Let me tell you about a new project happening in my system that I am rather excited about.  It’s called Talladega County’s 21st Century Learners project.  The project was started by a group of teachers from Talladega County who have been involved in a project with the Alabama Best Practices Center on 21st Century Learning.  Sheryl Nussbaum Beach has been working with teachers from Alabama for the past three years.  This particular team of teachers is organizing the same type program for our local school district.  A mentor team has been established to facilitate four sessions second semester.   The team members are Robbie Stewart, Amanda Spurling, Kim Knight, Karen Pemberton, and Jennifer Barnett.   The first training session is January 2nd and I have been asked to be a co-presenter on blogging.  The first training session will cover blogs, wikis, web tools, and web wonders.  These first sessions are designed for high school and middle school, with elementary to follow in the fall.

At this point, I am unsure of the number of teachers across our county that will be involved.  Every school is sending a team of teachers, so regardless of the number, the impact of this initiative will be felt system-wide.  It’s exciting to see this happening.  Two schools within our district are part of the 21st Century Learning initiative of which Sheryl Nussbaum Beach has helped to implement.  I have often lamented the fact that my school was not a part and that I had “missed the boat” on this opportunity.  Thank goodness it is coming full circle and I have the chance to participate to some extent.

 It should be a wild, fun-filled, education ride.  I expect loads of dust to be stirred up across the county as we go.  I’ll keep you posted on our progress.

Technorati Tags: blogging, education, 21stcentury, bestpractices

Here there are, the bloggers of Watwood Elementary School:

Kindergarten -  Mrs. Green,  Mrs. Harris,  Mrs. Humber

1st Grade – Miss Carpenter,  Mrs. Dennis

2nd Grade – Mrs. Logan,  Mrs. Ritchie,  Mrs. Shaw,  Mrs. Stewart

3rd Grade – Miss Arrington,  Miss Clayton,  Mrs. Harris

4th Grade – Mrs. Cockrell,  Ms. Smithwick

And my own, Watwood Media Center.

Please visit their blogs and leave them a comment.  We all know how much a little encouragment can do for the receiver!

Technorati Tags: education, blogging

Well, thanks to my network of friends in Twitter and the blogosphere, and all of the links and professional development workshops they direct me to, I finally see the need for an iPod. The K-12 Online Conference was the kicker. I now see…the iPod is not just for music anymore!!!

I’m putting an iPod on my Christmas list. With my limited knowledge about them, I don’t really know what to ask for. I’m hoping you readers might send me some suggestions. Do I want the one that is like an iPhone without the phone? Do I simply need an mp3 player? Nano? Help!!

I want to become comfortable with this piece of technology. I can’t call it new. It’s just new to me. Sadly, I can probably find any number of kids at school that could teach me how to use it! I want to incorporate podcasting into the activities that spring forth from my media center. In order for me to successfully do that, I have to learn a few things for myself. I can’t promote the technololgy if I don’t know how to use it!

Time to stir up the dust again. Let the learning begin, and like the old song says, “And let it begin with me…”

Image:  “iPod Family.”  Christopher.leal’s Photostream.  15 February 2006.  1 November 2007.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/10722572@N04/1246190649/

One of the first interesting things that happened was Chris Lehmann’s tweet that he was going to UStream his presentation at the T+ L Conference in Nashville.  So, I decided to check it out.  What did I have to lose?  So I clicked on the link and lo and behold, there I was in his presentation in Nashville, TN.  I could see his computer screen and participate in the backchannel as well.  He alternated views between his computer screen and a shot of the room for those of us in the chat.  Chris was speaking on 21st Century Learning, but honestly the chat in the backchannel  had my attention.  I have to admit, being a visual learner it is hard for me to stay focused on the “talk” from the presentation when I can read the “talk” in the backchannel.  You can visit his wiki with presentation information here.

I participated in a minimal way in the chat.  I still feel like such a newbie that I’m sometimes intimidated to throw in my two cents worth.  But , oh, what validation I feel to have someone agree or build upon what little I toss out there.  It’s quite humbling and yet exciting to be a part of it.  There I sit absorbing it when into the chat room come David Jakes, Will Richardson, Mark Wagner, and many others whom I have come to admire and respect via the blogosphere.  I was a little starstruck to say the least. 

The power of the network amazes me!  One tweet enabled me to connect with some of the most recognized names in the business.  I can sit at my computer in small town Alabama and still be a part of some powerful stuff.  Why?  Because of the network!  The network allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the world of educational technology.  And in case you don’t know it, it’s changing and growing at a phenomenal rate.

 Last night I once again set out on a new learning adventure…I joined up with the Women of the Web 2.0 for their chat with David Warlick.  It was another learning experience, but I’ll save it for another post…I’ve stirred up enough dust already!

Technorati Tags: blogging, education, twitter, t+lconference, wow2.0, blogosphere, willrich45, djakes, markwagner, chrislehmann

According to the official site:

The K-12 Online Conference invites participation from educators around the world interested in innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used to improve learning. This FREE conference is run by volunteers and open to everyone. The 2007 conference theme is “Playing with Boundaries”. This year’s conference begins with a pre-conference keynote the week of October 8, 2007. The following two weeks, October 15-19 and October 22-26, forty presentations will be posted online to the conference blog (this website) for participants to download and view. Live Events in the form of three “Fireside Chats” and a culminating “When Night Falls” event will be announced. Everyone is encouraged to participate in both live events during the conference as well as asynchronous conversations.

 This year’s conference is the second K-12 Conference.  I stumbled across last year’s conference toward the end.  I was unable to participate in any of the live events, but viewed many of the presentations.  My impression…WOW!  The conference was so relevant to the many questions I had about new technologies, it was convenient since I could view it from my own computer on my own time, and it was FREE!  So many of the “big names” from my RSS feeds were then and are now a part of the conference.

Forty presentations will be given over the next two weeks.  How often do you find yourself in a position to be a part of that much professional development?  Quality professional development at that!  I still consider myself a newbie at this so I’ll be referring to the First Timers page a lot!  Won’t you join me?  Let’s stir up the dust and the cobwebs from our thinking and ways of doing things!  Let’s “play with the boundaries” of our teaching and learning!

Get started…TODAY!

Technorati Tags: k12online, conference, education

I have missed blogging during this time.  It was as if I was missing time spent with friends.  Thanks for indulging me with this “time off”, but know I’ve missed you.

 More soon…

Technorati Tags: emoticon, smiley

Without further delay, let me share the new blogs with you.  First, Vickie Green created a blog for parents and sudents.  Her tag line, “Come soar with us as we grow”, is featured on a template with a bird perched atop a tree.  You can visit her blog at http://vgreen.edublogs.org

Sonya Harris created a blog for parents and students, as well.  Her blog can be accessed at http://2cats.edublogs.org

And the final kindergarten blog comes from Beverly Humber.  Mrs. Humber’s blog features new pictures from our recent author visit.  Visit her blog at http://bhforautigers.edublogs.org

Thank you, teachers!  For taking on this new project and not being afraid of embracing this Web 2.0 tool.  The very essence of being educators causes us to continue our own learning each day.  We must continue to learn in order to prepare our students for all that lies ahead of them.  While blogging may be a  new tool to you, it is already old news for some of our students.  I was reading a post by David Warlick over the weekend where he states that he often has to remind himself that technology is anything created after you were born.  Learning to use computers and their programs is often looked upon as “work” for us.  Our students see them as objects of “play.”  Let’s capitalize on their play and work toward learning together.

Technorati Tags: kindergarten, blogging, web2.0

Now second grade springs forth with a blog!  Second grade teacher, April Shaw, approached me a week or so ago about starting a class blog.  With a little bit of work, we’ve gotten it up and running!  I’m so pleased to see how blogging is spreading across our campus.  You can visit her class blog at ashaw2nd.edublogs.org

Congratulations, April!  I commend you on stepping up to the plate, dusting it off, and hitting one out of the park.  Our school now has blogs in grades four, three, and two.  Watch out first and kindergarten!  Here I come!

Technorati Tags: blogging secondgrade