Memories 2010

Click here to view this photo book larger

Glogster

Glogster is another wonderful program. Students and educators can combine, text, images, sounds, music, and video to communicate ideas and present information. It can be easily embedded in wikis, blogs, and presentations. A fun tool that captures imaginative ideas and brings them visually to life.

Google Doc and Graphic Organizer

Google Doc is a great way to make spreadsheets, documents, and presentations online. Best of all, these are free to anyone with a Google account. Students, educators, and anyone with computer access, can create without a desktop program, collaborate with invited editors, and share with select people, or the world!

Education Changes at LHS Since I Was There.....

As a retired LHS teacher, and occasional substitute, I have seen many changes during the past five years as educators prepare students for the 21st century. This video interview details some of the changes taking place as teachers incorporate technology into their curriculum.

TeacherTube is a website similar to YouTube for educators and students to submit videos for curriculum use and professional development.

Click on link below to see this video on TeacherTube:

TeacherTube Video Link

Experiences as a Movie Extra

I loved using "Voicethreads" and hope I can encourage people, especially my grandkids, to post comments or ask questions. Although just beginning to experiment, I can see how this is a valuable tool for educators, businesses, and even families!

Posting a Video or Link from Diigo to Your Blog

 Diigo is a great way to keep and organize bookmarks, but it does much more! It is easy to highlight and share specific information and a great way to collaborate and get feedback on information. Another fun feature is taking information from Diigo and posting it directly to a blog site. Below are steps to post to a blog from Diigo. The video I bookmarked and chose to share shows how to use Diigo in a class to analyze and share comments on a specific article.

 Steps to post on a blog:
 

1. Check the link you want to post from you Diigo bookmarks
2. Go to "More Actions" at the top
3. Scroll down and select "publish to blog"
4. When you get to the new window, add your blog site.
5. Post as a draft or publish blog

(Although I initially posted the video below directly from Diigo, I found I could not place the video or manipulate it within the confines of the text box the way I wanted it to appear...so you can post directly from Diigo, and it is great for links, but you may want to embed video.)

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Google Reader

Goggle reader is another excellent tool I discovered thanks to Val’s class. It is a quick and easy way to keep abreast of local and national news, educational blogs, and any RSS feed subscription you want.  While my husband walks outside to grab the Reporter Herald, I now go to Goggle Reader, click my link to the Reporter Herald or Denver news and get all the instant news I need. (I already have 89 feeds for education in technology.) It is similar to Twitter in that headlines are a click away from great articles and videos.  No RSS feed, no problem, just add the URL Site. 

Monica and David

When I was 17, and a senior in high school (1967) our Psychology teacher took us to “Ridge,” an institute where people with learning disabilities were…warehoused. The attendants and nurses were kind, but it was in every sense an institution, and I did not leave feeling hopeful for anyone housed there. It haunted me in college, and I wrote a winning oratory, based partially, on two young girls at Ridge with Hydrocephalus who were bedridden and in obvious pain. It was also while I was at Ridge, that I had my first encounter with children born with Down syndrome.

On the bus, I sat near a classmate, John, who was new to our school. I was standing next to him, inside Ridge, visiting, when we entered a room with children born with Down syndrome. We were ahead of other classmates, and John quickly walked to the center of the room while I followed. Immediately, strange looking children with almond shaped eyes surrounded me, grabbed my skirt and sweater, reached to me, and wanted to be held. I felt fear, and when I looked back, I saw no other classmates even attempting to enter the room. John, however, quickly picked up a girl, who was about four, and hugged her. I was shocked, and asked how he could be comfortable in this environment and why he picked up that child. He looked at me calmly, while gently swaying and hugging this somewhat odd looking little girl, and he said,  “This...is my sister.”  I was moved by his love for her, felt guilty about my reaction, but relieved when we left the room.

As I am now the grandmother of an eight year-old boy with Down syndrome, I have reflected many times on my brief visit to Ridge and my reaction to my first encounter to children with Down syndrome. Obviously, I was ignorant, but in the 1960's it was common practice to isolate and institutionalize those who were considered...different.  Through my grandson, I know the joy and passion of loving and helping to care for someone with Down syndrome.

Although dealing with the complications of having a child with special needs has been an up and down journey for my son and daughter-in-law, and for our family, my little guy with Down syndrome is truly the light in my life, deeply loved and protected by family and extended family. This is one reason why I was so delighted with the film, Monica and David. Parents, teachers, and caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities face many obstacles, but also know the rewards associated with helping this often misunderstood population. The film Monica and David is about true love, overcoming barriers, and embracing the innocence and passion of those with Down syndrome. I encourage you, as educators, to watch this, as it will give you insight into the lives of those with intellectual disabilities and leave you with a smile. 

Screencast-O-Matic

I Love Picasa!

Trip to Virgin Islands:

Fortunately, Picasa is a program I have used and enjoy. I don’t use it for editing, as I prefer Photoshop Elements, or for quick edits, iPhoto. I love the way Picasa is seamlessly integrated and easily uploads photos from iPhoto. Picasa is a wonderful place to store photos and share with friends and family. It is easy to manipulate the albums in Picasa and play with the organization of the photos. And now, thanks to “iknow class,” I can convert photos to slide shows and imbed them on web pages, blogs, and presentations!

I enjoyed the Flicker Slide Show Val suggested and the many ways teachers can incorporate virtually field trips and lessons using photo albums. I have friends and family who use Flicker. In both Picasa and Flicker, it is easy to download and upload photos to share. We purchased a digital photo album for my father, and using both Picasa and Flicker, I downloaded family pictures from several online albums for him to enjoy. I have updated photos, using both sites, on an SD card to give him new images.

Life is good!!!

Atomic Learning and School Technology Solutions

While searching the Internet for websites and ideas to contribute to classmates’ PLN, I found a link to a website I used many years ago, and always suggested to others, Atomic Learning.

I discovered “Atomic Learning” in 2001, not long after it surfaced on the net. There were video tutorials for software programs I wanted to learn about: Photoshop, iMovie, Final Cut along with many others. It looked much different than today and an individual membership was $70, compared to today’s cost of $140. Nonetheless, it was a valuable tool for me, and I was able to share learned skills with students.

Researching Atomic Learning led me to Brad Flickenger, a Fort Collins Teacher focusing on 21^st Century skills for students. He offers free online workshops and a free book, “Teaching with Netbooks,” if you sign up for his blog, which I have done. His website, School Technology Solutions, is worth checking out.

School Library Journal listed Atomic Learning as one of the “Top Ten Best Digital Resources” in 2008:

“It can sometimes be difficult to keep up with all the demands placed on librarians to provide training, staff development, and information on the latest gadgets and software. Atomic Learning, an online database with over 25,000 software training movies and more than 500 tutorials, teaches how to use just about every technology application and software, from Microsoft Word to FileMaker Pro. Directly linked to state and ISTE standards, this resource provides both reluctant technology users, as well as those on the cutting edge, the opportunity to try new programs without fear of failure.”


Podcast Students by Brad Flickinger:

Can I Twitter or am I a Twit?

Grand Lake, Colorado

When I first opened my Twitter account, I eagerly entered and followed sites that I thought would be fun...NPR, CNN, some educational sites, and a few local teachers. When I went back, I found I was besieged with tweets. (I flashbacked to a Sci-Fi movie where the leading character, a mind reader, was inundated with other’s thoughts, unable to focus, and in danger of a brain melt-down.) For a moment, I was beleaguered with information overload.

Fortunately, I found it was easy to stop following sites that sent tweets every few minutes and focus on teacher and educational sites devoted to technology. It was also fun to hear from teachers I had not communicated with for quite awhile. Several responded kindly to my request to follow them. I then formed a list with just Loveland educators, which made it even easier to narrow down “tweets” while still getting information from national or state sites.

The most difficult part of the “Twitter Assignment” for me is finding something worthwhile to “tweet.” I don’t know if I have 40 tweets in me that will contribute to everyone’s PLN. (If I get desperate, I may send a daily joke to help everyone start off their day in a good mood…I found a twitter site for that.)

I find Twitter interesting and fun, and I have learned that it can be a useful educational tool, but find email more effective for my lifestyle.