Harness the iPod (or other handheld)
December 7, 2008. by Keith Schroeder.
Most kids have them so how do we harness the power of the iPod in ways other than a podcast (the obvious)? Many students have something portable that can display images even if they don’t have an iPod. There have been some great instructions on how to create PowerPoints to view on the iPod, cell phones, PSPs, Zunes, etc. It’s easy to make flash cards for these devices because you can use PowerPoint, a tool most everyone is familiar with. You simply create the PowerPoint and one of the options is to save them as a series of JPEG images. Some teachers have already created these for students (and you) to use. Brent Coley is a teacher at Tovashal Elementary School and he has posted flash card sets that are ready for you to use. They are perfect for viewing on iPods because he has used a large font (keep this in mind when you create yours.) All you have to do is download the zipped file and unzip it. You’ll then have a folder of images you can sync to an iPod or other handheld device.
A great resource called “Learning in Hand” has an iPod section that contains directions for putting PowerPoint slideshows on iPods. They even include a Gallery of Educational Image Sets where you can download more sets of JPEGs for use on iPods and other devices. I really like their iPods in education resource page
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EtherPad Collaborative Space
December 6, 2008. by Keith Schroeder.
I’ve been waiting for a way for more than one person be able to collaborate in realtime on the same space at the same time and it has finally arrived. EtherPad allows anyone who is logged into the same etherpad to be able to collaborate on the same space at the same time - realtime!
Although it is still in Beta, you can request to be added to the Beta program. It took about a week for me to be granted a beta account. From what I’ve seen and used so far, it is going to be a great classroom collaborative tool. Check it out at http://etherpad.com/
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Open Source Motherload!
November 16, 2008. by Keith Schroeder.
I’ve always been a huge fan of free/open source (FOSS) educational software. A few my more recent favorites are Tux Paint, and Scratch, but I couldn’t believe the concise list of literally thousands of FOSS programs listed by Central Queensland University Center for Open Source Development.
Web address: http://os.cqu.edu.au/oswinsdvd/doc/README.html
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Geography Awareness Week
November 16, 2008. by Keith Schroeder.
This week is Geography Awareness Week and MyWonderfulWorld.org is celebrating with a new collection of resources and activities for helping kids learn about their world.
Each day has a different theme beginning with Cultures on Monday and continuing with Environments, Geo Technologies, Global Hotspots, and Careers. There are tons of great pictures, Google Earth resources, interactive games, and other resources for use in the classroom. Use this great resource and help celebrate Geography Awareness Week!
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Fair Use for Media Literacy Education
November 14, 2008. by Keith Schroeder.
This document, The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education, is a publication that is a code of best practices that helps educators using media literacy concepts and techniques to interpret the copyright doctrine of fair use. Download the full report from the Center for Social Media.
“Media literacy is the capacity to access, analyze, evaluate, and communicate messages in a wide variety of forms. This expanded conceptualization of literacy responds to the demands of cultural participation in the twenty-first century. Like literacy in general, media literacy includes both receptive and productive dimensions, encompassing critical analysis and communication skills, particularly in relationship to mass media, popular culture, and digital media. Like literacy in general, media literacy is applied in a wide variety of contexts—when watching television or reading newspapers, for example, or when posting commentary to a blog. Indeed, media literacy is implicated everywhere one encounters information and entertainment content. And like literacy in general, media literacy can be taught and learned.”
Read more on the code here The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education
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Vicki Davis “Cool Cat Teacher” Next WEMTA Wired Wednesday Presenter
November 9, 2008. by Keith Schroeder.
Come and meet the “Cool Cat Teacher” Vicki Davis at the next WEMTA Wired Wednesday. Attend this webinar to to hear her presentation “To Literacy and Beyond: Web 2.0 and Web 3D.” She will talk about the redefinition of literacy. Also hear the latest on her project, the ins and outs of collaboration, and more exciting things she has in the works. Vicki is one of the driving forces behind the The Flat Classroom Project. It is a global, collaborative project using Web 2.0 tools to foster communication, collaboration and creation. Many of us follow her on her blog at http://coolcatteacher.
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM CST
Register now by clicking the link below: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows(R) 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
Macintosh(R)-based attendees
Required: Mac OS(R) X 10.4 (Tiger(R)) or newer
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Vicki Davis “Cool Cat Teacher” Next WEMTA Wired Wednesday Presenter
November 9, 2008. by Keith Schroeder.
Come and meet the “Cool Cat Teacher” Vicki Davis at the next WEMTA Wired Wednesday. Attend this webinar to to hear her presentation “To Literacy and Beyond: Web 2.0 and Web 3D.” She will talk about the redefinition of literacy. Also hear the latest on her project, the ins and outs of collaboration, and more exciting things she has in the works. Vicki is one of the driving forces behind the The Flat Classroom Project. It is a global, collaborative project using Web 2.0 tools to foster communication, collaboration and creation. Many of us follow her on her blog at http://coolcatteacher.
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM CST
Register now by clicking the link below: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows(R) 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
Macintosh(R)-based attendees
Required: Mac OS(R) X 10.4 (Tiger(R)) or newer
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Generation We
November 9, 2008. by Keith Schroeder.
This video really sums up the energy of this generation. It even re-brands them as “Generation We.” Will we allow this generation to reinvent the world? What about reinventing the way we deliver library media services or how we deliver the education they will need to accomplish their goals? View the video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vknHKTy1MLY
Generation WE: The Movement Begins… from Generation We on Vimeo.
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Get a Free PB Wiki Premium
October 31, 2008. by Keith Schroeder.
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David Macaulay Webcast Invite
September 15, 2008. by Keith Schroeder.
I’m a David Macaulay fan from way back! Now you can join the MacArthur fellow and Caldecott medalist in a live Webcast. David Macaulay is hosting a live Webcast on October 7 at 9:00 a.m. and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is inviting you to participate.
Macaulay’s publisher is asking teachers, librarians, booksellers, and reading groups to log on to this live Webcast to hear him talk to middle school students about his new book on the human body, The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body which is available that day!
Attendees can email questions for him to answer in real time. Macaulay will also discuss how he creates his books, his career, and other popular titles including The New Way Things Work, Mosque, Cathedral, and Black and White. Here is a direct link to the webcast: http://www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=49504
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