my version of transparent, collaborative leadership...with a Teamann twist

Space Shuttle Endeavor

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One of my FAVORITE tweeps is @ktenkely. She sends out an “iLearn” email every single day with all kinds of fabulous. Here is today’s with all of space sassiness.

Did your students get to see the shuttle launch this morning? What a great way to start a Monday! Seeing a launch never gets old for me, there is always a sense of wonder and anticipation during count down and launch. To celebrate the launch of Endeavour, I thought I would share some of my favorite space websites. In no particular order:

1. We Choose the Moon– An interactive that drops students right into history where they get to witness, and take part in, the Apollo 11 launch and mission.

2. NASA Clickable Spacesuit– An interactive for students to learn about the parts of a spacesuit.

3. Planet Quest: Alien Safari– An interactive exploration adventure that encourages students to find bizarre and extreme organisms that live on Earth.

4. Eyes on Earth 3D- Lets students track missions as they are happening with the satellites that are collecting information about Earth from space.

5. Moon Zoo– Gives students the chance to study the lunar surface while contributing to real science.

6. NASA @ Home and City- Students explore 3D environments where they discover common household and city items that have roots in space exploration.

7. Solar System Scope- A 3D real-time look at celestial positions with planets and constellations in the night sky.

8. NASA’s 50th Anniversary Flash Feature– Best. Website. Ever. An incredible interactive timeline that highlights each decade in the United States space program from 1950 to 2000.

9. European Space Agency– Kid-friendly information about the universe, life in space, lift off, useful space, earth, and more.

10. NASA’s Be a Martian– Students virtually explore and learn about the human-robotic partnership that makes virtual exploration of Mars possible.

11. NASA Space Place– Fun online games, animations, projects, and fun facts about Earth, space and technology.

12. NASA Interactive Timeline– A multimedia timeline that begins in 500BC and follows the search for extrasolar planets to modern discoveries.

13. Moon in Google Earth– Take tours of landing sites narrated by Apollo astronauts, view 3D models of landed spacecraft, zoom into 360* photos of astronaut footprints and watch rate footage of the Apollo missions.

14. NASA Images– Find amazing images of the universe, solar system, earth, aeronautics and astronauts.

15. Google Sky– Students get up close and personal with the solar system, constellations, the Hubble Telescope, backyard astronomy, Chandra X-ray Showcase, GALEX Ultraviolet Showcase and the Spitzer infrared Showcase.

16. Buzz Lightyear in Orbit– Teaches students about the next space mission with Atlantis.

17. Station Spacewalk Game– Play the role of an astronaut and repair the ISS.

18. NASA 101– Learn about what NASA does.

19. NASA Anatomy: How Space Technology Improves Human Health- Students learn about how NASA impacts daily life and health.

20. Apollo 11 Launch– Step into the moonshoes of Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong while discovering the lunar landing.

21. Spooky Space Sounds– Listen to real sounds from space.

22. Hubble Celebrates 20 years– View imagery from the Hubble Telescope and learn about history of the Hubble.

23. Galaxy Zoo- Explore the universe and really help scientists.

24. Climate Time Machine– Take an interactive tour through Earth’s climate history.

25. NASA Edge– Students look behind the scenes at NASA with entertaining and informative videos.

26. NASA 360*– Learn about NASA’s past, present and future and how NASA has improved life on earth with these videos.

27. NASA e-clips– Learn about innovative applications of science, technology, , engineering and math through short NASA videos.

28. TEDx NASA– Inspiring talks from TEDx NASA.

29. NASA @ Twitter– Students can follow NASA on Twitter to get up-to-date information on space exploration and discovery.

30. Your Age on Other Worlds– Students can find out how old they would be on other planets.

31. iWas Wondering Astro Game– A scavenger hunt in outer space.

32. Study Jams Solar System– Students view a video and slide show about the solar system.

33. Pipo Club– Travel through the Universe with Pipo.

 

Have a great day!

 

Amshuttle

Tweet Outside the Box

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Thank you for attending the “Tweet Outside the Box” session at the Region 10 Technology Conference today, 🙂
Here is the link to the prezi.
Here is the link to the “Flutter” video.
Here is the link to the Listorious site and the “educational” relevant lists.
Here is the link to the educational hashtag page, as well as a very basic “getting started” guide.
Here is the Connected Principals website, my profile page on Twitter, and an article on whyadministrators should tweet that I wrote for a member of my PLN.
Thanks again for attending (or reading, my LL’s!) and let me know if I can answer any questions for ya!
a’Tweetssentingly,
Amber

Bouncy Behavior…

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Perspective: Which of these define your mindset this Monday morning?
18 more days left until summer vacation.
Only 18 days left of instruction.
I won’t put you on the spot and make you answer that, 🙂 but I will write this blog suggesting some ways to make BOTH of those thoughts more tolerable for ya!
Teachers are les likely to have classroom managemnt problems when their students are on task and engaged. Students are more likely to remain on task and engaged if they are interested and challenged. Common sense, right? Why then, do ofice referrals spike in the month of May? A combination of factors….your patience is worn thin. You’re less likely to “want” to deal with disruptive students post TAKS. Students get a sense of “finality” from the tone that is set once we are post TAKS. (That darn test really affects our day to day, doesn’t it?)
A few tips to make these 18 days productive and easier to handle:
  • Use technology. Dancemats, flip cams, digital cameras, Macbook, extra websites, your 5 Speedgeeking sites/tools…you’re surrounded! Jump in!
  • Change activities frequently. Our students are used to getting information instantly. They are text messageRs, web consumeRs, instant gratification-ally designed. (Kinda like me! heh!) We cannot expect to maintain their interest or control when we drone on and on about exciting things, such as subject-verb agreement. Yawn. I got bored just typing it! Vary your lessons, and break them into 20-30 minute segments.
  • Provide extra help for those who need it. A frustrated student may the ignition switch to losing control in your classroom. Save yourself the trouble down the road and step in before they have the opportunity to act on on their frustration.
  • Keep your assignments challenging. This is not the time of year to go back and finish all those worksheets that you ran but didn’t have time to get to! If your assignments are too simple, you’ll lose attention as well.
  • Use group instruction. Divide your students, maximize your space, and material coverage. Take a page from your primary counterparts and use small group instruction, based on the needs of your class.

wrapN up,

Amber

Those people…

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The field of education can be a trying one. The news attacks us, the students don’t seem to listen, we don’t get paid enough. yada yada. Not that we’re those people. (Remember that. I’ll come back to it in a minute, so put it in your pocket and save it for later.) Many times “jobs’ can be just that, a job. The daily grind. The do I have to get out of bed in the rain grind. The how come he can’t listen grind. The if only these parents cared grind. Each day there is a version that can be added to that “grind” list.
One of the things I love most about my LL’s is the absolute commitment to our profession that we share. The innovation, the passion, and the energy that permeates these halls, is different than other campuses. (trust me.) The smiles, the late nights, the dancing through hoops to get a test finished is different than other campuses. (trust me.) The I can’t sleep b/c I don’t know what is happening to one of my kiddos is different. It makes me proud to be here. It makes me proud of what I choose to do each day, and allows, for me, to be the reason that I don’t think of this a daily grind, but as what I GET to do. You make my day. See above paragraph where the LL’s aren’t those negative people. Pull it out. Have a treat.
Want an example? I happen to have one. Ms. Griffin was bitten by the grant writing bug. She wrote MULTIPLE donor’s choose grants and went way above and beyond to get them funded. She involved us, her friends, her class’s family, etc. She got them funded, doubling her class library and introducing a tag reader system for her students. Was that enough for her? Nope. Mrs. Ryenolds, another rockstar, got ahold of some Leapfrog program that sent her FREE books, so of course, Samanth needed hers too!

Fabulousness personified. That’s what my LL’s are to me!

Since you’d read this far, you get a treat! A heads up on your teacher appreciation gift for next week. We racked our brains trying to think of something themed, something cutesy, something that wouldn’t elicit eye rolls. For your BIG gift, on next Tuesday or Wednesday, we’re going to have….drum roll please….your car detailed! Washed, vacuumed, sparklefied. Whatcha think about that? 🙂
Luna Lion LuvR ,
Amber

Speedgeeking SD

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Tomorrow will be the first speedgeeking event here at Luna. The concept, similar to “speed dating” is going to introduce you to five different technology integration pieces. This is meant to give you a lil’taste of FIVE different easy and fun ways that you can add these tools into your lesson plans. We will be asking to see ONE of these used by your class for the final grading period. I repeat, one of these tools will need to be seen in your lesson plans this final grading period.
Technology presented this late in the year can be confusing. It’s past TAKS when I’ve seen teachers feel as if they have time to add in a technology piece. Anything that you see tomorrow will actually have a HUGE impact on your students, even before TAKS. We talk so much about student engagement and keeping students on task and motivated. Guys, these kinda activities are PERFECT for that. You have an extra computer in your room now!! There is NO reason why one of your kids couldn’t complete all of these activities during the course of a lesson. We know you have students who are busting out 100’s on your daily class assignments. Do they really need to do the multiple practices and same activities that your lowest students are struggling with? Me thinks not. I’ve offered before, and this time I mean it, I can have a 5th grader who is FABULOUS come into your room and teach one of your students what to do…
Watch it spread like wildfire.
Trust me. I know this will work. Go into this training with an open ALL YEAR MIND, not just an after TAKS mindset. Pleaseandthankyou.
supportingly,
Amber