Readers of this blog will know that educational blogging is one of my passions. I receive many questions from teachers each week about blogging via email, this blog, Twitter or in person. While I love helping other educators, sometimes the best way to answer a question is to point them to a post I have […]
Windows 7 Features I Love
I’ve been using Windows 7 for eighteen months now. I felt a bit silly when I finally decided to learn how to use one of Windows 7 most advertised features the other day- the “Snap” feature to display two windows side by side. It looks great! This discovery made me think about the large number […]
Are you on LinkedIN?
Recently I read on the oz-teachers mailing list a warning for teachers about using social networking sites unprofessionally. This UK article, suggests that teachers should be cautious of what they post online and check what information is available about them. Teachers are warned that schools are scouring social networking sites and googling potential candidates for […]
Keeping up with Blogs
I became a proud iPad 2 owner this week and it’s been a steep learning curve to learn as much as I can about my shiny new tool! After getting my iPad I was inspired to work on updating the blogs in my Google Reader. I know I’m not alone in being a little neglectful […]
How Do You Reflect? Options For Teachers And Students
A few weeks ago, I was listening to Chris Betcher on the Virtual Staffroom podcast interviewing Helen Otway. Helen is an inspiring leader at a Victorian P-12 school. Many of the topics Chris and Helen talked about struck chords with me including the idea of developing a more thoughtful approach to teaching and learning through […]
Top 10 Email Tips
Email is something many people have been using for 10-15 years now. I remember first getting an email address in 1999 although the way I use email has changed dramatically since then. I would never have thought of checking my emails over breakfast in 1999 yet now my breakfast email session is ingrained into my […]
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Class Mascots
In my class, we adopted a new class mascot at the start of the year called Leo the Lion. The idea of a class mascot is nothing new. In fact, my good friend Linda Yollis has had her class mascot, Panda, for nearly 25 years! The fantastic thing is that now with blogs, class mascots […]
Top 10 Twitter Tips!
Without a doubt, Twitter is my number one form of professional development and I am always recommending it to other educators. I first joined Twitter in early 2009 although I didn’t start using it daily until early 2010. I find Twitter to be a one stop shop to meet like-minded educators. It is a place […]
Two Victorian Conferences
My team teaching partner, Kelly Jordan, and I have been accepted to present at two conferences in Melbourne in May. As many of you know, Kelly and I have been blogging with our primary classes since 2008 and it is something we are passionate about after seeing so many benefits. In our presentations, we plan […]
Are you a Learner or Learned?
Today I attended the first session of PLP ConnectU project. This project, sponsored by the Victoria Education Department (DEECD) is run by Will Richardson and Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach. The project offers year long, job-embedded professional development that helps teachers to re-envision their classrooms, schools, and their roles in education. Five reasons why I enjoyed the day… […]
Family Blogging Afternoon
One of the many benefits of having a class blog is the strengthening of home-school relationships. After having a class blog for a number of years, I have come to realise that you can’t leave parent participation to chance. Parents needs to be educated and regularly encouraged and invited to be part of your class […]
Using Downloaded Fonts
For almost as long as I have been using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, I have enjoyed downloading a range of fonts to enhance the appearance of my presentations or documents. A couple of people have asked me lately how to use downloaded fonts. This post is an overview. I’m sure many people agree Times New […]
Happy Birthday to my Blog!
I began this blog, Integrating Technology in the Primary Classroom on 14th March 2009. I started the blog with the initial goal of sharing ideas and resources. The purpose of this blog has changed from resource sharing to reflection, advice and discussion of issues surrounding blogging, global collaboration and technology integration. Two years on, I […]
Tech Tools for Teachers is Back!
ABOUT TECH TOOLS FOR TEACHERS Simon Collier and I began a free e-newsletter for educators called Tech Tools for Teachers in January 2010. Each edition of the e-newsletter highlights an online tool or site that can be used in the classroom and provides step-by-step instructions on how to use it. Tech Tools for Teachers is […]
Skype in the Classroom
As I have blogged about many times in the past I love to flatten my classroom walls and collaborate globally with my students. I have found Skype to be a wonderful tool for collaboration. It is easy, free and has countless uses. Skyping can bring learning to life! In my grade two class we have […]