28 November 2010

Week 11 (Thing 22 & Thing 23)









I​t is not uncommon to hear from students that a document was saved at home and cannot be edited at school because it wasn't saved on some sort of storage device or emailed; or that they have WordPerfect at home and not Word so they can't open the document.

Fortunately there is an easy way around issues like these... Online Productivity like Google Docs or Zoho.

Of course there are many other reasons why, say, Google Docs is a smart choice for students that use multiple computers.

As we all have a Google Account we will use Google Docs for our productivity Thing. Feel free to join Zoho (free, of course) and test that one too. I use both because they each have features I like for different things.

- Watch the Google Docs Slideshow Tour (click the play buttons)... http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html


- Google Docs in Plain English... http://sites.google.com/site/edtoolstrade/introduction-to-google-docs


- Google Docs in Education - C​heck the following site that explains (and shows videos) of how Google Docs could be used in the education setting...http://www.google.com/educators/p_docs.html



22)

a) Log in to your Google account and go try out Google Docs. Create, save, and maybe even share with someone else doing 23 Things and see how the collaboration aspects work.

b) What do you think of Google Docs? Add a comment to your blog as to how you might use Google Docs at school.


23) Tell us what you thought about this whole 23 Things PD. Put a comment on your blog as to the most valuable part of this PD​ and also the most frustrating / difficult part of this PD.



21 November 2010

Week 10 (Thing 20 & Thing 21)

When it comes to online video there is little doubt that You Tube is king. But if you want some school appropriate videos whithout having to do as much self-filtering then Teacher Tube is the place to go.


This week you will explore Teacher Tube and see what it has to offer.


Read this brief article about what Teacher Tube is all about - http://www.edutopia.org/teachertube-videos-online-collaboration-teachers


20) Explore Teacher Tube and find a video worth sharing - embed it in your blog

- here's a slideshow of how to do it - http://www.slideshare.net/lhuff/embed-video-in-blogger
- here's a video of how to do it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3l0feGWTi0&feature=related


21) What did you think of Teacher Tube? Create a blog entry telling us what you liked, didn't like, how you might use it in the future, etc...

12 November 2010

Podcast Resources

A) Text with Screenshots (videos below)

How to start catching some Podcasts.

1) How to subscribe to podcasts.

This can be done via iTunes so if you are an iTunes member already then you can simply use what you are already familiar with.

But for those starting fresh, or looking for different options, we will use the free podcast receiver Juice.

Go to http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/ and download the appropriate software to your computer.

Install it.

You will end up with a piece of software that looks like this (below):

2) Now to get some podcast subscriptions.

Go to http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/

Click on the “Listen or Reed” button

Click on “Podcast RSS” (see red circle below)

You will end up at a page filled with code. Ignore it.

Go to the URL at the top and copy it.

(it should look something like this… www.qdnow.com/grammar.xml)

Now go back to your Juice podcast receiver software.

On the subscriptions tab click on the green + icon (see below)

You will then see the Add A Feed pop-up window:

Paste the URL that you copied from the Grammar Girl website and click “Save”

An automatic list of past podcasts by that site will be generated.

You have successfully subscribed to a podcast!!

3) Now you need to get it downloaded to your computer and mp3 player.

Click on the orange button with the down arrow and mini clock (it will say “Catch-up – Only download the last new subscriptions” when you hover over it)

On the pop-up window decide whether you want to skip permanently or only skip this time. I recommend “Skip this time only” for our first time. You can always change this later.

Juice will switch automatically to the Download tab.

You will see the Progress % moving along as your podcast downloads.

Your podcast is now Downloaded!

4) Now to put it on your mp3 player or listen to it on your computer.

Computer first:

Right click on the podcast in your download list

Select “Play episode in mediaplayer”

Listen and enjoy!


MP3 Player:

This one is somewhat dependent on your personal computer’s set-up so you might have to modify this slightly (email me, I can help!).

By default Juice saves all podcast downloads in the file path that looks something like this C:\Documents and Settings\dthomarie\Application Data\iPodder\downloads


Note: Go to File > Preferences and you can change this to something easier to find if you wish

Basically you need to get the files in your iPodder\downloads folder into your MP3 player folder.

Some of you will have to use specific software that came with your player to do this. If so, do it the same way you would for a music file.

If not, a simple copy and paste from one folder (iPodder) to the next (mp3 player) is all that you need to do.

Again, if you are feeling lost just email me and I’ll help.

~~

B) Video Tutorials
Not the greatest quality, but should at least give you an idea if you are still lost!!

Video Part 1 - subscribe



Video Part 2 - download an episode


Video Part 3 - transfer to MP3 Player





Video Extra - Subscribe via Google Reader


~~

Week 9 (Thing 18 & Thing 19)



Don't panic - you do not need an iPod!


Podcasts can be a wonderful tool for education. Everything from book reviews (see here
- http://jhslmc.blogspot.com) to classroom notes could be turned into a podcast. There certainly are infinite possibilities and you will hopefully get an idea this week that can be used in your classroom.


A podcast is defined in various ways but essentially it is an audio file (video files too) that can be listened to on a computer or mp3 player.

For the purists out there, a Podcast is a published with an RSS feed. The subscriber (you) to that RSS feed gets an automatic update, downloads the podcast, and puts it on an mp3 player to listen to.



18) To begin with follow the instructions for how to subscribe to a podcast. Then start looking for your own and subscribe to them.


How to subscribe to podcasts:

This can be done via iTunes so if you are an iTunes member already then you can simply use what you are already familiar with.


But for those starting fresh, or looking for different options, we will use the free podcast receiver Juice.


a) Go to http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/ and download the appropriate software to your computer.

Install it.


b) Below I have provided the same information in two formats.
One is the text with screenshots style, the other is a series of three short videos to watch (and a bonus video!!).

Click the link and Read or Watch.


Screenshot Instructions & Video Tutorials



c) Find Some Podcasts. Take a look at the following links and subscribe to at least three podcasts that interest you (using the instructions above)

Podcast.com - http://podcast.com/

The Education Podcast Network - http://epnweb.org/

Notes:

Other popular podcast catchers include Ziepod (ziepod.com) and gPodder (gpodder.org/)

Here is a link to the many podcast catchers/recievers out there http://www.buzzmaven.com/podcast-software-list.html

Also, the other side to podcasting is creating your own and students creating their own. This will be covered in the 23 Things Part II.



19) What did you think of the podcasts? Create a blog entry telling us what you liked, didn't like, how you might use it in the future, etc... Also be sure to tell us of any great podcasts you found.

07 November 2010

Week 8 (Thing 16 & Thing 17)

In the Images week you used tagging as a means to search for photos that related to what you wanted. But what is tagging all about and how can it help you?


Explore these few links to get the overview of tagging...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tag_(metadata)

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/magazine/11ideas1-21.html

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.04/view.html?pg=4


16)
Goto www.delicious.com and do a few searches using school related keywords. See what comes up. Is it what you expect? Comment on your blog.


17)

a) create an account at Delicious and tag five websites that could be useful in the classroom.

b) Post to your Blog how you could use Delicious in the classroom. If you feel like it, put a link to your Delicious page.

30 October 2010

Week 7 (Thing 14 & Thing 15)


Last week you found photos, this week it is time to use them.

Animoto is a free service that automatically produces videos from your photos, video clips, and music. Basically they put everything together, add some transitions, and voila, a cool looking video.

Already you're thinking 'forget powerpoint, I want Animoto presentations'


Animoto has a great intro video (as they should!) so start here to fully understand how it works (click on the "Learn More in 60 sec" video)


14) Explore Animoto and see what other people have done to use this ? video service. Go to the Example Videos http://animoto.com/showcase and watch a few.


a) create an account at Animoto.com

b) create your first Animoto video piece. Topic is irrelevant at this point, just play with it and see what comes out.


15) Post to your Blog how you could use Animoto in the classroom. If you are feeling comfortable, put a link to your Animoto video too.

here's an example - http://gjsd23.blogspot.com/2010/10/animoto-video.html


How to Add Animoto video to your Blog in 10 easy steps...

  1. Watch your video on Animoto
  2. At the end select the "embed" button
  3. A new window pops up - click "Copy Code" button
  4. Log in to your blog
  5. Create new post
  6. Click on the tab on the right that says "Edit HTML"
  7. Right click in the main body section of the post (where you would normally type your blog entry)
  8. Select paste
  9. Go back and give your post a Title
  10. Click "Publish Now"


29 October 2010

24 October 2010

Week 6 (Thing 11, Thing 12 & Thing 13)









Websites like Flickr & Photobucket have changed the way we use images. Flickr is perhaps the most prolific of these sites and has turned photography into a community of sharing. These photo sharing sites are also great examples of tagging (something we will explore more soon) as a means for assisting our keyword searching.

If you are already a Flickr or Photobucket user then you have a slight advantage here. But you still need to explore more - you might find something you didn't know about!


For this week you do not need to set up an account with these photo sharing websites at this time. Once you have a great idea for your classroom, you'll probably want to create an account in whichever of the 2 you prefer. But, right now, no account is needed to explore.


11) Explore Flickr or Photobucket (I am a fan of photobucket because I like the way they layout their search) and see what images are available. Be sure to browse for any type of image, but also try one or two of the links below for more info about the sites.


Note: Flickr has some great Groups where themes are used, or even a class can upload an image to their "class group".


Flickr Tour:

http://www.flickr.com/tour/


Flickr Groups FAQ:

http://www.flickr.com/help/groups/


Photobucket Overview:

http://pic.pbsrc.com/help/PhotobucketHelp.htm


What's New (Photobucket) - good for how-tos and ideas:

http://photobucket.com/?whatsnew=1#tabs


12) explore these outstanding example of how images tell a story...

Farm to Food - http://www.flickr.com/groups/visualstory/discuss/72157603786255599/?search=farm+to+food

Gender Miscommunication - http://www.flickr.com/groups/visualstory/discuss/72157594311362023/?search=gender+miscommunication


More examples, general discussions and tips for "Tell A Story in 5 Frames (Visual Storytelling)" can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/visualstory/


13) Post to your blog how you could use Flickr or Photobucket in your classroom, both in teaching a topic and in getting students directly involved in using a photo sharing website (expanding on the ideas above is OK, just relate it to your classroom and expand a little).



P.S. A Note about Flickr etiquette & tagging photos... a) As educators certain issues are always lurking in the back of our minds. Photo tagging etiquette is something that needs to be of a concern to you at this point. If you are going to post a photo of somebody else in a public place, like Flickr, get their permission first. Also, if you are going to tag a picture with someone's name please use discretion when you tag students, in fact, I would go so far as to say Don't Tag Students by Name. b) Only post photos taken by you, or give credit to the photographer. c) When creating a photo sharing based assignment for your students be sure to go over Photo Sharing Etiquette with them as part of your introduction.


Note: In case you haven't noticed, you should be adding a Blog entry every week as we explore these Web 2.0 technologies. Feel free to add more than one entry (remember, someone might be subscribing to your blog via RSS!).


Hoorah! Over halfway through your 23 Things.


17 October 2010

Week 5 (Thing 9 & Thing 10)

This week we are going to explore Google Reader as a means to gather a load of information into one place. Google Reader is an aggregator. It collects the information and newsfeeds that we tell it to collect and then creates a link on our own personal page that we can log in to and get to that information that it gathered for us.

Clearly, you can see the time saving potential.

RSS is what is used to help make all this gathering possible. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndicate, but it's basically a universal method to enable you to keep up with things online that you feel you need to be updated on.

RSS can be used with an aggregator such as Google Reader and also as a direct email. Aggregators work particularly well for those things that get updated often, email for the less frequent updates. You'll have to decide what "frequent" means to you!

Remember, you can always delete the feed.


9) a) Explore the following links to give you more details about RSS and newsfeeds.

Excellent 3 minute video called "RSS in Plain English" - http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

A Beginner's Guide to RSS and Google Reader - http://www.10e20.com/blog/2007/10/05/beginner-guide-to-rss-google-reader/

Google Reader Help Videos (by Google) - http://www.youtube.com/GoogleReaderHelp

Official Google Reader Blog (Beginners Section) - http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2009/01/google-reader-for-beginners.html


9) b) Create a post on your blog about your findings. What did you find interesting? How might you use RSS for your classroom or Professional Development?


10) Create a Google Reader page and add at least 5 newsfeeds to your account. (If you already have a gmail account use the same login, it's part of the Google Suite of Apps - you probably saw that on one of the videos above).

Use the videos from the Google Reader Help Videos or the Google Reader Blog above if you don't feel like experimenting.

Now would be a good time to click the little RSS image on the main page of this 23 Things blog, that way you get an automatic notice when I update for the coming weeks!



See below for an image that shows you were to click for the rss feed...




08 October 2010

Week 4 (Thing 7 & Thing 8)


We've all seen, used, or even added to Wikipedia, the online collaborative encyclopedia, but what can a wiki do for the classroom? A wiki is an online collaborate website that allows users to quickly and easily add content on a particular topic. Already the gears are probably engaging in your head.

Wikis are being used to increase student participation, provide lesson notes, disseminate information to the students, and for project based learning.


7a.

Explore the following links to see how and why wikis are becoming more prevalent in education.

50 Uses of Wikis in Education - http://bit.ly/Fifty-Wiki-Uses

How Can I Use Wiki in the Classroom? - http://bit.ly/Wiki-Examples

Extensive examples of wikis for various educational goals - http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+educational+wikis

A great example of a wiki used to explain the use of Web2.0 technologies - http://digitallyspeaking.pbworks.com/Wikis


7b.

Create a post on your blog about your findings. What did you find interesting? What types of wiki might be good for your classroom?


8.

Visit the GJSD PD Wiki at http://gjsdprodev.pbworks.com and add to the "Wikis in the Classroom" page. Add a comment or link about a wiki you have created for the classroom or one that you plan to create for this year. Feel free to comment on what others have said (a.k.a. Collaborate), create your own page, etc.


Note: If you want to set up your own free wiki for your classroom try one of these ...

Zoho www.zoho.com

PBworks (specifically designed with education uses in mind) - http://pbworks.com/content/edu+overview

Google Sites - http://sites.google.com


Use the WikiMatrix to help you find a good wiki host -
http://www.wikimatrix.org/

03 October 2010

Week 3 (Thing 5 & Thing 6)

This week you will explore the vast blogging universe as it relates to education.
You can do this in many ways, but for this week...

5.
Go to either a) 100 Best Blogs for Teachers of the Future and browse the list of blogs, OR b) do a Google search using keywords such as Education, Blog, Teaching, Student Blogging, etc... (you need to include "blog" in one of it's forms).

6.
On your blog site that you created last week explain what you found and how it could be useful to you in your classroom or further professional development.


A quick note: Throughout this course you will know of or find other links and sites that I have not mentioned. It is perfectly ok to use those as your sources, but please share via your blog and the wiki (more about this next week) so we can all benefit!

26 September 2010

Week 2 (Thing 3 & Thing 4)

3.
You have explored this blog and have a much better understanding of how this PD will work.

Now you will create your own blog and use it to document your success throughout each of the 23 Things.

For this program I set up the blog using Blogger, a very popular and easy to use blogging platform by Google; and, of course, it’s free. I am recommending that you use Blogger for your blog, but this is only a suggestion – if you are more comfortable with another blog hosting site then please feel free to use it.

Get a Blog in 4 easy steps…

Note: you do not need a Gmail account. But if you have one log in to it after you click on the link below.

https://www.blogger.com

For the rest of these instructions I am assuming that you do not have a Google Account of any kind.

Step 1

Click “Create A Blog”

Step 2

Create an Account

Complete all the pertinent details.

Write down your Username & Password if you need to.

Step 3

Name Your Blog

Something to consider here is that everyone can see your blog if they choose to. I would recommend a blog TITLE and blog ADDRESS that relates to this PD. Yet at the same time keep it somewhat anonymous. Initials, a nickname…

The format is name.blogspot.com

Eventually your URL will look something like this http://gjsd23.blogspot.com

Note that there is no www in the URL

Bookmark your blog incase you forget the URL.

Step 4

Select Your Template
There are many options here so have some fun and try a few.
That’s it!! You now have a Blog

If you run into trouble feel free to email me, or check with one of your colleagues.

A note about future Blogging:
Throughout the rest of this PD you will be required to blog every week. To make it a little easier to follow your entries please clearly label your Posts, such as: Week 1, Thing 3 (include topic if possible) etc…


4.
Incentives!

I don’t care how you set up your blog (nickname, alias, random numbers…) but in order to be eligible for the prizes I need to know who you are. You have already sent me an email, now I need to link you to your blog.

Please send me another email with a link to your blog in it.

20 September 2010

Week 1 (Thing 1 & Thing 2)

1.
Ok, let's start this off nice and easy...
Send me an email to this address: jhslmc AT gmail DOT com - this is so I can contact you and so that I know who is planning to take part in this PD. If needed set up an email with Gmail specifically for this PD.

A note about this course. You will be creating accounts with numerous websites. I suggest using the same email address for all of them and the same login ID and password. This will make your life easier when everything starts to blend together!
I would also suggest setting up a gmail account at this time as it will make your life easier next week!

2.
Explore this blog by:
a) Reading the intro page of the blog (you probably read that already in order to get to here!)
b) Reading the About 23 Things (FAQs) page.