Tomorrow morning at 8:00 the bell will ring, and students will enter my classroom. I am excited and scared!! I am that way every year, and I guess if I were not that way then I would need to rethink my career as a teacher. To be honest, my classroom is NOT where I want it to be in regards to clean, organized, and decorated. But you know what, it will be OK. I hope my students are excited for a new year too!!
As I prepared for this year and reflected on last year, I realized that I did a horrible job teaching. I had seven classes with no planning period. But I think the biggest thing was losing my father to his battle with pulmonary fibrosis. I didn't realize how much it affected me until I reflected. I hope this year I can inspire students and not let them down. :(
I am looking forward to a wonderful year!!! :)
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Billy Johnson Community Hero: This Hero Says It's Easy Being Green
Billy Johnson Community Hero: This Hero Says It's Easy Being Green: (July 6, 2012) It seems that more and more, we see on the television and hear on the radio about the importance of recycling, or being “gre...
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Student Use and Best Practices of Technology in the Classroom
Here is a list of websites that are really neat for projects or for just plain having fun. We may be using some of these in the classroom, so take a little time to check them out.
1. Alexander, N. (2012). Edmodo.com. Retrieved from http://www.edmodo.com/home
Edmodo - This is place similar to Facebook, but it is very secure and it allows the teacher to give assignments and the students can submit their electronic assignment on here too. Teachers can also give polls to the students to answer, give the students badges for good work, delete posts that are inappropriate and do many others tasks. Parents can also get a code to be connected to the Edmodo page for your class, and they can see the assignments, notes and tasks you have submitted. There is also an app that can be downloaded and used.
2. Wiggio. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wiggio.com/
Wiggio - Is a web tool that allows students to be in charge of all of the things they need to do. They can join a group (I am creating a group for each class) and there is a calendar option to keep track of games, practice, homework, assignments, etc. and they can set it to receive an email or a text message to remind them of an event. Also, students can collaborate with others on a project, they can chat and work as a group online and do not have to worry about finding time or a way to someone else's house. They can even collaborate and share with others and not even have to be online at the same time. This is a great tool to help students and classes.
3. Feinberg, J. (2011). Wordle. Retrieved from http://www.wordle.net/
Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.
4. Xtranormal. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.xtranormal.com/
Animated movies made easy! Xtranormal instantly turns your words into a 3D animated movie. It is that simple. This is very easy to use, and there are free versions and there are paid versions. For class and regular use, free is the way to go.
5. Animoto. (2011). Retrieved from http://animoto.com/
Create stunning videos! Turn your photos, video clips, and music into stunning video masterpieces to share with everyone. Fast, free, and shockingly easy! This is very easy and fun to use, and will be great to create any number of projects for class or for yourself to share with others.
1. Alexander, N. (2012). Edmodo.com. Retrieved from http://www.edmodo.com/home
Edmodo - This is place similar to Facebook, but it is very secure and it allows the teacher to give assignments and the students can submit their electronic assignment on here too. Teachers can also give polls to the students to answer, give the students badges for good work, delete posts that are inappropriate and do many others tasks. Parents can also get a code to be connected to the Edmodo page for your class, and they can see the assignments, notes and tasks you have submitted. There is also an app that can be downloaded and used.
2. Wiggio. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wiggio.com/
Wiggio - Is a web tool that allows students to be in charge of all of the things they need to do. They can join a group (I am creating a group for each class) and there is a calendar option to keep track of games, practice, homework, assignments, etc. and they can set it to receive an email or a text message to remind them of an event. Also, students can collaborate with others on a project, they can chat and work as a group online and do not have to worry about finding time or a way to someone else's house. They can even collaborate and share with others and not even have to be online at the same time. This is a great tool to help students and classes.
3. Feinberg, J. (2011). Wordle. Retrieved from http://www.wordle.net/
Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.
4. Xtranormal. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.xtranormal.com/
Animated movies made easy! Xtranormal instantly turns your words into a 3D animated movie. It is that simple. This is very easy to use, and there are free versions and there are paid versions. For class and regular use, free is the way to go.
5. Animoto. (2011). Retrieved from http://animoto.com/
Create stunning videos! Turn your photos, video clips, and music into stunning video masterpieces to share with everyone. Fast, free, and shockingly easy! This is very easy and fun to use, and will be great to create any number of projects for class or for yourself to share with others.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Teacher Use and Best Practices of Technology in the Classroom
Teachers today have so much to compete against when it comes to technology. We are constantly trying to find ways to get the students to put down their phones and participate in class. I have finally come to terms with the idea of "if you can't beat'em, join'em." So here are some of the types of technology that I use in my classroom, and these range from being very interactive to just sharing of information.
1. Alexander, N. (2012). Edmodo.com. Retrieved from http://www.edmodo.com/home
Edmodo - This is place similar to Facebook, but it is very secure and it allows the teacher to give assignments and the students can submit their electronic assignment on here too. Teachers can also give polls to the students to answer, give the students badges for good work, delete posts that are inappropriate and do many others tasks. Parents can also get a code to be connected to the Edmodo page for your class, and they can see the assignments, notes and tasks you have submitted. There is also an app that can be downloaded and used.
2. Wiggio. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wiggio.com/
Wiggio - Is a web tool that allows students to be in charge of all of the things they need to do. They can join a group (I am creating a group for each class) and there is a calendar option to keep track of games, practice, homework, assignments, etc. and they can set it to receive an email or a text message to remind them of an event. Also, students can collaborate with others on a project, they can chat and work as a group online and do not have to worry about finding time or a way to someone else's house. They can even collaborate and share with others and not even have to be online at the same time. This is a great tool to help students and classes.
3. Polleverywhere.com. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.polleverywhere.com/
Poll Everywhere - Is a great place to create formative questions to assess the classes' understanding. The students use the texting capability on their phones to text in their responses, and the results are calculated in real time. Questions can be in a multiple choice format or in a written response format, and it a free always. I know most schools are against students having their phones, but this is a way to join them if you can't beat them.
4. (2012). Twitter.com. (2012). [0]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com
Twitter - This is a very popular website and mobile app. This application is not blocked at most schools, therefore, it is easy to access and to use. The ideas and uses of Twitter are endless. However, it is not as efficient as others when trying to reach a student. If you just tweet, and a student does not check his or her Twitter account for several days, they will more than likely miss out on your tweet, unless you at tagged them in it. One way to keep up with tweets for an activity is to hashtag (#) something that would only mean something to your class, and you could search the trending for the hashtag to read all of the conversations.
5. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/
Facebook - This is also a very popular website and mobile app. Students frequently access Facebook many times throughout the day. There is quite a bit of controvery over teachers and students becoming friends on Facebook. I have a personal Facebook page, and I have a classroom Facebook page. I do not have any students as friends on my personal page, but on my classroom page, I encourage my students to friend me. On this page, I post pictures from class activities, reminders of assisgnments and random science facts. This is a great tool to see the pictures students upload, read their posts and get to know your students better. Sometimes what you read as a teacher will enlighten you as to why a student is behaving in the way they are. Be careful not to post or like items, a good rule of thumb is to be a "Facebook creeper", read and be informed.
6. http://djainslietech.wikispaces.com/Science+SB+Resources
Smartboard Resources - This is a great site to access Smartboard resources, and they are categorized by content. Adding technology into the classroom is always a plus, and this is an easy way to do it.
1. Alexander, N. (2012). Edmodo.com. Retrieved from http://www.edmodo.com/home
Edmodo - This is place similar to Facebook, but it is very secure and it allows the teacher to give assignments and the students can submit their electronic assignment on here too. Teachers can also give polls to the students to answer, give the students badges for good work, delete posts that are inappropriate and do many others tasks. Parents can also get a code to be connected to the Edmodo page for your class, and they can see the assignments, notes and tasks you have submitted. There is also an app that can be downloaded and used.
2. Wiggio. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wiggio.com/
Wiggio - Is a web tool that allows students to be in charge of all of the things they need to do. They can join a group (I am creating a group for each class) and there is a calendar option to keep track of games, practice, homework, assignments, etc. and they can set it to receive an email or a text message to remind them of an event. Also, students can collaborate with others on a project, they can chat and work as a group online and do not have to worry about finding time or a way to someone else's house. They can even collaborate and share with others and not even have to be online at the same time. This is a great tool to help students and classes.
3. Polleverywhere.com. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.polleverywhere.com/
Poll Everywhere - Is a great place to create formative questions to assess the classes' understanding. The students use the texting capability on their phones to text in their responses, and the results are calculated in real time. Questions can be in a multiple choice format or in a written response format, and it a free always. I know most schools are against students having their phones, but this is a way to join them if you can't beat them.
4. (2012). Twitter.com. (2012). [0]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com
Twitter - This is a very popular website and mobile app. This application is not blocked at most schools, therefore, it is easy to access and to use. The ideas and uses of Twitter are endless. However, it is not as efficient as others when trying to reach a student. If you just tweet, and a student does not check his or her Twitter account for several days, they will more than likely miss out on your tweet, unless you at tagged them in it. One way to keep up with tweets for an activity is to hashtag (#) something that would only mean something to your class, and you could search the trending for the hashtag to read all of the conversations.
5. (2012). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/
Facebook - This is also a very popular website and mobile app. Students frequently access Facebook many times throughout the day. There is quite a bit of controvery over teachers and students becoming friends on Facebook. I have a personal Facebook page, and I have a classroom Facebook page. I do not have any students as friends on my personal page, but on my classroom page, I encourage my students to friend me. On this page, I post pictures from class activities, reminders of assisgnments and random science facts. This is a great tool to see the pictures students upload, read their posts and get to know your students better. Sometimes what you read as a teacher will enlighten you as to why a student is behaving in the way they are. Be careful not to post or like items, a good rule of thumb is to be a "Facebook creeper", read and be informed.
6. http://djainslietech.wikispaces.com/Science+SB+Resources
Smartboard Resources - This is a great site to access Smartboard resources, and they are categorized by content. Adding technology into the classroom is always a plus, and this is an easy way to do it.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Websites for Student Research
Here is a list of reliable places students can go for research in my class or other classes. If you find other great resources, please share with me, so I can share them on my blog for others.
1. Sam Yagan, M. K. (2011, 01 23). Spark Notes. Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/
SparkNotes - This is a website in which students can look up information from any subject area and easily cite it. There is also celebrity news, quizzes, videos, test prep for the ACT, SAT and AP tests, and there is also a Spark Notes app to download for their Android or iPhone.
2. ipl2: Information you can trust. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ipl.org/
The Internet Public Library - This is a wonderful website for students who really do not know where to begin. This website is supported by many universities, and is considered to "contain information you can trust." Searches can be done by subject, newspapers or magazines, special collections, and by age, such as kids or teens. Students can even ask a librarian for assistance.
3. Refdesk. (2012, febuary 06). Retrieved from http://www.refdesk.com/
RefDesk - This is a place for reference, facts and news, and seems to be family friendly. There is so much on this website, I am not sure where to begin. There is news, facts, thoughts, pictures, words and sites of the day, there are conversion tools, links to dictionaries, encyclopedias and newspapers, and too many other reference tools to mention here. This is a place to check out for yourself.
4. Oxford University Press (2005). Encylopedia.com. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/
Encyclopedia.com - This is a place which has more than 100 trusted sources, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses with facts, definitions, biographies, synonyms, pronunciation keys, word origins, and abbreviations.
5. van Leeuwen, S. H. (2012). Bartleby.com: Great books online. Retrieved from http://www.bartleby.com/
Bartleby.com - This in an internet publisher of literature, reference, and verse providing students, researchers and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information, free of charge. This website is mostly English based research, and not much other curriculum.
6. http://scholar.google.com/
Google Scholar - This is a great site for research. It does mostly bring up abstracts, but they are complete and concise so research can easily be done.
1. Sam Yagan, M. K. (2011, 01 23). Spark Notes. Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/
SparkNotes - This is a website in which students can look up information from any subject area and easily cite it. There is also celebrity news, quizzes, videos, test prep for the ACT, SAT and AP tests, and there is also a Spark Notes app to download for their Android or iPhone.
2. ipl2: Information you can trust. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.ipl.org/
The Internet Public Library - This is a wonderful website for students who really do not know where to begin. This website is supported by many universities, and is considered to "contain information you can trust." Searches can be done by subject, newspapers or magazines, special collections, and by age, such as kids or teens. Students can even ask a librarian for assistance.
3. Refdesk. (2012, febuary 06). Retrieved from http://www.refdesk.com/
RefDesk - This is a place for reference, facts and news, and seems to be family friendly. There is so much on this website, I am not sure where to begin. There is news, facts, thoughts, pictures, words and sites of the day, there are conversion tools, links to dictionaries, encyclopedias and newspapers, and too many other reference tools to mention here. This is a place to check out for yourself.
4. Oxford University Press (2005). Encylopedia.com. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/
Encyclopedia.com - This is a place which has more than 100 trusted sources, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses with facts, definitions, biographies, synonyms, pronunciation keys, word origins, and abbreviations.
5. van Leeuwen, S. H. (2012). Bartleby.com: Great books online. Retrieved from http://www.bartleby.com/
Bartleby.com - This in an internet publisher of literature, reference, and verse providing students, researchers and the intellectually curious with unlimited access to books and information, free of charge. This website is mostly English based research, and not much other curriculum.
6. http://scholar.google.com/
Google Scholar - This is a great site for research. It does mostly bring up abstracts, but they are complete and concise so research can easily be done.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Resources for Professional Development and Use of Technology in the Classroom
This is a list of various webpages that can be used in the classroom, for reference to help teach in the classroom or for professional development. This list will continue to grow, so please check back often.
1. Hargadon, S. (2011). Classroom 2.0. [0]. Retrieved from http://www.classroom20.com/
Classroom 2.0 is a social network for those interested in Web 2.0, Social Media, and Participative Technologies in the classroom. This site can just be browsed or you can join and become a member for free. There are hundreds of topics and thousands of resources on this page.
2. Massengale, C. (n.d.). Biology Junction. Retrieved from http://www.biologyjunction.com/
Biology Junction is a wonderful website for the high school Biology teacher, whether it is for Biology, Pre AP Biology or AP Biology. The creator of the website, Cheryl Massengale, has an amazing abundance of information, powerpoints, games, worksheets, activities, and almost any other resource to help out in the high school Biology classroom.
3. Hippo Campus. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hippocampus.org/
Hippocampus contains free educational resources for middle school, high school, and college students and instructors. Teachers can create a free account and then create a playlist of videos and resources which then can be shared with the students. The site contains so much useful information but is quick easy to use and navigate.
4. Ansari, Y., & Ceperly, M. (2010). Project Noah. Retrieved from http://www.projectnoah.org/
Project Noah is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere. This is a great resource page to look up and find information about a particular species of organism, and it is a place where pictures can uploaded and others will help identify the organism. Teachers can also create classroom pages where students can work. There is also an iPhone app for Project Noah.
5. Polleverywhere.com. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.polleverywhere.com/
Poll Everywhere is a great place to create formative questions to assess the classes' understanding. The students use the texting capability on their phones to text in their responses, and the results are calculated in real time. Questions can be in a multiple choice format or in a written response format, and it a free always. I know most schools are against students having their phones, but this is a way to join them if you can't beat them.
Classroom 2.0 is a social network for those interested in Web 2.0, Social Media, and Participative Technologies in the classroom. This site can just be browsed or you can join and become a member for free. There are hundreds of topics and thousands of resources on this page.
2. Massengale, C. (n.d.). Biology Junction. Retrieved from http://www.biologyjunction.com/
Biology Junction is a wonderful website for the high school Biology teacher, whether it is for Biology, Pre AP Biology or AP Biology. The creator of the website, Cheryl Massengale, has an amazing abundance of information, powerpoints, games, worksheets, activities, and almost any other resource to help out in the high school Biology classroom.
3. Hippo Campus. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hippocampus.org/
Hippocampus contains free educational resources for middle school, high school, and college students and instructors. Teachers can create a free account and then create a playlist of videos and resources which then can be shared with the students. The site contains so much useful information but is quick easy to use and navigate.
4. Ansari, Y., & Ceperly, M. (2010). Project Noah. Retrieved from http://www.projectnoah.org/
Project Noah is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere. This is a great resource page to look up and find information about a particular species of organism, and it is a place where pictures can uploaded and others will help identify the organism. Teachers can also create classroom pages where students can work. There is also an iPhone app for Project Noah.
5. Polleverywhere.com. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.polleverywhere.com/
Poll Everywhere is a great place to create formative questions to assess the classes' understanding. The students use the texting capability on their phones to text in their responses, and the results are calculated in real time. Questions can be in a multiple choice format or in a written response format, and it a free always. I know most schools are against students having their phones, but this is a way to join them if you can't beat them.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Who am I?
My name is Kelly Scott, and I am someone who wears many hats. I am a wife to my high school sweetheart and my best friend, I am a mother to Lucy, 22, and Billy Jack, 19, I am a daughter, I am a sister, I am a friend, I am a home chef, I am a lover of nature and the earth, I am a lover of life, I am a child of God, I am also many other things, and I am a teacher. I teach and inspire students in grades 10 - 12 in Biology, AP Biology and AP Environmental Science.
I am writing this blog as part of a class while I am obtaining my Rank I certification. Follow me to see where this adventure takes me.
I am writing this blog as part of a class while I am obtaining my Rank I certification. Follow me to see where this adventure takes me.
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