Subscribe to Colleagues' Blogs for Updates and Ideas!

Every staff member is encouraged to subscribe to a few colleagues' blogs.  This can help you to see how others are using this tool - and each teacher uses it a little differently!  Viewing others' content can also be a good source for reblogging ideas on your own blog or newsletter.

Click on a name below to get to that teacher's blog.  Use the "Follow by Email" section to get yourself subscribed.

Specialists:

Lisa Weninger

Adam Ronnenberg

Abby Klumb

Kelly Seibert

Beth Haglin

Classroom Teachers:

Carol Tongen

Annie Jost

Sue Schmitz

Chad Hammerschmidt

Stacie Schneider

Tanya Malwitz

Rhonda Carlson

Amy Kosloski

Steve Fuchs


Special Education:

Danielle Blumhoefer

Sandi Pomije

Amanda Abraham

Present with Prezi - and Check Out Mr. Brown's Costume!

One great way to integrate technology into your classroom is to have students present their knowledge visually.  Power Point and Google Presentations are simple tools that can be used for this purpose.  If your students are ready for something similar to Power Point but a little more unique, try Prezi.com.

Your students can present their knowledge using text, images, or video.  Completed Prezis can also be posted online to classroom or student blogs.

I am available to teach you or your students about Prezi and guide them as they create a project demonstrating their knowledge.

Check out an example of what a Prezi looks like!

Click here to view

Create Your Own Rubrics Online

Rubrics are a great way to help students monitor their own progress toward the learning target.  Create your own at Rubistar.4teachers.org.

Here is an example of a rubric I created there.  A teacher can edit everything from the number of columns/rows to the points given.  Enjoy!

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.