Friday, January 14, 2011
Happy 2011 to All!
It has been a while since I posted last. It is hard to believe how quickly time can pass. I hope everyone had an amazing holiday season with friends and family, and that the new year will bring great health and great memories to all. I have been immersed in exciting and enjoyable learning experiences for several weeks, but it is time to get back to one of the tasks I love doing most - sharing wonderful tools and insights from incredible educators with all of you.
Check out this post on Heyzap by Helen Xiong.
Also worth a look are Heidi Faber's review or Planbook.Edu and Dr. Jude Rathburn's Embedit. They are just getting started so you may want to visit again before January is over.
Check out this post on Heyzap by Helen Xiong.
Also worth a look are Heidi Faber's review or Planbook.Edu and Dr. Jude Rathburn's Embedit. They are just getting started so you may want to visit again before January is over.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
20 Free Screen Recording Tools
Check out this list of 20 free screen recording tools you can use in your work environment or have your students use in your classroom.
Design Beep
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Ellen Woodfin on Sweet Search...
Ellen Woodfin discovered Sweet Search, which is a search engine specifically for students. Visit her blog Wading in the Stream of Consciousness for more on Sweet Search and other great ways for incorporating web 2.0 tools in the classroom.
Check out the one-minute video version here!
Check out the one-minute video version here!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Bitstrips for Schools - from Jana Claybrook
Jana Claybrook took this web 2.0 tool for creating comic strips into her math classes. Read about what this tool can do and how some of her students responded to this engaging way of working with math concepts.
"We presented my student evidence to my administration and they purchased this program for 325 students."
Getting Rewired with Technology
Check out Jana's One-Minute Message created with her students!
"We presented my student evidence to my administration and they purchased this program for 325 students."
Getting Rewired with Technology
Check out Jana's One-Minute Message created with her students!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
100 Great Blogs for Art Students and Enthusiasts
Art Projects for Kids
I came upon this link today. I believe the title speaks for itself. Hope someone finds something they can use:) The above link will take you to an individual blog. Click here for the other 99 links!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Two for One - Brian Thomas on WikiSpaces
Brian Thomas has created two awesome videos on WikiSpaces. The first video is a tutorial for setting up and working with WikiSpaces in an educational environment. Brian does a fantastic job explaining the home page, discussion pages, usage pages, complete history and more. Check out the tutorial here.
Brian's second video is a must see Rappin'Review. Take Brian's advice and watch it on Viddler:) Enjoy!
Thanks, Brian!
Sharon Clay on toolet.com
In week one of October, Sharon Clay reviewed a comic strip tool called Toonlet. Within her post she include a detailed video tutorial highlighting the features of this - still in beta - tool. Follow this link to The Sharon Clay Chronicles. Thank you for sharing this, Sharon!
From Sharon's blog:
WWW.TOONLET.COM is a fun, exciting, and creative web2.0 tool which allows the registered user to create comic strip characters and insert them into their very own comic. I learned that even the most limited artist can design a comic with a professional appeal for free. I think this tool will help inspire my students to write and I am looking forward to introducing my class to this program.
From Sharon's blog:
WWW.TOONLET.COM is a fun, exciting, and creative web2.0 tool which allows the registered user to create comic strip characters and insert them into their very own comic. I learned that even the most limited artist can design a comic with a professional appeal for free. I think this tool will help inspire my students to write and I am looking forward to introducing my class to this program.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Practical Experience Examples
W3 PE Examples
Check out the PE posts at the following links.
Inspiration in the Workplace by Maia Kirkpatrick
Mike Colletti's Musings
My Life as a Grad Student... Created by Trina Dralus
Not a blah, blah, blog!
Thanks to Maia, Michael, Trina, and Torrey for sharing their workl!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Edmodo - A Secure Social Learning Network
Last week, Scherrie Davis created a post on Edmodo from an experienced users point of view. Anyone interested in sharing experiences they have had with edmodo or any other social learning networks, please feel free to add your comments. The rest of Scherrie's post can be read from the link below. Thanks for sharing this, Scherrie!
BP4_Edmodo
I can't lie to you all....I've had some experience with Web 2.0 tools before. However, to say that I know all of them out there and what they all do would be boldfaced lie! I have visited the website http://www.go2web20.net/ before and checked out some of the tools offered there. I will say that I never paid any attention to the tags along the right side, which categorizes the tools for you. So, once I saw that, I knew that I definitely wanted to see what was available for education, teachers specifically. I saw one of my favorite sites on there, one that I am currently using with my students and have used in the past, Edmodo. For the life of me, I cannot think of why I did not know that this is a Web 2.0 tool. I actually know why I feel that way and it deals with my understanding of the definition of a Web 2.0 tool. Throughout this course, I hope to come to a concrete understanding of Web 2.0 and be able to define in my own words so that I can understand what falls into the category of Web 2.0.
In any case, Edmodo is a social networking site specifically geared...Read more.
BP4_Edmodo
I can't lie to you all....I've had some experience with Web 2.0 tools before. However, to say that I know all of them out there and what they all do would be boldfaced lie! I have visited the website http://www.go2web20.net/ before and checked out some of the tools offered there. I will say that I never paid any attention to the tags along the right side, which categorizes the tools for you. So, once I saw that, I knew that I definitely wanted to see what was available for education, teachers specifically. I saw one of my favorite sites on there, one that I am currently using with my students and have used in the past, Edmodo. For the life of me, I cannot think of why I did not know that this is a Web 2.0 tool. I actually know why I feel that way and it deals with my understanding of the definition of a Web 2.0 tool. Throughout this course, I hope to come to a concrete understanding of Web 2.0 and be able to define in my own words so that I can understand what falls into the category of Web 2.0.
In any case, Edmodo is a social networking site specifically geared...Read more.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Great find by Curt Isakson - ischoolband!
The following was posted by Curt Isakson on his ETC blog - check it out:)
In searching out Web 2.0 site, I stumbled on a company that really hits my sweet spot for functionality, ease of use, has many options for user interface, and also includes social participation somewhat like facebook. The site is called ischoolband.
I am a band director and I have had a website for my band for years. I have news, pictures, resources, videos, and a calendar (shelbybands). It works great and I have a great following locally and even a farther reach that covers the country through relatives of band students. The problem comes is that it is work-intensive and I have to format everything from scratch.
ischoolband is a new Web 2.0 tool that creates a complete environment for my students with less work for me and it has features that I haven’t gotten to or have no idea how to do.
The number one feature it has is a secure entrance. This is great. All students and parents get an opportunity to sign in and be a part of the site and it is password protected and it is also allowed through our school’s network.
This site is so deep it will be difficult to completely describe in this essay. But I will begin in saying you can create a location for each of your ensembles. From there you can add media and documents. This includes ...Read more on Curt's Blog
Thank you for sharing this, Curt!
In searching out Web 2.0 site, I stumbled on a company that really hits my sweet spot for functionality, ease of use, has many options for user interface, and also includes social participation somewhat like facebook. The site is called ischoolband.
I am a band director and I have had a website for my band for years. I have news, pictures, resources, videos, and a calendar (shelbybands). It works great and I have a great following locally and even a farther reach that covers the country through relatives of band students. The problem comes is that it is work-intensive and I have to format everything from scratch.
ischoolband is a new Web 2.0 tool that creates a complete environment for my students with less work for me and it has features that I haven’t gotten to or have no idea how to do.
The number one feature it has is a secure entrance. This is great. All students and parents get an opportunity to sign in and be a part of the site and it is password protected and it is also allowed through our school’s network.
This site is so deep it will be difficult to completely describe in this essay. But I will begin in saying you can create a location for each of your ensembles. From there you can add media and documents. This includes ...Read more on Curt's Blog
Thank you for sharing this, Curt!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Creaza
Re-posted from Mike Padilla's blog - great review of a fantastic web 2.0 tool. Check it out!
The web 2.0 tool that I chose for this assignment was Creaza.
This website provides a creative suite of tools that students can use on any ANY computer that has access to the web. Due to the massive amounts of flash and content on this site, a strong internet connection is recommended.
Once I realized all that is involved in this FREE tool, I was blown away! If someone told me when I first got into non linear video editing nearly 10 years ago, that you would be able to edit videos using a website - and store it all in a cloud based system, I would certainly not have believed you - but that is exactly what ... Read more here...
The web 2.0 tool that I chose for this assignment was Creaza.
This website provides a creative suite of tools that students can use on any ANY computer that has access to the web. Due to the massive amounts of flash and content on this site, a strong internet connection is recommended.
Once I realized all that is involved in this FREE tool, I was blown away! If someone told me when I first got into non linear video editing nearly 10 years ago, that you would be able to edit videos using a website - and store it all in a cloud based system, I would certainly not have believed you - but that is exactly what ... Read more here...
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Jacqueline Jones and Virtual Worlds
In July, Jacqueline Jones created a post on her Instructional Design Blog reviewing several virtual worlds including SmallWorlds.com. Her AR project focuses on role-playing in the virtual classroom and in this post she does an excellent job highlighting key features as well as some of the limitations of several virtual worlds. She includes embedded videos and several resources.
Check out her blog and her most recent entry which links you to Mark Krynsky's blog post, Lifestream Blog Reviews SmallWorlds and share your ideas for using virtual worlds in your learning environment.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Gregg Eilers on Diigo Education
Check out this great post written by Gregg Eilers on Diigo Education.
Have you ever wanted to create collaborative groups with your students that could possibly have the option to work collectively in and outside of the classroom? I want to share a Web 2.0 tool called Diigo Education. Now, we are already familiar with Diigo since we will be utilizing this tool for our Action Research Projects, but Diigo Education is a fantastic grouping tool to use with students in and outside of the classroom.
Diigo Education makes it possible to have students create a learning community not only within the classroom walls, but to also extend their collaboration outside of school. This effective tool makes it possible for teachers to create collaborative groups to use during project-based lessons that involve the power of working together towards a common goal. The aspect that I think I like most about this tool is the fact that educators can use it to effectively teach students how to not only collaborate together, but to also understand the purpose and importance of researching a specific topic.
As a teacher, I always strive to impress upon my students the importance of gathering facts and information to support a main idea. This is simple for some, but for the most part, difficult for individual elementary students to grasp. When there is a group involved, not only is there more than one brain at work, the group is enhanced by having the capability to share their findings online through Diigo Educator. This alone creates a safer environment for students that wouldn’t normally share out in class, to be able to give input within this community.
Finally, Diigo Education is free for teachers! To apply for a Diigo Education Account online, follow this link and you can then have access to everything from whole class accounts, email accounts, and pre-set privacy settings so that teachers and students are the only ones allowed in the group. Everything through Diigo Education is filtered and safe, so teachers don’t have to be concerned by what students are viewing in and out of school within Diigo. In fact, my application for Diigo Education was just accepted and I now have my account ready to go for next school year.
I even got this cool Diigo Education Pioneer badge for joining!
diigo education pioneer
All in all, Diigo Education is a fantastic Web 2.0 tool for integrating more effective group collaboration within the classroom.
Students Using Diigo on Computers image by theunquietlibrary used courtesy of Flickr through a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
Have you ever wanted to create collaborative groups with your students that could possibly have the option to work collectively in and outside of the classroom? I want to share a Web 2.0 tool called Diigo Education. Now, we are already familiar with Diigo since we will be utilizing this tool for our Action Research Projects, but Diigo Education is a fantastic grouping tool to use with students in and outside of the classroom.
Diigo Education makes it possible to have students create a learning community not only within the classroom walls, but to also extend their collaboration outside of school. This effective tool makes it possible for teachers to create collaborative groups to use during project-based lessons that involve the power of working together towards a common goal. The aspect that I think I like most about this tool is the fact that educators can use it to effectively teach students how to not only collaborate together, but to also understand the purpose and importance of researching a specific topic.
As a teacher, I always strive to impress upon my students the importance of gathering facts and information to support a main idea. This is simple for some, but for the most part, difficult for individual elementary students to grasp. When there is a group involved, not only is there more than one brain at work, the group is enhanced by having the capability to share their findings online through Diigo Educator. This alone creates a safer environment for students that wouldn’t normally share out in class, to be able to give input within this community.
Finally, Diigo Education is free for teachers! To apply for a Diigo Education Account online, follow this link and you can then have access to everything from whole class accounts, email accounts, and pre-set privacy settings so that teachers and students are the only ones allowed in the group. Everything through Diigo Education is filtered and safe, so teachers don’t have to be concerned by what students are viewing in and out of school within Diigo. In fact, my application for Diigo Education was just accepted and I now have my account ready to go for next school year.
I even got this cool Diigo Education Pioneer badge for joining!
diigo education pioneer
All in all, Diigo Education is a fantastic Web 2.0 tool for integrating more effective group collaboration within the classroom.
Students Using Diigo on Computers image by theunquietlibrary used courtesy of Flickr through a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Week 4: Motion - Example
This post is a student example of what you might post in your blog for the tool/application you will learn about in week four. Make it your own:)
I started going through Motion tutorials today. I found out that there is a good sized learning curve with this program. Luckily, the have created templates which make it easier. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as I thought it might be because I have never used it or anything like it. Thank goodness for great tutorials.
To begin with, this started with an overview, which did not adhere to the best e-learning principles set down by Lisa Smith ( actually set down by Clark and Mayer:), but it was great information. Although the instructor read everything that was on the PowerPoint slides, she did defined several unfamiliar terms, so I learned some extras in addition to operations.
The welcome screen does adhere to good e-learning principles in that it lets you choose a starting point according to your current schema, skip or go back later if you want reinforcement or repetition. The tutorials are broken down into short segments according to tabs and windows, and you can click on your own project in motion while going through the lessons. The clips I want to use need to be split and shortened, so I didn't create anything yet, but I want to use one of the templates which shouldn't be a problem after I finish the last section of lessons tomorrow.
Another thing I learned tonight is why this software is so expensive. Just going through the pre-existing effects and templates that are available in just this one application within the studio is mind boggling. I am very excited!!!
Finally, the last shot is of the tutorials I completed tonight. Gotta go to sleep now. More tomorrow.
I started going through Motion tutorials today. I found out that there is a good sized learning curve with this program. Luckily, the have created templates which make it easier. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as I thought it might be because I have never used it or anything like it. Thank goodness for great tutorials.
To begin with, this started with an overview, which did not adhere to the best e-learning principles set down by Lisa Smith ( actually set down by Clark and Mayer:), but it was great information. Although the instructor read everything that was on the PowerPoint slides, she did defined several unfamiliar terms, so I learned some extras in addition to operations. 
The welcome screen does adhere to good e-learning principles in that it lets you choose a starting point according to your current schema, skip or go back later if you want reinforcement or repetition. The tutorials are broken down into short segments according to tabs and windows, and you can click on your own project in motion while going through the lessons. The clips I want to use need to be split and shortened, so I didn't create anything yet, but I want to use one of the templates which shouldn't be a problem after I finish the last section of lessons tomorrow. 
Another thing I learned tonight is why this software is so expensive. Just going through the pre-existing effects and templates that are available in just this one application within the studio is mind boggling. I am very excited!!!
Finally, the last shot is of the tutorials I completed tonight. Gotta go to sleep now. More tomorrow.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)