Using Blogger as a Webpage

Hey it's got to be easier, more user friendly than school center and it's relevant. Plus it is part of something the county is already providing.

Why would I want to use a blog for my classroom website? Again it's about how can you best post content on the web. You the classroom teacher are your own web content manager. Here is how it works. You create a blog using your jcsnc domain (your JCS gmail address).

Advantages to using Blogger as your class webpage
1. Easy to use (Bet you have not heard that one before :))
2. Easy to post messages for your students (even via cell phone or smartphone)
3. Easy for your students to follow your announcements
4. You don't have to remember another username or password (your jcsnc domain password will get you in)
5. Communication with students will be easy and clear.

The New Internet is the Old Internet, hardly so...

Do you still use bookmarks to go to a designated website that you like. Not as in Facebook "like" but rather enjoy. If you do,  you are about 5 years behind. Yep, the UGLY truth is so are most school systems and government agencies lacking in communication and in most education circles.

Why? Well in short this "ain't your mamma's" internet anymore. Nope, people don't go to websites, the website or at least the content comes to you. This is a fundamental change that has been happening over the last 4 years. Now don't go blaming it all on Facebook, MySpace or even Twitter. It is a part of our changing society. Yes the same society that labels us and our students to fail if we don't score well on a test. In fact, if we are not using these tools to communicate with our students we are the one's doomed to fail.

All kidding aside, let's lead instead of following. We have to step up for our students and find ways to engage them. More on this later......

Who uses Twitter?

I started using twitter at some point during the fall semester. I have an account for my basketball team "@ladyrambball" and I also have a twitter account that I post for school announcements "theramheard".

Does anyone tweet with their students?

Blog of the Week

Join this blog if you want to use technology that is free for teaching and learning in the classroom and beyond.
Freetech4Teachers

So when I wanted to confirm a rumor about Whitney Houston I consulted....

Wikipedia.........Why you might ask

Celebrities are among the most protected Wikipedia sites of all and so while at the annual Wolfpack Women Alumni weekend reception on Saturday evening and I heard a rumor that Whitney Houston had died, I got our my smart phone and looked up her Wikipedia page. For me at least it is pretty reliable source of information....you thoughts please

E-Reader ownership soars over holidays

Read this article from Pew Institute for Internet Research and post your thoughts

ebook readers

What not use Wikipedia in school?

I have many times heard teachers telling students that Wikipedia is not trusted content. What are the facts about Wikipedia? Perhaps you should investigate this more closely. Most experts agree that in fact Wikipedia is at least as accurate as other encyclopedia's and corrections are more likely to be accurate as compared to others. 
Reliability_of_Wikipedia

In fact, some inaccurate information is likely, however the same can be said for almost any work of literature. How many times have we noticed mistakes in our textbooks?

Who has an opinion on this topic, I would love to get this discussion going..... 

Test a blog authors rights for this blog

Testing to see how it looks to our blog Authors out there....how's it going you in the blogosphere today?

Titled Post

Now I know how to title

I'm testing my blogging aptitude, not sure if I have any.