Sharon's ESC3 Instructional Technology Blog

Dropbox

Sharon Martinez — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:27:20 +0000

Have you started saving and sharing files via the cloud? I’ve been using Dropbox and find it so helpful! It’s so easy to save, sync, and share your files via Dropbox. You can organize your files into folders, share individual files, share an entire folder, or just use Dropbox to back up your important files. I can access my files via the web no matter what machine I’m using. I don’t have to carry around all those pin drives and then pop each one into my machine when I’m looking for a specific file. I use Dropbox and encourage you to use Dropbox too!

I’ve created a folder in my Dropbox with a few Project Share files. Let me know if you’d like me to share them with you and I’ll send you an invite from Dropbox so you can try it out! I forgot to mention that it’s free! You get 2 GB of space when you sign up.

Create Your Own Avatar

Sharon Martinez — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 17:56:02 +0000

Go to My Avatar Editor – http://www.myavatareditor.com/

At My Avatar Editor you create your own “Wii mii” and then can save it as a .jpg or .png to use on your teacher web page, in your class newsletter, or print it for display. I like saving my avatar as a .png file because you can choose to have a transparent backgroud. Try having your students create and save their own avatar.

Fur.ly – Very Handy

Sharon Martinez — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:29:20 +0000

Fur.ly allows you to organize multiple URL’s into one URL. First, use your favorite search engine and find web sites that go along with a current unit of study, topic of interest, or interactive games for your students. Highlight, copy, and paste each URL on the fur.ly page. After collecting all the needed URL’s click Go and you are presented with a fur.ly URL. Share the fur.ly URL on your blog, teacher web page or your class newsletter.

Students click the fur.ly link and have access to each of the URL’s you added. Click on the forward arrows, found at the top on the fur.ly toolbar, to scroll through each web site. Great tool to use to give students and parents an easy way to visit multiple web sites.

Project Share Groups

Sharon Martinez — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:58:59 +0000

Project Share – TEA’s global online community portal – has lots of groups for you to join. Groups give you the opportunity to get to know other Project Share members and collaborate on topics you find interesting and support your learning and teaching.

To find groups in Project Share:

Login to your Project Share portal
In the top-right corner of your portal enter your search query in the field next to Search for. I used CSCOPE for my search query.
Select Groups using the drop-down arrow to search In.
Click Search.

My search returned 4 pages of groups using the CSCOPE search query.

I found a group for CSCOPE ELAR with the descriptor: To hold discussions for those using the CSCOPE curriculum with English Language Arts.
Another one for administrators – A group for administrators, and other educators who are responsible for the implementation and coordination of CSCOPE in their school district/campus.
One of my groups is for teachers and trainers using an IWB (interactive whiteboard).
- Search IWB and you should find the group Interactive Whiteboard Tips and Best Practices – Join this group and share your best practices, tips, lessons and ideas on how you use your interactive whiteboard/device in the classroom!

Try searching for some groups and join a few. It’s a great way to get started in Project Share.

Google Search – Choose the Reading Level

Sharon Martinez — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:17:56 +0000

I use Google’s advanced search features to limit my results as I search for specific things like .pdf files, PowerPoint presentations, and even flash files .swf. Google has now added a new advanced search feature allowing you to limit your search results by a selected reading level.

If you are looking for resources for a certain topic and work with elementary age students your search results can return web sites written at the basic reading level eliminating results of web pages written at a much higher level. The three reading levels are basic, intermediate, and advanced.

Try it out:

Go to Google.com
Click the Advanced Search hyperlink found to the right of the main search field
Enter your search query – I used ‘states of matter’
In the middle of the Advanced Search screen select Basic Reading level using the drop-down arrow next to Reading level:
Click the Advanced Search button.

Your search results:

Thinkfinity – Verizon Foundation

Sharon Martinez — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:17:03 +0000

Have you taken the opportunity to check out Thinkfinity? Thinkfinity, a Verizon Foundation initiative, has thousands of free lesson plans and educational resources for teachers. You can search by topic, content area, grade level group, or state standard. There are tons of interactive activities and great lesson plans too!

For instance here’s a link to a K-2 activity exploring the pan balance . “This student interactive, from Illuminations, provides an interesting environment in which students can consider the concept of equivalence.” Another lesson on obesity and childhood nutrition created by Science NetLinks offers resources on understanding the science behind obesity and childhood nutrition. Plan to spend some time looking through the Thinkfinity site because there are many resources to find and use!

What do you think about Thinkfinity? Leave a comment.

Educational Technology

Sharon Martinez — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:00:45 +0000

I was reading a blog post at the Dangerously Irrelevant blog: If we were really serious about educational technology… The post suggest some ideas on what we might do for our students in the area of educational technology. There were many comments at the end of the post but one in particular caught my attention:

“I completely agree. I think its time we reframe the EdTech question from “How do we integrate technology into our classrooms?’ to “Which Century’s technology are we using in our classrooms?”“

What do think about that comment? How would you answer the question – Which Century’s technology are we using in our classrooms?

Interactive Math Sites

Sharon Martinez — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:10:40 +0000

I’ve run across a couple of great interactive sites to support and reinforce math skills. Learn Your Tables is a free website that allows students to practice their multiplication using a simple interface. Students can choose to drag and drop the answers or enter the correct answer.

Math Live is a another great site. It presents students with an animated scenario where the students learn math skills as they work through the story. The skills focus on four main areas: Number, Pattern and Relation, Shape and Space and Statistics and Probability. Both sites would work well with an interactive whiteboard.

Progressive Phonics

Sharon Martinez — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 20:20:50 +0000

Progressive Phonics is a great phonics program: http://www.progressivephonics.com/ All the resources are free for download, you just need to register. Students can read the books online or the teacher can print each book and distribute. Books include alphabet books, beginner, intermediate, and advanced phonics and handwriting. There are activity sheets that accompany each book along with search puzzles, flash cards, and a memory game. Check out Progressive Phonics and see how the resources can help supplement your reading program!

Project Share: Getting Started in Epsilen

Sharon Martinez — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:07:21 +0000

New Workshop Scheduled – Project Share: Getting Started in Epsilen #32141

This workshop will introduce you to Project Share/Epsilen, the TEA online environment for Texas educators. You will navigate your own Project Share portal, learn how to join and create groups, and experience the many benefits of Project Share.