I have posted a free audiobooks site before, but I would like to add this one. I found Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans. As a parent I find that audiobooks help readers who enjoy a good story but get tired when reading.

Using wikis in the classroom

I read this article by David Smith who is Director of ICT in London. His advise has helped me gain a greater understanding of what I want Web 2.0 tools to do for my students. A quote of his that resonantes with me are, “learning is inherently social, and any tools that can promote this will be the most effective. ” Yet what pulls me back is what David Smith has obviously recognized.

“My mode of conducting the class was, to a large extent, the limiting factor in how people engaged with the wiki. Yet I still wonder if, for our purposes, I was required to conduct those classes in that manner due to the subject matter and time restraints, especially because participants had little time outside of classroom hours to contribute or participate in any extra tasks? No answers, only questions … Perhaps time and access are important factors that cannot be overlooked.”

I know that having 5 classes back-to-back is an obvious constraint. Somethings got to give if positive change is to take place. In fact what we techies are fertilizing in our heads could overthrow long established educational thought. Click on the link below to read this article to find out more about the Revolution. 

http://www.preoccupations.org/2004/05/using_wikis_in_.html

Here are a few more links to help you recognize the Revolutionary in you.

http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2005/12/wiki-wiki-teaching-art-of-using-wiki.html

TrialI know this seems vain to have so many pictures of myself, but I used these just to try this out. as so easy to use I had to share it on my blog. Wow your parents and principal with this professional looking action filled presentation.

I have been thinking about this twitter.com. And just when I didn’t think I’d need nothing else I started to see the value in twitter. As I prepare to present to all my techie friends, I fast forward into the fast approaching school year. We will all be busy going about implementing all the neat things we learned and dreamt about over the refreshing summer. With “busy” being the operative word I think twitter could help us all collaborate without it being a chore to do so. With twitter your blogs are short and don’t have to have a lot of thought put into them. You can share what exciting thing you are implementing that day with little effort. I am thinking it can be done as you review your lesson plans the day or morning before your class begins. Twitter is a place where we can post short, sweet, to the point answers to, “What are you doing today?” However short and sweet those posts are they may be what helps me and many others believe that we can do all the things we have planned. 

As a child I have fond memories of my grandfather taking me to the public library.  I was amused by the assortment of adventures I found there. There was so much to read about I found the list of suggested books to read very helpful. In fact the lists provided a goal for me. I set out to read every book listed for my grade. I looked forward to making it to the next grade’s list. The Memphis Shelby County Libraries no longer publish the lists. In an effort to replace the empty cavern left by their extinction I found this site by the New York Public Library. Listed below are other sites that have lists also. A good book is a good book no matter what so several titles are listed on more than one list. I have used it as a guide this summer for my boys and I think you will find it helpful too.

http://www.listsofbests.com/list/33065

http://www.shaker.org/resources/reading/

http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/readlist/