ALN invites its users for Blogging Challenge 2009

Blogging is great way of sharing experiences and opinions online. The goal of ALN is to bring Math teachers together to talk about their common experiences.  Keeping a blog on this site is the perfect way to start this conversation.  This will help you reflect on your teaching and help other teachers learn from your experiences (even mistakes).  We are looking for math teachers to write about what is going on in their classes.  Nothing fancy, just tell us how class is going and what you are going to try next.

Sure, blogging would be great, but who has the time?

We know how hard it is to find time for "extra" activities like this.  But we think this will be a valuable experience for everyone here.  So we decided to add some incentive - Prizes!  Start blogging now and you could win subscriptions for you and your students to use the ExploreLearning Gizmos. 

All the ALN users are open to participate in the contest. All the blogs written during the period from Feb through May, 2009 will automatically be entered in the contest. In June a panel of teachers and administrators will decide who are the top bloggers.

• The #1 blogger will be rewarded with a year subscription to ExploreLearning Gizmos.
• The #2 blogger will get a 6 month subscription
  
• The next two bloggers will get 3 month subscriptions

The Gizmos subscriptions will start in September 2009 and are good for both you and your students. Not only this but your blogs will add to the online conversation about math teaching.

Have a question? Post it on the Blogging Contest Discussion

Judging

Blogs will be judged on:

a.  Use of original stories from the classroom
b.  Interest to math teachers
c.  Generation of discussions
d.  Introduction of new ideas
e.  Number and length of blogs

the Judges (who are not eligible) include foley, jkuser, JB, and icheng (and one more to be named later)

Rules:

1. Blogs must be original work (but you may also post them on another site)
2. Public blogs posted from Feb 15 to June 8th (new - formerly May 31) will be considered
3. Inappropriate language will disqualify a blogger

Why Gizmos?

The ExploreLearning Gizmos are a collection of virtual manipulatives that can help your students visualize, explore and eventually understand the concepts you are teaching. Dr. Cheng uses Gizmos regularly in his classes to bring algebra concepts to life.  With a subscription you use the Gizmos for class demos or have students work through problems in the lab or from home.

To learn more about Gizmos, click here