sharon's share

Save your Twitter Meet

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:21:00 +0000

BAW 2012 (Becoming a Webhead), just finished their first ever TwitterMeet! It was very informative and centered on the quesiton - "Why use web 2.0 in Language Learning". It the process, I discovered a great tool for saving the information - Tweetdoc
It records the participants - trending words - and conversation in pdf format. Very useful in education - especially if using twitter for a classroom discussion tool.
View our TweetDoc - and then make your own!

Technorati Tags: tweetdoc, baw2012

Stupeflix - free minute

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:19:00 +0000

Stupeflix.com is an online tool for making videos from images and video clips. You can add music (or upload) from their library, place a map or text cel into the mix. Your materials can come from your Picasa, Facebook, Dropbox, Flikr accounts - where most of our materials are stored anyway.
It does cost for any videos over 1 minute - you can have a yearly account or pay by the video which is an interesting concept.
Here are some random items imported from my Facebook account.
http://youtu.be/v4XVzzhORgA

Taking a Bite for Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:55:00 +0000

The BBC has always been a resource for significant learning tools. Bitesize was one that I had recommended years ago and just came across again today. It has made major improvements since my last visit. The simple user experience allow it to be explored by children on their own, and yet it gives teachers resources that can be used for both RTI (Response to Intervention) to G/T (gifted / talented).
Note - personally, I do not differentiate children with these names, but the programs themselves. I feel each child is individual and does not deserve a label.)
Since this site is from the BBC, some of the terms may be different for US users, but that is quickly overcome.

I am glad I returned to this site - I hope you do, too.

Technorati Tags: bitesize, bbc

New Moodle Book available

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:32:00 +0000

The new book published on Packtpub.com is a good guide for newbies to Moodle 2.x. "Overview of Moodle 2.0 Course Conversion Beginner's Guide" by Ian Wild takes the reader through setting up a course to enhancing it with multi-media. I like how it exemplifies converting an existing course into one with blended learning. Mr Wild uses a Physics course of his own to demonstrate how this "conversion" would be done.

His examples are clear and he does a great job of sorting out and emphasizing the most important steps. You can easily see that this is written for teachers by a teacher. Anyone can use this book to make that first move to online learning without any prior knowledge of the Moodle platform.
Being a Packt publication, the book is also available as an eBook which makes it affordable and portable. You can find the book at http://www.packtpub.com/moodle-2-0-course-conversion/book

Please note that I was fortunate enough to be one of the reviewers on this book.

Need some Motivating Extras?

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:06:00 +0000

Upcoming Moodlemeet on Motivating Extras is coming up soon.

Join us for 5 days of experimentation - learning - and sharing. I am pleased to be able to lead you through my favorite Web 2.0 tools for motivating your students while moving them through your curriculum and toward meeting today's standards.

Finding it impossible to teach creativity, communication and safety while meeting the million requirements of your job? Discover tools to make this happen without adding on, but by embedding into your classrooms.
The purpose of this week is to give you motivating tools that will enable your students to meet the educational technology goals of today.

Hope to see you online. We begin on January 20th!

Comic Creators - courtesy of BAW2012

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:33:00 +0000

Using comics for students to demonstrate what they have learned is very motivating.

Comic Creators

Comic Creator: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/comic-creator-30021.html
DVolver moviemaker: http://www.dfilm.com/live/home.html
GoAnimate: http://goanimate.com/
MakeBeliefsComix: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
Pixton: http://pixton.com/
ToonDoo: http://www.toondoo.com/
WriteComics: http://writecomics.com (example: http://writecomics.com/gen/4160.html)
ZimmerTwins: http://www.zimmertwins.com

Voice and Audio courtesy of BAW2012

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:24:00 +0000

Voice/Audio tools

Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net (recorder - MP3 converter)
AudioPal: http://www.audiopal.com/
Aviary: http://aviary.com/
Chirbit: http://www.chirbit.com/
EVOCA: http://www.evoca.com
HandyBits: http://www.handybits.com (to be downloaded)
Vaestro: http://www.vaestro.com
Viewpoint: http://clear.msu.edu/viewpoint/index.php
Vocaroo: http://vocaroo.com/
VoiceThread: http://voicethread.com/
Voxopop: http://www.voxopop.com/

Sorry, been longer than I hoped as I have been deeply involved in getting ready for the EVO launch.
Starts on Sunday with the sessions first days on Monday, January 9th. Registrations are coming in fast and furious and excitement is building.

Join us and learn about these as well as many other tools.

Virtual Learning Environments

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:00:00 +0000

The next few weeks, I would like to post lists of tools - these are resources that have been gathered by the "Becoming a Webhead" team 2012. This session from the Electronic Village Online 2012 "conference" has long been a group I love to work with. Dedicated educators from around the world (English as a Second Language being the main theme).

Starting with VLE's

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) or vClassrooms

BigMarker: http://www.bigmarker.com/
Elluminate: http://www.elluminate.com/
Learning Times: http://www.learningtimes.org
Scribblar: http://scribblar.com/
Tapped In: http://tappedin.org/tappedin
Twiddla: http://www.twiddla.com/
Vyew: http://vyew. com/site/
Webhuddle: https://www.webhuddle.com/
WiZiQ: http://www.wiziq.com (no longer free)

I could review each one - but, I leave that to you.
enjoy! next up will be their tools for working with video.

YouTube for Schools

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:46:00 +0000

Before I retired, my district was using YouTube extensively. Any "unacceptable" videos that happened to appear on a student screen (not caught by the filter), was expected to be quickly clicked off and reported. But now, Google has helped - Meet YouTube for Schools:

New way for Feedback

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:46:00 +0000

From Jotform - Wishbox!

Places a Feedback button on the bottom of your webpage and allows for user feedback WITH screen shots. Could be a great way to improve help desk type support for an informational site.

It is extremely easy to install. Give it a try.
Once your screenshot is annotated, you save and submit via a form. Below is my "feedback" for their website.

Blended Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:05:00 +0000

A very interesting look at the blended learning evolution from Knewton.com Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

Searth the Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:35:00 +0000

Searthing - searching the earth for art. Not, man-made - but, geographical art.

from their intro: Searthing is the concept of searching the Earth for art via virtual globe such as Earth 3D Viewer, Edge Whole Earth, KeyHole, Google Universe, and now Google Earth. This art is actually satellite imagery, remote sensing, aerial photography and combinations thereof. Only in the past decade has technology made it possible to scour the Earth and see things we would otherwise never see. Searthing is the concept of searching the Earth for art via virtual globe such as Earth 3D Viewer, Edge Whole Earth, KeyHole, Google Universe, and now Google Earth. This art is actually satellite imagery, remote sensing, aerial photography and combinations thereof. Only in the past decade has technology made it possible to scour the Earth and see things we would otherwise never see.

They have video clips posted for using Google Earth and Maps to "searth". You can turn this into a motivational way for students to explore their world.
Searth HERE.

Bookshare

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:04:00 +0000

We are beginning to use this free resource (for identified students) extensively - their new iPad app as well as the downloadable readers make it a win for teachers and students alike. This webinar by the Maine-AIM center is well done and should give you the information you need to take advantage of Bookshare.

http://maine-aim.org/content/bookshare-and-maine-schools

Here is link to download the PowerPoint presentation associated with this webinar.

Technorati Tags: bookshare.org, Maine-AIM

Facebook for Educators

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:34:00 +0000

A site dedicated to assisting educators to make the best and safest use of Facebook. Download their Educator's Guide.

Technorati Tags: facebook

Tony Vincent says "No More Status Quo"

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:58:00 +0000

from the Maine Educational Technology Conference 2011

Technorati Tags: tonyvincent

iPads in the K classroom - notes

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:50:00 +0000

iPads for Kindergarten students needs to be thought of as a "tool for learning" not a piece of technology.
Learning in the Hands of Children - Advantage 2014
Project began with a Literacy Specialist that used her personal with her students - extremely successfully.
The chose grade level for equitable distribution across their 6 schools - and decided to 'begin at the beginning'. iPad interface lends itself to young students - no keyboard / mouse abstraction - touch screens for gross and fine motor skills.
Demonstrated the actual apps with the school committee - each member had an app in hand - there was total acceptance and 100% vote. There was some public push-back, former Gov. King then visited the next meeting in support. The students do not take them home at this point (probably as a result). During the day this is just an addition to what kindergarten classes do.
Still some technical issues with large distributions and management of devices.
Gave teachers the iPads at the beginning of summer - met in August to debrief and collect apps, etc. They used Google survey to collect app names - used a rubric to evaluate the value. The established a control group and are working with Boston College to study results. They continue PD through early release Wednesdays. This aids in communication and reflection on practice.
Nuts and bolts - how to store, charge and deploy apps
syncing - apple ids are set to course / level and not person
syncing to iCloud - apparently a 10 device limit

This is the future - certainly hope this gets easier to manage in the future.

Technorati Tags: ipads, actem11

Links - Notes from Tony Vincent at ACTEM11

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:02:00 +0000

Tony Vincent at Maine Educational Technology Conference.

Names are apps - links are sites:
showme
todaysmeet.com
explain everything
screen chomp
splashtop
puppetPals - creativity expanding
motion math
mobile slides - wifi broadcast screen

Technorati Tags: tonyviincent

He thought different

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Social Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:39:00 +0000

This graphic came across my Google+ feed earlier today. An image is worth a thousand blogged words.

PLC

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:01:00 +0000

We are using PLCs across the district - this image / map by Crista Anderson of Missoula Public Schools really helps to see how powerful they can be.

Technorati Tags: plc

EdTechSandyK: A Conversation Starter for Digital Citizenship

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 17:45:00 +0000

EdTechSandyK: A Conversation Starter for Digital Citizenship: This video from Birdville ISD in Texas is well done and covers several digital citizenship and online safety situations which are relevant ...

Copyright Advice for Teachers from Kristin Hokanson

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:17:00 +0000

An interview from ISTE 2011 by Wes Fryer

Windows 8 Sneak Peak

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:37:00 +0000

Not sure I am ready for the "tiles" - do I want this on my regular computers....

Microsoft introduces Windows 8

Summer and the Living is Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:49:00 +0000

To any readers - please excuse the times between posts - it is summer break in my district and I plan on taking it a bit slower in cyberspace. I am doing a lot of work on the new Moodle 2.0 (and nearly Beta released 2.1). It has a lot of great advances - if you are interested in a Learning Management System - try it out!.

You can see my support site at New-Learning if interested.
Check out Moodle Fairy's videos.
and this overview:

Technorati Tags: moodle

Finally - Docs are Synced

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon) — Sat, 21 May 2011 02:03:00 +0000

Just finished syncing my Google Docs with both my laptop and my desktop. This is a fantastic product and I am lovin' it. I can see where it fills that gap missing from my Dropbox account.
Syncdocs - Simply select a folder on your PC, like “My Documents”, and Syncdocs copies it online and across all your computers, automatically. This folder is then kept in sync.
Or you can map a drive directly to the share.

Syncdocs integrates right into your desktop opening your files in Google Docs. It is a small download and so far has not drawn my CPU power. I have extensive files and it took awhile to sync the first time (especially when the laptop went to sleep overnight). But, now it is done and I am really loving it. You can even right click a file and "open in your docs" - it has really integrated the process.

Technorati Tags: syncdocs, googledocs