Mr. Vans 6th Grade Class

Thing 11

2012-01-30T11:43:00.001-08:00

I really enjoy commenting on peoples posts. I enjoy letting them know my opinion and gaining information from them. Its a great way to share knoweldge between teachers.

Thing 10

2012-01-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

Kung fu.

This is a trailer for Kung Fu Panda 2. I chose it because some people need a good laugh. I was able to download a video from you tube via Keepvid. I'm not sure when I would need to download it rather than just play it on youttube.
Add comments to the video you embedded. Why did you select it? Were you also able to download a video?

Thing 9

2012-01-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

What do you like or dislike about YouTube? Did you find videos that would be useful for teaching and learning? Is YouTube restricted in your building?

Youtube is a great tool to use in the classroom. I like that there are videos about everything. I have used many science videos to augment my instruction. The BBC has a ton of full documentaries available for use. YouTube is not restricted in my building, but the download speed is horrible.

Thing 8

2012-01-30T10:10:00.000-08:00

I found creating the motivational posters to be the most useful function I explored. It was fairly easy to create once I had the pictures downloaded. The entire process was somewhat time consuming, but I assume once I have a sufficent picture library the time will be cut down. I used the tennis balls and quote as something I would use to motivate the girls on the tennis team I coach. I could see having students creating their own posters for activities they are involved in.

Thing 3

2012-01-19T13:39:00.000-08:00

I currently use my classroom blog to inform parents of the activities coming up in the following week. I also add daily comments to inform parents of homework and upcoming events. The response has been limited, but I've been getting better responses lately.

Thing 7

2012-01-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

Using flickr would be a great way to create a picture record of the class throughout the year. Parents would be able to see theirs childs experiences, instead of only hearing about them. The challenges would arrive from parents who do not want their childrens pictures taken.

Thing 6

2012-01-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

I chose to use the photo of a science project i plan on doing in the spring. I saw it in the display window of another school. It was also the only photo on my phone to add.

Thing 5

2012-01-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

I'm not new to reading blogs. I did not suffer from information overload. RSS is a great tool expediate searching for blogs. I enjoyed the Macgyver fix blog.

Thing 4

2012-01-19T12:59:00.000-08:00

I could see myself using RSS as an additional tool to gather news information. Its also a great way to gather vast amounts of useful and useless information. I prefer to use the "add a subscription" button for adding new scripts.

Thnig 1 and Thing 2

2012-01-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

The video and article were very interesting if not overly dramatic. The main problem I see is technology progressing faster than the schools can cope with. The most advanced tool in my class is a document camera team with half a chalk board and half a white board.

Friday, 12-9

2011-12-09T12:32:00.001-08:00

Good Afternoon,

Today all of the students are bringing home the instructions and materials to make their own rock cycle poster. Their rock cycl test is Monday. They have a completed rock cycle with them to study. Let me know if you have any questions.

Enjoy your weekend,

Mr. Van

Tuesday, December 6th

2011-12-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

Good Afternoon,

We are starting a new unit tomorrow. The book is called "Earths Surface." Our first chapter is about rocks and minerals. Our first quiz is this Friday. Call, email, or post any questions you have.

Have a good night,

Mr. Van