Cool Cat Teacher Blog is at coolcatteacher.com

textually.org: Children 'more likely to own a mobile phone than a book' Children have more access to cell phones than "books on paper." My answer - redefine books and deliver all educational content via handheld. Stop defining the future of our children with the tools of our past. tags : education , learning , innovation , mobile , wireless_connectivity Posted from Diigo . The rest of my favorite links are here.

Office 2010 Trial Extender Activates Office 2010 for up to 180 Days Have the new office free for 180 days with this tool. tags : education , learning , hacker Does Windows 7 Make Up for Vista? Lifehacker cites a report that says that customer satisfaction with Microsoft is "at an all time high" mostly because of Windows 7. Would be interested to hear from someone using it. I have to admit that the snapping windows look very cool. tags : education , learning Post Project Reflection Blog Post - grownupdigital This student did a solid job of describing visual data analysis and shared some cool new tools that I didn't know about. I especially like the explanation of 4d mapping at the end of this. tags : education , learning , visualdatanalysis , netgened Worldmapper: The world as you've never seen it before Amazingly cool maps shown in so many different ways. This is a great tool for geography teachers. tags : geography_teacher , geography , education , maps For Teachers ...

Image via Wikipedia The seniors each year create a slideshow. Well, we call it a slideshow, but it is not - it is actually a very fancy DVD with mixed music, special effects, and a tribute to each senior that lasts 45 minutes.  This year's digital filmmaking class put it together along with many of the seniors not in the class.  Usually, I have to do a lot with the slide show.  This year, I was really just a technical advisor. At first, I didn't know what to think.  Will they get it done? Will it be good? Will they try to slip anything inappropriate in? (I screen the full show as does the headmaster 3 days before, but if this happens the re-editing process can be stressful.) Will everyone be included and the final outcome be fair? These are all the questions I asked. But eventually, I found myself asking "Don't they need me?" And in true teacher form, eventually, I answered myself.  "No, Vicki, they do not. You have taught them and now they can do...

The Best Motivational Speeches Index of motivational youtube speeches. tags : education , inspiration , graduation Kindle Nation Daily: Kindle Nation Daily Readers' Alert for Wednesday, May 19: Larsson, Sittenfeld, Summerscale, Russo, Steiner -- Reading Guides and Book Group Specials in the Kindle Store Kindle reader group guides and links to Kindle books. Kindle just updated their ap for computers this week with some major enhancements. This is MY go to blog for everything kindle. tags : education , kindle Cool Cat Teacher Blog: School Daze: Recovering the Teacher Within Gearing up for summer -- recovering myself. Boy, I'm looking forward to finding myself again! tags : education , learning Posted from Diigo . The rest of my favorite links are here.

We have the NetGeneration Education Project student summits going on this week.  John Langley's class has already done his. ( See their presentation here or below.)  Link to Enter the Room My students will do theirs in about 30 minutes from the time of this posting 10:15 am EDT today and again at 1:15 pm EDT or feel free to join any of our sessions. Teacher a Date D aa Time and Time Zone Vicki Davis May 19th 10:20 - 10:55 am EDT/2:20 - 2:55 GMT 1:15-2:15 pm EDT/5:15 - 6:15pm GMT John Langley May 12th 14:00 CST/19:00 GMT Jaime Guthier May 20th 1:30 pm EST Eva Brown May 21st 11:00 - 11:45 a.m CST/4:00 - 4:45pm GMT Eva Brown May 21st 2:15 - 3:00 p.m. CST/7:15 - 9pm GMT Honor Moorman May 20th (5th period) 9:30 - 10:30am CST/2:30pm GMT (...

Apps - Hannah Rose Knows ebooks are moving massively to the iPad, iTouch and beyond. This is an example of a series for preschoolers which has words AND will read it to you. (Dual encoding is a proven way to improve comprehension.) tags : education , learning , innovation Cool Cat Teacher Blog: The Eight Lessons of Change Members of CUE in California are discussing this older post from 2006 about the lessons of change. I loved reading this because so much has happened since this time and yet I still agree with what I said in this! tags : education , learning , change , innovation Posted from Diigo . The rest of my favorite links are here.

Sats boycott means outings and alternative classes for thousands | Education | The Guardian Schools in England are boycotting Standardized Tests (they call the SAT's - not to be confused with the SAT that is taken to get into college.) tags : education , testing DLP Projectors Case Study - Improved Test Scores with 3D | DLP - Texas Instruments So, I know NOTHING about 3D projectors and even less about the 3d content out there - however, could imagine that it would be cool if it works. Here is a research study forwarded to me about how 3d projectors improve test scores -- as with everything it is not the projector but how the projector is USED. tags : education , learning , research 2010 Global Education Conference If you want to be involved! In partnership with Elluminate, we are in the process of organizing a free virtual online global education conference to hopefully take place in November of 2010. Our conference strands are *tentatively* set to include: Teachers (professional d...

I just sent this out to the Digiteen group and thought some of you working with wikis might like a few tips. (My students do call me the "wikinator" ;-)) Just a tip -- To get started, I always break it down for the kids.  I explain it like this. Students, when we have a wiki, there are two phases:  content creation and content editing and refinement. 1) Content Creation If the page is blank that is where we are now.  You cannot pick up an invisible desk- likewise, if nothing is there, you cannot edit an invisible wiki - NOTHING IS THERE. So, our first job is to create content.  I expect that today you should all add 150-200 words to this page and you will have a successful day. Remember, that what you say should have citations by linking to the item on the Internet. Also, if you want to talk about WHAT is on the page - do it on the discussion tab. Remember that when you come to class you should first: check the discussion tab and RESPOND - people feel ign...

Their robot didn't have a soul.  All the bells and whistles were there - wires connected, embellishments added.  However, this group just wouldn't learn how to program.  What was I going to do? Sure, one reason we used the Lego Mindstorms was because the Lego's were so unbelievably engaging, particularly for those bodily-kinesthetic learners who often had ADHD.  (Lecture and they're lost but engage their hands and they're all over it.) This group used their hands but just wouldn't use their heads. How was I going to pull them into understanding the fundamentals of programming when they thought the cute purple feather across Mr. Morgan's google eyes were the finishing touch? As I turned their creation over after school and compared it to the other three bots, I saw something. Artistry. Good Engineering. So, as I thought about what I could do, I considered what motivated these three boys.  Only one week from "getting out" of ...

I've been evaluating for some time the best way to connect in a mobile way - do we all go with SmartPhones? Do I get a cell modem. We're on a tight budget but I had a little bit to do something with to get through June and July. It is very important to me to do things the right way and cleaning out my inbox down to zero has becoming a habit - I've gone for three weeks straight and only missed one day! What a relief! So, looking at all the options and knowing that Verizon will hopefully get the iPhone later this year. My whole family is pretty iTouch dependent. I have my laptop. I played with the Droid Incredible and had problems with the keyboard. Just not what I wanted. The best option for us was the Verizon MiFi modem that lets you connect 5 devices over wireless anywhere there is cell service. We used it in the car on the way to Albany last night and the only drawback was the little thing gets pretty doggone hot.  I suggest that you get the plastic case that let...

Join the Campaign! Tweet and Blog for Ed Tech May 12 | ISTE Connects - Educational Technology On May 12 many US educators are calling attention to the cuts in educational technology. I got this in my inbox. " Funding for classroom technology is in jeopardy! We're calling on educators across the US to tweet and blog for education technology funding on Wednesday, May 12. President Obama's budget for FY11 provides no direct funding for education technology programs. Instead, it zeros out the Enhancing Education Through Technology program, the only source of direct support for ed tech in many states and districts. Congress doesn't have to agree to the President's budget recommendations. Help your senator and representative understand what's at stake! On May 12 tweet, retweet, and blog your support for $500 million in FY11 ed tech funding. Mark the date on your social media calendar!" tags : education , learning 50 Free Open Courseware Classes for Special E...

Free online OCR So, someone gives you a massive document and can't find it to email it to you and you have to retype whole pieces. This free OCR (optical character recognition) is a great tool to try to keep from having to do all that typing. I wish Evernote added OCR export but as of yet, does not. (just for searching) tags : education , productivity , ocr Listhings (beta) - take sticky notes online Another list sort of place if you just love sticky notes. Sort of like wall-wisher for sticky notes. tags : education , learning myEN (Evernote) (myen) on Twitter If you use Evernote - follow this on twitter to send photos, etc.to your evernote account from your cell phone. For those using Evernote who do not have an iphone, this is essential. tags : education , productivity , learning Research Management for Professionals, Web and PDF Annotation | WebNotes This website is used by many researchers to organize their web information. tags : education , learning , tools Share and mark u...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife Teacher Appreciation Week Was This Week! (OK, so I'm a little late.) "In general, students know the difference between right and wrong, and they want their teachers to deal with irresponsible peers. If you always respond appropriately and professionally, everyone else will be on your team. But the first time you do do not, you may lose some of your supportive students - and you may never get them back. This makes maintaining a high level of dignity, especially under pressure, a critical skill. Effective teachers have this skill; others do not."  p 28 What Great Teachers Do Differently by Todd Whitaker Teaching is a noble calling! ACT LIKE IT!  This book has been resonating with me because it is May. For some reason, in May, "when it rains it pours" and this week it happened literally. Let's see... funeral... exploding air conditioner... no air conditioner for two days...Internet modem down... firewall malfunction... ...

"Be the Beat" lesson Plans (Heart Disease) So many great health and science lesson plans running around. This is from the American Heart Association and is three lessons to help kids. This from the site: "Sudden Cardiac Arrest can strike anyone, anywhere – and a victim's chance of survival depends on the people around them. Be the Beat offers free games, music, videos and giveaways to educate teens about recognizing a cardiac arrest, calling 911, CPR and using an AED, while they have fun! Schools play a vital role in this movement to train teen lifesavers. As a complement to your CPR and AED program, or other curriculum, check out our free resources and register now so we can keep you updated on the latest news. Then, encourage your students to play and learn on Be the Beat. Together we can create the next generation of lifesavers!" With summer approaching in the USA and the inevitable tragic drownings that always happen - your teaching could save someone's...

On-line safety lessons for students from AVG On-line safety lessons for students from AVG antivirus software. tags : education , safety , digiteen , digitalcitizenship Effectiveness of Selected Supplemental Reading Comprehension Interventions: Findings from Two Student Cohorts From a friend of mine at Scholastic - here is some research on fifth grade reading comprehension. "Results after two years of using three reading comprehension curricula show gains from one program and no effects for the other two on reading comprehension for fifth-graders, according to a study released by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance in the Institute of Education Sciences. The study focused on whether 5th grade students in disadvantaged schools could be helped in making the transition from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" by bolstering the vocabulary and comprehension skills that allow them to organize and acquire knowledge from text. Thre...

Here are the first two paragraphs of the guest post I did for the Microsoft Teacher Tec blog. I'll come back and add the rest later, but I'd appreciate a click through to the guest post as we are in a competition. The blog post getting the most votes goes on the official Microsoft blog - and sure, I'd like to be the one chosen. If you don't want to read the rest or give me your "vote" - wait here a few weeks and I'll post the rest of the article. In the NetGenEd™ project with Don Tapscott—students from my school and over 300 students from five countries are studying the future of technology. They are breaking down trends like Mobile Computing , Open Content , Electronic Books , Simple Augmented Reality , Gesture-based Computing , and Visual Data Analysis .  But who cares? Aren't educators just sick and tired of change? Aren't we going to reach a point of stasis where we can kind of "hang out" a while? Consistent Change Requires C...