Recently we provided a professional development in-service on Audio Podacasting. Valissa Bevis from the middle school was the instructor and did a great job teaching us how to create a podcast and sharing how teachers at the middle school are using podcasting with their students. Valissa has kindly provided the podcasting information and links on her school’s website for anyone that was not able to attend. Thank you Valissa!
Need to give a document copy to a group of students but you are out of copier copies?
Need to save a document from a library computer but you don’t have a jump drive or CD?
Need to print a document but no access to that computer’s printer?
Try Google Documents!
Check out this site for Educators. Here you will find helpful information, a video on how to use Google documents and some real-life examples of how teachers are using Google Docs.
We now have new audiobooks that are encoded in MP3 format and are iPod ready. They also include a companion eBook.
Features of the companion eBook are:
Titles included are Frankenstein, Sense and Sensibility, The Scarlet Letter, The strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Pride and Prejudice, and the Art of War.
If you like eBooks check out the following eBook databases for free eBooks.
Check this site for classroom/lesson ideas for using eBooks.
Last night I observed Mrs. Porter and some of her AP Calculus students as they participated in a tutoring session. The neat thing about this session was that none of us were in the same room, we were in our homes, and yet I could hear each student and see the calculus problems as they were being solved.
Mrs. Porter used the program Elluminate to conduct her online interactive tutoring session. Elluminate provides synchronous learning opportunities including voice over Internet, web cam video, instant messaging, polling, creation of breakout rooms and the ability to archive and review the sessions.
Visit the Elluminate site to see if you might be interested in using this with your students. If you have more questions about the application of this tool, ask Mrs. Porter.
Here are a few screen shots I took last night during the session.
The library has a new gadget available for check-out and you are going to love it! It is the Flip video camera. Right out of the box, it was easy to setup and work and I was shooting video within a few minutes.
What is so special about this camera?
Visit the site below by Tom Barrett for ideas for using the Flip Video Camera in the classroom. The site is posted in Google Documents so you will need to sign in or create an account.
Joyce Valenza shared this site on the School Library Journal blog and I want to share it with you. Print What You Like allows you to print a web page without the ads, empty spaces, and other junk. It is a free web page editor that gives you control of how web pages look when printed.
I have added it to all the library computers and hopefully this will help eliminate some of the ink and paper waste. It was easy to add, click here and give it a try.
In case you have not heard, Hueytown High now has an online Literary Magazine. Muse is produced and managed by students in Mrs. Renfroe’s journalism class.
The magazine features poetry, short stories, artwork, photography and other literary works by Hueytown students. So teachers, please help support the magazine by encouraging your students to showcase their talent. Students can submit their work to the journalism class for publication by e-mail submit_muse@hotmail.com or to Mrs. Renfroe in Ivy.
This magazine will not only provide writing and leadership experience for our journalism students but also enjoyment to readers and positive recognition to those students submitting work. Check-out the site here and leave a positive comment on a student blog.
What is Animoto?
Animoto was launched last year and recently has been made FREE to Educators. Animoto provides a creative alternative way to view and listen to slideshows. Created by film and music producers, you upload your photos, choose some music you like from their huge range of styles and artists, or use your own music or voice, and you get an impressive slideshow.
Just to show what can be done with some photos and a dash of jazz, I created this one using photos from our back-to-school teacher workday.
Click on the word comments and share ideas you might have about using this Web 2.0 tool with your students. Click here to learn more about Animoto and how it is being used in the classroom.
Fifteen hours of free technology training in just 5 minutes a day!
It is true. I stumbled upon the site, 180 Technology Tips, the other day and it really is simple and helpful. You can sign up to have a technology tip delivered to your e-mail each day or you can select relevant tips as you browse through the different categories.
The categories are:
Check it out and let me know what you think.
O.K. summer is here, you have some free time and you would like to spend some of that leisurely time reading a good book. Question is, “What book would you enjoy reading?” Here are several websites to assist you in the selection of a good read.
My favorite is What Should I Read Next. This website helps you find out what book would be best for your tastes. Simply enter in a book or author that you really like and What Should I Read Next will use its sizable database to figure out what author and/or books are most likely going to be compatible with your reading preferences. For instance, I input “Here Lies the Librarian”, a book I am reading now, and got some great recommendations for the next book to read.
At the website This One Next enter a book, CD or DVD that you enjoyed and the site will analyze their database of real users’ preferences to suggest other books, CDs or DVDs that you might like.
Want to find a book based on your mood? Then try this site.
Here is a book browsing recommendation by Marshall McLuhan. When looking for a book to read turn to page 69 and read it. If you like that page, buy the book or check it out. It works.
Enjoy your book. Click on comments and share what you are reading.
