giovedì 26 agosto 2010
lunedì 7 giugno 2010
martedì 25 maggio 2010
sabato 22 maggio 2010
venerdì 21 maggio 2010
BELL ACTIVITY - FRIDAY, May 21
What activity from this week have you enjoyed the most? Explain the activity in detail and exlplain why you enjoyed it.
Have all your work ready to stamp.
CLASSWORK TODAY: Laptop tasks (See handout)
Have all your work ready to stamp.
CLASSWORK TODAY: Laptop tasks (See handout)
giovedì 20 maggio 2010
BELL ACTIVITY - THURSDAY, May 20
In what ways have you used technology this week? Explain. What devices have you used? (Examples: CD/DVD player, iPod, mp3 player, computer, palm pilot, cell phone, etc.)
*REMEMBER TO ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES!!!
*REMEMBER TO ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES!!!
martedì 18 maggio 2010
BELL ACTIVITY - WEDNESDAY, May 19
How do you like the idea of finding your warm-up question online instead of on the projector in class? What are the pros (advanatages) and cons (disadvantages)? Explain.
All the links you will use are listed below (open each link in a new tab so that you can refer back to this page):
CNN NEWS: http://newspulse.cnn.com/
Eyeplorer: http://eyeplorer.com/show/
Wordle: http://www.wordle.net/create (see example below)
SCREEN SHOT INSTRUCTIONS: On a Mac, hold the command key + shift + 3 for the entire screen. OR if you want to select a space to take the photo, hold the command key + shift + 4. You will see crosshairs that you can click and drag but once you let go of the click, it will take the screenshot so be sure you don't click until you're in the top left corner of the area you want to take a picture of. On a PC, there is a key, usually on the top row that says "Print Screen." Click on that and it will take a screen shot. It will automatically save this image on the desktop.
All the links you will use are listed below (open each link in a new tab so that you can refer back to this page):
CNN NEWS: http://newspulse.cnn.com/
Eyeplorer: http://eyeplorer.com/show/
Wordle: http://www.wordle.net/create (see example below)
SCREEN SHOT INSTRUCTIONS: On a Mac, hold the command key + shift + 3 for the entire screen. OR if you want to select a space to take the photo, hold the command key + shift + 4. You will see crosshairs that you can click and drag but once you let go of the click, it will take the screenshot so be sure you don't click until you're in the top left corner of the area you want to take a picture of. On a PC, there is a key, usually on the top row that says "Print Screen." Click on that and it will take a screen shot. It will automatically save this image on the desktop.
venerdì 7 maggio 2010
Student Survey: School of the Future
Once you click on the link and complete the survey, PLEASE quit Firefox by holding the command key (with the apple) and pressing the letter Q -- THANK YOU!!!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6C6YHSG
Once you click on the link and complete the survey, PLEASE quit Firefox by holding the command key (with the apple) and pressing the letter Q -- THANK YOU!!!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6C6YHSG
giovedì 22 aprile 2010
BP12_2010043_One-Minute_Message#2
MediaFire
File hosting, sharing, uploading, downloading tool - AWESOME!!!
The following video was edited with iMovie, but recorded with Screen Toaster, an excellent free online screen casting tool.
File hosting, sharing, uploading, downloading tool - AWESOME!!!
The following video was edited with iMovie, but recorded with Screen Toaster, an excellent free online screen casting tool.
mercoledì 21 aprile 2010
BP9_2010043_Web 2.0 Tool #3
Images: Screenshots from http://www.mediafire.com/
Figure 1
Figure 2
MediaFire is amazing! It has been in existence since 2006. There is a great YouTube video "tour" link on the site that explains its many useful features. One of the many distinguishing features of MediaFire is that you do not need an account to upload files (documents, photos, videos), however creating an account allows you the space to organize uploaded files into folders and share them. The program allows you to select multiple files at a time from your computer by simply boxing them. Also, you can select multiple files at a time to download from your MediaFire account. Although each individual file has a size limit of 200MB, there is no limit on the number of files you can upload, even with the basic account (free). The "bronze" account for $6.97 per month allows you to embed a dropbox into your website or blog. People can then upload files to your dropbox. The embedded dropbox might be worth the 23 cents per day. This is ideal for teachers who collect assignments electronically. Also, files or entire folders can be easily shared via Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, StumbleUpon, instant messenger, or e-mail. For each folder there is a unique URL that can be easily shared. MediaFire makes sharing even easier by allowing you to use your e-mail address books from Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo. Also, unlike Facebook, those with access to your shared photos can download the full-size photo. The only difference between the three "Pro" accounts of either "Bronze," "Silver," or "Gold" is the GB allowance for direct linking, which ranges from 100GB to 1000GB (Figure 2). The Pro accounts also have a feature that enable users to generate reports on the number of times a file has been downloaded and to which websites around the world.
I decided to add MediaFire to my "Box of Links" in my iGoogle PLE (Figure 1) so that I can access files at anytime from any computer in the world without having to remember the URL. I've decided to use this tool to store my best lesson plans, photos, videos, links, and other essential downloaded files that I currently have stored on my computer. It is a great way to back up files so I will definitely be using this incredible user-friendly online file storage tool for work, school, and play!
I was able to use MediaFire to e-mail (my friend in Poland) a link to 200 photos. She is gathering everyone photos from a festival that a group of us participated in last summer in Italy. I was trying to find a way to e-mail the photos to her. MediaFire is the perfect solution!
Figure 1
Figure 2
MediaFire is amazing! It has been in existence since 2006. There is a great YouTube video "tour" link on the site that explains its many useful features. One of the many distinguishing features of MediaFire is that you do not need an account to upload files (documents, photos, videos), however creating an account allows you the space to organize uploaded files into folders and share them. The program allows you to select multiple files at a time from your computer by simply boxing them. Also, you can select multiple files at a time to download from your MediaFire account. Although each individual file has a size limit of 200MB, there is no limit on the number of files you can upload, even with the basic account (free). The "bronze" account for $6.97 per month allows you to embed a dropbox into your website or blog. People can then upload files to your dropbox. The embedded dropbox might be worth the 23 cents per day. This is ideal for teachers who collect assignments electronically. Also, files or entire folders can be easily shared via Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, StumbleUpon, instant messenger, or e-mail. For each folder there is a unique URL that can be easily shared. MediaFire makes sharing even easier by allowing you to use your e-mail address books from Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo. Also, unlike Facebook, those with access to your shared photos can download the full-size photo. The only difference between the three "Pro" accounts of either "Bronze," "Silver," or "Gold" is the GB allowance for direct linking, which ranges from 100GB to 1000GB (Figure 2). The Pro accounts also have a feature that enable users to generate reports on the number of times a file has been downloaded and to which websites around the world.
I decided to add MediaFire to my "Box of Links" in my iGoogle PLE (Figure 1) so that I can access files at anytime from any computer in the world without having to remember the URL. I've decided to use this tool to store my best lesson plans, photos, videos, links, and other essential downloaded files that I currently have stored on my computer. It is a great way to back up files so I will definitely be using this incredible user-friendly online file storage tool for work, school, and play!
I was able to use MediaFire to e-mail (my friend in Poland) a link to 200 photos. She is gathering everyone photos from a festival that a group of us participated in last summer in Italy. I was trying to find a way to e-mail the photos to her. MediaFire is the perfect solution!
domenica 18 aprile 2010
giovedì 15 aprile 2010
BP5_2010042_Web 2.0 Tool #2
The second Web 2.0 Tool that I absolutely adore is eyeplorer! I really can't get enough! I think I am developing a slight addiction. Go to the homepage http://eyeplorer.com/show/ and you'll see what I mean! My students are quite inquisitive (about who's dating who and who's going to fight who) but occasionally they ask questions about the people and places we're studying in history. This site allows the user to dig deep into a topic. It is not recommended for scholarly research but it's a great place to start. I can picture my students using this to find out about the Irish potato blight, immigration during the 1800s, abolition of slavery, women's rights, racism, the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln's assassination, and so many other topics that we are currently delving into. The format is great! There is a color wheel that categorizes topics that relate to the main topic in the center. The main topic can be dragged in from the outside or it can be typed into the text box. Suggestions appear, which is quite helpful in case a student is not sure how to spell something correctly. Also, by hovering the mouse over the words surrounding the main topic a small box of additional information pops up. If you prefer to see everything listed by category with all the facts you simply click on "all facts" (small orange button to the left under the images) and it will change to a different, more detailed view. I encourage you all to check it out. It can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes depending on how curious you are at the moment about any given topic. You can click on each image below to see it full screen. This is fantastic!
COMMENT ON CLASSMATE#1: http://marybalthaser.blogspot.com/2010/04/bp42020041web20tools.html#comments
COMMENT ON CLASSMATE#2: http://ccesaire.blogspot.com/2010/04/bp42010041discoveringweb20tool.html#comments
COMMENT ON CLASSMATE#3: http://lovetteetcstuff.blogspot.com/2010/04/bp52010042web20tools.html
COMMENT ON CLASSMATE#4: http://maritzalayport.blogspot.com/2010/04/bp42010041web2tools.html
COMMENT ON CLASSMATE#1: http://marybalthaser.blogspot.com/2010/04/bp42020041web20tools.html#comments
COMMENT ON CLASSMATE#2: http://ccesaire.blogspot.com/2010/04/bp42010041discoveringweb20tool.html#comments
COMMENT ON CLASSMATE#3: http://lovetteetcstuff.blogspot.com/2010/04/bp52010042web20tools.html
COMMENT ON CLASSMATE#4: http://maritzalayport.blogspot.com/2010/04/bp42010041web2tools.html
sabato 3 aprile 2010
BP4_2010041_Web 2.0 Tool
I was so excited to find Jay Cut (http://jaycut.com)! I know there must be other Web 2.0 video editing tools but this one seems to be perfect! It’s very similar to iMovie and it’s compatible with both Mac and PC platforms. I hope to use it with my students. In my 7th and 8th grade history classes, my students have been creating skits once a week. They keep improving their acting skills! I enjoy watching them! I would love to create an after school program or club for students to learn to use various media and technology tools, one of which is video editing. I think it would be neat for the students to create a video yearbook throughout the school year and come together once or twice a week after school to edit and add effects and narration. This free web-based video-editing program is perfect!
BP3_2010041_Google Reader
1. http://hickstro.org/
I subscribed to Digital Writing, Digital Teaching: Integrating New Literacies into the Teaching of Writing, which is a Wordpress blog written by Troy Hicks, a professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan. His CV, updated last December, states his objective: “To engage in and study the teaching and learning writing—especially in digital environments—focusing on pre-service teacher education and professional development for in-service teachers” (Hicks, 2009, p. 1). As a teacher in this Master’s program, I am already benefiting from my new friend’s blog posts. His skills and interests that he shares can serve as a valuable reference for me professionally as a student and as a teacher developing her skills in education via technology.
2. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
I love reading this blog! The author does an amazing job with identifying those gems on the internet on sites like TED. Richard Byrne is a teacher. He takes the time to carefully select those articles, videos, websites, etc. that would be most useful to his 19,000+ readers, mostly educators. It saves me time searching for information about technology in education. Although I also subscribed to TED.com I am much more likely to read the updates on this particular blog than spend time searching for videos on TED. His blog is organized well and has links to resources for teachers of all subjects and grade levels.
3. http://instructify.com/
Instructify is another blog that captured my attention. One of the recent posts discusses Web 2.0 tools and brain-based learning strategies. Those are two topics that are quite related to one another and both are heavily discussed in this Master’s program. Like Richard Byrne’s posts, the authors—there are various— of this blog offer great information and links that revolve around making teacher better and improving the overall educational system. The Instructify philosophy is “teach smarter, not harder.”
4. http://carlanderson.blogspot.com/
Carl Anderson, the author of this blog, is an educator and a curriculum and technology specialist. Although he has only a few followers, his posts offer information on free technology tools and he gives weekly tech tips. He also provides title and links to videos such as Confessions of a Converted Lecturer: Eric Mazur. Carl gives short commentaries beside some of the links, which is how this particular video about the converted lecturer caught my eye.
5. http://ilearntechnology.com/
The title of this blog is: “iLearn Technology: An Edublog About Integrating Technology into the Classroom.” That explains it. I do not need to add much more. The primary reason I subscribed to this blog was because of a post I found by clicking on the tag, “Europe.” It led me to an explanation of edu2.0, which in essence creates a virtual classroom. Also Tech Crunch downloads YouTube videos onto your computer so that you can view them in class (this is especially useful if you know in advance that internet will not be available or if YouTube is a blocked site at your workplace, like mine). I was hooked by the discussion of Web 2.0 tools that actually sound simple and useful for the classroom.
I subscribed to Digital Writing, Digital Teaching: Integrating New Literacies into the Teaching of Writing, which is a Wordpress blog written by Troy Hicks, a professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan. His CV, updated last December, states his objective: “To engage in and study the teaching and learning writing—especially in digital environments—focusing on pre-service teacher education and professional development for in-service teachers” (Hicks, 2009, p. 1). As a teacher in this Master’s program, I am already benefiting from my new friend’s blog posts. His skills and interests that he shares can serve as a valuable reference for me professionally as a student and as a teacher developing her skills in education via technology.
2. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
I love reading this blog! The author does an amazing job with identifying those gems on the internet on sites like TED. Richard Byrne is a teacher. He takes the time to carefully select those articles, videos, websites, etc. that would be most useful to his 19,000+ readers, mostly educators. It saves me time searching for information about technology in education. Although I also subscribed to TED.com I am much more likely to read the updates on this particular blog than spend time searching for videos on TED. His blog is organized well and has links to resources for teachers of all subjects and grade levels.
3. http://instructify.com/
Instructify is another blog that captured my attention. One of the recent posts discusses Web 2.0 tools and brain-based learning strategies. Those are two topics that are quite related to one another and both are heavily discussed in this Master’s program. Like Richard Byrne’s posts, the authors—there are various— of this blog offer great information and links that revolve around making teacher better and improving the overall educational system. The Instructify philosophy is “teach smarter, not harder.”
4. http://carlanderson.blogspot.com/
Carl Anderson, the author of this blog, is an educator and a curriculum and technology specialist. Although he has only a few followers, his posts offer information on free technology tools and he gives weekly tech tips. He also provides title and links to videos such as Confessions of a Converted Lecturer: Eric Mazur. Carl gives short commentaries beside some of the links, which is how this particular video about the converted lecturer caught my eye.
5. http://ilearntechnology.com/
The title of this blog is: “iLearn Technology: An Edublog About Integrating Technology into the Classroom.” That explains it. I do not need to add much more. The primary reason I subscribed to this blog was because of a post I found by clicking on the tag, “Europe.” It led me to an explanation of edu2.0, which in essence creates a virtual classroom. Also Tech Crunch downloads YouTube videos onto your computer so that you can view them in class (this is especially useful if you know in advance that internet will not be available or if YouTube is a blocked site at your workplace, like mine). I was hooked by the discussion of Web 2.0 tools that actually sound simple and useful for the classroom.
venerdì 2 aprile 2010
BP2_2010041_Educational Uses for Blogs
Blogs can be excellent tools for students to share ideas, learn, and discover alongside one another in a meaningful, engaging way. There are a couple of ways I envision the use of blogs. One is a collective classroom blog in which students and the teacher can create posts on the current content topic and have an ongoing discussion that goes beyond superficial learning from a textbook. The students become invested in creating something unique and having a voice. The other way I see blogs being useful is each student creating their own educational blog, similar to what we're doing in this ETC course, and students can read & comment on other students' blogs. I can grade blog entries as assessments and I can leave comments. In both cases the students are at the center of discovering and they are responsible for their learning. I think it's a great way for students and teachers to remain connected.
As I explored some uses for blogs among educators I came across several great perspectives and creative ideas for using blogs. A science teacher in response to another educator's blog post pointed out that using blogs is very helpful with general classroom management (Devji, http://thanhnguyen75.blogspot.com/2006/11/use-of-blogs-in-education_14.html). The original blogger highlights a list of reasons to use blogs including increasing motivation for students and allowing them to increase their reading and writing skills (Nguyen, http://thanhnguyen75.blogspot.com/2006/11/use-of-blogs-in-education_14.html). Some other fantastic reasons for using blogs in education are allowing students to express themselves and reflect on the days lesson or activity (Dell, http://www.slideshare.net/sqoolmaster/educational-uses-of-blogs-and-tags-234136). I particularly see the need for reflection. Too often students in a public classroom setting are treated like factory workers - get them in and out as efficiently as possible, filling them with knowledge. Students don't get a chance in class to stop and think and reflect on what just happened or what the teachers and students may have said. One of the greatest possibilities also mentioned in this slide show is communication with classrooms around the world (Dell). I want nothing more than for my students to learn from students in another country. If I can't take my students to another country then at least I can introduce them to other cultures. They need to know that even though there are people their age that have different life experiences, they can still relate to them. Students need to be introduced to other cultures that their minds may be opened and their world views may be more global.
As I explored some uses for blogs among educators I came across several great perspectives and creative ideas for using blogs. A science teacher in response to another educator's blog post pointed out that using blogs is very helpful with general classroom management (Devji, http://thanhnguyen75.blogspot.com/2006/11/use-of-blogs-in-education_14.html). The original blogger highlights a list of reasons to use blogs including increasing motivation for students and allowing them to increase their reading and writing skills (Nguyen, http://thanhnguyen75.blogspot.com/2006/11/use-of-blogs-in-education_14.html). Some other fantastic reasons for using blogs in education are allowing students to express themselves and reflect on the days lesson or activity (Dell, http://www.slideshare.net/sqoolmaster/educational-uses-of-blogs-and-tags-234136). I particularly see the need for reflection. Too often students in a public classroom setting are treated like factory workers - get them in and out as efficiently as possible, filling them with knowledge. Students don't get a chance in class to stop and think and reflect on what just happened or what the teachers and students may have said. One of the greatest possibilities also mentioned in this slide show is communication with classrooms around the world (Dell). I want nothing more than for my students to learn from students in another country. If I can't take my students to another country then at least I can introduce them to other cultures. They need to know that even though there are people their age that have different life experiences, they can still relate to them. Students need to be introduced to other cultures that their minds may be opened and their world views may be more global.
lunedì 29 marzo 2010
Test blog
This is the first entry for my blog on iGoogle. It is required for my Month 4 course at Full Sail University (Emergent Technologies in a Collaborative Culture). I'm in Peru currently. It's interesting to begin a course while I'm in another country!
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