And Now For an Annoucement...

Ok, so I don't really have an announcement, buuuuut this post is dealing with announcements and a very cool way to get information across to your parents and community! This year we were very blessed to get a wonderful new principal who is very technology minded!!! (I know, I know...she had me at hello!) So, we saw where other schools were posting their weekly/monthly announcements through podcast on their website so that people outside of the school walls would know what was going on. Well we just had to do it one better because, I'm not sure if you knew it or not, but Bobcats (that's our mascot) are the B.E.S.T.! So we decided to upload a monthly video of our principal speaking directly to the Bobcat community about what activities and events we have going on at our school each month. I place it on our homepage. That way, whenever someone views the New Market page, there is Mrs. Savage's smiling face to greet them!
I think this is a wonderful (technology packed) way to keep parents and the community involved in what is going on in your school or classroom! It also makes you more visible to parents! All you have to do is record the video, (we use FlipUltra cameras because they are so easy!), upload it to a safe site like Vimeo, and embed it directly into your school/class website for all to see! Here's a copy of our January video with a link to our homepage where it is located below! Enjoy! I hope it inspires you to create an announcement video of your own!

http://www.randolph.k12.nc.us/schools/newmark/Pages/Default.aspx

Are you in the DEN?

One of my new favorite resources is the Discovery Education Network! Many of my teachers love it for it's countless amount of great streaming videos covering everything from Magic School Bus episodes to following deep sea divers into unknown territory. But there is much more to the DEN than many people know! As a member of the Discovery Education Network, you can create assignments and even assign them to students. When the students complete them, you are notified from Discovery! I have used the assignment builder to create video quizzes, writing prompts, and much much more! There is a place for you to upload your resources, as well as view resources from other teachers! The DEN is definitely a great network for teachers to work with one another to create globally competitive students! Best part of all, the DEN is FREE! Click below to view the DEN and all they have to offer for your classroom!