Technology Tuesday - February 28th

Twiddla ( http://www.twiddla.com) is an online virtual whiteboard where folks can get together to mark up a document, website, image, or white board for group collaboration.  Chats can also occur to allow folks to contribute and collaborate without being in the same room.  Try it out:  http://www.twiddla.com/767721  I uploaded the BYOT infographic and you can color on the page or circle images, draw, etc.   In your classroom this would be a great way to have student collaborate on word problems, projects, analyzing literature, etc.  As professionals you can use it to plan events or lessons with teachers from across campus, or from other campuses.    Did I mention it is free and no sign in is required to use the site.

 

Linoit - (http://en.linoit.com/) I LOVE this site!  This creates a virtual bulletin board with various backgrounds.  Place sticky notes with due dates, images, videos, etc.  This could be a great launching pad for your classroom if you display this on your screen at the beginning of the period or a place to organize resources for a project.  Items can also be added from a iPhone/iPad (no android apps at this point).  Items can also be added by email.

Main

 

PBS Learning Media (http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/)  is a collection of all things educational on the PBS website.  The categories include Arts, ELA, Health/PE, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Professional Development.   Resources can also be searched for by grade level, media type and resource type,  A login is required, but access is free.   resources include interactives as well as videos, documents, audio and pictures.  A wealth of resources worth checking into.

 

Science Links:

Periodic Table of Elements (http://www.periodicvideos.com/index.htm) - videos for each element, some more entertaining than others but does a good job of explaining the properties of each element and getting a good glimpse of what they look like.

Web Adventures ( http://webadventures.rice.edu/) - created by Rice University this teachers science through role play and web games.  Topics include infectious diseases, impact of alcohol on the body, the neuroscience approach to substance abuse, become a  member of CSI and learn to solve crimes with forensic techniques, and explore science as an apprentice.  Well-done and thought out this site deserves a look!

 

Technology Tuesday: Infographics

Infographics are all the rage. I have seen them on blog postings, shared on facebook, pinned on pinterest, printed in papers and in magazines. Basically they are a graphic representation of information. Think about USA Today, they have been doing this for years, taking data and displaying it with bright colors and images to make a point and display the data in a way that is easy to understand. Several subject areas TEKS require students to be able to read data from a chart, graph or image and draw conclusions. Infographics are a way to do that.

For those of you that are visual learners here is a great video on Inforgraphics as a Creative Assessment:



Infographics as a Creative Assessment from Kathy Schrock on Vimeo.

Examples of Infographics:

• Huge Collection of Infographics and an analysis of each one: http://www.coolinfographics.com/


• Getting More out of Google Infographic: http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2011/11/23/infographic-get-more-out-of-google.html 


• Examples of Infographics concering Education: http://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/tag/education


• Constant Celocity Infographic: http://www.slideshare.net/gabud/constant-velocity-infographic (student created and uses QR codes to extend the learning beyond the page)


• Kathy Schrock's Infographic Topic List: https://sites.google.com/a/kathyschrock.net/infographics/infographictopics to get you started researching

Use infographics in the classroom:
Search google using "infographics" and your keywords to see what is available on the internet. Use the projector to display and discuss the information available on the infographic.

Taking it a step further:
Students could make their own infographic as a creative assessment using Excel for the charts and graphs and Publisher for the layout of the information. What a great way to report on a country or a historical event, or any topic that is organized around data of some kind.

Students have to

• choose the appropraite data


• graphics to help visualize the data


• organize the information to tell a story or get their point across.

Other Resurces:

• Kathy Shrock is an expert on technology, resources and education and she has compiled a list of resources in creating an inforgraphic: https://sites.google.com/a/kathyschrock.net/infographics/links


• Blog article on using and creating infographics in the classroom: http://www.slideshare.net/gabud/constant-velocity-infographic

Technology Tuesday - November 29th

This year I was trying to share resources that I found on twitter each Tuesday.  I found this to be a little exclusive and was wanting to allow resources i found from some of my favorite blogs as well.  So I am expanding from Twitter Tuesday to Technology Tuesday.   Flexibility is always nice to have.

 

Technology Websites to Check out:

Flipsnack - http://www.flipsnack.com - Think about the online ad papers that you can flip through. This sites creates those kinds of interactive files. Save your files as a pdf file or scan papers into one pdf file and then load it online to create a virtual flipbook. Various styles to choose from. The free account does has limits, but a nice option to make a virtual book of directions or from the kids work. Books are embeddable and can be shared by URL. Check out my sample at: http://snack.to/5PpNF6

7 Web 2.0 Animation Tools: http://www.markbrumley.com/2011/06/20/7-web-2-0-animation-tools/ - This blog posts reviews 7 different ways to create animations. Great site to check out the options!

Human Anatomy - http://www.biodigitalhuman.com/ - offers 3d Models of the human body. Different body systems can be turned on to show up at a time and the body can be freely rotated to see the different angles.

Documentary Tube: http://www.documentarytube.com - a collection of documentaries available online. Search by subject such as science, history, biography, disasters, or travel for instance. I saw a cool one created by BBC on how the memory works and another one about Hitler's children. The quality of the video is low when expanded full screen, and the site links you to amazon to purchase the documentary on DVD. Reminder: As always preview the video, check to see who produced the documentary and what agenda it had before showing anything to students.

Cool Apps:

Sock Puppets: http://itunes.apple.com/ve/app/sock-puppets/id394504903?mt=8  (Apple only) Create 30 second sock puppet shows for free and the recordings can then be uploaded into Youtube. You can purchase more recording time, backgrounds and puppets inside the app. Read a review of the app here: http://www.tammyworcester.com/TipOfWeek/TammyWTechTipOfWeek/Entries/2011/11/15_Tip_107_-_Sock_Puppets_App.html

Twitter Tuesdays - September 13th

Resources and Ideas:  Contains many useful websites and tips for educators using technology.  Recent posts include google docs tips, September 11^th resources, and 3-D tours of the solar system. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/

@IanBurley31  - Wow, what a great tech resource, of tech resources!! http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ #edtech #educhat #soudhs

Library of Congress –This is a list of 10 fun things you can do at their website including virtual tours, trivia games, podcasts, webcasts, photos , science mysteries,  and catch online e3xhibits.  http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-fun-learning-library-congress-online/

@sheconsulting  10 Things U Can Do 4 Fun & Learning On The Library Of Congress Online http://zite.to/p1pPnM via @Zite RT @nmhs_principal #edu #edtech

StudyJams – these contain Math and Science concepts that students can explore with video, explanation slides and check for understanding opportunities.  These are from scholastic and are well done!   Some may be too basic, but many are appropriate for middle school.  http://studyjams.scholastic.com

@MsThomas79 Fractions: Here is the video from Scholastic’s Study Jams we viewed in class today and some inte... http://bit.ly/orieuN #edchat #edtech

Storybird – students can publish their writings or create books to explain a concept with Storybird.  This blog post explores ways two teachers have incorporated this tools into their teaching.  http://teachingwithsoul.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/new-teacher-boot-camp-fall-re-bootweek-3-using-storybird-ntchat/

@gret New Teacher Boot Camp Fall Re-Boot:Week 3 Using Storybird #ntchat by @teachingwthsoul http://j.mp/o9phbS #edchat

YouTube – “Last month, 16 teachers from across the country got together at Google’s Seattle office for the YouTube Teachers Studio — a sort of bootcamp to learn how to best use YouTube in the classroom.”  Contains 5 great videos that show what YouTube has to offer and why these types of videos are worth using.  http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/09/five-reasons-why-youtube-rocks-the-classroom/

@stem_high  5 reasons to use YouTube in the classroom 5 reasons to use YouTube in the classroom - http://sbne.ws/r/8Usy #edtech #edchat

Wikispaces – New tool – set up projects in your wiki – worth taking a second look at wikispaces for use with students!  http://blog.wikispaces.com/2011/08/projects-a-better-way-to-work-in-classroom-groups.html

@geraldaungst I discovered Projects in my wiki today and am psyched! http://bit.ly/pvvm01 Brilliant! Thank you @wikispaces!

Web Wandering Wednesday - Jan 5

This week's web Wandering Wednesday is focusing in on a few maps that track diseases:

Google Flu Trends:  Google tracks who is searching for information about the flu and then maps that information to estimate where the flu is hitting around the world.   Click on the United States and you can see more information about each state.

Health Map - health map brings together information from various resources to try to pinpoint outbreaks of infectious diseases around the world.  You can hover your mouse over a pin on the map and see what disease is currently affecting the area and any relevant information on it including links to the sources of the information.

Idea #4 - Concept Mapping with Inspiration

Want to increase brain activity in your students,  encourage active comprehension and step-up dynamic discussions in the classroom?  It all can be done with one simple activity of concept mapping.

Today’s idea uses  the software Inspiration 8 (installed on all teacher machines on campus) and your projector.  The document camera can also be incorporated as student's share the maps they have created.



Why use Inspiration?

1. It's easy and already loaded on all teacher machines on campus.


2. Inspiration provides pre-made templates to get the concept map going for the big screen (choose New - From Template to see the options)


3. Keeps the map organized and easy to read for the class.


4. Circles can be changed to clip art for more of a visual impact.


5. Brainstorming is easy with the lightening bolt icon.


6. Maps and ideas can be easily rearranged without starting over.


7. Finished products can be saved as Word files and placed online for those who missed the class.

Ideas on How to Use Concept Mapping in the Classroom:

As a reading strategy:

1. Pre-reading:  have students brainstorm what they know about the items listed on the skelton concept map.  Add those ideas in and have students record on their own papers.

2. During Reading - Students then read the assigned passage and add in more details as they learn them.

3. Post reading - Compare maps with the class and add in details students might have missed.  (Use the document camera to show student's original maps.)

Extension:

• 
  
  
  
  • Sub-topics can be recorded on note-cards and students can add in more details about that topic as they read/learn more
  
  
  • Cards can then be turned into a paragraphs within a research paper.
  
  
  • Each sub-topic could become a research topic for the class.
  
  
  
  

As a note-taking strategy:

1. Give students a partially filled concept map and have them add to it as you discuss, research, etc. the topic given.


2. Have students create their own map of the story/event with main characters/main events in ech sub-circle and details surrounding from there.

Getting Started:

Download a how-to guide for Inspiration 8:  How to Use Inspiration 8

Watch a quick tutorial on the software here:


Documentation and research on using concept mapping in the classroom is based from "Classroom Instruction that Works" by Robert Marzano and Project Criss.

Idea #3 - Read a Children's Book

Our third idea for using projectors and document cameras in the classroom is incorporating Children's Picture Books into lessons.

The Technical Side:

Before Doc Cameras:  When reading a book to the class you had to stop and hold the picture up as you walked around the room, or panned the room for all to see.   Most of the meanings in the pictures were lost on the students who could not see the image well enough or long enough to derive meaning from it.

With Doc Cameras: When placing the book under the document camera the entire class can see the pictures as you read the story aloud.   Students can look for meaning in the illustrations and how that meaning matches, or does not match with the text.   With the zoom feature you can focus in on details of the pages they would have never seen before.

Why read picture books in middle school?

Research shows that reading aloud to students is an important way to build their vocabulary, reading and comprehension skills.

Here are some of the highlights of an article written in the Middle School Journal on why you should read picture books in middle school:

• Provides students with an opportunity to read a variety of texts


• Increases and enhances the reader's personal connections with the subject matter


• Picture books are now being written to address middle school needs and interests.


• Many picture books can be interpreted on several levels.


• Students are visually oriented and are accustomed to using visual images to assist in learning new concepts


• Good activity for English Language Learners - it reduces the word load for students while keeping a high level of comprehension needed

Things to consider when choosing a Picture Book:

• How enthusiastic are you about it?  The more you like the book and are excited about it, the better reception the students will give it.


• What are your learning objectives?  Books should always be chosen to help meet those objectives.


• What is the quality of the book?
  
  
  
  • Does it have rich information?
  
  
  • Does it meet high literary standards with it's vocabulary and author's style of writing?
  
  
  • Look for awards such as the Caldecott for indications of a good book.
  
  
  
  

A great place to start when choosing a picture book is your library! use the librarians expertise in helping select books that meet the needs of your classroom.



For more details on choosing books for each academic subject area see  A Middle School Teacher's Guide for Selecting Picture Books - Middle School Journal.   Half way through the article they break it down for each academic area to choose books.    You can also search for "picture books in middle school (insert your subject here)."

Resources:

• Great Picture Books for Middle School - Amazon


• A Middle School Teacher's Guide for Selecting Picture Books - Middle School Journal


• Teaching with Picture Books

Idea #1 - Teach Students How to Read the Textbook

With the addition of document cameras and ceiling mounted projectors in the classroom, the challenge is learning to use this new technology to it's fullest.   This is the first in a series to offer teachers ideas:

Idea #1:  Teach Students How to Read the Textbook

Students do not automatically know how to read any given  textbook.  Each book is different with it's own structure and style.  Using a document camera and a projector, teachers can teach students to analyze the structure of their textbooks so that they can better comprehend what they are reading.

Students who have more knowledge of text structure learn more from expository material that students who are not aware of text structure.

The document camera makes it easy by allowing the teacher to project the textbook onto the screen for all to see, instead of having to hold up the book and hope students are looking at the same place they are.

The video walks you through the basics of teaching students to evaluate the structure of a textbook and to identify the resources provided.



For more information on teaching students how to read a textbook see:

• http://www.addchoices.com/reading_text.htm


• http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/25816.aspx

Wallwisher in the Classroom

I started to title this blog post - A New Way to Brainstorm - but then I realized that Wall Wisher offers so much more than that.

Wallwisher is a free internet application that allows you to build a wall that then you or you and others can post notes on.   To build a wall you will need to log in with an email account but an email account is not needed to post notes on that wall.  Good news for those of us working with students under the age of 14.    Privacy levels can be set for each wall and posts can be moderated.

Once a wall is built there are a number of ways to distribute or share your wall.  Walls can be embedded into a webpage, blog or wiki.  You can link directly to the wall for users to go straight there.  It also provides an RSS feed so walls can be monitored through your RSS readers, such as iGoogle.

As I started looking for how others were using this tool I found the ideas fit into a few categories.  (This was easy to do as I took the ideas that were posted on the wall and started moving them around to create the groups!)

• Brainstorming/ Idea Gathering


• Homepages - a place to gather resources, post announcements, leave messages, provide homework help, etc.


• Skill building - note-taking, vocabulary, sorting and summarization work wonderfully on this.


• Portfolios of Student Work - either as a class or an individual.

I created a wall with all the ideas of classroom use I have found by searching the web and have embedded the wall below.  Please feel free to add to it!

Get Started:

The best way to learn to use this tool is to jump in and get started!

Go to my wallwisher sandbox and make your first post: http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/RobinySandbox

Or go to: http://www.wallwisher.com - log in and build your first wall.

Please share your ideas for wallwisher or the walls you build!

Avatars - Your Virtual Self

Creating avatars in education can help get the creative juices flowing and create safe images to post of the students online.    Here is a list of ideas for using avatars in classrooms:

• Create book trailers with the avatars representing the characters


• Teachers can put their avatar in their powerpoints to get the kids attention.


• Create a new character and create a story about it. (Great for the Build Your Wild Self website)


• Write instructions on how to create a character - swap descriptions to see if they can recreate it


• recreate characters from the novel.  What do you picture that they look like.


• All about Mii poems with picture of the avatar attached


• Use the avatar to represent the student online.


• Put the avatars in famous places and points in history.  Have student write about the place and or event from a first person point of view.

Here are three kid-safe resources for creating avatars:

Mii Avatars

If you are a Wii user you have created a Mii before, the avatar that represents you in playing the games.  There is online option to create Miis that can be saved as jpgs or png files. Export the avatar as a transparent png file and put yourself in famous places. by placing the Mii on top of a photograph.  I've used PowerPoint for this since you can group the two images and then save the group as a picture file.

Create your own Mii - http://www.myavatareditor.com/

Directions to create famous Miis:  http://www.miicharacters.com/

Lego Avatars:

Mini-Mizer -

Allows users to create a Lego Avatar complete with accessories custom and backgrounds.  To save the creation you have to do a Print Screen and then paste into another application like PowerPoint to crop the image and save it as an image file.

http://www.reasonablyclever.com/mm2/mini2.swf

Become an Animal

Build Your Wild Self - Start off designing yourself as a human then you can add animal parts and set a background.  Final Products can be printed with information about the creature you created and a name for your creature.  Another option is to save a version as a desktop backgrounds.  You can right click on the print version and save the image as well as doing the print screen option as with the Lego character.



This was really my favorite one as the art work is beautiful and the ties into science are amazing.  One idea:  Have students create a creature for their habitat and explain how that creature lives.

__________________________________________

I'll be adding to my avatar resources at: http://www.diigo.com/user/robiny/avatars

Any other ideas for using avatars in class?

Olympic Lessons

The Winter Olympics are 10 days away.  Soon the TV airwaves will be full ofwinter sports, some of which we only get to see every 4 years.  So how can you incorporate this historic event into your classroom?  I've gone through several websites (listed at the bottom of this post) and grouped some ideas into different subject areas to get us started thinking about it.

History:

• Research the history of the Olympics


• Compare and contrast the ancient Olympics with the modern day ones


• Research the customs of different teams at the Olympics or of the Host Country


• Tie Black History month in with the Olympics by researching African American Athletes - such as Jesse Owen and Muhamed Ali


• Character Education lessons

Science:

• Explore the engineering of a sport and the equipment that is used in the sport.


• Anatomy of an Athlete - what makes some people "super" athletes?  Scientists study the human body to understand how it works and how  athletes can be better


• Weather - track the weather throughout the area.  What influences the weather in that region?  What about the weather in that area makes it ideal for the Winter Olympics to be held there?


• Check out - http://www.lessonopoly.org/svef/?q=node/9086

Math:

• Chart the results of the games


• Use statistics from the games to work math problems.


• Measurement - How far is it to travel to the games?  How much would it cost?

Language Arts:

• Write biographies of Olympic Athletes (past and/or present)


• Summarize the events of the game or the results of an event.


• Research a sport and how it has developed over the years.


• Cover an Olympic Event as a sports reporter

Art -

• create posters to illustrate the history of the game.


• Design icons for each event


• Design a tickets to events to represent Canada and the sporting event.

Resources:

• Education World - Countdown to Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games - great collection of lessons and links to complete the lessons


• EdGate Summer Games Ideas - Ideas can be transferred the the Winter events very easily.  Many of the resources are not specific to the summer time


• Collection of Lessons Compiled by the Saskatoon Public School Systems - http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/de/resources/olympics/


• TeacherVision - Olympic Games - Resources for Teachers


• teAchnology - Winter Olympics Teaching Theme

More resources will be added here as I find them.  Be sure to check this Diigo account as we get closer to the games for more ideas.

Diigo Account: http://www.diigo.com/user/robiny/olympics

Super Bowl Commercials in the Classroom

It's almost Super Bowl time! Appointment television at it's best with the thrill of the game and the fun of the commercials!   Why not use this important social event in American culture to pull students into learning? 

What has caught my attention the most right now is the use of commercials in the classroom.  Several websites have collected the "Best of the Best" of Superbowl commercials from over the years.  You can search by year or by product to choose attention grabbing hooks to your classroom.

Commercials can be hooks into your assignment, examples of what students can create themselves, or elements of it can be analyzed to illustrate what is happening in the classroom.

Take this Coca-Cola Commercial:


Science teachers could the laws of physics that were involved in moving the bottle and the insects that were used and what natural characteristics of that insect made it useful for each step of the heist.

Watch a propoganda ad to discuss what techniques were used to make their point.

Look for persuasiveness in an ad to see how you could use those techniques in your writing.

Any subject can have students make their own commercials based on what they are studying.   A few ideas are:

• Ad for why the Constitution is important today


• Show an M&M commercial and talk about the personification of the candy.    Apply that to the study of chemical elements.  Give your element a personality and it's own commercial.


• Persuade people to read your book

Any other ideas?

To find superbowl ads check out these resources:

• http://www.spike.com/superbowl - Ads that can be sorted based on year, product and popularity.


• http://www.superbowl-ads.com/index.html - Also based on year, the display of these ads are smaller and they cannot be embedded, but they do not have the related videos at the end of each one.


• http://www.frankwbaker.com/super_bowl.htm - has links to ads and facts and figures from throughout the years.

Some of these ads may not be appropriate for all grade levels.   Please preview all sites before using in the classroom.

Google Earth: Layers

There is something powerful about having first hand knowledge.  My daughter and I were reading an animal book recently that asks you to match up the pictures with different features, like feet, fur, colors, etc.  Usually we struggle through this book and she can't quite seem to see all the connections.  This time however she got all the matches right off.  What was different?  We had recently gone to the zoo.  Now all those pictures represented real things and she was more in tune with what they were asking since she had her own experiences to pull from!

This started me thinking about the power of field trips and what it really means to have a student that has never left the town they live in.  Then I thought of all the powerul tools we have to give students "virtual" field trips.  Google Earth is a great venue to make this happen.  With the ability to turn on different layers you can take the basic sattelite images and explore anywhere you want to go, includign the ocean.  Turn on 3D building layer and see the skyline of major cities, or of historic sites like the Alamo.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to use layers in Google Earth.

Google Earth: Ruler Tool

Google Earth is a great resource for engaging students in learning by using real world places and great visuals.  This is the first in a series of tutorial videos in using Google Earth in the classroom.

The ruler tool allows teachers/students to measure distances of real world objects without leaving their classroom.  You can measure the distance around an object, between point A to Point B or find diameter and radius.

You could also use this in Social Studies when discussing where things happened and how far things are from each other.  What did it mean to cross the Atlantic Ocean as a pilgrim?  How far did Santa Anna travel from Mexico City to San Jacinto?

Blogs - A Campus Update

I watch the news and they refer to their blogs and read reader's comments on the air.  I listen to the radio and hear about the blogs available there and what listeners have to say about the goings on with the music.  The Entertainment industry is full of blogs, I was tracking down past American Idol participants and found many have blogs now to keep their fans informed.   Blogs have infiltrated our everyday lives, but still research suggests many people still don't understand what blogs are.

So how are we reaching our students to get them informed?  I started thinking about all the teachers who are introducing blogging this year (or have been blogging for several years) on campus now.  I wanted to share those examples so maybe other people will get ideas on how blogs can be used in their classrooms.

Blogs at Ridgeview:

1. Mrs. Hazen, 6th grade math, is using a blog as a web page to communicate with parents and students about class happenings as well as providing reteaching and more information about class topics.  http://ridgeviewms.org/hazen/


2. Mrs. McLinden, TAG Math has been using blogs for several years to get her students talking about math.  She has 3 blogs, one for each subject.  At the end of the year she asks students to leave advice for the incoming group.  This is a great example of building relationships with students:
   
   
   
   • http://geometry8th.blogspot.com/
   
   
   • http://algebra7th.blogspot.com/
   
   
   • http://tagmath6th.blogspot.com/
   
   
   
   


3. 7th Grade Science teachers, Mrs. Dausses, Mrs. Stegall, Mrs. Mayen and Mrs. Prescott are using blogs to ask students to think about the science topics they are learning about in class as well as to give more information to extend learning.
   
   
   
   • http://sciencethoughts.edublogs.org/
   
   
   • http://mrsdausses.edublogs.org/
   
   
   • http://mrsstegall.edublogs.org/
   
   
   • http://mrsprescott.edublogs.org/
   
   
   
   

What do the students get out of this?  They are learning how to interact in our ever changing world.  They are learning how to respond appropraitely on blogs and how to stay safe online by not sharing too much about themselves.  They are learning how to become part of the global conversation.

Want to learn more about blogging?

Check out these previous posts:

• What is a Blog?


• Students Who blog


• Blogging in History

Blogs in Plain English:

Cartoons - Make Your Own

I ran across http://www.befunky.com/ through my PLN (Personal Learning Network) and have been playing with the possibilities.   It requires no fees and no sign in or account to be created.  Of course the first place I start when playing with photos is my kids.

The process of uploading pictures is very simple:

1. Navigate to the picture and upload it.


2. Crop or rotate the image as needed.


3. Choose the effect you want (effects can be changed and modified with the onscreen menu).


4. Save the new image to your computer.

But then I started thinking what else could be done?  How about cartoons?

Cartoons and Cartoon Strips

The students could take pictures of themselves in various expressions, poses, run the picture through the web page and turn the digital photo into a cartoon version.  Those pictures could then be inserted into a PowerPoint and captions added to make your own cartoon strips.  This would be a great activity to summarize an event being studies, or a book they are reading.  Maybe give them the pictures and have them write in their own captions.  Students could also take historical images and make them "cartoonized" to tell the story of the event.

When Printing - Choose to print the handout page with 6 slides per page.


(Sorry the text is very small in this image- but the story line is lacking a bit.  :) )

Cartoon Movies

I then took it another step by pulling the images into Photo Story 3.  Instead of a paper cartoon, why not a video?  Students would process their pictures and then bring them into PhotoStory 3 where they can add text, narration and music.  The images could be zoomed in or out in the movie and the still photographs have come to life.



Any other ideas for using http://www.befunky.com/ in the classroom?

Getting started with Audacity

I had a request from the 6th grade science teachers to create a video tutorial on Audacity so kids who choose to make a podcast in an upcoming webquest, could do so if they so chose.  I thought I would share the video here as well.



Here is the handout that goes with it.  Audacity Basics

Creating Online Content - Videos

This week my husband and I were watching American Idol and were wondering who orginally sung the song being preformed.  So I got online and googled the song.  Within seconds we were watching the original artists preform the song on YouTube.  We were also linked to other artists who had sung the song and were able to find the version and artist that we knew best.  No digging out old albums or cassette tapes, it's all at your fingertips.

Finding video content online is a not difficult anymore.  With the advent of UnitedStreaming, YouTube,  and other streaming media you can find video of almost anything you want any time you want and are incorporating that into your teaching.  But what if you can't find what you are looking for?  What if you have footage of something cool that you want to share with the world?  Maybe you want to get your students attention by posting the instructions in a way that is accessible to them anytime and anywhere.   

This week's tech tip focuses on creating the video files, where to host the files online and how to make them easily accessible to your students.   To create the video I suggest PhotoStory if you are going to narrate pictures or a PowerPoint.  For video MovieMaker is easy to edit footage, add titles and add music.

Webcams now include software to turn yourself in to an avatar (think cartoon character) and you can record you voice and facial expressions to give directions to your students.  (See the example below.)   Something different to catch those middle school minds!

Once videos are created they can be embedded into a wiki, blog, or linked from your TeacherWeb page.  The advantage of being able to embed the video is the students never leave the page to view the content.

Here is a sample of a teaching video. 

 

(The shark in the video was created with a Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000.  Only certain Logitech Webcams will create the cartoon images of the narrator.  Check the back of the box if you are looking for this feature.  We have purchased one of these and it is available for use.)

Some Ideas for Teaching Videos:

• Science labs - capture the process for students to refer back to or for students who were absent


• Introduce a unit for your students that they can refer back to


• Explain hard to get concepts or problem solving skills step by step 


• Create a video to provide background info for a unit 

How can you see using this in your classroom?  Leave your ideas in the comments section.  Also leave your guesses as to who the voice of the shark is in the video. 

Get Students in on the Act:
Creating the videos can also be a task for the students.  When students create multimedia presentation they use their writing skills.  The key to a good presentation is writing a good script and storyboarding. Organization of ideas is essential because if the ideas are not organized, the presentation will also not be organized.  

What Multi Media Presentations Do Well:

• Gives voice to student work


• Creates visual interest in a subject


• Can be turned into a vodcast (more on this in future posts).

Ways MultiMedia Presentations are being Used in Education:

• Newscast about historical events


• Advertisements


• Reports about countries


• Teach a subject to another class


• Book reports

Free Software to create multi-media presentations:

• Movie Maker - edits video and add transitions, titles, etc.


• PhotoStory 3 - makes a slide show out of your pictures. - Add narration and pan and zoom effects. Good for student made documentaries, presentations.  

Once you have your video created, you need a place to keep that video that students, parents, etc can access easily.  I suggest www.teachertube.com. Why use TeacherTube to host your videos?  It's free!  The storage space is unlimited.  It's free.  The purpose of the site is to host and share educational videos.  Links to other videos should not be inappropriate for your students. Did I mention it's free with unlimited space?  YouTube and Google Video contain videos clips that may nto be appropriate for our kiddos to see.  So please don't tempt them by hosting your video there!  So choose wisely!

For the step by step how to's on uploading to teacherTube and embedding videos into wikis and blogs - got to TeachWiki.

If you have an idea of what you might want to do, but need help getting there, let me know and we can make it happen!