Family and Life:
It is pouring rain here in southern California! Not a big deal for those of you in other parts of the country, but for us... wow! It hasn't stopped since 6:30 last night. My poor dog has to be dragged outside to do his business.
I spent Friday and Saturday at the CUE (Computer Using Educators) conference in Palm Springs. Talk about heaven. Nice hotel, fun colleagues, a break from the usual routine, and LOTS of technology. I have never seen so many iPads in my entire life; it's difficult not to have tech-envy even though I don't need an iPad. I mean, really, I've got a smart phone and a laptop already. But... they are pretty cool.
I attended workshops on iPhoto, Garageband (how to make podcasts), Adobe Photoshop, digital literacy, 10 Advanced Google Tips, digital storytelling, Glogster (online posters that are pretty darn cool), and using iPads in the classroom.
So, the big question is... How do I get enough money to buy a class set of iPads or Mac laptops and get wi-fi at my school? I have so many amazing ideas in my head for the classroom, but we have PCs and no wi-fi. If you have an iPad, what's your favorite thing about it?
My new goal: attend a week-long workshop with Digital Media Academy and at the same time have my daughter do a kid-version. I am seriously considering doing it this summer in San Diego at UCSD. If I register and pay by April 15 I get a free iPad2 (no idea how many GB, etc). That was the promotional deal from one of my workshops.
Books and Reading:
Oh, and I did NO reading the whole weekend. What's up with that? Instead of reading in the evening, I hung out around a fire pit with my librarian colleagues, which was awesome. I have finally started Born Under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield and I am liking it so far. My book group chose Disobedience by Jane Hamilton. Has anyone read this one?
4 comments
I'm trying to resist buying an ipad2. I really don't need it, but it's just hard to look away. I love attending tech conferences, I come back with so many ideas and technologies to try.
Hi Helen! I wonder if you might be able to share any information that you've accumulated at your workshops concerning the use of IPads in the classroom. I have a personal one and we have smartboards in our rooms. From my understanding, there is a way to hook up the IPad to the smartboard.
Love to chat via email. If you have the time, you can shoot me one at readingthruthenight (at) gmail (dot) com. :D
Disobedience by Jane Hamilton, A Map of the World, The Book of Ruth
Hi Helen,
I read The Book of Ruth with Oprah, many years ago. I also read Jane Hamilton's A Map of the World, which I liked even more. I had not heard of Disobedience, so I went straight to my library's web site and put it on reserve. I'll be reading it "with you" (sort of). When will your book group discuss it?
~~~ Bonnie
Aths--I don't really need an iPad at all, but I've just registered for a week-long Digital Media Academy at Stanford this summer and I get a free iPad2!
Christina--I'll email you about the iPads in the classroom session that I attended. It was pretty cool.
Bonnie--We are discussing Disobedience on April 21 so I'll probably read it just before then. We read Book of Ruth and Map of the World, too, but it was so long ago I've forgotten them, but I do remember liking them.
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