www.blabberize.com is a free resource that allows you to make any picture talk. I have worked with this resource for a couple of years now. It can be really hilarious. You upload a picture, use the online tools to outline out the mouth, and record a narration. The picture then talks to you. You can upload more then one picture and have the talk to each other.
While this can be entertaining I believe this can be an excellent instructional tool. Here are some ideas for using it with students:
1. Students upload a picture of an animal or insect. They then narrate an oral report as that animal or insect that provides information they have learned about it.
2. Students upload a picture of Abraham Lincoln and provide narration about him, interview questions, or dictate a speech in response to something.
3. Students can introduce a story character or respond to a situation as a character in a story.
This can be an excellent tool to showcase a digital story. As with other digital storytelling projects the focus is on writing a script, editing the script and narration. The project can then be published online for students to share and view.
Enjoy
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Online Document Management
I have been starting to plan a strategy for online document management for my staff and students. We are implementing a new Wifi network in my district. I plan on creating a guest SSID just as i did in my previous district. I wrote about that in a previous post.
My plan is to allow faculty and students to be able to bring in their own mobile devices. In order for this to be successful I want them to have access to their documents while on and off the network. Setting up the guest SSId for internet only is the easy part. I need to find a solution for accessing documents over the web. This will ensure they will not have to be added to our domain to get to their files.
There are of course a number of options these days. Google Apps for Education, Zoho and other open source document management platforms are available. In the case of Google Apps it is a major change. My biggest obstacle is that Google Apps uses email as its primary communication and collaboration tool. There are many concerns with providing email accounts to our students. While the details of this are another post it is a noteworthy concern.
Microsoft has recently introduced Office Web Apps. You can access the beta called Microsoft Office Live currently. It provides the ability to access word, powerpoint and excel documents online. You can even share and collaborate on them. I have heard that office 2010 will offer the ability to host this online cloud on your own servers. I am hoping that if hosted authentication can be handled with LDAP. This might be a solution for us. It is of course a very expensive solution in comparison to Google Apps. The good news is we are already paying for it with our MS volume license.
Here is a quick blurb about MS Office Live.
Office Web Apps, the online companion to Word, Excel®, PowerPoint® and OneNote® applications, allow you to access documents from anywhere. You can even simultaneously share and work on documents with others online. View documents across PCs, mobile phones, and the Web without compromising document fidelity. Create new documents and do basic editing using the familiar Office interface. By offering more ways to access files from almost anywhere, Office Web Apps enable you to get things done according to your schedule.
I will continue to look into an open source solution that we can load onto our servers. If anyone has a recommendation I would love to hear it!
My plan is to allow faculty and students to be able to bring in their own mobile devices. In order for this to be successful I want them to have access to their documents while on and off the network. Setting up the guest SSId for internet only is the easy part. I need to find a solution for accessing documents over the web. This will ensure they will not have to be added to our domain to get to their files.
There are of course a number of options these days. Google Apps for Education, Zoho and other open source document management platforms are available. In the case of Google Apps it is a major change. My biggest obstacle is that Google Apps uses email as its primary communication and collaboration tool. There are many concerns with providing email accounts to our students. While the details of this are another post it is a noteworthy concern.
Microsoft has recently introduced Office Web Apps. You can access the beta called Microsoft Office Live currently. It provides the ability to access word, powerpoint and excel documents online. You can even share and collaborate on them. I have heard that office 2010 will offer the ability to host this online cloud on your own servers. I am hoping that if hosted authentication can be handled with LDAP. This might be a solution for us. It is of course a very expensive solution in comparison to Google Apps. The good news is we are already paying for it with our MS volume license.
Here is a quick blurb about MS Office Live.
Office Web Apps, the online companion to Word, Excel®, PowerPoint® and OneNote® applications, allow you to access documents from anywhere. You can even simultaneously share and work on documents with others online. View documents across PCs, mobile phones, and the Web without compromising document fidelity. Create new documents and do basic editing using the familiar Office interface. By offering more ways to access files from almost anywhere, Office Web Apps enable you to get things done according to your schedule.
I will continue to look into an open source solution that we can load onto our servers. If anyone has a recommendation I would love to hear it!
Monday, October 5, 2009
New Project Open for Grades Prek - 6
There is a new project available for grades Prek to 6 students. It was created by Jennifer Wagner. Here is a blurb from her site:
Jennifer Wagner, creator of JenuineTech.com, has been successfully encouraging teachers since 1999 to use technology seamlessly in their PreK-6 classrooms. Using the tools of the Internet (Web 2.0), Jennifer will help you understand how technology will help you make the most of your time in a variety of ways. Winning numerous awards for her creative ways in encouraging teachers to collaborate, her teaching style is very user friendly, creative, and personable.
THE PROJECT
Join in the fun as we learn about
The project has three ideas that teachers could take part in with their students. The topics involve extending a story, endangered animals and verbs. As with most of Jenn's projects there is a focus on creativity and innovation as well as collaboration. These are key skills for the 21st century. If you are interested in learning more about this project please follow the link below.
http://www.jenuinetech.com/Projects/wtwta/index.htm
Enjoy!
Jennifer Wagner, creator of JenuineTech.com, has been successfully encouraging teachers since 1999 to use technology seamlessly in their PreK-6 classrooms. Using the tools of the Internet (Web 2.0), Jennifer will help you understand how technology will help you make the most of your time in a variety of ways. Winning numerous awards for her creative ways in encouraging teachers to collaborate, her teaching style is very user friendly, creative, and personable.
THE PROJECT
Join in the fun as we learn about
extending a story, endangered animals, and verbs!
The project has three ideas that teachers could take part in with their students. The topics involve extending a story, endangered animals and verbs. As with most of Jenn's projects there is a focus on creativity and innovation as well as collaboration. These are key skills for the 21st century. If you are interested in learning more about this project please follow the link below.
http://www.jenuinetech.com/Projects/wtwta/index.htm
Enjoy!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
100 Best Youtube Videos for Educators
I came across this listing of the 100 best youtube videos for eductators and wanted to share it with everyone. As we all know, youtube.com is blocked in our schools for many reasons. Did you know that you can download youtube videos from your computer at home for free! My favorite resource to do this is www.keepvid.com . All you have to do is
Here is the link to the 100 best youtube videos for educators. Enjoy!
http://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blogs/649749:BlogPost:177332
- Find the video you like on youtube.
- Copy the URL address of the vidoe.
- Go to www.keepvid.com
- Past the URL of the video into the URL bar at the top of the page and click download.
- You will be prompted to download the video.
- You can then bring the video to school on a flash drive.
- You can play the video from your computer, insert it into a powerpoint or smart notebook project.
Here is the link to the 100 best youtube videos for educators. Enjoy!
http://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blogs/649749:BlogPost:177332
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Space Program Project Resources
>I was recently asked by a faculty member to assist in finding resources for a project related to the current space exploration initiatives. Specifically we are looking at what is going on with the international space station and the current space shuttle discovery launch. The outcome of this project is for students to present a pro or con argument for the current space program.
We are in the beginning stages of organizing the project. However, I decided to start posting the resources I collect on my wiki. Currently there is a Hubble Telescope page on my wiki. I have decided to add my links for this project to the bottom of that page. I will provide the link below.
If anyone else is interested in a project like this please let me know. I will be happy to share resources and assist in creating the lessons.
We are in the beginning stages of organizing the project. However, I decided to start posting the resources I collect on my wiki. Currently there is a Hubble Telescope page on my wiki. I have decided to add my links for this project to the bottom of that page. I will provide the link below.
If anyone else is interested in a project like this please let me know. I will be happy to share resources and assist in creating the lessons.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Curriculumbits.com Online Interactive ELearning Teaching Resources
>Curriculumbits.com Online Interactive ELearning Teaching Resources
Shared via AddThis
I came across this great site today for use with an interactive whiteboard. Rather then explain it in my own words I copied their narrative directly from their about page below. Enjoy!
Established in 2006, Curriculumbits.com offer free online access to a growing range of interactive multimedia elearning resources. The online resource library contains games, quizzes, animations and videos in a variety of subjects. Resources have been produced according to key stage 3 and 4 of the UK National Curriculum for students aged 11 to 16. All resources are produced by elearning multimedia specialists in collaboration with every day teaching staff as a direct solution to their classroom requirements.
HOW TO USE OUR RESOURCES
All of our resources are available to access online, completely free of charge in the library. Simply click the PLAY button.
You do not need to register your details to use our resources, although you can enjoy additional benefits if you decide to join us for free.
You are welcome to link to our resources from your school website, intranet, extranet, online curriculum or virtual learning environment (VLE) according to the terms of our license.
Use the bookmark button to save resources to your browser favourites or your preferred online service such as Del.icio.us, Facebook or mySpace. You can also use this button to email resources to your friends, colleagues or students.
From September 2008 Curriculumbits.com no longer offers the facility to download resources due to increased connectivity in classrooms which has reduced demand for offline services.
Shared via AddThis
I came across this great site today for use with an interactive whiteboard. Rather then explain it in my own words I copied their narrative directly from their about page below. Enjoy!
Established in 2006, Curriculumbits.com offer free online access to a growing range of interactive multimedia elearning resources. The online resource library contains games, quizzes, animations and videos in a variety of subjects. Resources have been produced according to key stage 3 and 4 of the UK National Curriculum for students aged 11 to 16. All resources are produced by elearning multimedia specialists in collaboration with every day teaching staff as a direct solution to their classroom requirements.
HOW TO USE OUR RESOURCES
All of our resources are available to access online, completely free of charge in the library. Simply click the PLAY button.
You do not need to register your details to use our resources, although you can enjoy additional benefits if you decide to join us for free.
You are welcome to link to our resources from your school website, intranet, extranet, online curriculum or virtual learning environment (VLE) according to the terms of our license.
Use the bookmark button to save resources to your browser favourites or your preferred online service such as Del.icio.us, Facebook or mySpace. You can also use this button to email resources to your friends, colleagues or students.
From September 2008 Curriculumbits.com no longer offers the facility to download resources due to increased connectivity in classrooms which has reduced demand for offline services.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Have you created a Personal Learning Network yet?
I publish a monthly newsletter for my school district. In my last issue before the summer break I discussed personal learning networks. I provided 5 options that teachers and administrators could look into in order to begin to develop their network.
Technology has allowed for 24/7 learning on-demand. I started building my personal learning network about 3 years ago. I have never been so excited about learning since it became so easy. I have access to thousands of individuals who share the same interests as i do. Many of these are professional contacts, but some are individuals with similar personal interests Ex: fly fishing, travel and the health/fitness. I check/communicate with my network many times throughout the day. I learn something new every time I do.
My network consists of the following:
A maintain a feed aggregator page. I use Igoogle and Google Reader. I subscribe to a number of blogs. Each time someone updates their blog postings i receive an update in my aggregator. I subscribe to blogs that focus on many topics. Primarily i subscribe to Educational Technology Blogs. I also subscribe to some that relate to my personal interests. This has probably been the number 1 resource in my network.
I am a member a few social networks. Primarily I am a member of NING networks. The most notable is www.classroom20.com. This is a network for educators who utilize web2.0 tools and technology in general in their classrooms. Recently they have reached 25,000 members. I could go on an on about the value here but i will leave it at " you have to join". I subscribe to updates in the forum in my feed aggregator.
I read a number of publications. Most of them I subscribe to in my feed reader. I can get a quick snapshot of the new articles. I can then decide which ones are of interest to me. It makes it very easy to stay on top of multiple publications without spending a lot of time. The best part is that it is free. A few that i read are eschool news, the journal, technology and learning and ASCD publications.
I maintain a social bookmarking account. I use www.delicious.com. This is a powerful tool. Social bookmarking sites allow you to save your favorite websites on a website. This means they are accessible from any computer with an internet connection. You add and access bookmarks easily by installing a couple of buttons on your internet browser toolbar. I have organized thousands of sites with tags (keywords that you apply to sites you bookmark). The real power of this service is the social aspect. You can search and share bookmarks with everyone that uses the service. I have networked with many individuals who share the same interests that i do. I am constantly reviewing their resources in addition to my own. It is such a time saver and a valuable tool.
Open courseware and video sharing are the newest addition to my network. www.academicearth.org, www.ted.com, itunesU, ustream, and other open course providers are some of my favorites. i can watch short videos or take complete courses on topics that are of interest to me professionally and personally. I can even take part in live workshops. I am really starting to take advantage of these resources lately.
I encourage you to start to develop your own personal learning network. If you would like to read my newsletter that discusses RSS feeds and developing you "PLN" you can view it here. I invite you to add me to your networks and feeds as a start. I will share my contact info below.
twitter: walkerd
delicious: dwalker500
Classroom20: dwalker500
Skype: dwalker500
Gmail: dwalker500
Technology has allowed for 24/7 learning on-demand. I started building my personal learning network about 3 years ago. I have never been so excited about learning since it became so easy. I have access to thousands of individuals who share the same interests as i do. Many of these are professional contacts, but some are individuals with similar personal interests Ex: fly fishing, travel and the health/fitness. I check/communicate with my network many times throughout the day. I learn something new every time I do.
My network consists of the following:
A maintain a feed aggregator page. I use Igoogle and Google Reader. I subscribe to a number of blogs. Each time someone updates their blog postings i receive an update in my aggregator. I subscribe to blogs that focus on many topics. Primarily i subscribe to Educational Technology Blogs. I also subscribe to some that relate to my personal interests. This has probably been the number 1 resource in my network.
I am a member of Twitter. Currently my network consists of about 300 followers. I network with individuals who work in educational technology. I also follow espn, cnn and some other organizations that I am interested in. I must admit that i do not spend a lot of time on Twitter. I find it hard to find the time to stay connected. I do not use mobile technologies to connect to it. However, every single time I do interact with my network i walk about with at least 3-5 new resources, ideas or thoughts. I sometimes use it to throw out questions. It has been a valuable resource for me.
I am a member a few social networks. Primarily I am a member of NING networks. The most notable is www.classroom20.com. This is a network for educators who utilize web2.0 tools and technology in general in their classrooms. Recently they have reached 25,000 members. I could go on an on about the value here but i will leave it at " you have to join". I subscribe to updates in the forum in my feed aggregator.
I read a number of publications. Most of them I subscribe to in my feed reader. I can get a quick snapshot of the new articles. I can then decide which ones are of interest to me. It makes it very easy to stay on top of multiple publications without spending a lot of time. The best part is that it is free. A few that i read are eschool news, the journal, technology and learning and ASCD publications.
I maintain a social bookmarking account. I use www.delicious.com. This is a powerful tool. Social bookmarking sites allow you to save your favorite websites on a website. This means they are accessible from any computer with an internet connection. You add and access bookmarks easily by installing a couple of buttons on your internet browser toolbar. I have organized thousands of sites with tags (keywords that you apply to sites you bookmark). The real power of this service is the social aspect. You can search and share bookmarks with everyone that uses the service. I have networked with many individuals who share the same interests that i do. I am constantly reviewing their resources in addition to my own. It is such a time saver and a valuable tool.
Open courseware and video sharing are the newest addition to my network. www.academicearth.org, www.ted.com, itunesU, ustream, and other open course providers are some of my favorites. i can watch short videos or take complete courses on topics that are of interest to me professionally and personally. I can even take part in live workshops. I am really starting to take advantage of these resources lately.
I encourage you to start to develop your own personal learning network. If you would like to read my newsletter that discusses RSS feeds and developing you "PLN" you can view it here. I invite you to add me to your networks and feeds as a start. I will share my contact info below.
twitter: walkerd
delicious: dwalker500
Classroom20: dwalker500
Skype: dwalker500
Gmail: dwalker500
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