Glogster Education: DIY for teachers

Try out the Glogster Education website. It's easy to add your students, and they don't have to have an email address. The teacher has control over the project distribution and content. Save money, resources and the environment by eliminating the need for traditional posters. These can be saved in .jpg format and displayed on monitors or digital photo frames.

You may use my sample, but I would appreciate it if you would link to this article or cite my work.

If you are using Glogster, what do you think of the product? What was your experience?

With a Little Help From My Friends

Peace sprout by mj*laflaca
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License

After writing an environmental project with various activities, I discovered that I couldn't decide what to name the Kitchen Composting Activity where students will receive 3 redworms, kitchen scraps (no protein or milk) and shredded paper to watch as the worms make soil through composting.

I NEED YOUR HELP! I hope you would select one of the titles that I have listed or suggest your own really cool title.

I hope you agree with me that this survey is a very effective use for Google Docs: Forms in educational processes, and I want to thank you in advance.

Tapestry for Learning

Over the years, many teachers have dreamed of implementing their ideas within their classroom, grade or school. These teachers often need money for materials, technology and other resources, so they search for assistance. Many have received Toyota Tapestry Grants for Science Teachers. Remember, who is a Science Teacher?

The Toyota Tapestry Grant is the largest of its kind in the United States, and they award mini-grants of $2,000 and larger grants of $10,000. to K-12 Science Teachers in the United States.

The three categories in which grants will be awarded are:

1. Environmental Science Education
2. Physical Science Applications
3. Integrating Literacy & Science

To find out more about applying for the Toyota Tapestry Grant, visit the Toyota Tapestry Program website. These applications will be completed online, and the deadline for submission is 11:59PM, Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, January 21, 2009. Let's hop to it. Don't delay!

Counting's for the Birds: The Great Backyard Birdcount

For the Birds, for the Kids, for the Environment, for Research and for Fun.....let's all join people across North America from Friday, February 15th through Monday, February 18th, 2008 to count every bird we see. It's easy, it's fun, and it's very important!

How many times do you really have an opportunity to make an impact on learning from your own backdoor? Not often before, but now you can.

Click on this link: Great Backyard Bird Count.
Read and follow the simple steps, and you can sign up to help count the birds in our backyard (or any other place, like a park, lake or farm). Even though you can download the forms and mail them in, you are encouraged to complete the easy to use online data forms. Wherever you call home is the place where you can count birds, for as little as fifteen minutes or as long as you would like.

Share this wonderful lifelong learning opportunity with everyone. This project will encourage and improve community interactions with the schools, so think about ways to involve teachers and students with the rest of the commmunity. Try it! You'll like it!

Integrated Curricula and PBL opportunity

• Want to integrate your curricula?
• Want to start a simple PBL opportunity?
• Want exciting, educational afterschool PBL extensions?
• Want your PBL experience to be successful?
  

Leni Dolan, a colleague at the TappedIn campus, and an experienced teacher-leader, can collaborate with you to meet these goals with Postcard Geography. Leni creates and moderates online projects, including Westward Ho!
Teachers can sign up to participate in the 2007-2008 Postcard Geography project anytime before September 23, 2007. While there is no cost to register, your school would need to invest in the postage necessary to send the class postcard packet, but that is a nominal expense.

I believe that Postcard Geography will provide any teacher an excellent opportunity to make the greatest impact for student learning and achievement through PBL. The Postcard Geography project is a part of the Cyberbee group and is recognized as a Blue Web'n Site. The project is respectful of teachers' need to protect the privacy of students, so the only information you place in the project database is your name, address, and the number of students that will join you in the Postcard Geography project.

Leni explains the design and process of the Postcard Geography project in an easily understood format. I believe teachers appreciate her attention to detail, especially the resource guidance she provides to help you determine where this PBL will fit with your students, curricula and classes.

The Postcard Geography project is arranged into three age categories: Elementary, Middle, and High school levels. If you are a middle or high school teacher looking for a educational service project, your older students could work with younger students in afterschool programs or as helpers for elementary teachers working with the Postcard Geography project.

Leni's directions are simple, yet effective. Here is a sample instruction from the Postcard Geography website:
"The teacher blog provides a place for participants to share ideas and ask questions. The discussion blog also allows the project moderator to inform participants of address changes and other developments as the project progresses. While you may not wish to post messages, we expect everyone to read them. Active use of the discussion blog is crucial to accomplishing the goal of the project – making sure ALL participants receive postcards!"

If you want your students to participate in an effective, educational, and fun PBL, join the Postcard Geography project.