Middle School T.I.M.E.S. Technology Integration Made Easy & Simple Danita Russell – ITF Lee County Schools Volume 2, Issue 1 September 2007 Welcome to a new school year! I hope this newsletter finds you rested and excited about the upcoming year. I look forward to working with you to make this a successful and rewarding school year. Many of us are intimidated and fearful of technology. No need to be! Together we can learn to use the resources to make our lives much easier. Technology shouldn’t be something else added to your already full plate. Instead, it allows you to reach more of your students. The purpose of this monthly newsletter is to aid you in integrating technology into your lessons. The content will vary slightly each month and hopefully you will find it useful as you try new ideas. I would love to include great technology lessons ideas from teachers. Why don’t you send me yours? If you would like for me to help you plan a lesson, model a lesson for you, or anything else to assist you in integrating technology into your classroom – me: Technology Opportunities This is my tentative schedule for technology workshops: Intro to Lee County Technology East 9/11 West 9/13 Groupwise East 9/18 West 9/20 SmartBoard East 9/15 West 9/27 Intro to Wikis West 10/2 East 10/3 Wiki Integration (advanced) East 10/10 West 10/11 United Streaming East 10/16 West 10/18 PowerPoint/ Online Games East 10/23 West 10/25 SAS in schools East 10/30 West 11/1 Social Bookmarking East 11/6 West 11/8 Intro to Blogs East 12/4 West 12/6 Blog integration East 12/11 West 12/13 Workshops will be in the computer labs at East and West. The workshops will be from 3:15 – 4:15. Middle School T.I.M.E.S. Danita Russell Vol 2 Issue 1 September 2007

Technology Opportunities - continued RSS feeds East 1/8 West 1/10 Movie Maker East 1/15 West 1/17 Google Earth Intro East 1/29 West 1/31 Google Earth Advanced East 2/5 West 2/7 Google Programs East 2/12 West 2/14 Podcasting East 2/19 West 2/21 Online Learning LearnNC/ Kaleidoscope East 2/26 West 2/28 More as requested. Curriculum Spotlight Social Studies Ancient Egypt Map Mummies of Ancient Egypt The Mummy Page Ancient City of Athens Odyssey: Daily Life Meet the Greeks African-American Migration Experience Story of Elizabeth Stanton & Susan B. Anthony Computer Skills Test Integration Ideas The 8 th grade computer skills test is a responsibility we all share. You may not realize it, but the scores are included in our ABC rewards. To help you do mini- lesson integration, try some of these ideas in your classroom:  Ask the students to line up in ascending order or descending order according to birth date  Talk your students through how to cut and paste as you are using your LCD projector to do your lesson.  Ask students to align themselves by justifying to the right of the hallway  Math teachers, when you are discussing exponents, use the term superscript  Explain the uses of a dictionary and thesaurus PAGE 2 Middle School T.I.M.E.S. Danita Russell Vol 2 Issue 1 September 2007

Page 3 Gaggle is more than a group of geese…. Gaggle training will begin soon and to get you ready here are some project ideas for you. Blogs: Free Journaling/Creative Writing Teachers can use blogs as free journals for students by requiring them to create daily or weekly journal entries. Literature Reviews Students can use their blogs to post their literature reviews or book reports. Current Event Log Students can post a weekly blog entry on a current event from their local community, the country, or the world. They can write a paragraph about the event and post a related picture on their blog. E-Portfolios Students can keep an online archive of their work. Coffee Break Congratulations! The first week is over and now you have a long weekend to rest and prepare for next week. During your time off, you might want to check out some of these resources from Amazon to help you relax.Amazon Tips for New Teachers Yoga for Teachers Mediation and relaxation for teachers Stress Release for teachers Middle School T.I.M.E.S. Danita Russell Vol 2 Issue 1 September 2007

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING By Mary Rita Schilke Korzan When you thought I wasn’t looking, you displayed my first report, and I wanted to do another. When you thought I wasn’t looking, you fed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be kind to animals. When you thought I wasn’t looking, you gave me a sticker, and I knew that little things were special things. When you thought I wasn’t looking, you put your arm around me, and I felt loved. When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt--but that it’s all right to cry. When you thought I wasn’t looking, you smiled, and it made me want to look that pretty too. When you thought I wasn’t looking, you cared, and I wanted to be everything I could be. When you thought I wasn’t looking--I looked... and wanted to say thanks for all those things you did when you thought I wasn’t looking. Words to leave with you ….. Have a great September! Page 4 Middle School T.I.M.E.S. Danita Russell Vol 2 Issue 1 September 2007