Fried Technology

Six Ways to Survive Under 13 Guidelines that Threaten Academic Freedom K-6

2012-01-26T23:40:00.000-06:00

Is your child's school a digital prison?

Lately I’ve received about an email a day from teachers in my geographical area concerned their district will stop them using Web 2.0 tools that stipulate no one under 13 can register for the site; and frankly, I’m worried for my own children who may soon be attending schools with a serious lack of Web 2.0 tool usage. The idea of these policies makes me very nervous for the academic freedom of teachers and students. This post is meant to help administrators and teachers understand the “no one under 13” policies and how to comply while avoiding creating digital prison.

The under 13 policies most Web 2.0 tools post are to comply with the FTC’s COPPA rule. COPPA basically says the following: Websites can’t target children, collect information from them, and then market to them without the parent’s permission.

In this case, how can any child under 13 log in and create an Animoto, Voicethread or Google Doc? Why, any child can use almost any Web 2.0 tool with parental permission, of course. Most school districts have a broad statement about Internet usage in the student handbook. Parents sign the agreement giving their permission for students to use the Internet as teachers and administrators deem appropriate and as described in the district’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). In addition, “COPPA allows . . . schools to act as agents for parents in providing consent for the online collection of students’ personal information within the school context” (COPPA FAQs).

What can my district do to make sure we are complying with the rules of the services we want to use?

1. Check to see if the service you want to use has an education portal. Strangely, many sites whose Terms of Use clearly prohibit users under 13 have education portals providing extensive protection for children. Often, via the education portal, the prohibitive policies are more favorably defined. Voicethread, for example, explains their policy this way, “If you are under the age of 13, you must use an account created by a parent or guardian, and you must have the explicit permission of a parent or guardian to use the Service.” Voicethread has an education portal, and while the service is free, they do sell managed accounts to school districts everywhere; accounts for elementary school children are created by districts via data uploads.

2. Call or email the company and ask them to clarify their policy. As Alan November reports here, companies can revise their policies to prohibit only children under 13 who do not have permission to use the site, which is what they are actually required to do. If the company you're interested in has gone overboard to forbid persons under 13, ask them why. If they don't have a reason, ask them to update their policy.

3. If your district’s student handbook sign-off is not specific enough to make you feel comfortable that parents understand they are giving permission for their students to use Web 2.0 tools in your school or classroom, petition your leadership to add the verbiage. In the meantime, draft a letter to parents explaining why using Web 2.0 creation tools are so important, what you intend to do to keep their students safe, and request their extended permission. Feel free to revise use this template to request parent permission.

4. Mange student accounts yourself so that students cannot be subjected to information gathering. One such technique is called “Gmail Plus One.” It works like this:

The teacher creates a gmail account, let’s pretend it’s mrssmith2012@gmail.com
In order to create the teacher owned accounts for student use, the teacher uses her own gmail account “plus one,” like so:

mrssmith2012+1@gmail.com

mrssmith2012+2@gmail.com . . . mrssmith2012+25@gmail.com and so on

Both Prezi and Animoto accept the “Plus One” addresses.

As a side note, I like how Prezi explains allowing folks under 18 to use their service even though the terms of use initially appear to say they cannot. Here’s what they say: “Prezi considers teachers and educators to be guardians for educations licenses.”
On another note, Prezi DOES specifically prohibit children under 13 from using the service under any circumstances. BOO, Prezi. (I have contacted Prezi about this issue and await their response. You will receive an update here when I get it.)
UPDATE:
David Malpass, Prezi, Jan 29 19:30 (CET):
"Hi Amy, Any child can use Prezi with the consent of their parent, guardian, or teacher. Please let me know if I can help more. Best, David"

David Malpass, Jan 29 21:10 (CET):
"Hi Amy, From the advice of our lawyers we are unable to modify our terms of use. However, any student with the permission is able to use.
Please let me know if I can help more.
Best, David"

---I expressed to David that until the terms were modified to express this POV on the Prezi site, teachers would still have trouble getting their administrators and parents to unblock the site and/or use it in the classroom.

5. Use services like Wix.com that do not require email confirmation at all. Though, in the case of Wix, perhaps you would choose Weebly, which has an education portal and/or allows SSO through Google Apps.

6. Use Google Apps for Education to create student accounts inside a controlled environment. In this way, you are not providing student information to an outside source and can assure students are not being marketed to. The district acts as the “parent’s agent” and “creates the accounts on their behalf” (COPPA FAQs).

It is important to understand that districts, schools, and teachers cannot be fined or convicted for failing to comply with COPPA. Unfortunately, it is often the case that educational institutions in their desire to follow the rules go overboard by making blanket decisions disallowing ALL of one thing or another "just to be safe." COPPA rules apply to website owners and so do the penalties; therefore, unlike CIPA violations, schools cannot lose funding for failing to comply.

If you need help talking to your district leadership about the importance of Web 2.0 tool usage in the elementary school classroom, feel free to contact me using this form.

More information:

-Are Kids Under 13 Being Left Out?
-Wikipedia’s COPPA Article
-COPPA FAQ’s from the FTC

Six Unusual Off-Label Uses for Power Point

2012-01-04T10:52:00.001-06:00

I no longer use Power Point to make presentations, and I haven’t for years; however, I still use Power Point fairly frequently and I enjoy having it on my work computer. In the videos linked below, you’ll see some of the most important techniques involved in using Power Point “off-label.” Thanks Alicia Swedberg for teaching me most of them! Use this link to download all the Power Points you see used in this blog entry. If you use Power Point off label, I’d love to hear how in the comments. Drum roll please: Six Better Ways to Use PowerPoint to Create (that have nothing to do with presentations).

1. Create text + picture graphics: video that shows you how

2. Create flyers: video that shows you how

3. Create mosaics, collages: use the techniques from the video above

4. Create matching identically sized headers/labels for Moodle (or any LMS) course (or other project).

5. Create shiny buttons for websites, blogs, emails, etc.: video that shows you how

6. Create custom icons: video that shows you how

P.S. for presentations, which I create frequently, I use Google Presentations and Prezi. If you're just signing up for Prezi, make sure to get a free, extended educator account!

Desktop QR Code Reader: Classroom Magic

2011-12-13T11:16:00.003-06:00

eyeCamD/Desktop QR Code Reader
Thanks to Paul Lindsay for this design

What a lovely combination! This “Bootleg Elmo” document camera made from a webcam and a few simple parts combined with this desktop computer QR Code scanner called QReader make something like magic. In addition to the other one hundred things you can do with a webcam on a flexible arm (like Skype, record your lessons and put them on YouTube for Teachers or Vimeo, record your kids presentations, broadcast your classroom on UStream, show science experiments really big, show books really big, show ANYTHING really big) now you can also scan QR Codes. Here’s a nifty presentation I didn’t make showing “43 Interesting Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom.” And a nifty Google Doc I did create but can’t take credit for; after all, it’s editable by ANYONE. If you find great resources, please share them here. Here's a shoutout to Engaging Educators for sharing that link and posting great ideas. Thanks!

That's me with a piece of PAPER I'm scanning.
Strange, right?

iPad vs. Chromebook Education Showdown

2011-10-30T09:24:00.004-05:00

It's a conversation I've been having quite a bit lately. Which way do we go for a one-to-one? It probably won't surprise those of you who know me well which way I'm going to go on this issue. The iPad is a BEAUTIFUL device for consumers. The display is stunning. The apps are cool! I love the iPad for my personal and even business use, but for the classroom, it leaves a lot to be desired.

. . .

The most powerful actions for education are CREATION and COLLABORATION, and the device that wins in this war, hands down, is the Chromebook. With a Chromebook and Google Apps for education, K-12 students have a chance to learn everything. I'm not talking about learning how to use a computer, I'm talking about this kinda thing:

. . .

Technology integration is not about learning to use a computer,it's about using a computer to learn.

. . .

You see, when you use the iPad, you're dependent on someone else to create the structure of the environment through an app. Let's not even talk about the cost of those apps, let's just focus on the educational integrity. Games in education can be powerful, there's no doubt, but they need to be certain types of games, big and flexible, or targeted and exact. No one would advocate teaching math only with flash-cards, for example, but that type of game is far and away the most common kind for learning in the app store. Plus, each time you want to add a new app, someone is going to have to type in that password and potentially, pay a fee. Bummer. That's not the kind of instantaneous flexible environment I'm looking for.
...
Meanwhile, the Google Chromebook's learning software is only as limited as the web. Students can create anything you or they can imagine to show what they know, organize their thoughts, and they can also collaborate--another super powerful learning tool. On my Google Chrome Desktop you will see some of the education apps I'm referring to:

For example, Google Docs, Prezi, Aviary, Lovely Charts, and Diigo. There are hundreds more, like Angry Birds! To get a feel for what I'm talking about here, browse the Chrome Web Store here. But, don't be confused, Chromebooks operate on the web and are never limited to what you can add in an app store.

...

Of course, Apple has an education web store too, but unlimited, flexible, ever-evolving true creation tools like Prezi.com and Google Docs are missing in the very genes of the Apple device. Also missing is the ability to seamlessly and easily collaborate using that device. The fact is, Apple can't compete for the creation of an educational revolution. The Chromebook can, and it stands to be a true game-changer.

...

If you or your school needs more information, feel free to contact me or come see us at the Region 6 Education Service Center where we're making sure we're ready to help you before, during, and after your decision about what device to choose. We'll be there to make sure your students and teachers get the most out of whatever hardware and software is available to them. If you're reading this shortly after publication, don't miss our Google Leadership Academy November 8th where we'll be featuring Chromebooks and Google Apps.

Honey Badger Wants YOU to Use Google Collections

2011-09-15T10:08:00.002-05:00

It has come to my attention that people (no, I’m clearly not talking about you, but SOME people) are still routinely sending out large numbers of email attachments. In doing this, said people are clogging up in-boxes everywhere, causing users to waste valuable seconds downloading, and generally making of themselves huge menaces to society. Notify your friends, bosses, underlings, and relatives immediately: It’s time to STOP the madness. Only YOU can prevent email attachments, especially excessive ones, and you can do this using Google Collections. Here’s how . . . . First, get yourself a Google account. Seriously, if you don’t already have one, I’m a little worried about you. It’s time. It won’t hurt a bit and it’s free.

Second, sign in to Gmail, or wherever, and look toward the top for the word “Documents.”

If you want this process to be as easy as it possibly can, then use Google Chrome. You can get it here. If you like your life to be difficult so that you feel challenged, keep using Internet Explorer 8; it invokes the feeling daily that the Internet could be so much MORE. For the rest of you who are now using Chrome, you’ll be able to use the option in your Google Docs account to upload a whole FOLDER of files that once upon a time you would have made a jerk out of yourself by attaching.

If you prefer to WATCH rather than READ the steps presented below, check out this screencast by clicking the thumbnail to the right.

Now, upload your massive folder full of attachments, or if you’re an IE8er, upload them one by one, then keep reading the “one by one-er” section below, or if the documents in question are already in your Google Docs account but are just not in a collection, you must also keep reading. Do not try to skip ahead or bad things will probably happen to you soon, like you’ll end up with no friends because you sent out more email attachments.

One-by-One-ers (or, How to Make a Collection):
If you’ve uploaded your massive attachments one-by-one, it’s time to create your Google Collection. Click Create New>Collection, type a name, hit enter or whatever looks reasonable. Now, drag and drop your files into that new folder type thing that has appeared over on the left.

You might have to click back on “All items” (top left) to see your files again since you’re now IN the collection you created, which is empty. (If you’d done what I said before and downloaded Google Chrome, this whole process would be a lot easier, but noooooo.) Anyway, get to dragging and dropping those files over.

Everyone together now: let’s click on the collection we just created and see the files within. Violà! Last step, then we’re home free, beloved by all, no longer pariahs of our respective social groups, AND, all our friends, family, and co-workers have all the attachments they need.

Share the Collection:
Right click on the aforementioned collection, and then left click on “Share.”

If you’re one of those difficult types, you might want to change the “Who has access” settings to refine a bit. You’ll find those fairly straightforward.

If you want folks to be able to edit the attachments you’re providing, click “Change” then tick off “Allow anyone to edit (no sign in required).” You might be afraid that Joe Schmo will be in there editing your files if you do that, but seriously, how will Joe figure out this web address to type it in?

My philosophy is that if Joe can type in that bad boy, I’d be honored for him to work on my documents. Anyone else who wants to play will have to wait on the attachment-less email.
Copy that link, the big one that Joe will never be able to type. Just click it, then hold down CTRL and press C on your keyboard, or left click it, right click it and click Copy if you’re the difficult type. Either way, get it onto your computer’s magic clipboard.

Now, open up that email with which you were about to ruin your life and PASTE IN THE LINK. (Hear angels singing, harps playing, and see the heavens open above.) Now, pretend to be your recipients. Click the link, open it up, enjoy the majesty of lots of files being shared with NO ATTACHMENTS. Everyone has them now; they may even be able to edit them, and nobody got hurt. Here’s an example if you want to see what it will look like to others. I’m sharing this Google Collection with you for only $19.95! But wait, there’s more! It’s FREE for a limited time only!!

You can also use Google Collections to share files with your students. You can put that long “Joe can’t type it link” onto your website so kids can click it, or you cold use http://goo.gl to shorted that bad boy so even Aunt Thelma could type it in. Like this: http://goo.gl/oMkRJ

If you’re a Randall fan, then you know that Honey Badger don’t care about much, but as you can see by the poster, he DOES care about excessive email attachments. (Disclaimer, if you are at all easily offended, do not use this link to investigate Randall’s cleverly narrated videos.)
*
Aren’t you glad you saved your reputation by reading this article? Man, I am, and SO IS Honey Badger.

Mind the Gap: A Message for Generation X Teachers of Millennial Students

2011-06-29T10:03:00.004-05:00

As I did the research for a recent presentation, I noticed that employers everywhere are writing and thinking about the generation gap and how that is affecting employees and productivity. It’s another way to look at our changing demographics as our employees, err, students get stranger and stranger to us. Hopefully my research can help you go, "Oh."

Find out how Millennial you are here

	Gen Xers	Millennials
	Born 1965-1980	Born 1980-2000
	Other name: MTV Generation	Other names: Gen-Y- Gen Next
	Shaped by: dot com boom, end of the Cold War, the AIDS epidemic, the War on Drugs, Challenger explosion, job uncertainty, latchkey kids	The “Babies on Board”, raised in the most child-centric time in history, everybody wins
	Perceptions: Savvy entrepreneurs who are self-reliant	Perceptions: Confident, connected, open to change (Pew Foundation)
	Pessimistic	Optimistic
	Accept diversity	Celebrate diversity
	Distrust Leadership	Leaders irrelevant
	Distrust Institutions	Institutions irrelevant
	Reject Rules	Rewrite Rules
	Ambitious	Quality of life more important than money
	Use technology and multitask	Technology is a part of life; multitask faster
	Loners	Team-players
	Expect to be left alone to work at school	Expect structure and teams at school
	Want the teacher to leave them alone	Want a relationship with the teacher
	Email (and Facebook and Twitter)	Facebook/Twitter (or other “activity streams”)
		Want work to be part of a higher purpose
		Not religious
		Liberal
		Zero tolerance for delays

QR Code Mania Hits Education

2011-06-19T15:35:00.008-05:00

If you're not sure what a QR Code is, check out this helpful YouTube Video, then I hope you’ll view this very short video showing how to make QR codes and a couple of things to do with them related to education.
QR Codes are everywhere I look lately; and every educator I meet wants to talk about them and their educational applications. Here are some great ideas developed by a Conroe ISD team of teachers and administrators:

Open House: Gets parents to forms they need to fill out by making QR code links to Google forms. Also, use QR codes to share teacher contact information. When parents scan, they capture the teacher’s data, web address, etc. and have it in their phone’s history.
Direct students to anchor activities or to differentiated assignments based on code. QR codes let us keep assignments private. Teachers can color code QR codes so that students do not know what other students’ assignments are.
Make paper (or other) materials interactive using QR Codes. Example: tape/glue QR codes in books, on posters, etc. with links to get more content/videos, etc. Example: Studying Benjamin Franklin, scan this QR code for a video link. Can this code to participate in a poll about this topic (link to a Poll Everywhere that can be accessed on a mobile device).

Here is a link to an editable Google Doc with all our best links and greatest ideas about how to use QR codes in education. Please feel free to add to the document if you feel so inclined.

I used QR codes pretty extensively in this Prezi for a writer’s institute workshop recently. I think I’m g

oing to embed them in each presentation I do. People seem to really love the interactivity this sort of thing provides.

Sources you shouldn’t miss:
Cool Cat Teacher’s Guide to QR Codes
Google Presentation: 40 Interesting Ways to use QR Codes in the Classroom

A few good QR Code Creators:

http://goo.gl/ See how to use it in the video
http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/ Watch the times it adds to meetings though; we haven’t been able to make them come out right so far. Otherwise, great tool!
http://www.qrstuff.com/ Makes colored QR Codes

How can students read them? We can collect "old" iPhones, ask for iPod Touches with Cameras at Donorschoose.org, ask parents to buy students smart phones for educational use. Beg. Borrow. Don't steal though. That's still wrong :-) But at least if it's in the name of getting your kids a good education, the jury will probably go easy on you. You can also read QR codes with a webcam using this software. Remember: We humans are social animals and we work and learn better in groups, so there's no need to have one device per student. Don't believe me? Listen to this TED Talk and see how powerful learning in groups can be even without a teacher!

Hey, if you're still reading, you're my friend. Awww. Thanks! That means you might care that I created my SpeakerSite recently. Check it out! Did you know that Ryan Carmichael and I recently started our new company FriedDesigns? No you didn't! Check out the beginnings of our site! and let us know if you need any designs.

What Do Instructional Technology People Do, Anyway?

2011-05-27T15:26:00.006-05:00

In light of impending budget cuts, administrators are asking themselves, "What do my Instructional Technology People Do, Anyway? Do I really NEED them?" and because they often don't know, and perhaps some of them don't ask us, critical positions are eliminated, leaving those instructional folks to wonder in turn, "Who's going to DO all the stuff I DO now?" A few of my colleagues and I have worked on a list of some of what we "DO." Feel free to add to the list here. My hope is that this list will help some Instructional Technology person out there, say, "Hey, THIS is what I do!" And maybe someone will even think, "Man, we need many MORE people who can DO what these folks DO." If this list ends up helping you, please email me or comment on this post.

If you would like to see a generic job description for an Instructional Technology Coordinator, take a look here. If you would like to send me your job description, please do. I'd be glad to link to it. Here a few examples I found by Google-ing.

Iredell-Statesville Schools

Irving I.S.D.

ATS edTech Ning

Sony eReaders: Reading Fried?

2011-05-10T07:15:00.007-05:00

Like many other school districts, we have been searching for a way to address the eBook issue. Do we go Nook? Sony? Kindle? iPad? What factors do we use to make the decision? What are the long-term implications of the hardware purchase? Are we cutting ourselves out of this market or that by choosing one piece of hardware over another? Then, how do we even make the purchases of books considering our accounting practices which make it either difficult or impossible to follow the rules for some vendors who won't let us purchase books using purchase orders (Nook, Barnes & Noble). Early this year, Mr. Rios-Silva volunteered to take on a pilot of the Reader by Sony and provide us feedback from his 6th grade bilingual classroom, and that he did. I hope his report is as educational for you as it was for me. Thank you, Mr. Rios-Silva, for allowing me to publish your work.

Report on the implementation of the Sony E-readers as a teaching device used in the classroom

Raul A. Rios-Silva

LA/SS Bilingual Teacher (6th Grade)

Grangerland Intermediate School

April 30, 2011

The purpose of this document is to provide a detailed account of my experience using Sony e-readers (electronic books) during the past school year.
Background
I received eight Sony e-reader devices from Conroe ISD, via a grant, for use in my classroom based on a document I presented at the beginning of the school year. In it I expressed my plans to use the equipment as yet another way to motivate my students to read more. Current generations are very technologically oriented, and this, together with several of the advantages of the devices, seemed like an excellent opportunity to test the effectiveness of this new media format. I received the devices on November of 2010, however I did not incorporate its use in my classroom until January 2011, since I first had to test them, learn how to use them myself, charge them, and load books in each of them.
Pros and Cons
Based on my observations, I have created the following list of pros and cons of the devices in the classroom.
Pros

Students were very interested since the beginning, and to this day continue to be very interested in being selected for this test. They are always looking forward to using them.

There are thousands of e-books available on line.

The devices have batteries that last about two weeks if used on a daily basis. I used them up to two times daily for 20-30 minutes each time, and the batteries seemed to last perfectly for two weeks.

I have noticed that since the text is presented in relatively small “pages”, students tend to read more, I suspect because they do not feel overwhelmed by very long pages.

The font can be presented in 3 sizes, and students customize it to their preference. I have noticed that most of my students prefer the medium or large font sizes.

The text can be presented vertically or horizontally.

Students feel special when using the devices.

It is possible to scan or print documents to a PDF to be loaded to the devices, however if you scan letter size documents, the font appears very small and is very hard to read. I have tested loading tweentribune.com articles, but again, the font appears so small that it has been hard to read, plus it appears with webpage advertisements. Perhaps there is a better way to do it than the one I have used, and I will research this further. However, I do not know if scanning these or other documents to use in the devices would violate copyright laws.

Cons

Charging the devices requires connecting them to a PC. In this case I need to use several Pcs or use additional USB hubs (powered) to connect several at a time. This is complicated to do at school, since I do not like leaving the devices unattended while I exit my classroom. It takes about four to five hours to fully charge the devices, and they are not usable while they are charging. In addition, only one of the devices is recognized by the Sony software at a time, therefore transfer of e-books can be done only one at a time. In other words, the more devices one has, the more labor intensive the process becomes.

The books available for free are classics and generally very old titles which have been scanned from original books published many years ago. I have noticed that there are some scanning mistakes, as the OCR software probably did not recognized some of the characters, however these are few, and therefore not significant. More significant is the fact that the students have expressed their desire to read more current books, however these cost approximately $10 per volume.

There is apparently a way to check out e-books from certain public libraries, but I have not yet explored this option.

Students have been a little disappointed by the fact that the devices do not have touch sensitive screens. The devices have 10 buttons to control menu functions and to skip to specific pages, and other buttons to go to home menu, and page forward, and backward.

Students have expressed that they are a bit disappointed by the fact that the screens are only black and white and not full color, however they like to use them.

Due to the size of the screens and the fact that the books that I have obtained are very old editions that were scanned, the images are very hard to see, as you can only see a segment at a time. This is not the case with newer issues that were specifically designed for the device.

Since I use the devices in small group, it would be ideal to have leveled stories to use with my groups. Since this is not the case, I have used them with my 60 DRA students only to read books that correspond to the stories in our Literature textbook.

Conclusion
In spite of the fact that it was difficult to get started using the devices and of the cons mentioned above, I believe the test has been a success because of the fact that the objective of having a new medium to encourage students to read more has been achieved in my classroom.

Before acquiring more of the devices, I would advice that some of the issues mentioned above be addressed, in particular the acquisition of books that can be used in small group (like book sets), more current titles that can be of more interest to the students, and the simplification of some of the technical issues (charging, loading books, etc. of multiple devices at a time).

I am committed to continue finding ways to improve the implementation of this new medium in my classroom, and I plan to research further during the break to make a better use of them during the next school year. I will be happy to answer any question and I will be very appreciative of receiving any comment regarding this report.

Infographics are Like Graphs only FRIED

2011-05-02T08:26:00.005-05:00

Update: Check out How the Internet is Revolutionizing Education

Data visualization is an important learning tool today, and what’s better, it’s engaging for students, brings lots of important topics together, and will be fun to teach. Check out this video from Hans Rosling to get a 4 minute glimpse of the power of visualizations for learning.

While the video shows a sophisticated use of a video visualization, the core of the data is displayed in an Infographic: “These graphics are used where complex information needs to be explained quickly and clearly . . . " (Wikipedia). And they are HOT HOT HOT. Check out some of these visually stunning examples from “Design You Trust” and then for a simpler example, check out the Energy Star Graphic below:

We see infographics ALL THE TIME. They’ve taken the place of the static visually underwhelming graphs we’ve been using and teaching for years.

Be honest. Which one do you want to study or create:

Infographic above from this site

Yeah, me too!

So how can we get students busy mashing up mathematics, design, and art in a meaningful way? Well, first you have to have a purpose. Use issues that hit close to home for kids, for example:

How many people in my community live in poverty versus wealth?
What is the nutritional content of the food served in my cafeteria?
What is going on in my school library? How many books are checked out? What percentage of the student population uses the library, etc.
What are the hot jobs predicted to be when I graduate from college?
How often is that villain used? Check out this creative use of an infographic to explore villain appearances in the Doctor Who series.

All of these topics pertinent to teens could be turned into interesting infographics, but where is the free software to make these projects happen? I was hoping you’d ask! Here are some tools to get you started. My list began with this post. Here’s a compiled list of the free sites listed:

Many Eyes: View then create your own stunning visualizations. I put this IBM tool first because you might want to stop here and stay.
Google Public Data Explorer: Even if you’re going to use Many Eyes to create, show this tool to your students and watch some of the graphics to understand the stories they tell.
Statplanet: A “browser-based interactive data visualization and mapping application. Use it to easily and rapidly create visualizations from simple Flash maps to advanced infographics.”
Hohli: Online Charts Builder that could get your base data in order before you spice it up in Glogster, Wix, or some other publishing program.
Creately: Collaborative diagramming with templates
Tableau Public: Unlike most software I recommend, this one requires a download. However, it looks so cool and powerful, I thought I’d list it anyway. The video on the home page is worth watching. Allows web publishing after the graphic is created. Check out their examples.
Strip Generator and Wordle are worth mentioning even if to add another graphic element to a full Infographical display like this.

If you decide to use an infographics assignment in your classroom, please let me know. I’d love to hear how it goes! Check out Daily Infographic for even more inspiration.

What is Web 3.0?: The Internet FRIED

2011-04-26T20:35:00.005-05:00

First, here are Some Expert's Takes on Web 3.0:

No one knows for sure yet, but Eric Schmidt (Google Inc) says . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0QJmmdw3b0

Web 3.0 applications will be pieced together, small, fast, customizable, with data in the cloud, applications will run on any device, and are distributed virally (social networks, email).

(Eh, doesn't mean much to the rest of us . . . keep reading.)

Semantic Technology Supported by STI International Thinks They Know . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=off08As3siM

As the Internet grows faster and faster, it moves to mobile devices and intelligent devices (refrigerators for example). Current Internet data is unstructured and cannot be linked/found/accessed. Now, we have millions of webs; the future web is ONE web. The new Internet will be normalized so that all electronic devices can access appropriate information. User generated content will continue to be a driving force. Semantic technologies (real language) will support the transition. Everything, everywhere, always; the future Internet will be mobile, ubiquitous, and pervasive. Redundant information will no longer be necessary.

The new Internet will be: Reliable, secure, scalable, interoperable, consistent, pervasive, efficient, coherent.

(Still lots of high verbiage . . . keep reading.)

Evolution Web 1.0, Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 Tells Us . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsNcjya56v8

Amazon example: Here’s what other people who liked what you like purchased
Pandora/Last.fm: If you like these songs, then you will probably also like these songs, but we’ll learn from your answers if you don’t.

You change the Internet as you use it; it customizes to you each time you interact with it.

The web will become more present but less visible, no need for a big separate computer, but the web will be invisibly present in your refrigerator, washing machine, car, etc. all of which will communicate with each other to meet your individual needs.

The Fried Take On Web 3.0:

Here's an example: you take milk out of the refrigerator, and your fridge knows the milk is missing. If you put it back, no need to order more, but if it’s out for two hours, the device may order more milk and have it delivered. However, if you are on vacation, and this event is on your calendar, all your devices will know this and could go into low power mode and of course, not order the milk you would need if you were home, but instead get it just in time for your return.

OnStar is already providing services like this through user’s vehicles. My coworker Hilda Flores's car recently told her to shop for lower auto insurance because she doesn’t drive very much. After all, they know EXACTLY how much she does or does not drive. They also send her updates every month with her tire pressure, etc.

Another thing that I think will happen is that the web will customize to you. Facebook is a good example of a site being completely customized for you. Imagine what FB would be like if you had to read through all the content there to find your friends. NO FUN. Instead, you constantly change what information YOU want to see and the information you REALLY want to see comes right to you as a text message or notification. The future Internet will be your Internet.

Recipe for Education . . . Fried with Technology

2011-04-25T07:43:00.003-05:00

3 c. problem, question, or project
2 c. technology access (1 to 1 ratio NOT required)
1 c. collaboration with peers
1 c. presentation or publication
½ c. peer evaluation
¼ c. document/guides/stuff I’m giving you
¼ c. community involvement
½ T. teacher guidance

NOBODY likes to read theory . . . well, except maybe me, once in a while, but YOU probably don’t, so I’m going to tell you a story about Project/Problem/Inquiry based learning type stuff first, and then we’ll talk about theory. I’ll tell you when we get to that part in case you want to stop reading.

Waaay back in 2000 I was teaching lots of truly apathetic sophomores (10th graders, 16 year olds for you foreign folks), and I knew I wasn’t getting my job done. Many of them were failing, nothing I said to them mattered, they didn’t care about their work or grades at all, and I didn’t know how to motivate them to care. I tried to think about what motivated me to care about my work, and I decided it was the incredible weight of the responsibility on my shoulders, the feeling of letting my team/school down by not holding up my portion, and stuff like that. I figured I would try to turn the classroom into a place of business instead of a classroom and see what happened. I thought of it like this, I’m the boss of these apathetic people whom I can’t fire. They are my employees, and each of them has responsibilities. Let me divide them into teams, put them in positions, give them tons of responsibilities, then see what happens. After all, what I’m doing right now is completely ineffective, is killing me, and isn’t benefiting them at ALL.

I did that, and I stopped answering every little question. AND EVERYTHING (seriously, EVERYthing) changed. I called it Panthera Inc. (we were the Panthers), I gave everyone a team and job, I gave them an assignment that had to do with our regular curriculum, and I stepped back. Within a week, there was a firing. That’s right, Donald Trump style, a team decided to fire one of their associates and said nothing to me about it. Remember, these were the people who didn’t care at ALL about their school work, and suddenly someone wasn’t pulling her weight and had to go! I went over to listen, and the conversation went something like this:
TEAM: “We told you that you were going to have to do your part or we weren’t going to work with you anymore. You didn’t do it, now you’re fired and you’ll have to do the whole thing yourself.”
LAZY STUDENT: “But I WILL do it now. I promise!”
TEAM: “No, it’s too late.”

I took Lazy Student aside and talked to her about what she had done (or not done in this case). I counseled her to do the work the team needed alone for a couple of days, then go to them, ask for her position back, and show them what she had done. She did this, then begged forgiveness, and they let her back . . . after two or three days.

This Panthera Project occurred during my second year of teaching, and I used the concept (though I dropped the name and business connections) for the rest of my teaching career, and I still use it today when I provide staff development. One of the key components was the “Question Slip.” I wish I could remember the speaker’s name who gave me the idea, but it’s long gone. Here’s how it works: If the team has a question of the expert (teacher), it uses one of its Question Slips to ask the question. The teacher can give out several at the beginning of the project or one every day or whatever seems appropriate. The team has to confer to decide whether to use the slip. They all sign and bring the slip to the teacher who then helps them as appropriate. This is the theory of how it works. The reality is that they were so loath to turn over the slips that I rarely got one back. What was really beautiful was that I required them for everything. “Ms. Mayer, can I go to the bathroom?” Ms. Mayer holds out hand for slip, student returns to team and says, “Y'all, I need to go to the bathroom, sign this so I can ask her.” Team: “What the heck? You should have gone to the bathroom before class started. I’m not signing that for you. You’ll just have to pee on yourself or hold it!” Hey, I didn’t say it, THEY did.

There’s a lot more to project based learning than what I have described here, but I wanted to share the most dramatic aspects of it so that you would give it a try. I’ve provided the original documents I created for this project here for your use.

Yeah, I said I was going to talk about theory, so here you go:

Common Craft Video: Project Based Learning Explained (From the makers of all those little paper cut out videos. Easy to understand, powerful message.)
Buck Institute for Education (Extensive site about PBL. Includes material and project downloads)
Wikipedia article about Project Based Learning (Has a bunch of warnings at the top but is really very informative)

The rest of the ingredients explained:

3 c. problem, question, or project	Example: it’s Shakespeare time in 11th grade English. Each team has a topic to cover and Bloom’s Taxonomy to help them level their topic to get the best grade. The food team cooks authentic food, divides the class into poor folk, rich folk, and the queen (that was me), and we all get to eat ONLY the fare designated for us. Only the queen can eat anything she wants. WOW! This is a real project the kids came up with.
2 c. technology access	Every student doesn’t have to have a computer to make any of this happen, but computer access is a must. Teams have to be able to access computers/smart phones/information on their own to get these projects done independently and to create the presentations they need to show others what they’ve done.
1 c. collaboration with peers ½ c. peer evaluation	Collaboration with peers is essential but group grading is terrible practice and motivates people exactly like communism (which is not at all). Use a form like this instead. The teacher always grades the assignments not the students. The students grade each other and award a percentage of the teacher’s grade. If Sally does 100% of what she’s supposed to do for the team, she’s eligible for 100% of the grade the teacher gives. If the teacher gives the project a 92, Sally gets a 92 (100% of 92=92). Jack, who’s on the same team with Sally, is eligible instead for 80% of the grade because his team mates say he didn’t pull his full weight. He only makes a 74 on the same project (80% of 92=73.6).
1 c. presentation or publication ¼ c. community involvement	People work harder and better when there’s an audience and a product. Invite administrators (local and central office), parents, and peers to watch them present big projects. This strategy works for teachers too. If you want people to be interested in their work, create an audience for them and tell them right up front they’ll be there watching at the end. If you can find a real-world application that satisfies your need, bring the real world in. For example, when my seniors did technical writing, we created the website for the local Lion’s Club, and they paid us. We bought all our classroom supplies with that money.
¼ c. document/guides/stuff I’m giving you	I made a bunch of documents that turned out to be unnecessary. All of the day to day student evaluation stuff didn’t have to be there, but you’ve got access to all of it just in case something works for you.
½ T. teacher guidance	This is really the least important part. I used to take over the students’ learning by doing too much myself. It wasn’t actually as nice of me as it felt when I was doing all that work. The person who does the work gets the learning. In the immortal words of Pink Floyd: “Hey! Teacher! Leave them kids alone!”

Cell Phones for Learning. It's like Education . . . Fried

2011-02-24T07:37:00.009-06:00

You probably already know that cell phones for learning are a HOT topic in education right now. After all, this year, cell phone sales are expected to surpass computer sales in the U.S. And with technology funding in question, who couldn't use more "parent financed devices" to augment current resources? Marc Prensky states movingly in his article "What Can You Learn from a Cell Phone, " that being short sighted on the possibilities for using cell phones educational leaves our students behind:

. . . [A]s U.S. educators are busy banning cell phones in schools, millions of students in China and Japan, the Philippines, and Germany are using their mobile phones (respectively), to learn English; to study math, health and spelling; and to access live and archived university lectures.

It's time to help your students get started using their "other brain" aka "the computer in the pocket" to learn:

-See the video at StudyBoost.com web based study tool that can be used with instant messaging or text messaging.
-Twitter, which we discussed in this entry (you did read that, didn't you?) is an AMAZING tool for learning and can be used via any cell phone with SMS (text messaging).
-Wiffiti: Live backchannel for the classroom can show teachers what students do or don't understand, gather student opinions, provide a platform for questions, answers, or discussions. -Qik.com Lets you record and share video live from your mobile phone Share experiment results in science, your dramatized report on Shakespeare, or explain how you did your math homework. The possibilities are endless.
-Posterous.com The easiest way to post and share anything. Blog from your cell phone anywhere by using email to post. Endless instructional uses!
-Record Audio for soundtracks, to explain, or to show what you know, and practice using that language you're learning using -SayNow .com.
-Leave yourself homework reminders, make study plans, or take notes using -Jott.com. -Evernote.com strives to help you "remember everything," "capture anything," "access [things] anywhere," and "find things fast." What's not to love for education?
-Have kids take pictures of shapes, angles, or any sort of data they need to collect to study. Work in teams so each kid doesn't have to have a phone with a camera.

Sources:

-http://cellphonesinlearning.wikispaces.com/ Provides a long list of functions (Digital
-Storytelling, Data Access, Surveys) and tools for cell phone use in the classroom: http://teachdigital.pbworks.com/w/page/19791019/cellphones
-Fifty Ideas for using cell phones
-"Dumb" Phones, Smart Lessons: Schools Answer Student Calls for Mobile Computer (see how even "dumb" phones can be used to help students get smarter) -http://thinkingmachine.pbworks.com/w/page/22187713/Think-Mobile-Phones-for-Learning
-A couple of really neat ideas for cell phones in math classes here.
-Vanderbilt Library's list of tools and ideas for instructional cell phone use.

Additional Tools/Articles added 5/23/2011

This New York Times article tells some stories that show how powerfully back channels can work in classrooms.
Today’s Meet makes it easy to set up a backchannel for your classroom topic.

Prediction: Safe, Facebook-like Online Tools Will Make You the Most Popular Teacher Around

2011-02-16T07:35:00.005-06:00

(As usual, all tools recommended below are completely FREE!)

Edmodo is like Facebook but features a COMPLETELY closed environment so that students can collaborate with their classmates and teacher online. This is how it works: The teacher creates an account and receives a code, students go to Edmodo.com and click "I'm a Student," then put in the code given to them by the teacher, and voilà, everyone is together in the environment.

You can also invite parents in, but they can ONLY see things published to them and can never see any student's work or grades but their own. Learn all about that feature here.

See this nifty Cheat Sheet for Edmodo for which I can take no credit. I found it using Twitter, and it came from Lamar CISD near me in Texas via the Texas Computer Education Association conference in Austin last week.

If you want to participate in a group, log in as a student in my class using this code: 1r95dz
More things like Facebook to make you wildly popular with kids: Picture using these for little kids to learn about social networking or for kids of any age creating profiles for historical or literary figures. After all, you never really know Romeo until you decide what his favorite song is.

Google Docs "Fake Book" template for which I can also take no credit. The original ppt was recommended to me by my friend Daliene Hendon. I uploaded it to my Google Docs and published it as a template. Thanks a bunch to whoever originally created it. I'd be glad to give you credit if you'll comment back to this post!
My Fake Wall, a website that is meant for creating fake Facebook-like walls. See this one for Cinderella.

Twitter Makes Right Now Events Come Alive in the Classroom

2011-02-03T07:53:00.009-06:00

The most memorable part of the evening news about the protests (revolution?) in Egypt yesterday was a tweet from a peaceful protester caught in a crowd of "Mubarek thugs." She said, "oh my God, oh my God, we are in Tahrir Square, they are killing us. The thugs have killed us."

It is one thing hearing this hours after it happened on the evening news; it is quite another thing reading it seconds after it was posted by a real person in the thick of events. It's chilling and riveting, actually, and an amazing opportunity for students to learn about world events first-hand, right NOW, real-time. So how can you make this happen in your classroom? Here's the simplest way to get started . . .

1. Go to http://search.twitter.com and type in a search term. For example, Egypt, then look for "hashtag" terms among the Tweets. Hashtags (words preceded by #) are used to help you find and follow topics. In this example, we'll find "#Tahrir," that's where all the action is happening right now. Now we have two search terms. Let's search at the top of our Egypt page for #Egypt #Tahrir. Now we're seeing a live feed of posts with both these terms.

The great thing is that that's it. You're done! You've used Twitter to view a world event in progress. If you want to take it to the next level, read on!

2. For an even better view, use a Twitter tool, like TweetDeck. With software like this, you'll get an impressive view on all your terms that's great for displaying on the projector in your classroom as students work. Here's a screencast showing how to get started with TweetDeck (add columns, delete columns, control notifications).

3. As your knowledge of Twitter grows, imagine using this tool with your own hashtags, like #MsMayersClass. Students can Tweet in comments, questions, answers, or anything at all they're too shy to say face to face. Does this take a leap of faith, yes it does, but the teacher who will try letting students have a say stand to gain so much more than they stand to lose.

Additional Links:

This New York Times article tells some stories that show how powerfully back channels can work in classrooms. Today’s Meet makes it easy to set up a backchannel for your classroom topic.

How to Connect your School Facebook Page to your School Twitter Feed

2011-01-11T14:59:00.020-06:00

If your school or organization has joined the 21st Century (which, BTW is 10% OVER) and is ready to Tweet and Facebook those school plays, sporting events, or even emergency updates, it's important that your organizational pages be separate from your personal pages, able to be updated by several folks, and easy to keep current. Taking into consideration all those needs, I recommend that your organization set up . . .

1. A Facebook Page for your district, school, or organization.
Example

How to

Get Started

Then allow several reliable, Facebook savvy people to update said page. (See "How to add admins to my page" at the "How to" link above.)

2. A Twitter feed, ESPECIALLY if Facebook is blocked within your district's network.

Example

How to

Get Started

Next, I'd encourage you to tie the two accounts together, again, ESPECIALLY if Facebook is blocked inside your organization's network as it is in mine. If Twitter is unblocked, you can post to both accounts through Twitter even if you can't see the Facebook account. OR, you can update from any phone (even a "dumb" phone). Either way, keeping both sources updated for your viewers will be a snap.

On a computer where you can access both accounts, navigate to your Facebook page. From your personal page, click "Account," then select "Manage Pages" from the drop down list, then select your Facebook page:

Open up a new tab or window and log into your organization's Twitter account. (This is important because you want to be able to tie your organization's page to your organization's Twitter without affecting your personal Facebook or Twitter.)

Next, return to your Facebook tab and search for "Twitter" in the search box at the top. Choose the real Twitter API (it should be the first one in the list):

Examine the next box closely before you click anything. Look for this element circled in red:

It's important to check out that account name so that you make sure you are tying your organization's Twitter to your organization's Facebook page and not your personal Twitter. Once you're sure that's the case, click "Allow."

Finally, select your App permissions. Check only your organization's Twitter name at the bottom of the screen.

Now, test it out. Go to your Twitter account, post an update, then check your org's Facebook page. Yea! You just Tweeted and Facebooked simultaneously. Go you!

Limited Google Docs Editing on Mobile Devices

2010-11-19T07:37:00.004-06:00

Google recently made this announcement:

Mobile browser editing, editing on the iPad, and more new features now in Google Docs

Released on 11/17/2010

The following new features are now available in Google Docs:

Mobile editing: Log in to your Google Docs on a browser on a supported device, and select the document you want to edit. Then, when you’re viewing it, press the ‘Edit’ button to switch to the mobile editor. If you use an Android device with voice input, you can also use this to add text to your document.

-----------------

I tried it and this is what I found: it WORKS on the iPad, iPhone, and Droid OS phone (in my case, HTC Aria) . . .

I could not edit a document created before the update.

I could edit a document made today, but with no tools. This is what I mean by tools:

I could make a new document and type, JUST TYPE, again, no editing tools.

Spreadsheets of any vintage could be edited.

This is a great improvement and really shows they're working on it, which is what the Google folks I talked to in Austin a few weeks ago said. Seems like full Google Doc creation may be coming soon on mobile devices! (What a revolution.)

I look forward to taking notes right in Google Docs when I'm not at my computer. I'll have to edit when I get back to my desk, but what's new? At least I won't have to email myself the file from my iPad!

I don't yet see how to do voice entry to a Google Doc on my Droid OS phone. If anyone sees how to do that, please comment back and let me know.

Why Wix is Wonderful

2010-11-09T09:21:00.001-06:00

Of all the latest and greatest tools I know about, Wix is the most Wonderful of all, but due to the look and feel of the front page of the site, you might be one of the millions of educators missing the magic. (Okay, okay, I'll try to knock off the alliteration now.)

So Why is Wix so Wonderful (sorry, couldn't resist one more)? Here's why!

Wix is a flash web page builder that lets students, teachers, or anyone at all, build an infinite variety of web sites, pages, or widgets. Here's an example:

Free website - Powered By Wix.com
Wix does NOT require email confirmation. Let's say your students don't have email addresses, but your staff email addresses are jsmith@mydistrict.edu, use this same format for your students even though they cannot actually receive email at that address. HOWEVER, if students lose their password, there will be no way to retrieve it. For younger kids, consider setting up the accounts yourself and writing usernames and passwords on cards.

Since Wix lets you do anything you can imagine and easily, try using technology in unexpected ways. For example, if your students are studying magnets, have them pop in a picture of a magnet then show which items would and would not be attracted by its force, for example:

Free website - Powered By Wix.com
Really the options are endless. Jessica Powell, teacher at Moorhead Junior High, uses Wix to have her students create Facebook/MySpace type profile pages for characters in books. WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!! Honestly, there are just too many great ideas to list because the options are ENDLESS.

Do you have a teacher web page? Use the embed code from Wix to build something truly spectacular. Here's a recent site I built for a conference at which I'll be presenting. Super fun.

Glogster was good, but Wix is Wonderful. Think of all your great Glogster projects but without freezing and failing to save. YES!

So what's the Wix interface like? Take a brief peek below at what it looks like to start with a BLANK WEBSITE (which I highly recommend), and remember, this only scratches the surface.

And as you know, there's always something extra for those of you with the fortitude to keep reading. IMAGINE THIS: Wix and Google Sites combined. WOW! Think what you could do with a lil' Wix on your Site's home page, a Google Group linked in the sidebar! MMMMMM! That's some great Fried Technology.What is a Google Site?How do I use a Google Site for Education?What is a Google Group? (words)How do I use a Google Group for Education? (video)
If you're from Wix, and you're STILL reading this post, then pat yourself on the back some more. Right after you get finished doing that though, please add some collaborative elements into your fab tool. We'd like to be able to share sites with each other so that we're not working all alone. Check out what Prezi has done with it's collaborative addition of late if you want an awesome example. Keep Wixing, Wix. We love you.XGHVK6HWBKUQ

Update #2: Document Camera Under $100, now even spiffier!

2010-09-03T15:08:00.000-05:00

NEW! Awesome directions for exactly how to build this document camera, aka "bootleg Elmo" from Chris "C. J." Thompson, Associate Director Rice University Elementary Model Science Lab (see his blog here). Thanks so much, C.J. for your skills, time and effort to promote this project.

Awesome technology guru Brian Bisbee of Conroe ISD fame also wrote this handy script you can use to open your document camera full screen with VLC media player. You'll see a neat camera icon on your desktop after you install all the other software and with it, you'll automatically get a full-screen view with VLC media player.

If you've been following us, then you know that we implemented a document camera made from a web cam many months ago. Fortunately for us (and for you), the project has exceeded everyone's expectations! We have teachers and students all over our huge school district Skyping, recording lessons, and seeing stuff they could never see before! Want one for yourself? It's easier than ever. in September, after our friend Paul Lindsay send us photos (see above) of a camera zip tied to a flexible desktop mic stand, we stopped making stands from PVC, which was cheaper, but MUCH more difficult to do, so unless you have tons of time, take our advice, and buy these parts:

Low Profile Die Cast Mic Stand: $9.99 (at press time)

Black 19" Gooseneck: $3.99 (at press time)

Logitech 9000 Web Cam: from $69.99 (at press time)

About 10 large zip ties, 100 for $9.95

And about 10 smaller zip ties, sold by the pound at Amazon for $1.99

The real trick for educational use though is having the right software. First, be sure to tell the recipients NOT TO PLUG THE CAMERA IN BEFORE INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE. Missing this step can cause the drivers to install incorrectly and important functions to be missing! Use the latest Logitech software that comes with your camera, but also install VLC Media player so that you can see that cool, glossy image FULL SCREEN. Next thing you know, you'll be on Oprah via Skpye! Or, you'll have extra energy at the end of the day because instead of repeating yourself a million, billion times a day, you'll record your lesson and put it online (for free, of course) using your new camera and drop.io.

To see what we talk about in our teacher staff development sessions, check out our notes.

If you want to buy a similar product already packaged, try the Dukane Image Pro. The gooseneck isn't as long, the base isn't as sturdy, and the price is as much as $200 (or as little as $140), but you'll avoid the logistical problems of distributing all the parts if you're in a big district like we are.

Still have questions? Post here or email friedtechnology@gmail.com.

Three Indispensable Tools for the New School Year

2010-08-13T16:29:00.003-05:00

Q: Hey Amy, if you could only use THREE Web 2.0 tools to start the school year, what would they be and why?

A: Man, that's a tough question, fake audience, but I'll give it a try!

Tool 1: Google Docs Demo here

Reason: Google Docs provides a platform for learning any other collaborative tool and a way to understand fundamentally how collaborative documents work. Now also a part of Google Docs, real time collaboration. Seriously, it's time to try it out.

Beginning of the Year Collaborative Assignment Ideas: Have students write biographies of each other or do Q&As using a document, have them interview peers and type in data on a spreadsheet, or even easier, have them create team presentations of their biographies, summer events, or hopes and dreams for the school year and beyond.

Tool 2: Prezi, Prezi, Prezi. I can't say it enough times. Sign up for your free extended teacher/student account here.

Reason: Prezi is a non-linear presentation tool that is utterly elegant in its function and design. It requires deep thought to use, especially if you start now and have students develop their own organizational structures for their presentations throughout the year. You'll be able to see the evolution of their thinking processes.

Beginning of the Year Collaborative Assignment Ideas: Start your first unit with Prezi and then build from there. Have students create their first presentation then find a way to connect each of their other presentations throughout the year. Allow students to create a Prezi to teach their peers a part of the content for Unit 1 this school year. Bring in photos, videos, links, and those great ideas. Let them do the work AND get all the rewards that come with being invested in one's own learning.

Here's a Prezi we made with lots of Web 2.0 and free tools we love!

Be FREE 2010 on Prezi

Tool 3: Oh THANKS! You came back! How kind of you. The third tool I can't start the school year without is Voicethread. This fantastic tool lets us upload photos and videos then use our voice to talk about those objects.

Reason: Whether you pay to have a subscription for your classes or not (if you're in my school district, don't buy it! We just bought subscriptions for EVERYONE! YIPEEE!), you will have privacy settings galore and a way to bring sound, video, and pictures into your classroom. Don't underestimate the power of sound to teach. Have you heard of Educational Rap? Word to your mother. You'll see your kids rapping to themselves all the time, and it won't just be Eminem. Message: Sound is POWERFUL.

Beginning of the Year Collaborative Assignment Ideas: Have your students put pictures that represent their scholarly selves into their Voicethreads and then narrate the photos. Who are they? What are their hopes and dreams? What do they want to get out of that education of theirs? These are important questions that need to be answered as a first order of business, and if you don't agree, you can STILL use these awesome tools to get your students to show what they know. Send them out with cell phone cameras (inside school or out as your policy allows) to capture pictures of those acute angles, have them figure out why we still read Beowulf (survey campus police officers, don't know why, but they LOVE this tome), or let them photograph themselves while they perform an experiment then use their voices to narrate and explain the results.

However you use Voicethread, Prezi, or Google Docs, I guarantee your students will be more engaged and will learn MORE than if you do things the old fashioned way.

Make and Post a Podcast Online FREE using Aviary Myna and Posterus (No Download Required)

2010-06-29T15:33:00.003-05:00

This morning in a training session at Texas ASCD, the group learned how to create a podcast using Audacity (Lame Encoder) and iTunes, both downloads and great programs; however, we're of the mind that we shouldn't have to download software in order to do stuff. We want to be able to do everything online on any computer with common plugins, thus this tutorial was born. Here are the steps, then you can see them performed in the Jing (LOVE that thing called Jing!):

How to create a podcast FREE without downloading anything.

1. Open aviary.com
2. Record your voice
3. Go to posterus.com and create an account. Mine is friedtechnology.posterus.com4. Verify your email address through posterus
5. Use your email client to email your posterus, my email to posterus is post@friedtechnology.posterous.com
6. Attach your mp3 (saved to your computer from Aviary) to the email, and send away to posterus.

Congrats! You just made and published a podcast for FREE without downloading anything!

It's a Web2.0 World! Welcome!!

Tools to Remember (Webcam, remote meeting, online communication)

2010-05-26T11:14:00.007-05:00

Have a webcam? If you're in education (or technology), you MUST have a webcam. If not, get one, then try these two notable tools that can be used for FREE to communicate with up to 20 people. They are both easy to use (and free up to 20 users):
TokBox: Think of the lead in to "The Brady Bunch," and you'll get TokBox right away.

No software to download.
Easy to set up even at the last minute.
Multiple people can participate (advertised up to 20, works well with up to 6 for most users.)
Works on any computer.
Similar to ooVoo, SightSpeed, Skype (but FREE).
Record messages and send to others as links. (Use their storage space not yours.)

Wikipedia Article.Dimdim: Think GoToMeeting (FREE).

Anyone can host or attend FREE.
No software to install (host installs some sort of file, but it's minimal).
Share your webcam image. This lends itself to some attendees being local and some being remote with everyone feeling like they're "there".
Lock your room with a key that people have to know to join.
Provide a demo or drawing.
Share your screen (or a web page).
Share an audio or video file (or any file).
Record the meeting for those who can't attend (or just for your records).
Up to 20 people can attend for FREE.

Wikipedia Article.

Hey Amy, What's New?

2010-05-12T15:42:00.010-05:00

Do you know the word FREEMIUM? A FREEMIUM service is one that offers a paid version, but for most users, the FREE version is quite enough, thank you very much. This week I learned about some NEW, COOL, FREE sites and services I thought teacher people (and people people) might find useful too. Check them out!

Better Paste: Tiny program that automatically strips formatting from text when you press CTRL+V to paste. (Paste all you want into Eduphoria!)
Everything: Indexes every file on your hard drive so you can find it in a snap.
LogMeIn Express: Secure Screen Sharing with only a tiny program to download. Let's you fix Mrs. Smith's computer without going to her room.

Yammer: Create a private "Facebook" for your organization
MyBrainshark: Lets you add narration to a presentation through a phone. Upload your slides and start talking!
Wolfram Alpha: Use this amazing search tool to look up your name. Just trust me. It's super cool. Bet I can tell how old you are just by searching your name at this amazing site.
ShowMeWhatsWrong: Help someone (or get help) remotely using this easy, free, online service.
Wordnik: More than just definitions. Includes examples and a really beautiful format.
Instapaper: Bookmark all the stuff you want to read later on your phone or wherever. All the formatting will be gone, so you can see your content anywhere. You could even print it out, though we don't recommend it!
KeePass: Organizes and protects all your super secret passwords, ATM numbers, etc.
OpenDNS: Your school may have a great web filter to keep kids safe, but what about at home? This free service allows users on your home network to be protected as well.
Use Frucall on any phone to find out if the price you're looking at is legit.
Coupon Sherpa (iPhone app or website): Before making an in-store purchase, search for relevant coupons.

Google Apps for Education: HARK!

2010-05-03T08:58:00.031-05:00

HARK! You can now LISTEN to this post in a Podcast!

In March I had was honored to attend the first Google Teacher Academy for Administrators. I was a huge Google fan before the academy, but after 12 hours of Google education, I have become instead an evangelist (unpaid). If you care to read WHY I LOVE GOOGLE Apps for Education, then scroll to the bottom of this post. I'm going to assume if you're reading this post, you're looking for WHAT EXACTLY and HOW TO, so I'll give you that first. What is Google Apps for Education?: Google Docs (word processing, spreadsheets, drawing, and presentations) all online (available wherever you go)FREE and modeling all the best "stuff" we should be teaching our children--more on that later. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE. You can use the same login information your students have at school for Google Docs, then you can add on nifty extras like Aviary, which includes sophisticated image creation and editing (see the zipper cat) as well as amazing sound manipulation and image markup (like Snag IT and the Jing Project--highly recommend!)

Aviary.com

And Google Forms (fill this one out to see some of the features in action): If you're in charge of collecting any amount of data for any thing, please HARK! (That's what they say in The Bible when angels are about to appear.) Because Google FORMS will change your very life. And

GMail, IF you choose to turn it on. Oh come ON! You do have a GMail account don't you? NO, well sign up here.

And Google Groups (wow!)--again, completely under your control. And Google Video (you choose who can upload and who can see it).

And so much more I could write ALL DAY. For example, check out those spreadsheet widgets. Bet your MS Office can't do that!

Golly, I didn't even talk about Google Moderator, Google Sites (here's one of mine), or any or these other FREE Google Tools that are so ripe for the educational picking.

Allrightly then, back to the main point, if you're convinced already, then you're dismissed, but if instead you're headed to a meeting where people will talk about Sherpas (or is that Ferpas?) or Sipping (CIPA?), then keep reading.

Q: Will our students be safe if they're using Google?
A: Are your students safe now? Well, unless you have them wrapped in a polystyrene bubble, they probably are NOT. Better to teach them how to fish without falling out of the boat rather than pretend we are not in the water. Google Edu Apps seeks to help us provide a safe boat to fish from, but it does operate on the correct (imo) belief that we ARE in fact IN the water.

Q: Will the FERPA and CIPA police come and get me if I use Google Apps for Education?
A: They haven't gotten any of us yet, and no matter how many people I ask, I can't find anyone who has seen the mysterious men (women?) in black. Do we do our utmost to protect our children's data? YES WE DO. Are they providing their data to online sites less reliable than Google all the time. You can answer that for yourself, but don't pretend you know what they're doing when they go home, 'cause you don't. So there. All kidding aside, we do not believe that CIPA or FERPA guidelines are violated. CIPA seeks to "limit children's exposure to pornography," and so do we. FERPA says we can't post their education records for the world to see unless they say it's okay. I'm still not sure why this argument keeps coming up, but I THINK it's because teachers use Google Forms to collect student information ALL the TIME. C'mon folks, don't ask them to type in their social security numbers, addresses, and birthdays. Even more important, don't download sensitive student data to the hard drive of your unsecured net book, then leave it lying in the back seat of your car. (Bad people can break the windows out, take it, then sign up for credit cards using your students' social security numbers). Generally speaking, the goal of "bad people" is to buy neat stuff off Amazon.com, NOT to illicitly know your kids' reading levels.

Another important argument that is close to my heart goes as follows:
Q: "When my students get out into the REAL WORLD, shouldn't they know how to use Microsoft Office."
A: Okay, well REALLY? Check out what these businesses who have purchased Google Apps (that's what businesses have to do----they have to buy this stuff we're getting for free) have to say about their Google implementations. Heck, if you don't believe it, call them up and ask them for yourself. If you're too tired to click that link above and look for yourself, here are some users of Google Docs: The City of Los Angeles, Salesforce.com, Hamilton Beach, Wild Blue . . . . The "coin of the realm" in the 21st Century is to learn how to learn and know how to change, not to rely on one software. Perform this little experiment if this seems crazy to you: Install Open Office on your student computers and let the file types default there. See if your students can figure it out without your help. We've done this little experiment all over our district for about 5 years now (that is we stopped buying MS Office), and low and behold (DO I hear a HARK!), they don't even notice the difference. (Teachers, I'm sorry to say, are a different story, but they can and DO love Google Docs!)

Even an Evangelist gets all ranted out from time to time, but if you'll comment (nicely please!) with any questions/arguments/etc. you have that I have not yet addressed, I'd be glad to write you back. For the two of you (thanks MOM!) who read all the way to here. Thank you for listening. I feel better now, and I hope you do too!

Hey UrEnglishTeacher, Why'd You Change Your Name?

2010-03-13T11:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm glad you asked, because I REALLY want to talk about it. I hinted to everyone I know that I wanted to talk about it, and still, you're the only one I heard from!

I changed my name because, while I'll always be "UrEnglishTeacher" (especially if I really WAS your English Teacher), I am really more of a technology person than specifically an English person these days.

Plus, there's the fact that "Everything is Better Fried" (except technology :-) And I do LOVE an ironic name!

Everything Old is New Again: Photo Editing Online

2009-12-03T10:02:00.021-06:00

Hi, have we met? I'm Amy, and I love FREE stuff, especially if it's digital and therefore does not have to be stored in one of my overstuffed built in 1960 closets. Lately I've been noticing an amazing number of online photo editing tools that are quite special, no $ and no skills required.

My first love is http://fotoflexer.com/. With this cool tool, you can make not that great photos look like works of art . . . see?

You'll have to trust me that the original wasn't nearly that great because I'm not publishing it. Period. FotoFlexor also lets you add sparkly text, stickers, and try out hundreds (thousands?, millions?) of different frames and effect combos.

Personally, I have a love for all things vintage that rivals my love of all things free. That is what led me to http://www.rollip.com/. Rollip respectfully requests mula for high quality images, but frankly my dear, the ones they show me on the screen are just fine. Check out this cool effect . . .
It looks like it could have been taken way back when I was little, but these are my own kids, and this was taken last week. Here's a comparison:

And these are not the only two sites available, of course there a bajillion more. Here are some of the best I know of. If you're using one YOU adore, please comment with the web address.

http://www.picnik.com/

http://pixlr.com/ (Check out the Filter section)

For completely free AND high quality effects, try the Poladroid Project. You drag and drop your photo onto the landing pad (that camera below is floating on my desktop), then watch your old time Polaroid develop. That's pretty SWEET! Neat little sound effects AND you get the nifty white edge (with texture). Coolio.

http://www.poladroid.net/
Ohh, it's just too cool. Watch this!

I'm adding an after the fact addition to this list that should NOT be ignored due to the new features they've recently added. Drumroll please . . . it's good old BEFUNKY.com. With hundreds of easy to apply effects and a not very obtrusive logo in the corner as the only drawback to the free account, Be Funky is an easy and versatile way to go. Multiple applications of each effect and settings within those. Cool!

BeFunky also provides the Uvatar maker you see on other sites. So far, I can't see a way to get to it independent of another service (ex, Facebook), but the Bebo site looks like the easiest/least obtrusive to access, and if you want to make cool pictures like this, you'll sign up for an account.

Next time there's a not so great photo taken of you or yours (Christmas dinner?), remember these cool, free sites and make yourself look as lovely as you are on the INside.

Merry Christmas Everyone! BE FREE!!!

The Latest, Greatest Web 2.0 Tool For Anyone With a Room

2009-09-08T21:15:00.018-05:00

The latest and greatest Web 2.0 tool, in my humble opinion, is probably not what you'd expect, but please . . . at least read the first paragraph before you dedide this tool will not help you teach school this year!

It's Floorplanner.com. And no, that's not the end of the first paragraph. Keep reading. Floorplanner (as was pointed out to me by a Mrs. Hutchins---thanks Vickie) is FAR more than just a really REALLY nifty eat-your-weekend tool for planning your decorating or remodeling project (which it is, BTW), it's a fantastic way to learn just about any math concept. The lesson plan Vickie shared with me included students creating a house with a given number of square feet (say 2000) that would get four people separate bedrooms and included certain amenities like bathrooms, a kitchen, a family room, a place to eat, etc. The house also had to have certain characteristics, say a circular entryway. (Pies are squared anyone?--Yes, that's a joke. Don't email me about it.)

If you're a language arts teacher, you probably have already stopped reading, but just in case you still are, here's the language arts aspect: Create a house, then advertise and sell it. You'll obviously need to do screen shots so people can see the looks of this incredible creation! There are SO MANY more things you can do with this. In my classroom, I enjoyed what I called the "Practical Research Project." This is where instead of writing about an academic topic, students actually researched how to do something, then wrote a research paper with the review of research that also included pictures and descriptions of a real project. Actual projects included retiling a kitchen, redecorating a bedroom, building a kit car and, one of my favorites though a little scary, building and finding the best propellant for a potato gun. (True story. Wayne Fishback wrote it like a CIA document including "Eyes Only" notifications. He's in the military now!)

So back to the topic. Floorplanner.com is an incredible tool. My own experience with it goes as follows: I wanted to redecorate the front rooms of our house, which due to poor design and decor were rarely used. I THOUGHT (silly me, lived here 6 years) that I knew the rough dimensions of said rooms, so I logged right in to Floorplanner and proceeded drawing some rectangualr boxes. See below:

However, I noticed that something was amiss. There was indeed not as much room on this wall or that as my drawing showed. What was up? I took out my handy tape measure and started measuring walls and openings. Low and behold (yes, I feel stupid), my rooms actually look like this:

After many, many hours of planning my IKEA shopping foray, placing furniture, checking the website for the EXACT measurements of EVERYTHING (I'm not a very "exact measurement" type normally, but this tool inspired me), I finally developed a design that looked like this:

(Many furniture stores give exact measurements of furniture on their sites, OR, you can just use the built in furniture pieces in the software, which are fairly average sized.) And then, maybe the coolest thing of all happend. I clicked the 3D button in the top right, and got a really TRULY amazing view from all angles and THROUGH MY OWN WINDOWS. OH MY GOSH! If I could have found anyone who cared, I would have called them to tell them about it!!! Look how COOL!

Free online screencasting tool
So, just in case you are not able to drive by my actual house and get the REAL view, BUT you still really care and want to know how it turned out, here is the (I think) astonishingly accurate result of my many hours of learning about measurements using Floorplanner.com:

Prezi: Completely Amazing Non-Linear Presentation Tool

2009-06-30T22:49:00.010-05:00

Here's my first foray into Prezi. I don't see an embed code option on the site, and I'd like to. Perhaps soon! But never mind that, there's so much there to be happy about, I hardly noticed.

Once again, my colleague Jill Malpass showed me this free Web 2.0 tool that is KILLER for education. It MIGHT be the most amazing thing I've seen this year. Jill made the comment that it was not easy to learn to use, and I agree in part. There are no text-based on-screen directions, though there appears to be a lot of tutorial info, which I ignored. I like to learn by doing, so I dove right in. Once I let go of the expectation that words were going to pop up and tell me what to do, I found the controls to be intuitive and even smart. I think students (Digital Natives) will have a MUCH easier time learning to use this tool than Digital Immigrants. Here's a screencast showing the basics of how to use it as well as what it does for the rest of us:

I'm guessing I don't need to tell you how this is educationally relevant, but just in case you want to hear it anyway, here are some things I'm thinking of . . .

1. Organizing thoughts on any topic. History? Not all events fit into a timeline, but even if they do, you can show that using this tool. What about connected events? Music from the time period? Put it in. Make it logical. Show how it "goes." Literature? How do two authors/works relate to each other? You can make two or more areas in your infinitely large presentation space, then show connections among elements both by how you connect the elements, how you place them, and how you use the arrows/connectors. AMAZING possibilities for making thoughts visible. (Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkess anyone?)

2. Use this tool instead of a linear presentation tool (like PowerPoint--please, NOT PowerPoint! At least use Google Presentations or OpenOffice 3 if you just need some download & installation action in your life), to connect different subject areas. For example, if you're a science teacher studying the water cycle, students should make connections between that topic and the current drought we're experiencing (at least in my neck 'o the woods), and how does the water cycle relate to a hurricane? We've had a couple of those lately! Check that link up yonder to see what it looked like around my abode after Ike.

3. I bet you've seen Visual Thesaurus (lots of $) and Visuwords (free, but use my link or make your own, don't use the default or you may get a not so nice word). What if students made their own vocabulary maps like the ones found on those sites but with personal connections? They could even insert their own links, drawings, and music. They could show how their words relate to each other. What if I were trying to learn the word "obnoxious" or "noxious"? I could define them in my own words, but then I could also put in that I think Bart Simpson is "obnoxious," and that my Grandma's perfume smells "noxious" (no offense Grandma; it doesn't). In addition, I could add pictures that connect my own personal ideas. It might take Digital Immigrants 3 hours to do one word, but give your 3rd graders a shot. They'll pick it up MUCH faster than you or me and be adding each word in minutes.

I have about a million more ideas, but I'm guessing you're not still reading this. By now, you're probably playing with Prezi.

Are you a Digital Native or a Digital Immigrant? A 20th or a 21st Century Learner?

2009-06-29T15:12:00.008-05:00

After reading some of Marc Prensky's controversial and thought-provoking work, I created the quiz below for a staff development session. The questions are there twice, yet the statements are reversed to show how shift happens and so that it can be used as a discussion tool.

Enjoy finding out if you are a Digital Native, a Digital Immigrant, . . . or somewhere in between! (I also heard the term "Digital Refugee" last week. It feels useful, though perhaps is a tad demeaning, especially if used to the face of such a one.)

This quiz is not to make you "feel bad" about your 'hometown' (as some persons doggedly insist), but it is important for us to remember that kids these days may not be from our locale. It's something to think about while you're filing those emails you've been printing, if, that is, you're able to do more than one thing at a time.

Make Stuff Online for the Dad(s) in Your Life for Father's Day

2009-06-07T08:23:00.014-05:00

I can't take credit for this idea, teacher Amina Bradford told me about it right after Mother's Day this year, and one of her colleagues thought of it: Use Wordle to create (or have your kids create) a "Beautiful Word Cloud". . . this time, about Dad. (Example for my Dad.) Put the word "Dad" in twice to make it the biggest. Download the image, then send it in to a photo printing service to have it professionally printed, pop it in a frame, and there you go! Unforgettable father's day present! Amina's friend did this for Mother's day and her students came up with words like "loud, squishy, and hungry." How awesome is that?

Use a tool like Glogster or Scrapblog to make a photo collage/book of you and your Dad. Fun! When you finish, download the image, or if you can't get it like you want it, blow it up so that you can see the whole thing on your computer screen, then hit the print screen (prt sc, maybe fn>prt sc on a laptop), then open your photo editing program (I like PhotoFiltre--free and amazing), and hit Edit Paste. Size/edit your image for sending off for professional printing or print on your color printer.

If you're REALLY getting into this idea, you could make a cartoon of your Dad using ToonDoo. How about showing an important event you remember or creating a little cartoon you with your little cartoon Dad and let your character say all those gushy things you might not say in person?

If you're doing this project with kids who can't write yet, try SumoPaint to let even the littlest ones draw Dad, or if you have a bonafide artist in the house, see what they can do with the amazing advanced tools SumoPaint offers. If you want to keep it simple, photograph your kids' drawings with your digital camera, then add them to your Dad Book or get them framed. You can use PhotoFiltre (again, it's free) to crop and intensify the color saturation to make them really pop.

You can make a whole book for your dad yourself or use a service like Lulu.com (start today) to have your book professionally printed.

Of course, Dad would love some text thrown in there too. Find some great quotes about amazing Dads. Add some of the lyrics of his favorite song in that Scrapblog or Glogster, or if you're going to turn all this great stuff into a video using Animoto, put that song in the background. And here's the English teacher coming out: Have your kids (or yourself) write a formula poem. They are surprisingly moving. Just make up a rule, then follow it, for example, every line starts with

Dad, Did you know that . . . ? and the poem will be called "Dad, Did you know?" Trust me, people will cry, probably including you when you write it or read it.

If you feel the need to give your Dad something more traditionally "Dad like" for father's day, how about making "The World's Smallest Toolbox" for him? I don't really know if a Dad would like this, but I WANT ONE!

$100 Document Camera

2009-05-12T14:07:00.007-05:00

We call ours eyeCamD; you can call yours BETTER and CHEAPER! Stop paying $400, $500 or more for document cameras right now. Using a few supplies from your local hardware store, you can use a high quality webcam as a document camera with TONS more functionality.

-Logitech 9000 webcam (8 mega pixels, the Avervision CP150 is 3.2 mega pixels)
-PVC pipe (we used 1/2")
-PVC elbow
-3 layers of 1/2" MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard-kind of like particleboard but heavier) glued together to form a heavy base
-You can use velcro to affix the camera to the camera arm if needed or you can cut a slot for the bottom "leg" of the camera to go through.
-If you're into appearances, you can use black plastic paint to paint the PVC parts.
-If you're going to paint the base, coat it with a glue/water mixture first to seal the MDF or else you will use a whole can of paint on one base. No kidding. We did it.

In our district, shop students are making bases for our campuses. It's a great lesson for them and we're getting a really superior document camera as well as saving $16,500 for EACH of three new campuses that would have had Avervision document cameras!

To see more, visit http://eyecamd.blogspot.com

You're going to LOVE eyeCamD!

2009-04-26T18:04:00.005-05:00

I needed to conduct an iPhone training a month or so ago, and I could NOT get my Avervision 150 document camera to display on the computer so that I could show the phone to the audience. I finally gave up and as a last resort, hung my Logitech 9000 web cam over the arm of the $400+ document camera and connected to the web cam.

EUREKA!

eyeCamD was born. I asked my husband to use his significant woodworking skills to create the perfect stand for the camera, and 10 prototypes or so later, we had the eyeCamD. We're hoping to start selling the stand soon. Just think what we can do with it:

-Use Skype/ooVoo to video conference with experts, teachers, students, and fun folks from all over the world.
-Record lessons for absent students.
-Record your lessons so that when YOU'RE absent, your students can watch you do the explaining. All the substitute teacher will have to do is press "play."
-Show beautiful full-screen images at 8 mega pixels using your LCD projector while you read books or do science experiments. (If you buy it, I'll show you how ;-)
-Do everything you usually do with your document camera and a whole lot more for a fraction of the cost.

The only similar thing I can find so far is the Hue, but since it's only 1.3 mega pixels, don't waste the money to buy it. You won't be able to see the image clearly enough to use it in the classroom. Maybe Hue will make an 8 mega pixel model. I hope they do, but in the meantime, we'll be busy making eyeCamD!

Differentiate using VoiceThread and Inspire Kids Who Need Inspiration

2009-03-15T18:34:00.036-05:00

Below you'll see an embedded VoiceThread (made by an educator named Michelle) that shows some educational uses of the tool. Look at some of the slides by clicking the arrow on the bottom right. Michell talks on the first one and shows other ways to comment on some of the other pages. (Find out how to get VoiceThread for FREE at the end of this post. No scrolling ahead!)

I'm pretty sure you've been hearing as much as I have about differentiating instruction and evaluation as I have. We should be hearing about it . . . we should have been doing it all along, so it's certainly high time to talk about it. However, what I see is that most evaluation is done the same old way, through fairly (if not completely) typical testing techniques. Many a scantron (or relative thereof) is still used and many a blank filled in. But, if we're as serious about differentiation as we SAY we are, then we've got to do more than just try to teach in ways that reach more students, we've also got to evaluate in ways that allow more students to show us what they've learned. If you wonder if this is important, find most any nearby 7 year old (or 17 year old) and ask them to write a paragraph for you about a topic they've been learning about in school and are at least somewhat interested in. Next, ask them to talk to you about that topic. Be prepared to stay a while. The paragraph will be done in a flash and will likely not inspire you, but what you will hear when they speak will be an entirely different experience. My own 12 year old 7th grader got fired up telling me how barbed wire changed the West the other night until I thought we were going to have to muzzle her. So, the reason VoiceThread could inspire ESPECIALLY kids who need it the most is that kids who are traditionally not the schoolgirl/schoolboy type are usually better (profoundly better) at expressing themselves with their voices than they are at writing. Won't it be great to give them a chance to show what they've learned using their own voice? And anyway, if you're not testing for the purpose of developing traditional test-taking skills (and please PLEASE tell me you're not), wouldn't it be a perfectly fine way to show you've learned to talk about a topic, show pictures about it, and annotate it? Sure! Why not? I challenge you to offer Voice Thread as a product next time you ask your students to display their learning. I guarantee you that 98% of your students will choose Voice Thread over an essay or traditional test, and that you will have a lot more fun hearing about barbed wire than reading essay numbers 1-99. So will you give it a try and let me know how it goes?

VoiceThread is free for anyone, though if you have extra money just lying around, you can pay to get more features (I can't tell why though---the free version is amazing!). If you teach young children or are worried about Internet safety, simply make their threads private. Learn more about VoiceThread here. To register for a VoiceThread account, click this link, then click "Apply" at the bottom of the "Free Educator" column.

Why Wordle Matters, Educationally Speaking

2009-03-11T20:31:00.016-05:00

Wordle about Wordle

At first glance, Wordle feels cute. It IS cute and a little game-like, but months ago, Assistant Princiapal Angela Griffith showed me why it is a powerful educational tool. Since then, I've seen so many knowledgeable teachers use it in so many effective ways that I feel the need to share the glories of Wordle.

When you "Wordle" your text, the more times a word is used, the bigger it appears in the final product, so the largest words have the highest frequency. If you want to know what your résumé really says about you, Wordle it. You may find out you've said you "coordinate" when what you really want is to "lead." If you want your students to see what their writing is really about, have them do the same. Jessica Powell, 7th grade language arts teacher, had her students Wordle their non-fiction essays about the AIDS epidemic in Africa with similarly revealing results.

First grade teacher Jean Curran tells me Wordle leads to "more writing." She says, "My students want to write more words when we use Wordle so that they can see them appear." If you haven't done much observing 7 year olds write, this might not seem significant, but ask a teacher of this age group how much it matters, and they'll tell you just getting kids to write is of utmost importance. It's the practice of forming words and making sentences that leads to fluency in writing. By the way, that remains true of any age group.

Today, second grade teacher Peggy Gusler introduced me to yet another use of Wordle. Her students watched a science video and while they viewed the film, they typed the key words into Wordle. The creative spelling of 2nd graders is very cute, but the products also show the kids were paying attention and noticing which words were important; again, an important skill at any age.

Finally, Wordle turns student writing into a sort of shape poem. I know this is very English-teachery of me, but I can't help waxing a little teary-eyed at this story from my colleage Jessica Powell. She is a huge Moodle fan, and she often has her students embed their Wordles into discussion forums on Moodle. Not long ago right after she lost her grandpa, she was reading along and noticed a Wordle that was posted privately, just for "Coach P.," as her students call her. One of her students had created a Wordle about her mother's recent death. She could see that Coach P. had been grieving, and she wanted to share the feelings of loss she was also experiencing. Jessica said she cried viewing the student's work because it was such a heart-rending poem, unsolicited, unexpected, totally personal, and completely touching.

Wordle Options to Try:
-Change the maximum words of longer pieces to, say 25, and see what is REALLY important. Only the top 25 most important words will show. (Layout>Maximum Words)
-Turn off the default option under "Language" to ignore the most common words (the, and, a, etc.) and see if you've used the word "their," for example, more than any other.
-Choose a custom color palette that reflects the theme of your topic. Students can show that they understand how the mood of their work can be reflected by color choices.
-Keep words or names together by inserting this character instead of a space: ~ , for example Google~Docs, Thomas~Jefferson. Thanks for the tip Ms. Goodney! Though I can't believe you kept it from me all this time! Check it:
- Instead of pasting in or typing your own words, paste the URL of a web site (with a feed, like this one) about the topic of study. This box is right below the "Create" area here. Create the Wordle, then see if it summarizes the topic accurately. If not, were your perceptions off about the topic or is the site not that great?
-Use the option under "Language" to show word counts and see just how many times you really did use each of those words.

If you've found more ways to use Wordle educationally (and I know you have!), please post a comment below and tell us!

Wordle about Wordle Without Common Words Removed

Never Kill Another Poster Board Tree: Glogster.com ROCKS

2009-03-10T21:43:00.002-05:00

UPDATE: A Real Glog made by a REAL CISD student is embedded below. The features are really amazing.

Glogster allows your students to create free, protected digital posters.
This tool blows my mind! I know, I know, I always say that, but I've looked for a Web 2.0 desktop publishing tool since I knew what Web 2.0 was, and this one ROCKS. It's extremely easy to use, and also very versatile.
Check out this sample (a Glog embedded in a Wiki). Click the play button in the top right. Hover over the Gloster.com link in the top right and View Full Size. WOW!

Thanks Kelly McNamee, The Woodlands High School for this find.

Check out a real Glog below . . . . Right click here to get the full effect and see the video play.

How much is a trillion?

2009-03-08T15:15:00.004-05:00

In Defense of Technology for the Sake of Education not AS Education

2009-03-06T10:55:00.021-06:00

Many well-meaning educators have a long-held belief that we must "teach technology" (learn to use Excel by following this 9 week course outline) as opposed to integrating technology (work with your team to create a Wiki about the causes of the Civil War). To understand the difference, let us unearth an old argument with our beloved high-school English teachers. . . .

Mrs. Grammar says, "Students, you must be able to identify the parts of speech and diagram sentences before you can understand the English language and write an essay! We will concentrate on these skills, and eventually, you will be able to write a good and correct essay." Imagine Mrs. Grammar's students are in 11th grade, the TAKS* test is looming, they wonder,

"If I stick with my diagramming in Mrs. Grammar's class, will I be able to make a 2 on the essay, pass the test, and graduate from high school?" Mrs. Grammar is insistent. Diagram! Noun, adjective, verb!

Nine grueling weeks later, students are minimally competent at identifying basic parts of speech and diagramming very simple sentences. Her administrative evaluator suggests, kindly, that perhaps she should have the students try to actually write an essay. She acquiesces and has them write. It's terrible. She sees "he don't like . . .," "her and me are . . ," and even the dreaded preposition ending a sentence error is in nearly every example. Did the students learn nothing?

Actually, the answer is "yes," they learned nothing . . . about writing an essay because the two activities (parts of speech and diagramming & essay composition) do not relate to each other. Mounds of research prove this, but Mrs. Grammar will probably never be convinced, even if 30 years of experience should have proved it 30 times. After all, she believes, this is how SHE learned it. Whether you agree with her or with me, as a practical-minded and open-minded educator yourself, you probably know that what makes essays better is writing lots of essays of all kinds and reading other people's essays, and then writing more essays yourself.

Along the same line of thought, well-meaning educators everywhere insist that discrete, program-related technology skills must be taught if students are to gain competence. "Students must know how to use Excel," the voices insist. How can they function in a business world that uses Excel without experience using Excel?

The answer is similar to the one we offer Mrs. Grammar. If 17 year old 11th grade students cannot identify a noun, yet they speak their native language (English) and write in a way all can understand (though perhaps incorrectly), the practical-minded teacher realizes she, at this juncture, must work with what she's got. Students who can write essays have just got to get writing right away.

When we meet students who use their skills as digital natives and operate computers in ways their teachers perhaps cannot understand, we must not hold them back from doing the equivalent of diving in to write that proverbial essay. Our students are not just essayists in the realm of technology, we have 8 year old Tolstoys . . . full-fledged novelists of the digital world. If they are not already, given the merest opportunity, they will soon be. To ask our tiny Tolstoy tots, our digital natives, to learn to click the mouse this way then that "all together now!" or learn to use this specific program or that, is even more tragic and less useful than asking our 17 year old essayists to spend their junior year in English learning to identify nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

Please help your fellow educators understand that . . .

We must not keep students from reaching their potential as digital natives because we do not speak their language.

What's a "Digital Native"? Find out here.

*Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, Texas's state standardized test

Why do adults and kids have such different ideas about learning?

2009-03-03T17:11:00.000-06:00

From Apple's Digital Kids site.

2009-02-22T00:38:00.013-06:00

Students have a BLAST practicing Math Facts at http://www.worldmathday.com

(From urenglishteacher who never enjoyed math much . . . )

See them on the EDGES of their seats?

This student is waiting to see which country her next competitor will be from.

Today we had the privilege of visiting Mary Ellen Bryant's 4th grade class at Bush Elementary; however, her students were so enthralled by what they were doing, they didn't even notice we were there. Was it geography? Was it social studies? Was it math? Was it a game? It was ALL of the above! World Math Day allows students to compete with other classes/schools/kids all over the world. Mary Ellen said it was EXTREMELY easy to set up and it is completely free. She anticipated the students would play for 30 minutes and then be ready to move on, but over an hour later, their excitement was still spilling over. The contest is appropriate for students aged 5-18. I saw some students doing difficult multiplication and some doing addition.
From the site:
"The students play against each other in mental arithmetic games. Students are captivated by the fact that they are playing in real time. Each game lasts for 60 seconds, students can play as many games as they wish. The questions are appropriately leveled for different ages and abilities. . . ."

Check out the "Newseum"

2009-02-09T22:59:00.007-06:00

The Newseum: Today's Front Pages

Thanks Mr. Tooke from Wilkerson Intermediate for sharing this great find: An
interactive map with the front pages of newspapers from around the world. See how it works here: http://screencast.com/t/aMBc446Q It's a fast and interactive way to get a cultural view on what makes news where.

Cooliris is REALLY Cool . . .

2009-02-09T21:53:00.002-06:00

Credit for this find must go to Dustin Hornsby who told me about this MONTHS
ago. I looked at it and thought "yeah, that is cool," but it wasn't until today when I
used it on the big screen with a Mimio* that I FULLY appreciated exactly how COOL
Cooliris is. Check out the search engine that "Transforms your browser into a lightning
fast, cinematic way to discover the Web."

See a preview of it and/or download it here: http://www.cooliris.com/

*What's a Mimio? It's a device that turns any surface into an interactive area when used with a computer and LCD projector. It eliminates the need for bulky, expensive interactive boards like Smart, Numonics, or Promethean (all great products, but who has the $ or space?)

How to use Photo Story on Vista

2009-02-07T11:50:00.004-06:00

I've spent a lot of time trying to find a program/web 2.0 tool like Photo Story that will work on my Vista OS computer. There are hundreds of great web 2.0 slideshow tools out there, but none of them I've found so far have ALL the elements I love so much about Photo Story 3 for some purposes. So, here's how you can make it work. Enjoy!

The Web Ate my Weekend

2008-11-02T10:50:00.003-06:00

Check out this Web 2.0 tool: Capzles (Personal Example). Great educational potential. Reminds me of VoiceThread but with that cool look of SearchMe (and the Ipod Touch, of course).

Remember to check out CISD's Best of the Web to learn about all the best new websites and tools. LOTS of new sites added this weekend!.

For example, check out these new sites and areas:

Scrapblog: (LOVE this Web 2.0--pure fun, no artistic skill required-Looks GREAT! Makes me feel like I spent the weekend "scrapbooking" but really only took about 10 minutes) Personal Example

Drop.io Simple Private Sharing: Solves that "I don't have enough space for this" problem. Actually easy, very slick, clean interface.

Early Childhood Games and Videos I'd love you to email more Early Childhood sites to me. It's hard to find sites that are easily navigable for early readers.

PicApp - Free photos for use on your websites, blogs, etc.

Technology WOW!

2008-10-18T13:38:00.001-05:00

One to One Computing is Already Passé

2008-07-09T15:56:00.008-05:00

Ubiquitous access to the Internet is the way of the future NOT "one-to-one" computing. We do not believe in the "on-to-one" theory. We believe in access via the Internet to one's files and programs regardless of the device used. One-to-one computing focuses on the computer as the most important component of technological innovation and growth in education, but we believe that the innovation is in all the time, anywhere access regardless of the device used. It is not important to provide a laptop for a child in order to have innovative technological advances; it is important to provide children the opportunity to access the network and learn to navigate it to find the tools they need. "One-to-one" thinking is already passé.

Instead of picturing a student with his or her "own laptop" that he or she lugs from classroom to classroom then home, picture children using any computer available to do the same tasks, picking up their documents where they left off in their Web 2.0 tools, accessing the same document or file on the computer at the public library after school then again in the evening at home. He or she might use a Thin Client, then a desktop PC, then a notebook, and so on. The device and its ownership is irrelevant; "the network is everything" (Dr. Scott Barrett).

Jing changes Everything

2008-07-04T08:02:00.003-05:00

The Jing Project by TechSmith (one of my favorite software creators, makers of SnagIt, which I don't have any desire to live without), is utterly amazing. Until I found, viewed, and understood it yesterday, it took a long time, a lot of effort, and a significant amount of frustration and disk space to display a short "how-to" video of a process which I might need to "show" users how to do.

NOT ANYMORE.

This is how it works: Go to Jing and download the program (about 5 MBs). Install it and notice the icon that appears in your system tray. Right click that little baby and choose "Capture," drag a box around the area you want to capture--generally, the size of the largest window that you need people to see. To record a video (which is the most amazing thing), just click "Video" and start clicking (and talking if you have a microphone). When you finish, hit the stop button, then choose the "embed" option. After you sign in and wait a few seconds, the embed code will be sent to your computer's clipboard. All you have to do then is paste the html code into your web page. Don't worry a bit if you know nothing about code. It doesn't matter! It will work anyway! Check out this tiny example and imagine the POWER of this tool!

To Jing, in the words of the immortal Shakespeare: "Thanks and Thanks and Ever Thanks."

Life Changing Information for Presentation Creators (and Viewers)

2008-06-24T14:04:00.000-05:00

If you are ever going to create a presentation again (and COME ON, you know you will!), you must read at least this article. Wow. My life will never be the same!

http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2005/11/the_zen_estheti.html

Here are some more quotes and reflections from several different articles on the same topic:

Ideas about how to "Slick Up" or Modernize Presentations:

Use visuals on slides only as visual assists to viewers, very little text. Talk conversationally not about the text on the slide but let the content on the slide serve as a visual reinforcement to what you are saying.

*
This:

Instead of this:

Ultimately, we'd end up with the slide on the bottom right:

http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/sample1.html

Below quotes are from http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/slides.html

"The best slides may have no text at all. This may sound insane given the dependency of text slides today, but the best PowerPoint slides will be virtually meaningless with out the narration (that is you). Remember, the slides are meant to support the narration of the speaker, not make the speaker superfluous."

"You know how Stephen Colbert does “The Wørd?” He directly addresses the audience while “slides” appear next to his head acting as a kind of Greek chorus. He not only doesn’t acknowledge the slides — they often contradict exactly what he is saying. (This is what makes this — as we say in the business — “funny”)
I’m not suggesting your slides should undermine you, but consider sometimes showing images and text that make an orthogonal point to what you’re saying aloud to the audience at that moment. Let them discover the point (or the joke) without you leaning on it."

"Let the slide serve your message, rather than letting you (and your personality and timing) be governed by the slide. That’s ‘death,’ and that’s “The Wørd.”

"Many people often say something like this: "Sorry I missed your presentation. I hear it was great. Can you just send me your PowerPoint slides?" But if they are good slides, they will be of little use without you. Instead of a copy of your PowerPoint slides, it is far better to prepare a written document which highlights your content from the presentation and expands on that content. Audiences are much better served receiving a detailed, written handout as a takeaway from the presentation, rather than a mere copy of your PowerPoint slides. If you have a detailed handout or publication for the audience to be passed out after your talk, you need not feel compelled to fill your PowerPoint slides with a great deal of text."

Use high quality professionally edited graphics like the thumbnail slides below:

Sample Presentation: http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/sample1.html

Below quotes from : http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html

Interesting perspective on how to organize and what to present. It's obviously meant for business but fits well with many presentations.

1. Problem
2. Your solution
3. Business model
4. Underlying magic/technology
5. Marketing and sales
6. Competition
7. Team
8. Projections and milestones
9. Status and timeline
10. Summary and call to action

Finally a reason to buy a Mac? We could use Keynote: http://www.apple.com/iwork/keynote/ Looks pretty cool.

What presentation skills can we learn from Stephen Colbert?: http://www.43folders.com/2007/08/23/better-presentations

"Let the slide serve your message, rather than letting you (and your personality and timing) be governed by the slide."

Free Online Slideshow Tools

2008-06-15T09:59:00.000-05:00

Reviews:

Find more? Please comment and let me know!

And don't forget Animoto! Very cool Slideshow tool

2008-06-14T11:50:00.001-05:00

Compare Animoto and Kaltura

Kaltura is a nice replacement for PhotoStory

2008-06-13T20:09:00.000-05:00

Once you embed the Kaltura code on your site (blog, web page, wiki, etc.), you and whomever you choose can work on the video directly from your site. No downloads are required.

Kaltura allows the addition of videos AND photos, multiple soundtracks (one could be a narration and the other a song, like Photo Story), has a storyboard video editing format, and is pretty easy to use. This tool seems to provide a great replacement for Photo Story on XTenda computers (since Microsoft only allows Windows Server 2003 on XTendas and PStory won't work on that OS). In addition, users gain the ability to collaborate (unlike PStory) and to add videos (though I can't get a wmv file format video to play) AND photos as well as a tool that requires no download. Since it's on the web, it can be used on the WebPC (if that link didn't open in FoxIt, you're missing out) or on any computer in the world. Uploads are fast too, and Kaltura converts the file types for the user automatically. Transitions between photos are available and under the control of the users. Nice job Kaltura!

Click here to create your own Kaltura account and video. (Totally free.)

Kaltura: Video Creation and Collaboration Example

2008-06-13T18:44:00.001-05:00

KalturaKaltura

Coolest New Computer: The WebPC

2008-06-10T22:51:00.000-05:00

Until very recently, there has not been a viable hardware option for high-stakes testing. Standard computers take up too much space, use too much electricity, and are too costly to maintain and support. Traditional notebook computers arbattery lives of 2-4 hours and are even more costly to maintain and support than desktop PCs. Beadvantages, The WebPC is the perfect tool for many applications, such as . . . • Teacher use for daily documentation (ARI, AMI) • Student use for technology integration, project based learning, research, presentations, etc. • Online testing . . .

Click the link for more!