I am pleased with the progress and results of the Google Apps Education implementation for the Wired classes.  There has been a lot of lessons learned on the scope of use in the classroom — and time for reflection, changes, and improvements will come after semester ends.  Four classes were set up on the Google Apps domain, with student email addresses and access to Google Docs, Google Sites, and all the Wired resources on the Virtual Campus site.  You are welcome to view the final product on the Wired Classroom site.  Just send an email for the password: MyraG (at) shsfalcons (dot) com.

Students have been using Google Docs for reflections, sharing work with project teams, and sharing work with their teacher.  They have produced presentations for career exploration projects and group/individual Google sites for their exploration of Digital Citizenship topics.  I’ll share a sampling of those projects at the end of the semester.  The final project will be to pull all their work together on an eFolio — they will use a Google Site to feature their work from Wired, and other classes in 2008-09, on the online document.  Their reflections for the semester, career presentation, and a link to their Digital Citizenship project will be linked or embedded in their eFolio.  They will be able to personalize their site (hopefully using all the tools they learned in their digital safety research) to make it their own and, optimally, use as a repository for their best work during high school.

Google Apps Education was piloted with the 9th-grade Wired classes, but we are planning on opening up the framework to any teacher wishing to use the collaborative environment.  But, oh, there is still so much to learn and all kinds of applications yet to be discovered.  Anyone have any time to loan?

I look forward to CyberCamp 2009 (is that on the calendar?).  The time to work, network and learn with other CyberCampers, and the mentoring from Bud and Jerry was so valuable.

I’m currently working on my first podcasting project with my 5th graders. They are researching famous scientists/inventors. I will be posting these to my new Fall River Technology blog (publicly opened last week and still in the baby stage). I will be presenting them in true podcast form ~ available for subscription in RSS format~ coming soon!

I am also currently using Twitter with a third grade class as a communication tool with parents. 

Oh and by the way…I now use a Delicious account with all my students 1st ~ 5th. Check it out. 

Also, I am working on having 3rd, 4th, 5th graders develop personal websites (unpublished due to personal information and safety issues). Students will use iWeb to do this. They are going to be including projects they complete throughout the year.

I will be sharing all of this new information at a parent meeting on Monday. 

All of this would not have been possible with out Cyber Camp! You guys ROCK! I hope all is going well with each of you. I am excited to hear everything that is going on.

Hey Bud & Jerry, I will see you Monday, but feel free to stop by any time and see what we are doing! I’m looking forward to visiting with you about next steps.

I’m currently working on my first podcasting project with my 5th graders. They are researching famous scientists/inventors. I will be posting these to my new Fall River Technology blog (publicly opened last week and still in the baby stage). I will be presenting them in true podcast form ~ available for subscription in RSS format~ coming soon!

I am also currently using Twitter with a third grade class as a communication tool with parents. 

Oh and by the way…I now use a Delicious account with all my students 1st ~ 5th. Check it out. 

Also, I am working on having 3rd, 4th, 5th graders develop personal websites (unpublished due to personal information and safety issues). Students will use iWeb to do this. They are going to be including projects they complete throughout the year.

I will be sharing all of this new information at a parent meeting on Monday. 

All of this would not have been possible with out Cyber Camp! You guys ROCK! I hope all is going well with each of you. I am excited to hear everything that is going on.

Hey Bud & Jerry, I will see you Monday, but feel free to stop by any time and see what we are doing! I’m 

Thanks to all for the laughs, the incredible ideas, and the sharing of tools and discoveries.  What a wealth of learning and inspiration was always percolating in that room.  Thanks to Bud and Jerry for all the time spent outside of class time, sharing their expertise, and the well-run camp activities.  We learned a lot just from watching the use of all the tools in the background.

 Have a great summer, campers.

So what does the real world hold for us?  It is hard and scary and inevitable, change is going to knock us around a bit.  There is no cruising time through our lives.  But maybe as campers we go back to the real world better equipped to brave the rough seas?  Maybe we have earned more than badges, maybe we have earned a better sense of how our teaching grows and sails on stormy seas.  Best of luck fellow campers!

And just in case I got too deep and blah for you… go to this site for some cyber fun… Jerry wanted me to post it…. total time waster.

I don’t think I have ever been on the computer this much in my whole life.  I am working on plans for what happens after day one of school.  What next?  I had a little bit of a panic thinking that I have to get all my stuff mobile and operating for the next school year, and my home dial up is slower than Britney Spears’ comeback.

gah…

Last night I had an amazing discovery. After doing my reading, I found a site by David Fagg about podcasting. It is a wonderful site to visit if you are starting podcasting. David has broken down the process into simple steps. I wish I had found this earlier.

I’m working on some iLife software (iMovie and Garage Band) as tools for creating the podcasts. Still getting there.

Hoping to continue with my good Karma today!

I am behind in reading, but still soaking it all up, learning so much from presentations, and thanks Dennis, that was good advice.

Any advice on how students should pick a user name in Gmail?  I heard bits and pieces yesterday, I’d like to get my students signed up this fall.