Tutorials for Web 2.0 Tools

As the summer is winding down, we are all set for some review and thinking about those Web 2.0 tools that will really enhance instruction this year. Many of you who have been in my workshops know that I showed these tools, but did not delve deeply into the way to use them. I referred you to some tutorials. Now, just in time, all week long, Mr. Byrne who writes Free Technology For Teachers (who I do not think took one vacation day from posting all summer) has prepared some excellent tutorials that make all of these wonderful tools so "user friendly". I have listed and linked you to each of this week's blog postings as he took one tool each day except yesterday when he did a post on Animoto and Voice Thread. The others are for Wikispaces (Make sure you are on the teachers' page so your wiki will be free and ad-free. For the blogs, he uses Edublogs, Blogger, and Word Press.
So for a quick review or to remember why you thought all of these had such potential for the new school year, these tutorials will get you started. Thank you Mr. Byrne!

Using Wikispaces for Creating Wikis
Setting Up A Blog
How To Use Glogster For Education
Animoto and Voice Thread Tutorials
Another Post About Animoto

Get Ready For Some Special Offers For Teachers

This is the time of year that all of the stores are offering specials on school supplies. They are also doing their best to get teachers into their stores. Two stores that will really have "Teacher Appreciation Day" Specials will be office Max and Staples. For both of these, it would be wise to join their Teacher Awards Programs now, so that you can become aware of these specials as soon as they are happening. I know that Office Max is no offering 50% laminating for teachers who are members of the Teacher Perks Award Program. I know they once had Free laminating, but they could not keep up with the demand and have now instituted the 50% policy which is very nice if you have a lot of laminating to do.
Here is what you need to do now:
Join Office Max Teachers Perks Program by going to the Office Max Perks Website and click on the dark grey box on the right that is for teachers. Sign up for a card with your email address and you will be notified of their special Teacher Appreciation Day. From what their Customer Service person told me when I called is that on certain days when they sell school supplies for a penny, teachers with the Awards Card, will have no limits on how many they buy, where others will be limited.
Staples is having a Teacher Appreciation Day in August. Go HERE to find out the day and date in your area. They also have a Teacher Rewards Card that I signed up for. You will then earn Reward Points and get emails about their specials for teachers.
I know you all spend way too much money out of your own pockets - so maybe this little bit of information will help!

Using Wordles To Make Kids Think

Jen Wagner (who I believe never sleeps) has created a group of very clever "brain stimulating" exercises that you can use with your students. They are created from Wordle, a site that allows you to convert text into various shapes. Here is Jen's description:

Guess The Wordle Level 1

Cost: $5.00

Guess the Wordle is a collection of Wordles which are randomly generated text images using specifially selected words and numbers. Each image imbodies a task. The task requires problem solving skills which range from basic knowledge and comprehension skills at level 1 , comprehension and classification skills in level 2, and highest levels of critical thinking in Blooms Taxonomy when they attempt to solve level 3 problems which require them to look beyond simple categories and classifications to a more specific answer.

Included in your purchase is:

52 Guess The Wordle Puzzles Level 1

1 PowerPoint presentation of GTW Level 1

1 PDF color print of GTW Level 1 (For use on bulletin boards/document cameras)

1 zipped file of GTW in jpeg format to transfer to your ipod/ipod touch

Instructions on how to transfer the files.

10% of all sales from GTW Book 1 Level 1 will be donated to the NECC NEWBIE 2010

(http://bethstill.edublogs.org/2009/07/11/how-to-support-the-iste10-newbie/)

After you payment is received, you will receive a link to download the files.

---

All wordles in this book were created by Jennifer Wagner and/or Kathy Shields.

We would like to thank Wordle.net for the generosity in allowing their images to be

licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

If you have any questions, please contact us at guess the wordle (at) gmail (dot) com

I truly believe that Jen and Kathy are literally giving this away for $5.00. I thought I would help them spread the word and help you to have these "brain teasers" handy when you want to have your students think in a brand new way!

P.S. I have not figured out today's Wordle!

Flashcards, Flashcards, and More Flashcards

I know....I know....It has again been awhile since I posted anything. I have to tell you, in my defense, that in the summer the "pickings" are slim. Many of my favorite bloggers, podcasters, and newsletter writers take a little time off for themselves and I certainly understand that. I have not seen many websites that have shouted out, "You just have to blog about that!" in a while.
Today as I read through this weekend's blogs, one of my favorite blogs, Free Technology For Teachers had written a wonderful blog about 10 different websites that allowed you to find, share, and make your own flashcards for numbers or vocabulary. I was going to pick and choose a few and blog about them, but they all sounded so good that I thought the best thing to do is to share the site where you can find the entire blog. It can be found at Ten Places To Make and Find Flashcards Online.
My advice is to, after reading the blog, pick two or three to try out and then pick no more than two that you are going to use during the school year as your tool for making flashcards. No one needs ten different tools that you use to make flashcards. That is much too confusing. I am sure you will find the one that is just right for you!
Do enjoy the rest of your summer. Mine is going way too fast. I am doing quite a few workshops leading up to the opening days of school in different cities. Maybe I will see some of you!

Some Learning Games That Really Teach

I hope that most of you are taking advantage of some "relaxation" time this summer. But, if I know teachers as I think I do, many of you are starting to think of the new school year and taking a few hours each day to make some plans and to find some new activities. There certainly a lot of interactive activities here at e-Learning For Kids , a site that I discovered on one of my favorite blogs Free Technology For Teachers. This site refers to all of the activities as "courses" for students, however I think they are interactive websites that will help to develop a concept or idea within your curriculum. Each activity, in so many categories, provides both learning and practice. This website offers activities in math, language arts, science, computer skills, health and life skills, and ESL/EFL. Each one is listed with a brief description and a recommended age group. e-Learning for Kids is available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. I think you will want to take a quick look at this website now and come back to it when you are really in the "school mode"! Enjoy the rest of the summer. The weather is finally beautiful in Cleveland.

Playing For Change

Many of you are just embarking on some time to take things a little easier - of course, except for all of those things you saved to do this summer. I know for a fact that teachers never really leave their classrooms behind for the summer - just maybe just a little bit in the background. I thought I would share something inspirational with you this evening.

Playing for Change is an inspirational music project that celebrates diversity and culture that was born out of the idea that through music we can inspire each other to come together as a human race. The project started four years ago on the streets of Santa Monica, with the recording of a street musician playing Stand by Me. Make sure you first listen to the introduction.

This was shared today in a newsletter that arrives each week with one new website. It is called Worthwhile Websites and is sent by Sandra Gluth of Canada. Sign up so that you will start receiving her emails in the Fall. Thanks, Sandra - I really liked this.

I am doing a two day workshop tomorrow and the participants are receiving graduate credit. This means that we go from 8:30 AM to 4:00 each day. I hope I can keep "up"!

Whatever you are doing this summer - take some time for yourself. I will keep blogging as things look appealing.


NEW! Playing for Change
http://www.playingforchange.com
Playing for Change, an inspirational music project that celebrates diversity and culture, started four years ago on the streets of Santa Monica with the recording of a street musician playing Stand by Me. The project was born out of the idea that we can inspire each other to come together as a human race and that music is one way to achieve this. Playing for Change contains videos and musical recordings of artists that have been recorded over the years. Start with the Introduction. And for the Stand By Me video by itself, go here: http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741

*This site is also listed under The Arts.

Sandra Gluth :-)

Phonics Practice

This is for the teachers of very young children. Having something that is interactive with audio and a pleasing visual will go a long way in helping with phonic sounds and how they blend into words. Such a site is Phonics Training Ground , a simple online interactive for teaching and learning letter sounds. I found this on Larry Ferlazzo's blog today. It is a very short game but one to add to your list of activities for teaching the sounds with interactivity and multi-media.