Teachers in my district, please be sure to read the Computer Chronicles Blog for information about your classroom computers:

http://southamboyteacher.com/nucleus/compchron.php?itemid=209

As Inauguration Day draw near, I wanted to address some concerns with regard to the technology related with this event. As you may well know, this Inauguration Day will be unprecedented in the sheer numbers of people interested in the event world-wide. Given the traffic this event will generate and the international streaming of this event, it will probably be the most watched internet moment in history to date.

As a result, web traffic will be extremely high. You need to have a backup plan. Most people will be using the internet to see the event online and this will result in a major traffic jam. It is also the consensus of many in the ed-tech world that the major news outlets are not quite prepared for the traffic this event will bring to their sites, which will most likely result in website “crashes” and excessive “buffering” of the video feed..

The main issue is if many classrooms in district are trying to watch this event online at the same time it will be a drain on the system district-wide. I do think that more intimate opportunities to watch the inauguration would be preferable i.e. television in the media center and radio in some classrooms.

Please keep this in mind when making your Inauguration Day plans.

After the speech is delivered, the best presentation of political speeches can be found at the NY Times. They put a linked transcript and outline alongside the video itself. Take a look at Sarah Palin’s speech to see how it works. This is a great tool for the classroom, though I am not sure how long it will take to get the Inaugural Speech on the site, so check back often.

A fantastic collection of resources: http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/curriculum/holidays/inauguration/inauguration.htm

If you’d be interested in NOT getting the “network slant” from the likes of FOX, CNN, MSNBC, etc. you might prefer to visit http://inaugural.senate.gov/. (It might also have less traffic than the major news outlets.)

In an age of charter schools, home schools, No Child Left Behind, standardized testing, overstretched public schools, the battle for resources, voucher plans and evolving notions about special education and special needs, the act of teaching has never been more complicated. In Lesson Plans, a group of teachers chronicle their experiences during the first weeks of the school, offering first hand accounts of today’s classroom challenges from diverse perspectives.

Putting Technology in Its Place

South Amboy Public Schools has joined the ranks of several Microblogging & Social Networking sites. If you participate in any of these, please follow us to get the latest news, updates and announcements.

Twitter
Facebook
Plurk
Pownce
Tumblr
Identi.ca
FriendFeed
Jaiku
Rejaw
Koornk
YouAre
Mulitply
Yammer (Faculty/Staff only)

Join the conversation.

Here is a sample of a blog.  This can be a great way to communicate with your students, parents, colleagues, etc.

The use of blogs in instructional settings is limited only by your imagination.

Options for instructors using blogs:

• Content-related blog as professional practice
• Networking and personal knowledge sharing
• Instructional tips for students
• Course announcements and readings
• Annotated links
• Knowledge management

Options for students using blogs in your courses include:

• Reflective or writing journals
• Knowledge management
• Assignment submission and review
• Dialogue for groupwork
• E-portfolios
• Share course-related resources

Start one today!