Last week’s TGIF featured a video site from the UK that provided videos sorted by curricular areas. I thought I had tested the site to be sure that the videos were accessible on the district network, but I was wrong. Because most of those videos are hosted by YouTube they are blocked on our network. I apologize for sharing a resource with you that you can’t use. I’ll do a better job of checking this in the future.
Thanks to Josh Schaffer at Upper Allen for pointing this out for me. I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.
Technology Gems, Ideas, and Facts
Friday, January 15, 2010
Gem ~ a website or application that might work well for you or your students
Toolkit A-Z for Education is an alphabetical list of technology tools that could be helpful to teachers at all levels. A brief description for each entry lists whether it’s hardware, a downloadable application, or a web-based product. Most are free. It might take some time to scroll through all the entries, but I’d suggest bookmarking this one. (http://sites.google.com/site/ptcweb2/toolkit-a-z)
Idea ~ a way to enhance your LFS lessons with technology
Virtual tours and field trips are a great way to bring the world into your classroom. This site features 100 Incredible & Educational Virtual Tours, including museums and cities around the world. These tours can be used to give students a quick look at something to build their background knowledge or allow for a more indepth look at a place they’re studying. Just as an example, click here for a quick tour of Mt. St. Helens. (http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/01/100-incredible-educational-virtual-tours-you-dont-want-to-miss/)
Fact ~ Just a bit of information
One of the biggest discussions surrounding the use of technology in education is keeping students safe online. Sharing and collaboration are good things, but students (and adults) need to learn what’s appropriate to share and what could end up hurting them. This short video from Common Craft provides a simple explanation about how to protect your reputation online. Even if you don’t share it with your students, the video can give you some background knowledge so you can have conversations with them about the topic. (http://www.commoncraft.com/protecting-reputations-video)
In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King…, have a great long weekend!
Anne