SchoolForge.net is website dedicated to offering free software for schools. The software is normally Open Source. The website offers 7 different categories for you to search for this open source material. Those categories are then broken up into sub categories.
There is Multimedia software that is available for 3D Animation, Graphic Editing, Players, Sound and Video Editing. There is Antivirus and Spyware software. There is also Education Software that provides games and edutainment. There are Office Tools Software that is available for desktop publishing, Office Applications, and Text Editing. Utlities and Drivers is another section that focuses on Archive, CDROM/DVD, Drivers, Networking Tools, and Security. Finally there is Web-Based Software, which is all the rage because of Web 2.0. You can find software for Learning Management, Library Management, and Student Information Systems as well.
Before using any of this and downloading anything, you should probably check with your school and district about how they feel about Freeware and Open Source Software. I have seen some of the software available on this site and know many districts in other states that are looking at Open Source software for their school systems as a way to save money.
See what there might be available that will assist you in your classroom, school, or district.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Edublog Awards Part II
Recently, as in last week, I nominated some of my favorite blogs. Recently all the nominations made by edubloggers all over the world are being shared. This would be a great way for you to view some of those other edubloggers I was talking about that I have yet to visit.
The Edublog Awards have created a widget that tracks the web for "2009 Edublog Awards" You can view other peoples nominations very easily through this feed. Check out all the nominations...when you have time and see what other people see as great and useable resources.
The Edublog Awards have created a widget that tracks the web for "2009 Edublog Awards" You can view other peoples nominations very easily through this feed. Check out all the nominations...when you have time and see what other people see as great and useable resources.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Miscellaneous Links
Desktop To Do List - Every teacher knows one, if not more than one. The teacher who has their monitor covered in Post-it notes with reminders and task they need to get done. Yeah, Outlook comes with one and so does Google. But I wanted one on my desktop. So I found one. Visit http://www.scattrbrain.com/ to download a desktop to do list software. I like it, but I wish it would minimize it to the toolbar instead of the taskbar. It is handy and colorful, so it makes it very easy to view. You can link it to your Google Calendar as well as set due dates.
Web 2.0 resources - Came across this on Steve Anderson's Blog, Blogging About The Web2.0 Connected Classroom. Livebinders is another version of social Bookmarking. I like it the best because of the organization and viewing features. It provides a page view of the website instead of just text, so it helps you easily remember what the page is for. In Steve Anderson's Blog, he shared Livebinders 4 teachers. They are broken down by General, Subjects, and Grade. At first glance, I thought how useful. Then I realized, that my own Livebinders were being shared. Under Web 2.0 tools, here is my LiveBinder that is being shared by the author, Barbara Tallent. So thanks to her for sharing my information. You could easily use LiveBinders in your classroom by creating a set for students to use for research purposes. Of course there are other Social Bookmarking sites like Delicious, Diigo, and Stumbleupon. There are others. But these are the ones I see used the most.
Shmoop - Study Guides and Teacher Resources - Really more for the English and Social Studies Teachers out there, but it seems this is one USEFUL website. I have not had a chance to glance through it all, but when you have the time, I suggest you do so. Lots of useful primary documents for a multitude of subject matter in the English and Social Studies Subject Matter.
Couple Nings - You will see this on the side of my Blog, but I wanted to post them here as well. I have joined both of these Social Networks created on Ning, and they provide a lot of useful information as well as share some of the same problems, praise, and stories that as teachers we come across daily. Classroom 2.0 and The Educators PLN. If you join, look me up and add me as a colleague.
I will be posting some links for website creation that your students can use in the classroom. We are looking at creating webpages at my school for Math Tutorials, Book Reviews, Biographies, etc.
Web 2.0 resources - Came across this on Steve Anderson's Blog, Blogging About The Web2.0 Connected Classroom. Livebinders is another version of social Bookmarking. I like it the best because of the organization and viewing features. It provides a page view of the website instead of just text, so it helps you easily remember what the page is for. In Steve Anderson's Blog, he shared Livebinders 4 teachers. They are broken down by General, Subjects, and Grade. At first glance, I thought how useful. Then I realized, that my own Livebinders were being shared. Under Web 2.0 tools, here is my LiveBinder that is being shared by the author, Barbara Tallent. So thanks to her for sharing my information. You could easily use LiveBinders in your classroom by creating a set for students to use for research purposes. Of course there are other Social Bookmarking sites like Delicious, Diigo, and Stumbleupon. There are others. But these are the ones I see used the most.
Shmoop - Study Guides and Teacher Resources - Really more for the English and Social Studies Teachers out there, but it seems this is one USEFUL website. I have not had a chance to glance through it all, but when you have the time, I suggest you do so. Lots of useful primary documents for a multitude of subject matter in the English and Social Studies Subject Matter.
Couple Nings - You will see this on the side of my Blog, but I wanted to post them here as well. I have joined both of these Social Networks created on Ning, and they provide a lot of useful information as well as share some of the same problems, praise, and stories that as teachers we come across daily. Classroom 2.0 and The Educators PLN. If you join, look me up and add me as a colleague.
I will be posting some links for website creation that your students can use in the classroom. We are looking at creating webpages at my school for Math Tutorials, Book Reviews, Biographies, etc.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
SimplyBox
SimplyBox is an image/text capturing software for your Internet browser. When you visit the website it has SimplyBox for education, but that is for district purchases. You want to sign up. When you sign up it will request email verification. Once you have verified your email you will then be directed in your email to a loaction for downloading the toolbar. The tool bar looks like the following:
Once you have installed the toolbar you will see your login name, a link to the simplybox homepage, the "Box It" image capture, as well as search bar and help link. The Search bar can be used to type in the tags that you have given to the images that you have boxed.
When you click on "Box It," it will open up the software and you will see "Folders" and "Containers" that will appear at the bottom of the screen. The "Folders" and "Containers" look like the following:
You can add or change the names of the folders and containers to meet your needs. It stores them on the website in your account. I used the website to box these images. It is really user friendly.
So how could you use this in your classroom?
- It would be a great way to capture Wordles that you made or found in the gallery.
- It would be a great way to capture text from a story, poem, or website to use in your classroom. Much easier then remembering and saving the URL for something small you want to keep
- Keep track of maps, graphs, charts, and/or data that you find on a website.
- Keep track of current events
- Save images for classroom use that you might want to discuss in your class.
- Integrate the images into your Twitter Account
- It would be a great way to capture Wordles that you made or found in the gallery.
- It would be a great way to capture text from a story, poem, or website to use in your classroom. Much easier then remembering and saving the URL for something small you want to keep
- Keep track of maps, graphs, charts, and/or data that you find on a website.
- Keep track of current events
- Save images for classroom use that you might want to discuss in your class.
- Integrate the images into your Twitter Account
Those are just some of my ideas. What ideas do you have? Let me know how you use it. Here is a video to help explain it a little further and show how it is used.
If you are looking for a screen capturing software for your computer you can try Gadwin Systems. It is really user friendly and uses the familiar Print Scrn Key to use.
If you are wanting to create a vidoe of your screen for tutorial video purposes you can try Screencast-O-Matic
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Document Camera
As part of my new position I am working with teachers to use new technology equipment. One of the pieces of equipment that we are using is a Document Camera. We have purchased the Avermedia CP130 (image below). It has a lot of useful features when using the USB connection to your computer that if it was just hooked up to the TV or projector you would be missing out on.
When you hook up the Document Camera to the computer it has its own software that enables you to use it for many different purposes.
Camera - You can take a picture of anything you put under the camera. It would be a good way to save lecture notes, or even save an image of a student's work, especially a poem. It would make it easy for you to upload to a webpage as well.
Video Camera - You can record a video of what is under the camera as well. When your students are giving a presentation, record the presentation so you can grade it later if need be. You could also turn it towards you and record yourself giving a lecture, or record your students working on projects in the classroom.
Network - Say you have a student who has done a wonderful project and you want to share it with your staff AS IT HAPPENS. As long as other teachers have the software they can network to the presentation in your classroom. Talk about Collaborative teaching!
Drawing - The software also comes with drawing tools. You can underline, write, highlight, etc., key parts from text in your class. Think of it as a 21st Centuty Overhead Projector. No more cleaner. Once you make your marks, you could take an image of those as well using the camera features. You can also type on top of images as well. It also includes transperant boxes and circles that would allow you to highlight a particular text or picture from your textbook.
Playback - You could record your lesson, and then make it available for a substitute to play it the next day for your students. It would be a great way to ensure your students won't have questions about an assignment because you covered it already. You could also playback students presentation from previous classes to show students how you want a project done.
Other Features - You can print directly from the screen. You can import images to the screen from the Internet that you have saved (Be a great way to highlight information from a map, chart, or graph).
Teachers in my school have used the Document Camera to take what used to be individual assignments and turn them into class assignments, creating more discussion, interaction, and maintaining student's attention. I highly reccommend the purchasing of a Document Camera for your teachers or departments. You can get the Avermedia CP130 for just under $400. There are other options, but I would check to make sure they have a software package, otherwise you are missing out on all a Document Camera can do.
AverVision Document Cameras
Document Cameras in the Classroom
Tim Bedley Article - Classroom Uses for the Document Camera
When you hook up the Document Camera to the computer it has its own software that enables you to use it for many different purposes.
Camera - You can take a picture of anything you put under the camera. It would be a good way to save lecture notes, or even save an image of a student's work, especially a poem. It would make it easy for you to upload to a webpage as well.
Video Camera - You can record a video of what is under the camera as well. When your students are giving a presentation, record the presentation so you can grade it later if need be. You could also turn it towards you and record yourself giving a lecture, or record your students working on projects in the classroom.
Network - Say you have a student who has done a wonderful project and you want to share it with your staff AS IT HAPPENS. As long as other teachers have the software they can network to the presentation in your classroom. Talk about Collaborative teaching!
Drawing - The software also comes with drawing tools. You can underline, write, highlight, etc., key parts from text in your class. Think of it as a 21st Centuty Overhead Projector. No more cleaner. Once you make your marks, you could take an image of those as well using the camera features. You can also type on top of images as well. It also includes transperant boxes and circles that would allow you to highlight a particular text or picture from your textbook.
Playback - You could record your lesson, and then make it available for a substitute to play it the next day for your students. It would be a great way to ensure your students won't have questions about an assignment because you covered it already. You could also playback students presentation from previous classes to show students how you want a project done.
Other Features - You can print directly from the screen. You can import images to the screen from the Internet that you have saved (Be a great way to highlight information from a map, chart, or graph).
Teachers in my school have used the Document Camera to take what used to be individual assignments and turn them into class assignments, creating more discussion, interaction, and maintaining student's attention. I highly reccommend the purchasing of a Document Camera for your teachers or departments. You can get the Avermedia CP130 for just under $400. There are other options, but I would check to make sure they have a software package, otherwise you are missing out on all a Document Camera can do.
AverVision Document Cameras
Document Cameras in the Classroom
Tim Bedley Article - Classroom Uses for the Document Camera
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