Every once in a while there is that software that comes around that you look at and think...that is cool. You then ponder, how could I use it to make my life easier. For over 10 years Windows has had the same Desktop view. No change. Same folders, same windows. Nothing but Blah.....Times are a changing. One of the newest ways to improve the view of your desktop is BumpTop. It is available for both Mac and PC's. Imagine your desk...your actual desk being turning in to a computer screen. The software has some great features and creates a 3-d desktop.
Here are some features:
- Drag and drop to a USB that FlashDrive...without opening a window or anything
- Swipe over and organize/pile documents, photos, links, etc. together
- Automatically upload to Twitter and Facebook from the desktop.
- Pin notes to side walls and then view those walls.
My best advice is to watch the video below....Seeing is understanding.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Awesome Stories
Awesome Stories is a great site that has beneficial primary sources that students can use in English and Social Studies classrooms. Find a topic that matches something you want to read and scan through the story. Internal links allow you to get more information as well. It also automatically creates a citation for you if students were to use it as part of a research assignment.
Topics include disasters, Biographies, Historic Events, Famous Trials, Religion, Inspiration, Movies, and Sports. It covers such a broad spectrum that schools with a 1:1 program could utilize this site for readings within their schools as well as for homework. You can sign up for the website which offers you added features. Fairly easy reading and because their are hyperlinks within the stories your low end students can click on them to receive further information. The site also includes slideshows, images, videos, and audio clips as well. A very interactive way of reading a book.
Twitter Tuesday #3 - A Reflection of Sorts
My previous post about Twitter gained quite a following. Especially my post about Using Twitter as an Educator. I also had a post about schools using Twitter as well, and most likely in the near future our school will be looking at going the route of creating a Facebook page as well. I have come to realize that using Twitter is like opening a treasure chest of educational technology gold. An endless stream of educators and administrators just aching to share their views and opinions with little ole me..I guess big ole me (6'5" - 240).
What's great is that finding all these people was fairly easy. Many of these same people are members of Classroom 2.0 and The Educators PLN, which I joined months before Twitter. I then found people via their blogs, and then via their Tweets. The easiest way to find people to follow in your PLN is to see who they are following and follow them as well. That is how I have came across a lot of great blogs and people on Twitter.
I have come to realize though that what I like best about Twitter is not neccesarily the resources being shared, but it is the opinions, articles, and videos that people share that catches my attention. I find myself clicking and saving these to Instapaper on my IPhone all the time so that I can look at them later on my computer. Every weekend you can count on me sharing these in my Weekend Extra postings.
Now the question becomes, how can I use it in the classroom. I am sure some of these are posted on other websites, but I am actually just listing the ideas that came to my mind while typing this post. It is important to note that Twitter does not allow deletions of messages from others that appear on your page. It does allow you to block them which does delete their Tweets, but you cannot delete individual Tweets from others. So I suggest you have people follow you, but not necessarily that you follow them. More about giving then receiving. Remember, Twitter and Texting is this generation's method of passing notes to one another. Now to the ideas:
- How One Teacher Uses Twitter (More Like Professor)
- 50 Ways to use Twitter in the College Classroom (Could adapt for High School)
- 25 Ways to Teach With Twitter
- 29 Interesting Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom (Google Docs Presentation)
I conclude this post with an idea. Someone with some computer programming experience will probably be able to create such a program, make millions and I will be left thinking...."should have taken computer programming in college:"
Create a microblogging site with education in mind that can provide more options for educators, such as the ability to create classes, add students, embed video, etc. Also provide a way for us to chat with other schools and classrooms from around the world. Provide a way to text in post via cell phones. Maintain the open source feature so that it continually feeds like Twitter. It would be a great way to have a discussion in the classroom using technology. Because in my experience, using the technology generally creates more engagement even when you are finished using it.
Have you used Twitter in your classroom? Success or Failure? Please Share!
What's great is that finding all these people was fairly easy. Many of these same people are members of Classroom 2.0 and The Educators PLN, which I joined months before Twitter. I then found people via their blogs, and then via their Tweets. The easiest way to find people to follow in your PLN is to see who they are following and follow them as well. That is how I have came across a lot of great blogs and people on Twitter.
I have come to realize though that what I like best about Twitter is not neccesarily the resources being shared, but it is the opinions, articles, and videos that people share that catches my attention. I find myself clicking and saving these to Instapaper on my IPhone all the time so that I can look at them later on my computer. Every weekend you can count on me sharing these in my Weekend Extra postings.
Now the question becomes, how can I use it in the classroom. I am sure some of these are posted on other websites, but I am actually just listing the ideas that came to my mind while typing this post. It is important to note that Twitter does not allow deletions of messages from others that appear on your page. It does allow you to block them which does delete their Tweets, but you cannot delete individual Tweets from others. So I suggest you have people follow you, but not necessarily that you follow them. More about giving then receiving. Remember, Twitter and Texting is this generation's method of passing notes to one another. Now to the ideas:
- An interactive discussion about a project or idea.
- Links to arcticles relating to current events or research being conducted
- 140 Characters discussion over books, movies, events, people, topics, etc.
- Picture Share
- Display during class and as you lecture or show a video allow students to ask questions for clarification or discussion when finished....most kids are scared to ask you to repeat something as well...this would give them that opportunity.
- Create a hashtag or an account for your classroom and allow communication between you and your students easily.
- Have students turn in their assignments by linking them in Twitter for students to see.
- Peer Review via Twitter.
- Extra Credit
- Classroom Reminders - (Test dates, Due Dates, Clasrrom Projects or interruptions)
- How One Teacher Uses Twitter (More Like Professor)
- 50 Ways to use Twitter in the College Classroom (Could adapt for High School)
- 25 Ways to Teach With Twitter
- 29 Interesting Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom (Google Docs Presentation)
I conclude this post with an idea. Someone with some computer programming experience will probably be able to create such a program, make millions and I will be left thinking...."should have taken computer programming in college:"
Create a microblogging site with education in mind that can provide more options for educators, such as the ability to create classes, add students, embed video, etc. Also provide a way for us to chat with other schools and classrooms from around the world. Provide a way to text in post via cell phones. Maintain the open source feature so that it continually feeds like Twitter. It would be a great way to have a discussion in the classroom using technology. Because in my experience, using the technology generally creates more engagement even when you are finished using it.
Have you used Twitter in your classroom? Success or Failure? Please Share!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Must See Monday #3 - Teacher Reboot Camp
Teacher Reboot Camp is a blog and the work of Shelly Terrell. What I like most about the blog is the interaction that takes place within her post. You can definitely tell that she spends a lot of time thinking of what she wants to use her blog for. Shelly Terrell is one of the co-founders of the #edchat on Twitter. Every Sunday a poll is provided for educators on Twitter to vote on a topic they would like to talk about via Twitter. Then on Tuesday, the winning topic from the poll is discussed via Twitter two times during the day. 12pm and 7pm EST. The 12pm time is for our friends overseas in Europe. The 7pm time is for people in the United States. I rarely get a chance to participate because of my schedule, but reading the tweets later is still very valuable. If interested just search for the #edchat hashtag on Sunday and Tuesday.
One aspect of Ms. Terrell's blog is her 30 Goals; A grand idea. Everyday or so a new goal for visitors to her blog to complete. It is a great way for those new to the blogging landscape to participate and start the journey to blogging. It also is a great tool for self evaluation. Instead of trying to think of a New Years Resolution, she has provided 30 for you! 30 Goals is not just for those that are new to blogging either. It is a great way for experienced bloggers to share their experiences and expertise.
I highly recommend visiting her site and attempting as many of the 30 goals as possible as well as searching through her blog and seeing what useful information is available for you to use. The blog is organized in a manner that is easy to follow as well as read.
One aspect of Ms. Terrell's blog is her 30 Goals; A grand idea. Everyday or so a new goal for visitors to her blog to complete. It is a great way for those new to the blogging landscape to participate and start the journey to blogging. It also is a great tool for self evaluation. Instead of trying to think of a New Years Resolution, she has provided 30 for you! 30 Goals is not just for those that are new to blogging either. It is a great way for experienced bloggers to share their experiences and expertise.
I highly recommend visiting her site and attempting as many of the 30 goals as possible as well as searching through her blog and seeing what useful information is available for you to use. The blog is organized in a manner that is easy to follow as well as read.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Weekend Extra #2 - Twitter Tweets and Resources - Top 15
Every week I think....why did I not join Twitter years ago?!?!? All the people who I have met on there provide fantastic links, blogs, ideas, resources, and opinions. The opportunity to socialize with people who share the same beliefs and ideas as me has and continues to prove to be an invaluable resource for both my job, and my future. What is great, is that I get a lot of meaningful stuff to read, but at the same time I get a lot of cool and funny stuff. Using Twitter has become more of a stress relief and an experience than just another Social Network to post my thoughts about. It's like all the other social network sites have lost some of their value because I get so much from following people on Twitter. So, here are the resources from this week from Twitter....
1.) Getting up and ready for work might not be as mundane with the invention of Interactive Mirrors. Just imagine waking up, going to look and the mirror and checking your email, or getting the latest sports scores and news stories....I think I am getting an "glance" of the future...haha. Make sure you watch the videos
2.) Kevin Honeycutt - What a great resource and great website. I actually found this site before starting this job but last track of it till recently when it was shared on Twitter. Take a minute and visit this site. Especially the videos and resources.
3.) Great website with information about integrating Web 2.0 into your classroom. Highly recommend for new users of Web 2.0 content.
4.) Great resources from Free Technology 4 Teachers - How to Steer Clear of Cyber Tricks. A must read for those unsure of Internet or that are always falling for the scams...specifically the older generations...no offense...really.
5.) Twitter List - When I first joined Twitter I was quite uncertain how to use this feature, but I came across (via Twitter) a great resource that explained how the List feature worked. It is a great way to Make Your Tweets Manageable.
6.) A blog featured just yesterday in my Friday Focus was The Edurati Review. The first sentence of this post really catches the attention of the reader, especially educators. What would school look like without Due Dates?
7.) The Museum of Modern Betas - A great way to see what is new out there that you can try and offer opinions on. Great for educators because if you can think about how to use it in the classroom then you can suggest education ideas to the creators. Definitely worth looking at.
8.) An article about Teachers Becoming More Digitally Inclined.
9.) An interesting website that is part of The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future. It is more or less a textbook online about Building a 21st Century U.S. Education System.
10.) Great list of Web 2.0 of Educational Tools by #Vanmeter a school in Iowa that is leading the way in integrating Web 2.0 tools.
11.) What Makes a Great Teacher? Interesting article and read about teaching and the difference in teachers and students.
12.) Great article about the #edchat hashtag on Twitter. A great read to get the history of how the whole Edchat idea started.
13.) GREAT first person account in an article from a teacher in a meeting discussing teaching. Really speaks to how many teachers feel in public education.
14.) Topsy - A Great way to search for Tweets. You can also find out how influential you are! Also get an idea on the number of Tweets and Retweets messages get.
15.) Link Sharing is one way we can get teachers to use more technology, by showing them what is out there. LinkBunch is a site that helps us to do that by bunching our links together into one link....creative idea!
1.) Getting up and ready for work might not be as mundane with the invention of Interactive Mirrors. Just imagine waking up, going to look and the mirror and checking your email, or getting the latest sports scores and news stories....I think I am getting an "glance" of the future...haha. Make sure you watch the videos
2.) Kevin Honeycutt - What a great resource and great website. I actually found this site before starting this job but last track of it till recently when it was shared on Twitter. Take a minute and visit this site. Especially the videos and resources.
3.) Great website with information about integrating Web 2.0 into your classroom. Highly recommend for new users of Web 2.0 content.
4.) Great resources from Free Technology 4 Teachers - How to Steer Clear of Cyber Tricks. A must read for those unsure of Internet or that are always falling for the scams...specifically the older generations...no offense...really.
5.) Twitter List - When I first joined Twitter I was quite uncertain how to use this feature, but I came across (via Twitter) a great resource that explained how the List feature worked. It is a great way to Make Your Tweets Manageable.
6.) A blog featured just yesterday in my Friday Focus was The Edurati Review. The first sentence of this post really catches the attention of the reader, especially educators. What would school look like without Due Dates?
7.) The Museum of Modern Betas - A great way to see what is new out there that you can try and offer opinions on. Great for educators because if you can think about how to use it in the classroom then you can suggest education ideas to the creators. Definitely worth looking at.
8.) An article about Teachers Becoming More Digitally Inclined.
9.) An interesting website that is part of The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future. It is more or less a textbook online about Building a 21st Century U.S. Education System.
10.) Great list of Web 2.0 of Educational Tools by #Vanmeter a school in Iowa that is leading the way in integrating Web 2.0 tools.
11.) What Makes a Great Teacher? Interesting article and read about teaching and the difference in teachers and students.
12.) Great article about the #edchat hashtag on Twitter. A great read to get the history of how the whole Edchat idea started.
13.) GREAT first person account in an article from a teacher in a meeting discussing teaching. Really speaks to how many teachers feel in public education.
14.) Topsy - A Great way to search for Tweets. You can also find out how influential you are! Also get an idea on the number of Tweets and Retweets messages get.
15.) Link Sharing is one way we can get teachers to use more technology, by showing them what is out there. LinkBunch is a site that helps us to do that by bunching our links together into one link....creative idea!
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