Thing 21 - YouTube and More

Yes, YouTube has come to my classroom - video from La Tomatina, Pamplona, Sesame Street and others with Tito Puente, and others I can't remember now. I'm so glad SPPS has decided to allow us to use it; there are many videos available that weren't before.

I tried Teachertube and found it to be for elementary teachers mostly; Spanish has some sites, but they are not very good. Yahoo! for teachers hasn't been launched yet, but I'd hoping they include more than just elementary things. Spanish things would be helpful, too, because they are harder to find!!

So many things are available now, and I appreciate the opportunity to find them.

Thing 19 - Just for Fun

Cool spot!! I'd like to use some of the images to make my lessons and worksheets more interesting, and I'd like to use the information here to make slide shows for my family pictures which I am inheriting from my recently deceased brother and my mother's collection which have landed in my house!! (Yes, that's not school, but this new knowledge gets carried home, too!!)
There are lots of possibilities so it means experimenting, and that'll be fun. Other projects to put in the to-do file!!

Thing 17 - One new thing

I never imagined that I would use it, but You Tube has become a source for current video that I use in class to show celebrations and places in the world that we don't have money to buy for school.
This computer and the projector have allowed me to explore places and use sites that never would have been accessible last year at all. Just today I used the set-up to enlarge an online painting for Spanish V,VI so we could analyze and talk about it. That never could have happened before, and it's bookmarked so I can find it readily again. Yes, I use streaming video from companies, but I also use this because I can pick and choose, without extra cost, the many available resources on line. It's great!! and the opportunities are endless!!

Thing 12 - Search Engines

Wow - I had no idea there are so many search engines; I especially like the ones that compare the typical engines used. Sometimes they come up with totally different stuff, and it's really good to get the wider variety with the side-by-sides.
I didn't like the "map" engine; maybe kids do, but it was too busy for me. I wasn't sure where to go with it and it didn't seem to be as relevant as some of the more traditional ones.
I added Jux2 to my "repertoire" just because it seemed to offer the widest possible number of choices in the search. Great stuff!! I'll make sure the kids know about it, as well as the others from that site.

Thing 7- Research Calculator

The research calculator process I explored in December but didn't have a chance to comment on it. Having specific goals and deadlines helps me as a teacher, because sometimes it's hard to know how much time to allow for certain steps of the research process. Having everything laid out in a logical and timely sequence helps both the kids and me because it's been compiled by people who have done the research!!

It's a time-saver for me!!