Students are able to add nearly any content to a [...]]]> You’ve heard of blogs, but what about glogs?  Teachers looking for that next Web 2.0 project idea may want to try Glogster EDU.  Glogster gives students a web-based way to add text, pictures, audio, and video to an interactive web page.  Think PowerPoint meets Google Sites.

Students are able to add nearly any content to a “poster” that allows a viewer to read text, enlarge photos, and play media files.  The glog is simply an interesting way to display content, but having students use this tool gives them valuable skills in the use of technology.

NOTE: This is the EDU version of Glogster.  This EDUcational site protects students in many ways from inappropriate content, and allows a lot of teacher management of student accounts (students do NOT need email addresses to use this application).  There is a NON-educational Glogster site, but it is a completely separate entity.  Glogster will not even allow you to use the same account for both sites.

Here are a couple of interesting examples:

Elementary Science (click and HOLD the mouse button down to enlarge photos)

Middle School science

Social Studies (Election of 1912)

Using Audacity, you [...]]]> Did you know that you can download sounds and sound effects from our Clipart.com for Schools subscription?  These sounds are great to use in SMART Notebook lesson activities, but they are all in the WAV format, and SMART Notebook really only likes the MP3 format.  How do you convert them?  EASILY of course!

Using Audacity, you simply open the sound file you have saved from the clipart site.  You then use the Export feature to save it as an MP3.  If you’ve ever recorded student voices, the Export feature is old hat!  Do you need to see this in action?  I thought so–look at the video below for help!

By the way, when you log into http://schools.clipart.com  at school, the clipart site is ready to use, but from home you need the user name and password.  You can find them in First Class by going to District Conferences, then K-6 Technology, and opening the Websites for Teachers file.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While [...]]]> After having a SMART Board in your classroom for a couple of years, you are probably familiar with many of the things you can do with the SMART Board and Notebook software.  The next level of SMART Board use is to focus on how your subject area can be enhanced by using the SMART Board.

While there are many things you can do if you are interested in creating your own work, there are many sources of pre-made Notebook lesson activities.  For example, a great source of SMART Notebook lessons in math can be found at Harvey’s Homepage.

Harvey Almarode is a retired math curriculum supervisor who now works at James Madison University in their education department.  He seems to spend most of his time creating SMART Notebook lesson activities for math teachers.  It’s probably the most valuable math resource for SMART Boards in existence.

If you’re an elementary teacher, you might want to check out the Number Sense area, or if you are at the middle school, you may be interested in the Patterns, Algebra, and Functions area.

Something to look forward to?  How about SMART Notebook Math Tools?  This is a software plug-in for Notebook that adds a secondary toolbar which gives you access to an equation editor, math ink recognition, math actions (automatic simplification of terms and graphing!), irregular polygon creator, and MUCH MORE!  Holy cow, if you are a math teacher and are wondering how to add afterburners to your SMART Board, this is it!

What is this good for?  If you are simply a science aficionado, it’s fun, but in the classroom, the podcasts [...]]]> What can you learn about science in 60-seconds?  How about the fact that chickens see more colors than we do?  Scientific American posts daily facts about science that are available as 60-second audio files–yes, a podcast!

What is this good for?  If you are simply a science aficionado, it’s fun, but in the classroom, the podcasts are great openers for class, or you can use them as a model for students to create their own podcasts about scientific topics.

Student podcasts can be limited to 60 seconds as well, be recorded with Audacity (on our computers), saved to a Student Share folder, and uploaded to your teacher website.

Do you want to try this with your class?  Drop me a note, and I’ll help you get started!

Robin Van Der Linda, a sixth grade language arts teacher at CMS, recently put together an entire review lesson using the Lesson Activity Toolkit in the Gallery tab.  [...]]]> Putting our educational technology tools to use in the language arts classroom is never a challenge when you use the Lesson Activity Toolkit in SMART Notebook!

Robin Van Der Linda, a sixth grade language arts teacher at CMS, recently put together an entire review lesson using the Lesson Activity Toolkit in the Gallery tab.  Her students (and one of the vice principals) enjoyed plenty of interactive fun as they moved answers around on the SMART Board.

Well, times have changed, and I was in a school yesterday whose library didn’t even have [...]]]> Remember that logo?  For many of us, research began in the library with a trip to the reference section’s gleaming World Book Encyclopedia.  It’s many volumes glistening with gold leaf and promising all the knowledge we needed at our fingertips.

Well, times have changed, and I was in a school yesterday whose library didn’t even have an encyclopedia!  What’s a kid to do when it comes time to write that report (or make that Power Point slide) about African Elephants?  Google just isn’t reliable, and sometimes even NetTrekker doesn’t provide a student with the right websites for the job.

Fortunately, World Book Online is here for students to use.  Lafayette School and middle school students are able to log in (see your teacher for the password) to see not only the core content of the famous World Book encyclopedia but also videos, timelines, research folders, and monthly updates to all sorts of entries.

One of the neatest features is the “My Research” area.  After signing in, students are able to create a space for them to store bibliographic information, notes, and entire World Book articles.

So no more looking at volumes S-Sn and So-Sz!  Log onto WorldBook.com today and try searching for the quality information you need and can trust.

How can you harness the interesting educational possibilities of the blog?  Your Schoolwires Centricity teacher website is the perfect starting point, and the latest Tech Talk [...]]]> What qualifies as new media for Media Monday?  Certainly photos, video, web 2.0 applications come to mind, but would you consider the blog a part of new media?  Of course!

How can you harness the interesting educational possibilities of the blog?  Your Schoolwires Centricity teacher website is the perfect starting point, and the latest Tech Talk instructional video is a hilarious romp through the steps required to use this simple, yet powerful, tool.  Episode 8 is posted now, and you can browse all our episodes at Tech Talk’s blog.

Using a webcam and Skype, a few students [...]]]> How are we the same?  How are we different?  It’s easy to have that discussion among the students in our classes, but what are kids like outside Chatham?  Sandy Kelly, Michelle Monahan, and Jennifer Lehotay-Taylor have regular visits with fellow third grade students in Illinois to find out.

Using a webcam and Skype, a few students eagerly take their places in front of the computer to exchange questions and comments with third graders in Mrs. Palm’s class at the Greenbrier Elementary School in Arlington Heights, IL, outside Chicago.

The latest exchange between the students was about being responsible at home . Colin shared how he is responsible by taking out his dog, Coal , twice daily.  Michael shared that he is responsible for all the household recycling and maintaining his room, and Carly shared how she also took her dog out for walks and cared for her own belongings and room.

Mrs. Palm’s class is compiling information about the 50 United States, so each week, our students provide facts about New Jersey to their friends in Illinois.  Are you interested in interesting facts bout New Jersey?  The official state facts are here, but for things you didn’t know about New Jersey, try Hangout NJ  which is sponsored by the State of NJ.

If you’re looking for something you haven’t seen before, how about an online community for interactive whiteboards? Your SMART Board is part of the general category of “interactive whiteboards” because there [...]]]> Just a reminder to check the Tech Talk video blog at http://techtalk.chatham-nj.org, and that we’re now on YouTube with our own channel at http://www.youtube.com/sdoctechtalk.

If you’re looking for something you haven’t seen before, how about an online community for interactive whiteboards? Your SMART Board is part of the general category of “interactive whiteboards” because there are SMART Boards, Promethean boards (also called Activboards), Hitachi FX-Duo boards, mimio boards, etc.

The Interactive Whiteboard Revolution (http://iwbrevolution.ning.com/) may be just the source you need for finding resources and connecting with other interactive whiteboard users. It’s a Ning group, so you may join it if you like!

While reading Helen Keller’s Miracle Worker, Lisa McTague had an interesting challenge on [...]]]> With six more months of school, it’s time to think about updating your teacher website, but what can you do to make it more interesting to students and teachers while using your time effectively? How about incorporating student work into your website?

While reading Helen Keller’s Miracle Worker, Lisa McTague had an interesting challenge on her website for her students. One student would use sign language to spell a word or sign a phrase while another student videotaped the sign language. Lisa then posted the video with a challenge to the students: “Send me an email telling me what the sign language video means.”

Have a look by visiting her website HERE.