20 Free Online Tools, Apps, and Downloads Blogging & Technology by Karen Schweitzer - August 4, 2009June 30, 20102 This is a guest post from Karen Schweitzer who writes for OnlineCourses.org. The Internet has tons of online tools, apps, and downloads with the tech-friendly teacher in mind. This list offers 20 free sites that would be genuinely useful to educators throughout the school year: ThinkFold - ThinkFold is a structured environment for groups to collaborate on documents, presentations, ideas, and plans. This free app is perfect for students and teachers who want to brainstorm, interact together on an outline, and make changes in real-time. Mindomo - This site provides a versatile mind mapping tool that can be used to organize and store research. Educators can share their maps online or embed them into an existing webpage. SchoolTool -
SYWTT Voicemail Blogging & Technology by Joel Wagner - July 19, 2009June 30, 20102 I recently got my Google Voice invitation and decided to set it up. In playing around with the settings this afternoon, I realized that I could set up a widget to connect my readers directly to my voicemail. I don't know how many people are interested in connecting to me this way, but I thought it might be a nice way to provide some opportunities for increased communication. Who knows, this may open up a way for me to get some questions from readers. If the response is positive, I might even post the phone number so maybe some of you could share the number with friends who don't do the whole blogging thing, but have questions about teaching problems.
Golf And The Art of Teaching General by Joel Wagner - July 12, 2009June 30, 20103 This summer, I began playing golf. I've actually wanted to learn for a while now as I have a handful of friends who enjoy the game. Over the last few years, I have expressed that interest to some of my friends. Last spring, one of my friends saw me at church and told me to come out to his truck. When I got there, he handed me ten golf clubs. So last summer, I went to a couple of driving ranges a few times and learned from some of the good golfers in my life. One of these men in particular has really been helpful. It's great that he also happens to be the best golfer I know, and I
25 Free Apps And Websites For Tech-Loving Teachers Blogging & Technology by Karen Schweitzer - July 8, 2009July 10, 20164 This article was originally written in 2009. Some of the sites are no longer active, and there are undoubtedly newer and better sites and apps for tech-loving teachers now. Feel free to add them in the comments section. Whether you're looking for ways to incorporate technology into the classroom or into your daily life, the Internet has the tools you need. There are lots of free web apps and websites designed specifically for tech-loving teachers on a tight budget: VerbaLearn - VerbaLearn is a comprehensive vocabulary building site that uses audio, video, flashcards, and games. It is a great place for teachers to help students improve English vocabulary at home or school. Writewith - This free web app makes writing online
The Allocation Of Attention Personal by Joel Wagner - July 6, 2009June 30, 20107 Here is a brief summary of the last 19 months of my life. In December of 2007, I was getting ready for work one Friday morning. I got a phone call from one of the high school assistant band directors. He told me that the other middle school director I work with had a stroke and was at the hospital. This was a huge blow to the band program as he has been in the district longer than I've been alive. It also made for a difficult month for me that included taking two bands to the Christmas Parade the next day, taking each band to four elementary concerts on consecutive days the next week, and preparing both bands for
20 Classic SYWTT Articles And Series General by Joel Wagner - July 2, 2009May 29, 20161 If this is your first time visiting this site, or even if you’ve been reading for a while, there are undoubtedly some articles that you’ve missed along the journey. As I have been working a lot on organizing the site lately, it has come to my attention that there are over 400 posts on the site. This can be kind of daunting for a new reader to say the least. These are some of my favorite articles and series that I’ve written on the site. If you’ve read these, maybe you could check in and respond to a comment or two! Questions That Will Save Your Career Where Have All The Good Teachers Gone? The Best Time To Be A Teacher?
10 Things You Can Do To Spend Less Money This Summer Personal by Joel Wagner - June 30, 20097 A friend from college recently posted the following on her Facebook status:How do teachers not spend so much money over the summer???I threw a quick response in my typical list-type style, but then I realized these things might benefit some of my readers as well. So here's the list I gave her:Go to dollar movies (actually first run movies are $3 where I live)Find a friend who works on the country club and go play golf for free on his days offPractice guitar (for church) and trumpet (for mariachi)Go to the park (disc golf is cheap)Budget and use cash for all purchasesOur bowling alley has $1 Tuesdays and buy one get one free on Mondays -- there may be similar
Transitioning To A Teaching Career And Making Ends Meet General by Joel Wagner - June 28, 2009June 28, 20097 I recently got an email from a reader who found my blog and is looking at moving into the teaching field. This individual has been in the business world for over two decades and has recently been laid off. Last month I was laid off from my position with a multi-billion dollar company as a national recruiting manager. I have a friend that went through iteachtexas.com last year and is finishing her first year as a middle school teacher [in Texas]. Talking to her has really made me think hard about teaching. In almost every job I have held, I have found a way to teach someone something. I have taught martial arts and have over a decade of experience working with teens in church. I love
Just What Is A Good School Inspiration by Tom Anselm - June 28, 2009June 30, 20104 This is a guest post by Tom Anselm. His book, You're Never Too Old For Space Camp is available in Ebook or Paperback formats from Booklocker.com. "My kids go to a good school" What parent doesn't want to be able to say this about the bricks and mortar location where they entrust their offspring for 7 hours a day, 180 days a year, again and again. And for that matter, what teacher worth his or her salt doesn't want to be able to say with some conviction, "Yeah, I work in a good school." This word "good" when used in the context of quality holds so much meaning. It brings us to the question of this article. "What is
Teacher Burnout: 20 Insights From a 17-Year Veteran Teacher On The Brink of Burnout Stress Reduction by Joel Wagner - June 26, 2009June 30, 20103 In rereading the last about teacher burnout, I was struck by a handful of things that my reader mentioned in the email. I thought it was powerful enough that it was worth digging into deeper, and yet I didn't want to dilute the conversation that might come as a result of the emotional impact of the reader's email. With that being said, here are 20 insights from a 17-year veteran teacher about things that teachers ought to be doing. Take care of your body Avoid whiners Get more sleep Accept imperfection from yourself Don't expect to make everyone happy Don't abuse your sick days, but do use them Relax more Have trusted friends who can smack you upside the
Teacher Burnout: A Sad Story Why Teachers Quit by Joel Wagner - June 26, 2009June 30, 20107 About a month ago, I received this email in my Inbox: After 17 years of teaching, I was diagnosed with 'burnout' and needed to take some time off. I fought it, but when the lab results showed body systems shutting down, I complied... for awhile. Part-time only made it worse. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I LOVED my job, my students, my teaching. I dreaded the politics, the nay-sayers, the whiners. Still, how could I be burned out? I thought that only happened to folks who hated what they were doing or had been there too long. It seems remaining a teacher at the top of your game requires more than 3 hours of sleep per night,
How To Use Twitter In The Classroom [VIDEO] Blogging & Technology by Joel Wagner - June 18, 2009June 30, 20100 I recently came across a video on TwiTip about Monica Rankin, a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, who was using Twitter in one of her classes this semester. The video is below. I emailed Dr. Rankin to see if I could get some thoughts on the experiment following the completion of the semester. She told me that she is in the middle of several research projects presently, but she did send me to a page on her website that summarizes the experiment. The site also includes some other links of interest at the bottom. If you're interested in learning more, check out Some general comments on the "Twitter Experiment."
MusicEdMajor.Net Music Education by Joel Wagner - June 15, 2009June 30, 20100 Andy Zweibel (whom I've been following on Twitter for a while now -- @Zweibz7) just started up a blog specifically focusing on topics concerning Music Education students. The blog is MusicEdMajor.net. Andy is currently seeking contributors for the site, and I think this is definitely a worthwhile endeavor. Hopefully we can get in touch with some music education professors and those who have influence in the music education world to try to get more people on board. I know a handful of musicians and music teachers are subscribed to my blog and I hope they will give Andy some encouragement, links, and just send people his way. I also would like to add that he has chosen a very nice,
20 Great Websites for Teachers Blogging & Technology by Karen Schweitzer - June 14, 2009June 30, 201010 This is a guest post by Karen Schweitzer who writes about online colleges for OnlineCollege.org. Teachers who are interested in implementing technology in the classroom and in their own personal lives can find plenty of free resources online. Here are 20 websites worth visiting today: Shmoop - Shmoop is a great new site that is becoming very popular among teachers. The beta site dedicates itself to making reading and writing more fun for both students and teachers. ClassMarker - Teachers can create professional looking online quizzes on this website. The quizzes can be taken and graded online. LectureTools.org - This site can be used to create student-friendly slide presentations and lectures. Other interesting features include the ability to check
Who’s Looking For A Job This Summer? New Teachers by Joel Wagner - June 12, 2009June 30, 201025 Are you looking for a new job this summer? I know some people are sticking it out in their current district just because of the insecurity with the recession and current economic situation. I also know that some people have graduated from college and are moving into the world of education. Others have chosen to leave the teaching profession entirely. Are you looking for a new job this summer? Care to comment about your questions/fears/experiences?