More PD In Your PJs From @SimpleK12

Some of you may know but, in my spare time I do presenting for Simple K12. These free webinars are on a wide variety of topics. There are loads of other great presenters too who present on a whole host of topics. Everything from iPads, to flipped classrooms, to time management. (You can view the entire list here.) Yes, they are free. So cool right?


Well, the bunnies at Simple K12 have outdone themselves this time and created their first virtual conference. Every 30 minutes for 24 hours there will be a webinar, completely free.


What can you learn about? Perhaps the better question is, “What WON’T you learn about?”  Conference sessions cover ALL of the latest educational trends and topics, such as:

• Google Earth
• iPads For Educaiton
• Free Web Tools
• 21st Century Projects
• Blogging
• Google Maps
• Podcasting
• And More!

There is so much,  you will have to just check it out for yourself. Oh, and its free too. So it doesn't get much better than that. 


The conference starts April 26 at 8am EDT. 


Head over to the conference site to learn more and to sign up for the webinars. 


Hope to see you there!

Who is your favorite?

Part of my classroom library one year

Do you have a favorite author?

How many books have you read by that author?

Did you enjoy reading one book by that author so much that you went in search of other books by that author?

I admit that I do that as an adult reader. I greatly enjoyed reading Walking Across Egypt by Clyde Edgerton, so search for other books written by that author. I have enjoyed most of the books I have found, and I have found many books I would not have in any other way.

I often use that as an example when I hear students say that they don't know what to read next.

Looking back, I can't tell you how many Baby-sitter's Club books by Ann Martin I read growing up ... that was an author and series that I enjoyed reading. Judy Blume was another one of my favorite authors.

Do our children have favorite authors?

Do they know how to find other book written by that author?

Do they know how to find interesting bits of information shared by that author?

Do you know many authors of books for children and young adults share ideas, upcoming books, frustrations, and even things to laugh about using various types of social media?

Many of the authors and publishers have facebook and/or twitter pages. I have found better information on some of the publisher pages. There are also a large number of author who share things on their blogs (and sometimes you can even find contests and projects for students on those blogs).

On a day of learning at Simplek12, I attended a webinar about connecting with authors on the web as a way to motivate readers.

Here are just a few of the author with things out there for you to explore:

• Cynthia Leitich Smith (her webpage offers an EXTENSIVE list of info about authors on the web)
• Kate Messner (was a teacher, has a twitter acct, and an awesome blog post about starting a new book) She has a list of authors who skype with classes on her website!
• Grace Lin (has certain things she blogs about each day ... on Mondays she writes about what it on her desk and she shares fortune cookie Friday)
• Dan Santat
• Mo Willems

My challenge for you this week is to find a book you enjoy reading and then see what other information you can find on the author (and/or publisher) of that book.

Do Some Learning...In Your Slippers

There are some really good, free webinars coming up from Simple K12. The best part? They are free, and with many of them you get some great books to take back to your classroom.

Wish there were more hours in the day?  Need new ways to improve student work ethic?  Looking for FREE web tools to improve your lesson plans? We at SimpleK12 have found some amazing free web tools, tools that will not only save you time, but inspire your students too.  And the best part is - we're sharing all of these web tools with you at this  webinar!  Plus we're giving you a free copy of SimpleK12's most popular eBook, "Hidden Webtools for 2011". This webinar and eBook (Hidden Webtools for 2011) were designed
specifically for Teacher Learning Community members but we’re opening them to the public for FREE.

Presented By: SimpleK12

Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Time: 3:00-4:00 PM Eastern Time, USA

Participants will briefly explore the history of online learning from its roots in distance learning to the explosion of the past decade in online offerings. Special attention will be given to comparisons between the traditional and virtual learning environments. *This is webinar 1 of a 7 part webinar series: 21st Century Teaching: Virtual Classrooms brought to you by SimpleK12 and Florida Virtual School

Presented By: Florida Virtual School - Steve George

Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Eastern Time, USA

Discover how Google Forms can help you generate quick quizzes, surveys, and detailed spreadsheets with charts. This free tool helps make grading and collecting information from students a breeze. You will learn how to create a Google Form for a quiz, access the charts to evaluate data from multiple choice questions, and how to share the quiz/form with students. *Part of the webinar series: "The Wonderful World of Web Tools" -- a showcase of free, online classroom tools.

Presented By: Kim Munoz

Date: Thursday, May 19, 2011

Time: 5:00-5:20 PM Eastern Time, USA

Learn how to edit photos using Picnik, a free online photo editing service that’s a lot of fun and easy to use. It can be used to create cover pages for projects, diagrams for science, and other cool photos that can be used in a variety of projects. Examples of how it can be used in the classroom will be discussed, including how it can be used to help students understand the concept of "tone” and how it is conveyed.

*Part of the webinar series: "The Wonderful World of Web Tools" -- a showcase of free, online classroom tools.

Presented By: Kim Munoz

Date: Thursday, June 2, 2011

Time: 5:00-5:20 PM Eastern Time, USA

From new products to new features, it’s hard to keep up with everything going on at Google. Why not let the SimpleK12 Team do the work for you? We at SimpleK12 have selected our favorite Google Tips and Tools - from searching shortcuts you don’t know exist, to apps your students will die for – and during this webinar, we’re sharing them all with you! PLUS we’re giving all attendees a FREE copy of SimpleK12’s Workbook, “Searching with Google”, with real-life examples of how to use Google in the classroom. This webinar and Workbook were designed specifically for Teacher Learning Community members but we’re opening them to the public for FREE.

Presented By: SimpleK12

Date: Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Time: 3:00-4:00 PM Eastern Time, USA

Discover how to create engaging presentations using Prezi, an online, zooming presentation tool that allows the viewer to see the “big picture” as well as the small details in a presentation. Change your traditional PowerPoint slides into something amazing and engaging. In this session, you will learn how to create an account, how to make your first prezi, and examples of how to use Prezi in the classroom.

*Part of the webinar series: "The Wonderful World of Web Tools" -- a showcase of free, online classroom tools.

Presented By: Kim Munoz

Date: Thursday, June 16, 2011

Time: 1:00-1:20 PM Eastern Time, USA

Twitter has been described as a raging river of information. You can either jump in and ride the rapids or just dip in your toe. Either way, you are potentially going to be overwhelmed with information. So, how do you keep up with it all? Join Steven Anderson as he discusses just how he does it. Learn about the tools, tips, and tricks he uses to stay on top of the Twitter stream.

Presented By: Steven W. Anderson (@web20classroom)

Date: Thursday, July 7, 2011

Time: 3:00 PM-4:00 PM Eastern Time, USA

There are tons more webinars over the summer and if you become a member of the Teacher Learning Community you can take part in even more. Check out the webinar website for details on how to join the sessions and dates, times, and topics of other sessions.

So learn something new...in your bunny slippers!