Yay! April 30, 2008
I neglected Litandmore the past few days because of my Organization of Information final. I get my life back in about seven hours! W00t!
I hit the Motherload :) April 27, 2008
I stumbled upon Kevin Jarret’s blog while looking for something totally unrelated to technology and Web 2.0. He is a K-4 Technology Facilitator in New Jersey. In the past three days, he’s posted the following sites that my students and teachers will love. Thank you, Kevin!
Storyline Online is funded by a Superpages.com grant. Members of the Screen Actors Guild read children’s books aloud. Students can watch the streaming books for free. Each book comes with a guide that includes activities. http://www.storylineonline.net/
Move over Webkinz, Minyanland has landed! 
According to the Minyanland website, MinyanLand is a virtual community designed to engage kids and families in games and interaction that is entertaining and educational.” The focus is financial education and economics so it’s very real-world. There are jobs, banks, investments, businesses, organizations - all waiting for kids to interact with and explore.
Lolcat is hiring April 26, 2008
I can haz dream Job? My rezumez! let me showz u thm”
That’s the subject line of a cover letter sent by a job applicant to I Can Has Cheezburger, one of the premier sites for so-called Lolcat pictures.
Don’t think the letter will be rejected out of hand — bad spelling is no obstacle to a job in Lolcat world. It may even be an asset.
Lolcats became an Internet craze last year. A typical example shows a picture of a fat and hopeful cat accompanied by a caption in a baby-talk-like dialect known as Lolspeak: “I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?”
Apparently, looking at Lolcats all day is an appealing job. Ben Huh, founder of the site and chief executive of Seattle-based Pet Holdings Inc., has received 250 applications since the job was posted on Monday under the headline “Kittehs Want Moar Workerhumans.”
“I got a stack of resumes that I can’t even go through,” Huh said. “You know how they say, ‘Spell everything correctly because the people reading your resume will toss it out otherwise?’ Well, we can’t even do that. We won’t knock you out for spelling…. The traditional resume screening methods don’t apply here.”
The winning applicant will join three other people who moderate ICHC and a few related Pet Holdings sites (think dogs with funny captions). A big part of the job will be selecting from the 7,000 submissions the company receives every day of captioned photos, plus 2,000 uncaptioned ones.
Cat ownership is not required, just “a great sense of humor, a deep understanding and love of the Internets and a strong work ethic.”
http://www.icanhascheezburger.com
Allergy Bullying April 26, 2008
What is going on? Now kids are using food as weapons…sad! 
Late last spring, 14-year-old Sarah VanEssendelft of Mastic, N.Y., experienced bullying worthy of a teen movie.
“There was a group of five girls … and they decided they didn’t want me sitting at their lunch table anymore,” said VanEssendelft. To get her to leave, they all brought in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
For VanEssendelft, it might as well have been arsenic.
Two weeks later, a boy in the back of her class opened up a peanut butter cup. The smell was enough to trigger VanEssendelft’s peanut allergy and send her to the emergency room with breathing problems.
“My throat felt tight and my lips were getting really swollen, really fast,” said VanEssendelft. “I looked like Angelina Jolie.”
On the one hand, mean tricks or sneaking candy looks like mild behavioral problems to school administrators. On the other hand, given VanEssendelft’s serious peanut allergy, those sandwiches might very well have been weapons.
Allergy As Target
Severe bullying and food allergies have emerged as troublesome issues for educators in recent years.
The number of reported food allergies doubled among young children in the last five years, according to researchers at the University of Chicago.
In response, legislators in New York and five other states have passed laws to protect food-allergic kids. Educators in some East Coast cities have outright banned peanuts in elementary schools.
But even with restrictions in place, schools have to find new ways to control the ever-growing problem of bullies.
Despite recent high profile school shootings, the National School Safety Center reports school violence has actually decreased since 1993.
But bullying is on the rise. Between 1999 and 2003, the NSSC reported an increase of the student population who were bullied across grades 6-12.
As VanEssendelft knows, when bullies target food allergies, kids and schools face a serious problem. After the peanut butter cup reaction, some of VanEssendelft’s classmates didn’t believe that her peanut allergy was triggered by smell.
“They said, ‘oh, you just want attention, there’s no way you can be allergic to the smell, this isn’t true,’” said VanEssendelft. The five girls then held a meeting in the bathroom.
Visit ABC NEWS to read the rest.
Cool Cat’s Birthday Present April 26, 2008
Vicki Davis manages the Cool Cat Blog. In celebration of her 38th birthday, she compiled a list of 38 “cool” free websites.
- Songbird - This is THE cool opensource alternative to iTunes and it is connected with Skreemr, the music search engine.
- Timebridge - This scheduling system plugs into google calendar or outlook and lets you invite people to a meeting, select four time alternatives, and then it books the meeting time that everyone can attend and puts it on your calendar. It reminds them and it rocks!!
- Get Atomic Learning Free for 3 months — I’m copresenting in a webinar with Atomic Learning and Technology & Learning on Monday. If you register AND attend at 4 pm EDT, you will get 3 months FREE from Atomic. This will give you not only the seminar I did for them on Web 2.0 but also, the one that is coming out soon about how to flatten your classroom.
- Diigo - This cool tool has transformed my bookmarking, blogging, sharing, and twittering. Install it, set it up to send to your delicious account. Join the educators group (getting close to 400 members) and ad4dcss groups — when you send things to the group, make sure you select at least one of the tags that “pops up” (these are from our tag dictionary.) Also, go to tools and set up a nice little daily autoblog based upon a tag you specify. (Some just put the tag “blog” for everything they want to go to their blog that day!)
To get the most out of it, you definitely should use firefox and install the cute little bookmarklets. This is a definite tool for those writing papers!
- Zoho Notebook — This notebooking service completely and utterly rocks! Zohonotebook gives you the ability to EMBED video and web pages as well as snag notes from many places. It is an amazing tool! (Check out some of the pages I demoed in a workshop a while back.)
- Google Forms - Google spreadsheets has a cute little tool hidden in the Share tab, the ability to create a form. We’re using this for the Horizon Project managers to submit their weekly reports. It is so fast and easy and a great way to pull information into a spreadsheet. I even have my national honor society students entering their service time for me into the spreadsheet.
- Firefox - If you’re still stuck in Internet Explorer, you simply must try firefox. Give yourself a present! The plug ins are incredible. My favorites are: the diigo plug in, technorati tag plug in,
- If you’re in Princeton come to a free Conference next Friday, May 2nd - Can you tell, I love free? I like to do work with people who provide their services to the general public and openly share information. This conference on Friday is chock full of amazing speakers and I’m going to enjoy being on a panel with some of them to talk about Flat Classroom.
- Twitter - Again, try this one. Some say they don’t “have time for twitter” or don’t “get it.” Just sign up, add me as a friend, and then go in and see whose talking to me, add some who sound interesting and then reply to their messages by saying @theirID — so to reply to me, you’d say @coolcatteacher — You may just find yourself conversing daily with some of your heroes.
- Hulu.com - I’ve been beta testing this beauty which lets you watch all kinds of TV shows. Now, you can watch too!
- Mogulus - Do you want your own 24/7 TV station? You can do it here. Schedule things to play. Merge videos from other places on the Net. Very cool.
- AFI Screen Nation - The Amazing American Film Institute has a new site where your students may upload video and be evaluated by REAL producers, actors, and directors in Hollywood. Their curriculum is totally amazing and I use the videos that come with my united streaming account to teach digital film & movie making. I love the AFI digital storytelling curriculum and highly recommend it.
- Toondoo - Make cartoons. This continues to be one of my perennial favorites for cartoons.
- Ning (for VIDEO sharing) - I LOVE Ning in the classroom and just found a super cool new feature. If you upload video to ning, it automatically converts it to the most compressed, appropriate version for the web. You may then embed the video anywhere else. This is solving a lot of our access problems for the horizon project b/c schools just unblock the Ning and have access to all of the movies!
- Intel Mashmaker - This lets you mash together all different types of websites and I am enjoying working with it. There will be some things I share soon. This is supposed to be a lot like Microsoft PopFly, which I’ve not tested yet.
- Skype - This is another MUST have APP. If you haven’t tried it yet, get over there and take a look.
- Classtools.net - Embeddable graphic organizers of every kind for your wiki or blog. I Adore this site and use it all the time in my classroom.
- Wikispaces — This is my stable, well supported, wiki darling. One look at the horizon project wiki will tell you why.
- Gmail - With the most robust spam filter anywhere, the ability to filter like a fiend, make folders, and import all accounts into one place, this account is a dream come true. Even if you use another service, you can enable pop on that account, set up a gmail and pull all of your accounts into one. And if you use firefox, they have a better gmail firefox extension from lifehacker that is a must install!.
- Gcast - I’m really enjoying podcasting from my cell phone — just a lot of fun!
- FriendFeed - A cool little service that I’m really beginning to enjoy to help me follow just a few people.
- Technorati Watchlist - A must use for bloggers watching those responding to their work and just to follow the things you want to know more about. The RSS from the search for your blog belongs in your RSS reader.
- PhotoBucket - THE place I put my private photos. I like Flickr, but somtimes I just want to make a really cool flash page for my website or do something neat with photos, and photobucket has more robust tools for my photos than I’ve found other places.
- Big Huge Labs for Flickr — This has some amazingly hilarious Motivational Poster makers and just about everything you can imagine for your photos. Make monster posters, make labels, make anything. If you have photos, this is THE place to PLAY!
- Feedburner is a must use for any serious blogger or school Webmaster. You can burn the feed to feedburner, which will let you move your feed from place to place without losing readers! You may also use Feedblitz to e-mail your blog posts to anyone who is “afraid” of RSS. Feedburner has so many other features that serious bloggers will appreciate.
- Statcounter - This is my favorite place to track links, traffic, and more. Just a very reliable, accurate site.
- Google Reader — My RSS reader of choice for linear, sequential RSS reading (down the page aggregation), Google Reader now lets you download google Gears and read your RSS offline!!!!
- Netvibes - For single page aggregation, I use netvibes as my RSS reader although my home page starts up with iGoogle, I go to netvibes. Their new Ginger version allows you to publish your pages and share with others. I teach my students this handy RSS reader for their Personal Learning Networks.
- EdTechTalk - Although I co-host a show here, I always get pumped when I listen to these shows. Do yourself a favor and take a listen.
- Creative Commons Searching - This is THE place to look for images, graphics, and audio. It is a must use for students!
- 4Info.net - I get the weather texted to my phone each morning. Every time a Georgia Tech football or basketball game ends, I’m texted the score. You can have stock tickers, rss reminders and more texted to your phone. It is amazingly cool.
When I shared this in Maine, one guy jumped up and yelled, “I LOVE YOU!!!” It is that useful!
- Newsmap - When I want to take time to read the news, this is what I use. I adore NewsMap. I teach my students to use it to get abreast of what is happening in the world. If you have 1 minute to read the news, go here.
- Classroom 2.0 Live Conversations - Steve Hargadon is hosting these amazing sessions. Simply excellent. Another place to “get pumped” and have some great ideas.
- My year long PD IS the K12 online conference — Go back and watch some videos (I love Silvia Tolisano’s presentation). I believe that you should consider requiring teachers to view at least one of these presentations and “report back” to the group.
- Cool Cat Teacher Wiki - All my presentations, handouts, archives, and STUFF are there. I love to get out sometimes and when I do, I want to capture it.
- Slideshare - I LOVE this slidesharing site. It is very useful.
- VoiceThread - If I could pick ONE tool for elementary ed, this is it, hands down.
- My blog - OK, I know this is ME and you’re already here. However, really, I don’t know which is more the gift, your gifts to me in the form of comments, links, twitters, and e-mails or my being able to share with you what I’m doing. If you’re able to live life a little better, make it through when you’re at your wits end, and learn something that improves your life, then I’ve done something.
Removed Library Signs April 24, 2008
Removed Library Signs, originally uploaded by herzogbr.
Here’s the photo’s Flickr description:
These are some of the signs I’ve taken down (without telling anyone) around my library since I’ve worked here. I think an uncluttered area is nicer, and that fewer good signs is better than lots of signs that no one reads. Read more of my complaining on my website.
Woolbur April 24, 2008
Title: Woolbur
Author: Leslie Helakoski
Published: 2/2008
Reading level: 2.3
Schu’s rating: Four out of four
First of all, I hope Woolbur applies for the open road trip position, as he meets almost all of the requirements. Woolbur reminds me of Molly Lou Melon and Grace Campbell. Woolbur expresses his individuality by fleeing the sharing station, getting “strange” hairdos, riding the spinning wheel, and doing just about anything to drive his parents to pick themselves bald with worry. Whenever Maa and Paa point out Woolbur’s differences, he proudly utters, “I know…Isn’t it great?” Woolbur’s attitude reminds us of the beauty and importance of free-spiritedness.
Wanted: Travel Buddy April 24, 2008
A dear friend and I started the best tradition–SUMMER ROAD TRIPS! Debbie tagged along last year, spending most of her time hidden in pockets and bags. She loved Temple Square and Cadillac Ranch. We are accepting applications for Road Trip ‘08! Applicants must meet at least five out of the six requirements:
* Smaller than 14 inches
*Appear in at least two books
*Make children laugh
* Celebrate freedom and differences
*Ready to campaign for HRC
*Willing to travel 5,000 plus miles
Here’s who submitted an application today:
May 3rd is Free Comic Book Day April 23, 2008
May 3rd is Free Comic Book Day, originally uploaded by Litandmore.
Free Comic Book Day is a day when partcipating stores provide free issues of comic books.
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/
Comics in the Classroom April 23, 2008
I am a huge fan of Time for Kids. Most students look forward to reading it and the articles serve as wonderful discussion starters. This week’s issue focuses on Comics in the Classroom. Graphic novels and comics are becoming increasingly popular in elementary classrooms and it made me smile when I read the following article! Yay for comics and graphic novels!
Picture this: You are sitting in class and pow! your teacher turns into Superman. Thwak! Garfield is chasing Mickey Mouse around your desk. What are comic book characters doing in class?
In some places, they are part of the lesson. Schools around the country are using comic books as a way to teach reading, writing and other subjects.
Critics say comics are too simple for school. But many teachers give comics a good grade for getting their students to read.
A Colorful New Way to Learn
Third-grade teachers in Maryland are using classic Disney comics. The department of education created lesson plans for the comics.
Maryland tested the program in eight classrooms. “The teachers love it. It captures students’ interest,” says Nancy Grasmick, superintendent of Maryland schools. She adds that they believe the comics have helped improve reading skills.
Another program, the Comic Book Project, is being used in 850 schools in the U.S. Students write and draw their own comics. The project was started by Michael Bitz, of Teachers College at Columbia University, in New York City. Bitz wanted to give kids the chance to “write their own stories and create their own characters,” he told TFK, “while improving their reading and writing skills.”
Katie Van Els, 11, from Hawaii, says the project has made her a better writer. “You need to use the right words and punctuation.”
Teachers also give the program high marks. Bitz has heard stories of children who didn’t like to read. “Suddenly, they’re the star writers in their class,” he says.
Retrieved from http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/ns/article/0,27972,1732354,00.html
