Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Lake Benton Halloween

I'll be heading to Lake Benton today.

So, I'll be scaring all of them with my presence today.

Thursday, November 1st I will be out of the office, to attend an e-Rate training in Sioux Falls.

Everyone have a happy and safe Halloween!


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Oct. 30th Tuesday Teacher Tidbits: WolframAlpha

First of all:  Happy Halloween!


Today's Topic is:  Wolphram Alpha.

What is Wolphram Alpha?  Well, according to wikipedia it is, "Wolfram Alpha (also styled WolframAlpha and Wolfram|Alpha) is an answer engine developed by Wolfram Research. It is an online service that answers factual queries directly by computing the answer from structured data, rather than providing a list of documents or web pages that might contain the answer as a search engine might.[4]"

It's not a search engine, it's "smarter" than that... it tries to find the answers to things.  

It's pretty neat to play around with, and certainly something that could be used in classrooms.

All you need to do is type in your question in the search box, like so...




And then, after "computing" for a few seconds, Wolfram Alpha will give you some information:




It's really a neat tool, and something that can be used across the curriculum.  

Here is the answer to a math question:




Hope you enjoy your Halloween, and hope everyone gives Wolphram Alpha a try!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Monday, October 29th

The November Newsletter is online.  Click the link to read.

Reminder:  Teachers, if you want something in the newsletter, you need to get it to me by the due date.  My goal is to send to the office for publication at the end of the day, on the due date.

Weekend Wrap-up - The SDSU Jackrabbits had a successful Hobo Day with a decisive victory over Youngstown State.  I attended and had a great time.

This week, I'll be working with the Lifetouch Photo program, and loading the photos of the students onto infinite campus.

I'll also be making a trip out to Roland Colony again, to try and get Internet connectivity to a few of their computers.

Student computers with broken screens are being sent off, and are coming back.  If your student has turned in a laptop with a broken screen, check with me in the Technology Office to see if it has returned.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Best Movie Synopsis: Ever!

Saw this, and really enjoyed.



Amazing what a slight change of opinion can mean.


Hobo Day Edition


Tomorrow marks the 100th anniversary of Hobo Day at SDSU in Brookings, SD.

I have many fond memories of Hobo Day over the years.  I remember attending as a child and watching the parade with my parents.

I remember marching in the parade in HS band, and then we'd always get to watch the rest of the parade.  Always enjoyed the shenanigans of the "Hobos" who would be in the parade.

When I was in college, I was a Hobo for a few years.  It was pretty fun.

Not sure what # of Hobo Day this is for me, but I'll be there this Saturday.  First for the parade, then we'll proceed to the Tailgate and do some grilling, and go to the game.

SDSU faces a very good Youngstown State team this year, so hopefully the game will be entertaining.

Go Big.  Go Blue.  Go Jacks.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Never give up!

Saw this image today, and found it very appropriate for those of us in Education.




Call me crazy

But, I actually like the first snow of the year.  (as long as it isn't a blizzard).

Something about the smell of the snow in the air, the crisp feel of the temperature, makes me feel alive.

Maybe it's just the Northern German in me (from my Mother's side of the family), but I always enjoy the first snow of the year.

I actually like this.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Changing your password

A number of students and teachers have had to have their state e-mail password changed this year.

This is a state requirement, that your password is changed once a year.

If you need help resetting your password, I can do that for you.
(and have done it for several individuals this year)

-However, I can not "change" your password to what you want, I can only "reset" it to a random password of 8 numbers/letters/symbols

Each user, IS able to change their own password.

Just follow the following steps:

1.  All you have to do is go to the members website:  https://members.k12.sd.us/

2.  Once there, you click on "Member Sign-In" in the top right corner.












2.  Click on the "Sign-In" button






3.  Enter your username and password in the pop-up box.



4.  Click on the BLUE link that says:  Change your password

5.  Enter your "Old" password, and then you must type in a New Password twice.

- Your password needs to be 8 digits long.
- It must have 1 Capital letter (minimum)
- It must have 1 number and/or symbol


6.  Once you click "Submit", your password will be changed.

I hope this helps!


Friday, October 19, 2012

Friday, Oct 19th: Weekend Update

Cold, rainy, windy, blustery day out there again.


And now, for the Weekend Update.

Good Luck to Justin and Heidi tomorrow at the State CC Meet in Huron.  Go Elks.

Today I will be installing the projectors in grades K-3.  I hope to finish them all today.  If I do not, I may come in for a few hours this weekend, as I want this project finished.

We have returned several computers to Acer for screen repairs already this school year.  Students, please try to take care of your netbooks... use the shoulder strap bag you were provided, and do not throw them around.  Most, if not all, of the cracked screens so far have come from simple carelessness.

I watched last Tuesday's presidential debate while having Twitter open.  That was a whole new world.  I don't think I've ever enjoyed a debate as much.  Of course, I "follow" a number of comedians, and they spend most of their time cracking jokes and making fun of the candidates.

Next Monday is the third and final debate... if you plan on watching, take my advice and follow on twitter as well... very entertaining.

For the weekend, the SDSU Jackrabbits are traveling to face the Northern Iowa Panthers this weekend.  Huge game for the Rabbits, and not an easy opponent.

Otherwise, not a large agenda on the plate of the Harming family.  I'm sure we'll continue to do some things with our new home, and get a bit more squared away.

Today's friday video is from Pearl Jam

Enjoy:  Just Breathe


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Tuesday Teacher Tidbits: Podcasts

Today's Topic:  Podcasts

What is a podcast?  And how could we use them in education?

Well, here is the definition:

A multimedia digital file made available on the Internet for downloading to a portable media player, computer, etc

The following video (not tremendous) gives a brief breakdown of what a podcast is, and how you can do one.



Probably the most popular program used for podcasting is Audacity:  Which is a free, open source software program.

This is one thing I wish I would have done more of as a classroom teacher, it's not that difficult, and a great way to connect with students and parents.

I have heard of teacher putting their lectures online in a podcast format, so that their students can listen to them anytime and/or anywhere.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Monday, October 15th

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

First of all, congratulations to the SDSU Jackrabbits football team... with their 31-10 victory on Saturday, the Jackrabbits have moved into first place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, all by themselves.

Go Jacks!

Look who's leading the conference!

Tonight, I'll be tuning in to Monday Night Football to watch my beloved San Diego Chargers take on the Broncos of Denver.

I think I need to listen to a little P. O. D.


This week, I'll be focusing on getting the elementary projectors installed, installing the software on the computers for Roland Colony, and things of that nature.

Have a great week!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Friday, Oct. 12: Weekend Update


Congratulations to Justin and Heidi, as they qualified for the State CC meet yesterday.  It was windy and cold conditions in Flandreau yesterday.... proud of all the CC runners.

Good Luck to the Elk football team tonight as they host the Estelline Redmen.

I have the library's computers loaded, and should be putting them in today.  Will be able to start loading the computers for Roland colony soon.

I am planning on installing the projectors next week in Grades K-3.  Hopefully this goes smoothly.

Boys BB Coach Steve Erickson and I have been in discussions about 3rd and 4th grade boys basketball.  Keep your eyes peeled.

This weekend the South Dakota State Jackrabbits host the Western Illinois Leathernecks.  I am hoping to be in attendance.  Go Big.  Go Blue.  Go Jacks.

The Chargers actually play on Monday Night this week, so they won't be active until Monday.

The Harmings will be hanging around Elkton this weekend... doing some more stuff, getting the house in order.  Things are coming together pretty nicely.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

For the Friday Video, I thought I'd play a little Spoon.

Enjoy, "The Underdog"




Thursday, October 11, 2012

Region CC and a Funny.


Good Luck to the Elkton Cross Country teams today, as they run in the Region CC Meet in Flandreau!

Hope everyone does their very best today, and sets a personal best for the season.

I'll be leaving at 2:30 pm to attend the CC meet.

Also, I saw this picture last night on some social media site, and thought it was funny, and thought it would be a good "share" for the blog.


This is Genius!  I'm should start doing this at our house!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

October 10th

I will be working in Lake Benton today.

Thank you to everyone for your patience as I was out of the office yesterday with an illness.  Feeling a bit better today.

Last item today, a really cool video.

I heard about this on the radio this morning on my way to Lake Benton.

If you have a few minutes, take some time to watch.  (You may want to be alone, though)


Friday, October 5, 2012

October 5th: Weekend Update

I like this one... might use it every Friday.
Spent a great deal of time in Lake Benton the last few days, doing updates on the AVG antivirus program.  Ran into a little difficulty, as there were 4 different versions of AVG installed on the computers, so it really depended on which version was installed... one type would take about 2 minutes, another would take about 15.

Just recently discovered that the image on the Sophomore's computers is missing the "GeoGebra" program.  So, any Sophomore who needs to have Geogebra installed, can come and see me, and I will get it installed.

Next week, I should begin installing the projectors in grades K-3.  (applause!)  I will need to probably do it after school, since I'll be working in the ceiling tile area... we'll see how quickly it goes.

Still working on the "projector problem" for Mr. Gebhart and Mrs. Harming.  This has been driving me crazy, and I'm determined to get it figured out next week.

I am currently finishing up the installation on the new library computers, and then I have 3 computers to load up for the Roland Colony.  These are going pretty smoothly, and they should be done by the end of next week.

Weekend:

The SDSU Jackrabbits have a bye this weekend, so no Jacks game this weekend.

Congratulations to SDSU Women's BB Coach Aaron Johnston and his wife, Laurie, for the birth of their baby girl.

The San Diego Chargers play at the winless New Orleans Saints this weekend.  Despite the Saints poor record (0-4), I am expecting a tough game.  They are playing at home, and their banned Coach and GM (Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis) will be watching the game from the stands.  They'll be fired up.

For the Harming family this weekend, we'll just be doing a bit more unpacking, and making our house a home.  Building a dog kennel, getting things where we want them to be, that kind of thing.

Enjoy your extra Vacation day on Monday!

Good Luck to the Elks FB team tonight as they host the Colman-Egan CE-Hawks tonight.

For your weekend video this week, let's go with a little Florence and the Machine.

Enjoy "No Light, No Light"


Thursday, October 4, 2012

Video: 21st Century Classroom

Google in Education keeps posting a video each day this week.

This one is on how a HS teacher uses Youtube in his classroom.


Some pretty neat ideas in there.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Great video: Twas the week before finals...

Google in Education posted another great video on using Google products in education.

This time it is using Google+ Hangouts.



Good Luck to the Elkton-Lake Benton Cross Country Team today, as they run in the Dakota Valley Conference meet in DeSmet!

Go Elks!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Tuesday Teacher Tidbits: Websites

Did you know that this Friday is World Teachers' Day?

Inspiring Video below on the use of Google Drive - using forms to connect with students.




I really enjoyed that.

Just a quick note:  Tomorrow, October 3rd I will be working in Lake Benton, and then I will be leaving work at 12:30 pm to attend the Dakota Valley Conference Cross Country Meet held in DeSmet.

Instead of looking at tools and/or giving technology tips today, I thought it might be fun to share some interesting websites that you can possibly utilize in your classroom, or in research, or just in day to day work.

1.  http://www.google.com/edu/

-Google in Education website, just a good "portal" to access all of Google's education resources.
I really like this page - a showcase of student work using Google tools.  Great place to just get some ideas of things you can do.

2.  http://yesiknowthat.com/

-Interesting website with a lot of little know facts in all sorts of subject areas.
Good Example:  Article on Glaciers - could be useful in Science or Geography classes.

3.  http://mashable.com/

-Website dedicated to Social Media news and Web tips.
It's mostly Tech stuff, but there is a ton of information on here, like this article on Fake Apple Discount Cards.

4.  http://lifehacker.com/

-Website that focuses on technology, but also life in general, work, and just getting things done.
Example:  Enjoyed this article on why work stresses us out.

5.  http://tinybuddha.com/

-Just a neat little website with sayings and quotes to "find inner peace".  Great website to go to when you're feeling stressed out, anxious, nervous, etc.  Read a couple quotes, take a couple deep breaths, and go about your day.
Example:  Really liked this quote.  So much so, I printed it and hung it on my door yesterday.
(I actually discovered this website by following "Tiny Buddha" on Google+)
tiny buddha can help you relax.


6.  http://tvfury.wordpress.com/

-This is not really a classroom resource like the other websites, but still one I recommend.  TV Fury is the "pet writing project" of Terry Vandrovec (the Argus Leader SDSU beat writer) and Shawn Fury ( a writer in New York City).
-The neat thing about tvfury is that it's not just about sports, even though both of the writers are basically sports writers.  They cover all sorts of topics from movies, to the "big soda" ban in New York City, to just about everything under the sun.
-Both Shawn and Terry are both accomplished writers, so usually the articles are pretty darn good, and they post something new every single work day.
-The reason I include TVFury on this list, is not as an educational tool, but an example of the power of writing.  How can we include writing and the expression of our ideas in our classes?  TVFury shows that the number of topics, is basically...unlimited.
-Plus they also let the occasional "doofus" do a guest column for them, every once in a while.
.