Check out the weather at Garfield...soon

Soon I should have the weather station broadcasting to the web. I hope. The station is set up and working. The receiver is connected to the computer and the "virtual weather station" is working. Now I just need to figure out how to get the data from the station uploaded to the internet. I aim to be part of the "Weather Exchange" if all works out.
Plans are to have the weather shown on one of the channel on the school's tv system and have the student broadcast use our "green screen" feature on VisCom II to do the weather during their weekly (or maybe daily) broadcast.
After our trip to the ABC 12 studios they are pumped to be able to use our technology to improve our broadcast.
Well, I'll post when our weather station is broadcasting onto the net.

What comes next?

Back from the MACUL Conference and now what? How to get these great ideas for technology integration into the hands of the staff and students? My principal, bless her heart, is very supportive of having students use technology and she wants the staff to become conversational tech literate.

I have just finished a short (35min) PD with some of the staff here at school. Had 7 attend the session on what Web 2.0 is about and some of the tools and websites that they can start to explore and use. The biggest interests were Discovery Streaming and the way to build assignments and Google Earth. I also breezed through blogging, podcasts, social bookmarking, online photo-albums (i.e. Picasa), and 2 open-source art programs (Art Rage and Tux Paint).

Now they need time to digest these tools and to explore them. I know having weekly sessions on Thursday mornings will help them to work on these tools and begin to integrate them into their classrooms.

Well it's a start and I know they will take baby steps now but should soon be running with their new found tools.

Just a few days away

In just 3 days I'll be at this year's MACUL conference in Grand Rapids.
macul.org
I am looking forward to my session on Inspiration (nervous as all get out too).
The team I am with as part of the MI Technology Champions program is excited about attending for their first time. I know they will get a ton out of the conference and the breakout sessions.

This past week our school had its science fair. It was OK. The projects were more varied then past years. After seeing the projects at my son's school I was pleasantly surprised that our students' projects were on comparatively the same quality level.
Thanks to all the teachers who worked so hard to help out their students and the projects. Thanks also to the intervention team for stepping up and helping me put on the fair and the family open house Thursday night.