Classroom Exchange?!?

Hi friends!

I've been reading Alan November's "Empowering Students with Technology" for my school. When our leadership team went to the conference in June, our principals asked us to read the books that were given to us and we all partnered up and are giving a presentation about the books to the rest of our school. 

I chose this book because I feel like it is completely applicable to our everyday actions as teachers and (hello!) I love technology {and blogging!}. The book talks about exactly what the title says... empowering students with technology. Dr. November makes the analogy that we are often "automating" our technology- teaching the kids how to use it, but nothing really more. This is like using a $1,000 pencil {the computer} to write a paper.  Sure, it makes our lives easier, but what are they really getting from it?!

If you are here, you *probably* feel differently about technology. You read teacher blogs because you are dedicated to teaching and making learning for your students the best that it can be! Blog-land is like a *huge* team where we collaborate and share. THIS is how we are empowered as teachers. We have ALL these resources at our fingertips! So how do we do this for our students??

This is where my idea came from - I want my school to participate in a *classroom* exchange - kind of like pen-pals, but through technology and obviously amped up a bit ;) I knew that I could probably find lots of teachers who were willing to correspond back and forth maybe once a month or even less with teachers in my school. This correspondence might be sharing pictures about something that your grade level would be learning about together or about your geography, common books you've read, really the possibilities are endless! I would like to set it up as a collaborative blog so that you could post as you wanted and for older grades I would *love* to see student comments, writing, etc in response to what you have posted.  I would like there to be at least a few teachers per grade who are willing to participate. I've set up a blog for this purpose:

If you would be interested in participating, please reply with a comment. I am just kind of putting my feelers out there right now - Please leave the grade level you teach so I can get an idea if this is feasible or not. I'd *really* like for it to happen!!

If you have any other fabulous ideas about how this could work, please please leave a comment!
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38 comments

  1. What a great idea and novel idea! Would love to participate and see how this goes. :)

    Gladys
    teachinginhighheels.blogspot.com

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  2. Sounds interesting! I teach third grade. =)
    Christi ツ
    Ms. Fultz’s Corner

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  3. Ooops...forgot to say that I teach 1st. ;)

    Gladys
    teachinginhighheels.blogspot.com

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  4. What a fantastic idea, I would love to participate. I did Skype with a class a few years ago and it was great. I teach kindergarten in Florida.

    ✰ Stacy

    Simpson Superstars

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  5. I'd love to participate too!! I teach 1st grade (at the same school as Stacy!! :)) Great idea Nicole!
    Lisa
    Learning Is Something to Treasure

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  6. I'm in!!! :-) I've been looking for something like this!!!! I'm 2nd grade! Just let me know what you'd like me to do!!! :-)

    soaringthorughsecond@yahoo.com

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  7. I am interested! I teach kinder in TX. :)

    Erica
    Sprinkles to Kindergarten
    erica_crowder0612@yahoo.com

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  8. I am interested in seeing how this would work and for my kiddos to make friends across the country! :) I teach 1st grade in KS.

    ~Laura
    First Grade FUNdamentals

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  9. I'm in! I teach 2nd grade here at Texas. Thanks for this great opportunity, keep me updated :)

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  10. Totally intrigued! I teach Kindergarten in Michigan and will probably be drooling over your warm weather posts come January!

    jslootha@hamiltonschools.us

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  11. I would love to participate in something like this :) I teach 1st grade in Tennessee.

    Laura
    tattling to the teacher
    tattlingtotheteacher@gmail.com

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  12. This would be fun! I teach K!

    Linda
    Down the learning road
    Lnetzeband.at.gmail.com

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  13. I am creating a blog for my class this year! Sounds fun!

    I teach first in Manitoba, Canada

    Renee
    The Reading Corner

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  14. I would love to participate! I teach 2nd grade in Alabama.
    Barrow's Hodgepodge

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  15. Sounds fun. I have connected with classes through Skype, edmodo, and letters in the past. I teach fourth grade in Georgia.

    Heather
    Ugh it won't let me paste my code on my iPad right now
    Room4imagination.blogspot.com

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  16. I would love to participate in this! I teach Kindergarten in Virginia! I was thinking about setting up something similar at my school. It is an amazing idea!

    Thanks
    Karmen
    carmenb104@gmail.com

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  17. Hey Nicole! This sounds very cool!! I too am interested in seeing what this would look like and would like to participate. I teach 1st in Colorado.

    ❤ -Stephanie
    Falling Into First
    Fallingintofirst@gmail.com

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  18. I'd love to be a part of this! I teach 5th grade in Missouri.

    -Kelly
    kelly.honn@leesummit.k12.mo.us

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  19. This sounds really cool! I would love to participate! I teach 4th and 5th grade science in Texas.
    Smithl@fruitvaleisd.com

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  20. That sounds really fun! I teaching kindergarten in Seattle.

    stnguyen1@seattleschools.org

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  21. Nicole,
    I would love to participate!! I teach 3rd grade in Indiana.


    Aimee
    aimee@vanmiddlesworth.org
    Pencils, Books, and Dirty Looks

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  22. I would love to participate! I teach 4th grade in North Carolina!

    Sara
    sara.carico@gmail.com
    Fourth Grade Fanatics

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  23. I would love to participate! I teach 1st grade in Oregon.

    Diane
    The Teacher's Jungle
    dkbradner@gmail.com

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  24. I would love to participate in this! Sounds very fun :) I teach third grade in Delaware.

    Lauren
    Lauren.Kassner@smyrna.k12.de.us

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  25. I would love to participate! Sounds fun!!! I teach 1st grade in NC

    Jen
    jfranjione@alexander.k12.nc.us
    wildaboutteaching-kids.blogspot.com

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  26. I think this is a fabulous idea. I have been considering creating a teacher blog...just haven't actually done it yet. I would like to participate. I teach Gifted/Talented for 2nd - 6th grade in MS.

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  27. I'm interested. I teach Pre-K in Louisiana.

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  28. Yes! I would love to participate and I teach in California.

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  29. Yay! This sounds AWESOME! Count me in! I will be teaching middle school in Eek, Alaska.

    reading_divaak1@yahoo.com

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  30. I would love to participate! I teacher Kindergarten in VA :)

    cbowns11@gmail.com

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  31. I would like for my class to participate! I teach K in Tennessee!
    Sarah
    sebbers@bellsouth.net

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  32. This sounds really interesting... I see you have a LOT of Kindergarten teachers already volunteering but if you are looking for one more I'd love to join in. I teach Kindergarten in New York City. You suggested something about the older kids participating via comments what about the younger ones participating via video chats? We could have whole class chats (or watch videos from other classes) this would be especially useful when I teach my communities around the world unit. I could see each teacher making a small video/slide show with pictures of their community and the kids talking about things they like to do.... really teach the Kinders that no matter where you live and what you look like they all like similar things! Just a thought... I have lots more :)

    Looking forward to hearing from you,
    Stephanie
    sgies328@gmail.com
    MaMa Goose’s Kindergarten

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  33. I would LOVE for my class to participate! I teach 1st grade in Huntsville, AL.

    Looking forward to this coming together!

    Roxy Nelson
    trnelson87@gmail.com

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  34. Think it would be great to participate. I teach 1st grade in Lexington, KY! Keep me posted!

    Amy Coates
    amycoates@me.com

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  35. I would love to participate! I teach kinder in Breckenridge, TX.
    Thanks! Robyn
    kindergartenkiddos@hotmail.com

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  36. I am interested in participating too! I teach Kindergarten in Rhode Island!

    Amanda

    abagley@westwarwickpublicschools.com

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  37. Would love to do something like this! Is it okay that I don't have a blog though??
    I teach third grade- Thanks! Megan

    megjackson88@gmail.com

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Thanks for taking the time to chat with me!

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