Thing No. 19

TeacherPop:

TeacherPop is a great site that allows teachers to communicate and share ideas about teaching, activities, new software, problems they're experiencing, solutions to problems and much more. When a teacher has an idea about something, they can post a blog about the idea. Other teachers can then read the blog, use the information if they find it useful, and give their own opinions on the topic. If another teacher uses this information with their class, she can go back to the blog and write about her experiences with this new technology. Teachers can then see what might work with their students. If that information given the blog was tried on several 2nd grade classes and worked unsuccessfully, you can know as a 2nd grade teacher that maybe that technology is not the appropriate grade level. First hand experiences are some of the best research you can get when learning new ways to teach a lesson. Goodreads.com: I really like this site. It allows members to sort through all sorts of different books, post their own reviews, and rate the books. These books will be put on your own "book shelf". The site also compares your shelf to others and makes suggestions for future books to read and friends to make. Along with a rank and comment, each book includes detailed information about the author, publishing, websites (if available), ISBN numbers, and a summary of the book. The site allows you to discuss books with other members. There are even role player blogs for fans of books like Harry Potter.

I am a member of facebook, myspace, Intersect, and goodreads. I could use goodreads.com to find children's books and literature for my classes. I can also look for reviews before I decide on using a book for a class. I found one of my former teachers on goodreads.com and she has many useful books on her shelf. I think students could benefit from this site as well. It can help them keep track of all the books they have read and help them find other books that might interest them. Reading is an important skill and most kids don't get enough in. I think everyone would read a lot more if they truly enjoyed and were interested in what they were reading.


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