Art at the HeART of Social Studies Wiki

Dr. Baggett and I love researching the integration of art and social studies. We have done several workshops and presentations on this topic and are currently working on some journal articles. So we wouldn't have to try to bring handouts to the presentations, we created a wiki for the powerpoints and resources--Art at the HeART of Social Studies: http://artandsocialstudies.wetpaint.com/. At this site, you'll find resources for integrating art and social studies, music and social studies, resources for differentiating instruction, and finally just some plain, old social studies resources that I share with my methods' students. These would be great for upper elementary, middle or high school teachers. To access these resources, go to Social Studies Web Resources on the left hand side. Please feel free to send me any social studies resources that you like and have used and I'll add them! Dr. Baggett and I would also LOVE to hear about any art integration that you're doing in any content area!

One of my newer, favorite links is a template for a Facebook Page that students could use for a historical character. This can be adapted for lots of things. I was hoping someone would create something like this and someone did! Check it out!
http://docs.google.com/previewtemplate?id=1-nCxDCLcEAuge4wac5I5F_83GH9QNZpXpKCGMRl2utk&mode=public

Even better than Wordle!

I love the Wordle site http://www.wordle.net/, but a 340 student (Thanks, Westley) shared the following site today which is even more useful and fun--http://www.tagxedo.com/. I can think of all kinds of applications for this-having students use country outlines and filling in with descriptors of the geography, culture, etc. or using heads of historical characters and again, using descriptors for those characters. When I was teaching in the pre-computer days, when the earth was cooling, I had historical head outlines that students would fill with images and phrases that described that person and this site reminded me of that!

I will say that I love typing in poems, historical documents, etc. to Wordle, then having students decide which poem or document the Wordle contains. It's a fun assessment to make sure they are familiar with specific vocabulary in those poems or documents.

Great Blog for Educators

I LOVE the Blog, Free Technology for Teachers http://www.freetech4teachers.com/. Each time I go there, I find many, many great things. One item that will benefit teachers (and teachers to be) at all grade and content levels is VuSafe http://www.m86uvsafe.com/index.php which provides a way to organize videos that you download from sites such as YouTube so that you can access them in your classroom. You can also search videos that others have downloaded. My student teachers and methods students are often frustrated at not being able to access YouTube and similar sites in their classrooms, and this site takes care of that. Best of all--it's FREE!!

Technology In the Hallways

Kim Holland is blazing the trail for a revolution in Mobile, Co. She just finished her book trailer for a bulletin board at St. Elmo Elementary. A movie for a bulletin board? You read it right. This month, Dina Tillman and I were assigned to a 10 foot bulletin board with one requirement and one restriction-- we were asked to focus on Black History Month figures, but without using celebrities or athletes. So we elected to plaster our board with black, children's book authors and their corresponding book covers.



Okay, so the movie/ bulletin board connection is still not clear? Well, we decided to attach a folder with links to book trailers that are being created by EDM 310 students, and Kim has submitted her exemplary trailer of More Than Anything Else first.



This is just the start. These movies will be shown in the library, and looped on the welcome television in the lobby. St Elmo Principal Fletcher caught wind of our plans and has decided to upload them to the school's closed network, and likely even add one of them to the end of her School Board Presentation as an example of how St. Elmo is pushing the against the borders in regards to technology. What a wonderful place to be a student teacher! Thank you EDM310 for supporting our quest to integrate new learning and producing opportunities via technology in the Mobile County Public School System.

See Kim's thoughts about her book trailer making process below!

A Special Recognition

This semester, I have decided to highlight a new EDM310 student blog each week. I believe it is time to really start encouraging y'all to make this learning experience YOURS by personalizing your journey and contributing to all of ours in the same stroke.

This week, I want to give a special thank you to Brandon M. Caten for his investment into his blog. I have learned so much about a wide variety of things. Not only has he shared meaningful responses to the required posts, but he has also exposed his online audience to themes of equality, political engagement, and student life involvement around campus.



It's only week three of school, and Brandon bravely posted a video testimony of a high school student's powerful coming out experience to his blog for all of us to witness the power of one young person's voice. It has inspired me because I too just recently came out online in conjunction with the "It Get's Better" movement for struggling gay teens. This young lady displayed a courage unmatched by most. Please take the time to view and share her pivotal moment of empowerment by clicking here.

Brandon's contribution to the EDM310 experience didn't stop there. He has also posted a call to action in support of the National Endowment of the Arts legislation that is currently running its course through congress. As future educators should recognize the power of the arts in their ability to help us appreciate talent, unite communities, and promote individual expression. We should also realize that testing has all but completely pushed aside arts in the school systems. In Mobile County, students get to participate in art class 5 times a year, and music only five times as well. That is roughly once a month for half a year each. How is this enough to teach our kids the significance of art in our lives as adults? What kind of framework are we building if students think that cramming for tests 90 percent of the time is more important than self discovery and expression through the arts? If we can't enjoy arts in the schools, take up Brandon's call to action and spend 3 minutes filling out this electronic form to let your voice be heard by our legislators. For the survival of creativity, click here to participate.

Just when you thought this future music teacher and life-changer, Brandon, couldn't possibly have time to add one more thing to our learning experience in a week, HE DID! Brandon found a way for you to enjoy yourself locally and simultaneously support our Jaguar Talents by attending the show choir performance (which Brandon is responsible for founding and directing) on Monday, February 7 at 7:00 pm. See his page for me details by clicking here.

Once again, thank you Brandon for all the time that you have invested into your own, and our educational experience. I look forward to seeing more great work from you.

Book Assignments Completed

Thanks for your support. We now have assigned all books. BUT @mrcapps, @dlt0141 (Dina Tillman) and I will dream up another project for the rest of you who volunteered. We will be in touch soon.

Assignments were made strictly by the time your request was received. All slots were filled by 8:00 pm. I gave the last two people who requested a book at 8:00 a book they had not chosen. If they do not want to do it, then the next person in line will be notified.

Book Assignments:

Jerry Pinkney Back Home Brittany Hamilton
Jerry Pinkney The Nightingale Alexa Howie
Donald Crews Big Mama's Trey Mohler
Christopher Paul Curtis Bud, Not Buddy Bailey Abston
Willie Perdomo Visiting Langston Jessica Brown
Marie Bradby More Than Anything Else Kimberly Holland
Patricia McKissack Porch Lies Whitney Greer
Faith Ringgold Tar Beach Megan Simmons
Mildred D. Taylor Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Hillary Rolin
Toni Morrison Who's Got Game: The Ant or the Grasshopper? Kelly Evans

Do You Want to Be a Part of History?

Anthony @mrcapps needs 9 book trailers done by February 14 for Black History Month. This is a part of our effort to get the schools in Mobile County using technology.

Here's how you can help:
1. Volunteer to do a trailer.
2. Select one of these books:

Jerry Pinkney Back Home
Jerry Pinkney The Nightingale
Donald Crews Big Mama's
Christopher Paul Curtis Bud, Not Buddy
Willie Perdomo Visiting Langston
Marie Bradby More Than Anything Else
Patricia McKissack Porch Lies
Faith Ringgold Tar Beach
Mildred D. Taylor Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

3. Leave a comment agreeing to take a book. Be sure to specify which one.
4. Watch the instructions for doing a trailer. Trailers are a lot of fun and they are easy to do.
5. Watch a few of the trailers done last semester.
6. Read the book. I have ordered all of them except 1 and they will be in the lab on Wednesday for checkout.
7. Plan your trailer.
8. Come to the lab and you will get help it in doing it. iMovie makes it wasy!
8. Be a part of history. It will be used at St. Elmo School to increase the reading of the books designated for reading in Black History Month. And the teachers there will see how powerful technology is in getting kids to read.


Help get technology into Mobile County Schools! Call, email, SMS or Tweet if you have any questions.

Continuing to Search for Answers, I've Found One!

I just love being connected and connecting! I followed a comment by Dr. Strange on the EDM310 Alumni blog. Dr. Strange provided a link to JoshKing's EDM 310 Alumni Blog. Josh and a fellow classmate created a website using weebly.com. This may be a solution to creating an organized portfollio as Ms. Byrd is requiring. This is a great website!

TeachSavvy

Glogster

I found this when investigating whether or not Glogster is going to be the tool for my Math Methods SED454 Class. We are asked to find a way to electronically capture and build a professional portfolio of the work we do during our block semester and student teaching. Dr. Byrd not only requires it for the course, but recommends it as a marketing tool for ourselves when interviewing for permanent placement.

I am looking for a way to not only organize my materials for this class in a poster format, but I want to be able to search for information I may use down the road. Blogs are great, but it's different to pull up information easily unless I know where it is. Blogger can be divided into 10 pages, which is how I may organize the material for now.

Does anyone have any recommendations for programs that may help me here?

Thanks!

Jackie Gorski

Direct Instruction

Direct instruction

View more presentations from ldivincenzo.

Continuing to Blog

Josh King is just one of may EDM310 Alumni continuing to blog. Keep up with Josh on Josh King's EDM310 Class Blog.

A light bulb moment

I had a 'light bulb' moment when I saw this video and had to share it. This video is a great picture of the type of teacher I want to be. I want to be the musical stairs, not the plain stairs or the escalator. I don't want the students to take the easy way, nor do I want to teach the easy way (the escalator). I don't want to be the hard, boring teacher teaching things the same old way (the original stairs). I want to challenge and engage my students by presenting the same old things in new and creative ways (the musical stairs).

Tools for Mac and iPhone

Recently an App Store has been added for all Mac computers. Available at the App Store is Whiteboard Collaborative on the Mac and also for the iPhone. The whiteboard on both works simultaneously. There is also an app on the iPhone called TouchMouse, and you can download the app for your Mac from LogiTech. Your iPhone becomes a mouse to be used for your Mac. Both the WhiteBoard and the TouchMouse could be great tools for a classroom.

The Bosarge Daily: All Bout EDUCATION

Have you seen the Bosarge Daily? Do ckeck it out. Amanda Bosarge was an EDM310 Superstar in the Fall 2010 term. Via Twitter.

EDM310 Class Blog Nominated for Edublog Award

You can VOTE for EDM310 as Edublog selects the Best Use of a PLN 2010.

Click on the link above and VOTE. EDM310 would appreciate your vote, but you should also seriously consider voting for Comments4Kids. If it had not been for Mr. Chamberlain and his insistence on commenting on kids' blogs, the world (and EDM310) would be very different.

Thanks.

Luidia eBeam

Check out this link for a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment to make the whiteboard in the classroom interactive : e Beam.

If you have any experience with the Luidia eBeam in the classroom, could you post a few comments? I was interested in knowing more about FREE applications available to use with it to support the variety of subjects. My daughter's school has purchased a few and the kids love it! I am currently trying to raise funds to purchase one so that both third grades have a dedicated eBeam rather than sharing.

Thanks for your input!

Happy October everyone!

Jackie Gorski

Another Creative Product from EDM310 Alumnus Dillon Rogers

Dr. Strange! ~
I made this for an LP on Alcohol Awareness in one of my health classes.

I absolutely could not find an appropriate video on YouTube or for free that would get the point across to younger students about the basic ideas of alcohol (K-3rd graders). So, I made this video Alcohol is a Drug.

This took me about 1 1/2 hours to make between editing photos and making it look perfect in my own mind, but is the most simple video I have ever made and anyone could definitely do this as a theme for several different units. I used iPhoto, made a slide show and pulled it up into iMovie. I edited it just a tiny bit more, but then I uploaded it to YouTube and stuck it in my LP! Now I can share it with anyone. :)

I will literally jump at any opportunity a teacher gives me to do something creatively. I haven't had as many opportunities this semester (it makes me miss EDM), but don't worry, I'll never give up!

Please feel free to share with the class or anyone else you know and critique for what you will!
Thanks again,
Dillon Rogers

On The Lighter Side

Such serious stuff on here all the time...I thought I would lighten things up. This is what we have to look forward too!!!
Click Here!

Mr. Chamberlain Needs Some Help!

Mr. Chamberlain sent via Twitter "I would love some #comments4kids on this third grade singing post It's A Grand Old Flag! (1:30) and Boo (:35)"

OK EDM310 Alumni. Let's leave some comments on Mr. C's Blog. Just click the link above, listen, leave a comment. Thanks!

Classroom Hack: Creating Postcards Using Student Work

Here is a quick way to let your students show off their artwork and get in a quick lesson on writing postcards. The picture above is a postcard I made in class from picture a student drew to go along with a media history assignment. I took the pictures and printed them onto card stock and cut them out. Then I had them write a postcard explaining the assignment and had them mailed. Soon the parents will get a surprise in the mail!

You can do the same thing with pictures of the students as well. Why not take a picture of the science experiment they are doing, the activity they are doing in their PE class, or them working on a computer? There is something special about receiving handwritten mail and it is even more special when it is from someone you love!

Please note: If you are using a laser printer you need it to heat up before running card stock in it. I print 25-30 blank pages first before I run the card stock through so it heats up enough that the toner sticks to the paper.