Thursday, August 9, 2007

Information Overload

Today I set up my first bloglines account. It took me hours to figure out what I was supposed to do, and then when I finally did, I think I overdid it. I selected several feeds from blogs that are discussing science education. Now, I just need the time to read the articles, and listen to the discussions. As I understand it, I will be notified every time one of these blogs is updated. Does that mean I don't need to go back and read all the previous postings? It's kind of the way I feel about scrapbooking. All of my children are grown, and the thousands of accumulated family photos are resting in 50 gallon plastic storage tubs. I can't fathom the time and effort involved in digging through those archives, so I have lately begun creating scrapbooks of current family events. In the case of these science blogs, I think I will familiarize myself with the basic tenets of each, and then just follow the most recent discussions.
Speaking of blogs, I've noticed several that may be interesting for our students. Soon I will post a list that they might want to check out. If any of you find interesting blogs, websites or podcasts that would be appropriate for middle school students or their parents, let me know.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Well Mrs. Grutter I am truly impressed that you set this up all by yourself. I think it will be a great tool for you and your students.

Unknown said...

Hi Mrs. Grutter, well you're certainly ahead of me on this one! I don't know much about blogs, wikis and so forth...but I know someone who does *ahem...dave*. I just wanted to let you know I've checked out your blog and I'll be on the look out for sites that might be of interest to your 7th graders.

The_Baron said...

Mrs. Grutter, I think you have done an excellent job. I had to create a website for an online class before, and it certainly is a lot of work. The only websites that jump out at me right now are HowStuffWorks.com and YouTube.com. HowStuffWorks is great at explaining complex ideas in real world terms. And YouTube or Video.Google.com can actually both be very good resources for educational videos if you spend a little time looking. I have found many anatomy videos and math videos. I am certain you could find some very interesting videos that would pertain to your class with out the fear of copyright infringement.

John Toolin said...

Wow, you are too cool. Great job. I have never learned how to do this. It makes me think back to when I went back to college because you knew more than I did. Well, it won't happen this time.

Unknown said...

Well done Mrs Grutter. Can you post pictures as well?

Mrs. Grutter said...

I am so grateful for all the support I get from my family. They always help me out when I need it, and even better, they applaud me when I try something new. They are the BEST.