To Tweet or Not to Tweet?

Ok. I've been on Twitter for a few months now. And while I think that it is applicable in an educational setting, I don't feel that I have been using it very effectively. In fact, for a while, I even removed my Twitter widget on my blog.

Then, about a month ago, I tweeted that I had posted about Google's Android software. And Vicki Davis (I know this is late -- but thank you!) actually linked my post! So then it started to click with me that the content of my tweets needed to be different from what I would send to my sister, for example. It needed to have a professional focus. Duh! Tweet about a blog post, an educational resource, ask a question, etc. Now, the whole point of tweeting started to make sense.

I just wish there was a way to integrate Twitter into my Google reader. Does anybody know if this is possible? Hey, I think I'll tweet it and see what happens...

Anyhoo, watch the video posted at Utech Tips. Thank you, Jeff, for posting.

 

 

Sent to you by Mrs. Green via Google Reader:

 

 

Jeff Loves Twitter

via U Tech Tips by utechtips@gmail.com (Jeff Utecht) on 5/7/08

Me personally….well that is another story. But for those of you trying to figure it out, learn about twitter in Plain English:

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to U Tech Tips using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

PowerPoint Games and Voicethread Presentation

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of presenting at Oakland Schools' 2008 PowerUP Conference. It was my first time presenting in front an audience outside of school, so needless to say, I was very nervous. So while things did not go exactly as I had planned, I am happy to have had the experience. And I learned the most important thing: make a backup of the backup.

Anyway, my topic was Using PowerPoint Games and Voicethread in the Classroom. PowerPoint game templates are fun easy way to use technology in the classroom, especially if you have some sort of data projection available (like a SmartBoard or TVator, etc.) For those who may not feel all that comfortable with technology, PowerPoint Game templates are one way to ease into technology integration pool. The kids absolutely love them, they can be used for any grade level and subject, and there are tons of games available for download online. I personally like the Jeopardy templates and have used them with my first graders for a few years now. It is a great way to review material before a test.

Voicethread is fantastic online site that allows you to upload photos, video, or PowerPoint slides and then add narrative text or audio to your visuals. It is a great way to introduce your students to digital storytelling. I've also used the site for spelling practice and math casts. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend it. Voicethread also has added an community specifically for teachers and students, so definitely check it out.

Oh yeah. Here is the presentation...

Taking Notes With Mind Maps: Presentation and Video

A few weeks ago, I gave a presentation on taking notes using Mind Maps. Since I have been using this method to take notes, I have found that I stay focused on what the speaker is saying and that I retain information better. Mind maps help me organize my thoughts as well. I know this method has been around for a while, but it seems that it is not used as much in school today. However, I think students today, being such highly visual learners, would greatly benefit from using mind maps.

Here is the presentation:


Also, there is an excellent video by Tony Buzan (considered to be the father of the mind map) where he explains the psychology behind mind maps and why they work. Check it out here:

3B Village: 3D Avatar Browser

I have not had a chance to download or play with this yet, but it does seem very interesting. Came across this post from the Learning Technology Teacher Development Blog for ELT:

What is 3B Village?
3B Village is an amazing cross between a 3D virtual chat room and a web browser. Using the free software you can visit or create your own 3D rooms which have walls lined with webpages that you can click on to visit. You use an avatar to wander the rooms visiting various websites whilst text chatting with other virtual visitors.

* Watch a demo here: Exploring 3B Village (2.4Mb Flash)

The learning potential for this software is huge and I can see how it could be especially useful for creating webquests or web based treasure hunts and other collaborative tasks for groups of students working virtually / at a distance. The software has none of the versatility of virtual worlds like Second Life, but partially due to that it seems like a much ‘safer’ environment to take students into and a much simpler one for teachers and students to learn how to navigate.

It is very easy to create your own rooms for your class and then just invite them along. You can create a room by specifying the URL of particular resources you want to share with your students or you can generate a ‘quick room’ using a range of other sources, like Flickr , Google, MySpace and you can even generate rooms full of YouTube videos.

I created a room just by doing a search in YouTube based on ‘Shakira’ I then create a quick room by pasting in the URL of my search results and within less than 5 clicks and 5 mins I had room full of videos to wander around.

* See how it looks: Shakira video room (2.5Mb Flash)

I also created a gallery type room by typing the word ‘family’ into Flickr and generating a gallery based on the results.

* See how it looks: Flickr gallery room (2.0Mb Flash)

Here’s a quick tutorial movie to show you just how easy it is to create a room

* Creating a quick room using Google search (1.5Mb Flash)

How to use this with students

* Create webquests and store the resources in a special 3B room(s) so that groups of students can work together virtually analysing data and searching for and sharing information
* Create film shows from Youtube that students can watch together. They can then do their viewing tasks together and discuss them as they watch.
* Meet together virtually and discus / share web resources
* Create your own collection of bookmarks to share with your class
* Students who have a 'MySpace' can convert it to a 3B room and show their classmates around. This should help to build up a sense of presence and familiarity with virtual classes, something that is often hard to do.
* Get your students to create their own collection of study bookmarks as a project to share with other students
* Create rooms based on materials from Flickr and get students to meet virtually to discuss the images
* Students can work together to create a 3B room or village which represents their town or country
* Students can visit a 3B city and write a report on it, plan a visit to that place based on the resources they access there.

What I like about it

* A nice collection of rooms already created including some for kids
* You can either create rooms quickly using searches through various online content such as Flickr, YouTube, or Google, or you can hand pick websites to create a customised room specifically for your students
* It’s simple to use
* It’s free
* At 14Mb it’s not too huge a download
* Love wandering round the YouTube video type rooms and this may well be a way around institution that block YouTube!!?

What I'm not so sure about

* No MAC version yet
* Would be great if it had voice chat too
* It’s definitely for broadband users only
* A lot of the ready made rooms seem to be aimed at online shoppers
* There aren’t many casual visitors, so it’s not a place where students are likely to bump into people for casual conversation. Though that could well be an advantage too.

For anyone involved in distance education or any kind of online courses, I think 3B Village could make a really valuable contribution.

To use 3B Village you’ll need to download and install the 3B browser software from.
http://download.3b.net/
There’s no MAC version yet, but they are working on it.

As ever, I would love to hear from anyone who uses this with their students. Please feel free to leave comments, though they will be moderated.

Best

Nik
Posted by Nik Peachey at 14:20

Seems this may have a lot of potential in an educational setting. Check it out for yourself.

The BEST Social Bookmarking Tool You Should Be Using

Yeah! Diigo has finally released version 3.0! Looks pretty slick, I must say. I absolutely LOVE Diigo! The fact that you can highlight and leave sticky notes on sites that you bookmark were the main features that attracted me to try it. So many times I had bookmarked sites on del.icio.us only to go back wondering, "Why in the heck did I bookmark this Winnie the Pooh site?" But once I began using Diigo, I could see what part of site I found interesting/important/relevant by looking at my notes or highlights. If you already use del.icio.us, Diigo will even import all of your bookmarks.

If you have not tried Diigo, I highly recommend it. You can even join my Education Technology group! Check the video below to learn more about Diigo...

The Death of Palm?

I have been using Palm based devices for almost ten years -- from my first Handspring device to my current Palm Centro. While my Palm devices have served me well, I must admit to gadget envy when the iPhone was released last year. And to make matters worse, the Palm OS has not made any major changes or improvements in years. When I updated my Treo 650 to the Centro, the only notable changes were that adding the third-party apps of PocketTunes and Google Maps.

However, for the past couple of years, there have been rumors flying around the net about a "gPhone" being released. In the video below, you will see that Google will NOT release a "gPhone." However, what Google has shrewdly done is create a new open-source mobile platform called Android. And it looks poised to deliver the death-blow to the Palm OS, while giving iPhone some much needed competition. The video shows Android in action on an unidentified handset. Check it out:



Did you see it? Looks pretty slick, huh? My green-eyed gadget monster is rearing its ugly head. Could this also be the answer for using cost-efficient mobile computers in the classroom?

Top 5 Educational TV Show ALL K-3 Kids Should Watch

When I posted the video clip from Sesame Street, I started thinking about how I had such strong memories of the show. And there were others: I also loved watching The Electric Company and 3-2-1 Contact! (My mom even ordered my sis and I the magazine!) While I know my students today watch quite a bit of TV, I don't think they watch much educational TV like we did. And let's be real -- there's a lot of TV shows masquerading as "educational" while they are nothing but fluff. However, as I watched PBS one Sunday afternoon, I was encouraged. Educational TV is not dead, but it can be hard to find. Therefore, I decided to post this list of my favorite educational shows for students K-3.

1. Between the Lions, PBS
This is the new Electric Company. The show focuses on phonics, literature, and reading comprehension with humorous songs, skits, puppets and cartoons.

2. Reading Rainbow, PBS
LeVar Burton's show started in 1983 and stopped production in 2006. Although in reruns, it is still a gem. (Kids get a kick out of seeing the crazy fashions of the 80s and 90s.) Focus on books, comprehension, real world experiences.

3. bizKid$, PBS
This new show just began airing episodes in January 2008. It focuses on teaching kids how to make and manage money. Showcases real-life kids, who usually use the Internet to create and grow their own businesses. Maybe a little advanced for some K-1 students, but I believe most kids are savvy enough to handle this show.

4. The Zula Patrol, PBS
With a focus on science and astronomy, this show breaks down scientific concepts for the preK-2nd grade set. CGI characters travel space and solve problems.

5. Fetch!, PBS
This show is hilarious! Here's the description straight from the website: (plus I'm getting tired now.)

Part game show, part reality TV, and part spoof, FETCH! features real kids, real challenges, real science, and an unreal host named Ruff Ruffman (yes, he's an animated dog!) Featuring 20 half-hour episodes, FETCH! mixes live-action with animation and breaks the mold with its educational and comical take on America's newest television genre. Targeting six- to ten-year olds, it is spontaneous, unscripted, and full of twists.

Yes, I have a bias towards PBS - but that is because their educational concepts are clearly defined. Not to mention, all of these shows have online resources for parents and teachers.

So, there's my top 5. Do you agree? Did I miss a show? Leave your responses in the comments.