The 1st Ingredient

     Ok, if I'm going to keep the theme of soup, I need a few ingredients.  Just like a chef trying a new recipe for the first time, I'm feeling a bit nervous about blogging my thoughts.  I've never been much of a writer, so sharing my thoughts seems a bit "revealing".  Like the nervous chef, waiting to hear the reviews, I'm putting myself out there in cyber world.
     So, the first ingredient to our stone soup is courage.  Technology can be a bit overwhelming and scary.  Many of the new technology gadgets we have available to us as teachers lead us to an unknown world.  We have to see ourselves as pioneers as we travel the road of technology.  We don't want to be left behind. We have to work and we have to get dirty.  We have to pave a trail as we lead our students.
     So, let get that technology pot ready for a heapin' helpin' of courage.  Go out and try a blog.  It really is easy.  It's so easy....even a teacher can do it!

     I teach computer to the lower school students (grades 3-6) at my school.  The first thing I am going to do is show them how easy it is to blog and how much fun it can be.  I'm also going to talk with my principal and see how I can help the classroom teachers as they prepare writing assignments.  One area I think would be neat to do is to start my computer class with a writing prompt.  One week they could write their own response and then next week, they could respond to another student's prompts.  One thing I already do in computer lab is collaborate with the classroom teachers.  I try to do the "extra" things that they can't do in the classroom.  Using a blog for each homeroom would be a great way to connect the learning that is taking place in the classroom.
     I also teach science lab to the 2nd - 6th grade students.  I think we could make blogs for each grade level.  They could post what they are learning.  They could create review sheets to share, project ideas or we could do a science newsletter.