Organization by Objective

I'm trying to catching up (somewhat) on my RSS, Twitter, e-newsletters, and other feeds to inform me on everything I need to know concerning edtech, iPad apps, Common Core--you name it.

I just came across a site that that featured iPad apps organized by objective called "EdTechTeacher's iPads As . . ." that I must share!

First the apps are organized by what you what the student to do.  These titles range from "Create Screencasts" to "Improve their organization" and "Respond to questions, polls, and assessments." 

This is very helpful but there is more!!

After selecting the objective, the selected tab provides a list of applications with a description plus the cost, ease of use, and a Usefulness rating as well as a tip to use the application.

I found this resource from a Facebook page called "PowerUp What Works" that I follow.  It has provided several interesting resources, especially in recommending iPad apps.  You can also subscribe to the website for free at http://powerupwhatworks.org/  

The number of websites and apps to use in classrooms seems to grow and multiply and it becomes difficult to stay on top of all of them!  This "iPads As . . ." site will be a great time-saving resource to help with lesson planning and technology integration in the classroom.  Be sure to add it to your preferred curation tool site!

Reviewing This Blog

I don't know what I thought I would accomplish by creating a blog.  A friend had started one and I gradually warmed to the idea that I should also have one.

My original thought was to share websites that I encountered in my position as a school librarian.  Generally there are several sites that offer similar services and I thought I could share my experiences with each to generate an overview of them.  Well, it takes time to use and compare these sites and it became a struggle to find time to write up my summary.

That is not to say that I do not still find and recommend sites and apps to the staff of my three schools--in the form of emails.  So my thought now is to sift through some of those email posts to share highlights on this blog.  If nothing else, it would curate my findings and my comments for future reference.

So check back.  I hope to actually do some of this during the school year so that this is not just a summer activity for me.  And I may update the blog to include a surprising honor that I received this past fall.

In review:  make it shorter and more frequent.  In other words: make it happen!

Aurasma

One of the most eye-catching WOW apps I saw at ISTE 2013 was Aurasma.  It works like a QR code but without the square box of strange marks.  Some detail in a poster or photo works to trigger the app so that you then view a special swirling effect that activates an audio and/or visual display.

According to the website:

"See and interact with the world in a new wayThanks to Aurasma, every image, object and even place can have its own Aura. Auras can be as simple as a video and a link to a web page or as complex as a lifelike 3D animation. Use the Aurasma app to unlock Auras and share the experience with friends. Or get experimenting and use the simple tools within the app to create and share your own Auras."

Aurasma is currently enjoying success in the business world.  The information page on the app shows a variety of advertising campaigns that utilize the program.  One of my favorites is the gorilla used in the album's artwork for the Rolling Stones promotion of their 'Grrr!' album .  The swirling effects showcase a roaring gorilla that then morphs into early footage and photos of the Rolling Stones while listening to "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "Angie."  Let the good times roll!

Now the question is how to use such an awesome app in school?  My first roadblock is the device for the app.  Currently our district follows a "no cell phone" policy at my level.  However, we are looking at a 1:1 iPad initiative this fall that would allow the app to be used on that device.  And did I mention that Aurasma currently is free?

My first application might feature book trailers that are triggered from book covers. Although I conduct a library lesson over the Sequoyah Children's nominees, this would be a great way to provide follow up as I continue to promote those titles.

Matt Gomez, Kindergarten Teacher, posted a great tutorial for using Aurasma with his students. Matt posts two videos that show how his students created information that could be accessed from the Aurasma trigger.  My favorite was the one on the Texas State Pledge.

I am sure that many people attending ISTE 2013 were wowed with this app and will find multiple uses for it. I will be watching for those ideas of additional applications to WOW my young  library users!

ISTE 2013 Revisited

Well, my first ISTE conference was everything I had expected and more!!  Of course, being in the Alamo Plaza area of San Antonio with the River Walk added to the atmosphere and enjoyment of the conference!

The exhibit hall was huge--I'm still not sure that I got to visit every corner and booth!  Many vendors provided their own small training sessions in the exhibit hall and I tried to attend a few. I picked up some helpful tips and information at the Google sessions.

I enjoyed the poster sessions much more than I had anticipated--probably got most of my information from that area actually.  Most of the poster sessions featured signs with QR codes to link to their website information.  I kept getting knocked off the network so I ended up just taking photos of the codes to read at home later.

Yep!!  Here is our mini-workshop presentation:
Extending Your Research Program Beyond the Library Book Stacks.

The presentation with Kristina Holzweiss went very well--especially considering that our first face-to-face meeting was in San Antonio!!  Fortunately we could communicate online in various ways and work collaboratively on the presentation that included Weebly,   Edcanvas, and Edmodo.. Kristina was great!!  She is so much fun and has so many ideas for edtech solutions in the library. Kristina is an inspiration for me and I am hopeful that we will keep in touch post-ISTE.

I had hoped to come into contact (by meeting casually or by attending a session they were presenting or attending) with a few of the "peeps" I follow on Twitter and RSS feeds. Well that didn't happen, but I did have two special moments that I treasure.

One of my special moments was getting to meet Adam Bellow and getting to try on his Google Glasses. Kristina knew Adam personally and arranged for us to meet him in the poster/playground area.  Adam was so nice--he was sharing his glasses with everyone.  And the glasses were awesome and unbelievable!  It was so much fun to get to experience them!!

Kristina Holzweiss and I try on Adam Bellow's Google glasses at ISTE 2013.

Kathy Schrock at ISTE 2013

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The other special moment was meeting Kathy Schrock.  I don't recall exactly when I started following her, especially her "Site of the School Day" segment on Discovery Education, but I credit her with my foray into education technology exploration.  She has since retired but she has stayed on top of her game and provided a fast-paced, informative presentation on "iPads in the Classroom." 

A nice perk of this experience was that my husband took off time to accompany me for this summer get-away.  He explored the area and met with a young friend that works with the Spurs and we visited the River Walk each evening.  We stayed in the historic The Menger hotel which was next to the Alamo in the Alamo Plaza.  The weather was very pleasant and enjoyable.

Other nice surprises at this conference included running into a student and her mom as well as meeting up with some librarian friends at the SIGMS breakfast!!

The closing keynote with Adam Bellow was very enthusiastic and inspiring.  One of my greatest take-aways from his keynote was his comment that we have an obligation to share our learning and experiences with our colleagues. Collaboration (as librarians have known and strived to implement for years!!) is key to this achievement.  I recently found this article where he recaps his speech into four areas:  Share, Care, Connect, and Reflect.  Be sure to note the video at the end of the article to view his entire closing keynote speech.  If you view the section on his Google glasses, you will see a number of ISTE attendees trying on his glasses.  Do you see Kristina and me in this collage from his video??

ISTE 2013 was a GREAT experience!!  This checked off an item in my "bucket list before I retire" and Kristina's invitation to make a joint presentation was the topping on the cake!!  Will I attend again?  I don't know--I would like to consider attending in 2015 when the conference goes to Philadelphia (on my "bucket list of places I would love to visit") but it is doubtful that will happen.  I was fortunate to obtain a scholarship for funding to attend this conference from our local Education Foundation.  However, Kristina is already thinking about future presentation proposals and if she offers an invitation to me, I'll try to make it happen!!

Kristina & I at the closing keynote.

ISTE 2013 Presentation

"Extending Your Research Program Beyond the Library Book Stacks"

That is the name of our ISTE workshop.  Participants will be learning how to set up and use Weebly (a free website creator) and Edmodo (a free private learning network that I use with my 5th GATES group). And we are SOLD OUT!!

Kristina had most of the information created and I've gotten to add a few elements (after I explored and learned how to use the programs!).  My main contribution is sharing my use of Edmodo and how to conduct research with elementary students while Kristina addresses uses and research with older students.

Although it is still in progress (and ISTE is just two days away!), take a look at the QR code to our presentation. (I use Google Goggles but you can use any QR reader app).

ISTE 2013

This is the BIG NEWS of my summer!!

I will be attending ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) in San Antonio!!  This has been a bucket list item for me to accomplish before I retire--actually hoping to attend in Philadelphia in 2015.  Not only will I be attending but I will be presenting!!  Well, a more accurate description would be "helping" in a presentation with Kristina Holzweiss, a librarian from New York that I've NEVER MET!!  How is that for crazy!?

Last spring (possibly in March or April 2012) I was highlighted as a "Spotlight Educator" for Edmodo.  I had contacted Edmodo on a few specific points as I was presenting my use of Edmodo with my 5th grade GATES (gifted/talented) classes at the Oklahoma Technology Association/Encylo-Media conference in February.  I guess they found my use and situation interesting because they wrote up a short article on me.

I'm not sure how my name came up but Kristina contacted me through Edmodo to tell me that she was writing up a presentation proposal for ISTE and asked if I would be interested to present with her.  First of all, I couldn't get past the concept that a presentation proposal would be accepted from two people who did not know each other!  Second, I was in a major "pity party" mode at that particular time as my main principal/supporter had retired the previous spring and I was concerned about my newer principals understanding my library situation and program goals--especially in light of a new teacher evaluation system this year.  So I said "yes."  What did I have to lose?

In December, Kristina contacted me that our proposal had been accepted!  Now our presentation was dependent upon people signing up to join us.  This is where it really gets serious.  Attending ISTE is not inexpensive as registration is $344.00 (includes one-year ISTE membership) plus you have travel and lodging expenses.  But our BYOD workshop requires paid registration of an additional $49.00!  It's one thing to make a presentation at a state conference but these people are paying EXTRA to attend our session!!

I've been so impressed with Kristina--she is an ambassador for Edmodo and moderates two communities I follow.  She has also been published in School Library Journal and she maintains a great library webpage.  And she has two small children at home!!

Kristina has put together a great presentation and I've learned to use EdCanvas and Weebly as a result.  She is allowing me to share in her spotlight.  I am touched beyond words.

 More to come on the actual presentation!

Summer 2013

I started this blog several summers ago as a way to remind myself of specific edtech sites I wanted to explore and to reflect on how to use them in my library.  Looking back to see that I posted ONE blog last summer makes me think that I should change my blog name to "Random Thoughts & Whatever!"

My "web presence" has been more regular on Scoop.It, Pinterest, and Learnist.  I have a number of boards on those sites addressing Common Core, EdTech Tools, @myLibrary, and iPads in Classroom.

At this point, I want to make these notations:
    Wallwisher is now called Padlet;
    My Google Reader is dissolving so I've moved to Feedly;
    I created a library Symbaloo page this past year with a connected Symbaloo page for 5th grade American
         Revolution links; and
   my 5th grade GATES kids were not "into" Edmodo like last year's group.

Summer goals at this point are to develop skills with Google docs, Dropbox, Evernote, and iPad apps.  My school district presented an iPad to each certified teacher on our last day of school with the intent that our district will be moving to a 1:1 iPad initiative provided a bond issue passes this fall.  Having an iPhone has helped me to have some knowledge with the iPad although I have not explored any real classroom uses.  I haven't come up with a reasonable classroom use for the Smule Guitar app!!

Just so I am sure to post more than one blog this summer, I'm writing the REALLY BIG summer news in my next post.  Hint:  ISTE 2013!!

Becoming an EdTech Star this Summer!

Although I am still working to clean and organize my libraries, school is over again for another year.  Summer is when I really try to catch up with my RSS and Twitter feeds and when I have time to write and reflect about what I read on this blog.  Anyone is welcome to read or follow my ramblings, but understand that blogging is a way for me to focus and reflect on my personal learning goals.

This summer, my main goals are to refine my use of some edtech applications and to determine how to implement Common Core in my library program. I have created a "file" for Common Core topics on Pinterest as well as Scoop.It.  I also have a LiveBinder and a Symbaloo page for this topic.  Why so many types of curation applications?  The main reason is to give me a purpose to use the various programs and to determine which actually meet my needs and goals.  I plan to include Common Core topics in this blog over the summer as I try to find my direction to follow these standards.

For now, I have been racing through my feeds trying to catch up--which of course I never will.  There are some "recommended" bloggers I follow on my Google Reader that I think I need to drop so I can focus on those that really give me solid articles that apply to my current needs.  I also have some duplicates between my RSS and Twitter feeds that I should probably clean up.  I set up a TweetDeck a few years ago but have really started using it again this past year to be able to view Twitter and Facebook on one page. 

So bear with me as I get this blog up to speed again.  For now, join me in this article on Becoming an EdTech Star from Free Technology for Teachers.  Of the 10 items included in the article, here is the one that pushed me today.

"2. Start a blog or revive a dormant blog. Create a schedule for writing and stick to it. If you only have time to write for an hour a week, that's fine but do it consistently. Writing will force you to think and reflect. Publish your writing even if you don't think it's perfect. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. You can always write an addendum to the original post."

What about you?  Where are you in your personal learning journey?  I would love for you to share with me!

Excited over Edmodo!

School is well under way and I'm here to report that Edmodo has exceeded my expectations so far this year!! I had to wait a year to get permission to use this free private learning network with my 5th grade gifted/talented (GATES) classes.

In retrospect, it was a good thing to have to wait. This year's group of kids seem very appreciative of the honor to be the FIRST in our town to use the site. Additionally, schedules have changed at my three schools so that I have had to change my pullout program. Now, instead of meeting with each group one day each week, I am following my library lesson schedule to have three days of GATES classes a week per group. This means that I do not have weekly face-to-face time with the kids but we do get to have a more intense time of instruction and activity with these back-to-back sessions.

With the help of Edmodo, I actually believe that I am delivering a better gifted/talented program this year. We have three consecutive days of project work on our SAILS historical era curriculum and then I supplement the program through Edmodo with assignments, polls, home response activities, current event responses, and more!

We start the year with a learning style survey so students can view HOW they are smart. I direct them to view their top three outcomes and evaluate if they agree with the results of the survey. Although most of my students were identified through our district criteria with one or more high percentage scores on spring achievement tests, some were referred and went through an interview process to qualify. Thus we look at ways we are "gifted" beyond academic, such as music, art, body, and others. I set up folders to "Explore Giftedness" in those areas. Most recently students could explore musical options, like a virtual piano, a percussion keyboarding site, and CodeOrgan to create music. We explored Thinkfinity's ARTSEDGE activity on "Spooky Sounds and Scary Tales" to listen to classical "scary" music. I have created a folder on art that includes some great drawing tools as well as links to art tutorials. The folder on "body smart" includes some line dances as well as educational jump rope rhymes.

Recent current events have included earthquakes in our state so I provided a link on earthquakes that included some interesting animated illustrations. Around Veteran's Day, I provided a heartwarming video about a soldier and his efforts to transport stray dogs that saved his life while serving overseas. They also participated in a poll to identify the military branch a family member or friend served in with the opportunity to make a response.

Students can check the calender to view upcoming site sessions, assignments, and school schedules. They can filter the posts to specifically view assignments, polls, or teacher posts. They can "turn in" their work after they have met the activity's criteria to view, read, and respond. They can go to the grade section to verify that they completed the assignment and view their score. This provides a great level of accountability that was missing in last year's program.

Parents have been provided with a special code to allow them to view calendar, assignment, and grade sections of Edmodo. They also have the option to receive notifications from Edmodo.

A great plus for me is the avenue of communication as students can post a public response or direct post to me. Students are not able to direct post to another students--their posts are public to the users of their identified groups. I receive email notification for every response made by students so I can easily monitor the program even though I may not be logged in.

Edmodo has helped me to develop a better program for my GATES students. Edmodo provides great tech support and I receive great tips and ideas from the Edmodo communities that I join. All of this--and it is free!

This has been a great experience this year--I'm very excited to have the opportunity to use this fantastic resource!! Thank you, Edmodo!!

I Don't Hate School . . . but Summer Will End

A friend recently shared a blog post with an article titled "I Don't Hate School, I Just Love Summer!" I'm not sure that I have "loved" this particular summer as it has been so hot. My summer morning walks started earlier and earlier in the morning as I attempted to find a "cool" time of the day. I failed to keep my flower beds tended and weed-free as I usually enjoy doing. According to weather history, we have not had such a hot summer since 1980. Triple digit temperatures on a daily basis! Without the assistance of a water sprinkler system, the yard would be yellow and dead long ago.

As a school librarian, I am not paid for summer work. However, I appreciate having summer time to work on and possibly complete work that I do not have time to pursue during the school year. Even though I have an assistant at each site, many projects remain in some stage of being completed. Part of this is that we are busy doing our business: serving our patrons. The other part is that my assistants do not always share the same time frame or priority level to complete the project as I do. This is not always their fault. When a teacher reports that AR is not working on their classroom computers, my "to do" list is cast aside to assist the teacher. As it should be. So part of my summer is spent trying to follow up on these partially completed projects and hopefully completing a few or at least taking them to the next stage at each school.

Another part of summer that I appreciate is having the time to read and consider edtech resources and posts. This is a time where I can sit and enjoy my cup of coffee as I follow up on RSS feeds and catch up on Twitter posts. I have time to explore and test edtech tool suggestions or simply read and reflect on blog posts.

This activity has become a common feature of my summer breaks since I started my "Summer Quest" a few years ago. I started then with "23 Things" to try to become more familiar with Web 2.0 resources for education.

This summer I explored and found several edtech resources for myself and to share with teachers which I listed in my last blog post. I am very excited about livebinders and Symbaloo and sqworl for the organization of similar online resources. I am still waiting for a teacher to get on board with me on Wordstash which I think will be great for academic vocabulary. And of course I am so pleased to be allowed to use Edmodo with my gifted/talented class this year.

So it isn't that I hate school but it is more about losing the time to follow and explore this wealth of online resources. I may have a brainstorm to write something notable about a web resource I stumbled over or utilized during the school year, but more likely than not, my time to share in blogging will end for now--just like this summer of endless heat will finally come to an end.

Summer Quest: Not Finished yet Not Failed

August is here and that signals an official end to the summer for me. Now is the time to get my head focused to get in the game of school!

Google docs was the focus of my quest this summer. I have done some reading but have not progressed to the application level of this quest. This is largely due to the need to gorge on Edmodo as I will be using it with the gifted/talented students this year. I'm thinking that Edmodo will achieve several of the reasons I was looking at Google docs (at least I'm hoping so!) thus I diverted my attention to Edmodo midway in the quest. I appreciate that Edmodo posts to my Google reader. Although I'm still subscribing to the email notifications, I can use that strictly as a "notification" and know that the information is stored to read later on my RSS.

Although I possibly "failed" my initial summer quest, I have found some wonder sites to share and use in the coming year. Standouts at this time include: WordStash (vocabulary building); LiveBinders (organization of URL folders); Symbaloo (visual bookmark organizer); eyeooo (visual URL comparision) ; Digital Vaults (resource for history documents); Dipity (digital timelines); Museum Box (research project organized in a box); and of course, Edmodo! I am indebted to the blogs and tweets I've read from the tech experts this summer!

Maintaining/teaching at three elementary school libraries pretty much keeps me on my toes, even with full-time assistants at each building. Thus this pretty much marks the end of my blog entries until next summer's quest. I want to end this quest with a "poster" that I found in my RSS feeds--an interesting graphic to promote the understanding of the educational role of the school librarian as I strive to serve my patrons with the best I can offer. Thank you to Jennifer LaGarde for posting this on the YourTeacherLibrarian wiki.

Summer Quest: Inspired!

Although there are many sites and tutorials available on the web, I have found "Ideas to Inspire" to be a great resource to view specific Web 2.0 tools and a variety of ideas to consider for a possible use with my gifted/talented students or a lesson in a library class situation.

Today I explored the site and found a slide presentation featuring the use of Google docs in the classroom. I realize Google docs has been available for some time now and it is a shame that I am just now working to find applications for my teaching situation, but I figure it's better late than never!

Some slides share specific uses and some share basic information. For example, slide #3 shows the number of people that can collaborate on a specific Doc type at one time. Just so you know, 50 people can contribute to a presentation while up to 100 can edit a document at the same time.

Slide #6 discusses the use of Word Count in a document which includes the Automated Readability Index. You could paste text into the document and then show your students the reading level of the specific text. Or you could use their own writing sample and then show possible editing options to increase the reading/grade level of the sample. This might be helpful when trying to encourage students to work on sentence structure and word choice when writing.

"Work smarter not harder" is a motto I am trying to incorporate into my daily living philosophy so it is good to know that Google doc offers templates to assist both teachers and students. Slide #12 explores the use of templates in the program.

I want to come back to explore Google forms (G forms) which is presented on slide #18. Students respond to questions/comments using a 1-5 format or an ABC option. Slide #24 also shares a way to use G forms to receive parent return slips as an electronic alternative--now that's interesting!

This slide presentation has provided me with several ideas to utilize in lessons and many areas where I need further explanation and reflection. I want to look into Assignment Tracker but not as intently as before now that I will be using Edmodo. I am still very interested in the collaboration possibilities of Google docs but need to consider how to assist and monitor students with that feature. And I am very intrigued with slide #20 on Dynamic Visualization. Hmmm . . . lots to think about!

Summer Quest: GoogleApps???

And just when I think I am getting caught up with Web 2.0, I read a Blue Skunk blog article by Doug Johnson about GoogleApps and librarians.

GoogleApps?? What about Google docs? Are these the same thing or is it something different?
Apparently the use of this cloud-based productivity tool and storage space in his school district will allow

"no cost to the district e-mail accounts, shared calendars, a mailing list generator, an to-do list and address book for all staff and students. As powerfully, it provides word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs that require only a web browser to access and use. The files created, like the applications themselves, are stored “in the cloud” where can be easily shared, collaboratively edited, and published. [See Libraries in the Cloud in this issue.]

These tools and the files they create are available anywhere, at any time, from any computer that has an Internet connection - Windows, Mac or Linux. No software other than a good web browser is needed."

Looks like I better get busy!

Summer Quest: Creek Squad and Google Apps

I am catching up on reading following the July 4th holidays and found this interesting YouTube video on eighth grade students teaching students and teachers how to use Google Apps and cloud computing at their school in Iowa.

This link was recommended by the Edmodo blog I follow with two field reporters sharing their favorite presentations from ISTE 2011. The session was called "Building Learning Communities with Google Apps" which is one of my summer quest topics.

On the video, the students share benefits of using Google docs and apps. One named "improved speed" which is a major concern in my district. They also named the benefits of access to shared information which leads to collaboration, a key area of 21st Century Skills.

View this link for the Creek Squad tech support team and the district perspective on using this tool in education.

Summer Quest: 30 Days with Google Docs

I'm divided now in my time to follow my quest to discover how to use Google docs and relearning how to use Edmodo.

I came across an interesting blog article by Tony Bradley (PC World) where he spends 30 days learning about Google docs and comparing the program to Windows Office. I thought it might be helpful to hear his take on the advantages/disadvantages of the two programs. He started his adventure on May 1, 2011 so if he stayed true to his calendar he completed it on June 1.

So I guess I will start reading on July 1--one month after he completed his project. Here we go!

Edmodo is a Go!

When I found out last summer that I would be the teacher for the 5th grade gifted/talented (GATES) program, I decided that I would set up a network site that I had found to use with this group. Edmodo looked like a great way for me to communicate with students, make assignments, set up polls for quick involvement, and so much more.

I was well prepared to use the program but things came to a quick stop when I was denied the use of the program. I pursued it for a while but covering three school libraries, overseeing three library assistants, creating lessons for my new classes--5th grade and GATES. Well, after a while, I just had to let it go.

So, I met with my superintendent this month and Edmodo is a go!! I have permission to use the program with GATES!! I think it will work very well with this group of students--it is very appropriate for this group of students.

Now I just have to remember how to use it again!! But that's a good thing!

Step Up for Oklahoma NBCTs!

Living and teaching in Oklahoma places me, a veteran teacher of 30 years, in one of the lowest ranked states for teacher pay. However, this state stepped up to offer scholarship incentives for teachers to pursue a National Board Certified Teacher license. And then they also provided a stipend of $5,000 (around $3,700 after taxes) for those that were awarded the ten-year certificate "provided that funds are available."

I went through the emotional, time-involved year-long process and earned my certificate in Library Media in 2002 with the first class of school librarians recognized with the National Board award. Although the process of providing documentation through a portfolio of written commentary and video clips as well as the online assessment was daunting while teaching and tending to family full-time, I experienced great professional and personal growth as a result.

Although there have been years when the stipend funding was threatened, state legislatures found ways to fund the award during the days of State Superintendent Sandy Garrett. Those funds were used to provide laser eye surgery for both of my children, assisted in college tuition payments, and helped to allow a life-long dream of a cruise to Alaska with my husband and two children to come true.

Since I am passionate about what I do and plan to continue teaching for several more years, I decided to take the challenge to renew my National Board this past year paying the $1,450 fee with state money I was awarded the previous year. The news of passing will not be revealed until the end of this year so I am still on pins and needles wondering if I provided adequate documentation that I strive to continue to practice teaching strategies of National Board's high standards.

Sadly, with the economic crisis in the state as well as the nation, funding for National Board stipends in Oklahoma will end in the 2012 financial budget. The deciding vote to cut the financial award to those Oklahoma teachers that chose to subject their teaching to be evaluated by a national set of standards was placed by our newly elected State Superintendent Janet Barresi.

I understand that the National Board stipends were "provided if funds were available" and I understand that Oklahoma is experiencing budget cuts all along the board. However, I was not prepared to have what should be my strongest advocate in education to place the deciding vote to basically say that teachers meeting national standards have no merit in Oklahoma.

Yet, I have hope that some of our state legislators will understand the need to acknowledge our National Board teacher recipients and will find a way to financially award us for our efforts to help build the status of education in Oklahoma with highly-qualified and nationally recognized educators. I'm hopeful that our legislature will step up again.

Summer Quest: Getting Up to Speed on Google Tips and Tools

I realize that I am usually behind the times in all aspects of my life--fashion, cars, what's going on at my school (otherwise named as "gossip"), and of course, edtech and Web 2.0. So I am setting a quest this summer to focus on Google tools, especially Google docs.

I need to break down and actually become a paying member of some of the various edtech groups that I follow but usually the amount of time I have available still does not meet the amount of free information these groups provide!! One of the groups I follow is SimpleK12 and I recently attended a free webinar advertised as "Google Tips and Tools." I made a reservation as I thought they might provide information on Google docs. Nothing on that but I received some great general information about Google and I want to be sure that others are aware of these excellent edtech resources.

One resource I thought would be helpful and visual for my students would be the use of Wonder Wheel. By typing in a general topic like "Civil War," Wonder Wheel creates a graphic organizer in the shape of a wheel of related topics. This would help students see options to narrow down their search toward their actual research needs. By clicking on one of the spokes to select "Civil War battles", another wheel pops up to further define the needed search. Related searches is another option to help students to better define their search but it does not provide the visual treatment that I think would appeal to my students. Both of these options are found on the left sidebar of a Google search.

Another option located on the left sidebar is Timeline which displays a timeline of the general topic and provides general information arranged by date. By clicking on a section of the timeline, the search is made more specific with articles of information specific to that time period. An example of "Civil War battles" looks like this.

Looking at the top of the Google screen are options like "Images", "Maps", and one called "more" with a drop-down arrow. Clicking on that one and scrolling to the bottom to find "even more" takes students to a more organized screen of Google products. Here students could look at the "Media" section for images, news, books, and YouTube. Google Docs are located under the "Home and Office" section and the "Specialized Search" section features Trends (past and present search trends) and Scholar (scholarly papers and articles). And under the section of "Innovation" you find Labs--Google's technology playground!

One lab tool that I think both teachers and students will appreciate is Google Squared. This tool searches and organizes its findings into a spreadsheet that can be edited. Requesting a search of "Civil War battles, " Google Squared provided 20 items with categories of information of "Battle Name," "Images"which was often a map, "Description," "Location," "Date," and "Result"--all in a matter of seconds!!

Other lab tools that I think would be helpful to both teachers and students are News Timeline and Fast Flip. Both of these tools provide media information on specific topics or dates. News Timeline is described as "a web application that organizes information chronologically. Google News Timeline allows users to view news, scanned newspapers and magazines, blog posts, sports scores, and more on a zoomable, graphical timeline." Fast Flip offers "blinding fast overviews of headline pages of top newspapers."

And last I want to mention the free iPhone/Android app called Google Goggles which uses pictures from your smartphone to retrieve relevant information. An example on the description page shows taking a picture of a menu in another language and obtaining a translation.

Are these relevant tools for today's student? When showing them to my college son this weekend, his response was "Why didn't you show me this stuff a couple of semesters ago when I had to research information for all of those papers?!?" Hmmm--maybe this old girl isn't so far behind the times!! :)

Summer Quest: Flubaroo

As I delve into discovering all that Google docs can offer to educators, I came across this instant grading program called Flubaroo that utilizes Google docs. This link provides an overview of how to use the program to set up and grade multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank quizzes. It was developed by a classroom teacher and, as with any site that I promote, it is free!

The overview link above takes you to a step-by-step guide with screen shots as well as a short video clip to set up and use the program.

This is an interesting program as I think it could guide educators to evaluate their teaching success very quickly. By looking at low-scoring questions, an educator could assess the question itself as a possible distractor to student understanding. It could also signal an area where more instruction is needed to assist student understanding.

You can setup the program to email test results to the students along with the answer key. Students could see the question they missed, read the correct answer, and realize that this is an area where they need to focus their studying. Thus, it would help students better prepare for tests that would include essays as part of higher level thinking and problem solving.

Flubaroo looks like a great time-saving tool for educators when using multiple choice quizzes!

Summer Quest: Google docs overview

As I research Google docs for my summer web2.0 quest, I stumbled on this quick link: Google for Educators. The site provides brief information on Google docs and its uses for educators.

I have used Google docs for professional collaboration but actually had not considered using it for student collaboration. Exploring this site made me wonder if this would be a good avenue for some of our 5th grade GATES projects. One aspect that especially caught my eye was the ability to to monitor and store student work. Additionally through the revision history, Google docs is able to show educators who

"contributed to what assignment and when; if a student says he or she worked on a given project over the last two weeks, it will be documented (no more "dog ate my homework" excuses)."

This has been one of the bigger problems for me in collaborative work--making sure that everyone is contributing to the project. The other is coming up with an appropriate rubric for assessment--but that is another topic for another time!

I've been trying to get permission to use Edmodo for my 5th grade GATES program for communication, polls, assignments, library, and other purposes. Would Google docs be a viable alternative if I cannot use Edmodo? Something for further consideration.