Forget Blogging, Try Glogging!!

I can often be found behind my laptop investigating websites to see if they are worthy of a TechTip. The questions I ask are: Does it have the potential to improve student learning? Will it provide a new method for teaching a current curriculum? Will it engage students and get them excited in the learning process? Will it be easy for the teachers and students to use? Glogster is one of those sites I answered "Yes" to all of the above asked questions.

Glogster creates Glogs or Virtual Online Posters. Posters have been used forever in education as both a teaching tool and as means to evaluate what a student has learned about a certain topic. They are a great way for students to express themselves. Because the world we live in is bursting at the seams with multimedia technology, it's only natural that kids and teachers can now design posters on the world wide web. No paper, markers, or glue are necessary to design snazzy expressive glogs! Gloster is a free site that is web based allowing students and teachers to share their projects globally.

Don't take my word for it. Check out this SlideShare Presentation that does a nice job explaining what Glogster is all about:

Ga E T C Glogster

View more presentations from Techtalk.

Game Time....bring it on!!

This one goes out to all you mathematicians out there. Calculation Nation...have you heard of it? I discovered it by accident while finding free online games that were safe and educational for my kids to play at home. We all know that there are a ton of free online educational games. I've had my kids playing them since they were able to hold a mouse, but not one has hooked them as quickly as Calculation Nation. Wow!! This one's a keeper. I could see this being used in a computer lab setting, as a group activity in your room with a data projector, and most definitely with the interactive whiteboards.

The beauty of this website, besides the fact that it is free, is its' design. The first step is to create an account that involves choosing your player identify from a list of character options. Brilliant!! Every video game out there these days from the Wii to Club Penguin, requires the same thing...assuming an alter identity! Kids love it!!! Because it simulates what they are doing in their personal gaming world, they don't seem to mind that "it's for learning".

Students choose whether they want to challenge opponents from anywhere in the world or challenge themselves. The "passport" keeps track of the location of your opponents by sticking a red dot on the map location. Arrange a classroom challenge to see who will be first to play someone from each of the 50 states!

The games are designed for the upper elementary and middle grades math curriculum. These online math strategy games allow kids to learn about fractions, factors, multiples, symmetry and more, as well as practice important skills like basic multiplication and calculating area — all while having fun. In the game "Fraction Feud" for example, players prepare to battle in this game of fraction action! In each joust, players earn points by creating a larger (or smaller) fraction than your opponent.

Another feature I like about this great online global learning environment, is the fact that it has something for everyone: Students, Teachers, Parents (all participants in a child's learning adventure!). Each games includes a "How to Play" page for students, as well as, information for both teachers and and parents complete with a .pdf downlad titled: "A Families Guide: Fostering Your Child's Success in School Mathematics."

So get on your game face and let the math competition and learning begin.!!!

BRING IT ON!!

What's My Password?

Now a days, everything requires setting up a user account that includes a user name and password. If you are like me, keeping track of all my different account information can be taxing on my aging brain. Some people will read this tip and say to themselves, "I don't have that problem, as I use the same password for everything". Well, that might work for a while, but more and more steps are being taken to make user accounts unique and less "hacker accessible". For example, many online tools have very specific password criteria that must be met in order for your password to be accepted. They even provide a "password strength" mechanism that turns green when your password has met the needed criteria.

Below are a few different methods to keep track of all user names and passwords that are much more secure that using post-it notes tacked to a bulletin board :)

• Create a notebook page in your email that contains all your user names and passwords. Most email programs have a notebook feature that allows users to create notebook pages that contain whatever information you want. Create a notebook page but don't give the page a title (only you will know that the untitled notebook page contains top secret information). Because email is web based, you can access this information from anywhere!! Please keep in mind that your email password should not be something obvious or easy to figure out!!

• Type all your user names and passwords into a Word document and email yourself the document as an attachment. Send it to both your work and personal email accounts. Once you receive the email, move it to an email folder. Remember to give the folder a title that is only meaningful to you. Should you reset or change a password, just open the attachment, make the change, and save the document.
  

A few wise words to live by...

Cloud Your Words for Clarity

I Wordle. Do you Wordle? What fun it is to Wordle. OK, OK, I'll stop. Wordle, is one of the recent "hot" websites breaking into classrooms. What does it do? It makes Word Clouds. Word Clouds are such a fun way to play with words!! Teachers of all subjects and grade levels are finding all sorts of creative ways to use word clouds instructionally with their students. Uses include vocabulary lessons, spelling activities, word analyses, pre-reading activities, writing reflection and analyses, data representation in math, poetry analyses, creative writing, brainstorming activities, analyses of art and music pieces, visualization tools, ....I could go on and on. Foreign language teachers love Wordle since you can create clouds in multiple languages! How about using Wordle with your SMARTBoard!!

Wordle is very simple to use. Users simply type their own words or copy and paste words from existing text into the program. Wordle will then arrange the words into word clouds, increasing the size of the most frequently used words. You can then change the shape of your cloud, change the font choice, and color options. The clouds can then be printed or embedded into a blog, wiki, or web page.

Here are a couple links to sample lesson plans using Wordle:

ELA: Writing/Word Analyses Using Jokes
http://www.jamiekeddie.com/335

Foreign Language: Text analysis of newspaper article pertaining to current event (Environment).
http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=103

If you have a Wordle lesson idea to share....post it here!!

Flashcards in a snap!!

It's that time of year again, when teachers are madly reviewing content hoping their students can recall and apply what they have been taught. Flashcards were always something that helped me as a student get a handle on large amounts of information. With the combination of writing down the important facts pulled out of class notes and text, along with the repetition of reading each card, I found that I retained the information.

As with everything else these days, students can turn to the Internet for help when preparing flashcards. Quizlet is a handy little website that allows our cyber loving students or teachers to quickly generate flashcards that can be printed out or viewed online. The cards can be shared via email or embedded on class websites, blogs, wikis, podcasts, etc. Users can also browse through and use the large collection of flashcards already made by other students and teachers. The cards are sorted into four main categories making it easy to find what you are looking for out of the hundreds of topics covered: Languages & Vocabulary, Standardized Tests, Math & Science, History & Social Studies, Arts & Literature. The site also provides useful information, such as the most frequently missed word or question, specific to each flashcard set.

Use Quizlet with an interactive whiteboard (i.e, SMARTBoard or Mimio), to keep everyone engaged by taking turns coming to the board to respond to the questions. For your real competitive students, divide the class into teams and make the review a competition.

Other features of Quizlet include the ability to:

• Create flashcard sets (no limit on questions/answers)
• Create groups so friends or classmates can study together
• Study the cards using one of the 5 different study modes: Familiarize, Learn, Test, Scatter, Space Race.
• Monitor studying progress

Quizlet is a free website that requires users to create an account and provide an email address. The site does a nice job of helping users along the way by providing an easy to follow "How & Features" page. For all your visual learners, they also provide a short and to the point demo video. Check it out: http://quizlet.com/demo/

This is one of the best sites ever. My science teacher told me about it and now I use it for every subject. It is the best source for flash cards ever! Thanks Quizlet!". (user testimonial, 2008).

Enjoy!!

Comics Create Readers, Writers, Thinkers!!

Growing up, I was one of those kids that just groaned with agony when I would complain to my mother about being bored and her automatic programmed response was, "Read a book!!". Reading a chapter book was just not my thing, but give me a comic book or the Sunday comics, and I was good to go. My son Jack is the same way. He just loves the Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, both of which are written in the comic book style. Why is that?

Comics are a great device to use in your classroom to keep even the most reluctant readers engaged and motivated. "Comprehension, for some children, means that they have to be able to visualize what they're reading, and using comic strips can habituate them, or get them to think about that." Other educators are finding comics are a great tool to teach writing skills. By introducing and discussing comics, students become familiar with the characters and may feel a stronger connection to the story. They often feel because of the connection they make with comic characters, these "old friends" are often guiding them through the writing process. http://www.uiowa.edu/~amreads/teaching_resources/writing/garfieldwritingprompt.pdf, 2009). Another great thing about comics, are that they can be used with any grade level and integrated into any subject, in a multitude of ways.

OK, so enough of this background research information. How does technology play a role in all this....easy....FREE online comic generators!! Below are links to just a few of the many comic strip makers available on line. I have not used all of them, but at a quick look, they all seem to work the same way. Once users log in, they can pick from galleries of backgrounds, layouts, images, and conversation bubbles. Many offer options to upload your own graphics. Using storyboards, the order of each frame can be done with a simple drag and drop process. Each site varies with features and options ranging from very streamlined and somewhat restrictive to "over the top", endless features and options. The comics can be printed, embedded into blogs, websites, and shared online via email, etc.

Check out the links below that include example comics, and lesson plans.

Enjoy!

Comic Strip Generators:

Comiqs: http://comiqs.com/
Comic Strip Generator: http://stripgenerator.com/
Howtoons: http://www.instructables.com/group/howtoons/
Make Belief Comics: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/comix.php
Pixton Interactive Web Comics: http://pixton.com/for-fun
Pikikids: http://www.pikikids.com/home
Quicktoons: http://www.quicktoons.com/create
ReadWriteThink's Comic Creators: http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=21
Toondoo: http://www.toondoo.com/

Example Comics by Kids for School:

Korean War: http://pixton.com/comic/62qivejx
Earth, Engergy, and the Environment: http://pixton.com/comic/o6223551
Give a Hoot...Don't Pollute: http://pixton.com/comic/qqn35jqy
Our Planet (in spanish...Nuestro planet): http://www.pikikids.com/ps/gallery/view_image/31721858?pos=16&order=date&dir=d&ts=1&page=2
Gulliver's Travel: (new take on book reports): http://pixton.com/comic/u2t5wjr5

Lesson Plans:

Comics in the Classroom: K-4 ELA, Social Studies, and Science lesson plans with a comic theme (can easily be adapted for higher grade levels). http://comicsintheclassroom.net/oolessonplans.htm

Read-Write-Think.com: Lesson plans for all grade levels that incorporate comic strips or squares covering reading comprehension, literacy engagement, writing genres, and other ELA activies.
http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=21

Language Arts Writing Practice: http://www.teachchildrenesl.com/filez8932/lesson%20plans/comic_strip.pdf

Education World: Super Hero Comic Strip Lesson Plan for Language and Visual Arts:
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/00-2/lp2289.shtml

Lesson Planet: 1, 140 teacher approved comic lesson plans sorted by grade or rating.
http://www.lessonplanet.com/search?keywords=Comics&media=lesson

Turning Off the Auto Correct Feature in MS Word

How many of you have been typing away in Word, and all of a sudden the program seems to take on a life of its’ own. If it’s not the annoying paperclip guy, it’s the automatic numbering or automatic bullets. ARGHHHHHH!! Word is actually trying to be helpful, but it often can slow down even the simplest of task and get quite annoying. Well, be annoyed no more!! Below are the steps to turn of the paper clip helper and how to turn of some of the auto correct features

How to "Hide" the Annoying Paper Clip Guy

1. Using your mouse, right click on his picture and choose “Hide” from the options window, or
   
   
2. From the menu bar, choose “Help” and then choose “Hide Office Assistant” from the options window.ps to turn of the paper clip helper and how to turn of some of the auto correct features.

How to Turn-Off the Auto Correct Features

1. From the menu bar choose Tools, and then choose AutoCorrect. You may need to expand the menu to display all options by clicking the double headed down arrow, or, double click on the menu headings to display full menus.
2. Click on the various tabs across the top to display the different features you can turn on and off. For example, under the AutoCorrect tab, you can turn of the feature to automatically capitalize the first letter of every sentence. Click on the “AutoFormat as you Type” tab to deselect the automatic bullets and numbering feature.
3. After choosing all your preferences, click the OK button.

Converting Audio Files Using iTunes

Have you ever been in the middle of creating a PowerPoint presentation and want to insert a sound file for a great added effect, just to find out that PowerPoint cannot read the sound file!! Now what?!! Like PowerPoint, many software applications can only read audio files of certain formats. For example, Windows Movie Maker only likes MP3 and .wma files. So, you need to know what your options are for converting sound files to a more standardized format as an MP3. Using iTunes is one of those options and since it is loaded on all school computers, it is easily accessible.

To see the step-by-step directions of how to use iTunes to convert files, click the play button.

Get Your Photo's Talking with Blabberize!!

Blabberize me!!! What an awesome site and oh so much fun!! Don't we want learning to be fun? Your students will love using this site so much, that they won't even realize that learning is taking place. Blabberize projects reinforce content knowledge and develop research skills, as well as, reading, writing, and speaking skills. Soooo, without further adieu, check out my blabber about blabberize by clicking the link below. Don't forget to hit the play button in the upper left corner of the video once you are at the site. Enjoy!!

Becky's Blabber
http://blabberize.com/view?id=79368

Other great examples from Blabberize.....

Abe Speaks: Abraham Lincoln Biography
http://blabberize.com/view?id=26438

Anne Frank tells her story!!
http://blabberize.com/view?id=72095

Shakespeare
http://blabberize.com/view?id=29303

TED.com (Ideas Worth Spreading)

Thanks goes out to Angela for sharing this website with me. TED is an acronym that stands for Technology, Education, and Design. TED is a national conference that started back in 1984 as a way to bring together "the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers" in all three of those areas. This website provides free access to videos of all the talks and presentations that take place each year at the conference. This is a great site to find video content for your classroom on topics such as: Technology, Global Issues, Business, Science, Design, and Entertainment. It's easy to find what you are looking for by using either the search window at the top, or by clicking on one of the topic links located on the left side of the homepage. The website works like most video sharing sites such as YouTube and SchoolTube. Once you find one video, links to videos on related topics or themes are listed on the right for easy reference. Users can download either the entire video or or just the audio. Below is an example of the video content you can stream or download from TED entilted: Paul Sereno: What Can Fossils Teach Us. Check it out!!

Poetry Month Picks

Since April is the month for verse,
I hope my focus you will not curse,

I went ahead and picked some sites,
That I hope will aid in your poetry plights,

Links for games and haiku reads,
Interactive forms and video feeds.

Click on the links to take a look,
If you don't find it here...get a poetry book!!

Magnetic Poetry: Just like the set on your fridge, this fun interactive website allows students to arrange words to make their own poems (enforces language and writing skills). http://www.magneticpoetry.com/magnet/

Poetry4Kids: This site is just chocked full of resources. They have it all: Poetry Games, Podcasts, Lesson Ideas, School Author Visits, Contests, and more.
http://www.poetry4kids.com/

TeacherTube (Video Examples): Looking for video? Don't forget TeacherTube...great collection of poetry recitation by students and lessons presented by teachers.
http://www.teachertube.com/search_result.php?search_id=poetry

Instant Poetry Forms: Students choose from of list of available poetry forms and then fill in the blanks using their own words to create a poem that they can print from the web. http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm

poetryvlog.com: A weekly video of original poetry read by the poet. Poems read are available in text format. http://poetryvlog.com/

TeenSpace: Teen Poetry Wiki: If you know student's who love poetry...show them this site. Like all wikis, this site provides students a location to write, read, share, and discuss their poems with other teens from around the world! Other features include Poet of the Week and WordPlay (poetry exercises designed to strengthen lexile skills). http://www.ipl.org/div/teenpoet/

Thinkfinity: Read.Write.Think: Poetry Search Results: 29 different resources including online poetry forms, poetry collection charts, poetry webquests, lesson plans, magnetic poetry, plus much much, more: http://thinkfinity.org/PartnerSearch.aspx?Search=True&orgn_id=9&subject=all&partner=ReadWriteThink&resource_type=interactives&q=poetry&grade=all

VoiceThread.com: A poetry search provides a large selection of threads ranging from poetry analysis, poetry reads, art & poetry, original poetry pieces, and much more. http://voicethread.com/#q+poetry

Enjoy!!

Thinking About Thinking Maps

Today by chance I happened to see a student diligently working on a PowerPoint presentation for her English class. I noticed that she was struggling with what she was trying to type into a slide: The Cause and Effect of an Event that happened in a particular chapter of a book she was reading for class. When asked why she was'nt just designing the Multi-Flow Map that illustrates cause and effect using the Thinking Map software and then just export the map as an image file that she could then import into her PowerPoint; she looked at me as if I was giving her a mountain more of work to do. Sooooo, I said "step aside, let me drive, and I will show you just how easy and quick this can be done".

Before I give you the steps to exporting a map as an image, let me first give you a quick overview of the software application (just in case some of you may not be familiar with it).


The Thinking Map software's main purpose is to get students learning and practicing the proper use of each of the maps. By following directions prepared by the teacher and displayed within the direction column of a Thinking Map excersise, students can design maps from scratch and customize them based on the specific lesson objectives. When completed, students can then move on to the writing window where they transform their thoughts and ideas from their maps into a writing piece.

Ok, so how can one create a map that can then be saved and exported for use with other applications such as PowerPoint? To learn how, watch the short video below that will demonstrate the process.

Enjoy!

Get Your Students Talking with VoiceThread!!

1. Do you have students that struggle with sharing their thoughts and ideas verbally in the classroom?


2. Are you looking for a new and exciting way to have your students collaborate on a topic without causing the anxiety of live classroom discussions?


3. Would you like to give them the flexibility of participating in group discussions on their own time?


4. Are you bored with what you are currently doing to reinforce reading fluency, writing, and speaking skills and would love to try something new that would generate excitement and complete participation from your students?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, check out http://www.voicethread.com/. This free website allows users to upload just about any type of media (pictures, documents, PowerPoints, and videos). Students can then login and start a discussion regarding the media by adding comments. "Not only is that a great way for students to share their learning orally, it provides a platform for students to give and receive feedback as peers, parents, and teachers respond to the project", EducationWorld, 2008. The process of sharing thoughts and ideas around media is called a voicethread. (voicethread.com, 2008).

Participants of a voicethread can leave comments in 5 different ways: using their voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio files, or video (via a webcam). Participants can also draw or "doodle", as they call it, on top of the media, during their discussion. This is a great feature to use when trying to get your point across (plus the kids will love it).

T0 really get a feel of what voicethreading is all about, as I am definitely not doing this site justice, click the link below, and take a few minutes to watch their overview video that gives a basic description plus examples of how it is being used (make sure your speakers are on!!!): http://voicethread.com/#home.b409.i848804

After viewing the video, go to their homepage and click the "Browse " link at the top. Once there, poke around for additional examples and more detailed directions of how each tool of VoiceThread actually works. It is totally cool!!!

The complete voicethread tutorial has been uploaded to our Software and Equipment Tutorial page for future reference.

If you don't want to create your own voicethread, have students watch and listen to existing ones on topics such as:

• Poetry
• Digital Storybooks
• Math Concepts
• Art History
• Podcasting basics
• Blogging
• Classic Novels (required reading)
• Foreign Language
• Science Topics (global warming, Eco systems, animal discovery, chemistry, solar system)

(the list goes on and on....it's amazing!)

Offer voicethreading as a project option for kids to do on their own. Trust me...they are sick of PowerPoint!! If they don't have a mic at home, doesn't everyone?, have them use their cellphones!! It's very simple!!

VoiceThreading has become so popular in education, that when you Google VoiceThread Lessons or VoiceThread in Education, a TON of resources are listed. Below are just a few of the thousands:

Using VoiceThread for Digital Conversations

VoiceThread 4 Education Wiki

VoiceThread Lesson Plans

If you are interested in doing a voicethread project, please note that you will need to set up an account for all users that does require an email address. Participants must be 13 years of age, or have an account created by their parents. As mentioned in the ePals techtip, you will want to send home a parent permission slip that includes the project topic, how it relates to curriculum, etc.

Enjoy! Need help? Contact me :)

Jump to Your Desktop with Just One Click!

Did you know that a quick way to access your desktop without having to minimize an open document is to click the "show desktop" icon located to the right of the Start button (lower left-hand corner of your screen).

This handy little button will minimize your document automatically so you can open another program or file. Click on it again to return to your open file.

Podcasting in Education....what's it all about?

By now you have probably listened to at least one podcast in your life, or you are at least familiar with the term when it is referenced. However, you may still be struggling with how you could actually use podcasting as an instructional tool and the whole podcasting process.

Podcasting has huge potential in education. According to EDUCAUSE’s The Horizon Report –2006, podcasting, is “at the leading edge of a wave that will last for the next several years and beyond.” Podcasting allows a different venue for teachers to deliver their message to today's students who are plugged into technology!!! I bet if you surveyed your students, you would discover that the majority have access to one if not all of the devices that students can use to listen to podcasts on their own time: Computer with Internet access? Some form of an MP3 player? Cellphone?

Podcasts can either be teacher centered or student centered depending on your goal and the desired audience. Teacher centered podcasts could include class lectures, group discussions, questions you want the students to address, vocabulary word definitions, test review materials, video demonstrations of labs or math problem solving steps, or just additional information that you would like to share. These types of podcasts enhance student learning by allowing the student to revisit the material on their own schedule and as often as they may need. Think of the benefits this provides to the auditory learners or those that learn from multiple repetition of information. Student centered podcast projects can be used to measure their writing and speaking skills, as well as, their comprehension of a given topic. Some examples could include book reviews or recommendations, math concepts, test taking strategies, current affairs, debates, "ask an expert" episodes, historical presentations, etc.

Please visit ESM's Software and Equipment Tutorial website to view the podcasting resources. These materials will help you understand the whole process and assist you in developing your own podcasts or podcast projects for your classroom.

Enjoy!

Lotus Notes: Saving Storage Space Tip

Here's a little tip to help you conserve your email storage space. If you are someone who tends to keep every email that you have ever received...this simple step when replying to messages will help.


Make sure to choose the "reply without attachments" option from the Reply options drop down menu when replying to an email message that has a document attached. Click the drop down arrow next to the "Reply" link to access the reply options list.

PowerPoint: Layer Images by Applying them to 3D Shapes

Did you know that PowerPoint has a 3-Dimensional drawing toolbar that allows you to create layered (or stacked), 3-D Images? Creating these kinds of images allows you to place more on a slide than you can with flat images without cluttering the screen. It also lets you show a hierarchy or structure in a visually compelling way!! You can then view the 3-D image in detail by hyperlinking it to a 2-Dimensional version of the same image. VERY COOL!!

To learn more about this technique and to see an example, click the link: http://www.esmschools.org/Data/FileManager/ESM%20High%20School/Computer%20lab%20pics/PowerPoint%203D%20Toolbar.Layering%20Images.pdf

ePals - Global Learning Community

Are you familiar with ePals? ePals is not a new website, they have been around for about 12 years. However, ePals is one of those FREE websites that just keeps getting better and better....so it's worth a tip!! ePals is a very easy to use global collaboration site that allows teachers and students a safe and secure way to connect with classrooms around the world or just around the corner! By using the Classroom Match feature, teachers can choose to connect with either a classroom or a project. Search projects by topic of interest, find a classroom using maps, or submit your own project in hopes that another classroom wants to connect with you!! Getting started is as easy as setting up an account, and either clicking the Classroom Search button or the Connect Tab located at the top of the page. It's that simple!! Please note, that ePal accounts do require an email address and students under 13 will require parent permission. However, in addition to their Classroom Match component, ePals also offers free and safe SchoolMail and SchoolBlogging. You will want to keep parent permission forms on file and I recommend that the letter describe the project, its' purpose, the time frame, and its' connection to the learning standards.

To learn more about ePals, click this link that takes you to their ePals overview page:
http://www.epals.com/groups/about/pages/epals-overview.aspx
While here, take a minute to watch the "What is ePals and How Does it Work Video", located in the lower right corner.

Below are a couple examples of how ESM teachers are currently using.....or hope to use ePals with their students!!

Stevi Suib, a high school Spanish teacher , has been using ePals for years. She currently is involved in a project with an ESL classroom from the Dominican Republic. Her students will be corresponding in Spanish with the students from the Dominican writing back in English. She also plans on sending recorded audio files of her students speaking the language in the near future!! How cool is that!!

Kevin Michaud, an 8th grade social studies teacher, submitted his own project that is looking for a classroom to collaborate with on the book entitled "Flag of Our Fathers" that he is having his students read.

Paul Holzwarth, a 5th grade teacher at Fremont Elementary, is having his students collaborate with kids from the Cree Indian Nation in Northern Manitoba. His kids are very excited!!

If you too are an ePals user, and would like to share your experience with other teachers....let me know and I can spread the word!!