Edtech conferences - Handouts

If you are interested in exploring the topics being discussed at some of the big "educational technology" gatherings, or know teachers who are, here are links to the archives of two of the larger Edtech conferences held during the past year. There are tons of good presenter resources to comb through. (Handouts, papers, Powerpoints, links, etc.)

NECC2009 Handouts and Papers

http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/NECC2009/program/presenter_handouts.php

TCEA2010 Presenter Handouts

http://www.tcea.org/convention/2010/attendees/Documents/WorkshopHandouts.aspx

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Looking for Books to Read over the Summer?

DAWCL has over 8,000 records from 89 awards across six English-speaking countries (United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, and Ireland).

http://www.dawcl.com/search.asp

Children's Picture Book Database

Our database contains abstracts of over 5000 picture books for children, preschool to grade 3. Search over 900 keywords (topics, concepts, and skills) to locate books with storylines adaptable to your curriculum or program.

http://www.lib.muohio.edu/pictbks/search/

The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) is a national, not-for-profit organization founded in 1976. We are dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing, illustrating and publishing of Canadian books for young readers. Our programs, publications, and resources help teachers, librarians, booksellers and parents select the very best for young readers.

http://www.bookcentre.ca/publications/best_books_for_kids_and_teens/2009

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

We review Canadiana of interest to children and young adults, including publications produced in Canada, or published elsewhere but of special interest or significance to Canada, such as those having a Canadian writer, illustrator or subject. We review books and DVDs.

http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/index.html

Bookwire features popular category pages that readers can access to get information about bestsellers and new releases, and find titles that match their discovery interests.

http://www.bookwire.com/subjects/childrens.html

The Best Books for Young Adults committee each year selected and annotated a list of significant adult and young adult books, as well as chooses a list of top ten titles from the full list.

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/bbya

Image for eLibrary

An image we are using for the eLibrary site

Vous cherchez des titres en français?

(Places to find novel recommendations in French)

De bons sites:

http://www.communication-jeunesse.qc.ca/selection/courante/index.php

http://www.livresouverts.qc.ca/index_V3.php

http://www.superluciole.com/lire/biblio.htm

http://www.lirado.com/  pour les ados.

http://www.lirado.com/vie.htm (par genre)

Aussi:

http://www.jeunesplus.org/bibliotheque/recents.php

Libraries en ligne:

Les sites suivants offrent la possibilité de faire une recherche avancée et spécifier l'âge du lecteur.

http://www.archambault.ca/livre-ACH410501000000-fr-ct

http://www.renaud-bray.com/Livres_Jeunesse.aspx

http://www.librairiepantoute.com/categorie.asp?noCat=1

Library of Congress - Digital Kids Books

The LOC has a number of "bookish" resources to explore, including this page with some digitized classics. (Other resources are listed in the left side navigation bar.)

"Turn the pages to explore bygone eras, time-honored tales and historical narratives. Adventure awaits in these classic books online."

http://www.read.gov/books/

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Learning & Leading

L&L (Learning and Leading with Technology)  is a magazine that advocates appropriate uses of technology in K–12 and teacher education. While a subscription is needed to access all the content, there are usually half a dozen "free" articles in every issue. Some of the pieces could serve as good "discussion starters" for Pro-D days or study groups.

http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Past_Issues1.htm

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How Things Are Made

Here's a great site that explains (in great detail!) how many common household items are made. This would be an interesting site to visit as part of a "science in everyday life" strand.

http://www.madehow.com/

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Summer Reading at TD bank

Here's the snippet from the TD website:

http://www.tdbank.com/summerreading/

"It’s easy! Here’s what they need to do:

Read 10 books this summer.

Open the Summer Reading Form from this website.

Fill in the form with the names of the books they've read.

Print the form.

Take the form to your nearest TD Bank location to get $10! One $10 offer per reader."

Studying Complex Concepts such as Courage

Studying Complex Concepts such as Beauty, Truth and Courage in Depth

http://fno.org/may2010/complexity.html

"There are dozens of concepts such as beauty, courage, truth, honor and originality that are deserving of a different approach — one that deepens and extends the students' understanding so they can appreciate more fully the nuances and rich possibilities of such words. This understanding will serve them well as they ponder great works of literature as well as the challenges of their own times."

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Strategies for bringing History (Socials) to life

A Focus on History, Literacies and ICT

http://fno.org/may2010/history.html

Jamie McKenzie offers more than a dozen strategies to bring History to life. (The suggestions come after Jamie's reflections of teaching History in Australia: simply scroll down until you see the Mind Map in the article...the strategy descriptions come after the image.)

This list of strategies can be readily applied by classroom teachers. While they are not "new", it may give SS teachers some options to consider.

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Draw your own Pigeon

More "Pigeon" activities.

Use a projector or SMARTboard to show students how to draw Pigeon.

The teacher could even "demo" this for the class!

http://www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com/pigeon_drawing_instr.pdf

"Explain that their pigeon can do anything they want him to do. Then have them complete the sentence starter, the pigeon wants to ... and add details to their picture."

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Pigeon Books - SMARTboard activities

Read Elephant and Piggy and Pigeon books...then go to the web site and play the games...on your SMART board. (or LCD projector)

http://www.pigeonpresents.com/grownup.aspx

"Watch Elephant and Piggy dancing after reading "I am invited to a Party" and play the Top the Hot dog game after reading, "The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog."

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Full Day Kindergarten Resource

Here are some important links for Full Day Kindergarten.

You may wish to forward them to your FDK teachers, and/or your Admin.

BC Ministry of Ed Website

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/early_learning/fdk/

FDK program guide (PDF)

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/early_learning/fdk/pdfs/fdk_program_guide.pdf

Resources and Links

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/early_learning/fdk/professional/resources.htm

Setting the Stage for Reading (video clips)

http://www.readnowbc.ca/reading_for_families.html

Teach by grabbing your students' attention!

Teaching Content Outrageously:

How to Captivate All Students and Accelerate Learning

[LINK] Google Books preview

By Stanley Pogrow

"Drawing from a teaching model designed to banish boredom and student apathy, this book explains how dramatic practices can serve as powerful tools for enlivening lessons and captivating students, even the most resistant learners. Filled with intriguing classroom examples, Pogrow shows how any teacher can make use of dramatic techniques, such as surprise, humor, fantasy, role plays, games, and simulations to create standards-based content lessons that are riveting, effective, and meaningful. The author explains how to design such lessons into any content area."

Jesse Schell - When Games Invade Real Life - TED

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jesse_schell_when_games_invade_real_life.html

Are you interested in finding out a bit more about how the Gaming industry is making inroads into everyday life, or how some say it might be used in classrooms? Jesse Schell has some interesting things to say. "Beyond Facebook, beyond consoles and even computer screens, games are becoming the medium for everyday life."

At the DICE Summit, he makes a startling prediction: a future where 1-ups and experience points break "out of the box" and into every part of our daily lives.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jesse_schell_when_games_invade_real_life.html

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Sites offrants des e-livres gratuits en français

Some books that might be good for senior French students.

Ebooks Libres et Gratuits : www.ebooksgratuits.com

Livres pour tous : www.livrespourtous.com

Projet Gutenberg : www.gutenberg.org/browse/languages/fr

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Digital books - in French

Some book sites to explore: (digital and print)

http://www.foulire.com/

http://www.epizzod.com/

http://www.librairiepantoute.com/categorie.asp?noCat=1

http://www.archambault.ca/archambault-ACH-fr-ct

http://www.renaud-bray.com/accueil.aspx

The article below (in French) has many excellent links and interesting info about the world of digital books in the francophone world.

http://www.ecolebranchee.com/pdf/extras/decouverte_livre_numerique.pdf

21st Century Learning - Some resources to checkout

For those of you looking for some additional reading in this exciting area. (Thanks Ray)

1.  Transforming American Education:  Learning Powered by Technology

This is the draft of the American national tech plan, located at http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010  As a document, it summarizes many contemporary themes about how schools might change, and technologies role in supporting them.  This is the document about which Alec Couros said, "Don't tease me!"

2. Equipping Every Learner for the 21st Century. 

Cisco has supported several interesting papers on this and the global learning theme.  Another recommendation on this site is Leadbeater's Learning from the Extremes.

3. The MILE Guide: Milestones for Improving Learning & Education.

This is one of many documents and resources produced by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.  The Guide and its supporting materials assist educators and administrators in measuring the progress of their schools in defining, teaching and assessing 21st century skills. 

4.  Warlick, D. (2004). Redefining literacy for the 21st century. Worthington, Ohio: Linworth Pub.  Amazon details at http://amzn.to/9x6CG8  In 2009, Warlick updated the content in the book Redefining Literacy 2.0   More of his stuff is online at http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/.

5. Leadbeater, C. (2005). The shape of things to come: Personalised learning through collaboration. Nottingham: DfES Publications.

Possibly better known for his recent book, We-Think, Leadbeater produced several documents for the UK's Innovation Unit, including this one, which focuses on the benefits of highly personalised learning and the implications for networks of schools and communities. The other Innovation Unit publications are also worth a browse or two, along with other works by Valerie Hannon or John Abbott.  Related sites:  The 21st Century Learning Initiative http://www.21learn.org/site/publications

6. Mulford, B. (2008). The leadership challenge: Improving learning in schools. Australian education review, no. 53. Camberwell, Vic: ACER Press.

A gateway into much of this thinking, with a focus on implications for school leadership.

7.  Also, for Twitter users, it would be worth paying attention to George Siemens (http://twitter.com/gsiemens), Alec Couros (http://twitter.com/courosa), and the folks they follow on Twitter. 

Bayeux Tapestry sites

Animated version of the Bayeux Tapestry.

Starts about halfway through the original work at the appearence of Halley's Comet and concludes at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

http://quietube.com/v.php/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtGoBZ4D4_E&annotation_id=annotation_559561&feature=iv

Create your own version

http://www.adgame-wonderland.de/type/bayeux.php

View the entire work

http://hastings1066.com/baythumb.shtml

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Supporting Readers Who Struggle, K-4

Catching Readers Before They Fall

"Every teacher of reading plays a vital role in helping to catch those readers for whom learning to read does not come easily. If you have ever been at a loss for what to say and do when confronted with a child who struggles—this book is for you."

"http://www.stenhouse.com/shop/pc/viewprd.asp?idProduct=9201&r=sb100602b

Preview the book online!

Pat Johnson and Katie Keier  c: 2010

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