TWTW Teaching with the Web

 

 

The Instructional Technology Journal of

Greenwood School District 50

http://www.gwd50.org

 

Volume 04, Number 4

October 1, 2008

Ten Tips for Tackling Technology
10/1/08

1.     Learn a little everyday; make the anxiety go away.

2.     Keep trying – everything is easier once you know how.

3.     Have a human helper handy.

4.     Arrange your workspace comfortably.

5.     Refrain from turning off the computer when you are frustrated unless everything has “frozen.”

6.     Save, save, and save your work.

7.     Back it up if it is important – multiple copies are like insurance.

8.     Recognize that software tools have differences and similarities (like MS Office) so learn in terms of concepts rather than sequential steps.

9.     Know your computer.

10.   Have patience and a pioneering attitude.

Mills and Roblyer.  (2003) Technology Tools for Teachers

                   Important Teacher Notes
                   Technology Tips for Teachers:

                        Where do I go for help?
Of course, as the Instructional Technology Specialist, I am only an email away and always happy to help teachers; however, there are times when one needs technology information “in a hurry” or wants step-by-step directions to follow while using technology.  The following are a few teacher-created technology tips and tutorials (available on the web) I have used.  Please take a look:

·   Marilyn Western’s Technology Tips for Classroom Teachers

·   Tammy’s Technology Tips for Teachers

·   Vicki Blackwell’s Tech Tips for Educators

·   Mrs. Drummond-Elementary Technology Integration Teacher: Tech Tips

·   Jefferson County Schools’ Tech Tutorials

·   Lee’s Summit, MO R-7 District Technology Integration Tutorials

Maps and Globes

§   MapMachine Student Edition
MapMachine Student Edition has maps, photos, facts, and fun.  Students can find the place they’re seeking or get lost in the cultures, sights, and sounds of the world.

§   WorldAtlas.com
Facts, flags, and maps from almost every continent, country, dependency, island, major city, ocean, province, state, and territory on the planet!

§   Education Place: Outline Maps
World maps that may be printed and copied for personal or classroom use.

§   Map Lessons: The Route to Improved Geography Skills
Lessons to teach all students about landforms, the global economy, maps from space, and more!

§   National Atlas
Federal source for national maps and geographic information that contains an online map maker, dynamic maps, printable maps, articles, free geographic data, and more.

§   USGS Education
Selected online resources, including lessons, data, maps, and more, to support teaching, learning, education (K-12), and university-level inquiry and research.

§   TIME for Kids: Using Maps & Globes
A lesson plan for students to locate countries on a world map or globe.
(From EduHound)

Site Survey:

Websites that Educate, Enlighten, Entertain, and Engage

·   Printable Concept Map - Index
http://www.2learn.ca/construct/graphicorg/concept/conceptmapindex.html
Need a Concept Map blank form to use with your students?  Select one of the fifteen blank form styles featured here. 

·   The Virtual Body
http://www.medtropolis.com/vbody.asp
WOW!  What a great site!  Here are interactive, animated exhibits of the four sections of the body: the Brain, Skeleton, Heart, and Digestive Tract.  The site is easy to navigate and is offered in English and Spanish.

·   Highlights for High School
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/hs/home/home/index.htm
Another WOW!  Here is a rich resource for teachers and students!  It provides free, open-source teaching and learning materials, video lecture clips, lecture notes, practice problems, exams, and high school mini-courses that were developed by MIT students.  Students can use the site to study for AP exams in Biology, Calculus, and Physics, apply what they’ve learned to “Build Stuff,” “Write Better,” “Save the World,” view video demonstrations, explore the Labs, or view the competitions.

·   The Life of Henry Ford
http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/hf/default.asp
Learn about the life of Henry Ford and his work and experiments.  Links are provided for a chronology, interesting facts, and lists of books and sites for further exploration.

          

The Laptop-and-Projector Project Website

Tech Project:  http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/TechPlan2006.htm

Resources: http://gwd50.schoolwires.net/16891058111442710/site/default.asp? 

Previous TWTW Issues: http://www2.gwd50.org/techplans/TWTW-Index.htm

Instruct.  Tech. Specialist:     http://www.gwd50.org/1689105110365557/site/default.asp