Instructional Technology Specialist at Abbot School (Grades 3-5) in Westford, Massachusetts
Homepage: http://as.westfordk12.us
As someone who leads professional development workshops and classes, I know first hand how hard it is to coordinate a place and a time that meets everyone’s schedules. I don’t usually like to admit defeat, but it seems to be IMPOSSIBLE these days. Therefore, I am extremely grateful that more and more people are archiving [...]
I subscribe to a parenting website and receive weekly email alerts about developmental milestones and topics relevant to my child’s age. Recently, I read a post: Your 3 3/4-year-old: Computer Ready? Perhaps, it’s my profession, or better yet, maybe, it’s my experiences and the topics presented during #ETMOOC that had me scratching my head and [...]
Tellagami came across my radar again last week. And the timing was right. I had a few minutes to download the app on our iPod Touches and within a minute I had created an avatar that appeared to be standing in Abbot School computer lab, dealing with printing issues. (Check him out here.) OK- not [...]
Three years ago, I wrote my first post about Twitter. If you are looking for a way to keep parents informed in bite-sized portions, Twitter may be a good solution for you as it can integrate nicely into a parent’s handheld lifestyle. Likewise, Twitter can help students make connections in their learning. Once again, I [...]
A few months ago, I suggested the idea of using the Scan app on our iPod Touches in a post about QR Codes. In the spirit of sharing and being open, let me tell you what transpired with a QR Code Scavenger Hunt experience in a grade 5 classroom. First of all, I will be [...]
At the beginning of the school year, a teacher expressed to me that she had heard a very inspirational song and would love to have her class do something with it. Maybe, it could be used in a slideshow or some kind of presentation at a school assembly? And as we all know, school gets [...]
Responsive Classrooms always are looking for morning meeting activities that are fun and energize students for the day. If the students can warm up and use their brains, too, it’s even better! Recently, I learned about Pechaflickr from Alan Levine‘s #ETMOOC session: Web Storytelling: 50 Ways, 5-Card Flickr & Pecha Flickr. The gist of the [...]
Five Card Story: Willpower a #etmooc story created by mssanderson_ITS flickr photo by ncaramanico flickr photo by Henriksent flickr photo by cogdogblog flickr photo by mrsdkrebs flickr photo by cogdogblog Mmmmmmm… yum. Can’t I just have one? Or twenty? I’ll need to wear out my sneakers to work that off. “Blahhh…Go ahead, we eat anything [...]
The #ETMOOC lip dub inspired me to make a community-sourced Abbot School Pledge & Code of Conduct video. Staff were asked to submit a video recording of themselves reciting the pledge or code of conduct in a recent post and email. Below is an excerpt from the original email: I want to create a video [...]
I was introduced to the idea of the Six Word Story during the digital storytelling topic in #ETMOOC. For those who do not know, there is a legend that Ernest Hemingway once composed a six word story in order to win a bet. His winning story: For sale: baby shoes, never used. Today, there is [...]
Dear Reader,
Here’s some info about this blog.
Jan. 2010 – June 2010 This blog served as a technology professional development portal. It was a chance for us to explore what was (and still is) out there. As we know, a lot of the latest tools and resources only take a few minutes to preview and learn. Making the time is often the trickiest feat. Therefore, I proposed Tech Tuesday. Every Tuesday something new was waiting for you to check out on this blog. On select Tuesdays, there even were face-to-face session in the Abbot lab @ 7:45 A.M. In under 30 minutes, I demonstrated the new tool, and participants got some time to play. It was requested that participants gave the tool a little more thought or another “go”, and then follow-up with a comment on this blog, reviewing the tool for a grade level or subject. The ultimate goal or end product was that one tool or resource would be implemented fully into teaching practices to benefit student learning. We also had a great resource blog for people to consult in the end!
October 2010 – ?: I am going to continue to update the Tech Tuesday blog on at least a monthly basis. There’s still so much to learn and share. So always check in on Tuesdays to see what’s going on, or better yet, subscribe! 
