Digital Tornado

Free Blogs and Forums for Schools, Teachers, and Students

2008-11-30T14:50:00.000-08:00

As discussed earlier, dynamic text creation allows for learning through interactivity, peer-tutoring, and learning.

It's now possible for schools, teachers, and students to build free online educational blogs and forums thanks to some of Elvis' new online resources:

Schools
http://blogsforschools.info
http://schoolblogs.info
http://eslblogs.info
http://blogsforesl.info
http://eslforums.info
http://schoolforums.info

Teachers
http://blogsforteachers.info
http://teachersblogs.info.info
http://eslblogs.info
http://blogsforesl.info
http://eslforums.info
http://teacherforums.info

Students
http://blogsforstudents.info
http://studentsblogs.info
http://eslblogs.info
http://blogsforesl.info
http://eslforums.info
http://studentforums.info

Any questions? Contact Elvis for guidance.

Educators: Start Your Engines. Get Set. Blog!

2008-04-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

It has been more than a month since the "Student Dynamic Text Creation" Technology Presentation was presented at Hoover High School. Close to 50 staff, faculty, and administration members participated in the two separate sessions identifying the educational potential of student dynamic text creation through online blogs, forum discussions, and interactive educational online communities. The presentation was inspired in part by various article texts from the Fall 2006 edition of the Southland Council of Teachers of English Sunspots publication. Click here to access the Sunspot articles online.
We now have a "digital sandbox" where we can practice and fine-tune our blogging skills. Please click on the following link, sign up, and start blogging today.
http://digitaltornado.21classes.com/

New Character-Education Online Community,

2008-04-22T22:38:00.001-07:00

As part of our Character-Education unit, close to 100, 10th grade AVID and English 10th students are participating in our Edu-Social community fostering ethics and social integrity at: http://www.iamresponsible.snappville.com
You are invited to participate in this community and add your constructive comments to the student-created character-quality-centered blogs in the BLOGS section.
It is important to note that virtually all community colleges and universities currently offer online courses centering around online forum discussions, blog-entries, and online interaction. While most of our students misuse the internet through a variety of ill-advised online resources such as the infamous "MySpace" or "Friendster" social communities, it is up to us, teachers, to create online educational resources that project the type of online learning and behavior we expect our students to engage in.

Blogger - Blog Creation Training Videos

2008-03-30T13:35:00.001-07:00

Would you like to create your own individual blogs through Blogger.com?
Here are some step-by-step videos on how to sign-up and create your very own free blog(s) on blogger.com:

Practice Blogging in Our New Blogging Community

2008-03-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

There's nothing to fear when you blog with peers and have your questions answered along the way.
You're invited to participate in our brand new, "unofficial" blogging community where the Hoover faculty and staff family can create blogs within a blog community. Simply click on "Sign Up" to begin your own blog.
Please visit: http://digitaltornado.21classes.com/

For the next two weeks, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 3-4PM after school, Ioan Elvis Sersea will be available in Rm. 269 (next to Mrs. Emmett's room)for online blogging guidance.

Once we can create our own blogs, we will discuss ways in which we can adopt blogs as part of our classroom assignments and share our joint examples and expertise.

Dynamic Text Creation - Choices and Examples

2008-03-06T03:54:00.000-08:00

You are invited to click on some of the following links featuring some of the many online opportunities of engaging our students in dynamic text creation.

BLOGS

http://www.blogger.com

http://www.21classes.com

http://www.wordpress.com

Blog Examples:

Blogger:
http://www.mrsersea.blogspot.com
http://www.welcometousa.blogspot.com

21Classes:

Educational Student Blogs: http://teachmehelpme.21classes.com/

Social Student Blogs: http://teachmehelpme.21publish.com/

WordPress:
http://www.teachmehelpme.net

Forums/Discussion Boards

http://www.proboards.com
http://www.vaestro.com/about_vaestro
http://www.simplemachines.org/
http://www.phpbb.com/index.php

Online Forums/Discussion Boards Examples:

ProBoards
http://www.englishlearners.proboards58.com/
http://www.englishlearners.proboards58.com/index.cgi?board=lnhssei
http://www.maestrosersea.proboards31.com/

Vaestro
http://www.vaestro.com/viewthread-118-149-244

Simple Machines Sample (in progress)
http://www.learnmystory.com/forum/

Edu-Social Communities

Edu-Social Communities Samples:
http://edusocialnetworks.com/
http://www.learnenglishonline.snappville.com
http://www.learnspanishonline.snappville.com
http://www.learnfrenchonline.snappville.com

Sample Interactive Project using online reading, discussion forum, and Vaestro audio forum:
http://www.englishlearners.proboards58.com/index.cgi?board=assignmentsvoa&action=display&thread=1146815020

Welcome to Digital Tornado - Where Hoover Faculty and Staff Goes Digital

2008-03-06T03:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome aboard,
Digital Tornado is the "unofficial" online place for GUSD's Hoover High School faculty and staff to connect to technological advances beneficial for educators.
Here we will host a wide range of internet technology topics of interest to educators and schools and discuss possible solutions in bridging classroom teaching with available online resources.
Hoover faculty and staff can participate in this technology-based digital conversation by responding to the entries here, or by clicking on the "Google Grand Central" button which leads to either an actual voice mailbox, or to a live phone conversation with yours truly, Ioan Elvis Sersea, aka MaestroSersea, aka Elvis Tornado.