Crazy Life

I just decided to look at my neglected blog for the first time in a long time and feel like I have lost touch with this medium. It's an indication of just how quickly things can change and replace things. I find myself tweeting or texting instead of sitting down and making complete thoughts come out of my keyboard. In fact, not only are complete thoughts coming out right now, but complete sentences and words are being written. I know I pen a completely different language when using mobile devices like my ipad or iphone but that's just the way we communicate now. Right?

The reason I actually visited my blog today was because my principal wants to start a blog for his school webpage :) He decided to choose one that I don't use often so I need to sharpen my skills back in the blogesphere. How different can blog applications be?

Well, it turns out they are somewhat similar but it's like trying to find the button you know exists on your Chevy, somewhere on your new Ford. Patience is the name of the game:)


It's a crazy life, with lots of things vying for your time, but finding time for actually writing out thoughts isn't such a bad thing! Maybe I'll come back here after I remember and learn where all the OLD and NEW buttons are!

Getting Ready for Tech Camp 2011!

Getting ready for Tech Camp 2011 on August 9, 10, 11th!

In Honor of all the Grads out there! This Video is AWESOME by Flocabulary!

The Last 18 Years in Rap 1993-2011 from Flocabulary on Vimeo.

TECH CAMP 2010!

Welcome to Tech Camp 2010! This week has been a wonderful time to: Communicate, Collaborate, Captivate and Make the Connection.

Hope your enjoying your Tech Camp experience!

Today we are learning to Blog...

Here's how to create a Blog.
How to create a Blog

Here are some great examples:
Technology Blogs

ETEP 2 Day Run!

Had a great 2 day run with the new ETEPS from USM! I have to say it's refreshing to teach people that are willing to absorb new material. 21st Century strategies are more intuitive to the new generation of teachers because of the skill set they possess and I saw that today.

One of my concern's is the frustration level one may encounter on an educational network. Most people experience a very fast connection at home. A school network is a totally different experience. I would recommend teachers make a plan B. If your lesson completely depends on the internet, print out your internet pages for each student to view, or take a screen shot of each page so you can talk your way through it on an LCD projector.

I have experienced the net connection completely down while presenting at a State Conference and THANKFULLY was prepared to deal with the situation by printing the material in an outline form and providing the link for later access.

Just like the Boy Scouts of America, your motto should be .... "Be Prepared." Plan B is Vital!

Great fun with the ETEPS. They are a coooooooooool bunch of FOLKS!

Links to remember:
tdawson.wikispaces.com
terridawson.blogspot.com

Catch me on Twitter as tofer8, and if you would like to connect your classroom with another classroom, please connect me! We are willing and ABLE through SKYPE!

Good luck in all your endeavors!

TECH ON!

Let it snow~
‹(•¿•)›
………\\
…………..//____,

Did you know? 4.0

New Fall 2009 Video Did you know video. Presented by The Globalclassroom.
Click on the Title....DID YOU KNOW? 4.0

Just for fun!

Great way to start off Summer vacation! Sweet Georgia Brown:)

Animusic.com Videos!

Have to go to this site and check out the HD videos!

Computer generated Music for the future.

Google squared is alive and fun!

http://www.google.com/squared

Update: For an apparent Easter Egg, try entering magpie team. So perhaps “Magpie” was the codename for Google Squared, and these are the creators, as you’ll see names like Tony Aiuto, Randy Brown, Daniel Dulitz along with descriptions, thanks, and favorite queries.

[Thanks John Hartley!]

This is a repost from:Wesley Fryer on isafety.

Set up a free web filtering system....

The entire process of setting up OpenDNS content filtering on my in-laws network this afternoon took less than ten minutes to complete. Our steps were:

1. I used the OpenDNS website to set the DNS numbers for their network router/WiFi access point to use OpenDNS numbers. The router then had to be restarted. (By putting these settings on the router, then their computers as well as any laptops/wireless devices we bring over to the house automatically have the same content filtering protection.)
2. We created a free OpenDNS account for my in-laws. We selected the types of content to filter. There are LOTS of choices, and we didn’t want to get carried away, but we did want basic protection. We selected the lowest level of filtering which protects against phishing attacks, and added filtering for pornography, nudity, and “tasteless” websites.
3. We waited three minutes for the settings to propagate to the OpenDNS nameservers.

Try it!

Twitter Mosaic

Get your twitter mosaic here.

SMAA Presentation info

Here you will find many resources to access regarding online Safety and Facebook.

Teens Suspended for Taunting Teacher on Facebook.


All things Facebook... this is a great site that offers Video Tutorials about Facebook.

The wave of books on the net...

Check out this ebook! Great reading.....

Teaching with Facebook

Facebook for Educators from Inigral Inc. on Vimeo.

Grown up Digital

What's your position?

Digizens

This is my digizen. In a perfect world ;)
This website is a great place to start conversations with Students about netiquette being a responsible digizen.
http://www.digizen.org/

Trying New Things

This is a way to teach digital citizenship to our kids using social networking in the classroom.
Facebook

I Pledge

I Pledge! Great Video. What's your Pledge for a change?

Go to ipledgegorham.wikispaces.com and make your Pledge!

Inauguration Festivities

There is a lot going on over the next few days, and this website sums up the festivities nicely and offers teacher resources to engage students in the process.
http://mkrill.edublogs.org/2009/01/09/inaugural-resources/
Watch the site as it updates regularly....

Important festivities
January 18
Time Event
7:00 PM We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial: A public celebration, free to the public.

Musical performers scheduled for the event include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington. The Rt. Reverend V. Gene Robinson will give the invocation. Rob Mathes will be the music director and arranger for the backing band, which will support all of the artists. Additional performers will be announced as they are confirmed.

The event will be broadcast on HBO to all cable and satellite subscriber as an open feed -- you do not need to subscribe to HBO to watch this special event. It will be broadcats live at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm ET/PT.


January 20 — Inauguration Day
Time Event

10:00 AM Preliminary festivities begin, including music by The United States Marine Band, The San Francisco Boys Chorus, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.
11:30 AM If you have tickets to event, you must have passed through security by this time.

* Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
* Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
* Aretha Franklin will sing
* Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office
* Music composed by John Williams and performed by Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill.

12:00 Noon As specified by the U.S. Constitution (20th Amendment), presidential terms of office begin and end at 12:00 noon on January 20. Barack Obama will take the oath of office, which is this simple, 36-word, statement:

I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

12:05 PM (approx) President Barack Obama will give his inaugural address, speaking to the nation and world, for the first time, as President of the United States, followed by:

* Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
* Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
* The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"

1:00 PM (approx) Inaugural Luncheon. For details on the menu and invited guests, see the news release.
2:00 PM (approx)

Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.