Using ThingLink instead of email

Now we can use ThingLink instead of email accounts for children under 13. The teacher can register and list the students under the teacher account. The system works the same with email but without any of the social problems that come with traditional email. Free Tech 4 Teachers blog site by Richard Byrne describes the interactive site that can offer the teacher monitoring. In order to register it is important that you register as a teacher and use ThingLink.edu.
 Here is the slide presentation that Richard Byrne has developed to walk you through the process of forming email with Thinglink.edu. This site is also useful in making interactive pictures and charts with adding video and audio to the pictures from piccollage and picmonkey for tablet use.


References:

Byrne, R. (2014) Using thinglink instead of email. Retrieved from:  http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2014/06/thinglink-edu-your-students-can-use.html#.U6mSWbEvByW

How Taking MOOC's Can Land You A Job

How taking MOOC's can land you a job

    How taking MOOC's can land you a job caught my interest when I viewed T. Falk's blog at Smart Planet. This was particularly interesting to me since I recently learned what a MOOC was.Smart planet blog bulletin shows how taking MOOCs( Massive Open Online Courses) which have been available to the public world wide since 2012 can land you a job.  The MOOC's are courses  usually offered by world renown universities such as Yale and Harvard for free. Yes, free! The catch is you do not receive college credit. These courses are at no obligation and do not require registration.
    In addition, some employers like AT&T are  looking for prospective employees through  the development of a  Nanodegree that is earned in 12 months with it being $200.00 per month or $2,400.00 total. AT&T seeks this method so the material learned applies to the job scope. Tyler Falk continues to note that the nanodegree is heading toward the future in education.  Companies can obtain the trained intern from the nanodegree with out having to invest in the training.



Reference
Falk, T. (2014) How a mooc could get you a job. Retrieved from:
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/how-a-mooc-could-get-you-a-job/

Review of Blog: The power of the lurker

   In the review of Blog: The power of the lurker is not a horror blog with the concern of someone watching you. Lurking is an anonymous viewing of a blog with potential for information and incite. I can not count the times that I have read a blog to gain an others perspective on a topic or problem. I may not have commented on the blog or shared the same ideals but I gained information to continue my search that would have taken more time than I have. The article by Web20Classroom Blog comments much of what I had already been thinking.  People read for information but not always for socialization.
    What we say in our own blogs is our personal opinion not a research project but the website locations that we insert brings the reader to the material faster so they can add to their knowledge sources. I have connected to a variety of subjects through blogs with first starting using the coupon saving blog sites in 2007. I saved my family a lot of money using their tips and gaining access to the coupon sites.  Why not use this in every avenue of my professional life? Teach with a blog. Use this to share outcomes of new theories. We are foolish if we always wait for the researchers information which can take years when we are part of the research ourselves. Sharing what works, our failures and success with those that remain anonymous or lurkers benefits all teaching.  As the article states "happy lurking."


 Reference
Web 2.0 Classroom Blog, Blog: The power of the lurker Retrieved from Teachhub.com http://www.teachhub.com/power-lurker

Student engagement: parents preventing summer slide on a budget

       As a frugal parent I found this article from Edutopia quite refreshing.  Student engagement: Parents preventing the summer slide on a budget by Heather Wolpert-Gawron. The budget friendly ideas of utilizing the skills that the student learned through out the school year could be expanded during the summer break. Preventing summer slide does not need to be expensive.  Plan a trip with several visits to the library gathering information.  Not only will the student gain from reading but the planning of the trip related to the research encourages complex thinking.
       The more involved the student is in the early stages of planning the more input they will give. Investigate sites of interest. Look in your community for great deals on museum, zoos and historical landmarks. Trips to museums or historical sites usually are low cost.  Create travel games utilizing the material found for trips like homemade trivial pursuit using information that you gathered in the trip planning. It's a great  travel award for the coveted front seat. By using these frugal suggestions, students can have a growing summer with a short slide to fall. Enjoy your family time this summer.



Reference

Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2014). Preventing summer slide on a budget. Retrieved from:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/parents-preventing-summer-slide-on-budget-heather-wolpert-gawron