Monday, May 13, 2013
Beyond Cool Tools for Writers
I ran across this while cruising YouTube for student writing resources.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Just Write!
Since I'm in the middle of creating my dissertation proposal and have so severely neglected my blog, I decided to just write. Here's the thing, I actually consider myself a writer but have had a terrible time getting motivated go into dissertation mode. In my defense I got married, moved into a different home & had a rough year at work. Hey, life happens. But every doctoral student I know is full of excuses like I seem to be lately.
With that, I'm back in the business of writing in my blog for reflection, thinking, sharing and pure habit. This post is dedicated to all the doctoral students out there insane enough to take this journey. I've been looking for resources and methods to get myself going and have run across some cool tools, books and other information I'd like to share. These are for anyone interested in writing for any purpose-students, teachers and authors alike.
Tools I Can't Live Without Lately:
Evernote- This is my go to app for taking notes. It allow you to tag, organize, take pictures, clip web pages and anything else you may need to do & categorize by subject. Not only is it great for research, but I love it for making sense of my work responsibilities. Plus, the mobile app makes all your notes accessible 24/7.
Wikispaces - I created one for my study group recently. It's a great way to collaborate and compile ideas all in one place. I found myself constantly combing through my docs, pdf's and way too much clutter on my desktop. This made it easier. Plus, since I'm a student I received a free educational upgrade allowing me to invite more members and use other features not available to the general public.
Dropbox- Storage in the cloud-priceless. I am wondering how Google Drive will impact my use of this though since I have a ton of information in my Google Docs as well.
CiteULIke- No, it is not a citation creator but it does allow you to find articles based on subject area and allows the option to find similar articles. Also tells you what people and groups are reading the same material. Great way to connect to other great minds!
Diigo- What can I say- bookmarks, tags, highlights, groups, sticky notes. Anything you need in terms of research this can do! I never use anything else to bookmark and highlight ideas from the web.
Refworks- I seriously wonder how doctoral students lived without this in the past. You can search, organize, cite and create formatted reference lists. If you're a student you should check with your institution to see if your membership is free.
Recently Discovered:
Scrivener- I haven't used it enough to decide if it's worth it but I did download free trial. Seems like it may be useful.
StyleEase- If this does what it's supposed to I'll be in grad student heaven. Formats in APA and MLA, making it easier to cite references, include tables and other sections of your paper. The demos have me excited especially since after initially creating a reference you can cite it repeatedly and its automatically added to your reference list! Where have you been all my life?
Monday, February 27, 2012
My Story...
I served as the literacy coordinator at a middle school on the south side of Chicago for many years. We had one of the few truly one-to-one laptops in the city. With that said, I felt a need to use our students' natural inclination towards technology, to enhance their learning and mine as well.
I'm currently pursing a doctorate in Learning Technology at Pepperdine University. I'd like to rewind a bit and point out that I never saw myself going this direction with my educational pursuits. I have over 13 years of experience working in urban settings and my primary focus has been literacy. I took a position at a middle school a few years ago and was thrust into the world of one-to-one laptop learning.
In the beginning, I definitely was not a "digital native". In hindsight, I was quite resistant after teaching "just fine" without laptops or computers for that matter. I vividly remember refusing to use it unless it was absolutely necessary. For example, I had to use it for things like attendance and recordkeeping, but I pretty much left it alone outside of these purposes.
I don't remember exactly when the transformation happened. What I do remember is assigning some literacy project and giving my students lots of choice in terms of how they demonstrated understanding. What I got as a result were everything from standard research papers, to comic life presentations to podcasts thanks to the DYN program at our school.
Keep in mind, I didn't know what any of these things were at that point, and wasn't even a Mac user. Honestly, I still have no idea how many of the applications on my Mac work, not like the kids do at least. But, this is exactly my point. I don't have to be the expert- I have 25 of them everyday that are willing to take the lead on this journey! Besides, as one of my colleagues constantly points out, applications come and go, true tech integration is a much more complex process.
I still do not have the knowledge base that my kids have around using my Mac. One of my closest colleagues was the chairperson of our annual "Living Museum" project, which is basically a history fair that involves high levels of critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving. We've worked together closely over the past few years, and have seen kids produce thought-provoking, entertaining documentaries, year after year.
I didn't realize until recently that he had no idea how to make an I-Movie. I was actually shocked when he pointed this out in passing. I, like everyone else, assumed that since his kids produced such wonderful media surely he must teach them how to do it. No, as it turns out he just "got out of the way" and continues to do so. Thanks for the lesson DMJ.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Another Cool Storytelling Tool- Storybird
This is the image from the cover of my 1st Storybird- Very cool, collaborative storytelling tool that I've been meaning to tinker with for awhile. I used it with my last class as an option in my layered curriculum model but never created one. The idea is that the images inspire you to write...Pretty interesting although it would be much more engaging if there was more artwork to choose from. This is the actual link to my story, The Meanest Girl on Earth?
Need other ideas for digital storytelling? This list is pretty comprehensive- one of the best I've seen. Enjoy!
50 Storytelling Tools
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Cool Storytelling Tool
Hi All,
It's been forever since I blogged but I simply had to share this slick storytelling tool I discovered while attempting to complete an assignment for class. It's called Vuvox and it seamlessly integrates photos, video and audio into a moving collage. I immediately went into teacher-mode and began to think about the multitude of ways this tool could be used for storytelling purposes. Take a look at my 1st creation & enjoy!
It's been forever since I blogged but I simply had to share this slick storytelling tool I discovered while attempting to complete an assignment for class. It's called Vuvox and it seamlessly integrates photos, video and audio into a moving collage. I immediately went into teacher-mode and began to think about the multitude of ways this tool could be used for storytelling purposes. Take a look at my 1st creation & enjoy!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Confessions of a Burned Out Teacher
My name is Tracy and I am a burned out teacher. With more than 10 years of experience working shoulder to shoulder with kids, I am officially tired.
Just to be clear- the children are NOT the source of my exhaustion. Sure, there were days when it felt that way but after much ample time for reflection, I have arrived at some conclusions. The following is a list of ways to help avoid creating "me".
1) Give teachers time to reflect, re-group and plan with other teachers. Depending on the district, I realize this can be difficult but it must be a priority since teachers often feel isolated.
2) Create opportunities for veteran teachers to sharpen their skills in other areas like coaching and administration. Teachers need to grow and develop just like everyone else. My previous position allowed me to coach literacy and model tech strategies, as well as learn some administrative savvy like budgeting and curriculum development. Had it not been for this, I surely would've exited the profession years ago.
3) Honor their voice. With all the discourse around education reform, testing etc, someone needs to be listening to those of us on the front lines every single day.
4) Get your teachers out of the building. Whether it's in the form of staff retreats, workshops, and school visits, teachers need to sharpen their professional saws by getting out and learning from others like them.
5) Stop attempting to script and standardize everything that goes on in the classroom. What I enjoyed most about my former teaching job initially was that I felt I had the autonomy to make decisions about what I taught, how I taught, and when I taught. It gave me room to be creative and have fun while I did it. As this began to shift, my attitude towards my job did as well.
6) As much as Arne would like us all to believe it, teaching is NOT a business in the traditional sense. Only Focusing on the bottom line, statistics, and accountability works well in the corporate arena but children and teachers are NOT products. The sheer humanity of what teachers do everyday differentiates the profession from any other- take care of your teachers and they will take care of your students-period.
Just to be clear- the children are NOT the source of my exhaustion. Sure, there were days when it felt that way but after much ample time for reflection, I have arrived at some conclusions. The following is a list of ways to help avoid creating "me".
1) Give teachers time to reflect, re-group and plan with other teachers. Depending on the district, I realize this can be difficult but it must be a priority since teachers often feel isolated.
2) Create opportunities for veteran teachers to sharpen their skills in other areas like coaching and administration. Teachers need to grow and develop just like everyone else. My previous position allowed me to coach literacy and model tech strategies, as well as learn some administrative savvy like budgeting and curriculum development. Had it not been for this, I surely would've exited the profession years ago.
3) Honor their voice. With all the discourse around education reform, testing etc, someone needs to be listening to those of us on the front lines every single day.
4) Get your teachers out of the building. Whether it's in the form of staff retreats, workshops, and school visits, teachers need to sharpen their professional saws by getting out and learning from others like them.
5) Stop attempting to script and standardize everything that goes on in the classroom. What I enjoyed most about my former teaching job initially was that I felt I had the autonomy to make decisions about what I taught, how I taught, and when I taught. It gave me room to be creative and have fun while I did it. As this began to shift, my attitude towards my job did as well.
6) As much as Arne would like us all to believe it, teaching is NOT a business in the traditional sense. Only Focusing on the bottom line, statistics, and accountability works well in the corporate arena but children and teachers are NOT products. The sheer humanity of what teachers do everyday differentiates the profession from any other- take care of your teachers and they will take care of your students-period.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thank You Facebook!
I haven't blogged in about a month. My doctoral program keeps me super busy and so does wearing a trillion hats at my middle school. Honestly, I haven't felt "inspired" to write in awhile. Well it finally happened- something to scream about.
When I was around 6 years old, my mother who was recently single and struggling to get back on her feet financially sent me to live with my grandmother and grandfather on my father's side. My father and I are not close since he left when I was 5, and has been popping inconsistently since that time. While staying with my grandparents, I became extremely close with my aunts and uncles, all who were around my age (give or take a few years).
Diana, was my favorite. We were about a year apart and I remember playing with her for hours endlessly. We played with dolls and dollhouses. We spent hours pretending to be princesses, playing school, and scouring the neighborhood for hidden treasure to play with.
After some months, my mom returned for my little brother and I. I only saw Diana a couple of more times after that. For whatever reason, the connection between my mother and grandparents dissipated and I Diana became a memory as a result. I never forgot her and about a year ago, she emailed my mother out of the blue. As it turns out, she had been looking for us!
I immediately emailed Diana. I tried to give her details about the last 30 years of my life. I sent her some pics and emailed once a week. Finally, I suggested she get a Facebook account. You see I didn't mention that Diana was born hearing impaired so I can't "talk" to her in the traditional way. She signs well and can read lips. I thought Facebook would be a great way for us to stay connected effortlessly since she can read my updates & pics the minute I post them.
When I suggested it at first her response was a simple " I don't have a Facebook account". I emailed her a few more times, explaining how easy it was to set up a page and that she should try it since pretty much everyone on Earth has a page. No response. Then yesterday I get a message on my phone, " HI Tracy, I'm on Facebook and I'm so happy to see you"! I'm pretty sure I screamed out loud, and shed a tear or two.
My grandparents have both passed on, and my family on my mother's side is pretty broken. I've always wanted to be one of those people with a large, loving family that gets together to celebrate holidays and takes cute family pics that end up as postcards. I suppose that wasn't my path. I cannot control other people but i can control what connections I make and maintain and Facebook helps me to do that. Thank you Facebook, for helping me to find Diana again! Now, time to take the sign language class.....
When I was around 6 years old, my mother who was recently single and struggling to get back on her feet financially sent me to live with my grandmother and grandfather on my father's side. My father and I are not close since he left when I was 5, and has been popping inconsistently since that time. While staying with my grandparents, I became extremely close with my aunts and uncles, all who were around my age (give or take a few years).
Diana, was my favorite. We were about a year apart and I remember playing with her for hours endlessly. We played with dolls and dollhouses. We spent hours pretending to be princesses, playing school, and scouring the neighborhood for hidden treasure to play with.
After some months, my mom returned for my little brother and I. I only saw Diana a couple of more times after that. For whatever reason, the connection between my mother and grandparents dissipated and I Diana became a memory as a result. I never forgot her and about a year ago, she emailed my mother out of the blue. As it turns out, she had been looking for us!
I immediately emailed Diana. I tried to give her details about the last 30 years of my life. I sent her some pics and emailed once a week. Finally, I suggested she get a Facebook account. You see I didn't mention that Diana was born hearing impaired so I can't "talk" to her in the traditional way. She signs well and can read lips. I thought Facebook would be a great way for us to stay connected effortlessly since she can read my updates & pics the minute I post them.
When I suggested it at first her response was a simple " I don't have a Facebook account". I emailed her a few more times, explaining how easy it was to set up a page and that she should try it since pretty much everyone on Earth has a page. No response. Then yesterday I get a message on my phone, " HI Tracy, I'm on Facebook and I'm so happy to see you"! I'm pretty sure I screamed out loud, and shed a tear or two.
My grandparents have both passed on, and my family on my mother's side is pretty broken. I've always wanted to be one of those people with a large, loving family that gets together to celebrate holidays and takes cute family pics that end up as postcards. I suppose that wasn't my path. I cannot control other people but i can control what connections I make and maintain and Facebook helps me to do that. Thank you Facebook, for helping me to find Diana again! Now, time to take the sign language class.....
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