Educational Origami

Want to start a new technology integration project in your classroom? Want to use a cool new web application tool to do the project but don’t know how? Well, does Andrew Churches have the answer for you! Andrew is from Auckland, New Zealand. He is a computer curriculum manager and the organizer of a wiki called educational origami. Educational Origami is one of the best wikis I have seen for incorporating Blooms Taxonomy into lessons using technology. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike License, Educational Origami allows teachers to use all the information in the wiki and remix it to fit their curriculums simply by giving Andrew credit.

But not only that, Andrew wants to make it easy for teachers to learn how to use Technology so he has created PDF files that he calls “Starter Sheets” that are just that, sheets that will help you get started with any product you choose. He also has a blog on which he posts videos similar to the “Starter Sheets” that instruct on the use of the most common Web2.0 Applications. This blog post is an instructional video on how to use Voicethread. The blog post even allows you to download the video so that you can share it during staff development time. It downloads as a QuickTime Movie and already has Andrew's name on the opening screen, so it already gives him credit. You also hear his incredible accent.

All in all I am very happy to have come across Andrew Churches wiki. It will be quite helpful to me when I freeze up and decide not to use something with my students because I am afraid I don’t know how. It will give me that little boost of confidence I need to use technology tools when I know it will be a boost to my curriculum. I am also following Andrew on twitter, his twiter name is achurches.

Librarians Are Vital to Education

I have been following this link to Kelly's Curriculum Corner and I am getting angry at administrators who think they can get away with an aide in the library 3 days a week and sharing librarians among several schools. Kelly's Curriculum Corner: Libraries as the Hub of School Improvement.
Librarians are vital to education. I agree that librarians share unique perspectives about the curriculum. Why won't anyone listen? It is getting frustrating too that some librarians refuse to change. Refuse to acknowledge that our jobs are changing. If librarians are not into technology then they may loose their jobs. But, our students need us to help them wade through the jungle that is the Internet. If librarians are willing to use technology tools they are vital to the development of the 21st Century learners they teach. Information and Media literacy are important things for students to learn and if they are not learning them in the library where are they learning them?

Happy Father's Day

Just needed to share this today on Father's Day. I wrote this a while ago and it still makes me cry. Sometimes we all just miss our daddies.

Brava Papa

One day you used those
Words to another but they
Should have been to you.
Brava Papa

You taught us all
Right from wrong
And to do no harm
Brava Papa

You were there when
tears stained my face
and I needed
Your warm embrace
Brava Papa

Why is it that we
Always wait
Until the time is just too late to say
Brava Papa

You were there when my knuckles
Were white on my very first flight
I was leaving you for the first time
I know it was hard
Brava Papa

You stood proud and tall
As I was all dressed in white
I was leaving again
And again you wiped my tears
Brava Papa

This time it was you that left
Who could blame you?
You are with the
Father of All
Where skies are blue
And peace abounds
Brava Papa

Now

Ok so I find this site a little weird but I still can't seem to take my eyes off it. I am adding part of it to this blog post but for the full effect of Now you have to go to the Sprint Now website. To get a taste of what you can see on the site click the shuffle button on the bottom left. Strange but compelling. Not sure how I feel about this page.