I can't open it!

I've had to email my students back on a number of occasions over the years to let them know that I can't open a file they sent to me.  It's a big pain, especially at the end of the quarter when the late assignments create a flurry of email in my inbox.  DocsPal changes all that for me.  The site (shown as in Beta testing) is simple and pretty easy to use.  Simply add your file by clicking on browse.  DocsPal will recognize the file type and give you suggestions for conversion-including Open Office, if you don't have Microsoft Office.  Once you've selected your conversion options, click convert.  When it's finished, you'll see a blue link which will let you open/save the new file.  You can also check the box and have a link emailed to you (see image below).

Additionally, there is a viewer incorporated into this site, if you want to preview files from a flash drive (or something) before you open them on your computer.  

Generally it seems handy for teachers as well as being useful for students.  My school uses Microsoft 07, and I know there are students that do not have 2007 at home-so a site like this would be useful for them to view your documents/powerpoints online without you having to do any conversion for them.  

txt 2 read?

I recently shared this article about a study published by the British Psychological Society with my PLC team.  The study came to the conclusion that the children in the study " who regularly text have better reading skills despite the use of txt abbreviations", according to Bill Ray the author.  Many of the people on my team were skeptical about whether or not this could be true. 

I see the obvious limitations of this particular study, as the sample size was extremely small (88 children) and the opportunity for extraneous variables (income, family background, etc).  But, it seems that texting could be a great way to learn.  It's like my days in Latin.  We were presented with an ancient text in Latin and our job was to translate it into English magna cum studio,  which is a time-honored way of learning .  Isn't it the same as this study?  When I present my students with information (in a book) on Totalitarian Dictators and they have to turn that wordy information into bulleted points on a chart, they are essentially translating-less endings and declensions than Latin, but it's translation.  If I gave my kids new information or asked them to use what they've learned in a class and then told them to text some main points to a friend (really or on paper) it seems pretty similar to me.  They still have to read the information, internalize it and transform it into something else. 

So, every time your students are texting, they are using their language skills and turning their thoughts (which are words) into something else.  Without knowing it, they are accessing level six (Creating) of Bloom's taxonomy by Compiling information together in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions.  Level six is pretty hard core.  I have a hard time developing level six lessons when I think about it and my students (and I) do it every time txt language is used.  Perhaps maligning students for utilizing this 'new language' isn't the way to go...maybe we can use it to engage students in higher-level thinking and learning. 

How could you use this in the classroom?  

• Ask students to have txt conversations about a topic you're studying in pairs. 
• Rather than writing a paragraph, mix it up once in awhile, have them txt a couple of lines about the same thing. 
• Have them text a friend (on paper) about the steps in solving a problem, the life cycle of plants, the timeline of events in World War II, vocabulary words or the plot of a story. 

If we can think of ways to meet the student where they are instead of fighting them, won't they be more inclined to learn?  Who knows...but, it's worth a try.  It might even be fun. 

Scribblink

You'll remember that last week I blogged about Elluminate.  Despite my voice issues, I do genuinely like Elluminate-it really is remarkably useful and enjoyable. 

Unfortunately, all teachers don't have access to Elluminate-I don't even have it outside of my online instruction course to use with my students.  But, I see so many applications for Elluminate-type applications in education.  A similar site that I was playing with this morning is called Scriblink.  It's a pretty good site and taking into account the fact that it's free, it does a pretty good job (I would say it's better than the Blackboard lecture hall). 

It has many of the same tools as Elluminate, like basic drawing tools, text, markers, lines, a chat window, math tools and the ability to share files, upload images.  What sets Scriblink apart from Blackboard's lecture hall is that a) you can send the link for your class (called a whiteboard) to anyone, and it doesn't require logging in; b) you can incorporate voice.  If you have headsets (or even an external mic) it will work pretty well.  Using the internal mic is a little iffy.  I tested it with a colleague (thanks, JD)-and the audio was very crackly, you can also use a phone by calling a number they provide.  I did not test that part.  Scriblink allows you to save what goes on it your session, which is convenient, especially if you're using it as a grade or if kids do something you're not a fan of.

Scriblink is obviously not Elluminate, it lacks the assessment, video support, ability to load & present PowerPoints among others, but it seems a pretty good site-the user interface is easy to use and friendly.  Give it a try, or even suggest that students use it when working collaboratively on a project or other work.

Flash

For my Elluminate lesson yesterday (during which my voice sounded reasonably okay), I used one of the timeline maps from Maps of War.  These timelines are pretty useful in my classes, they're pretty interesting and they get the point across well (the only drawback being the ones listed on the website are not plentiful).  It got me thinking that I would like to embed these flash videos into my powerpoints, rather than linking them from my powerpoints (atleast until HTML5 comes along). 

These are the instructions for embedding flash videos (.swf) into PowerPoint 2007.  I'm assuming that you have Shockwave installed on your computer. 

The steps...(images of each below)

1. Open PowerPoint, and click the Office button in the upper left
2. Click on PowerPoint options button at the bottom of the dropdown.
3. Check the box next to Show developer tab in the Ribbon, then Okay.
4. Click on the Developer tab that you just added (yay, you!) and then click the More Controls button, it has a wrench & hammer on it.
5. Choose Shockwave Flash Object, click Okay.
6. Click & drag the box to the size you want
7. Right click the box and choose Properties
8. Change the options (use the image below for reference)
9. Close the properties box and start the PowerPoint (F5)

Images of each step (click to enlarge)...

1 & 2:

3: 

4:

5:

6-8:

Elluminate.

I'm blogging about Elluminate today because I'm in a fantastic online instruction class and tonight it my night to lead a lesson online using Elluminate.  I'm trying to Elluminate my mind in preparation for 6pm tonight.  You're asking, am I nervous?  Honestly?  A little.  Even though I shouldn't be.  My group is only four (including me) and my lesson is an overview of World Religions, which I've taught about a million times.  I love technology, and it always seems to work for me (knock on wood), so there doesn't seem to be a reason for nervousness-but it's still there.

It's not because I don't like Elluminate-quite the contrary.  It's wonderful-I wish I could use it with my classes, I've learned that students do remarkably well in the online environment, and I can certainly see the appeal.  You can teach a real class in it, not like the Blackboard impotent version (Lecture Hall), which isn't so great.  You can import videos, photos, manipulatives, PowerPoints...you name it, Elluminate does it.  So why am I apprehensive?  Honestly, most people would find the cause of my distress silly, but have you ever heard your voice after it's been recorded?  I have.  When I hear it played back, I always wonder, "Who is that girl?  She's saying my words, but that can't be me.".  I hate the way my recorded voice sounds. 

If I didn't like Elluminate so much, I wouldn't be donning a headset (ala telemarketer or drive-thru operator) to teach a class on World Religions to Physics, Geometry  and US History teachers tonight.  So at 6:00 tonight when my Elluminate timer dings and I click record on my first session, all I'll be hoping for is that my voice sounds good.  

If you want to try out Elluminate, you can for free (for 3 people), try it-you'll like it, or host a free webinar (for more people) as long it meets certain requirements.

N O T A

Today's interesting tidbit is about Nota.  It's essentially an online notebook.  It does require registration, but it would be an excellent collaborative tool for small groups of students, or a small (or particularly focused) class.  Here's a Nota I quickly made today (about 5 minutes)-click it to visit my Nota.

It seems like it would be a great review tool for students online-maybe if you had a different notebook broken down by topic, kids could write/draw or process on each on.  The Nota tools I used for this include text, pen, photos (from Flickr), shapes, Wikipedia, FontArt, Message Board, and a Counter.  For having just done one, I'm a big fan.  It seems like it could have many applications-especially if Nota collaborated with Blackboard to embed Nota into Blackboard-that would be fantastic. 

What you do you think?

Marvel (ous)

I've been playing with Comiqs today, it's a website that has a comic maker app built into it.  It's pretty easy to use.  You can use photos online or ones from your computer.  It seems like it could be a great tool for students to create comics for class or any other collage/image work you might assign.

One limitation of the site is the registration option-it returns an error message each time I tried to use it-but by using screen capture, you could save it without registering.  I made the comic below and captured it in about three minutes-first time, so it's quick and relatively easy to use.

Take this down.

I'm not quite sure what practical classroom applications it has yet, but the iPhone App, Dragon Dictation is pretty nice.  It uses speech recognition to turn your spoken words into text, which can easily be copy/pasted into text messages, emails or anything else you can think up.  

I suppose I could sell this as, if you have to text in the car, do this and stay alive for the sake of your students!

But seriously, just start this app up, tap the red button and speak.  The app will process your speech and turn it into text.  Touch the button in the lower right to copy it and then use it (see photos below). Simple and useful.

I've found that there is a learning curve-you have to enunciate your words very clearly for it to accurately pick up what you say (sometimes it still misses one or two), but all in all, it's a great tool-especially if you're driving and want to text without being quite so dangerous.

It's Twitterific!

This year, I've started using Twitter with my students/parents to keep them updated on what is going on in my History class.  I have wanted to do something like this for a while now (in addition to using Blackboard)-I thought I would have to keep in contact only through email, which is often a bit clunky.  However, through another project I was working on, I discovered just how easy and effective Twitter can be.  

Starting at the beginning of this year, I tweeted regularly and encouraged both students and parents to either follow me or just check what I've posted regularly.  One way to encourage its use was adding my twitter site onto my email signature.  As a result, I've been pleasantly surprised at how many students and parents are staying abreast of developments and upcoming work.  

One of the great things about Twitter is its mobility.  Using the Twitterific app enables me to update it from anywhere at any time.  I was a bit apprehensive about the 140 character limit, but it has forced me to be more concise with my posting (which is good) and with tools like Twitpic and Yfrog, photos and even videos are easy to upload.  Another major aid in Tweeting is Goggledocs.  Googledocs has been recently updated, allowing you to easily upload all document types and share them with anyone without forcing users to have a Google ID.  Teaming Googledocs up with Tiny.cc lets you turn long websites into short ones, which easily fit into Twitter.

Basically, Twitter has helped my class run much more smoothly and keep my students (and their parents) better informed.

Brainstorm

I've recently come across Bubbl.us (2.0), which is an online brainstorming tool that can be used to create webs and then manipulate them.  I have not used it with my classes yet, but it seems like it would be a great way to get students interested in brainstorming as a step in writing, researching and learning.  Begining from the center portion, you type into the bubbles, then use either control+enter or clicking to create new bubbles.  From there, you can link the bubbles, customize the color, move them and otherwise manipulate them.  

Once completed, they can be printed or saved as image files-all without registering on the site, which makes it great for student use.  I personally like the visual and customization components-it seems like it would get students interested, since it is fun.  It could probably be a sweet, updated way to do webs and other types of graphic/visual organizers-allowing students to design, create and add information with a computer makes it easier for many students to get their thoughts out..and it makes it easier for other people to read!  Check it out.

  

Jeopardy Labs

Jeopardy Labs is a great site that hosts Jeopardy review activities.  The banner on their site points out that they are "not PowerPoint", but it's actually pretty handy.  I've used the PowerPoint Jeopardy before, which works well for reviews, but this seems even better.  Not only do you not have to mess with links in PowerPoint, but students can access these online (just give them the link)-better than all that, is that there are Jeopardy games that other people have created, which you can use-just preview them first, I've found mistakes. 

The interface is CrazyEasy-just click in the fields and it essentially makes a Jeopardy game for you-just provide the information.  Possibly the best part is scoring-one of the kids doesn't have to act as "score keeper" (and neither do you), just click on the team's + or - to add or subtract the correct amount (the site does it for you).

Enjoy!

That's Smart [board] !

At my school many (if not most) of the classrooms have been equipped with SmartBoards. I think the vast majority of them were acquired prior to the much maligned (insert scary music) "Budget Crisis", as I don't see the massive boxes lying about in the halls any longer. The unfortunate thing about these lovely devices is that many (again, if not most) people really don't know how to use them. They end up being overpriced projection screens, or in worse cases, they just hang on the wall like that ugly painting at your parents' house...eventually you just stop seeing it.

One of my terrific colleagues (again, MC), is taking a SmartBoard class, which I think is a fab idea-not just for her, but for me, too. I'm just taking the best ideas from the class for myself, so I get to reap the benefits without actually taking the class.

Two of my favorites today are:

1. The  Screen Shade-it makes a covering so that you can go down information you're projecting and only allow students to only see individual portions at a time-See photo below for access (
2. The Spotlight