My Podcast

Please listen to my Podcast Reflection at:
http://www.box.net/shared/f0samsnchr

The Treasure Chest

I'm sorry, but when I saw the name "Podcast Pickle" I could not resist exploring this site! I'm glad that I did because I found a great resource for teachers called "The Treasure Chest." The Treasure Chest showcases the best K-12 websites for teachers across the curriculum. By "best" the podcast's host and technology integration specialist guarantees that all sites are high quality and teacher reviewed. The Treasure Chest also provides suggestions on how to integrate technology into the classroom. Oh and the best part is that the host, Eric Curts, starts each podcast out talking like a pirate! Arghh Matey!!!




Check it out for yourself!
http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~hck/data/otc/podcasts/pc1/feed.xml

Video Clips

Video clips are invaluable resource to teachers today, especially in the Social Studies classroom. Video clips can be used as to spark interest, introduce a new, unfamiliar topic, express creativity, or even travel back in time. The video clips that I found not only offered me a way to enhance my lessons and reach my visual learners, but also left me with full of ideas on how my students could create their own videos as a means of authentic assessment. The videos that I found will let you hop in a time machine headed back to the Constitutional Convention, hear firsthand accounts from several WWII veterans, and rap the Bill of Rights. I also chose to list a video that Jacki and I have used twice now with our Opportunities Unlimited students on preparing for a job interview. The video provides a perfect example of what both a good and bad interview looks like. The video is very well done as well as humorous and it successfully gets our students thinking of the "dos" and "don'ts" of interviewing.

Here are two of my favorites...ENJOY!!!

Bill of Rights Rap


Job Interview Preparation

Microblogging 101

Honestly, I was eager to watch the Shout’em video on microblogging because I've heard about teachers using it in the classroom, but I didn't really understand how. However, after watching this video and checking out "Teaching with Twitter" on Steve Wheeler's Blogspot, I discovered countless creative ways that I could use microblogging and I can't wait to try them out. First and foremost, according to the video, many microblogging sites, such as Shout'em, are free and easy to set up. Once both you and your students have set up accounts, you can use microblogging to:

• post questions, prompts, and photos and have students reply or react to them


• link up with other teachers and students across the globe


• share links and media


• have students summarize a passage or what they learned in class, abiding by the 140 character limit, forcing students to think critically and write concisely.


• enable students to do their homework on their cellphones, thanks to the phone application feature that most microblogging sites have. You know your students will love this!!!


• have students pick a famous person from the past, create a microblogging account for them, and make daily entries in the role of that character

I can learn - NOW!

Today while adding feeds to my Ning site, I came across an incredibly interesting post and instantly knew that this was the one that I not only wanted to comment on but also share with everyone else. The post is entitled I can learn - NOW! and was found on the website On an e-journey with generation Y. The post was added on September 3, 2009, the day after a major earthquake had torn Western Java apart. The teacher who updates this blog immediately began to panic because Endang, a teacher that technology has allowed her to connect with, and her students come from Pekalongan in the northern coast of Western Java. The teacher worried all morning about the fate of her friend and her students until she noticed that Endang was on Skype. Not only was she able to find out that no one was hurt, but her class was able to speak with actual earthquake victims before even seeing the story on the news! Talk about the immediacy of learning! I chose to share this post because as a Social Studies teacher, endless possibilities came to mind...rather than hearing or reading about current events, my students can experience them - NOW!

My Delicious Tags!

Be sure to check out my delicious page at http://delicious.com/mbonar!

NextGen Teachers

Today while exploring ning.com, I decided to join NextGen Teachers at http://nextgen.ning.com/. The reason I decided to join NextGen Teachers is that the group focuses on improving teaching and learning with new technologies, which is something we are all currently doing by taking this course. There are over 508 members who are dedicated to keeping up to date with latest technology and making it avaible to their students. Besides countless resources and videos, there are also several discussion forums where members can colllaborate with other educators, share ideas, discuss new techologies, or just ask for help or suggestions. Below is a neat video that I found on NextGen that coincides with George Siemens's Connectivism theory, where actual students talk about how they don't care about what they learn, but rather how they learn.

Ning, itself, is a great resource for educators because it allows us to join such groups that can really benefit us professionally. The opportunity to collaborate with other educators not only makes us more effective but makes our job both easier and more fun.