Google is getting ready to release it’s next big thing – Google Wave! That’s great, but what is it? Well, Google Wave is a real-time communication platform. According to Mashable.com, “It combines aspects of email, instant messaging, wikis, web chat, social networking, and project management to build one elegant, in-browser communication client.” Read Mashable’s Complete Guide to Google Wave to learn more!

Are you looking for another way to connect with community of teachers to share ideas, collaborate, and support the effective use of technology to enhance learning? Of course you are! And here is a link to the PBS Teachers Connect web site. On this site you can… personalize your home page utilize bookmarking tools access and participate in discussions and find more than 3,000 resources (e.g. classroom activities, lesson plans, interactive resources) Check it out!

Originally published in the August 2008 issue of eSchoolNews, here is a partial list of virtual field trip resources. With anticipated budget cuts for schools year because of the current economic situation, it might be worth the time to consider using some of these resources, or others like them, in the future. Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration Tramline California’s Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students National Park Service Distance Learning Opportunities The National [...]

One of the advantages of technology is the ability to review content over and over again. The Khan Academy’s Channel on YouTube gives its’ students the opportunity to watch tutorials of complex subjects explained simply. There are more than 800 videos ranging from Algebra to Venture Capitalism. Are other schools producing similar videos (perhaps on TeacherTube or iTunes) to share?

BBC – CBBC – Me and My Movie This site, sponsored by the Children’s BBC, is an online filmmaking community. Kids can make their own films, and watch and rate their peers.

Earlier I had written about an experimental feature from Google to allow users to work with Gmail offline. Now I find (and I may have just missed it earlier) that I can also work offline with my Google Docs. To do so, Google uses an open source browser extension called “Gears“. To work offline, you must first install Gears first and then synchronize your documents while online. Once that is complete you can access your [...]

If you haven’t visited this web site, make some time to do so! The free federal resources are organized by subject areas – Arts & Music, Health & Physical Education, History & Social Studies, Language Arts, Math, and Science. Content for these areas includes animations, primary documents photographs and videos. Want to know which agencies contributed to the site? Find out! Did I mention these resources are FREE?!

A colleague sent me a link to this video from the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference in February. Wow! Siftables are small computers that can be manipulated like children’s block. When you move them, sort them, stack them, turn them, they interact with each other to do amazing things! While watching the kids play with the “blocks” I couldn’t help thinking of my children and exciting technologies that will be a part of their generation. [...]