Goal Grid and Web 2.0 Tools

Happy Wednesday!

First, thank you to everyone who commented on my last post. It was reassuring and helpful  to know that I'm not alone.  I feel reinvigorated to just keep doing what I love to do - teach, learn, share, and blog! So, let's get on with the blogging!

Recently, I was thinking about something my principal said at a meeting. He said, "Let's not expect kids to do what we ourselves are not doing."  I was thinking about how this applied to goal setting.  I expect my students to set reasonable goals, think of strategies to reach those goals, and reflect on their progress.  We write it all down and make it official. But, do I walk the walk? 

I goal set too... in my own way.  I have list of roughly 100 goals...in my mind. I rarely write things down or say them out loud, so they may or may not come to fruition. But, I have GREAT intentions. Anybody else have this problem?  Please...please... say yes.

So now, it is time to turn my intentions into action.  I made myself a plan regarding technology use in my classroom. 

My goal: To get my students using more technology and creating more products on the computer.

My strategy: Use my technology grid to introduce different programs and activities to my class. 

My progress:  TBA.

Here is my goal grid.  Each box represents one activity or program I want my students to experience this year.  I will cross off each one once I have used it at least once, hopefully more than once.

If I get through all of this I would be SUPER impressed with myself, but I think creating this goal grid will help me prioritize and focus. This is definitely a working document.  

What do y'all think?  What am I missing? Please help!  Add your own post-it to my Linoit Interactive Bulletin  Board  at the bottom of this post with suggestions for other great online web tools for students.  It would be helpful if you would include it in the comments below too... ya know... just for safe keeping. Thank you in advance and I can't wait to see what you'll add.

Really quick, here are links to the activities I have on my board (just in case you need/want them):

Taxgedo

Wonderopolis

Kid Blog

Illuminations

Wacky Web Tales

Animoto

Edumodo

Fodey

Timetoast

Wordle

Glogster Edu

Read, Write Think

What are your favorite Web 2.0 Tools for students?

Wonderopolis

Does anyone else have the problem over the summer where they can't seem to turn off their brain?  Mine just seems to go and go.  Seriously...it's keeping me up at night.  Well, that, and the copious amounts of caffeine I have been drinking lately. Anyway...

One of the things I couldn't stop thinking about was... The Wonder Wall.

I'm sure I saw this idea somewhere (forget where - sorry!) and it has been percolating in my brain for months...adapting and reinventing itself the more I think about it.

Basically, I wanted to create a small bulletin board in my classroom where kids could post things that they wonder about the world.  I was hoping that once a week, we could investigate as a class and answer one question.

I teach at a Title 1 school and many of my students have had very few experiences outside of their neighborhood.  We even had one child tell us this year that she had never been to a movie theater! Ah! Can you imagine?!?  My whole team just wanted to leave school and take her to the movies. Anyway, I wanted some way to help them expand their world and I stumbled upon this fabulous website.

Wonderopolis! 

Now, I'm obsessed and check it daily.

The website is through the National Center for Family Literacy and highlights a different "Wonder of the Day" and explains it. Questions can range from "What is a hybrid?" to "How do you zorb?"  and "Where is Motown?" Explanations include a video, interesting information, and a try it out opportunity! 

So... I have a new plan now.  

I'm going to add the widget to my school homepage for my students and myself to access. We can check the widget daily and learn about all kinds of cool new things in just a few minutes. Hopefully some kids will go home and get back online to learn more and even submit their own wonders.


So, hurry over to Wonderopolis and get answers to questions you didn't even know you had!