Chatterpix - A Quick Demonstration of Learning

Check out this video to see how your students could use a drawing and an iPad to demonstrate their learning in any subject.  Contact me if you would like help using this in your classroom!

Email All Your Parents at Once - Google Email Tip

Want to be able to email all of your students' parents at once?

Create an email list.

If you teach more than one class, you can have a separate group for each class.

Contact Beth - I can help you by gathering parent email addresses, typing them into your Contacts, and setting them up into groups.

_____________________________________________

Or, here is how you can set up email groups yourself:

In your Google Email, click the drop-down menu next to "Mail" and choose Contacts.

Hover your mouse directly over this little line until it drops down for more choices. 

Scroll down and click on "New Group".

Enter a name for your email group and click "OK".

Your group has been created.  Now it needs email addresses.  To enter an email address, click on "New Contact".

Enter a name and email address.  Then click on the Groups button (looks like a 3-person party).  Choose which group(s) you would like this contact to be in.  Check the box, and click "Apply".

Repeat this until you have all the members of the group entered.  (If the email addresses are already in your contacts, find each contact and look for that same "party button" to add them to groups.)

Great!

Now how do I email this group?

Return to your email by clicking the drop-down menu next to "Contacts" and choosing "Mail".

Compose a new email, and choose "BCC".  This way, your parents cannot see one another's email addresses.

Begin typing in the name of the Group you created, and it will appear.  Choose that group, and type an email to them.

How to Post Files (Such as Kid-Friendly Standards) to Your Blog - Classroom Blogging Tip

Hey, did your boss just tell you to post the Kid-Friendly Standards on your blog?  

I can help.

First, you need to put the document somewhere "public" where everyone can see it.  We cannot do this from Google Docs, as our accounts are not authorized to share outside the district.

Two good options are: in your Dropbox or on your Classpage.  

How to Use Dropbox to Post Documents

First, you need a Dropbox account.  Go to www.dropbox.com and set one up.  Then, sign in, and look for the Upload button to put your document in your Dropbox.

Click the button, and choose the file you want to upload (the one you want to share on your blog).

Once the file is uploaded, locate it and look for a "link" button.

Click on this to get a link where anyone can view the document.  Post this link on your blog for your readers, and they will be able to view and download the document as well.

Here is a Dropbox document of mine, so you can see what it would look like when your readers follow the link.

How to Use Your Classpage to Post Documents

Log in to your Classpage.

Click on "Add Files".

Click the button to upload your file.

Be sure to go to "Top to Save" after the file uploads.  This file can now be accessed when visiting your Classpage.  You can direct parents to your Classpage (in a blog post or newsletter) for access to the document.  They will have to click on "Files" or scroll down to that section in order to see it.

Here is a link to my Classpage, so you can see what it looks like to access the same file there.

Please let me know if you need help setting up a Dropbox account or attaching files to your posts!

Reflect and Refine - Classroom Blogging Tip

So you've started blogging.  You have undoubtedly put in some careful thought and hard work.  So how do you know if your blog is a success?

Here are some questions to ask:

Who is my intended audience, and are they reading what I write?

If you are blogging in order to reach parents, consider sending home this survey after your first few weeks of blogging.

Classroom blogging can spark conversation between parents and students about what is happening at school

How do I know who is reading my blog?

The survey will give you a good idea who is reading.  You can also view your subscribers by logging in at Feedburner, the service that manages our subscribers.

Am I posting everything that I want my audience to read?  If not, why not?

We all have important messages we would like to communicate.  Are you taking the time to write posts about those things?  Have you subscribed to your own blog so that you can view it from the perspective of your readers?  This is a great step to help determine if your posts are sending the information you wish people to receive.

Be a CopyCat: Reblogging - Classroom Blogging Tip

Be a copy cat!

Teachers in our school have begun blogging this year.  Many are classroom teachers who use their blog as a way to communicate with parents.  

Our specialists are blogging too - and it's time for us to help get their message out!  Many of them do not have one specific group of parents subscribed to their blog, and that's where you come in.

Reblog.

Post parts of their content to your blog, so that your parents see it.

This must be done correctly, so that you are not actually plagiarizing their work and claiming it as your own.  Rather, view this as your chance to promote a colleague's content, get important information to your parents, and give credit to the person who wrote it.  (Plus, let's be honest, it gives you a great blog post with little or no work to be done.)

How will I know when my colleagues post great things?

Subscribe to their blogs.  Subscribe by email (type in your email at their web site), or by using a site such as Feedly where you can see all the blogs at once, and view who has updated.

This way, you will always know when they update.

I think my parents would benefit from a colleague's post.  How can I reblog?

Go to your colleague's web site and highlight a portion of the post.  Right-click on the highlighted words, and choose "Copy".  Start a new post on your blog.  Right-click in the empty space, and choose "Paste".  Their content shows up.

If the author of the blog has given you express permission, feel free to reblog the entire post.  If not, simply quote a small section of the post to get your parents interested, but do not copy and paste the entire post.

Before you publish, please remember to give the original author credit, both at the beginning and end of your post.  Insert a short paragraph at the beginning of your post, saying that the following post was originally published on your colleague's blog, and include the web address of their blog.  Be sure to put the link to their site again at the end.

Please click here to find a list of colleagues blogs, and subscribe now.

In this way we can all collaborate to reach parents and help our school community become more connected!

Why Should I Blog?

This post was originally written for one of my graduate courses, and published on my professional blog, The Learning Curve.

It is longer than most content I post on this blog, but it may be helpful to you if you have ever wondered why blogging matters in the classroom.

Blogging is a buzzword in some education circles right now.  Many teachers find the concept intriguing, but want to know: how will this help my classroom and my students?

As a veteran blogger, I have used several approaches to classroom blogging and there have been benefits to each.

The Occasional Update

When I first started blogging, I only updated about every two weeks.  I used the blog as a place to publish pictures and descriptions of activities.  I sent home a slip of paper each time the blog was updated, inviting parents to view the post.

The Student-Authored Blog

One of my favorite blogging experiences was when I introduced my students to Kidblog.  I was inspired by a local tech-savvy colleague, who already had her Kindergarteners blogging.  I knew if they could do it, my students could too!  After much research, I discovered the idea of paper blogging.  This offline, yet very visual study of what blogging looks and feels like was a great way to begin teaching digital citizenship before my students actually ventured into cyberspace.  When the students were ready for the real thing, we used our curriculum's already-established writing assignments and submitted them on Kidblog.  Students made thoughtful comments and began to explore the back-and-forth communication that defines the online, collaborative world.  This has been my favorite type of blogging to date, and I will definitely pursue this again if I return to the classroom in the future.

The Information Center

A classroom blog can be an information hub that parents and students love to visit regularly.  As a teacher, my purpose for blogging changed when I discovered (in "Gadgets" for Blogger) that I could have parents subscribe via email.  Over 75% of the parents had email and checked it regularly, so I began updating several times per week.  My posts varied to include announcements, reminders, and celebrations of classroom events and accomplishments.  I printed each post to send home with families that did not have access.  Parents responded with positive comments about how connected they felt to our classroom and how much it changed their conversations with their child about school.

The Communication and Learning Tool

Now that I am in a new role as a Technology Integration Specialist, I have started a new blog for that purpose.  My blog is now directed toward the teachers in my district.  I post once or twice per week, presenting ideas and tips.  I purposely keep the content short and include pictures.  Some posts continue into lengthy explanations (to be read by teachers that desire to learn more about that topic).  I know that a teacher's time is valuable, and they need to know by reading the title or first few lines of the post whether the content is relevant for their needs.

The Guide for other Teachers

I have never authored this type of blog, but I follow many who do.  Matt Gomez and Erin Klein are two of my favorites.  Their websites offer regular tips, examples, and links to help the rest of us in our technology integration journey.

Blogging has been an integral tool in my classroom for connecting with parents, providing information, and helping students become good digital citizens.  By blogging, a class joins and connects with parents and students in the digital arena.

Have you tried blogging?  What has been successful for you?

How to Permanently Display Your Contact Information - Classroom Blogging Tip

Many teachers would like their contact information readily available when parents visit their blog.  If you include this information in a regular post, however, it will slowly get "pushed down the page" as you add new posts.  Here is how you can display it permanently.

Enter your blog and click on "Layout".

Find your "Header" and click "edit".

Make these changes:

Once you are back in "Layout", click on "View Blog" to see your changes.

Your contact information is now permanently located under your Header.  Parents can easily find this when they visit your blog.

Global Read Aloud

I would like to invite all Reading/Language Arts teachers to consider being a part of this year's Global Read Aloud.

This begins in early October and runs for six weeks.  During your read-aloud time, you will choose to read one of the books on the list.  I will work to connect you in advance with another classroom (or more than one, if you like) that is reading the same book.

Classrooms from all over the world participate and connect through reading the same books.  You can connect with other classes through email, Skype, Edmodo(similar to Facebook for education), snail mail, or blogging.

Here is a picture of my Kindergarten class from last year, connecting with a class in Texas via Skype:

We made several connections throughout the United States!

During your school day, this does not need to add any extra time to your read-aloud.  But it will add depth to the conversation and broaden your students' horizons!

If you are interested, please click here and let me know.

Showcase: Ronnenberg's Welcome Video - and How to Add it to Your Blog!

Our awesome Phy Ed teacher, Adam Ronnenberg, has started a blog this year.  His blog will be a great resource for parents as well as other teachers. Want to know what's happening in Phy Ed?  Head on over!

Mr. Ronnenberg has posted a video welcoming students to the new school year.  He also gives them a virtual tour of where Phy Ed takes place and introduces his family.

If you have a class blog and you want to post Ronnenberg's video to make sure your parents and students see it, here's how:

Click on the "Share" button located on Adam's video.

Next, click on the "Embed" symbol:

Click to copy the Embed Code:

Picture yourself holding a note in your hand, written in another language (in this case, computer language).  That's what happened when you copied the Embed Code.  Now you are going to take it to your blog.

Go to Blogger.

Start a new post on your blog.

Find and click the "HTML" button.

You have entered the area where computer language is spoken.  Your computer is now whispering "Talk Nerdy to me".  So, do it.  You are going to paste the Embed Code into the white space where you normally write your posts.

Right-click in the white area, and choose "Paste".  The Embed Code should appear.

Click "Compose" to go back to your normal view.

Adam's video will be there, and you can use this button to center it on your page.

Add your own comments, explaining to your readers about the video and why you are posting it.  Students LOVE watching these over and over at home!

Click publish, and this video will be your newest blog entry.

Digitally Connect with Parents This Year!

It's time to prepare for Open House - coming in just a few short days!

Be sure to collect the information you need for a digital connection this year!

You can collect helpful information by putting these three questions on your grade-level form:

Do you have access to a computer at home?

Do you have access to the internet at home?

Email address:

With this info, you will be ready to create an email list for communication with parents, and you will be aware of which parents are able to receive email communication.

Showcase: Mrs. Jost's Welcome Video

Mrs. Jost welcomes her incoming Kindergarteners with a video!  Enjoy the warm welcome she gives.  Imagine how your students would feel watching yours . . . and click here to learn more about making one.

https://vimeo.com/102484772

                        
                                           Welcome Video 2014 from Annie Jost on Vimeo.

Welcome Your Students with a Video!

Want to tell your incoming students more about yourself, or what to expect this year?

Try using a video.  It can be posted on your class blog or website for students to view from home.  Or, you can show it to them at Open House or on the first day of class.

You simply provide your lovely self - I can help you with recording, creating, and posting the video.

Here are some examples of Welcome Videos done by the Kindergarten Team last year:

Mrs. Haglin's video

Mrs. Jost's video

Mrs. Tongen's video

We had many parents say that the kids liked to watch the video over and over.

If you want help getting this started, fill in the form here.

Classroom Blog FAQ

Classroom Blog - FAQ

Is having a blog different than the ClassPage we already have?

Yes.  It looks different.  It is more customized to you and your class.  Rather than deleting and changing what your web site says, you add new posts to it.  This leaves previous posts still visible for parents.  It can also be more interactive.

Can this replace my paper newsletter?

Yes.  

However, be sure to print each blog entry for families that do not have internet access.

Is this connected to Facebook?

No.

How can I ask questions or get started?

Click here to learn more about getting started.

It's summer.  Do I need to do this now?

Only if you want your blog to be up and running when school begins.  If you want to wait until September - that's fine!  You can notify your parents about your new blog whenever it's ready!

Is having a classroom blog required?  Is this something we are supposed to do?

No.  Do this if you want to.  We still have our ClassPages, so everyone already does have digital communication with parents.  

Classroom Blogs!

It's the time of year when teachers lament the fact that Target now has a "Back to School" aisle.  Yes, in many ways it's too soon for that kind of talk.  But most of us really never turn it off.  We are at garage sales noticing the perfect items to enhance learning . . . and we are reading blogs like this one, preparing slowly but surely for that fresh, new start.

What will be a student's first impression of you this year?  We know they race to their mailboxes every day in August until those letters finally arrive.  What if, after the jumping up and down, your students had yet another way to get to know you better?  

I can help you prepare a welcoming classroom blog before the year begins.  

This is a good fit for you if:

You normally send out a newsletter, but would like to replace it with communication that is more personal and interactive.  

(Your blog updates can still be printed and sent home with families that do not have internet access.)

You would enjoy sharing pictures of what goes on in your classroom, with parents.

You want to connect with an online generation of parents and students, many of whom access their online devices several times each day!

Click on any of these blogs to see examples from our very own Kindergarten Team last year:

Mrs. Haglin's Blog

Mrs. Jost's Blog

Mrs. Tongen's Blog

Indicate your questions or interest here:

            

Shamrock Tech is Coming Soon!

Welcome to Shamrock Tech, your one-stop-blog for Maple Lake teachers who want to integrate technology!  More updates coming soon.