Why Didn't the Skeleton Cross the Road? *

Happy Halloween Eve! I'm sure most of you can't wait to put on those costumes and go out to collect some candy (Or perhaps it's just my daughters?). Anyway, we are moving into week 10 of the semester. Can you believe that you are 2/3 through the semester?

Last week: the copyright and Inspiration/Kidspiration assignments were due. The copyright assignments are graded! You also began your Photoshop assignment. Hopefully, you were able to finish the Photoshop part of the "My Credo" assignment, and are moving into writing your text.

Due This Week: Filamentality is due Tuesday as are your scanned "Statement of Own Work". Also, the Photoshop project is due Friday.

This week's projects: We will have a gallery walk w/the Inspiration projects, finish your Photoshop assignment, work on the Excel Spreadsheet Assignment (posted), and upload work to Task Stream!! You can also keep up with your journals. . .

Journal Entry 9: "Adventures in Electronic Constructivism", by Maureen Brown Yoder. Volume 34 #1, page 24.

As per the last two weeks, please leave a comment as to the fact that you read the blog. Also, please tell me your all-time favorite teacher movie. . .I don't know if I have a favorite, but Dead Poet's Society left quite an impression on me.
*He didn't have the guts!!!!! hahahaha

I'm hearing voices inside my Radiohead. Are You?

You have officially crossed over. . .into the second half of the semester;-0 Congratulations. Hopefully, everyone had a relaxing weekend and no one was having trouble finding the inspiration to go on (or at least finish the Inspiration assignment, which is due today).
In a strange twist of deja vu, I will introduce Filamentality on Monday. For Wed, please bring a photograph (in a digital format) of yourself for the Photoshop project. If any one day is important to be in class (and I firmly believe all of them are) it's this WEDNESDAY. I am going to go over Photoshop. . .there are no specific written directions on how to use the program, only the assignment. PLEASE ENSURE YOU ARE IN CLASS ON WEDNESDAY with your digital photograph. I created the picture on this blog entry using Photoshop. . .it is an amazing program.

Journal Entry #8: On the first page of the ISTE webpage, under the What's New column, you will discover that Google has announced a new education portal. Click on this link, read the introduction and discuss at least four of the products listed on the left. You can give a brief summary of what the Google education portal is and then, instead of questions, you can individual review/analyze your four products (avoid Blogger, as you are all already familiar!!. . .learn something new). You can also sign-up to receive the Google Teacher Newsletter.

Similarly to last week, please leave a comment that you read and understand this week's blog entry!! It lets me know who is still awake at the end of my entry ;-)

Is Reading FUNdamental?

This is my oldest daughter, Zoe, and her friend Abbey. It made me appreciate her kindergarten/fist grade teacher sooo much. . .
We are working on perhaps the hardest assigment of the semester. . .practicing our free will upon Inspiration/Kidspiration. . .I am always amazed by the difficulty that this project holds. . .It says a lot to me about how our standard curriculum is set up. . .If we don't have a step-by-step plan of how to complete an assignment, we are often lost. . .It's okay. . .you will be fine.


Journal Entry 7: "Webquests in WonderLand", Volume 30, Issue 1, page22, by Paul Aldridge. . .should relate to our Filamentality assignment. . .

DUE THIS WEEK: Journals 1—5 and the Copyright Assignment. . .

AS a test, please leave a comment on this blog that your recieved this week's instructions . . .Thanks.
jeff

Where the Pyramids made of Rubrics?

PHEW. . .I am now officially caught up with all of the grading so far. . .check for returned newsletters and log on to Task Stream to see my feedback. . .there were a number of generous graders out there who gave peer newsletters a 5 when there were problems that needed to be fixed. . .grading is not an easy task when creativity and personal opinions of the person assessing are involved. . .
However, for the most part, the newsletters were AWESOME!!!!! I published a number of amazing newsletter and could have published many more . . .if you need to fix your newsletter, you should be able to resubmit through the assignment tab. . .please don't email.

This week: Now that you have had some practice grading w/a rubric it is time for you to "play teacher" and grade your peers' PowerPoint assignments. Everyone should bring two copies of her/his rubric to class Monday. We will also be upload all of our assignments so far to Task Stream. On Wednesday, we will be introduced to Inspiration/Kidspiration and you will have a fun assignment getting to learn the software.

JOURNALS: We are on #6, which starts the second round of journal writing; however, they stay ON THE SAME BLOG!!! You can put the same link to your journals 6-10 assignment as you did for journals 1 - 5.

Journal #6: Comes from the latest issue of L&L, which everyone should have received by now. "Wikipedia: Ban It or Boost It?", by Doug Johnson. . .the first question you will need to ask yourself is, "What is Wikipedia?". . .if you don't know by now—you should. . .we'll discuss this issue further in class.

Is everyone keeping up? Are you asking me for help? Are you asking your Peers for help (using the discussion board)? Are you working together? Are you coming to class?
I am convinced that if you just come to class, I can ensure that you can do everything assigned. . .if you don't come. . .not so much

Is a Worm an Appropriate Reward for the Early Bird?

I have had an amazingly busy week as I'm sure all of you have . . .I will catch up on grading the Newsletters by Wed—I promise :-)
Your journals aren't technically due until Oct 20; however, I want to continue to encourage you to keep up so that you can actually enjoy this assignment.

Journal #5: This is the optional, extra-credit journal that you may complete for 2 points. The topic is yours to choose. I want to encourage everyone to go to the L&L area under the publications tab and choose the "search L&L" link on the right. There you can type in any topic in the are of technology that interests you. You can choose to search for a topic that we have covered or follow your passion. . .I would suggest looking at rubrics, or any type of assessment category like project based learning or authentic assessment, etc. . .

What you should be working toward completing: PowerPoint, Journals, Statement of Own Work (simple scanning exercise that we will use to upload to Task Stream)
Monday: I will work w/PowerPoint, Journal samples, etc. I have also just assigned the Copyright task, which is an independent activity that you will complete.
Wed: We will learn how to create rubrics to assess the PowerPoint assignments!

Note: Please ensure that you read the blog to get the most up-to-date-411 on what we are doing in class. I know that we are beginning to deviate from the syllabus. . .don't worry . . .there are many paths to the top of the mountain!!