Comments for Just a Thought... http://justathought.edublogs.org A space to solidify ideas and reflect on the art of teaching Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:09:53 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 Comment on Tech Corner – Wordle by Star http://justathought.edublogs.org/2009/10/26/tech-corner-wordle/comment-page-1/#comment-169 Star Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:09:53 +0000 http://justathought.edublogs.org/?p=108#comment-169 Errin, I love tech corner! I love technology, but teaching technology is always a little bit scary. Just found your blog and just started reading. Looks like I'll be here for awhile :) Errin,

I love tech corner! I love technology, but teaching technology is always a little bit scary.

Just found your blog and just started reading.

Looks like I’ll be here for awhile :)

]]> Comment on Tech Corner – Wordle by egregory http://justathought.edublogs.org/2009/10/26/tech-corner-wordle/comment-page-1/#comment-168 egregory Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:26:57 +0000 http://justathought.edublogs.org/?p=108#comment-168 I apologize to you both for the delay in responding. I'm waiting for a replacement modem and until it arrives, I can load an internet page ~2% of the time, if I'm lucky! @Claire - Good to hear from someone who's had the same thoughts! Teachers make for an intimidating audience at times, especially when they are colleagues I work with everyday! @Ken - I agree, finding easy and powerful tools is the key to convincing most teachers to use technology. Most teachers are just too busy for much more than that. And nice avatar photo! I apologize to you both for the delay in responding. I’m waiting for a replacement modem and until it arrives, I can load an internet page ~2% of the time, if I’m lucky!

@Claire – Good to hear from someone who’s had the same thoughts! Teachers make for an intimidating audience at times, especially when they are colleagues I work with everyday!

@Ken – I agree, finding easy and powerful tools is the key to convincing most teachers to use technology. Most teachers are just too busy for much more than that. And nice avatar photo!

]]> Comment on Tech Corner – Wordle by Ken http://justathought.edublogs.org/2009/10/26/tech-corner-wordle/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Ken Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:53:18 +0000 http://justathought.edublogs.org/?p=108#comment-167 I wish life was full of Wordles, but it isn't, or at least they are hard to find. And maybe that is the trick with professional development, finding tools and techniques that are both easy to do and powerful learning tools. It is up to us to find those applications that our colleagues will use. But sometimes that feels like looking for a wordle in a haystack. I wish life was full of Wordles, but it isn’t, or at least they are hard to find. And maybe that is the trick with professional development, finding tools and techniques that are both easy to do and powerful learning tools. It is up to us to find those applications that our colleagues will use. But sometimes that feels like looking for a wordle in a haystack.

]]> Comment on Tech Corner – Wordle by Claire Thompson http://justathought.edublogs.org/2009/10/26/tech-corner-wordle/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Claire Thompson Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:33:26 +0000 http://justathought.edublogs.org/?p=108#comment-166 Errin, Your question <i>"I often wonder about how Tech Corner is received. Do staff really enjoy and learn something useful from my five minute technology blitz? Or are they tuning out and marking while I talk?"</i> is a good one. When I've given Pro-D sessions I've had similar thoughts. I've been lucky enough each time I've presented to have really positive feed back from a few attendees, but you also wonder about the silent majority. So it is great that you got such overwhelming evidence that folks are paying attention and taking in what you're saying! I don't know what your other 'Tech Corners' have been about, but Wordle definitely has appeal. I think that a very large percentage of teachers can look at Wordle and see how they could use it with their students. The fact that it is so quick and easy to use is also a great help. Hopefully it is a 'gateway' application that gets people trying out more involved applications. Cheers! Claire Errin,
Your question “I often wonder about how Tech Corner is received. Do staff really enjoy and learn something useful from my five minute technology blitz? Or are they tuning out and marking while I talk?” is a good one. When I’ve given Pro-D sessions I’ve had similar thoughts. I’ve been lucky enough each time I’ve presented to have really positive feed back from a few attendees, but you also wonder about the silent majority. So it is great that you got such overwhelming evidence that folks are paying attention and taking in what you’re saying! I don’t know what your other ‘Tech Corners’ have been about, but Wordle definitely has appeal. I think that a very large percentage of teachers can look at Wordle and see how they could use it with their students. The fact that it is so quick and easy to use is also a great help. Hopefully it is a ‘gateway’ application that gets people trying out more involved applications.
Cheers!
Claire

]]> Comment on So Many Web 2.0 Choices… by Tech Corner – Wordle | Just a Thought... http://justathought.edublogs.org/2009/01/24/too-many-web-20-choices/comment-page-1/#comment-165 Tech Corner – Wordle | Just a Thought... Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:09:50 +0000 http://justathought.edublogs.org/?p=22#comment-165 [...] last Tech Corner focused on Wordle.  I’ve used Wordle in my blog posts before, but after seeing it used at the local elementary school I decided to share it with [...] [...] last Tech Corner focused on Wordle.  I’ve used Wordle in my blog posts before, but after seeing it used at the local elementary school I decided to share it with [...]

]]> Comment on A More Permanent Blogroll by egregory http://justathought.edublogs.org/2009/09/18/my-blogroll/comment-page-1/#comment-164 egregory Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:53:44 +0000 http://justathought.edublogs.org/?p=95#comment-164 Hi Lesley, Thanks for that! What a great resource! Your staff must love having you as a colleague. There's enough on that list to keep anyone busy with self-directed learning for months! Hi Lesley,
Thanks for that! What a great resource! Your staff must love having you as a colleague. There’s enough on that list to keep anyone busy with self-directed learning for months!

]]> Comment on A More Permanent Blogroll by Lesley Edwards http://justathought.edublogs.org/2009/09/18/my-blogroll/comment-page-1/#comment-163 Lesley Edwards Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:32:59 +0000 http://justathought.edublogs.org/?p=95#comment-163 Earlier this year I put together a page of suggested blogs for teachers in my district. You might find some interesting ones there: http://seycovelibrary.wikispaces.com/Staff+Stuff Earlier this year I put together a page of suggested blogs for teachers in my district. You might find some interesting ones there: http://seycovelibrary.wikispaces.com/Staff+Stuff

]]> Comment on Professional Development Meme 2009 by Virginia Rego http://justathought.edublogs.org/2009/07/03/professional-development-meme-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-162 Virginia Rego Sun, 20 Sep 2009 02:09:51 +0000 http://justathought.edublogs.org/?p=62#comment-162 Anyway who says summer is too long needs to read your learning plan and realize that summer is too short! I have an image of you hurtling to end of the school year eager to pursure your goals, then launching into Sept fully re-energized. Your students are fortunate to have you a model of passionate lifelong learning and a curious, questionning nature. Thought you might enjoy listening to this interview with another inspiring teacher, although of a very different style! http://archives.cbc.ca/arts_entertainment/literature/clips/16985/ Anyway who says summer is too long needs to read your learning plan and realize that summer is too short! I have an image of you hurtling to end of the school year eager to pursure your goals, then launching into Sept fully re-energized. Your students are fortunate to have you a model of passionate lifelong learning and a curious, questionning nature.
Thought you might enjoy listening to this interview with another inspiring teacher, although of a very different style!

http://archives.cbc.ca/arts_entertainment/literature/clips/16985/

]]> Comment on Blogs I Read by egregory http://justathought.edublogs.org/blogs-i-read/comment-page-1/#comment-161 egregory Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:06:26 +0000 http://justathought.edublogs.org/?page_id=21#comment-161 Hi Claire, I actually didn't use Google Reader to generate the list. I forgot that you could do that! And I'd forgotten about Practical Theory - that was one of the blogs I lost in my old RSS list. Thanks x2! Hi Claire,
I actually didn’t use Google Reader to generate the list. I forgot that you could do that! And I’d forgotten about Practical Theory – that was one of the blogs I lost in my old RSS list. Thanks x2!

]]> Comment on Blogs I Read by Claire Thompson http://justathought.edublogs.org/blogs-i-read/comment-page-1/#comment-160 Claire Thompson Sat, 19 Sep 2009 04:16:57 +0000 http://justathought.edublogs.org/?page_id=21#comment-160 Hmm, just re-read your post and realized that you DID use Google Reader to generate this blog roll--my misread. Just ignore my 'helpful' advice above ;-) Hmm, just re-read your post and realized that you DID use Google Reader to generate this blog roll–my misread. Just ignore my ‘helpful’ advice above ;-)

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