Sunday, 3/9/08
The lab has upgraded Kidspiration 2 to Version 3! Click on the link below for a snapshot of the EXCITING new capabilities and find out why I can’t wait to see it in action! I’m sure you’ll think the same. http://www.inspiration.com/productinfo/kidspiration/new_in_kids3/index.cfm
On Friday, I installed Kidspiration 3 on all lab machines - the icon looks a little different but it sits in the same spot on the dock. Among the many exciting new features of this upgrade are the new MATH materials! Kidspiration is an incredibly powerful, cross-curricular teaching & learning tool, it is extremely intuitive and easy to learn, but most importantly, this instructional software is fun for users of ALL ages! Just check with Mrs. Beckers’ & Mrs. Frans’ 3rd graders who are currently using Kidspiration to organize & write their Audubon research reports. Over the next couple of days, I’ll put additional Version 3 info on the “Kidspiration” page (link under Pages on the right) so check it from time to time & plan to stop by the lab to start exploring lesson ideas! Janny
2/26/08
Great news!
Reiche’s iKeepBookmarks has moved to the “Members Only” server. This new arrangement should give users faster response times and fewer tech hassles. Change the “www” in the Reiche iKeepBookmarks URL to “ww2″ to take advantage of this service enhancement. Please let me know if your experience proves otherwise.
Kidspiration has come out with a new, Kidspiration 3 version with enhanced features and new MATH views! Stay tuned - we’re working on making this available to you and your students!
Saturday, 2/2/08 www.google.com
Hi everyone!
With Lynn Cuenin’s 4th grade students tracking the Primaries & busy googling for Super Tuesday information I noticed that several Lab computers had lost Google SafeSearch settings. Please take a minute to read the information below to ensure that you have done your bit in ensuring that your students will not get any inappropriate, surprise search results when they use Google as their internet search engine.
** Open & check the Google search settings in “Google Preferences” on your classroom & area computers (steps 1-3)
** If you have to reset them to “Strict Filtering” don’t forget to hit the “Safe Preferences” icon (steps 4-5/6 below)
Remember to check these settings periodically and to always monitor what, when, and how students are searching! And, speaking of Google, don’t forget, GOOGLE EARTH is available on the lab demo machine, READY to be explored and used with and by your students! Zoom in on 3D buildings, cities, neighborhoods, find State Parks and other US & global points of interest, etc. etc.
Happy Weekend & Happy Googling … Janny (soon MS-YAHOOGLING???$!@)
>>> Janny Kerkhof 10/19/07 3:11 PM >>>
GOOGLE Defined
google |?go?g?l| (also Google) verb informal [ intrans. ] use an Internet search engine, particularly Google.com : she spent the afternoon googling aimlessly. • [ trans. ] search for the name of (someone) on the Internet to find out information about them : you meet someone, swap numbers, fix a date, then Google them through 1,346,966,000 Web pages. ORIGIN from Google, the proprietary name of a popular Internet search engine.
GOOGLE SafeSearch - Settings Management
If you plan to use this powerful search engine with your students, make sure to check the SafeSearch settings in the Google preferences on the classroom computer(s) and shared computers in other areas of the building, i.e. the media center. After using Google with 5th graders this week to find images of US States I decided it was time to change the settings on all lab computers. Several students came up with some pretty interesting images with no bearing on our beautiful country. How can YOU change the settings on your machine? Easy!
1. Login as Student & use Safari (default browser) to access the Google search home page at www.google.com
2. Select “Preferences“ to the right of the search box (small print)
3. Scroll down to SafeSearch Filtering - Google offers three (3) filtering settings: No Filtering, Moderate, and Strict Filtering. Reiche computers are set up with Moderate Filtering, default SafeSearch settings. Beware, this level may produce explicit content or images.
4. CHANGE MODERATE to STRICT FILTERING
5. SAVE PREFERENCES (bottom left hand corner of screen)
6. Advanced Search: SafeSearch settings for Advanced Searches & Image Searches need to be set up on a search by search basis.
As Google reminds us “No filtering is 100% accurate” (just imagine the speed of going through 1,346,966,000 Web pages in an instant) - make sure that students using Google at any point during the school day are supervised by an adult and check SafeSearch settings regularly!
There are many more ways to use Google in the classroom. Find out more @ the Google for Educators Webloc http://www.google.com/educators/index.html. Other sites on the use of Google (communication, video photos, research sharing)
http:/Top20googles.wikispaces.com
http://newlearning.ning.com
http://googlinging.wikispaces.com
Unfortunately, I was unable to pull these up at school (streaming - forbidden site) so check them out at home.
Jennifer Taylor has been using Google Earth to explore Africa with Linda Campitelli’s students. Because this program is so RAM hungry, (the latest version of) Google Earth has been downloaded on the lab demo machine so that you too can use & watch this amazing Google tool with the LCD projector. Let me know if you’d like a tour … Janny
Thursday, 1/24/08 iKeepBookMarks Update
I have added a new folder inside “United States of America” called “US Government & Presidential Elections” where you will find several links to online information on the election process and the history of presidential elections. Interactive: Be a President for a Day, Ben’s Guide to Government (K-5!). The Smithsonian and Scholastic sites offer a more historical, yet equally fascinating perspective on the presidency (Washington to Clinton). Time for Kids online has current events and may also cover the 2008 elections at some point. You’ll find the link in the “Kids Only … Homework” folder. If you know of sites with current election information, suitable for elementary students, let us know. Drop a comment or email (kerkhj@portlandschools.org). The rest is history … Janny
Wednesday 1/23/08 iKeepBookMarks Update
TEACHERS, PARENTS, STUDENTS! A new “Futures Channel” folder in the “Math Team” folder. The “Futures Channel” produces videos showing how math matters in real life and uses subject-matter experts in a great variety of professional fields to explain how math factors into their jobs. Although more suited for grades 6 and up, these videos will certainly inspire elementary math lovers (and resisters) to take math seriously! Watch and learn how math is used to design backpacks and build toy cars or bicycles, growing food, and why feeding zoo animals, designing gardens or even coins requires math! Entertaining, insightful, educational & FUN!
Lots of browsing and editing activity on iKeepBookmarks - we are rapidly approaching 29,000 hits! Click on the blue text at the top of this post (…..Update) to become our next visitor. Janny
Wednesday 1/9/08
So you’re looking for that special link you saved in iKeepBookmarks? Can’t find that folder you created? Don’t panic, it’s all there (unless the links were very old and didn’t work anymore). Blame it on the Spring like weather, I’ve done some re-organizing to make the interface less cluttered which will hopefully make navigation and finding that special bookmark or folder easier for all. Click on the iKeepBookmarks under “Pages” (to the right) and get the scoop …. Janny
Tuesday 1/8/08
Happy New Year everyone! Just a quick note to let you know that I have added a couple of hot “US States - game & drill” bookmarks to the Geography Quizzes folder in www.iKeepBookmarks.com/Reiche_Elementary_School. The “Puzzled States” drag & drop puzzle site is very suitable pre-States for 2nd grade & up. So, if you’re doing a US States geography project, check them out and leave me a comment to let me know if they’re of any use! TX Janny
PS: Have YOU posted any new links in iKeepBookmarks lately? Please drop a comment in the iKeepBookmarks comment box to share and to let us know the what & where. TTYL J.
Friday (!), 12/21/07
Today was our last school day of ‘07. Can’t believe it, another year on the line. Created a Q&D, quick & dirty page for Kidspiration. Tried to make the links live but couldn’t figure it out. Also had trouble uploading a .png to the page (not link to it). So much to learn but that’s what makes it all exciting. If you can help me with this, leave me a comment! Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2008!
Tuesday, 12/18/07
For tomorrow’s staff meeting: created a blog page for the “Elementary Level Technology Framework” that will be introduced and share with staff. Thanks again, Cindy Nilsen and Pat Lammers for making it easy. Share, share, share!!
Monday, 12/17/07
The network name of the new 3/5 area black & white laser printer is RCH35LSR (HP LaserJet 4240). Upstairs classrooms, please make this printer your default printer in the printer setup utility. Other “35″ lasers should be deleted from your computer printer set-up utility - the 4500 is no longer @ Reiche.Janny
12/15/07
The lab printer is back in the business of color printing. Please help us conserve toner by printing in gray tone when possible and sending black & white print jobs to the new black & white laser printer in the grade 3/5 area.
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