professional "e"velopment

FlipCams in the Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:05:00 +0000

Check out this awesome slide show (with embedded video) on using flipcams in the classroom

FlipCams in the Classroom

More great articles:

FlipCams 2

FlipCams 3

Digital Recorders in the Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:02:00 +0000

Check out these articles on using a digital recorder in the classroom.

Digital Recorder

Digital Recording 2

Web Cams in the Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:56:00 +0000

Check out the Classroom 2.0 Blog to see some great uses for a WebCam!

WebCams in the Classroom

And here is a great tutorial for using the Logitech WebCams

WebCam Tutorial

ZAMZAR to the Rescue!!

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 18:22:00 +0000

Looking for a free Youtube video ripper? Here is the perfect FREE solution. Check out Zamzar. It is also a nifty filer converter.
www.zamzar.com

No Habla English?

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:43:00 +0000

No Habla Engish? Russian? Spanish? No worries. Check out Google Translator. Super easy to use and much more practical than Babelfish or other translators... and it's FREE. Great for any teacher with ESL students.

Google Translator

Changing Education Paradigms

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Here is a very provocative and interesting video on changing education paradigms. I am particularly impressed with the white board prowess of the creator. Take some time and check it out, it worth a look. Special thanks to Cory Cullen, Hempfield teacher, for the heads up on this one!

This aint your grandma's Google

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:00:00 +0000

I used to think Google was pretty amazing... Well, move over Google, you met your match. Take a few seconds and check out WolframAlpha... its a powerful new COMPUTATION engine that's perfect for teachers and students alike. Be careful, it might blow your socks off.

HOLY SMOKES - YOU GOTTA SEE THIS

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 14:36:00 +0000

You gotta take a few minutes out of your day to check out this I.T. blog. It blew me away. I would be dropping the ball if I didn't share it with you. Take a look, its called Teach Paperless. A must see.
Teach Paperless Blog

VoiceThread - Just Brilliant

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:42:00 +0000

Want to really be blown away by a new 2.0 tool? I mean a tool that can turn your classroom upside down and inside out? Well this is it - Voicethread. Voicethread is the newest and coolest digital storytelling 2.0 tool. Take a few moments and check out the intro-you will be creating your first voicethread before the intro is even finished. What makes voicethread so amazing is that they have designed it with educators and students in mind. Within the program is a special version called Ed.Voicethread.com. Ed.voicethread.com is a secure collaborative network designed for the academic evnvironment. Just go to the main page and click on the classroom link or click here.

Check out the Voicethread example created by Joanne Hervol, Hempfield Area High School Department Chair.

Must See I.T. Sites for 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:27:00 +0000

If you want your socks blown off... check out these must see sites for the new school year. If you cant find something here to get kids excited, you just aren't trying...

http://www.exploratorium.edu/

Exploritorium is a wonderful museum of the sciences, arts, and the human perception

http://edudemic.com/

EduDemic is a great place to see the connection between social media and education.

Differentiate Instruction Video

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:56:00 +0000

What in the Wiggio?????

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Another must see IT tool for the busy educator... Wiggio. This is great for those of you who wanna do the group thing, the easy way. This is what you can do:

Check out this neat and quick tutorial on Wiggio.

A Must For All (Music Lovin) Techies

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:04:00 +0000

ok, this isnt neccesarily an IT tool but I had to share this with you all.... Its Pandora. Pandora is not only an amzing site on the PC but its a great app for the iPhone or Blackberry. I use it on Blackberry and its amazing. So, what is it? Well first of its an online jukebox..... in which you control, well, the genre that you hear anyway. This is how it works. First you must set up an account (either through your phone or pc/mac) at pandora.com. Its free. Then you type in a band name.... ie: Nirvana. It automatically sets up "Nirvana Radio". Then, you only hear songs from Nirvana or bands that are exactly like Nirvana.... Its nuts. I dont know where the songs come from.... nor do I care.
Pandora

Google Earth Users Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:56:00 +0000

United's very own Mr. Joel Scanga designed and created this incredibly user friendly Google Earth users guide. It's a wonderful resource for any teacher who wants to dabble in a little Google Earth. There are also some excellent links for teachers.
A must see!
Click here to access the Google Earth users guide.

Podcasting for Dummies

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:39:00 +0000

Check out this extremely easy to follow and understand tutorial on podcasting. All you need is a microphone, Audacity (which is a free download) and a sense of adventure. Anyone can podcast. Check out Rick Auvil's Podcasting Help Page.

Visit the Podcasting Help Page

More Wikimania from United

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:34:00 +0000

This is the premiere place for teachers of all subjects to share ideas about applying academic content across the curriculum! Find or edit in your great ideas! Suggest links to promote Integrated Academics in your school!

Visit United's Integrated Academics Wiki

United Wikis It Up

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:54:00 +0000

Check out United High School's new CFF Wiki. A great resource for technology implementation - across the curriculum. Its growing everyday. CFF teachers have posted sample projects that range from animoto to digital storytelling.
http://unitedcff.wikispaces.com/

A One-Stop-Shop for Integrating Academics- A must see site

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:20:00 +0000

This is the place for all teachers to share ideas about applying academic content across the curriculum! How can music or art reinforce a mathematical concept? Are foreign languages important in science? How does proper nutrition help us to think more clearly? Does geography have anything to do with the evolution of musical instruments? Why is YOUR subject important to anybody else? Post a favorite idea or suggest a link to promote Integrated Academics in your school!
Stop by and see my buddy Rick Auvil's Academic Integration Wiki. Its amazing - one of the most comprehensive out there.

http://integratedacademics.wikispaces.com/Home+-+Integrated+Academics+Wiki

Thinkfinity- If netTrekker isnt for you

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:43:00 +0000

A great ed resource for all - and its free. The Verizon Foundation has really done a great job with this I.T. tool. Just set up an account and go to town.
Voted best educational website by Edutopia.

http://www.thinkfinity.org/

Click below to watch an informative video on Thinkfinity.org

netTrekker - A busy teachers best friend

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:02:00 +0000

Recently voted number 1 educational search tool for k-12.
This is an excellent tool for any busy teacher. Its safe and easy and allows you to search for info that is aligned to standards and anchors.

Check out the short video below on netTrekker - make sure you show your tech guys this one... You wont regret it.

Lets Have Some Phun Already

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:08:00 +0000

Phun, a free open-source, cross-platform 2D physics simulator, makes you want to pick up blocks, or maybe crayons, and learn more about the way things fall and move under pressure. Written by a Swedish graduate student, the program teaches concepts of restitution and friction, so it's great to load up with the kids, but you'll probably find yourself sneaking a few turns by yourself at creating, and knocking over, shapes and lines. Phun is a free download for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux systems; hit the link for instructions on using and having, well, fun in Phun.

Check out this video on Phun:

Dog Ate Your Zip Drive????

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:27:00 +0000

Ever heard the following excuses when kids don’t finish (word processed) papers on time?
-I don’t have a flash drive (I can’t save it to finish at home)
-I don’t have a printer at home
-I don’t have email (to email the document to myself)

The following site allows them to upload a document, picture, ppt., etc. file and then retrieve it later by simply going to the drop.io site they create. All they need is internet access to finish it at home. There is no registration or fee. It eliminates the previous excuses. Check it out!

http://drop.io/

A special thanks to Jody Conrad, United Teacher/CFF Coach, for this info.

MobilePodding-Podcasting on the Go

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:25:00 +0000

Hopefully you have had an opportunity to create podcasts with your students. To create a podcast you truly only need several tools: A microphone and software that converts your audio into a wav.file. Audacity is the freeware that allows the simple conversion. Visit their site to download a free version. But, what if you want to go the next step and allow your students the freedom to create podcasts from any remote locations? Example: Your students want to interview people at a local political rally with hopes of creating a podcast from the interviews. Well now its simple. I have been working with a Zoom H4 Handy Recorder. This simple device allows you to record and store audio on a hand held device. From there, it doubles as a USB drive - just plug it in and transfer the audio file to your computer. It will convert and transfer the file as a wav.file. Cost - under $200.
A must for the podcasting enthusiasts.

Click here to go to the Zoom site.

Converts Documents to PDFs - NOW

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:26:00 +0000

Stumbled on this great (and free) Pdf converter program - doPDF.
All you have to do is download and install it..... It will allow you to instantly convert any document into a Pdf file. This is how it works:

1. Go to the site: www.gopdf.com
2. Download the software - the pdf converter will automatically be added to your printer list. Do not check the box that says, make gopdf your default printer.
3. Open the document that you want to convert to a pdf
4. Choose print, select "doPdf" and then send it to the desired file/location ie:desktop
5. Your document will be automatically converted and sent to the desired file/location

Its that easy. And free.
Happy Pdf'ing

Second Life - The Future or the End?

noreply@blogger.com (Principals For Change) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 02:34:00 +0000

You can argue till the cows come home..... Second Life - insanely ridiculous or insanely relevant? Allow the facts to speak for themselves: Over 250 universities have established "Second Life Islands" for their distance learners. Second Life is merely an ingenious new-wave packaging design for online learning. It allows learners to become virtually engulfed in a cyberworld that the learners control and manipulate. And that is the key: Allowing the learner to manipulate and fully customize their own cyber experience. That is the essence of (and the demand of) the Millenial/Digital Learner. Take a few moments and watch this SlideShare slideshow on Second Life. It will be the most eye-opening 5 minutes you spend in a while.

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Those who embrace the inevitable will be the ones who lead the charge toward change and emerge victorious"
A. Steinly circa 2008