Inspiration!

On Thursday, I was working with the Technology TEAM and I was inspired!  

As we worked with iPads; we planned, participated in the FETC Virtual Conference, and generally multi-tasked.  Leslye shared a great blog with us Positively Positive, Darlene shared that she started a new blog, Sarah also started a new blog, Kelli was at the ASCD Conference and collaborating with us via email, and Tiffany managed to win a prize at the Virtual Conference while preparing iPads!

Over the past three years I have learned continuously!  It has been so good for me professionally and personally to be part of this TEAM!

So, how have I been inspired?  Well, I have given my Blog a face-lift with a new design.  Have learned at the Virtual Conference, collaborated with educators and presenters from all over the United States at the conference and have been thinking about ways to work with teachers and students to "4C the Future".

Gail Lovely inspired me when we were chatting in the lounge about student journals, Penzu, blogs and wikis.  Then she went on to inspire me in her session about using technology with tots.  I learned about the Differentiator, teachers helping to create critical thinkers, and more!

I invite you to think about:

What or who inspires you?

How are your students inspired?

What inspires students to learn?

What inspires you to learn?

Are students learning today to prepare them for the world and tomorrow?

Finally, how can I help you inspire your students and bring the 4-Cs into your classroom?

Google Chrome: Omnibox, Clea.nr and Apture

More ways to Google-ize your Classroom

Get to know the Omnibox: 

What’s an Omnibox? I have always referred to the bar at the top of a browser where you type in a URL as the “address bar”.  But I was informed that in Google Chrome, that bar is so much more.  It’s the Omnibox.  It can:

• Search the web and visit addresses
• Search for apps, bookmarks and browsing history
• Create bookmarks
• See security, pop-up and extension alerts

Extension in Chrome that make using internet easier in your classroom:

http://clea.nr/

Browser extensions and websites that declutter Amazon and YouTube.

Apture
Apture is a free tool that let's you take the power of Google search and the richness YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, and Wikipedia with you to any site. Just highlight a phrase on any page to reveal the web’s best content without ever leaving the page.

Another Video Tool - Animoto

Tomorrow is going to be a great day!  I am prepared for a day of technology staff development and am eager to spend my morning with elementary teachers learning about what Google has to offer.  My afternoon will be spent with high school teachers exploring the possibilities of using Animoto in the classroom.


What is Animoto?
What makes it special?  

• Animoto provides an array of tools for creating videos in your classroom. As a teacher you can have an Animoto account for free and will get an access code to use with up to 50 students.
• This is an easy tool for creating videos and presentations to enhance your teaching. It takes just minutes to create a video which can bring your lessons to life.  Animoto automatically analyzes music, photos and video clips, and creates a custom video. Allowing you and your students to focus on the content and narrative.  Mix facts, timelines, statistics and quotes among the pictures to educate your audience and show understanding.
• This Web 2.0 tool makes it easy to share you or your students to share videos via email, on a blog, website, exported to YouTube, or downloaded to a computer for use in presentations.

animoto.com/education

Search Stories

After our "Google-ize" event, I have had a few people ask "What is a Search Story?"

Have you watched Google’s 'Parisian Love'?  Don’t you  love how videos like this use Google search to captivate viewers?  Now, you and your students can create your own video in this popular Google style!

Google has launched the “Search Stories Video Creator,“ a quick tool where  you can create your own "commercial".  Just insert seven search terms, select a soundtrack and the video will automagically get uploaded.   You can also save these videos to YouTube - for free.  It is easy to create a classroom YouTube account.  If you need help creating one, let me know.

Best of all, it only require 3 steps. There is no hassle of trimming, editing or adding tracks to your video. Google has it all covered.

Students can collaborate in the creation of these videos.  They can communicate new learning, show understanding and summarize.  Students could creatively share interests, knowledge, celebrate events, show excitement  or even peak peer interest in a book they have read.  All this done with some critical thinking about how they are going to "tell their story" on video and by making decisions about the content.  This is a great tool to use at the end of learning.  
This tool can also be used by teachers to increase engagement and activate prior knowledge.    

Go to Search Story Videos Director to get started.


Here are some samples:

FAQs

Top 12 Technology FAQs

1. Why should I sign up to plan with my tech partner?

Planning and collaboration is essential for meaningful learning experiences for our 21^st Century learners – 4C the future.

2. Where are the computer carts stored?

Check your school news cart calendar and the classroom housing it should be next to the cart number.

3. How do I check out and reserve computers and equipment?

All technology equipment available for checkout can be reserved in your school news.

4. Whose responsibility is it to take care of the carts and equipment?

Users (that’s all of us) are responsible for keeping it organized and maintained. Empower the students to keep their carts looking good.

5. What is my server ID and password?

If you have forgotten your User ID and password then email userid.

6.  What is my PowerGrade, PowerTeacher, or ViewPoint password?

If you have forgotten your login and password then email Kent Ripplinger.

7. Will we save our classroom projects to the server?

Yes, your classroom logins and passwords were put into your mailboxes last week.

8.  What is my ‘My Learning Plan’ login and password?

If you have forgotten your login and password then email Shannon Webber.

9. What do I do if the computer doesn’t print?

Put in a trouble ticket.

10. How do I put in a trouble ticket?

Go to the Century Elementary hompage. Click on teacher links. Select trouble tickets. Username is staff and password if gfstaff.

11. Which software program do I use instead of Appleworks with my students?  

Open Office

12. What if a printer needs ink and/or paper?

Let Connie know a printer needs ink and she will order more.  Any adult can replace the ink cartridge when it arrives.  If a printer needs paper, grab some out of the supply room and add it.