MACUL Space

connecting educators & enhancing learning

All Blog Posts (304)

using Diigo in grade 2 research

Find a range of suitable sites for students to use on a research project . Each student reads and highlights what they found interesting or important. In a sticky note they type why it's relevant and how they could use the information.

Added by Sandy Tam on August 14, 2011 at 7:40am — No Comments

Education Foundations - Opportunity is knocking on your door

Is your school district outsourcing non-instructional services? Are they looking for solutions to improve test scores for target audiences with special programs? Is your community looking for ways to engage at-risk adolescents? If the answer is yes, then you have a wonderful opportunity to create a…

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Added by Renee Lubaway on July 14, 2011 at 2:27pm — No Comments

Questions about the BTOP computers

How much control over the kids netbooks will the classroom teachers have?

How do we keep them off sites such as facebook when we are instructing?

Will we be able to see their screens from ours?

Added by Steven David Wilson on July 7, 2011 at 8:40pm — No Comments

Insecurity in Education

In today's society, people are constantly talking about how to improve the education of America's Youth. We are hearing a lot about standardized testing, teacher accountability, improving test scores, and keeping up with educational progress being made in other countries. Unfortunately, this is expected to happen with reduced funding, higher class sizes and increased negative perceptions of teachers in the general public. Morale among teachers is lower now than I have ever seen as people… Continue

Added by Sean Nicklas on June 29, 2011 at 11:08am — No Comments

Welcome Wayne-Westland MI Champions - Blog Question

Based on examples, how would you use a blog to teach?

How could you use a blog to learn? How can you use a blog to help students who struggle?

Added by Eric Getsoian on June 21, 2011 at 12:00pm — 6 Comments

Diigo

New to Diigo...open to ideas of how I could use this in my first grade classroom...

Added by Renae Olli on June 21, 2011 at 10:00am — 3 Comments

Do you Diigo?

Not sure how I would use this with my third graders. I joined 2 groups and will just see how it goes. Any suggestions?

Added by Robin Prina on June 21, 2011 at 9:59am — No Comments

Using Diigo

I would use diigo to share web sights with my students and could post any assignments and missed work. Might be a nice way to touch base with parents also.

Added by Glen Hoying on June 21, 2011 at 9:56am — 1 Comment

Bitstrips for Schools - Kids Make Comics

I learned about this site from Aviva Dunsinger - a Canadian 1st grade teacher who I follow on Twitter. She tweets as @grade1. Her first graders were creating the comics and embedding them on their Kidblogs. My second graders and I checked out the 30 day free trial this month and we had a great time. They loved creating their own avatar and sharing their comics. It is very easy to use. It does have a monthly fee, so I will…

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Added by Patti Harju on June 3, 2011 at 9:00pm — No Comments

Support for end users. Best kept secret at SMART Technologies

Check out this recent update from SMART Technologies about improved technology support for end users. http://bit.ly/jpd4Tv I have yet to meet a teacher whose been told that help is available to them directly from SMART. With district budgets experiencing continued downturns, isn't it nice to know that a primary technology vendor is providing a solution? Pass this news along. Provide a link to the form on your school website. Help make life… Continue

Added by Renee Lubaway on May 6, 2011 at 1:37pm — No Comments

Facebook group for elementary educators :)

I am currently working on my Masters in Educational Technology at MSU. I am loving it! I am learning all kinds of wonderful ways to integrate technology into my Kindergarten classroom. I wanted to share what I have learned and also learn from other educators so I started a Facebook page called: "Technology for Elementary Educators" Here is a link to the group:…

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Added by Bethany Arsenault on April 5, 2011 at 3:00pm — 5 Comments

Fakebook at ClassTools.net

The concept for using Facebook for educational purposes is not new. The challenge is that while educators have clearly identified purposeful use of the popular social network it is blocked in most school districts. Enter ClassTools.net with Fakebook: a functioning Facebook-like interface that recognizes names of historical figures (if spelled correctly) to automatically bring up an image for that name's avatar. Users can upload their own images for avatars and… Continue

Added by Kecia Waddell on April 2, 2011 at 8:30pm — No Comments

Video camera as a document camera

Hall Davidson and Leslie Fisher Macul session

Hall demonstrated that you can use an old cassette type camcorder as a document camera. You can find the old type perhaps in your house or at a garage sale. This can save you lots of money. Has anyone tried this? Which cables did you use to make the connection?

Added by Roberto Garza on March 31, 2011 at 6:11am — No Comments

Cloud Computing or Mobile Learning

Three reasons to cloud compute that fit into education are the competitive cloud for free competition, the green cloud for ecological responsibility, and the the innovative cloud for creativity. Budgets are tight, waste not want not, and it's okay to keep your head in the clouds. You may discover something new. It is also a way to put good use to our phones besides just calling people.

Added by Rhonda Lynn Noren on March 28, 2011 at 2:47pm — 1 Comment

Wikis and Web 2.0 in the Elementary Classroom

Here is this year's MACUL presentation. It is a bit different and updated from last year's. Some new Web 2.0 tools are included. I do I need to post to my blog here more than once a year.

I promise - I will post again soon.

Web 2.0, wikis & blogs macul…

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Added by Patti Harju on March 21, 2011 at 10:42am — No Comments

Tips

Wow! This will be a great place to get energized. Great minds sharing great ideas. Teachers love to share.

Added by Rhonda Lynn Noren on March 1, 2011 at 6:01pm — 2 Comments

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

Stop whining! Stop complaining! Stop looking for yet another excuse that holds you back from doing something you want. (Just make sure its legal!)

We are a nation of whiners. We complain about the politicians we have in office, yet "We the People" elected them. We complain about our boss, our spouses, our kids, the food at the restaurant, the food at home, our finances or our lack of finances. STOP! Enough already!

Get your life in order and get writing.… Continue

Added by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos on February 28, 2011 at 12:02pm — No Comments

B.I.C.

B.I.C. Butt in Chair

Dreaming is not writing. We can have many thoughts and dreams about writing, but thoughts and dreams is not writing. To write you need to look at your thoughts and dreams and select one of them, set your butt in a chair, and just start writing.

What?

Many people want to write articles, stories and author books, but most do not. How many people do you know that say, "I could write a book." or "I could write an article better than that idiot!" or "I… Continue

Added by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos on February 18, 2011 at 7:34pm — 1 Comment

Edcamp Detroit - An Unconference for All Educators

Edcamp Detroit

Last May, a bunch of teachers organized an event called #edcampPhilly. The event was an unconference. The cool thing about an unconference is that all of the sessions are run by the people who show up. The schedule is loose to allow people to talk about whatever they want.…

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Added by Nicholas Provenzano on February 7, 2011 at 3:00pm — No Comments