Technology Gems, Ideas, and Facts            

Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009

Gem ~ a website or application that might work well for you or your students

My blog looks a little different this week. I changed the theme so that I could emphasize the RSS subscription button. That’s the big orange guy peeking out at you from the top right corner. Today I want you to subscribe to my blog, so I thought that icon should be easy to find.

I was going to explain what an RSS feed is and how to set up a feed reader, but Beth Bard has already done this for me. Click here to read Beth’s blog posts about RSS. Beth’s done a great job of explaining how to set up a feed reader. You could also watch this three minute video from Common Craft called “RSS in Plain English”. There are other news readers or feed readers out there besides Google Reader, so feel free to explore online and find another if you wish. Once you’ve set up your reader, come back here and click on the RSS icon (the orange guy) at the top of my blog. Depending on what browser you’re using, you might have to copy the address and paste it into your reader or you might have the option to “subscribe” right from that page. Either way, it will only take a few clicks. Once you’ve subscribed, each time I post to my blog, your reader will show that there is a new entry that you can read when you have time. A few minutes spent setting up your reader now will pay off in the future. As always, if you need help with this, let me know.

Idea ~ a way to enhance your LFS lessons with technology

Looking for a short video to use as an activator? Curriculumbits.com has short videos and slideshows on a wide variety of topics. Teachers can use these videos to introduce or review a topic. Students can access the videos from home in case they miss them in class or just need to see and hear the information again. Topics range from English and Science to Performing Arts and Physical Education. Check them out! (http://www.curriculumbits.com/index.php)

Fact ~ just a bit of information

Bruce is home! He arrived home from Ft. Dix on Wednesday. I understand that he’s already getting his MASD email again, so…Welcome back, Bruce and thank you for your service. Can’t wait to have you back!

If you have any questions or comments feel free to reply below this post by clicking where it says, “Have Your Say”. I’d love to hear from you!

Enjoy the long weekend!

Anne