Jamming Junk Email

Are you tired of getting junk email?  Would you like to block emails you don't want to get anymore?

Check out the following Screenjelly tutorial to learn how to set a filter on your email:

http://screenjel.ly/fkEuD9xd9TU

Data Storage.... Did you back-up?

Do you back-up?  Why, of course you do!

There are two kinds of people, according to the ancient geek philosophy: those who have lost data and those who will.  Losing my external hard-drive data was painful!  I thought I had safely tucked that data away.  What I failed to understand is that no back-up plan is 100% fail-safe. 

A hard-drive crash may happen without warning. Other times the disaster will announce itself with strange whining, humming, and other ominous sounds.

Back up your files.  Then if (or when) your drive does crash, you can buy a new one but move on with your data intact.  Just make sure to save your data in more than one “box”.

Where, you ask?  There are many, many options!

            External hard-drive

Thumb Drive

Recordable CD or DVD or

Send your data to a cloud location

About 2 months ago, Darin King’s blog showcased Dropbox.

Dropbox is software that syncs your files online and across your computers.  You can even download Dropbox apps for your smartphone or mobile device (iPhone, iPad, Android, and Blackberry). Everything in your Dropbox is available from the Dropbox website, too.  Wow!  Talk about access!  Check out:  The Ultimate Dropbox Toolkit & Guide

http://web.appstorm.net/roundups/data-management-roundups/the-ultimate-dropbox-toolkit-guide/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+webappstorm+%28Web+AppStorm%29

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

It is not enough for our students to spit out facts — Today's Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders need to apply creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration skills to be successful in our global society.

What is Critical Thinking & Problem Solving?

Reason Effectively

• Use various types of reasoning as appropriate to the situation

Use Systems Thinking

• Analyze how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes in complex systems

Make Judgments and Decisions

• Effectively analyze and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs
• Analyze and evaluate major alternative points of view
• Synthesize and make connections between information and arguments
• Interpret information and draw conclusions based on the best analysis
• Reflect critically on learning experiences and processes

Solve Problems

• Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways
• Identify and ask significant questions that clarify various points of view and lead to better solutions

Why Let Our Students Blog?

Why Let Our Students Blog?

Why should students blog?

• Worldwide Audience – Students type and then share their writing with a global audience.  Taking word processing to a whole new level.
• Authentic Audience - Parents, other students, teachers, grandparents, relatives and people from all over the world.
• Engagement & Motivation – Authentic writing, providing a purpose, an audience, and real-time feedback.
• Real World Context for Teaching - Ethics, Netiquette & Digital Citizenship, Personal Protection & Internet Safety, Copyright and Academic Property, and Proper Use of Technology.
• Comments  - The ability to comment on writing provides instant feedback and is great motivation.
• Cooperation & Collaboration – Share ideas, problem solve, communicate ideas and think creatively.
• Writing Processes – Students need to develop effective writing, grammar, and spelling skills in order to communicate to their audience.  It becomes a skill they need NOW.

Are you ready to try blogging? 

 Contact your Curriculum Technology Partner today, and we can start to collaborate!   

Let’s take writing into the 21^st Century in your classroom – consider the possibilities!