Part I:
Last week Facebook changed their privacy policy so now your pictures can be indexed and viewed by search engines like Google and Yahoo. To change the settings only takes a few seconds but saves a lifetime of privacy.
If you live and die by your calendar like I do, you will love Outlook on the desktop. Its like having one of those giant desktop calendars, but this one is virtual. I am not promising that you will never forget an appointment, but it will be harder not to see one coming up.
OpenDNS is a great tool for filtering the web at home or at your K-12 institution. I have been searching for a good content filter for my home computers and after looking around I never found anything that meet all my requirements. I wanted something that filtered content, did not slow down my computers, but gave me options and control. After reading an article on Lifehacker on the best Internet filters to use I decided to give OpenDNS a try. OpenDNS suggest you install it at the router level, which I did, this enables you to filter content on any computer that logs on to your network. I was amazed at the simplicity of the install and controls.As my colleagues always say there is so substitution for adult supervision
WolframAlpha allows you to solve easy or complex math problems by simply typing "solve:" and then the math problem. Example: solve: 2x+5=9. What makes this different than other search engines is an orange hyperlink that says "show steps" WolframAlpha walks you through the steps of solving the equation. (See Example) Students could use this to help them on their homework or they could simply let WolframAlpha do their homework and show work.
Have you ever wanted to collaborate visually or artistically like you would with a Google Doc. Flockdraw allows you to collaborate in real time with others while you draw your idea. Its simple and its free. Think of it as Kidpix or MS Paint that students can work together on, it saves your work automatically and you can embed it to your website.
Google makes it easy to start implementing Google Earth in your classroom. They have created an online game that teaches students and teachers how to implement Google Earth. The game start off with finding your house and it leads you through the process of creating content. Google has done it again!
Time me is a very simple timer that can be used in the classroom. Make sure you click on the Time / Stop watch settings to select an alarm sound if not the timer is silent. It is ad supported and therefore free. However, you can purchase the download verision and the ads will be removed. Go check it out at www.timeme.com
Several weeks ago a friend of mine sent me the Bart Simpson episode that talks about cellphones in the classroom. One of my favorite quotes is from Bart's new teacher, "Are you telling me you memorized that fact when anyone with a cellphone can find that in thirty seconds?" The truth screamed out at me. We can no longer use low level questions in the classroom or for homework. A student does not even need to read or even use his textbook to find the answers they only need keyboarding skills and Google
When I think of a Classroom Response System I think of a remote like device that uses infrared or radio frequency to transport information from the student's device to the teacher computer. I came up with an idea this week for a system that just might work in the classroom. You can take any internet enabled device whether wi-fi or a student cellphone on a data plan and point them at a Google Form (Quiz) created by the teacher. Teachers would create their own content post the link on their website and have students take the quiz from their device. Teachers could even form cohorts and share quiz folders in Google Docs and build the school or districts Quiz / Test database.
Have you ever wanted to make your own animated video? Xtranormal make this process easy and free. You can either do your own voice overs or it has a speech-to-text option where your characters have computer generated voices.
Google has made searching for children just a little bit safer. You can now lock your safe search settings with a password, so your children cannot search for illicit material. Any time you see the Google Colored Balls (See Above Picture ) you know that your searches are locked and safe. I do love the disclaimer at the end of the video. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTION FOR ADULT SUPERVISION when children are on the Internet. This tool does make it a little bit safer.
This years Texas ASCD Conference focused on technology, I gleaned some incredible information from the concurrent sessions and the keynote speakers. I highlighted some of my favorite points in the slideshow below. Like always Alan November challenged educators to unlearn what we know and to try something new. He made the analogy of how we need go back in time and be more like the one room school concept where children teach children. We have to teach less and let the students take ownership of there learning.
Wellwisher is a great site to post news, ideas and even brainstorm with your class. (Or another class across the hall or across the world.) Wallwisher requires an account to create a wall but people who post notes simply have to point and click. Let me know what you think of Wellwisher on my "wall" http://wallwisher.com/wall/classroomnext . Thank you R. Rodgers for showing me this. Check out his blog at Moss-Free Stone
We just purchased a classroom set of iTouches for students and were planning on using the paid version of iSign and then use several of the free apps for classroom projects. Our first hurdle was that iTunes requires a Credit Card, with a little bit of searching I found a solution right from the Apple help forums, so this is completely legal and not a hack. For those visual learners check out the How-to-Video
Have you ever wanted to document what went on in your class all day, take pictures of a sprouting seedling, or watch a flower bloom in slow motion? You can do this with a webcam and free software. If you are using a Mac try Gawker it will take pictures in intervals with your built in iSight camera and when its done Gawker will put all the pictures in to a Quicktime movie. Examples (Gawker will also let you use multiple webcams)
If you are using a PC download Microsoft's Webcam Timershot. Timershot will save all the photos into a folder of your choosing. To incorporate them into a video drop the pictures into movie maker and see your photos come alive.
Do you ever go by Sonic and think "Do I ever need a Route 44?" Well now don't think about it just go and get one. Attached to your drinks is a little tab that peels off with a security code. Use that code and to go to the Limeades for Learning website and vote for an educational project near you. Don't forget Sonic Happy Hour is from 2 -4 o'clock and drinks are half price.
Google does a great job of taking great free applications and making them better. Picasa already crops, organizes, straightens, retouches, and adds text to photographs, but now it adds face recognition. I also appreciate the fact that it only takes up ten megabytes of space unlike other editors that are not only memory hogs but constantly run in your system tray. Plus its simpe to use. Great Job Google!
Most games have 3 levels... Easy, Medium and Hard. Plus these games would work great with Interactive White Boards.
This picture was created by Susan Murtaugh check out her Flickr Photostream.
Even though Facebook and Myspace are the most popular social networks doesn't mean they are the best for your classroom. I would like a recommend a Ning. Ning is a social network with a twist; teachers can create and control their own social network. Teachers can post class content, syllabus, student projects and even a place to meet virtually while school is not in session.
Are you having a difficult time deciding which Web 2.0 tool is best for your classroom? Here is a good resource to browse through. These 100 sites were voted on by users and Web 2.0 aficionados so they are good quality sites. There are 10 websites in 10 different categories so peruse through them and find something good for next year! Here is a great and free opportunity for you to consider. Classroom 2.0 (http://www.classroom20.com/) is a website for teachers who want to implement Web 2.0 strategies in their classroom. They are hosting a webinar on how to create your own classroom Wiki. Even if you are not interested in Wikis there are a lot of great ideas for your classroom, I would strongly encourage you to join the Classroom 2.0 network. The best part about this is that you can take the class from the luxury of your own home because it’s a webinar. The Class is tonight at 7pm. (Sorry for the late notice, but I just found out about it myself.) Don’t worry if you miss this one, Classroom 2.0 has a weekly webinar for educators.
Here is the link about the Class “Go Wild with Wiki’s”
http://live.classroom20.com/classroom-20-beginner-series.html
Here is the link to join the class tonight at 7pm
http://tinyurl.com/qe27on
Archived Classes
http://live.classroom20.com/archive.html
Classroom Wikis in BISD
http://acftscience.wetpaint.com/?t=anon
http://alejandro-mace.pbworks.com/
http://porterpanther4thgrade.pbworks.com/
http://birdvilletech.wikispaces.com/
Teacher Page:
Great resource to use in your classroom, but beware episodes are still "sponsored" so allow for discussion during commercialsPBS Video on Demand site
List of Programs...
Nature
Great Performances
American Masters
Newshour
Time Team America
Nova
Frontline
American Experience
Masterpiece Classic
Antique Roadshow
Tokbox: Add up to 20 people to your conference. The best part is they dont have to have a tokbox account. Simply send them the url of your conference and they can join up. Tokbox also has a twitter button that will send the link twitter friends so they can join up too. 
Boostcam: Instant / disposable video conferencing. No username and no password required. Very simple to use. Would be great for people who are a little scared to connect for the first time. 
FileinaFlash: Send files over the internet by just sending out the url. No username or password required. Most email services will not let you send a file over 20 megabites so if your in a pinch use this to send large files.
A great tool to have around is Puppy Linux. Its a very small Linux distribution that can be loaded and booted from a USB thumbdrive. This week when a hard drive went bad and a teacher had some important files that had not been backed up. We booted it from the USB with Puppy Linux and navigated through the Windows XP file system and saved her files. This will not work on all occastions, but when it does. Its a great thing.
Quick Media Converter is often a life saver when working between multiple formats. I have yet to find a media file that it will not convert. It is simple to use and the interface is self explanatory so no manuals or reading required.
As a free bonus the Microsoft Reps informed us of this handy site that installs a Codec package on your machine. It even allows .mp4 to play in Windows Media Player and if you are running Vista it will allow you to edit .mp4 in Windows Movie Maker. I have found this to be extremely helpful.Deep Thoughts:
Internet sites worth checking out from his presentation:
These songs have been etched in my brain ever since I can remember. What a great tool to use in the classroom to make learning fun.
Qik is a video sharing site with a unique twist. Instead of taking the video with a camera or phone and sending it to an video hosting site like youtube. Qik allows you to stream live video from your telephone. So as long has you have a mobile phone signal you can stream video from practically anywhere. (Yes you too can have your own reality TV show) I think this would be an excellent application to use on field trips, sporting events, and classroom how-to-videos.
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