Sneakerhead

Jack Talk Tai!

I joined the teacher talk forum called TeacherTalk.com. Nice name I know! This talk forum was very organized. The different types or ways to use the forum are really good. The types of forums on the website are: Open, School Reform, Technology, Job Opportunities, SPED, Management, and even a section for Gifted.

Grants Tomb!

Who is burried in Grants tomb anyway? The first grant I looked at was the Qwest foundation learning technology grant. This grant was awarding 10k to the best project idea. Overall it was giving away 100k! You would think that a cable company would be able to give more though! I like the idea of making the grant a competition, but I think that it draws attention away because a lot of teachers may go overboard with their proposal and then find that it may be too much to handle. Plus 10k isn't going to go as far as some people think! The second grant was of course a NIKE grant. Bet you couldn't have guessed that one! This grant actually comes from Mr. Jordan himself. It's called the Jordan Fundementals Grant. Of course you have to give money away when your that stinking rich! This grant is very basic though. Just your run of the mill qualifications, 50% poverty level, k-12 teacher in a public school. They award 10k also, but if your project requires more, they will actually consider giving you more!

Qwest Grant
Jordan Fundementals Grant

Technology goals

Sitting by those lovely overachievers gave me an idea. I decided since I am a visual person to make a powerpoint presentation. I will attach it in a minute. Hold your horses! I chose these goals mostly because I believe that I can actually achieve them and that I am not just doing an assignment to get a grade. Every one knows that a lot of technology goals depend on funding and that isn't always available. So I wish you all good luck! Here is my powerpoint!
Nevermind! I can't seem to attatch it!

So one of my goals is to get more computers for my room. I have 3 everybody else has 4 or more! Another one was to teach my kids powerpoint skills throughout the year, that way they make a kick ass presentation by the end of the year. Also of course to please the technology school gods I would like to recieve money from some sort of grant!

Articles

The first article that I read was written by a teacher that just wanted to pass along more information on how to put technology into your classroom in a meaningful way. She has some good cross curricular ideas.
Technology Article

Second article I read was about the difference between teachers who are either techniphobes or techniphiles. Techniphobes are those who are afraid to try any of the new technologies to enhance the student learning and you can probably guess what techniphile is. Yup the complete opposite. Someone who advocates to the highest degree. Very interesting. I work with a few technophobes in my building
Article 2

Webquest/Web 2.0

Well after searching the world of webquests and Web 2.0 activities I discovered one that I like. It is actually going to be the one I use to create my own webquest. I am still searching for some more noun and verb Web 2.0 activities to add to my webquest. There is so much out there already and so much is available for (it seems) every subject matter or grade level. I can't imagine the time it must have took to create all this stuff. My website takes hours, and it isn't even that good! Well here is the WEBQUEST I was talking about. It has a game called Grammar Gorillas which would be perfect for 3rd grade.
C U all sooner than you think!

For Last Month

Last month was a crazy month for me. Right before Christmas my mother had a quadruple bypass surgery. So I spent about a week in January back at home in South Dakota helping with my mother's recovery. Talk about an eye opener! Also going through my basketball season, I am finding that the team I am coaching is highly underachieving. We are so talented yet just not willing to do what it takes to win basketball games. Very very frustrating. Same goes with my class this year. It seems I just have a lazy crew that could be so much better. Yet it seems as though I am just spinning my wheels. How long before spring break again!