The First Step

[Kim Cofino]

What are you going to do to take that first step into 21st Century teaching and learning?

Let's all share so we can benefit from each other's thoughts and learnings!

[Ana Santos]

I am going to make better use of my information searching and storing system by using Delicious as my 'filing cabinet and more'... I have placed many photos on Flickr and invited my friends and family to view... I have started my Wikki page and am using it to set up a webquest on The Five Senses for the grade 2s. I am going to seek support from Mike in order to set up a blogging page for the students in my class...I've customized my iGoogle page to include all the relevant links. I've shared all that I've learned with my husband and daughters and whoever else cared to listen... and, most importantly - I've taken the plunge! I have moved from being an expert 'lurker' to...posting, and, that's big for me. Thanks for kicking me from inaction into ACTION!

[Kim Cofino]

Hi Ana,

Wow! You have done much more than a first step already!

Del.icio.us will be a very powerful tool for your professional practice as will your iGoogle page - those two will help you find and use relevant information much more effectively. You'll probably do more with those "behind the scenes" than you will in class - which is just fine!

A wiki for your webquest will be great! Remember that even though wikis are super easy, there are still lots of steps to use one effectively - I would recommend starting here and leaving the blogging until you feel really comfortable with wikispaces. You probably want to have all of your students become members of the wiki so that they can add and edit the content as well. This is a different type of project, but you might like to see a run-down of all the steps I have taken to set up a successful wiki project with grade 4 students here at ISB: http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2008/02/03/1001-tales-project-begins-i...

I love the idea of setting up a blog - if you really want to start this one right away, while the energy is high, I would recommend starting with a class blog where you do all of the posting and students and parents just comment. That's the easiest way to use a blog and a great entry point. This way you don't have to worry about managing student accounts either.

Well done already! I can't wait to see what you create - please be sure to share the links here so we can all see!

Let me know if you have any questions!

[Mike Boulanger]

I think it's time for me to take the edu-blog plunge; to begin writing and sharing my thoughts as you and Julie have been doing. Learning and reading through the professional connections you've shared has been a boon to me this year. Time for me to do likewise and build more than face to face professional contacts.

Now I just need a catchy blog page title. Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?

All suggestions gladly accepted :-)

[Julie Lindsay]

Hmmmmmm ...how about 'Boulanger Beacon' or you and Jill together could call it 'B1 and B2' (did you ever watch the show Bananas in Pyjamas from ABC Australia?
Whatever you call it I am really looking forward to reading it! Good for you.

[Kim Cofino]

Excellent! I am already looking forward to adding you to my RSS Reader :) (and my blogroll, of course).

Naming drives me crazy too. I don't know how I came up with Always Learning, but I'm glad I did - otherwise mine would be called something incredibly boring....

Share the URL as soon as you're up and running!