Course Evaluation and Reflection

Below you will find a link to the course evaluation. Please provide some feedback about the course.

Click Here to take survey

I was really impressed with the quality of work that was produced this semester. Everyone did a great job and I look forward to hearing about your progress!

Please feel free to leave a comment about the course on the blog. Suggestions are always welcome!

Survey!!

Two Class Weeks Left!

This week will be a work week. Your projects are due next week an I plan on using class this week as a refresher and question period. If you would like to review anything that we have covered over the last 9 weeks post your question below.

Assignment:
Be prepared to share your project with the rest of class next week.

Search Engine for Kids!

For those of you who teach elementary students there is search engine designed to catch the innappropriate content, Kindernet!

Check out the Free Tech for Teacher's Blog for more information.

Media Manipulation

Using web-accessible tools to design and edit digital media files.

Web-shared media invites web-based tools to produce and refine the files to be shared. Web tools are available for editing photographs (splashup, fotoflexer). Others can allow the creation and sharing of comic strips (toondoo) and for simple animated images for webpages (gifup). Similar editing can be applied to sound files (soundjunction, Jamglue). Moreover, images or videoclips can be annotated with sound – or with visual notes (voicethread). Collections of images can be effortlessly constructed into sequential video clips (animoto) or broadcast as TV-style video (makeinternettv). More elaborate mixing of visual digital material into montages or 'mashups' is also supported (popfly). Sections of web pages themselves can be selected and pasted into such montages (kwout).


Assignment:

Try out one of the tools listed above and share what you created on your blog or wiki!

Fun with Podcasting!!

Podcasting has become increasingly popular among educators. It provides an opportunity for teachers to record their lessons and then post them to a class website. It also allows students to record their reflections, create projects, and share information. A Podcast can simply be an oral blog or it can be a detalied lesson on a topic of interest. In this lesson you will listen to a couple of podcasts that were created by students and teachers. You will also find a podcast of interest and link it or post it to your blog. I will also show you some websites where you can upload your own podcasts. All you need is a microphone and a program called Audacity!



P.S. Don't forget to bring your headphones!!

Assignment: Listening to Podcasts and Linking to Your Blog

1. Check out the following podcasting resources:
Apple's Podcasting in Education
Learning in Hand - A great resource for those interested in checking out what podcasting has to offer
Podcasting in Education- This blogger has an unbelievable amount of resources available for podcasting!
PodOMatic- Create Your Own Podcast!
Pod Bean- Create Your Own Podcast!
Voice Thread - Upload pictures and start a conversation about them!
Audacity- Free audio recording and editing software

2. Check out the links below to some popular education podcasts. Some of these require the use of iTunes. I realize some of you do not have iTunes so I tried to provide a variety of links for you to explore. Choose one podcast to listen to and post a blog entry about what you heard.

Education Podcasts:
Education Podcast Network- A collection of educational podcasts.
Podcast Alley- Podcasts from all different genres
Podcasts on Digg.com- The top education podcasts choosen by the online community

3. Find one podcast that you are a fan of. Post the link, or if possible embed the link on your blog, and share why you choose this podcast.

4. Feel like making your own podcast? Check out Podbean.com! Upload your recording to Podbean and it will provide you with an embeddable player you can post on your blog!

Social Bookmarking and Custom Search Engines

Yes that's right..."Social" bookmarking. Would you like to access your favorite websites from any computer? Are you doing a research project and you ran out of 3x5 cards? Do you want to see what websites other teachers are looking at? Then social bookmarking is your tool. Social bookmarking on websites like Delicious and Google Notebook are fantastic ways to store your bookmarks on the web so you can access them from any computer. They are also a great research tool for students to use to keep track of the websites they visit.

Also, websites like Delicious make a great custom search for your students. You can pick the websites you want them to visit and post them on your Delicious page. The website even provides you with a link or an embedded code for your individual list. Another great way to guide search in your class is through the Google Custom Search. This option is a little more complicated than Delicious. However, you can create a custom page and a Google search box for your class website.

A couple of things you should know before you begin. First, you will have to set up an account. Second, you need to know that "tags" are a way for you to label and organize your bookmarks. They are also used to find similar topics of interst. Finally, both have downloadable tools for you to use from your browser. I have them both on my laptop and I have never had a problem with viruses.


Assignment:

1- Create a Delicious account and start bookmarking your favorite websites. Don't forget to use tags to organize your links.
3- Check out Google Notebook. This site has similar features to Delicious, but it's not a social bookmarking website. I use this feature of Google almost every day.
2- Post your link or RSS feed to your blog. Blog about your experience! How could you use this with your students?
3- Advanced (Optional) Create a Google Custom Search Engine and place it in your blog

Camel Video

Document Sharing

One of my favorite Web 2.0 tools is document sharing. Document sharing allows you to create an online word document, powerpoint, or spreadsheet (or upload one from your computer) and invite people to collaborate with you on the same document in real time. In the past, if you wanted to do something like this you needed to use email attachments. Now all you need to do is create a document, invite friends or coworkers to join you, and get to work. My students have loved the freedom this tool has to offer. They call one another or instant message one another to set up a work session. It's a great tool.


Assignment Part 1: Using Document Sharing



First, check out what is available. Look for links that give you a tour of what the website can do. Sign in to Google if you are looking at Google Docs. Try out what it has to offer. Below you will find a list of websites available for online document collaboration. Next, post a blog entry about what you see.
Google Docs
Think Free
Adobe Buzzwords
Scribd
Zoho Writer

***New*** - Drop.io - It's real time collaboration with documents! Check out the "how to"


Assignment Part 2: Share Your Document
Using Google Docs create your own Word Document. Start a story and invite two other classmates to participate. See what your story looks like in the end! OH and invite me too!

Assignment Part 3: How would you use this in your classroom?
Post your ideas on your blog!

A Couple More Things!

Check out Voice Thread- It's a photo sharing websites that gives you the freedom to record a narration over your project.

Also here's a link to Beryl's How to Use Movie Maker video. If you need a refresher check this out!!

Media Sharing: Digital Storytelling, Videosharing, Photsharing, and More!!

There are thousands of resources available on the web for videosharing and photosharing. Some provide you with a space to back up your photos and videos, order prints or dvds, and share with family members. Others provide you with the unique opportunity to get creative with your photos. You can create your own slideshow, comic strip, music video, photobook, timeline, etc. These website also provide you with a html code which you can use to post your work on your blog, or aggregator. The possibility for student project are endless! In this lesson you will learn how to create your own photo or video project.

Assignment Part 1: Check Out What's Out There

The title of this assignment explains everything. I just want you to explore, play with websites, sign up for websites, and figure out which one works best for you. The final assignment of this lesson will be to create your own photo project and design a project you could use with your students.

Start with the following websites from my Delicious bookmarks-http://delicious.com/MrsFitz/digitalstorytelling

Also, check out Marco Torres' website. I saw him speak last fall and he is phenomenal! He has done incredible things with his students!

Torres 21
http://homepage.mac.com/torres21/%29%20%29%20%29%20torres21%20%28%20%28%20%28.html

Assignment Part 2: Digital Storytelling Ideas

Check out these resources for ideas on how to use digital storytelling in your classroom.

Kings Park Elementary SchoolEducational Uses of Digital StorytellingDigital Storytelling Ideas

Next, share any ideas you may have on your blog.

Assignment Part 3: Create Your Own Story!

Choose one of the resources mentioned in Assignment 4 Part 1 and create your own photostory. If you teach Reading or English you may want to make a story about a book. If you teach Math, maybe a story about a math problem!
Post your work on your blog. You will need to "embed" the video in your blog. Finally, in your blog post share any ideas you may have for using digital storytelling in the classroom.

One More Resource!http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/learnshops/digital/resources.php

Wiki's, Review, and Embeding

This week we are going to spend a little more time on Wikis, reviewing any topic that you may have questions about, and embeding. Embeding is the process of taking something (like an image, a video, or an icon) and posting it on your blog or Wiki.

Check out the following websites to find things to embed on your Wiki or Blog:

http://www.rockyou.com/ - create cool titles, slide shows, and more
http://www.playlist.com/ (you will have to access this one from home)
http://www.teachertube.com/ - find educational videos that you could use with your students
http://www.scribd.com/ - share worksheets with students. The embeded code provides you with options to print, share, and email the page.

How to Embed
1- Find the object you want to embed. On a website you are using look for the “embed” code.
2- Copy the code
3- Open the dialog box in your blog or Pageflakes
4- Paste code
5- publish

For Fun- Check Out the Forward Thinking Museum! How could you you apply this in your classroom?

Wikis!

Wiki is the hawaiian word for "fast". However it has been suggested that Wiki stands for "What I Know Is". Wikis are an online collaboration website. Mulitple users can log on and modify a shared space. Wikipedia is one of the most popular Wikis on the internet. In this assignment you will view Common Craft's "Wiki's In Plain English", you will play around with a couple of wiki websites, and you will invite me and a couple of classmates to join you in creating something on a wiki. Finally, you will post a link to your wiki on your blog and reflect about your experience. Make sure you also comment on one of your classmate's blogs.

Assignments-
1- Watch Common Craft's "Wiki's In Plain English". Reflect about what you saw in the video on your blog and comment on the class blog.



2-Below you will find a series of websites dedicated to teaching teachers how to use wikis and wikis for educators to participate in. Check them out share what you thought in your blog. Also, come up with ideas for how you might use wikis in your classroom. Make sure you comment on at least one of your classmates' blogs.
Using Wikis in Education
Librarian Wiki
How to Wiki
Curriki- A teacher sharing wiki. I tried this one out. It wasn't working well when I tried it. However, the concept was really cool. You can share lesson plans, curriculum and resources with other teachers.

Marhsall Middle School Professional Sharing Wiki

And check out Will Richardson's Wiki on Web 2.0! It's fascinating!

Oh and I just found this great Wiki called "Learning in Maine" from Free Tech for Teachers!

Oh and Free Tech for Teachers has a wiki as well!

3-Choose one of the following wiki websites to create your own wiki. The topic of your wiki is your own choice. Try to think about how you would use a wiki with your students. I like to use wikis to create collaborative studyguides for my students. I upload the studyguide I give them in class and allow them to make changes to the document. It is a great way to see if they have been paying attention! However, there are many ways you can use wikis!
Wiki Webistes:
PBWiki- This site is directed towards educators. It provides tutorials and resources to put your class online.
Wikispaces- This wiki site is really easy to use. I have seen many educators use this website for their classes.
How to Wiki

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

Check out the Web 2.0 Wiki that Marianne Haggerty and I worked on for an inservice workshop.

Using Webblogs a.k.a. Blogs

In today's online world everyone can get published. And everyone can comment on other people's work. Most people engaged in the online world choose to share their work on Weblogs or "blogs". Blogs are easy to create and a great tool for teachers to engage their students. In this assignment you will read several articles on how teachers use blogs in their classroom, you will read and participate in some online blogs, and you will create your own blog for your students. You will also create a blog to use for the rest of class. I will provide you with a couple of blogging websites that I find easy to use and easy for students to access.


Assignment Part 1: Read, Read, and Read!

Choose two of the following articles. Then reflect about what you read on the class blog!!Blogging? It's Elementary My Dear Watson!
Panelists: Blogs are Changing Education
Writing With WebblogsMotivating Students With Webblogs

Assignment Part 2: Watch the Video!





Assignment Part 3: Choose an education blog of interest to you. Read a couple of entries in the blog and comment. Place a link to your comment on the class blog.

Use the Following Links to Get Started:

Top 100 Education Blogs
These are some of my favorite blogs:
Weblogg-ed by Will Richardson
2 Cents Worth by David Warlick
Bit by Bit by Bob Sprankle
A History Teacher by Dan MacDowell
Speaking of History by Eric Langhorst

Assignment Part 4: Create Your Own BlogDevelop a blog using Blogger to share with your classmates. You will post the remainder of your your reflections, and assignments on this blog. You wll also post comments on your classmates' blogs. Remember to make it intereting and accessible for particpants. Play around with the features of the blog. Try to figure out how to add video or photos to make the blog more interesting! Put a link to your blog in the class blog. Comment on one or more of your classmates' blogs. We will continue to use these blogs throughout the duration of the class. If you need help refer to the "How to Blog" lesson.

Blogger
Edublogs

How to Blog

Publish at Scribd or explore others: online free

Week 1: How to Sign Up and Using RSS - "Really Short Syndication"

How to Sign Up:
The sign up processs is really simple.

Step 1: Choose a website that you want to use (My favorites: Pageflakes, Scribd, and Google)

Step 2: Choose a user name - Try to choose a name that is simple to remember and unique. If you find that the name is used by another person add your birthday to the end of the name. That way it will be unique and you will remember it easily.

Step 3: Choose a password that is easy to remember. Some website will email you a password. However, once you login it is easy to change it to something that is familiar to you.

Step 4: Follow the step by step process for signing up on the website. Many "sign-ups" are similar.

Step 5: Check to see if your login is correct.

Step 6: Have Fun!!

P.S. If you don't want to go through this process every time you login try "Open Id". It allows you to use the same password and login name for several websites. Check out the following link for a directory of websites: Open Id Websites

Really Short Syndication

Really Short Syndication or "RSS" is a term that refers to an idea of gathering feeds from all of your favorite websites and bringing them to one "reader" or "agregator" for you to read. It makes it easier than visiting all of the websites individually. By using RSS you can get updates from the website and only click on the links of the stories that you want to read. This lesson will focus on showing you how to set up a "reader" and then how to "subscribe" to some of your favorite websites. This lesson also focuses on how to create a reader that can be viewed by your students for research or class news by using a website called "Pageflakes.com"

Assignment:

1. Watch "RSS in Plain English" Video by Common Craft



2. Read the Blog - Back in Skinny Jeans "How to Explain RSS the Oprah Way"

3. Set up a "reader". Google Reader or Pageflakes

4. Post a blog entry on the class blog answering the questions: "What is RSS? How would you use it in your class?"


5. If you are still confused about the process check out the following set of directions:

How to use RSS - Upload a Document to Scribd

Welcome!!

The internet is no longer a read only resource. It has become a resource for reading, writing, and sharing ideas. This course is designed to focus on personalizing the web to meet your needs and the needs of your students. Using Web 2.0 allows teachers to guide their students through the internet with a purpose. The course is intended to enable teachers to tap into the wealth of technological knowledge that students already have, with an education purpose in mind. Goals:

· Participants will learn basic Web 2.0 vocabulary in order to create a common language for understanding

· Participants will be able to create a personalized website using Page Flakes, RSS feeds, iGoogle, and other online resources

· Participants will be able to upload and share documents, photographs, and videos to the Internet· As time allows, training and discussion will include using RSS feeds, Google features, creating and using wikis, uploading documents to sharing websites, personalizing web browsers, Weblogs, video sharing (You Tube and Teacher Tube), photo sharing, podcasting, among others.

· Participants will be able to understand how to find, and use podcasts for classroom use

· Participants will participate in a Weblog of their choice and create one for use in their classroom

· By reading and discussing current research on Web 2.0 teachers will identify some of the issues surrounding Web 2.0, such as privacy, reasons for integration of Web 2.0, among others

· Participants will demonstrate their understanding of Web 2.0 tools by creating a tool that they can use with their students in the classroom. Due the last day of class.

Welcome to Creating a Paperless Classroom: Using Web 2.0 to Enhance Classroom Instruction

Before we get into the specifics of using Web 2.0 to enhance your classroom there are a couple of things you should know. During this lesson you will learn how to generally sign up for an account, basic web 2.0 vocabulary, and read what other people are saying about using the internet in your classroom. There are some rules and warnings as we move through this course:

1- MOST IMPORTANT- TRY THINGS! You will not break the internet. Click on a link to see what it does. If you mess something up just retrace your steps. Be Brave!

2- You do not have download anything onto your computer unless you want to. I only recomend websites that I have tried and feel comfortable with.

3- You will have to sign up for accounts on several websites. If you do not feel comfortable putting your name out there create a fake email account and use an alias.

4- Also, remember to choose a password that you will remember. When using Web 2.0 tools I use the same password. The same goes for my email, etc. I know that the experts recomend otherwise, but I have never not been able to remember my password.

5- If a website is trying to sell you something don't buy it. There are too many open source tools and products on the web for you to have to buy something.6- Have Fun!

Please Complete the Following Before We Begin

1. Set up a Google Account -Go to Google.com and find the Sign In link in the upper right corner of the page. Click on the link and follow the instructions to sign up for an account. Please use your school email address for the sign up address.

2. Take the survey on Survey Monkey Click Here to take survey

3. Read one of the following articles
Invasion of Web 2.0
A Day in the Life of Web 2.0 by David Warlick
e-learning 2.0 - how Web technologies are shaping education by Steve O'Hear

4. Check out Classroom 2.0

5. Place a comment on the blog once you have finished the previous two parts of the assignment
Do you think the internet will enhance your teaching? Why or why not? What do you think about the author's image of what Web 2.0 can do for a school? Do you think it is all feasible? What are the pros and cons of using the internet in your classroom. Enter your response into the class forum. Include the title "My Take on Web 2.0".