Blog-less for Now

O.k...so I'm not the most prolific blogger anyway, but in order to focus on other priorities, I won't be adding any new blog posts until summer. For anyone who doesn't already know about them, I'd suggest Twitter and Diigo as great new resources. Please also check out Classroom 2.0 for great ideas and collaborative thinking.

Hope to see you at NECC in San Antonio!

CUE 2008 - Day 2

10:00 – 11:00 “Digital Storytelling 2.0: What’s Next?” – David Jakes
http://www.davidjakes.org/

I always really like David Jake's sessions, because he is so practical when it comes to using tech in real classrooms. Simple...to the point...with real impact on student learning

The pictures/video builds the script into what the original narrative might have been. It extends the writing. The final product often has a second track of meaning.

Used IKEA lamp video to demonstrate the power of visuals

Digital Storytelling changes: New media, new tools, new composition strategies, new networks, new messages

Flickr Storm tutorials on Djakes site.
- Keyword (1st for obvious literal meaning, 2nd for emotional meaning)
- Creative Commons license terms (attribution – student just needs to make a list of attributed names at the end of the presentation)
- Select
- Click change (adjusts size)
- Save as (build attribution directly into the file name)
- Capture URL of photo set file name and save into word doc.
- Could save as a preselection of images for students to use

CC Mixter for music creative commons music)
- Artist uploads a capella
- Someone else adds musical accompaniment
- There might multiple versions available

Jam Studio 2.0
- Create own background music

Jumpcut - Create your timeline online

Transitions, Pans, and Zooms
- Think about them like punctuation (VERY cool concept)
- No transition = no punctuation
- Cross fade = period
- Fade to black = new paragraph
- Slow Zooms = vastness, space or focus viewer
- Quick zoom intensifies drama
- Slow pans = left to right
- Create discomfort with right to left pan

AFI Screen nation (new coming spring 2008) – publishing student video

11:30 - 12:30
The Google Universe – Chris Walsh
http://googled.wikispaces.com/universe
Not the same of Google Teacher Academy, but related materials

Google -originally called “Back Rub”

“Google can’t turn information into knowledge”

Two important words “Even More” – Type that in search bar to get more tools + click “I’m Feeling Lucky” – other google tools – Check out “Search Features”

Advanced Search - file type, search within domain name restrictions (ex: UCLA), or type (ex: .edu)
Google not yet ready to provide web site reading level info for students

Google search bar is also a calculator

iGoogle
Google Alerts – emailed news alerts on topics of choice

Google Docs - Can track changes and work collaboratively in real time and track changes.

Interesting Note: - Legally, you can’t set-up Gmail (or any other) email account for students under 13/14 (?) without written permission from parent.

1:30 – 2:30
Writing and Vocabulary Instruction Using Technology – Arnie Uretsky
Special Education Teacher
auretsky@ideaslive.com

Start w/brainstorming (Keep it to only a few – focus on students being able to recreate independently)
- Scholastic Graphic Organizer Sites
- Tools for Reading and Thinking
- Kreative Komix
- Writer’s Companion
- Vocabulary Companion
- ReadWriteThink.org

3:00 - 4:00
Education2.0: Web-Based Apps for the Classroom - Jonathan Brubaker
http://del.icio.us./mia_sarx/cue08

The Power of RSS (XML) - automated web surfing
“Perpetual Beta”
WebBrowser at the Platform
Fast Internet Connections

Move from what program should I use to what website should I use

“The web is platform agnostic”

http://del.icio.us

Google Docs
http://www.zoho.com
Box.net – online file sharing and storage w/ 1gb free storage
Scribd (ipaper – flash widgets to embed documents into web page)
Quizlet.com – create and share flashcards – also creates test for you
Flashcard Friends
Keybr.com – typing program
Visuwords.com – online graphical dictionary
Zamzar.com – file coversion (can take link for youtube video and convert into an avi or wmv, etc. file)
Mangolanguages.com
PIcnik – photo editing
Fotoflexer – photo editing
vi.sualize.us – bookmark and tag photos
animoto – animates uploaded photos to music (free for short pieces, pay for longer ones)
gliffy (free “inspiration” type software
scratch – create games w/o knowing program language
Visible Body – 3D like using Google Earth for the body
Weird Converter.com
VLC Media Player (videoLan)– can play any media file (any DVD, flash, avi, etc.)
Stock.xchng – online images (not filtered)
Worth1000.com – a picture is worth 1000 words – photos via photo contests) – use for journal topics, odd photos

Password tip – create a base +rule for sites (ex: first three letters of site)

Comuter Using Educator (CUE) Conference 2008, Palm Springs, CA

For more info CUE website

Live Blogging---I apologize ahead of time for any typos. I'll try to post notes on speakers and suggested web sites as I attend each session

Thursday, March 6, 2008

12:30 – 1:30

"102 Great Technology Curriculum Activities for the Elementary Classroom" - Gary Garfield, Suzanne McDonough - Cancelled

"Integrating the Internet into the Primary Classroom" - Gayle Berthiaume
del.icio.us/tag/gayleinternet
Candlelight Stories.com
Book Hive – youtube videos of storytellers
Bookpop
Little Fingers (pre & K)
One More Story.com
Primarygames.com
Gamegoo
Scholastic sites – online games, activities – English and ELL
Giggle Poetry
Literacy Center.net
Enchanted Learning
Mad Libs at Fun Brain
It’s My Life (PBS)
Sesame Street
Panwapa (new as of October – geared for 4-7 year olds) - create avatar, interactive - Teaches
global awareness, character education, endangered animals
ali.apple.com - Apple Learning Interchange – teacher, not student centered - includes copyright-free photos for ed use

How to Manage in the Classroom
- whole group (computer lab, large screen tv)
- small group
- older student computer buddies
- volunteers
- centers (sign-up)

Assessment
- observation (walk around, still and video camera)
- portfolios
- rubrics
- online surveys (surveymonkey.com)
- assessment tools (can't see link)
- student interviews

Candidates

Now is the time when many of us are starting to think about how to decide on which presidential candidate to vote for. While these should probably not be your only method of research, here are a couple of candidate matching quizzes to get your brain thinking.

Select a Candidate
Which Candidate is for You?

Maybe Low-Tech is What We Need

"I don't have time to learn something new." "I don't have time for my kids to use the computer." "How can I have my students use the computer for projects if I don't have one computer per child in each group?" These are all issues/ideas that get in the way of teachers integrating more "technology" into the curriculum.

Hopefully some low-tech projects will help. We have begun using simple recordings. The first recordings were of the sight words students need to assist with reading and writing. Audacity was used to record the word lists. The recordings were then exported into Windows Media Player so they could be played via computer or burned onto CDs. CDs can be used on portable CD players in the classroom (we just received some) or sent home for practice. Parents were happy about this possibility because many felt uncomfortable with their own English pronunciation skills.

So where to from here? I'm hoping teachers will now begin to record student stories to include with written copies in classroom libraries. Programs such as Photo Story and VoiceThread would also be great tools for recordings.

Disaster Brings a Reality Check

As a resident of San Diego County I, like many others, was evacuated from my home. Unlike many others, I have a home to go back to. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those impacted by the fires. I also want to thank the firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and relief workers who are working so hard during this difficult time.

Throughout the county, schools are closed for the week and students won't return in my district won't return until at least Wednesday, October 31. Many staff members have been effected and air quality is very poor. All schools will have to the cleaned and air filters replaced before students can return.

I volunteered with other teachers at Qualcomm Stadium to help children who were evacuated with their families spend a little time with art, books and other activities. As we were walking through the corridors of the stadium, we stopped frequently to check the television monitors for news coverage. People, especially teenagers, were using laptop computers to check news and communicate with friends and family. Back at home, television, cell phones, and computers were (and still are) critical tools to keep up-to-date on news, family, friends, etc.

Because the fires have been changing so frequently the news has scrambled to keep up. As a result, some news has been at least temporarily inaccurate. I also found different information when searching online. I was reminded how important it is to teach students how to evaluate the information technology brings. They need to know how to check multiple sources, how to look for "official" information, and how to evaluate what they find. It isn't enough to have access to information, you have to know how to think through that information.

We're Off and Running

The fourth week of school is about to end, our state test scores have arrived, and a new focus on technology has begun. The good news is that our scores are up. We met benchmarks thanks to significant instructional changes, and we're adjusting those changes in hopes of making further progress this year.

I've been fortunate enough to spend 1/2 of my day in the classroom this year, and the other 1/2 day working on instructional technology integration. One of my key tasks is to locate technology resources to support our Science and Social Studies curriculum. To address our students' needs, we teach those subjects using English Language Development (ELD) strategies.

1) Will the resources be used?
2) Will they be effective?
3) Will it justify my 1/2 time out of the classroom?
4) Is there a way to really know?

The pressure is on.