Web 2.0 Camp Reflection

I'm so glad I decided to attend this workshop. Even though I've been using virtually all of the tools we explored, I still feel like I benefitted from this course. Seeing which tools are accessible within Klein ISD and discussing how we can use these tools in the classroom has given me several new ideas for instruction and learning. I'm looking forward to using what I've learned in the upcoming school year!

Podcasting - A Byte Sized Education Tool

Podcasts, Vodcasts, etc. can be a great tool to address the needs of diverse learners. They provide a great way to share information with a large audience in an anytime, anywhere format. Check out this 60 second podcast on inattention. For more resources and information on how you can get started with podcasting using Audacity, check out the links in this document created by Klein's Education Technology Department.

Audacity Information

Examples of Podcasts

60 Second Science
http://podcast.sciam.com/daily/sa_d_podcast_110101.mp3

60 Second Civics
http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=60_second_civics_podcast

Heart Disease Project http://web1.caryacademy.org/facultywebs/joselyn_todd/AMTP/pfh/podcasts_from_the_heart.htm#video

Student VodCast – Use to practice Spanish
http://www.ahisd.net/campuses/cambridge/podcasts/espanol.htm

Mabryonline
http://mabryonline.org/podcasts/archives/teacher_podcasts/index.html

Real Math Episode 1
http://classroom.kleinisd.net/webs/measterday1/podcast.htm

Benfer Bobcat library: Select Good Boy, Fergus by David Shannon
http://classroom.kleinisd.net/webs/benferlibrary/bobcat_book_reviews.htm

Texas History podcasts:
http://www.texasstories.com/

Scientific American podcast Has all the 60-second Science podcasts
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/


Podcasting Resources

http://kerileebeasley.com/2009/04/08/10-great-ways-to-use-audacity-with-your-students/

http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/17-audacity-tutorial.htm

http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/seven-reasons-to-create-your-own-podcast.htm


Music Resources

Free Play Music: http://freeplaymusic.com/
Free Student Educational Use: Music may be used by students within a school or class assignment. The assignment must be part of their curriculum, must only be viewed or heard within the classroom, campus, on a school’s closed circuit television and/or public announcement system and shall be free from any charge or admission fee. This may not be put on a website.

Royalty Free Music
http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/free-music-resources.html
We have permission to repost this music on an educational website (your teacher website).



Musopen: http://www.musopen.com
Musopen is a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on improving access and exposure to music by creating free resources and educational materials. They provide recordings, sheet music, and textbooks to the public for free, without copyright restrictions.

PacDV Sound Effects: http://www.pacdv.com/sounds/
TERMS OF USE: You may use the sound effects on this web site free of charge in your video, film, audio and multimedia productions but DO NOT re-sell them, post on a web site for download, or link directly to individual sound files. If you use these sound effects, please consider linking back to this site but you don't have to.

Thank you for taking the time at the end of a long day to learn something new — it was great to see you at the T-60 on Audacity yesterday! We hope that you learned how easy it would be for you or your students to create a podcast like the Benfer Book Reviews or the 60-Second Science.

As a reminder, if you would like to have Audacity on any computer in your classroom, you can go to RAP. Be sure to run two applications:
· PKG-Audacity-PRG Audacity
· PKG-Audacity-PRG-MP3 Encoder

The attachment to this email includes information about where you can find music files and sound files for use in your recordings. Please ensure that you follow the copyright information that is included about the kinds of files that can and can’t be posted on your teacher website. The document also lists websites that include podcasts and websites that provide Audacity tutorials.

One of the best places to go for almost all software tutorials is Atomic Learning: http://www.atomiclearning.com
· Username: entire Klein email address (EX: mkreml@kleinisd.net )
· Password: klein — unless you changed it. (If you enter the incorrect password, you can ask for a new password to be sent to your Klein email. Watch for it then in your Junk mail.)

Using Wikis as Collaborative Tools

This morning we looked at wikis. Topics addressed included: what are they, how can they be used for collaboration, and how can I use wikis to improve instruction and learning. I'm excited that I finally got a chance to make a home page for my Klein private label wiki and am looking forward to using this tool with my students!

Fun With Images and Photos

This afternoon we played with Flickr, a web based photo storage and organizing tool. Another tool available through Google is Picasa which I have used before but is not accessible from our school network. Here is a picture that I uploaded to Flickr followed by edits I made to the picture using Picnik. Web based tools are a great way to store, organize, personalize, and share your photos with family, friends, and anyone else you so choose.

Saving Time with RSS

conciselearning.com

This morning I have spent some time learning about RSS and exploring how I can use RSS to keep up with topics of interest without having to visit individual sites. With RSS, I am automatically notified when new information I might be interested in is posted. Although most of the sites I routinely use are not RSS enabled, I found an RSS feed for Concise Learning which I would like to follow. This site has lots of information for students about learning, processing information, and studying which can increase student achievement. If you like thinking maps and scaffolding, this site will be of interest to you. Check out this video on Studying vs. Learning for a glimpse into what this web site offers.

Web 2.0 Reflection

Web 2.0 allows us to move into a new frontier of internet technology. Instead of simply using the internet as a resource to locate information, we can now use the internet to interact with a global audience. Web 2.0 tools allow users to create, store, and share with others and have opened doors for communication that were previously unavailable or available only at a high cost. In the Web 2.0 world, the sky is the limit!

If you are interested in a Web 2.0 tool that will allow you to become an author and share your work with others, check out CAST UDL BOOKBUILDER. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that students of any age can sign up for accounts and utilize this resource so it's a great way of integrating your curriculum with a technology rich environment!

Today I revisited my Delicious account that I set up last year and promptly forgot about. I'd forgotten how cool this tool is and am going to make a better effort to utilize this resource to improve instruction and learning!

Web 2.0 Camp Goals

This week I am attending a Web 2.0 camp offerred through my school district. Although I have been using Web 2.0 tools for the past two years for my graduate studies, I really haven't used them to facilitate instruction and learning in the classroom. My goal for this week is to find out what tools and applications are offerred within Klein ISD that I can integrate into my curriculum to address the needs and desires of the digital natives in my classroom. I hope to engage my students by allowing them to create assessment products that utilize technologies common in today's workplace preparing them for life beyond the classroom!