Today's Technology Session at Curriculum Connections

If you participated in today's Using Technology in Smart Living, thank you for your attention! If this is your first visit to a blog, be sure to look around for a while. Blogs read from the most recent post (at the top of the page) to the oldest posts at the bottom of the last page of posts. My intention is to create a resource-rich blog that you can use! Whenever I refer to a website it will be posted as a link (bold and underlined text). You can click on any link and you should end up at that page.

Someone in the group asked a question about asynchronous learning. I copied the following definition from Wikipedia:

The types of available technologies used in distance education are divided into two groups: synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous technology is a mode of online delivery where all participants are "present" at the same time. Requires a timetable to be organized. Asynchronous technology is a mode of online delivery where participants access course materials on their own schedule. Students are not required to be together at the same time.

[edit] Synchronous technologies

• Telephone
• Videoconferencing
• Web Conferencing

[edit] Asynchronous technologies

• Audiocassette
• E-mail
• Message Board Forums
• Social Learning websites (social networking sites that focus on e-learning)
• Print Materials^[13]
• Voice Mail/fax
• Videocassette

PLease let me know if you have any additional questions!

TeacherTube links worth investigating

In my last post I was unable to access the TeacherTube links mentioned. TeacherTube is an excellent resource for educators because the videos are created by teachers or their students! Take a few minutes to search for these videos at www.teachertube.com:
24 Hours in the Life of a Digital Native - this video puts the connection between young people and their technology tools....a must see for educators and parents.
Learning, Sharing and Connecting Online with 6 & 7 Year Olds - this video features students using blogs and wikis to create newsletters of their school work.
Why Not Let Our Students Blog? - brief video created by very young children using today's technology tools.

Do you have any videos you can upload to share with other educators???

Excellent technology resources on the web

If you attended one of my Speed Learning Sessions today, thank you for your interest and support! I thought it would be easier if I added the resource links here rather than emailing them out to everyone. If you are interested in an excellent 3 minute video explaining the use of Blogs check out Blogs in Plain English. If you are feeling confident go to Blogger to set up your first blog in 3 easy steps.

Are you ready to try a Wiki??? Before you start I highly recommend you watch this quick video that really hits the mark...Wikis in Plain English. When you are ready to set-up your first wiki, go to PBWiki for a simple start. They will walk you through the process!

I mentioned that I had a few favorite TeacherTube videos, but for some reason the website is not working tonight....sorry about that! I'll let you know when the site is functional again. One of the things that really surprised me as I learned about technology is that YouTube has some excellent technology training videos (it has lots of junk too, but we can overlook that for now). If you are an educator and haven't seen Shift Happens it is well worth the 8 minutes of your time.

Get started and let me know how you are using these technologies in your programs!

Time flies when you are a community educator!

It is amazing how time has flown this summer! I have been involved in many exciting projects with our Rutgers FCS Educators, a Penn State graduate course, and preparations for the Galaxies III conference. I have learned that there is a need and an interest in learning more about how blogs, wikis, and podcasts can be used in all areas of education.

I have found the following book to be extremely useful when trying to understand the connection between today's technology and its application in education:
Richardson, Will. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Corwin Press, 2006.

Links to web resources for PSU participants

Welcome the the PSU summer focus on technology! Together we will learn about using blogs, wikis, and podcasts in Family & Consumer Sciences programs. The journey will be exciting, so be sure to keep your eyes and mind open to the potential of using technology to enhance your program. Don't fret because there will be lots of assistance along the way!
To link to my website check out the following:
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Atlantic County Extension Office

AAFCS Presentation in Milwaukee

Thanks to all of you who attended the Creating an Online Learning Community with Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts presentation at AAFCS in Milwaukee on June 20! It was exciting to inspire fellow professionals on the use of technology in our Family & Consumer Sciences programs. I look forward to hearing your success stories in the future! Please let me know how you are using technology in your program currently and how you envision using it to reach you community!

In the session I spoke about the Electronic Resource Directory that my assistant Ashley and I have created. The directory is intended to be a useful resource for FCS professionals, families, and educators. You can access the Resource Directory at this link Resource Directory. As we continue to expand the directory will do our best to make sure the links are updated.

Please feel free to use this blog as an annotated resource for your program. You can scroll through the previous posts to link to excellent online resources.

NBC40 Health Update

This past week I had to opportunity to tape a spot segment on NBC40's Health update. The channel is available in the Atlantic County, Cape May County, and part of Ocean County area of New Jersey. The segment I taped was on Summer Food Safety and will be aired during the week of June 20-27. The segment airs 10 times over the course of the week and will be available online at www.nbc40.net. If you have ideas for segments that can be suggested to the local station please let me know!!!

Cooking Across America

If you (or your students) are interested in learning more about the history of American food then you must visit the Key Ingredients America By Food website. The site allows you to learn about food and recipes by various regions of our country. You can also submit your own recipe to the collection that has been created by numerous people across the nation. If you are looking for food related events you can locate them too. The America By Food exhibit features 500 years of our food history and is traveling across the country... it could be stopping at a community near your town this summer. The exhibit is in Allentown, New Jersey now and will be in Cape May County, New Jersey between July 19 and August 31! Check it out!

About Podcasts

Podcasts are simple radio-like programs that are available on the Internet. The purpose of a podcast is to share information, to educate others, or to demonstrate a concept. Podcasts can be an excellent instructional tool or a means of having your students share their knowledge with the global community. Before launching podcasts in your classroom, take a look at a few sites that offer educational podcasts for educators. Here are a few good starting points for your search:
National Public Radio
The Centers For Disease Control
University of Michigan

Exercise & Fitness are part of a Healthy Lifestyle!

We very often speak about the importance of a balanced diet, eating colorful foods, and reducing the amount of fat we consume. Keep in mind that these messages are only part of the equation for creating a healthy lifestyle! The other important component is exercise...that is, daily exercise to imporve you health! Adults need to have 60 - 90 minutes per day of exercise for good health. Children need at least 60 minutes per day too.
Your exercise plan can be a simple as walking everyday! If you are looking for website that offer useful information andout exercise check out the following:
Exercise is Medicine
The National Association for Sport & Physical Education
American Heart Association Exercise & Fitness Page
American Council on Exercise

Finding Recipes Online

Most people have become used to using online recipe database when searching for something good and healthy to create in the kitchen. The younger generations prefers searching for recipes exclusively online rather than using cookbooks. The Food Network is my personal favorite when I need a recipe. Their index has thousands of recipes to choose from. A friend of mine likes Gold Mine Recipes or the one on Self (the magazine). Prevention (the magazine) also feature a database of recipes. As for me, I'll continue to use my good old fashioned cookbook collection for the old standby recipes I love and search online when I want to try something new! It looks like the best of both worlds to me!

Another Excellent Resource Web Site!

I just love it when I find awesome website! This one is a great NJ resource. Check out the Get Moving-Get Healthy New Jersey site for: physical activities for families, nutrition information, food of the month information, links to BMI calculator, heart rate calculator, calorie counter....and lots more. Within the next week the Walk NJ Point-to-Point (virtual walk) will be live online. It would be fun to challenge yourself, your family, or your colleagues to count their steps each day and track them on the online calculator. The walk will feature pictures of the sights along the way which is a terrific learning experience for children. Take the walking challenge and see if you can walk 10,000 steps per day! Your health is well worth the effort!

Parents Need Resources to Help Their Children Live a Healthy Lifestyle!

Last night I participated in a school wellness health fair In Atlantic County and today I spoke to parents at an Atlantic City School. I heard the same message loud and clear....we need resources to help us deal with eating issues/food likes & dislikes/healthy snacks/portion control. My best advice is for them to first visit the MyPyramid website for information about portion control and caloric needs for children (adults too). The children will be attracted to the fun (educational) games that help them learn about eating healthy. Together the family can set goals about how they are going to change their eating habits. The next stop on their journey can be to the Get Moving-Get Healthy New Jersey website. The site provides information on physical activity and has the Walk New Jersey Point to Point virtual walk. Families can increase their activity level and have fun keeping track of their number of steps each day. The family can learn about NJ as they travel from High Point to Cape May!

Excellent Websites!

There are so many excellent websites out there, but here are a few that top the list of resources for families:
* The National Safety Council has fact sheets for just about everything
* Kids Health (Nemours Foundation) is very user friendly for kids (and parents) and offers interesting fun related to kids health
* How to Understand the Food Label provides lots of information to help you better understand the rules and regs on food labeling
Check out theses sites and share them with parents and educators!

Internet Safety for Families

Internet safety is a huge issue for families. Parents want their children to be computer literate yet they want to make sure the children are safe when they are online. We know that kids (and adults) like to use social network tools like FaceBook and YouTube. But how do we ensure our safety while interacting on these websites? I am looking for good articles about this issue! I thought this article was worth reading 12 Safety Tips on Blogging for Parents and Kids. Although the article was written in 2006 the information holds true today.

Blogging for Information

If you are an educator you can find great ideas at blog sites! Try some of these links to see if you can locate an exciting new lesson idea for your students:
* Edublogs
* Kidzlog
* Bloglines
Blogs can be an excellent tool for the classroom. Think about sharing information with your students online, then having them reflect in writing on your blog. Instead of having 30 students each turn in a paper you can have all of them do their writing in one place! That's easier for you!

Healthy Youth Resources

There seems to be a million great resources out there! The CDC has an excellent Healthy Youth Resource page that address STD's & HIV, physical activity, nutrition, safety, tobacco and asthma. Wow! This resource is useful for FCS, physical education educators, and school nurses.

Trying to Understand Blogs?

It seems that some of our readers need to know a little bit more about blogs. A blog is an electronic journal. The best and most simple description of blogs can be found at Blogs in Plain English and click on the little newsman. It is well worth the 3 minutes (that's all!) it takes to better understand blogging.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Everyone needs to know the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans! This is a good site for you the teacher, and it is also a good site for you the parent/grandparent/friend/neighbor. The government updates the guidelines every 5 years, so be sure to know the current version. The site includes PowerPoint's and other tools that you can use in your classroom.

Resource links from today's presentation at Curriculum Connections

I appreciated the opportunity to speak to so many teachers today at Curriculum Connections! Professional development is a powerful component of your work and I applaud the fact that you took the time to attend. Here are the links I included in the technology presentation:
* Visions Newsletter
Click on the link for Vol. 20, No. 1
* Building a Collaborative Classroom Wiki
* Good Examples of pbwiki in the Classroom
For the two pbwik links- go to the site, then click on How to Create a Collaborative Classroom, then complete the brief request to download
* 7 Things You Should Know About Series (Educause)
Look for the downloads for the following- Wikis, Blogs, Podcasting

2008: International Year of the Potato!

Did you know that 2008 is the International Year of the Potato? This may be a great opportunity to inform your students about the history and nutrient value of this very important food. Did you know that... The potato came from a high plateau in the Andean Mountains of South America (between Peru and Bolivia). The potato was the basis of the Aymara Indian and Incan diet. The Spanish Conquistadors found the potato (rather than silver or gold), served it on their ships, and soon found that the sailors did not suffer from scurvy. Scurvy is a disease associated with too little Vitamin C, and since potatoes have a lot of Vitamin C, scurvy was prevented. After the potato became popular in Europe, it was later taken to America by the European immigrants throughout the 1600’s, but it was not until 1719 when Irish immigrants brought the potato to Londonderry, New Hampshire, where the potato was grown on a large scale.
In the 1800’s Irish peasants were eating a daily average of 10 potatoes per person, or about 80% of their diet. It was in the 1840’s that a microscopic fungus and heavy rains rotted the potato crops in the ground, hence the historic potato famine. Today scientists are constantly developing and studying new ways of preventing a potato disaster from happening.
Check out the International Year of the Potato website because it is full of information!

Teaching students about calcium

If you are looking for materials and information that can help you teach your students about milk and the benefits of calcium check Milk Matters Resources for Teachers. There you will find several calcium fact sheets, a snack cookbook, materials for parents, and a calcium calculator. Educational materials written for children with lactose intolerance are also available at the website. It's an excellent website with lots of resources and well worth your time!

Another good resource

I have created a list of resources on my Atlantic County website. From there you can click on a number of excellent resources for FCS teachers, parents and students. The resource page can be found at FCHS Atlantic County. Once you are at the website click on the Resources link.

Free Resources for Teachers!

I have found an excellent resource for school administrators, FCS & Physical Education teachers, school nurses, and after-school program coordinators. The program is Media Smart Youth: Eat, Think and Be Active! and can be found at Media Smart Youth. The resource contains useful lessons and all of the materials you need to incorporate healthy eating & movement activities into your programs. The materials are user friendly and created for students ages 8-12....although I think they can easily be adapted for younger and older students too. Take a look at this interactive curriculum to see if it fits your needs.

Resource Links for FCS

Over the past several months I have come across numerous resource that can be useful for educators. MyPyramid is one of my favorites because it allows you to calculate the number of calories you should be consuming in a day with examples of serving size and number. The site now offers the capacity to plan a week's menu based upon your dietary needs.

Another great site is the CDC's Nutrition For Everyone. There are many links available for you to locate information about healthy eating. One of my all-time favorites is the Fruit & Veggies Matter. This site is very useful when looking for the history and nutrient content of fruits and vegetables!