Technology in Education: Notes from the Closet

http://goo.gl/gqofmx Happy Social Media Week!  Below is a presentation that I gave to students in 5th-8th grade last year at this time.  It's been updated for 2013. Additional Resources Social Media for your Classroom:  http://gettingsmart.com/2011/12/developing-a-social-media-strategy-for-your-classroom/ A Teacher's Guide to Social Media:  http://mashable.com/2013/07/29/teachers-social-media/ A Teacher's Guide to Social Media Infographic:  http://www.edudemic.com/a-teachers-guide-to-social-media/ How Should Social Media be Taught in School?  http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2013/03/how-should-social-media-be-taught-schools Why Educators Should Spend 15 Minutes a Day on Social Media:  http://www.centerdigitaled.com/training/Why-Educators-Should-Spend-Time-Daily-on-Social-Media.html?utm_source=related&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=Why-Educators-Should-Spend-Time-Daily-on-Social-Media Find More Here:   http://nicolezumpano.wik

http://goo.gl/nKrrLL Chicago Public Schools has asked teachers to discuss Internet Safety with their students and have them sign a "Computer Safety Pledge" after doing so.  This is a great idea.  As the Technology Specialist at my school I was asked to oversee this.  I presented each teacher with a copy of the pledge for their classroom as well as a blank pledge form that all students can sign and display in their classroom. Along with this I felt it was important to provide teachers with additional resources if they would like to make this an on-going activity.  I gathered some resources for them and created the Prezi below as a way for them to extend the conversation.  I hope to be able to add some photos of classroom displays. Additional Resources: http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/cyberbullying/for_educators.html  is a fantastic site filled with resources, word searches, coloring sheets and more.  The Prezi I created used information from

This week we will have our Open House event to invite our parents in to learn more about Leland Elementary.  Parents will have an opportunity to see their child's classroom and meet their teacher.  They'll see banners like the one above displayed when they enter the building designating us as a STEM school.  But what does that mean?  This post will explain a bit about STEM beyond the acronym of S cience- T echnology- E ngineering- M ath and how it will impact the students at Leland Elementary. In early September the CPS STEM Specialists came together to meet with Pati Sievert, the Director of STEM Outreach at Northern Illinois University. We began by brainstorming a list of what STEM is: Integrating real-world problem solving using technology Encouraging a love for learning about our natural and man-made environment Project based learning (better for early grades) Problem based learning (higher level thinking skills- problem and solution) Preparing our kid

http://goo.gl/gWXsDD Next week marks the 12th anniversary of the September 11th attacks in New York.  This post provides resources made available if you'd like to discuss the topic with your students.  Use caution; always consider the student's age and maturity levels.  Look through the content prior to introducing it to your students. Most importantly, leave your politics at the door and be sure to clear up any misconceptions students may have while remaining objective and honest. Education World http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson244.shtml Contains numerous lesson plans related to the day.  This list was last updated in August 2011 so check to make sure all links you are interested in using work before presenting the lesson to students. Teaching 9-11 http://www.learnabout9- 1 1.o rg    Current information with sample discussion questions, timelines, forums and an interdisciplinary curriculum in addition to other forms of media.