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lps keyword/search: wordpress

An efficient and effective way for a teacher to organize resources to share with students, parents, co-workers, the community, the world…is to create a Blog , Webpage, or Website.  WordPress allows you to do all three.

After completing a keyword/search from the LPS home page by entering the word “wordpress“, you’ll find an abundance of information as well as place to login; simply enter  your username and password to access your LPS account.

The site you are visiting now, Lisa K. Sauer , is an example of a basic one page-multiple blog site created using the LPS WordPress account.  Take a few minutes and navigate around the page.  Click on my name; click on the welcome page; check out the links on the right sidebar; click on select words in the Tags cloud; notice the banner; notice the organization of the links.   Think about how you might organize your site.

Even if you have never created a website, with planning and preparation, you will find the product to be well worth the effort.  Before you begin, start by exploring the WordPress for LPS Web Logs page.  If you are wondering if WordPress is your best option for creating access to the world, check out the What’s the deal page.   Just like a good research project, the first step is to take some time and do just that:  research.

Make sure you survey the page, read the content, and then explore building.  A WordPress
AL spotlight tutorial can be found on the IT Coaches site, along with other spotlight tutorials, for easy navigating through the AL Tutorials.

If you are already enjoying a WordPress site, and you want to add new and interesting, instructional content, check out these LPS video tutorials, with many practical How-to ideas:

  • Using video on your wordpress site
  • Pasting from Word?  Please view this…
  • Creating a new site banner with Photoshop Elements
  • Personalizing the LPS Staff Theme
  • Upgrades 2.9 new March 1, 2010

Interested in training?
Two WordPress workshops will be held at the LPSDO, both meeting from 4:15-6:15, and taught by Linda Dickeson.

  • March 8 & 15 (four hours total)
  • April 7 & 14 (four hours total)

The workshops are now in the online staff development catalog so anyone can register.

Are you using WordPress?
If so, please write a comment to this blog and let us know how you are using it with your class.

Posted in Communication.

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By Lisa Sauer – March 1, 2010

literacy lab grade 1 reflections

Thank you, Grade 1 teacher leaders, for allowing me to share application resources as well as additional LPS resources for you to access as you explore on your own.  As you reflect on our hour together, I would appreciate additional suggestions and ideas.

Please leave a comment with this blog or email me at lsauer@lps.org. Want to be adventurous? Access the Grade 1 Literacy Lab webpage with  an LPS homepage keyword search: ozgk.

Free membership at Gocomics.com

Posted in Lesson Plans.

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By Lisa Sauer – March 1, 2010

fun friday

Enjoy this fun video clip from YouTube.  This “Fun Friday” page is an option, mostly for grades K-2, to use with students.  But all will enjoy,  even if you aren’t in kindergarten!

Think about those quick five minute activities in your class.  Tell me your students wouldn’t smile as they watch short Hooked on Phonics clip.

If you want to know more about accessing and organizing video resources for your class, send a reply comment to this blog post.  If you have other resources, let us know so we can share.

Posted in Presentation.

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By Lisa Sauer – February 26, 2010

give me five and a projector

Make  your projector and your laptop and your speakers work for you.  Command the technology in your classroom.

The short, informational video clips from the The Future Channel are interesting ways to keep students engaged during those transitional moments throughout the day. Or check out the LPS Media Center’s Digital Content Resources for more ideas.

one small, creative step at a time

one small, creative step at a time

The Future Channel is a great resource, especially as many LPS students begin research projects or continue to search topics for the research projects. (Some video clips require a paid subscription; however, there are many that do not.)

Technology in the classroom does not necessarily need to be a 20 or 30 minute lesson or chunk of time inserted into your day.  As you begin to use technology in your class, don’t allow the technology to become overwhelming; rather, learn to use short bursts of two-three minutes throughout the day.  A brief video clip might be just the tool needed to help your class re-focus.

Let the technology work for you.  Small learning, creating, motivating steps.  One step at a time.

How are YOU using the projector in your classroom with less than five minutes?  Please post your comments and ideas to share with others.


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By Lisa Sauer – February 25, 2010

anyway

After recently reading the book “Anyway”, The Paradoxical Commandments by Kent M. Keith, I particularly enjoyed the chapter highlighting this commandment:

“What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.  Build anyway.”

As both teachers and learners, we spend a great deal of time building.  We build lesson plans and projects and goals and teams and yes, we even build relationships.  Today as I worked with teachers to explore new technologies to build better websites for better access to better learning for a better classroom, I found myself a bit frustrated, asking myself, what IS the point in all of this?anyway

Then I thought about a few other things I’ve built:  lego pirate ships and fire stations; sandcastles; turkey dinners; swing sets; camping vacations; go-carts; gardens; bookshelves; websites.

I hope I continue to enjoy building, even when I wonder why.

Posted in Reflection.

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By Lisa Sauer – February 23, 2010

literacy lab: kindergarten

Thank you, kindergarten teacher leaders, for allowing me to share application resources as well askindergarten additional LPS resources for you to access as you explore on your own.  As you reflect on our hour together, I would appreciate additional suggestions and ideas.

Please leave a comment with this blog or email me at lsauer@lps.org. Remember, you can access the Webpage with resources by with an LPS homepage keyword search:  bspx.

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By Lisa Sauer – February 22, 2010

literacy lab: grade 2 reflections

Ralph Waldo EmersonThank you, grade 2 teacher leaders, for allowing me to share application resources as well as additional LPS resources for you to access as you explore on your own.  As you reflect on our hour together, I would appreciate additional suggestions and ideas.

As you learn to enjoy Comic Life, perhaps you might want to check out an interesting site for comic resources called GoComics.  Read on for a bit of information regarding the site:  With your Free GoComics membership, you have access to the largest online collection of Comic Strips, Editorial Cartoons and Single Panel Comics.

Log in at http://www.gocomics.com/ now to pick the comics you would like to follow. With decades of archived comics it can be a little overwhelming. We suggest searching by Top 10, Tags and Today’s Popular to get started.

Other To Do’s:
•       Find a worthy comic and add it to your Favorites Collection
•       Tag a comic so you can easily find it later
•       Post a Comment on a Strip
•       Send a Comic to a Friend
•       Personalize your Profile page with a cool avatar

Please leave a comment with this blog or email me at lsauer@lps.org. Remember, you can access the Webpage with resources by with an LPS homepage keyword search:  pxpu.

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By Lisa Sauer – February 17, 2010

hear the years

As I was searching the web for educational resources, more specifically–thinking devices– for teachers to use with students, I found a popular YouTube music video I hadn’t seen for quite a while. It dances you through several decades of music history.

Playing a video clip while the students walk to and from the mobile lab to retrieve the laptops is one way technology can work for you in the classroom.   You will see students engaged as they watch thought-provoking, real-life topics.  And no worry, your students will still be very careful about walking back to their seats.

This video might not appeal to your teaching style.  Personalize how you might use this technique; think about a video clip you’d like to share with your students while they are getting their laptops and preparing for the laptop lesson. Or  might there be other times throughout your day when there’s a need to “refocus”. No, not every day, but once in a while…

If you organize your video clips on a WordPress page, as modeled in the following list of blogs, you’ll always have great clips ready to go at just the touch of a mouse pad:

  1. SoniBravia:  Balls
  2. SoniBravia:  Paint
  3. Playing for change:  One Love
  4. Honda Cog

And if you can’t remember if you played the clip or not, add a comment at the end of the page to monitor which clips you played and when.

You can always check back with my blog.  I’ll add new ones here from time to time for you to use.

Do you have a favorite video clip, or topic, or idea, to share?  If so, please write a comment.

Posted in Thinking_Devices.

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By Lisa Sauer – February 16, 2010

literacy lab: grade 6 reflections

Thank you, Grade 6 teacher leaders, for allowing me to work with you February 17 and 18.  As you reflect on your professional growth as a writing teacher, Patsy listed a few LPS Writing guidelines for effective writing instruction:

In keeping with our Valentine theme

  1. Write daily
  2. Choice
  3. Writing conferences
  4. Writing notebook
  5. Instruction by demonstration
  6. High expectations
  7. Room structure
  8. Assessment
  9. Reading writing connections
  10. Professional development

Please feel free to add comments to this blog and share your thoughts with other participants regarding the technology component of your day.  What can we do to serve you and your students in the classroom?  Thank you for allowing me to work with you today.

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By Lisa Sauer – February 15, 2010

r u kidding?

I read an article last week suggesting, “If you want to effectively market your social network, you should tweet 6-9 times a day.”  It’s 5:30 p.m. and my  count  is still at zero. Time to get tweeting.  And look what do I get.twitter

So, instead of tweeting on Twitter, I think about what I do when life is Over Capacity.  The list of five (no technology) activities, might free up a few minutes in your day…to use as you wish:

Tip 1: Make enough oatmeal for breakfast to refrigerate the extra serving  and have left over for the next day’s breakfast .  (I also mix my brown sugar, nuts, dates in one container.  I like lots of goodies on my oatmeal.) And no cooking with that “quick” oatmeal.  Buy the good stuff.

Tip 2: Make a week of sandwiches on Sunday night. Add to your weekly grocery list a loaf of “healthy” bread, sliced cheese, sliced meat.  Build the sandwich in this order:  bread-cheese-meat-cheese-bread.  Cut in half, place sandwiches back in the empty bread bag, seal, and FREEZE.  Grab your sandwich in the morning with an apple and carrot sticks.  It will be thawed by lunch and it won’t be soggy! (add sauces and such at lunch)

Tip 3: Buy your birthday, holiday, anniversary cards a month ahead so you can mail your greetings on time.  My friends and family will appreciate my wisdom with this one.  It’s a fine tip I read many years ago..  Not my idea.  And unfortunately, it’s not a routine practice in my life.  I’m never on time with cards.

Sorry, I’m going to have to stop at three tips rather than five.  All other tips involve technology.

Send a comment with YOUR most creative way to to avoid “Over Capacity”. No technology allowed.

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By Lisa Sauer – February 15, 2010