This year I am moving my Tech Page to Blogger. After testing it last year, I am finding that it is easier to use and more reliable then Edublogs. I will keep this page up for until we are all use to going to the new address and have it saved as a link.
The new address is http://rirvin.blogspot.com/ . Go there to see updated posts.
Hi Oak Ridge! I am looking forward to getting back to work with all of you in the lab. I thought we could start school here.
What exciting things happened over the summer? What special place did you visit? What fun things did you do with your family?
Think about one thing from your summer that you could write about for me. Think about how you can show me your story with words. That means you are describing it so I can see your story in my mind. Try to think of just one small moment or happening and stay focused. Don’t give me a “breakfast to bed” story.
Your small moment could turn out to be a great topic for a podcast or photo story. Think about how you could publish your story beyond just paper and pencil!
I can’t wait to read your great writing!
Here is another lesson in blogging, reflecting and sharing feelings even when it’s difficult. After the Flyers’ loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, I have spent time thinking about how to react to the season. So here is my reaction:
Last year the Flyers ended their season in last place, that’s 30th out of 30 teams in the NHL. The 2007-2008 hockey season was a sad one. Not only did the Flyers finish last, but Lord Stanley’s Cup went to the Anaheim Ducks! Ducks, really?? OK, I’m over that now, but the season had very few glimmers of hope for the Flyers. However, when we began this past season, there was speed, tighter passing and stronger goal tending. With that said, there was no thought in my mind of getting to the playoffs or being strong contenders. This was a year to build and grow. Never did I, or anyone else possibly, imagine that we would make it to final four, let alone 6th place in the Eastern Conference. I was thinking, “If we can just win a few more games than last year.”
So, can I be angry or upset that the team that my team who flopped last year, would lose in the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, no way. I look at how we got there and am amazed. First of all, we finished 6th in the Eastern Conference after having a bit of a losing streak, OK, a HUGE losing streak in February. But with fight and vigor, this team got us into the playoffs. Then we had to face the Washington Capitals, who finished 3rd, followed by the Montreal Canadiens, who finished first. Yes, first. We defeated the 3rd place team and the 1st place team in the Eastern Conference. The team that stopped us, finished 2nd. Amazing.
My final reflection is this: We have a young team, with many tenacious players. If they were able to get this far this year, where will they go next year. Hopefully, Holmgren will keep Carter and Prospal, as they become free agents this summer. Hopefully we can enter next season with the same tenacity and speed that we had during the end of this season.
I am taking a moment to step away from the lab and talk about the Flyers. I know there are many Flyers fans here at school, so I thought I would show you how to use a blog in a different way: to talk and share your opinion about something you love!
The Flyers are a few days away from the Eastern Conference Championship Series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The last two series they played against the Washington Capitals and the Montreal Canadiens were breathtaking. It was exhilarating to watch the Flyers play with tenacity and resiliency. There were times we all had to hold our breath and hope they could pull off a win, which most times they did. For the first time in 4 years, they are getting closer to the cup. After last year’s awful dive to last place in the league, it feels pretty good to see the boys in orange and black knocking out their opponents.
Now the Flyers face Crosby, Malkin, and Hossa, three high-level, skilled players, whom I believe will give us a good series. Last year we lost every game we played against the Pens. This year, with team rebuilding and direction from coach John Stevens, we won 5 of 8. Bring on the Pens. If ever our Philadelphia Flyers were ready, it’s now.
Marty Biron is at the top of his game. R.J. Umberger is finding the back of the net game after game. Prospal and Briere are connecting and making plays. I could go on and on about many more of our players. We don’t just have three stars on our team (as the Pens do), we have depth on each line that hits the ice.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming series?
Let’s go Flyers!
The kindergartners and first graders have been working on two websites to enhance their reading skills. The first site is called Childtopia.com (I found this site through my learning network on Twitter.) Childtopia was created in Barcalona, Spain. The website was then translated to English. Some of the translations are a little awkward, but overall it is a great site for reading skills. There are games other than just reading too! You can play memory games, observation games and math games, just to name a few.
The other site is called Roy the Zebra. (Also found in my learning network of Twitterers.) This site focuses completely on reading skills. There are stories to read about Roy and his adventures with Lucy, George and Wellington. There are games to play that involve understanding sentence structure, word building and alphabetical order. This site comes to us from England. There are a few differences in words, for example: at the end of a sentence they put a full stop instead of a period. But the site overall offers excellent reading strategy games.
Over the past few weeks, I have been doing a lot of reading on the internet and talking with other teachers around the world about technology. It is truly amazing how much information is out there on the internet! Much of what I have been reading centers around Web 2.0 and all it has to offer. I have been using a lot of Web 2.0 tools like diigo, Google Docs, and Skype. Maybe you have been using Web 2.0 tools too!
So here are a few questions for you: Do you know what Web 2.0 means? Do you know what Web 2.0 tools are? Are you using Web 2.0 tools outside of the school day? If so, what ones?
Talk to mom and dad. Ask them if you may add a comment here to tell me what you know or ask me questions. I am not giving you a lot of information because I really want to know what you know about this topic. If you are going to research Web 2.0, remember to use a kid safe search like OneKey.
Parents, we are all concerned about the safety of our children online. With that said, we also know all the great resources out on the web that benefit our students’ learning. So how do we make utilizing the Internet, safe for our children? It’s a question schools wrestle with on a regular basis. In my search for resources to help children understand the risks and how to keep themselves safe, I found some great resources that I wanted to pass along to you.
SafeKids.com- This link takes you to Google’s SafeKids site. There are resources for you and your family in making good Internet usage decisions. You can also do a kid safe search by clicking on the SafeKids logo.
Be Web Aware- Lots of great resources await you to help your children with Internet safety. Among the topics you can check out: Kid-friendly sites, Safety Tips by Age, and Cyber Bullying.
Chat Word Dictionary- One of my favorites! Keep up with all the Chat Lingo! If your children are IMing, then you might see a different language in their chats. Learn what BRB, ni and jam mean. Click on a letter and see a listing of all the chat lingos that start with that letter.
iKeepSafe.com - Meet Faux Paw, a feline friend that helps teach children about the good and the bad on the Internet. There are games, downloads, books and videos to watch, that teach about Internet safety.
OnGuard Online - This site has lots of parent resources for online safety. There are videos to assist you with Internet safety, along with information on security, spam filtering and wireless security.
I hope that you find these resources useful. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if any of the links are down.
Second graders have been working very hard on getting Owlcasts ready for our school website. Slowly but surely they are getting posted! Check them out and let me know what you think! Way to go second grade!!!
Mrs. Moyer’s class has been recording their Readers’ Theater Plays since the beginning of school. There is one story posted, so far, called “Where is Cub?” I hope you enjoy listening!
It is the day after Christmas and I am thinking about all the generous things friends and family have done for me. The beautiful gifts, the time spent together and laughs we shared.
I am also amazed at the generosity of the students and families at Oak Ridge. Being new to the building, I wasn’t sure what the holidays would look like at school. However, after the last week of school, before the holiday break, I was inspired. The teachers were busy creating wonderful memories for their students and each other. I saw an amazing abundance of gifts and food being prepared for families in need this year. Students came to the lab with thoughtful gifts and cards written with kind sentiments. Parents stopped by and welcomed me with generous compliments and holiday greetings. Having only been at Oak Ridge for 4 months, I was overwhelmed with the generosity and kindness shown to everyone who enters it’s doors. It is an amazing place to go and work everyday.
So, my questions to you: How have you (been) shown generosity this Christmas? Maybe it was a kind word or a special note or a thoughtful gift. Whatever it was, I’d love to hear how your generosity or the generosity of others has made a difference in your holiday!
It is amazing to see how technology can be used in a positive way. To see students here at school learning new concepts, practicing skills and sharing their ideas with each other is wonderful.
Recently, I read about Laura ,on a collegue’s blog. Laura is a 10 year old girl, who started a blog on December 1st, to keep track of all the things she could do to make a difference in the world around her. She shares about her grandfather who inspired her to start making a difference. I found it absolutely amazing that this young girl was able to tell her story of wanting to make a difference to so many people using technology that is readily available. Take some time and read about what she is doing. I hope it will inspire you to make a difference in your world too!
