Tag: integration

Back-to-School EduTweetUp (August 2010)

The first Memphis EduTweetUp was such a success that we all agreed to have another once the new school year began. All K-12 educators are invited to join us for food and fun as teachers from many different schools and districts connect and share ideas. The evening will conclude with a Web 2.0 Smackdown during which attendees can volunteer to share quick demos (under 3 minutes) of some of their favorite Web 2.0 tools and services. Note that free wi-fi will be available in the dining room. We’ll also have a computer projector and screen.

We’ll be meeting at Panera Bread (4530 Poplar) from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on Tuesday, August 31, 2010. Please help us spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, on your blog(s), email, etc., and include the event tag: #metu. Note that Non-Twitter-using teachers are absolutely welcome to join us, too. There is no registration fee but please help us make appropriate restaurant reservations by RSVP-ing using the buttons in the Tweetvite widget below.

Proposed Agenda

Event Tag: #metu

Requesting Your Assistance: Making the Curriculum POP!

One of the professional development workshops I’m facilitating this week is titled Making the Curriculum Pop. We’ll be focusing on the use of digital media and alternative text selections to engage students’ interest in “pop” culture. I would appreciate any ideas for connecting music, TV, movies, newspapers, magazines, etc. with the curriculum, as well as links to images, audio, video, resources, etc. that you can share. I’ll certainly credit you for your suggestions, too.

Memphis EduTweetUp: About the Web 2.0 Smackdown

We’re planning on concluding next week’s Memphis EduTweetUp with a Web 2.0 Smackdown. Here are a few details for those unfamiliar with a smackdown.

Rules and Organization

Volunteers will choose one of their favorite Web 2.0 tools or social technologies and quickly demo it for the group making sure to share ways that it can be integrated with teaching and learning.

Each demo is allowed a maximum of 3 minutes. Finish in under the time limit or face the Smackdown!

Warning: This is fast and frantic (and lots of crazy fun) — Thus the term SMACKDOWN!!!! The goal is to involve as many people as possible and learn about as many new resources as possible.

Please RSVP
Please help us make appropriate restaurant reservations by RSVP-ing regarding your attendance here.

Invite Others
Please help us spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, your blog(s), email, etc., and include the event tag: #metu.

Event Tag: #metu

Ready steady... Go - Day 86 of Project 365

Memphis EduTweetUp (May 2010)

All K-12 educators are invited to join us for food and fun as teachers from many different schools and districts connect and share ideas. The evening will conclude with a Web 2.0 Smackdown during which attendees can volunteer to share quick demos (under 3 minutes) of some of their favorite Web 2.0 tools and services. Note that free wi-fi will be available in the dining room. We’ll also have a computer projector and screen.

We’ll be meeting at Amerigo Italian Restaurant (1239 Ridgeway Rd.) at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, May 11, 2010. Please help us spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, on your blog(s), email, etc., and include the event tag: #metu. Note that Non-Twitter-using teachers are absolutely welcome to join us, too. There is no registration fee but please help us make appropriate restaurant reservations by RSVP-ing using the buttons in the Tweetvite widget below.

Proposed Agenda

Event Tag: #metu

End of Ed. Tech. Course Student Reflection

This is a really promising start for this future teacher. Kudos to AllyBii and her teacher(s).

Integrating Computer Games

Creating game-based learning environments or experiences using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) games is becoming an increasingly tenable, valuable, and popular instructional method. COTS games are computer or video games created for entertainment purposes. A few popular examples are SimCity, Age of Empires, ZooTycoon, and Railroad Tycoon.

My good friend Dennis Charsky invited me to co-author Integrating Commercial off-the-Shelf Video Games into School Curriculum. Ten suggestions to help educators effectively integrate COTS games are shared in this research article. Below is an overview along with a few notes from this publication.

10 Things To Do When Integrating a Commercial off-the-Shelf Video Gam

View more presentations from Clif Mims.

Suggested Reading for 02/25/2010

The Millennials: Confident. Connected. Open to Change. – Pew Research Center

Phished through Twitter – Dr. Leigh Zeitz

The Thin Red Line… – Jenny Luca

Gifted Teacher Wins First STELLAR Award – Huntington News

The Facebook Imperative – TechCrunch

Encadré (Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro)

Day 2: MECA 2010

2010 MECAToday is the first full day of the 2010 Mississippi Educational Computing Association (MECA) Conference. The temperature dropped below 40 degrees overnight, so it is cold outside today (The conference site is 2 blocks from the hotel). I know this isn’t all that cold to many of you, but the temperature combined with the biting cold is extreme for this region.

Here are my notes from Day 2.

Event tag: #msmeca10

Day 1: MECA 2010

2010 MECAI’m excited to be working with educators in Mississippi this week. I grew up in Mississippi and still consider it “home.” I also taught middle school here and most recently taught at the University of Mississippi before making the move to Memphis. I’ve also been a consultant with the MS DOE at different times in recent years. I’m teaching/ sharing 5 workshops and presentations here at the 2010 Mississippi Educational Computing Association (MECA) Conference. Day 1 of the conference included afternoon sessions and activities in the hall of exhibitors.

Here are a few notes from my Day 1 experience.

Event tag: #msmeca10

Thank You


I’d like to thank those that nominated my various web resources for the 2009 Edublog Awards. These and other kinds of demonstrations of support are encouraging and appreciated. It’s overwhelming to be listed among these outstanding educators from around the world.

With great appreciation,
Clif