PLN - The Easy Way

Kathy Schrock has been publishing online since some of us had Apple IIe’s  in our classrooms  - I have been reading and using her ideas since I began teaching. Her ideas helped me implement technology into my classrooms and instruction over the years in a relatively painless way. I have just discovered that she has an amazing site for PLN’s [Personal Learning Network] - http://www.schrockguide.net/creating-your-pln.html - This site is overflowing with information to help you be an active teacher-learner, and to lead you toward implementing your own PLN.
If you don’t know where to start, try the first few videos under WHAT?  and WHY? Then go from there. The INVESTIGATIONS on the right sidebar are a good start also.
Good Luck and let me know how it goes for you and if you find something REALLY interesting!

How About These for Digital Learning Day?

Wednesday February 6^th is DIGITAL LEARNING DAY. Why not try a new way to do something digital in your class? 

TECH TIDBIT: did you know that your wireless mouse and keyboard will work in almost any place in your classroom???? So you could turn on your projector. Find an interactive site and hand the mouse to a kid. Once that kid answers a question or does something on the site, s/he passes the mouse to someone else.

STARFALL:

 In addition to the phonics portion of this site… don’t forget it has a great learn to read and a beginning reading section where the books can be read aloud.

INTO THE BOOK ~
Into the Book teaches kids different components of how to process reading ~ synthesizing, summarizing, and questioning, among others. It uses online learning modules for guided practice, then has the students practice their on their own.  Grades 2-4

Learner.org INTERACTIVES: 
This site offers a ton of interactives for classroom use and a decent search engine, choose by grade level and subject.

THE READING MATRIX
This website has a number of skills practices for grade 3 and up.  Vocabulary, comprehension, analyzing, and proofreading. There are also some audio text that has close exercises, vocabulary, and sequencing activities. 

AMERICAN FOLKLORE:
Looking for that folk tale or campfire story that you just can’t find anywhere else? Try this site.

INTERNET4CLASSROOMS:
A bajillion sites here, but easily searchable. Spend some time to find a few to keep as fillers for a few minutes of extra class time or find one to build a lesson around.