Anita Foster

Voki

I learned about Voki at FETC. Voki allows you to create an animation to embed into your blog or website. You can use your own voice as the recording or type it in and use one of their many default voices. Check out mine below.

Get a Voki now!

FETC - Session 6

Score! Winning Strategies to Conquer Information Overload

Presenter: Kathy Schrock

http://kathyschrock.net/score

The Networked Teacher - Kathy began discussion about how many things prior to Web 2.0 was pushed down to the teacher. However, now with Web 2.0 tools and strategies the teacher can gather more information faster. 

Email - Set up filters to clean up your email inbox. (Google it is called labels) 

Suggestions: 

1. Monitor email for 2 weeks 
2. File or label emails that will be automatically filed
3. Look for filter instructions and create rules
4. Monitor the folders for two weeks
5. Monitor filtered files for two weeks to see how it is working  

POP or IMAP - Post Office Protocol - When you access email, it comes off the server and you can only access it from that computer you are on. With IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) allows you to use multiple computers with your email and not lose any. However, she warns against using both. IF you read your email only on one computer. If you use multiple computers and multiple email accounts use IMAP.

Netbooks - Linux or Windows XP Home, solid state drives or hard drives, 1 GB RAM, Processor that is battery friendly, 3 or 6 cell batteries (6 cell 5 hours of use), Small screens and keyboards, SD slots for uploading or memory expansion, VGA out, wireless and USB connections. Keyboards are small, but good for kids fingers. 

Smart Phones - Students use Smart Phones to research information and questions they may have while researching. 

iPhone video - Why we need iPhones (Video in YouTube.)

Peek - Is an email only portable device. $19.95 a month and the device costs $80.

Chumby - Takes your favorite parts of the Internet and it is always available via widgets. It connects via wireless in your home and sits on your desk or counter. 

Digital & Cellphone Cameras. Take pictures of student work, charts and dry erase boards with your phone or camera. Then post to flickr and tag with meaningful tags.

Online Faxing - Faxage - Faxes stored online, multiple users, notified via email with PDF attachment, port your fax number to Faxage. Pricing $7.95 a month for 150/150. Con: You must scan in non-digital items to send.

RSS and News Readers - Really Simple Syndication. (You guys have heard me ... and Herman talk a lot about RSS. If you are unsure what it is... SEE ME!! It will make your life easier!!!)

Google Alerts - Set the terms you want to follow, receive an email, insert a gadget in iGoogle page.

Social Networks - Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin, Ning (A Ning you might want to join is Classroom 2.0)

Microblogging - Twitter - Blogs restricted to 140 characters. You can follow people and people can follow you. It is also a great way to ask questions and get data.

Foxmarks - Works with Firefox browser and as you change the bookmarks, it changes on every computer. 

Delicious and Diigo - She likes Diigo (I will need to check this out before I form an opinion.) 

Online Task-Keeping

for groups voo2do.com 

Remember the Milk - twitter, email, text messages can remind you of tasks to be completed. 

Collaborative Documents - Google Docs and Google Apps - This has moved teachers into a collaborative mindset quickly and easily.

Cloud Storage - Glide OS 3.0 - 10 GB of online storage 

Thinkature - Voice chat and share images and (I believe) presentations. (I will be checking this out) FREE

FETC - Session 5

Using Cross-Curriculum Web 2.0 Technology to Increase Learning Outcomes

Presenter: Laura Ketcham

Web 2.0 Technology website link for presentation. (This site was made using Google Sites! I love that!!) She used this with 7th grade students.

Students used Google Sites to bring the project together. All of the research was completed within the Reading, Science, Social Studies and Math classes. The students had to work together and communicate in order to complete the project. 

Google Sites allowed the students to show their teachers, peers and parents by adding them to their collaborators. However, it is not public to the world. The teachers could also see when people added content to see who was working on the project at the last minute and who was working on it for the entire project. The teacher needs to be added as an owner so they have full access to the site.

Blogger - She had the students comment on her blog questions and create their blog and comment on each others blog. (My concern is the NEXT BLOG button. You don't have any control over the next blog and it may contain inappropriate content.)

del.icio.us - She used not only her delicious account, but all students had to set one up. 

Voice Threads - Discussion threads on images, videos or documents. (FREE for 3 min of audio and 10 images.)

Picasa and Photo Sharing - Allows you to organize and share your pictures with others. The great thing is you can keep the album private and share with only those you want to share with. Also, if someone gets to your album, you can only see their public albums and it will not take you to others that might be inappropriate. It is also very easy to embed into Google Sites (or via HTML into anything on the web).

Google Maps, My Maps - It will allow you to create a map customized for your needs. At this time you can not fully integrate with Google Sites. 

Google Video - Google announced last week that they are no longer supporting Google Video (they own YouTube and will continue to support that resource). 

Art Pad - This is an online tool to paint on the computer. This is a cool site!!!

Survey Monkey - Online survey site that is free for 10 questions or less. (I have used this, but I really like using Google Docs and creating a form for survey results.)

FETC - Session 4

Cyber Cafe: Students and Teachers Collaborate for Increased Learning

Presenter Martha Green from Collier County, Florida

One to one initiative for fifth grade classes. Taught not only responsibility, but also classroom behavior. Instruction also improved and motivated not only students, but also teachers. Online assessment has also been a key to student (and teacher) success.

Students are using Higher Order Thinking Skills with the technology in the classroom. Web 2.0 tools have brought a new dimension to the classroom and the technology that the class uses.

Voki is the animation tool that the students use to bring things to life. They choose an avatar and record their voice for the avatar to speak.

FETC Session 3

Creating a Personal Learning Network with Web 2.0 Tools

Presenters Michelle Bourgeois, Colleen Glaude, Katie 

Morrow (Apple Distinguished Teachers)

http://budurl.com/buildapln

Professional Development - Traditional model is time consuming and costly. 

With Web 2.0 we can change how Professional Development looks.

Professional Development as a restaurant or buffet and fits our diet, budget 

and needs the best.

Appetizers - Little nibble of learning. Twitter and Plurk. Both of these are 

microblogging tools that allows you to stay current and connected.

Main Course - Meat and Potatoes - Blogs, del.icio.us and iChat

Side Dishes - Podcast and Webinars, Wikis and Nings, Apple Learning 

Interchange

Desserts - Flickr, Second Life, Nike+

Apple Classroom of Tomorrow Today ACoT² This is new and in development.

FETC Session 2

Teaming + Technology + Transormation = Digital Education 

Presented by Broward County Public Schools

Angela Coluzzi, Director of Network Integration

Dr. Jeanine Gendron, Director, Instructional Technology

Charles McCanna, Principal Elementary School (NovaSchools.com)

258,905 Students

284 Schools

23,477 Instructional Staff

Implementing Technology Goals and Plans into the schools.

First question, "What does 21st Century learning look like?" They brought in all stake holders to develop a strategic plan. Moves the district forward in 4 areas

1. Infrastructure
2. Professional Development and Curriculum Integration 
3. Instructional Resources
4. Engage in the classroom

They looked at their struggling schools to see what could technology do to improve the AYP scores. Then they teamed a low scoring school and teamed them with a school that was succeeding with high AYP scores. They also adopted the NETS so that everyone was on the same page in regards to technology standards.

They are updating their technology resources to help teachers, students and schools succeed. 

Digital Classroom Tools

1. They refreshed the Teacher Laptops - Rolling refresh (4,000 laptops last summer) 
2. Teachers requested not only a Help Desk for technology, but also Teacher Help Desk for teachers to call for help with applications and support teachers in using the appropriate technology for the desired outcome. 
3. 2,200 classrooms have been equipped with projector and Interactive white board (attached or to the ceiling), Audio system,  control panel to allow flexibility and is stationed by the teacher's desk (teachers were trained on using the control panel), Amplification system (teachers have their own microphone), Document Camera, Video and Digital cameras (in each classroom). Some schools have Interactive Tablets rather than Interactive white boards. Each school was also given several Interactive Response Systems.    

Digital Curriculum and Instructional Electronic Resources

1. All textbook adoptions must have textbook online. 
2. Nettrekker DI 
3. Renaissance Learning 
4. Tabula Digita 
5. All was tied to a portal for easy access. 

  
Teacher needs were assessed and had three levels of learning 

1. Entry level skill development with Hands on Workshops and Online Tutorials 
2. Intermediate with Hands on Workshops and Online Tutorials
3. Advanced Hands on and Blended Workshops and Online Tutorials

Charles the principal is talking about using iPods and podcasting in the classroom. They have 180 iPods on 9 carts that moves around the school. The principal said it was easy to get teacher "buy in" for the project. Students focus on the assignment podcast. Critical Thinking skills are utilized on assignments. EVERY assignment since this project began in the 2007-2008 school year through today has been turned in. Students teach the teachers more than teachers teach the students. Students are excited and anxious to get to school and start working.

Integration Benefits to the Classroom

1. Motivates students (and teachers)
2. Differentiation
3. ESE students can self-remediate at their own pace
4. Teachers can connect with parents via podcasts
5. Parent Teacher conferences are more convenient for parent's schedule 
6. Parents are refreshed on content along-side students 
7. Back-ground knowledge built prior to field trips 
8. Extension of learning from field trips 
9. 100% of iPod related assignments completed 
10. Build a level of student responsibility  

On their websites they have examples of teacher and student podcasts. They used Pulp Motion (not free, but cheap) to add movement and transitions to the podcast.

One problem...they have ran out of storage space for the podcasts.

Using Digital Videos and Other Interactive Tools in the Classroom

Featured Session: Thinking Big as the World Gets Small with Hall Davidson

He began talking about the use of video communication through Discovery Networks among teachers and students around the world. 

He also gave an example of the students around the world doing the same experiment and getting different results because of location on the globe. (ie. Shadows at the same time of day.)

Cool Iris - At a scan you can see pictures and find the right one faster!

He is now talking about Google Translate. My caution here is translation software is not always exact. You may want to have someone who does translate that language to verify before using. It has been my experience in the past that the person that translates for you, will tell you that they will do it and not to run it through the software.

Now he is talking about blogs and historical blogs. 

Voice Thread - People can leave video and voice messages. Looks really cool and I will need to check it out. 

For the first time in history, more people get news from the Internet rather than newspapers. 

1. TV

2. Internet

3. Newspaper

He wants everyone that will to go to Film on the Fly and subscribe. You will also need to set up a You Tube account if you don't have one and set it up to accept video from your cell phone. He will send a writing assignment to the phone tonight that you are to complete and upload it to your You Tube account.

Very informative session and he completely embraces Web 2.0 tools!!

Animoto