember we still have a lot of work to do and my expectations remain high for all of my students.

I will not be in class on Wednesday and some of my Thursday classes as I will be in a meeting which means you will have a substitute in the room.  You will be given the instructions to read EVERY word of my blog post.  Please be sure to read everything before clicking or doing!!!!

You will be using this time to create and publish a new blog post.  This post may be about anything.  It does not have to be school related, but must be school appropriate.  Of course, as always, you may use Pinterest or other resources for inspiration.  However, you should not be spending more than 10 or 15 minutes on such sites.  Please be sure to take some time and find a way to link your readers to a site or source to support your post.  An appropriate image would also be great.  Be sure to give a link for the image unless you created it yourself!!  This post will need to be edited by a classmate.  Before asking for a "peer edit", be sure you have gone through the post yourself.  Peer editors; please be sure to double check for capital letters (especially I's) as well as other grammatical errors.  Remember, you are not commenting on the content, but checking to be sure Blogging Guidelines have been followed.
Once your post has had another set of "eyes" check it out, you should publish it.

You should then work in your Digital Literacy and Citizenship iText.  This can be found in your iBooks.  You should have competed and submitted two lessons to me.  They are Unit 1, Lesson #1:  Digital Life 101 and Unit 2, Lesson #1:  My Media.

If you have finished your post and both of the iText lessons, you may either read other blog posts from your Feedly accounts or "pin" for inspiration for your next post.

**ILT #14 I will collect your Blog Design Rubrics on Friday during class.**

Remember; you are NOT to listen to music, play games, or watch random videos!!!  Please use your critical thinking skills and Effective Effort strategies.  I am confident you will do a great job!
---Mrs. White

Passion....

Welcome Back!  I know you have so many things on your mind today, and I hope one of them is wondering what we will be doing in technology this year.  We will start our class off by watching “A Day Made of Glass.”  This will give you a peek in to what the near future holds for us.  It is pretty cool stuff!  I will share the basic outline for our course and then ask you to switch gears.  I am going to ask you to think about your “passions.”  “What does passion have to do with technology?” you ask.  If you had asked Steve Jobs this question, I am sure his answer would have been lengthy.  Passion and learning are definitely connected.  If you are passionate about a topic, you are more enthusiastic in regard to learning more about it.  We will take a look at the clip, “TheAuthentic Swing” from the movie Bagger Vance.  You may not have seen this movie, but I think you will recognize the actor. You will then be given a note card and asked to list at least 3 of your passions.  Remember, these do not have to be school related, but do have to be school appropriate.  You will finish class by creating a word cloud  with your personal definition of passion, the things which you are passionate about, and your name.  Please use this google doc, Passion Assignment, to prepare the text for your WORDLE.  These WORDLES will be hung around the classroom.  I plan on using your passions when designing my lessons for the year.  You will be using your passions when we start blogging.  I want you to be passionate about what we are doing in class this year!