31 Day Comment Challenge Draws to a Close

I loved njtechteacher's reflections on the 31 day comment challenge started by Sue Waters (see their amazing wiki)Ann says:"This is something I tend to do as I read blogs and post comments. Blog comments fall into three categories for me: I respond with my feelings on a post, I write to congratulate someone on something they are doing, I am uncertain about what was written about and I leave a question. The use of Cocomment and...

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Try some Hunkin's Home Experiments this Summer

Good learning never stops. This summer, my children have time that they spend each day learning but I work really hard to make it fun!I fell in love with Hunkin's Home Experiments and plan to have my children pick one and plan to do for the other two.These are also great for school. What experiment sites do you like?tag: science, experiment,...

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/31/2008

Unlimited calls to landlines – any time, day or night.International callers you can sign up for unlimited calls to landlines in 34 countries for like 6.95 a month (not us funds -- look at it for translation.) If you call other countries a lot, this is worth taking a look.tags: education, sk...

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/30/2008

Samsung's Hope for Education - Win $200,000 for technologyThis is a cool grant requiring a 100 word essay about how technology benefits and helps education and is one I'll be doing in the fall -- it is only open to schools in the US but it is public and private -- check the website for rules and good luck.Info from their site:"Each year, Samsung's Hope for Education holds a contest where students from schools nationwide can write...

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Incredible Motivational Videofrom some Teachers: What will you do today?

Phenomenal video! What a great way to summarize the learning in a professional development course for a school! What a great way to let the teachers at your school understand what all of this means.These teachers made this video and guess what... now they will be blogged around the world. Pass them along by going to the original page and grabbing the "embed" code. Paste it on your blog in a post and add your thoughts. Viola!via...

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Thank you readers for putting me on this Edutopia List!

Wow, I am flabbergasted just to be included on this list by edutopia as part of their 2008 Readers Survey. It always makes me nervous to have my name listed alongside the great perpetual bloggers (Edublogs, David Warlick's 2 Cents Worth) since I'm such a newcomer. (2 1/2 years is nothing!) (Of course this list seems a bit mixed since Edublogs is a platform, I wonder if they meant to link to Sue Waters blog instead of the Edublogs...

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8 Reasons Bloggers Hide Their Blog: A Call for You to share a link to your blog

I love making new friends but for some reason it seems very challenging to find new teacher blogs. As I've talked to teacher bloggers, these are some of the reasons I hear for teachers not sharing their links more openly.Why I think More Teachers Don't Share Their Blog with OthersHumility. I think many teachers are naturally humble and...

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/29/2008

Alfred Thompson the Cyberspace People Watcher: Online Activities Have Offline ConsequencesGreat post by Alfred Thompson, "the" microsoft education blogger. I think he hits the nail on the head with this one. Great post!tags: ad4dcss, education, digital_responsibilities, cyberethics17 Principles of Building Good Relationships With BloggersGreat article about how to build good relationships with bloggers. I wish the countless...

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HOrizon Teacher Summit 4-5 pm EDT 5/28/2008

Twitter is out AGAIN! So, I hate to do this, but here is another alert that really belongs in my twitter.In 17 minutes we will be hosting the Teacher Summit in Elluminate. Please join us as the teachers refle...

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Bringing the Power of Google Earth to the Browser

AnnouncementMay 28, 2008Google deeply believes in the value of being open, so we’ve decided to expand the reach of Google Earth by bringing it to the browser. Today at Google I/O, we’re unveiling the Google Earth API and browser plug-in. As the latest member of our Maps API family, the Google Earth API allows web developers to quickly and easily turn their web pages into 3D map applications. They can now use the Earth as their...

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Flat Classroom Live presentation today w/ Julie and I

If you're online -- in about 19 minutes at approximately 11 am EDT, Julie Lindsay and I will be joining Steve Hargadon to do the Classroom Live presentation we've been planning to do for some time.It is free and open and in elluminate. If you wish to join us, come on. If not, the recording will be available later. Hope to see you the...

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/28/2008

HotCity WirelessHotCity Wireless, a non-profit organization, has been established to promote the use of low-cost wireless technology as a media and tool for economic, social and educational advancement to underprivileged citizens in the Philippines. Organizations such as this that work to provide access should be encouraged. Wow!tags: education, ad4dcss, digital_accessFireShot - Take screenshots of web pages with Firefox extension!Cool...

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I M possible

We know not where the digital revolution may take us.We do know the great inventors of history dreamed impossible dreams and took steps to make it happen... electricity, the light bulb, the telephone, the Internet...virtual worlds, humanoid robots, 3 d virtual immersive worlds, intelligent agents. These things all seem impossible as do time travel, true interplanetary space travel, and colonizing other planets.Yet impossible...

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Flat Classroom Conversation Live tomorrow 5/28/2008 - 11 am EDT

A special episode of Classroom 2.0 LIVE Conversations will "air" live 5/28/2008 at 8am Pacific / 11am Eastern / 3pm GMT. Julie Lindsay and and I will discuss our global collaborative programs, Flat Classrooms and the Horizon Project.Here is Steve's announcement on Classroom 2.0 about this:"In the two years that Julie and Vicki have been collaborating, their five global collaborative projects have included more than 20 classrooms...

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Google App Engine to Announce Open Sign-ups, Pricing Plans, and New APIs at Google I/O

AnnouncementMay 27, 2008Google Developer Conference Starts Wednesday in San Francisco; Highlights a Richer, Maturing Web PlatformMOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (May 27, 2008) – Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is getting ready to welcome more than 2900 developers to the Moscone Center in San Francisco for Google I/O™, the company’s largest developer event of the year. The event opens with a keynote speech on Wednesday, May 28, and runs through Thursday,...

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/27/2008

My Page - NECC 2008My NECC page including my current calendar and schedule.tags: NECC, educationAnd the Walls Came Down: Viral Professional Development - NECC 2008Just started the discussion for the viral pd session at NECC over at the NECC 2008 Ning -- watching some interesting discussions take place -- join in and converse. If you have a session, you're asked to create a discussion -- I hope they'll show us our tags so that...

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Videos from Me on Horizon, Flat Classroom, and More

Every teacher knows that the end of the school year is usually as scary as hiding under the bed with Chucky the wonder doll coming after you!I'm a bit behind over here, however, took some time to talk with my friend Alan Levine (aka CogDog) about some of the projects that we've done recently as well as the pros and cons. (Just proof that cats and dogs can work together ;-) I'd like to share the video with you and plan to be blogging...

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/25/2008

Classroom Innovation - Sallie Hill - BRVGSA cool video from a teacher about how she is innovating in her classroom. This is an application for Google Teacher Academy and was made on Animoto and uploaded to Google Video. Great job!More applications for events and organizations are moving to the video format. Knowing how to produce compelling video will help your students get scholarships and you move ahead. Learn how to tell...

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/23/2008

Fluid - Free Site Specific Browser for Mac OS X LeopardMac users, I've heard this is a great tool.tags: techintegrator, technology, professionaldevelopment, educationK12 Online Conference 2008 | K12Online08 Call for Proposals: Amplifying PossibilitiesTime for K12 online conference proposals:"We are pleased to announce the call for proposals for the third annual “K12 Online Conference” for educators around the world interested...

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Doodle 4 Google Competition Winner Announced

AnnouncementMay 21, 2008Grace Moon, a 6th grade student from Canyon Middle School, has been announced as the national winner of the Doodle 4 Google competition. The announcement was made by Marissa Mayer, VP of search products and user experience, at a celebration today in Mountain View, CA for the 40 regional winners of the competition and their families.What is a doodle? Doodles are the quirky logo designs we often feature on...

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Student Summits Today and you're invited! 10:45 AM EST and 1:40 PM EST

Find more photos like this on Horizon Project 2008These graphics are just some of the "jpeg" files that students will take with them into elluminate today for the Westwood student summits for the 2008 Horizon Project.Each student will present in elluminate and may take with them one graphic file. This is the photo album on the Horizon Ning of these files that I'm compiling for the event.Today we should be presenting from around...

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/19/2008

Reflection - Horizon Project 2008This 10th grade student has written an exceptional post-project reflection. I hope you'll take time to read it. Here is an excerpt:"There is no doubt that this technology is dangerous. It is apparent that few people, not adults, not teenagers, truly understand how collaboration, conduct, and manners affect the internet. This project has to teach others that as well. It is necessary to know how...

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My student's video on World Domination

I'm laughing so hard that I am crying. This student for the horizon project seemed not to be doing much filming. That is because she was literally taking over the county with this short 8 minute film. Find more videos like this on Horizon Project 2008Her point was to demonstrate the emotions of those who are using Youtube and grassroots video and how many times it can give false impressions of grandeur to those who become "youtube"...

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/18/2008

westwood » Will's eFoiloThis is a very interesting way that the student chose to link his Google doc and quite inventive. He created an HTML page and embedded it in the page instead of making the Google Doc public. What a great way to do this.tags: education, Googlewestwood » Victoria's eFolioAnother excellent efolio project from my student -- take a look at the Doodle For Google at the bottom and how she related the opportunity...

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The Nightmare of Social Networking (And of seeing yourself on film)

Besides the fact that I DON'T LIKE how I look in this film (I'm hitting the gym this summer), my student Jamie C. did a nice job with this film for horizon on Social Operating systems.It was just featured on the home page by AFI Screen Nation (to enter the contest you have to be in the US, although any student anywhere may still submit videos. Who knows, a real Hollywood producer or actor may even leave you a message!)He is trying...

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/17/2008

WorldWide TelescopeNew World Wide Telescope from Microsoft. Another alternative to Google Sky - it looks pretty cool.tags: astronomy, science, education, technology, edu_newapp, all_teachers, techintegra...

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Google to Offer Live Webcast of Factory Tour of Search Press Gathering

AnnouncementMay 16, 2008Who: Google Inc.What: Live webcast of Google’s upcoming Factory Tour of Search press event to be held at its Mountain View, Calif. headquarters.When: Monday, May 19th, 9:30am – 12:00pm PDTWhere: www.google.com/press/podium.htmlWhy: Google to offer an insider’s perspective on Search and provide an update on Google Health. Speakers will include Product Management Directors R.J. Pittman, Carter Maslan, Johanna...

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Digiteen: Teaching Digital Citizenship - teens teaching ten year olds

Today was the fourth "class" in our digiteen project. In this project, students researched the nine aspects of digital citizenship and had to create an offline action project.Some students chose to work with middle school students and others chose elementary age. Each group is responsible for 20 minutes of "training" and discussion with the age group they have selected.Today was the second day of the fourth grade student training....

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Sites that Caught My Eye Today 05/15/2008

AFI ScreenNation - Video ContestIf you've made great video this year in class, it would be exciting to take your award winners and submit it for this contest. Students can win a sony handy cam. This would be a great reward for your best video projects this year. Just make sure you have permission.tags: education, techintegrator, edu_news, all_teachers, contestConnecting People Via The Network - Horizon Project 2008I enjoyed...

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Google to Present at the Goldman Sachs Ninth Annual Internet Conference

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – May 14, 2008 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) announced today that Nicholas Fox, Director of Business Product Management for Ads Quality and Bidding, and Neal Mohan, Director of Product Management for Ad Serving Platforms, will participate in a question-and-answer session at the Goldman Sachs Ninth Annual Internet Conference. The session is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time / 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday,...

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Heartfelt posts from the Horizon

This week a student from the Horizon Project had a very heartfelt blog post. Every time we do these projects we have one or two teams who don't "engage" and a few students who just "goof off" and wander aimlessly. (This is where a good teacher comes in.)The student says:"If you are reading this right now, I thank you, because no one seems to understand the concept of communication. We have all these problems regarding completion,...

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Google to Present at the NASDAQ OMX 21st Investor Program

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – May 13, 2008 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) announced today that Omid Kordestani, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Operations, will participate in a question-and-answer session at the NASDAQ OMX 21st Investor Program in London. The session is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time / 6:45 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, May 20, 2008.To access the live audio webcast of the presentation, please visit investor.google.com/webcast.html.About...

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My prayers are with you Tucker Beam: Building a Skype Bridge from School to hospital room

This story is so moving and amazing and was forwarded to me by my new friend Amanda Stone from the Hoover City School District. Tucker Beam is an eight year old in Amanda's Alabama town.This is the story in Amanda's words:"We declared May 9, 2008 Tucker Beam Day in Hoover, Alabama (South Shades Crest Elementary). We have been planning this event for some time....mom can not work during this time and we do not want her to worry...

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Previewing Google Friend Connect: Website owners can make any site social

AnnouncementMay 12, 2008Easily insert social features to make "any app, any site, any friends" a reality MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (May 12, 2008) – Tonight at Campfire One at the Googleplex (code.google.com/campfire/), Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) will announce a preview release of Google Friend Connect, a service that helps website owners grow...

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