Google Reader

I followed the 7 blogs listed below:

1.  Smart Classroom Management at http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/ or my Google Reader URL at
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2Fsmartclassroommanagement

2.  Free Technology for Teachers at http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ or my Google Reader URL at
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.freetech4teachers.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault

3.  Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day at http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/ or my Google Reader URL at
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Flarryferlazzo.edublogs.org%2Ffeed%2F

4.  Naturally Educational at http://www.naturallyeducational.com/ or my Google Reader URL at
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.naturallyeducational.com%2Ffeed%2F

5.  Will at  http://willrichardson.com/ or my Google Reader URL at
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwillrichardson.com%2Frss

6.  A Media Specialist's Guide to the Internet at http://mediaspecialistsguide.blogspot.com/ or my Google Reader URL at
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fmediaspecialistsguide.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault

7.  Cool Cat Teacher Blog at http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/ or my Google Reader URL at
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fcoolcatteacher.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault

Just as I was amazed by our social bookmarks assignment, this was just as awesome.  There are a couple of blogs that I found the most helpful to me as a elementary teacher/tech in training.  Larry Ferlazzo's blog was amazing because he lists so many resources for so many areas in teaching, but my favorite blog was A Media Specialist's Guide to the Internet.  I think I prefer Julie Greller's blog because there isn't so much information that it is overwhelming, but at the same time what she posts is useful.  I also like that on her blog she provides grade categories (such as K-3) to also minimize extraneous information for busy teachers.  Of all of the blogs posts my favorite was an article posted in the Smart Classroom Blog called "Why the Word 'Go' Is An Effective Classroom Management Strategy" by Michael Linsin.  The "Go" technique was a very simple strategy, but one I look forward to trying out to hopefully cure one of my classroom annoyances.  The irritation of being in the middle of directions or instructions, and the students stop listening and start moving because they think they know what you are about to tell them.  Then you loose valuable time because you have to stop them, and start over.  Linsin suggests an answer to this problem that I believe may work.  Preface your instructions with the simple phrase "When I say go, do the following......"  Then after you give all directions, pause then say "go" to give permission to stop listening and to physically begin the assignment.  Hmmmm, I wonder if I should share this technique with our pastor.  Perhaps he could cue the congregation as to when to begin zipping up Bible cases instead of during his final remarks.  I suppose children in the classroom aren't the only ones in need of a verbal signal.