PLN update

I am learning a lot and finding great links from everyone in class. Twitter, not so much. I think part of the problem is that it is summer. I find it hard to come up with questions that I need help with right now, seems most other people are probably in the same boat since a lot of posts there are more related to what people are doing travel-wise.

I am getting a lot of sites marked to favorites and trying to figure out how i will use things but even that is hard because I am not even certain of what i will be teaching until sometime in August. I feel right now I am just stockpiling morsels for the fall.

Micrographia Link

Here is a link that takes you to the National Medical Library and Hooke's Book Micrographia. This is the guy who coined the term cell while looking at cork. Great way to talk about how technology influences science.

Hooke's Book

edited photo

On my iGoogle page, I have an Artwork of the Day box, todays artwork was by Vermeer, Portrait of a Young Woman. During a unit in biology we talk about chromosomal abnormalities like Down's syndrome. when i saw this painting it looked to me like that is what the girl has. So, I made a collage with an image from creaive commons and thought it could be useful in class. Ties art to science and just could start conversations about how different conditions were viewed through history.

Fun Book

I did not really look closely at this, but I love the 1960's images in it. Found it on a link (somehow) on creative commons.
the golden book of chemistry experiments -robert brent

Not really science

PBS kids plays this song on the commercials and I just found out who sings it so thought I'd post

Week 2 Summary

End of week two, here is what I learned;

Aggregators- Nice way to see what is new.

PLN- Still have a way to go to establish one. I would like to also get member from my school, district,and state involved with this. I know that it was mentioned (Eric?) that they are beneficial for getting ideas from other places/states but i think that I really need local input this year. Our curriculum is basically canned and mandated by the state. This is the first year all ) teachers (in our district will be trained and implementing it. I think it will be good to exchange with others teaching this new curriculum ideas about what is going well and what the shortcomings are. People in other states may not be able to do that since they are not required to do the same activities we are.

Classroom 2.0- joined and am waiting approval. A little nervous about the PD on-line. Though I am not sure at this point how it will be very different from on-line chats and discussions in other on-line classes I have taken through MSU.

Other- Like the iGoogle (thanks TMoran). While I feel not quite as overwhelmed this week I just don't feel completely organized. Google gets me to blogger and blogger gets me to twitter, but I am also checking my school e-mail, personal e-mail, facebook, MSU (other class). Everytime I sit down there are at least 4 places I need to go. I wish there was a way that I could see all of these things in one,or even 2,places. Google reader doesn't allow me to connect everything...unless I am missing something.