• 25 Killer (iPad) Apps | Learning is Change.
  The following list of Apps are what make the iPad essential to me. They are what make it more than just a toy
  (tags: ipad apps education)
• A Twitteraholic’s Guide to tweets, hashtags, and all things Twitter | The Edublogger
  Educators are connecting with each other on Twitter and using it like a big teachers lunch room that’s open 24/7 whenever they need help, assistance or just want to connect with others.
  (tags: twitter guide howto)
• 21CFP – The Fluencies
  The 21st Century Fluencies are not about technical prowess, they are critical thinking skills, and they are essential to living in this multimedia world. We call them fluencies for a reason. To be literate means to have knowledge or competence. To be fluent is something a little more, it is to demonstrate mastery and to do so unconsciously and smoothly.
  (tags: 21stcenturyskills literacy 21stcentury_fluency)
• Cleaning Oiled Brown Pelicans | Tequipment: Blogging About SMART Boards, Resources, Lessons, Training, Games…
  An Age-Appropriate Lesson for the Gulf Spill
  (tags: smartboard service_learning)
• International Week – Home
  podcast with students' international stories
  (tags: global_awareness classroom_ideas)
• ISTE 2010 ::Beyond Tools- Thoughtful 21st Century School Reform
  Chris Lehman at ISTE
  (tags: videos 21century_school)
• letter.ly
  Simple way to sell e-mail subscriptions
  (tags: howto tool subscription newsletters)
• iPad Presenting: Powerpoint, Videos, Web Demos and more – Teach42
  One of the first things I thought to use my iPad for was presenting and live demos. After all, it’s such a sleek, elegant device, why on Earth would I want to lug my laptop around at all? So I started researching ways to present from it.
  (tags: ipad presenting)
• EdCompBlog: iPad in Education
  I had a reasonably extended play with the iPad and I am very impressed. I think it has real potential as an educational tool.
  (tags: iPad)
• 10 Beautiful Social Media Infographics
  Infographics help communicate information in a digestible manner as they creatively present data in an understandable and engaging format. With social media growing at an ever increasing pace, there is now a wealth of data about how people interacting with one another on the web. Naturally, infographics have proven an excellent aid in expressing high volumes of social web information in a clear, visually appealing manner.

  Here are 10 infographics that prove as beautiful as they are interesting.

  (tags: infographics socialmedia statistics)
• SpeEdChange: Learning the Names of the World
  Primary teachers know this. Good secondary and post-secondary teachers know this. Some businesses even know this. But way too many people around this planet can't figure it out.
  (tags: geography global_awareness)
• Tech Transformation: STEM, STEAM and SHAM
  the need for the emphasis to be on STEAM – the addition of the A referring to the arts which are needed to encourage creativity.
  (tags: stem)
• iPad | Educational Origami
  (tags: iPad)
• Ahead.
  (tags: presentation visualization)
• Using Technology to Enhance Conceptual Understanding of Elementary Students: Using VoiceThread to Empower Learning: Cross-Country Collaboration with Expert Scientists
  View the links to the Voice Threads that were made between fourth graders and expert collaborators during our animal inquiry project this year.
  (tags: voicethread science collaboration elementary_school)
• International Program Catches On in U.S. Schools – NYTimes.com
  Some parents say it is anti-American and too closely tied to both the United Nations and radical environmentalism. From its start in 1968 until 1976, the program was financed partly by Unesco. It is now associated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and until recently it endorsed the Earth Charter, a declaration of principles of sustainability that originated at the United Nations.
  (tags: global_education articles)
• Mobile technologies in the classroom…
  Mobile technologies in the classroom. Well, that is a bit of a misnomer. Mobile technologies should take one out of the classroom of course.
  (tags: iPad ipod_touch mobile)
• Howl.com – Start your own link blog today
  If it has a URL, you can share it on Howl. Collect, archive, comment on, and share interesting things. It's social bookmarking thats actually social!
  (tags: collaboration bookmarking tools)
• A Principal's Reflections: More iPad Apps
  some iPad apps that I thought were must adds for administrators and educators alike
  (tags: ipad apps administration)
• Free Technology for Teachers: What You Wanted to Know About Student Blogging
  Q & A session about blogging. (You should be able to access the recording here)
  (tags: blogging)

I am honored that this blog has been nominated for the Edublog Awards 2009 in the following two categories:

• Best Teacher Blog
• Best Educational Tech and Support Blog

Thank you to all who nominated Langwitches Blog.

If you haven’t voted yet, click on the above links and cast your votes.

If you are not into the “voting” thing, follow the links anyway and you might discover some incredible resources from amazing teachers and educators around the world.

Thank you to all who nominated Langwitches Blog.

Best individual blog

1. 2 Cents Worth
2. Always Learning Blog
3. Betchablog
4. Blogush
5. Blue Skunk Blog
6. Dangerously Irrelevant
7. dy/dan
8. edte.ch
9. Education Innovation
10. elearnspace
11. Free Technology for Teachers
12. Ideas and Thoughts
13. Informal Learning Blog
14. Integrating ICT into the MFL classroom
15. Jane’s eLearning Pick of the Day
16. Joanne Jacobs
17. Kalinago English
18. Kathy Schrock’s Kaffeeklatsch
19. Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites Of The Day For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
20. Learning Is Messy
21. Learning Vision
22. Learning with ‘e’s
23. Making Change
24. Moving At The Speed Of Creativity
25. Open Thinking
26. Pair-a-Dimes for Your Thoughts
27. ProfBlog
28. Scholastic Scribe
29. Six Things
30. Social Media in Learning
31. Stephen Downes OLDaily
32. Sue Waters Blog
33. Teacher Reboot Camp
34. The Ed Techie
35. The Innovator Educator
36. The Neverending Search Blog
37. Weblogg-ed

2. Best individual tweeter

1. AngelaMaiers
2. BudTheTeacher
3. butwait
4. steve_collis
5. courosa
6. Darcy1968
7. hjarche
8. JaneBozarth
9. jdeyenberg
10. jenwagner
11. joevans
12. josiefraser
13. KarenJan
14. karynromeis
15. Larryferlazzo
16. Marisa_C
17. msgregson
18. msjweir
19. moehlert
20. mtechman
21. olliebray
22. psychemedia
23. rliberni
24. russeltarr
25. shareski
26. ShellTerrell
27. sidneyeve
28. thecleversheep
29. tombarrett
30. Tomwhitby
31. web20classroom

3.  Best group blog

1. 360
2. Afgahn Women’s Writing Project
3. A Year of Reading
4. Blogging Pedagogy
5. Committed Sardine
6. Ed Tech RoundUp
7. Ed Tech Talk
8. I.N.K. Interesting Nonfiction for Kids
9. Infinite Thinking Machine
10. In Practice
11. Jay P Greene’s Blog
12. LeaderTalk
13. Library Garden
14. MacMillian Dictionary Blog
15. Pontydysgu – Bridge to Learning
16. ProfHacker.com
17. Redbridge Games Network
18. SCC English
19. Sup Teach
20. Teacher Voices
21. Tech & Learning Advisor Blog
22. The Adams 14 Global Learner Blog
23. The Educators’ Royal Treatment
24. Traditions Across Europe
25. WorkPlace Learning Today
26. Yalsa Blog

4. Best new blog

1. Agnostic, Maybe
2. Chris Leach
3. Classroom Book of the Week
4. David Cox’s Questions?
5. Dr Brown’s Blog
6. East Dragon Den
7. Edgalaxy
8. edVisioned.ca
9. EFT Musings and other Tidbits
10. I’m A Dreamer
11. In the pICTure
12. JonBischke.com
13. Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice
14. Ken Wilson’s Blog
15. Kristen Winkler
16. Learning to Speak ‘Merican
17. Look At My Happy Rainbow
18. Marisa Constantinides – TEFL Matters
19. Mr. Wiemers’ Shop
20. Ozge Karaoglu’s blog
21. performance.learning. productivity
22. Read…Write…Talk
23. Reality 101: CEC’s Blog for New Teachers
24. School Food Matters
25. Sweeney Math
26. TAGMirror
27. The Educators’ Royal Treatment
28. Teaching Village
29. Teach Paperless
30. Teacher Reboot Camp
31. Technology Tidbits
32. Thinking in Mind
33. This Week’s Education Humor
34. The Web 2.0 Optimist
35. Trails Optional
36. Webmaths
37. West Coast Left
38. Why Did the Chickenman Cross the Road?
39. Zarcoenglish – Tools of the Day

5. Best class blog

1. Alice Project
2. All Saints Languages Blog
3. Billings Middle School Tech Class Blog
4. Borman Blogging
5. Class 4OQ’s Blog
6. Creative Voice
7. East Dragon Den
8. English With Rosa
9. Extreme Biology
10. Fab4@Work
11. Forrester High School Int 2 Info Systems
12. Gelincik Grubu
13. Griffin Science – 8th Grade
14. Huzzah!
15. Intermediate English class blog
16. Luce Semester 2009
17. Ka Tangi Hoki Ko Au Room 15 Blog
18. Law Primary School East Lothian Primary 6 Blog
19. MrCs Class Blog
20. Mr McClung’s World
21. Mrs. Yollis’ Classroom Blog
22. Ms Mourad’s Absolutely Sensational Learners
23. Mrs Goerend’s Blog
24. Planet Infinity
25. Room 10 Grey Lynn School
26. Room 18’s Learning Journey blog
27. Room 231
28. Rumford Writers
29. Saint Exupery 6
30. South Paris Collaborative Chat
31. Tamaki Tales
32. Tamaki Primary Blockbusters
33. Technology in the Classroom
34. The Greatest Middle School Blog in the World
35. The Overlakes 6th Grade Blog
36. The Skinny
37. Think in English
38. Watch Out!

6. Best student blog

1. Adora’s Blog
2. Allison’s blog
3. Civil War Sallie
4. Eric’s Blog
5. Gamer’s Spot
6. Jess
7. Josh Halliday.com
8. Moo
9. Nicola’s ePortfolio
10. Rachel e-learning
11. Suzanne Yada
12. TanNuj’s Weblog
13. Tiffany
14. Toreka Pt England School
15. Universo

7. Best resource sharing blog

1. Around the Corner – MGulin.org
2. Aula de Física
3. Don’t Waste Your Time
4. Doug Off The Record
5. edGalaxy
6. Edte.ch
7. Educational Origami
8. Elearning Technologies
9. Emerging Internet Technologies for Education
10. Free English Lessons Online
11. Free Resources for education
12. Free Technology for Teachers
13. Free Resources from the Net for EVERY Learner
14. f(t)
15. Jane’s E-Learning Pick of the Day
16. Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day
17. My English printable worksheets
18. Nik’s Learning Technology Blog
19. Open Culture
20. Ozge Karaoglu’s Blog
21. Sharing the Addiction
22. Stephen Downes’s OLDaily
23. Steve Spangler Blog
24. Teaching the Civil War with Technology
25. TeachPaperless
26. Technology Tidbits:  Thoughts of a Cyber Hero
27. The Exponential Curve
28. Tim Rylands’ Web Log
29. TipLine
30. Welcome to NCS-Tech

8.  Most influential blog post

1. Ann Marie Cunningham’s Tech addiction ‘harms learning’ …..really??? $24.99 and I am no wiser
2. Anseo.net’s Head in the Clouds
3. Danah Boyd’s Spectacle at Web2.0 Expo… from my perspective
4. Dan Maas’s Writing with Laptops
5. Burcu Akyol’s Spread Your Knowledge series
6. Bud Hunt’s Would You Please Block?
7. Dan Myer’s A Fifth Year Teacher’s Creed
8. Dan Meyer’s What I Would Do With This: Groceries
9. David Wiley’s A few notes about openness (and a request)
10. Dean Shareski’s Student and Teacher blogging that succeeds
11. Doug Johnson’s Where are the others?
12. Intrepid Flame’s This, This, That
13. James Clay’s The VLE is Dead – The Movie
14. Jon’s A Manifesto for EduChange in the Eve of Hacking Education
15. Joyce Valenca’s My 2.0 day and the response/rant about our cover argument
16. Joyce Valenza & Doug Johnson Things That Keep Us Up at Night
17. Liz B. Davis’s 10 Tips for Teaching Technology to Teachers
18. Marisa Constantinides on  How to become an ELT Teacher Educator
19. Martin Weller’s Using learning environments as a metaphor for educational change
20. Michael Fienen’s The Great Keynote Meltdown of 2009
21. Michael Smith’s Germ X Generation
22. Scott McCleod’s Calling all bloggers! – Leadership Day 2009
23. Sean Nash’s The Four Pillars of Technology Integration
24. Shelly Terrell’s EdChat’s “Join the Conversation”
25. Stephen Downes’s An Operating System for the Mind
26. Steve Wheeler’s Another nail in the coffin?
27. TeachPaperless’s Top Eleven Things All Teachers Must Know About Technology (or I promised Dean Groom I wouldn’t write a top ten list; so this one goes up to eleven.)
28. Wes Fryer’s Debating the propriety of blanket censorship by school IT departments
29. Will Richardson’s The Obama Speech
30. Will Richardson’s Don’t, Don’t, Don’t vs. Do, Do, Do

9.  Most influential tweet / series of tweets / tweet based discussion

1. Blogworthy Tweets
2. #edchat
3. #edayz09
4. #geekpoll
5. #lrnchat – #lrnchat blog
6. #movemeon
7. #ontarioplp
8. #teachertuesday

10. Best teacher blog

1. Always Learning
2. Andrew B. Watt’s Blog
3. Blogging About the Web 2.0 Connected Classroom
4. Blogger in Middle-earth
5. Blogush
6. Box Of Tricks
7. Cool Cat Teacher
8. Continuous Everywhere but Differentiable Nowhere
9. Darcy Moore’s Blog
10. David Truss: Pair-a-dimes for your thoughts
11. Division By Zero
12. dy/dan
13. edTe.ch
14. f(t)
15. iTeach
16. Langwitches Blog
17. Learn Me Good
18. Life Feast
19. Kelli’s Blog
20. Mr Robbo – The P.E Geek
21. Music is Not For Insects
22. Musings from a Not-So-Master Teacher
23. Nashworld
24. Philly Teacher
25. Pissed Off Teacher
26. Practical Theory
27. Science Teacher
28. The Scholastic Scribe
29. Tip of The Iceberg
30. Tween Teacher
31. Two Writing Teachers
32. Welcome to NCS Tech

11. Best librarian / library blog

1. A Fuse #8 Productions
2. Bloggit
3. Bright Ideas
4. Blue Skunk
5. Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts
6. Hey Jude
7. LCS ES Media Blog
8. Librarian by Day Blog
9. Library Tech Musings
10. Lucacept
11. My Mind Gap
12. Never Ending Search
13. Not So Distant Future
14. The Unquiet Librarian
15. The Unquiet Library
16. The Waki Librarian
17. The Web Footed Book Lady
18. Wired Librarian
19. World’s Strongest Librarian

12.  Best educational tech support blog

1. Assorted Stuff
2. Blogging About the Web 2.0 Connected Classroom
3. Box of Tricks
4. Creating Lifelong Learners
5. e4Africa
6. Edte.ch
7. Human
8. iLearn Technology
9. Langwitches
10. Life Feast
11. Nik’s Learning Technology Blog
12. Open Thinking
13. Ozge Karaoglu’s Blog
14. Pipweks
15. Rapid Elearning Blog
16. Simulações e Animações Conceptuais no Ensino da Física e da Química
17. Sue Waters Blog
18. Teach 42
19. Teachers Love Smartboards
20. The Power Of Educational Technology
21. Thumann Resources
22. TechTicker
23. The Edublogger
24. The Innovator Educator
25. The Whiteboard Blog
26. Using ICT in Further Education

13. Best elearning / corporate education blog

1. Adventures in Corporate Education
2. Angela Maiers
3. Assistive Technology
4. El Camarote
5. e-learning, conocimiento en red y web colectiva
6. eLearning Technology
7. elearnspace
8. Janet Clarey
9. Learning with ‘e’s
10. Life Feast
11. MPB Reflections — 21st Century Teaching and Learning
12. Rapid Elearning blog
13. Teaching Ideas and Resources
14. Workplace Learning Today

14.  Best educational use of audio

1. Aussiekids
2. Bit by Bit
3. Breaking News English
4. Diane’s ESL Podcast
5. EdTechTalk
6. Gator Radio Experience
7. Get Smart podcasts
8. Kerry J’s Conference Coverage
9. Kidcast
10. Latin Poetry Podcast
11. LearnTrends
12. MediaSnackers
13. MP Radio
14. Musical Blogies
15. My Audio School
16. Podkids
17. Seedlings
18. SLF Talk
19. Teacher 2.0 podcasts
20. Teachers Teaching Teachers
21. The A.T.Tipscast
22. The Virtual Staffroom
23. Tech Chicks Podcast
24. Wesley Fryer
25. Wicked Decent Learning
26. Xyleme Voices features

15.  Best educational use of video / visual

1. Angela Maiers
2. Common Craft Plain English Series
3. Bitacora de Ánibal de la Torre
4. Brent Coley’s Study Cast & iPod Flash Cards
5. Dan Meyer’s What Can You Do With This?
6. Darren Elliot’s Lives of Teachers
7. Dave Cormier’s “Presenting With Live Slides”
8. Edit Foundry
9. Hatak’s AP Chemistry Podcast
10. Inanimate Alice
11. ISTE Eduverse Talk
12. Leon Cych’s conference recordings
13. MediaSnackers
14. Michael Wesch’s videos showcase
15. Musical Blogies
16. Rhett Allain’s Dot Physics
17. Russell Stannard
18. Saint Joseph Digital Express
19. Smart History: The Blog
20. Steve Spangler’s blog
21. TEFLclips
22. The Longfellow Ten
23. Torley Linden
24. Tom Barrett – interesting ways
25. viz.: Visual Rhetoric — visual culture — pedagogy

16.  Best educational wiki

1. Benson Bobcat Wiki
2. Business English Online
3. CDSPD
4. Web 2.0 Cool tools for School
5. Digitally Speaking
6. East Dragon Den wiki
7. EdOrigami
8. Ed Tech Round Up
9. Ed Tech Wiki
10. EduWiki.us
11. Greetings From The World
12. Getting Tricky With Wikis
13. HUMS3001: Censorship and Responsibility
14. Indispensible Tools
15. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
16. Joykaydia
17. King/Chavez 3rd Grade
18. Ktitraci
19. Kohner wiki
20. Learning For Content
21. Learning Telecollaborative
22. NDSL wiki
23. Moving Forward
24. One World Project Wiki!
25. Open Education 09 wiki
26. Open Thinking
27. Ozge Karaoglu’s wiki
28. PLN Yourself!
29. Second Life Wiki
30. Soar 2 New Heights
31. Springfield Township Virtual Library
32. Teaching with Thinking and Technology
33. Teachmeet Wiki
34. The File Cabinet
35. The UDLTechToolKit
36. Web 2.0 Guru
37. WebTools4U2Use
38. Wikieducator
39. WSD’s eToolbox

17.  Best educational use of a social networking service

1. Beth Still ISTE/ NECC Newbie Project
2. Classroom 2.0
3. Country Day School Ning
4. Digiteen Ning
5. Educator PLN ning
6. EFL Classroom 2.0
7. eLearning Professionals on Facebook
8. Elementary Tech Teachers ning
9. English Companion Ning
10. Fireside Learning: Conversations about Education
11. Independent School Educators Network
12. LearnTrends Online Conference
13. Mathematics24×7
14. MSP2 Maths & Science Pathways Online Social Network
15. OnlineProjects4Teachers
16. Principles of Biology
17. RSC Access and Inclusion Ning
18. Saltashrainbow
19. Second Classroom
20. talk.ed
21. Technology Integration in Education
22. The Assistive Technology Ning

18.  Best educational use of a virtual world

1. CANVAS (Children’s Art in the Virtual Arena of Scotland)
2. DEN SL Blog
3. Edunation
4. ISTE’s Second Life island
5. Reaction Grid
6. SecondLife Education New Zealand
7. School of Nursing, University of Kansas
8. SIGMS in Second Life
9. Sloodle
10. The International Schools Island (isi)
11. The UC Davis Virtual Hallucination simulation
12. Virtual Graduation at the University of Edinburgh
13. Virtual Macbeth – Angela Thomas
14. Virtual Round Table Conference

19.  Lifetime achievement

1. David Warlick
2. Doug Johnson
3. Jane Hart
4. Jay Cross
5. John Davitt
6. Jo Kay
7. Josie Fraser
8. Judy O’Connell
9. Karl Fisch
10. Kevin Jarrett
11. Larry Ferlazzo
12. Peggy Sheehy
13. Richard Bryne
14. Scott McLeod
15. Stephen Downes
16. Steve Hargadon
17. Sue Waters
18. Vicki Davis
19. Wes Fryer
20. Will Richardson

• Google Apps Training
  Introduction
  Mail
  Talk
  Calender
  Google Docs
  Start Page
  Google Sites
  (tags: google_apps)
• 3 Challenges to Wiki Use in Instruction — THE Journal
  1. Creating Meaningful Assignments: Motivation
  2. Grade Value for Constructed Input: Affirmation
  3. Collective Knowledge Use: Learning
  (tags: wikis pedagogy teaching articles)
• More Challenges with Wikis: 4 Ways To Move Students from Passive to Active — THE Journal
  Setup
  Project Management for Wikis
  Requiring Synthesis
  Rewarding Engagement
  (tags: wikis articles)
• Turbo-Charged Wikis: Technology Embraces Cooperative Learning | Academic Commons
  teachers need to instill the five components of Cooperative Learning: namely, Positive Interdependence, Individual Accountability, Face to Face Interaction, Group Processing, and teaching small-group social skills.
  (tags: wikis collaboration learning pedagogy)
• .: Sumo Paint 2.0 :.
  (tags: web_based drawing smartboard)
• Second Story
  Second Story has conceptualized, designed, and developed interactive media experiences in diverse formats that enchant, inform, and entertain—pioneering ever more effective ways to inspire wonder and connect audiences to ideas and information.
  (tags: storytelling digital_storytelling)
• VT-Guest: Customize the Random Number Generator
  This video tutorial demonstrates how to customize the flash-based random number generator contained in the Gallery.
  (tags: smartboard math smartboard_techniques)
• Auto Follow Friday by @mrboo
  (tags: twitter tools)
• Videoconferencing
  1. Videoconferencing
  1. Learning More about Classroom Videoconferencing
  2. Teacher Videoconference Checklist
  3. Student Videoconference Checklist
  4. Tracking Your Videoconference
  5. Conversation Role Play Activity
  6. Skype Skills to Master Tipsheet
  7. Reflecting on Digital Conversations
  (tags: PDF video_conference skype_in_classroom)

• why a SMART Board.pdf (application/pdf Object)
  Why do teachers think using a SmartBoard in the classroom is important.
  (tags: smartboard PDF)
• http://tablettalk.info/
  Jeremy Renner is a technology resource teacher in Louisville, Kentucky. He supports elementary school teachers who have Tablet PCs integrate technology in their classrooms. His interests include Web 2 tools, resources that increase student engagement, creative SMART Board usage and the ANGEL Learning environment.
  (tags: technology_integrationist blogs technology_integration elementary_school)

• starter+sheet+-+wordle.pdf (application/pdf Object)
  (tags: PDF wordle)
• Observation of my Habitation
  This project was designed to capture a monthly picture of the view from your classroom window throughout the 2009-2010 school year and observe how the habitat outside changes. Participating classrooms will have the opportunity to describe the changes viewed through writing photo bylines or voice thread scripts.
  (tags: science elementary_school projects)
• leading and learning: Teaching and the creative process
  Creativity is all about making choices and the results should reflect the 'voice' or individuality of the students whether a piece of writing, art, or scientific report.
  (tags: creativity quotes)
• MathIntegration
  Our goal this year is to better integrate our math curriculum with the rest of our curriculum. We know it is easy to integrate math into the curriculum as math is vital to all areas of learning. However, we are struggling with ways to integrate our specific math curriculum into our day. Right now, we have math as a separate subject each day. We would like to integrate more, while still maintaining our very high testing requirements.
  (tags: math elementary integration)
• Change Color of an Image
  Change color of image in Notebook using Picture transparency.
  (tags: smartboard)

• Copy Paste Character
  (tags: characters)
• Create a Reset Button on Your Notebook Page? | TeqSmart: Blogging About SMART Boards, Resources, Lessons, Training, Games…
  Here is a way to use “Page Recording” to create a reset button for your Notebook page.
  (tags: smartboard technique)

Inspired by Kim Cofino’s post Making an Impact , I was encouraged to make my own list and “checking it twice” of the things that I was able to accomplish professionally in 2008. Around New Year, there is usually a frenzy to make resolutions and lists on what to do next year, but it seems good to look back too.

Just a few days ago I wrote a post, where I reminded myself how important reflections are for my own learning. What are the  achievements, I can look back upon in 2008? Thinking about them, reflecting about will allow me to grow and learn from them.

• Envisioned, designed, coordinated and led monthly workshops for faculty, staff and administrators in 21st century skills, web 2.0 tools, digital images, social networking, changes in learning, smartboard and LCD projector integration.
• Personal professional development as an attendee at NAIS,  K-12 Online Conference 2008, FETC and FCIS conferences.
• Presented Global Studies program and Integrating Digital Storytelling work shop at State Conferences.
• Hosted after school professional development opportunities for local educators to connect with each other as well as national and international colleagues.
• Documented professional development on school PD blog
• Documented student technology projects and communicated technology integration to parents on School Technology Blog
• Created and maintain curriculum and age appropriate internet resources for students.
• Emphasized global awareness and collaboration through video conferencing in Elementary School
• Introduced, coordinated and facilitated usage of SmartBoards in the classroom beyond digital display unit.
• Introduced, support teachers and continue to encourage to build learning communities through classroom blogs.
• Encourage changes from static to collaborative classroom blog
• Re-organized, re-designed school wide website to blog format (Going Live on January 1, 2009) . Emphasis on school-home communication, information organization, and content delivery.
• Staff and administration training and support as website’s content providers and editors.
• Created, installed, manage and support 40+ WordPress blogs at school.
• Nominated for two categories in Edublog Award: Best Resource Sharing Blog & Best Tech Support Blog
• Recipient of DeWitt E. & Vera M. Hooker Fellowship Grant
• Established connections with educators in South America to support Global Studies focus countries.
• Led Global Studies team to Costa Rica and Peru
• Co-authored Travel to Latin America: In Search of Pachamama
• Presented to teachers and administrators at Colegio Goethe in Buenos Aires, Argentina about Web 2.0 and global collaboration
• Published Digital Storytelling Tools for Educators book, distributed to all Independent Schools of Florida
• Created and shared digital story of Kristallnacht memories on 70th anniversary.
• Creating and expanding local and international Personal Learning Network through Twitter, Plurk , Nings and blogging.
• Offered and conducted TechClub as after school program and TechCamp in summer
• Continued learning about and supported grave level curriculum with 21st century skill through technology
• Collaboratively planned and worked with colleagues through Google Documents.
• Collaborated with teachers in planning and co-teaching curriculum integrated projects.
• Assessed teacher and students’ technology skills.
• Collaborated, coordinated and participated in the 31-Day Comment Challenge in order to  continue to grow and learn as a blogger.
• Facilitated making connections for students on fieldtrips.

My blogging has changed in the past year. Blogging has become a habit for me. I feel more connected with my PLN through my blog instead of just using it as a way to reflect and organize my own thoughts. I am amazed, thankful and energized in continuing that others feel that these thoughts are helpful to them.

Thank you Sue Waters, Mr. Mayo and Pam Shoemaker for nominating Langwitches Blog for  2008 Edublog Awards.

• Best educational tech support blog
• Best Resource Sharing Blog
• Best Teacher Blog

Here are my nominations to let the following bloggers know that their work is appreciated, helpful, and inspiring far beyond their own classroom and office walls:

Best group blog- Leader Talk.This group blog is written by school leaders for school leaders. I appreciate the transparency of all the writers who are willing to share their experiences, pitfalls, successes and anecdotes. It helps me, as teacher, to remember that there are always two sides to every story. That there is someone “out there” that has to keep the bigger picture in mind.

Best resource sharing blog-Kevin Jarrett’s NCS-Tech blog is an incredible resource for elementary school teachers and tech coordinators. I appreciate all the time and effort that he puts into reviewing so many fantastic sites that make my wheels spin, every time I click my way to them.

Best teacher blog- Kim Cofino is a 21st Century Literacy Specialist. Her blog Always Learning is a vault of knowledge, reflections, well thought through ideas and practical ways on how to actually DO what all the  theorists talk about. Kim is an incredible teacher who genuinely cares about the learning of her students AND her colleagues by BEING in the classroom with them. I can honestly say, that she is THE person that has influenced my professional thinking, learning and teaching beyond my imagination.

Best educational tech support blog- Teachers Love SmartBoards
Home of the SmartBoard Challenge, is THE resource for anyone who wants to use their IWB beyond the “famous” glorified whiteboard we always talk about. The training videos, educational links that work well with your IWB and tips, tricks & techniques on how to design your own lessons. An incredible amount of time and dedication has been put into this incredible resource.

We have been having so much fun using our SmartBoards. It is great to be able to witness the teachers becoming more and more enthralled with them. Let’s not even mention how interested and engaged the students are.

Currently we have 3 wall mounted boards and one portable board that is being shared by 2 teachers available. One of the wall mounted ones is installed in Tech Connect, hence available for each teacher as they rotate once a week through or on a sign up basis.

Since the beginning of the year, we have had one full day of SmartBoard Training and many one on one “Let me show you”s or “Let’s take some time some time to play together with the software and see what it can do”.

As I am learning with the teachers once incredible resource has been the Teachers Love SmartBoards blog. James Hollis shares some amazing Tricks and Tricks. Many times I read a post in my Reader and immediately am trying it out with the Notebook software. I can’t wait to get to school to fire up the  SmartBoard and try it out there too.

This past week I saw James’ screencast of some tips in working with tables in his post “SmartBoards and table objects up my sleeve“. He showed a great way to adjust the height of the rows, inserting objects in the table and then the use the cell shades can have. I decided to use this tip that same afternoon with my Tech Club kids. I created a table and inserted clipart/screenshots representing skills that they are mastering.  I then created a row for each students’ name, dragged the icon into each cell of its column and finally added a screen shade to each cell. As students are completing projects and mastering skills, they come to the SmartBoard and clik on the shade to reveal the “stamp” of completion. The list was a big success among the club kids.

I was so excited about my little table , that I showed the tip to my Kindergarten teachers. Their wheels started turning immediately and not a day later, they had created their own charts and used them with their students when tasting and sorting apples.

We have teachers come in to TechConnect in their own time and after school to learn about the SmartBoard. The majority of them have downloaded the SmartBoard Notebook software on their computers at home. They are browsing, downloading and tweaking notebook files in various degrees.

Introducing the SmartBoards have been a great success so far, exceeding expected teacher AND student involvement, engagement and interest.

by Lori Menger, Reading Teacher

Charting a New Course for the Upcoming Year

With the desire being to build on the successes, repair any damage from the storms, and set a course to assure arrival at the destination, the design team considered the successes and failures and set a new course for the 2008 school year.

First addressed was the loss of the IT position.

• Funding prohibited replacement of this position, so a part time contract position will continue to handle the technology hardware installation and upkeep.
• Requests will be made via email and the IT person will take care of after hours and provide an email back with confirmation.
• New technology was purchased: five flip cameras, four SmartBoards®, and additional projectors.

In response to computer lab scheduling and the extra time required for projects:

• the upper school, because of their rotational schedule will be scheduled weekly time in the Tech Connect lab and the lower school classes, that are self-contained and more flexible, will schedule lab time via an online calendar.
• Additional technology will remain available for check out.
• The mobile laptop cart will be charged and up and running for checkout.
• Each kindergarten class will be equipped with a projector cutting down on the time kindergarten would need to go to the Tech Connect lab.
• Integration planning with the grade level teachers, the TIF, and the drama coach will be scheduled on a bi-weekly basis, but will be available weekly by request.
• Keyboarding skills will be incorporated into the regular classroom curriculum, utilizing programs already in place.

Integrated lesson plans will be easier to track with the creation of a lesson plan template that will be used by all teachers. There will be a check box to indicate when technology and drama have been integrated in a lesson, so a total of the number of projects using integration can be obtained at the end of the school year.

A technology skills list by grade has been created as a guideline for teachers when integrating technology. Blog usage will be measured by how many hits are received on each blog, in combination with how often a blog is updated.

A grant was obtained and the TIF wrote a “How to Guide to Digital Storytelling Tools” and a copy will be given to each classroom teacher.

Professional development will continue to be a focus and will be provided by the TIFs as well as outside sources. Training will be provided for new technology such as the SmartBoards®. A minimum requirement of attending two professional development trainings will again be in place. One area of professional development that had taken a back seat to technology was that of drama. In the coming year more focus will be given to this aspect of the integration and the drama coach will provide training to the teachers on how to integrate drama, with sample lessons, examples, and techniques for students as they perform.
Final Log

In looking back at the first year of implementation of this integration plan, overall it was considered successful by the administration, faculty, teachers, and parents. Although blown off course with some unpredicted set backs, recovery occurred and the plan was put back on course. With the updates made for the upcoming school year, the journey will continue. Smooth sailing is anticipated as SJEDS moves into the second leg of this undertaking. No doubt there will be a few storms, but it is expected to continue being an amazing voyage with many new discoveries waiting to be made.

References

• Wolf, M. (2006). New research on an old problem: a brief history of fluency. Retrieved     on 7/22/08 from http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4468
• Shanahan, T. (2002). The national reading panel report: practical advice for     teachers. Retrieved 9/22/04 from http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/literacy/nationalreading.pdf
• Burnaford, G., Aprill, A., Weiss, C. & Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE)         (2001). Renaissance in the classroom arts integration and meaningful learning.
• Mahway, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
  Bloom’s taxonomy. Retrieved July 22, 2008 from http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverb.au/bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm
• Computer Supported Collaborative Learning. (No date given). Retrieved on 7/24/08 at         http://www.edb.utexas.edu/csclstudent/Dhsiao/theories.html#construct
• National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based  assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. (National Institute of Health Pub. No. 004769). Washington,  D.C.:
• National Institute of Health and Human Development.
  Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. (2006). Retrieved on July 22, 2008 from http://wilderdom.com/personality/L2-    4GardenerMultipleIntelligences.html#Overview

Note: Special thanks to the following people who graciously allowed me to interview them about the content of this paper.
Jessica Banks, Assistant Head, SJEDS
Paige McGee, TIF, SJEDS
Silvia Tolisano, TIF, SJEDS