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Image by George Eastman House via Flickr Crazy days. Peek into the window of my classroom a moment. It is easy to think that other teachers are super organized or super-something -- when really teaching is really busy business. When Answers Aren't Discrete Today, we started the stock market game in my ninth grade class. We've spent the last two days learning about stocks as part of a spreadsheet model we're doing. In addition to buying and selling stocks, we've set up spreadsheets pulling live data from the web as they track and write reports on their stocks. "I want you to know more than how to do formulas in spreadsheets but to be analysts," I said today. I had several upset students between the two classes: "But Mrs. Vicki, you have to tell us how to make money in the stock market and what to buy," they exclaimed! "No, I don't. In fact, if I knew that I'd probably be at home trading on the stock market."  And thus, lau...

Darren Fix has a cool middle school science blog at www.sciencefix.com . This is an example of how many niche teaching blogs are cropping up for just about any subject area. Here's Darren's bio : I have been a science teacher for 14 years. Currently I am teaching 7th and 8th grade science at Spring View Middle School, in Rocklin, Ca. I am also the lead technology teacher and I have a masters in education technology via the iMET masters program at California State University, Sacramento. I am a science and technology nerd who thoroughly enjoys teaching. I love to do demonstrations of science concepts and I also try to incorporate the latest discoveries in science into the classroom. I also integrate computer applications into the science curriculum to further enhance the learning experience. Darren on Twitter: @sciencefix I think this is a nice blog for middle school science teachers.  I'm going to work to find some more different teacher blogs as that is...

For those of you who follow these projects and may want to participate. Here are the upcoming deadlines for applications. If you apply - watch your email because part of the acceptance process is to see that you are responsive and involved - otherwise you're not ready for this yet. Look forward to meeting some of you. Project application deadlines Flat Classroom Project - http://www. flatclassroomproject.net/flat- classroom-project.html Flat Classroom Project 11-1 - Apply by December 1, 2010 Flat Classroom Project 11-2 - Apply by March 1, 2011 Flat Classroom Project 11-3 - Apply by September 1, 2011 Digiteen Project - http://www.digiteen.org/apply. html Digiteen Project 11-1 - Apply by January 15, 2011 Digiteen Project 11-2 - Apply by March 1, 2011 Digiteen Project 11-3 - Apply by September 15, 2011 Net Generation Education Project - http://www.netgened.org/apply. html NetGenEd 2011 - Apply by February 1, 2011 Eracism Project - http://www.eracismproject.org/ Mor...

Facebook Messages - some say it's an "email killer," others disagree; Pew Internet data shows us where email stands today among youth | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project Statistics on how our students are using technology. Over 54% text daily. tags : education learning Citation Over half of US workers check email over the holidays. "> - Annotated We wonder why we feel frustrated and upset all of the time? Perhaps it is because over half of US workers check email while "off." Can we have thanksgiving when our nose is in our work? Why can't we just leave it behind? tags : education email statistics productivity Posted from Diigo . The rest of my favorite links are here.

Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr I've been reading about the "second screen experience" in mainstream media. This is where one can watch the show on there television and chat or communicate on their handheld device like an iTouch, cell phone, iPad, etc. I know that I've done this before while watching a voting show like American Idol to "see" what people are saying as I follow the hashtag or search. But it is moving mainstream with websites like HBO (used a Twitter microsite to connect True Blood fans ), the 2009 Miss Universe pageant , and TiVo releasing an app to make the iPad a second screen experience. In fact, if we look at the teens and what they do EVERY day they are texting and using their cell phones. With Smartphones front and center in some research (more research needs to be done by NON-cell phone companies one might add) these handhelds are going to be increasingly important. Companies like Discovery are already syndicating...

The call for nominations is now open.  The nomination process is described at the Edublog Awards website . Nominations close on Friday, December 3rd. Voting will end on Tuesday, December 14th, and the final awards ceremony will be Wednesday, December 15th, live in Elluminate. The categories this year are: Best individual blog Best individual tweeter Best group blog Best new blog Best class blog Best student blog Best resource sharing blog Most influential blog post Most influential tweet / series of tweets / tweet based discussion Best teacher blog Best librarian / library blog Best school administrator blog Best educational tech support blog Best elearning / corporate education blog Best educational use of audio Best educational use of video / visual Best educational wiki Best educational podcast Best educational webinar series Best educational use of a social network Best educational use of a virtual world Best use of a PLN Lifetime achievement

As you think of your blessings, reflect upon the affect you can have upon others if you share, encourage, and use your God given talents to bless others. Today the spotlight is on some of you and eight principles for being Thank-full in your life.  Life is like nothing else -- the more you give of your life - the more you receive. The more you share - the more you receive. So, be thank-full by sharing thanks. Meet Heidi Chaves: Running Her Own Race and Inspiring Her Family to Run it Too Chaves Family 5K Heidi Chaves said hello at ISTE this summer and as she stared her story she inspired me and gave me purpose.  Heidi started using the Couch 2 5K app after reading about it here and also shared it with her family. Now, for Heidi's Letter: "It was a honor to meet you at ISTE. Hope you will remember that we spoke about how you have been an inspiration to me not only with your boundless energy for student learning but also your CP25K in 2009. I organized our family...

From Paths of Glory to The Wire - Penguin Classics On Air - Penguin Group (USA) From Penguin: "Penguin Classics On Air online radio broadcast covering BANNED and CHALLENGED books, which you can listen to here: http://penguin.com/pconair. This 20 minute broadcast is broken up into easily digestible 6 minute sections and covers banned or challenged classics old (Huckleberry Finn) and new (Harry Potter). The show also features interviews from librarian extraordinaire and BOOK CRUSH author Nancy Pearl as well as author Rick Wartzman and would surely make an excellent multimedia supplement to any lesson plan on banned books or freedom of speech. " tags : education literature_teacher literature Interrobang Cool new Learning Game from Microsoft that Kicks off TODAY! "During the first Thanksgiving NFL game, over 300 students will be playing the newly launched game InterroBANG, wh...

Last Tuesday was my husband's birthday. I always write a post to dedicate to him. I found this old poem in my journal penned on the last day of Spring break this year that really fits with what I'm feeling these days and I dedicate it to the most amazing man on this planet (in my eyes), Kip Davis!  It is an appropriate Thanksgiving post. Wake Disheveled hair. Tossed by swirling wind off the bay. Destiny. The first boat out of the harbor today. Surely destiny brought me here this moment to inhale the dawn. Quiet spray kicked off the street below- washing away last night's goings on. Fresh air. Fresh water. A fresh wind in my mind. Wiping away the busy crests of thoughts a white wake drifting behind. Erase the days and moments sitting grading at my desk worries and hearts of exhaustion wondering if what I do is best. So much. So much. I can check email anywhere. But I won't. I can't. This day won't last and my email will keep. It will sti...

Short Short Film Contest I met Brad Edwards and asked him to share his program with us. This short film contest method is very effective! I love the Oscar cake on this website! "You asked if I would share my Short Short films program I adopted from Dr. Tim Tyson: http://fc.sad68.org/oscars/ We're starting the third year next month, culminating in May at the Oscars Night." tags : education video http://simplebooklet.com/index.php#wpKey=gcjkGiKIbmk8wboFdbe7t8#featured=1 A simple book editor. From the creators: "simplebooklet is a tool that lets anyone create little flipbooks. It's all WYSIWYG publishing, and it makes it very easy to publish your completed project across a number of channels (email, printer, social network, twitter, and more). " tags : education graphics Student Center | Action Against Hunger...

MiddWorld Online Virtual worlds and language learning are gaining steam with Middlebury Interacting languages releasing their Middworld online product. Here is what they told me: "immersive virtual academy for language learning as MiddWorld Online launches today. Aimed at K-12, students will be fully immersed in the language including “Passport City,” made up of fun extracurricular activities offering students additional opportunities to practice their target language. The highlight of “Passport City” is an innovative online 3D roleplay game, developed as a virtual world using authentic environments and cultural activities—bringing to life the experience of being in a foreign country. " tags : education learning language_teacher Posted from Diigo . The rest of my favorite links are here.

» OP Papers: Writing Papers the Smart Way – StudentBS Written by Tara Engel of OPPapers, here is her take on how such a website can be used in a positive way for learning. Of course, this assumes that schools have plagiarism checks in place and most of them I know of do not. tags : education Free Term Papers, Research Papers, Coursework, Book Reports | OPPapers.com Be aware. Free and premium essays, term papers and book reports are available. I received a letter from someone representing this company who said it wasn't plagiarism, however, let me point out. If you're not using something such as turnitin.com - you're just asking for kids to use this sort of website. Share this and discuss it. How can we ensure students are doing their own work? Often, the oral quiz and project based learning are great ways -- certainly not just paper writing but multiple modalities of assessment are e...

Once again, it is time for the Sounding Board process for the latest Flat Classroom Project . This semester there are two concurrent Flat Classroom Projects so we need more Sounding Boards than ever! Here are your two options (feel free to participate in both, if you prefer): Flat Classroom Project 3a Sounding Board Flat Classroom Project 3b Sounding Board The Sounding Board process is a very easy, fun and eye-opening way for younger students (upper elementary, middle, and lower high school) to participate in one of these amazing, global projects. Basically Sounding Boards act as peer reviewers for the students participating in the project. Small groups of students in the Sounding Board classrooms will review one Flat Classroom student group’s work and offer very simple peer feedback. We are looking for as many classrooms as possible to join us in this quick and easy, but exciting project! Usually the time commitment for teachers and students is...

Image via Wikipedia There is a time to unblock Facebook. Tomorrow is one of them. History and a most admirable defense of democratic ideals has happened as Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi delivered his defense last week  in an Iranian court. He cross posted his words on his Facebook page and now these words have been reprinted in the New York Times and other locations. He divides his speech into two parts "what they say" and "what I say." This will definitely be assigned reading for a blog post in my eighth grade class early next week, aptly, the week of Thanksgiving.  He was arrested earlier this year while 30% through filming something that a local paper called "an anti-state film" and was held for three months of detention without trial in Evin prison in Tehran. He held a hunger strike and was released on $200,000 bond in May of this year. Perhaps if we want students to understand freedom and the price that is paid where freedom of speech does no...

Adobe - Adobe Education Exchange Adobe is giving away a copy of the Adobe eLearning Suite (a $1,799US value!) to the educator who submits the highest rated eLearning and Collaboration resource on the Adobe Education Exchange during the month of November! When you join the Adobe Education Exchange before November 30, you also are automatically entered to win a copy of the Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection software (a $2,499US value!). tags : education adobe danah boyd | apophenia » “Bullying” Has Little Resonance with Teenagers "> - Annotated Important article about bullying by social media researcher-expert Danah Boyd that is right on the money. This is why I believe that projects like Digiteen where the kids research and talk and propose actions are so much more meaningful than these "assemblies" and "speeches" that are just fodder for humor and t...

I have been remiss in posting the Flat Classroom events and times for the Global Education conference but Julie Lindsay has collected all of the remaining live events for Thursday and Friday.  Thanks Julie! If you want to hear from students or just a few of our teachers (many have already presented) please do! All times listed below are GMT http://www. globaleducationconference.com/ schedule-gmt.html but you can set your own timezone VERY easily by going to http://www. globaleducationconference.com/ schedule.html Have a great conference day! Julie Lindsay Educator Advisory Board Chair Global Education Conference The following are teachers and supporters of Flat Classroom and we encourage you to attend their sessions! Thursday November 18 and Friday November 19!! Wednesday 9pm GMT - (ok, this is on right now! Make sure you listen to the recording!!) "TITLE: ANSER Got Rights PRESENTER: Jackie Gerstein, ANSER Charter School (USA) ELLUMINATE SESSION ROOM (open one ...

I enjoyed talking to the delightful Prantika Das from India when I was in South Africa. This video shows me several things: 1) the evolutionary nature of innovation and 2) the power of putting handhelds in student's hands.  There are great teachers doing amazing things throughout the world. Innovate or become Irrelevant! This is part of an ongoing series of video conversations that I filmed while in Microsoft's Innovative Teacher Forum in Cape Town, South Africa. Next year is in Washington, DC so find out information for how to apply in your part of the world! Related articles Got a Great Project? Share!! #msief (coolcatteacher.blogspot.com) Six and Seven Year Old Boys Collect 8 tons of waste in "Trash to Treasure" #msief (coolcatteacher.blogspot.com) Moleihi Sekese: Integrating Technology with No Electricity? #msief (coolcatteacher.blogspot.com) My Study Mate: Students in Ireland Hand Coding and Maintaining a Video Sharing Site #msief (coolcatteacher...