Holiday Season Fun

Holiday time means fun time for your classroom.... There is always an energy buzzing through the halls of schools across America during the fall and it starts with Halloween. I thought I would share some fun resources this week and kick off the Holiday season.
Halloween Fun!
KerPoof

Would you like to carve a pumpkin on your interactive whiteboard?! 

Click Here

Enjoy!

Multimedia in the Classroom

Multimedia in the classroom is one of the easiest ways to affect change. Sound, video, and interactivity can engage and inspire learning. "Digital natives" don't just want this type of learning environment, they need it... Watch my video below:

Here are some ideas to get you thinking.

Visual Literacy

Visual literacy can play a vital role in any classroom for a variety of reasons. In 21 Century classrooms, students have come to expect a richer and more engaging experience than in years passed. Without quality, meaningful, pertinent images to explain complex ideas and concepts beyond the realm of a single spoken language, much is lost in the teaching process.

When discussing the idea of visual literacy in modern classrooms, rarely is the question “if,” but “how?” Teachers should focus on the process and delivery of these images with much thought and consideration.

Example:

VS.

Common mistakes include:

-Images with too small a pixel size

-Images with copyright protection (plagiarism)

-Having too many, or images that distract from content.

For more information about quality presentations see: 

http://designshack.co.uk/?p=11810

If you would like to save yourself the trouble of finding the images described above, start thinking about web 2.0 tools. Many times, teachers can stream content from the web to be used in whole group instruction on IWBs or interactive projectors! Teachers can also email, IM, or handout links to fun and academic websites for individual and small group instruction… With a little digging, teachers can find quality content for any grade and subject.
For more information on great web 2.0 resources check out my Delicious:

http://www.delicious.com/sp_bourge

Recent Travels

Hello!

Much of my job as an education consultant requires travel around the state of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. The last month has been especially exciting and I thought I would share the experience with you.
I travel to "hubs" around the state, such as Fairbanks, Bethel, and Dillingham. These locations have maintained runways for jet access. Many times, though, I must board smaller single engine fixed wing aircraft to visit more remote locations.
The past two weeks have taken me to Fairbanks, St.Mary's, Mountain Village, Hooper Bay, and Bethel. See the map below and try looking it up for fun in Google Maps!