Cool Cat Teacher Blog is at coolcatteacher.com

We had a great discussion this past week on the WOW2 edtechtalk ( Listen to the podcast .) as we discussed the importance of teaching keyboarding and the impact of ignoring this issue on efforts to move towards on Web 2.0. As we researched this topic, I came across some amazing statistics in an article on Human Interaction Speeds . I've shown them in a table to the left. ( Human Interaction Speeds by Bob Bailey) I believe that many schools just think kids should "know" how to type. It is a skill with a lifelong impact. We are currently in an information society and it is vital that students produce it efficiently. I hear a lot of talk about the efficiency that comes with typing and using the computer, however if you look at the research - two finger typing at its best gives a student 2 extra words per minute than handwriting! There is no measurable productivity gain by moving to the computer if students aren't given keyboarding instruction. Educators are trying ...

I was a young manager of people -- at age 24 I grew my cellular phone market from $1M and 13 employees to over $4 million with 32 employees. Managing people is tough. It is a thankless job and someone is always mad at you. But, over time, I've formulated my own list of principles that I feel hold true in an educational context. I've had several administrators and I am fortunate that my administration is incredible! This list grew this year because I have honestly seen an administrator who does things right! I am more empowered and capable and am able to do so many incredible things because of his (and her) support! (I can honestly say that he is great!) Wake up Call to Administrators If you want students to treat teachers with respect, treat teachers with respect. If you want students to treat teachers as the authority , give them some authority . If you want teachers to act professional , treat them like professionals . If you want to hold others accountable, accept accou...

Tomorrow night, Tuesday, November 7th, 2006 will be the first WOW2 Skypecast and you're invited. At 9 pm EST (2am GMT), you're invited to participate. Remember, everyone is welcome! We will be streaming on Worldbridges Channel 1, which means that you go to http://www.webcastacademy.com or to the skypecast at https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/skypecast/search.html?search=WOW2&doSearch=Search This topic kept emerging during our initial skypecast and many educators want to talk about it. I hope you'll join us tomorrow night! Tags: WOW2 , skypecast , keyboarding , education , teaching , Coolcatteacher , Vicki A Davis , VickiDavis

Today, I want to share with you my thoughts on the recent comments from Tim Berners-Lee about the need for better source citation and the need for scientific collaboration to "steer" the Internet into its future. I give a few suggestions that I "wish" would be included in the new Internet direction and ask you for yours. I share with you tagging standards that were proposed from our recent k12wiki project and thoughts about how we've allowed the walled gardens of students wall us from meaningful collaboration with one another. I also share how the amazing K12 math project aligned Google and Youtube videos with NCTM math standards cannot be accessed by many educators. Finally, I've taken a look at the new Pew memorandum released today about Web 2.0 that is a must read to anyone using the "buzzword." I'd like you to contribute your comments about where you think the Internet should go in the future and how educators should be involved...

As I watched (or should I say yelled through) the Georgia Tech football game this past Saturday, I had an epiphany about blogging. (The F18 Flybye shown to the left gave me a little inspiration too! I was sitting in the top right of the screen and they flew right over my head ! It was amazing!) At the game I was thinking on the subject of blogging because I have come under recent criticism for my lack of perfection on this blog. Sometimes I misspell words and sometimes things are not quite as "polished" as some people say a "blogger of my stature" should have. This is my conclusion: blogging is more like football than a once in a lifetime performance at Carnegie Hall. Blogging is like football 1 - One play at a time My little league coaching husband says that a successful football player focuses on the current play. He learns from the last one, but he doesn't get ahead of himself and focuses on the play that he can change -- the one RIGHT NOW! ...

I'm going to attempt to host my first full skypecast and we have an ambitious agenda. This is the culmination of amazing week of wikis at our k12wiki.wikispaces.com . The pages were absolutely amazing and I'm going to feature them in the upcoming weeks. I hope you'll join us tonight at our 8 PM EST Skypecast. Here is the information and the agenda. I will say that less than 5 points separated our top five scoring wikis! It was very competitive! The winners will be in your classroom! Here is the plan: SkypeCast at 8 PM EST tonight, Monday, October 30th! 1 - Go to ( https://skypecasts.skype.com/skypecasts/skypecast/detailed.html?id_talk=45270 ) on Monday, October 30, at 8 pm EST. (I will be there at 7:40 to test things out.) 2- Sign in. 3 - If you have trouble - send a text message via skype to coolcatteacher for help. (Before the show starts, after it starts, it will be too late!) Agenda for the Skypecast Monday For K12 wiki participants: I have included t...

Wow! Nineteen year old blogger-prodigy Brian Benzinger over at Solution Watch has done an amazing three part series on Web 2.0 in the classroom. READ IT!! It is an essential must read and must share set of articles. I have read each of them and highlighted the article's content and my biggest "take aways" for you. Back to School with the Class of Web 2.0, Part 1 Oh my goodness, You have to read this one! It would take a student to start as he did, with the students. (I think us teachers tend to start the process with us, however, true education is something that happens WITHIN a student not TO a student.) He reviews student organizers. I am going to have computer science test and review the following: Stu.dicio.us (student organizer and social notetaking tool), Gradefix (homework tracker), and mynoteIT (note taking.) He also profiles teacher and club management options, including some course management options that may be great for those of us not wanting to un...