EdTech @ETHS Volume 1, Issue 8
May 2011
Featured Tech Project: WikiSpaces
In this new feature, we’ll highlight a specific teacher and how he or she successfully integrated a technology tool into instruction. Our inaugural teacher is Mr. Corey Winchester, who used WikiSpaces with his class to create a project for what his class deemed the “most influential Americans of the 20th and 21st centuries.” Modeled after Time Magazine’s “The Time 100” issue, Mr. Winchester had his students each create their own page, address several essential questions through a 1,000 word minimum article, and include photos and widgets, all while discussing and defending their selection through online forums. Although the Wiki is private, feel free to email Corey or myself for more information on this innovative project.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1
Mr. Winchester and WikiSpaces
1
Summer Technology Professional Development
2
Skype @ ETHS
2
Featured Posts from Chanatown.net
2
Quick Tech Tip/Ed-Tech Conference Update
2
Next Issue
Summer Technology Professional Development “Tech-11”
We are proud to announce the schedule of technology training workshops for this summer. With feedback from you, we have created a schedule that features a wide range of technology tools as well as advanced training opportunities for those already experienced with existing technology integration initiatives. The list of workshop topics includes:
SMARTBoards
Document Cameras
Google Apps
Assisted Writing Programs/Write Online and Others
More Media in the Classroom
Student Response Systems (Clickers)
Teacher Websites
Low Tech Tools
Web 2.0 Tools
Reading: Kurzweil/BookShare/Read Out Loud
For full descriptions, dates/times and registration, please find the online form here.
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Quick Links:
SKYPE @ ETHS
Online Stopwatch Skype (recently purchased
Romanelli's French IV class successfully "Skyped" with a
Need a quick and visual way to display the amount of time remaining in class or for group work? A popular option among teachers is Online Stopwatch. Here, you’ll be able to quickly start a stop watch or set a countdown timer. Try the full screen (limited ad) version today at http://www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch/
class in Morocco recently, and there are plenty of
Word Clouds
by Microsoft for a cool $8.5 billion) remains a great tool for connecting classes in different areas, including other countries. Ms.
opportunities to connect with classrooms in your discipline. Let me know if you would like assistance in setting up an exchange and testing out Skype in your room.
FEATURED POSTS CHANATOWN.NET
FROM
Word clouds are a great way to display text and spark conversation from your students. Simply copy/paste some text into the program, and you will receive a “word cloud” that you can use to illustrate the more frequently used words in the source text. Popular options include: Wordle.net, Tagul.com, and Tagxedo.com and here are some lesson ideas for using word clouds.
TEACHER COMPUTER DISCOUNTS Although not as financially beneficial as those discounts on your monthly cell phone bill, educators do often qualify for discounts on new computer purchases, including those from popular companies such as Apple, Dell, and HP. Read more here for some tips on how to save a few bucks when you’re in the market for a new desktop or laptop computer.
HOW TO CONVERT A PDF INTO EDITABLE TEXT FOR FREE Ever have a PDF file that you wish you could edit? How about a scanned document from your archives that you never made digital? With Google Docs, you can convert a PDF into editable text. This is a great way to get some experience using Google Docs and you’ll have access to your files anytime anywhere since it’s a cloud based storage option. Read more here.
Ed-Tech Conference Update
Upcoming Meetings and Conferences: ISTE: June 25-June 29 – The education technology conference to rule them all. Take a look at the conference program, and let me know if there’s anything that interests you and I’ll try to attend/network and report back NCTE: I’ve been invited to present on Teaching with a Tablet PC at the NCTE conference in November. I’ll be reaching out to English teachers in the next few months and will be running a sample session prior to the conference as well.
SOFTWARE REVIEWS
Next Issue:
There have been numerous updates to some of our more commonly used software programs, including TurningPoint Clickers, AverMedia Document Cameras and SMART Notebook. Read more below about some of the new features included in each, and let us know if your desktop computer needs an update.
In June, we’ll share notes from the summer technology workshops and offer ideas for how you can spend your summer getting tech savvy.
TurningPoint Anywhere Update AverMedia Flash App SMART Notebook 10.7 Update
For additional newsletter requests, tech support, comments, or just to say “hello”, please email or call at ext.7366. Thanks for reading. David Chan Technology Integration Specialist
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