Wikis

I had been to Wikipedia to get basic information several times before this challenge. I usually checked to make sure the info was accurate through another source because I knew that it is open to anyone to edit. I had never tried adding to a Wikipedia entry myself though. I wasn't sure what I knew enough about to be able to go to Wikipedia page either add to it or correct an error on it. I finally decided to check out the page for a high school in my hometown. Much to my surprise I did know something that wasn't already there. Adding my new information was very easy and quick.
I also set up my own Wiki just to try it out. It was very easy to set up and start working on. We have some Wikispaces at my school, including one for our technology plan.I do think it's a great concept and would be great for students who are doing a group project particularly in middle and high school.I am thinking about ways we might be able to use a wiki in my particular department at some point this year.

A High Tech Treasure Hunt

One of my favorite uses of technology is Geocaching. Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunting game. People (geocachers)use handheld GPS devices (even the ones in Smartphones can be used) to find geocaches. I have embedded a short video from Geocaching.com below. I love that Geocaching takes me to places that I had never heard of before. Just last week when I was in NY my dad and I found a geocache at a freshwater spring near my parents house we didn't know existed.(and they have lived there for 35 years).Once you have a handheld GPS device Geocaching is free. It has also been a great thing to do when I have been on vacation. I have found Geocaches in places like Idaho, Utah and Florida. Geocaches can be under water, up in a tree, under a log,or in a lamppost in your local Target parking lot. There are many hidden along the American Tobacco Trail (including a few owned by me).Geocaches can be very small, pretty big or anywhere in between and come in all sorts of containers.The great thing is that you can decide how challenging you want the hunt to be and pick caches to find that work for you. (geocaching.com rates them with terrain ratings (how difficult it is to get to) and difficulty ratings (how difficult it is to find once you get there). There are over one million geocaches worldwide and over 800 within 40 miles of Raleigh.
Check out the world of Geocaching. You won't be disappointed!
Here is a two minute video from www.geocaching.com.


This Powerpoint presentation has lots of good information about Geocaching.

landforms

landforms, a gallery on Flickr.

This is my Creative Commons/flickr project. I put together a gallery of pictures of different landforms. I would use this to engage students when beginning a unit on landforms. I would show a picture and have the students describe what they see as we come up with definitions of each of the landforms.