RSS Reflection Take 2

Home Page

Everyday I come home from school and check the same websites: The Leaf Chronicle (our local newspaper), Click on Detroit (so I can see what it going on back home), Fox News (to make sure I am up to date with the worldly news) and of course, People (to make sure I am up to date on my celebrity news!) But now- with my amazing netvibes site- I can go to only ONE website rather than 5! But my netvibes site is not only for my entertainment, it is also for learning.

MAET Sites

When I first set up my site I added the 5 required sites and 8 sites of my own. My task was to follow the sites I chose to add and observe the changes. However, I after days and days of checking my chosen sites, I realized that some of them have not been updated in years! Therefore, I set out to add more sites which are updated on a more consistent basis.

After constant monitoring I found myself taking a liking towards certain sites. One site is Free Technology for Teachers.  There is just a wealth of information on this site.  One post contained a video from ESPN that "demonstrates the roles of angles, velocity, and rotation in making a three point shot in basketball." While this video may not get everyone's attention, it sure is a lot more fun to watch! This sites contains tons of video clips and various websites to use as resources.  Also, the sites is updated almost daily, which makes following it fun and interesting.  

Free Technology For Teachers

Another site I enjoy is A Year of Reading.  There are a ton of wonderful book ideas for the teacher to enjoy and learn from as well as to read in a classroom and share with students.  I really enjoyed the post, "What to Read Aloud Next?" I am always looking for great read aloud ideas that will keep the student's attention.  I also enjoy the site as it seems to be geared toward upper elementary.

The Scholastic website Classroom Solutions offers a variety of information.  I enjoy this site because it seems to range from kindergarten all the way to middle school.  I have always liked Scholastic, so I was quite excited when I came across this site.  I like how the site offers ideas and activities for current events and holidays that involve strategies such as comparing and contrasting and cooperative groups.  This site does not stop there though, it covers everything from how to organize your classroom efficiently to drug and alcohol abuse in schools to how to celebrate the Chinese New Year.  Not all of the sites have to do with technology, but the ideas are marvelous nonetheless.  I love checking daily to see what the new post is about.

Finally, the last blog I am going to talk about is the Langwitches Blog.  The only thing that bothers me about this blog is that it is not updated on a regular basis.  Sometimes new information will be posted two days in a row and then nothing for 2 weeks.  But, this site does contain good information, so it is worth the wait.  One of the most recent posts is about quality comments classroom blogs.  I loved this idea, especially since my SIG group is focusing on digital storytelling.  What a wonderful way to share an idea- make a how-to video and post it on a blog- students would love that! The website also contains a cute video clip about the copyright laws and why things are the way they are.  I thought this was a cute video to help the older students understand.  The video is bits and pieces of fairy-tales and Disney movies taken out of context to explain the copyright laws.  My only complaint is that it is on YouTube and our school has blocked that site, therefore, I cannot share this awesome video with my coworkers or my students.  Take a look at the video: A Fair(y) Use Tale.

Everyday I am learning more and more about technology and the teaching field.  It is amazing how much there is to learn.  It just goes to show that a teacher is just a grown-up student.