Current Understanding: Blogs

Blogs have been around for sometime now and you’ve likely read one or two, intentionally or not.  For this blog activity, please add a comment that relays your current understanding of blogging.

After you’ve added your comment, please refresh your browser a over the next few minutes to reveal other participants responses.

Learning from Layering – GIS

We had an energetic group that was eager to learn and work with all the tools available through Geographic Information Systems (GIS).  We challenge you to find a curriculum area that cannot benefit from GIS in some way.

This class provided a brief overview of two free GIS tools, ArcExplorer and Google Earth.  Each has very powerful tools that engage students (and teachers) in learning and real world problem solving.  

As always, we appreciate the feedback out class participants can provide. Please take some time to respond to the following prompts through the comments feature in this blog post. Click comments below to add your feedback.

• Share with us at least one thing you learned as a result of this class.
• How can the instructors improve this class for future participants?
• Share with us one way that you might start using GIS in your classroom.

Extra! Extra! Get Your Portfolios Here

Understanding the value of portfolios is one thing, going about creating one is what it's all about…

Creating a portfolio for your professional work or to document and archive student work is a valuable skill. In this class you learned how to use one tool, Microsoft FrontPage, to create a "webbed" portfolio folder, create pages, a template to work from, as well as how to organize and hyperlink images, documents and pages within the portfolio.

Please add your feedback to the prompts below in the comments section (click on Comments).

- Share with us at least one thing you learned as a result of this class.
- How can the instructors improve this class for future participants?
- Share with us one way that you plan on using portfolios in your classroom.

GPS:Out of this World Technology

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has a wide variety of uses other than determining a location. During the GPS: Bringing the Classroom Outdoors class you learned the basics of how the GPS works, how to navigate using a GPS receiver and, hopefully, found a few geocaches along the way.

Resources
There is a great amount of information regarding the uses of GPS and a growing amount for use in education. You can access many online resources through my online bookmarks on GPS. If you would like to search for other like-minded GPS users check out the Groundspeak forums.

If you did not pick up a handout after the class (don't worry, be happy) you can access it at our wiki page on GPS.

Feedback
To complete this course, please complete our feedback form by clicking the link for comments below and replying to the following prompts:

• Describe an important concept or skill that you acquired as a result of the GPS: Bringing the Classroom Outdoors class.
• List and explain curriculur connections that you may see for in your content area – or – describe how you plan to use GPS in your class/school.
• Describe what the instructor could have done better to help you understand or learn more about GPS.

To submit your feedback fill out the Leave your comment section, Choose an identity (if you have a Blogger account you can use that, if not, type your name or choose anonymous) , enter the Word Verification (the funky letters that show up), then click the Login and publish button.

Get Your Hands-On Learning

From calculators to GPS units to mobile phones to mp3 players, handheld devices are all around us. So it's something when you realize that a handheld computer (a.k.a. – personal digital assistant) can perform many of the functions of these devices, and more!

In class we explored different types of handheld computers and peripherals that are available for use in education. We also discussed how handhelds can increase the 1:1 computer to student ratio, how handhelds can help create a collaborative learning environment and providing opportunities for mobile learning. There are numerous more reasons for using handheld computers for learning.

We also worked with the basic applications available on the Palm OS and some popular applications by GoKnow, Inc. that are being used in classrooms that have handhelds already.

As always we appreciate the feedback out class participants can provide. Please take some time to respond to the following prompts through the comments feature in this blog post. Click comments below to add your feedback.

• Share with us at least one thing you learned as a result of this class.

• How can the instructors improve this class for future participants?

• Share with us one way that you might start using handhelds in your classroom.

If you are curious about how to include handheld computers in your classroom, watch this video about handhelds in a fifth grade classroom. You can access more resources about using handhelds in education at the Model Schools Wiki.