Friday, June 29, 2012

Where do I find...?

We covered many different programs in our two-day class.  It might be hard to remember where to find everything.  Use the following list to jog your memory.

Online resources
Class notes - Google Documents
Class wiki - Wikispaces
Videos to embed - YouTube
Forms & Quizzes - Google Documents (forms)
Publishing podcasts - Upload file to your wiki, use Minus
Create/Edit/Write Blog - Blogger
Edit pictures, create headers - Fotoflexer, Google + (on your Google Account)

Maps - Google Maps
Learning videos - Khan Academy, Ted Ed
Social media - Google + (on your Google Account)
Screencasting - Jing

Fun blog templates - Cutest Blog on the Block
Fun word pictures - Wordle, Tagxedo

Free downloadable software
Sound recording - Audacity.com
Maps - Google Earth

Screencasting - PowerPoint (from Microsoft office)

Project Requirements

(*Requirements is a strong word. We want you to do these general things, but if there is something else you want to do, just let us know!)

Your blog will be your "home" project--you will link or post all your other projects to it so we can see them. At the end of the last day of class, you will just email me a link to your blog with your projects.



      • create three wiki pages (introduction, nutrition, form)
        • fill out five classmates’ forms
        • embed your podcast onto one of your wiki pages
      • create a podcast with intro/outro music
      • create your blog
        • modify the settings and layout
        • create a photographic header
        • post with links to wiki
        • post with video
        • post with pictures
        • Two posts exploring/explaining classroom use of two of the tools we discussed
          • Google Maps
          • Khan Academy
          • Ted-Ed
          • Google Docs/Google Drive
          • FlatWorldKnowledge
          • Creative Commons
          • Blogs
          • Wikis
          • Podcasts
          • Screencasts
        • create and link your own TED-Ed video (optional)

New Media 2012 Class Recordings

There are the recordings from the June 2012 class of New Media in the Classroom.
  • Part 1
    • Google Docs
    • What are wikis?
  • Part 2
    • Royalty free photos
    • Creative Commons
    • Wiki practice
  • Part 3
    • Open Education Resources (OER)
    • Podcasting
  • Part 4
    • Practice working on podcasts and publish to wiki or minus.com
  • Part 5 (recording lost due to machine crash)
    • Blogs
  • Part 6
    • Image editing
  • Part 7
    • Social media
    • Khan Academy
    • Ted-Ed
    • Flipped classroom
  • Part 8
    • Screencast with PowerPoint

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The Organic Spread of Classroom Tech

Converge magazine advocated a technology strategy that I also heartily endorse. Let technology initiatives start as small experiments and then let teachers clamor for the things that they see working, rather than trying to anticipate the way they will use technology. Here is how they put it. 
The first time the district made interactive whiteboards and document cameras available in the grant program, staff members expected to purchase between 10 and 20 devices. But only five educators applied. 
"What it really came down to was people didn't know what they were or what they were capable of," said JoAnn DePue, director of technology, data and assessment. 
But as other teachers saw what the five educators were doing in the classroom with the tools, they got interested too. The next time the grant option came up for the devices, all the teachers in one elementary school applied.
The reported a similar experience with the spread of podcasting.
Teachers weren't sure they had time to create podcasts, so technology staff showed a few students how to do it. Within the first year, half of the elementary school students produced at least one podcast that was tied to the curriculum. The next year, almost every student had at least one digital piece online.
The problem for most teachers is that they just don't have the time to figure out new things. But once they see how something new can make class better or easier, they are happy to spend the time to get up to speed.