Tech+tips+&+Tools

=Tech Tips & Tools:=

Working in the “Cloud” Technology Tools for Presentation and Collaboration

Here are some suggested open source (free) technology application tools for collaborating on projects and creating presentations that move beyond PowerPoint. The advantage for using these resources includes interactivity and coordinated work that can be shared from anywhere in cyberspace with an internet connection. All of the suggested tools are currently being used by students in classrooms throughout the United States, and when you log into the applications, be sure to look at the tutorials, and examples, for an idea of how they are being used.

When using internet resources, keep in mind that you will need to be aware of copyright and ethical issues. If you are using images and/or text from a website, be sure to check if they are subject to copyright restrictions, and cite the sources. You can copy and paste the URL at the bottom of an image, or set up a Works Cited page within your presentation.

If you use materials from Flicker [], and [|Creative Commons] http://creativecommons.org/, those are available for public use. Try those resources first. For organization of resources online:
 * [|Livebinders] http://livebinders.com/
 * [|Delicious] (Bookmarking on the web) []
 * [|Diigo] (Bookmarking on the web) []

For presentations: It’s like a poster with live links It’s similar to a graphic organizer with live links and an visual adventure in zooming A way to present slides, such as powerpoint that allows the presenter to add a narrative, and also for participants to leave text or audio messages and comments.
 * Glogster: []
 * Prezi: []
 * Voicethread: http://voicethread.com/

For collaboration: Wikis: Set up a group to collaborate on a project. Add pages, links, images-can have private or public access


 * PBWiki []
 * Wikispaces http://www.wikispaces.com/

Google Apps-access through a gmail account-drop down menu-“more” and “even more” [] Websites:
 * Docs-word documents, presentations, spreadsheets, etc., can be shared and edited by a group, downloaded, exported to websites, etc.
 * Blogs-Blogger
 * Websites-Google sites
 * Picture/photo editing-Picasa, Picnik
 * Weebley-website authoring tool-really easy! Group can work together to develop pages. []

Other tools: Creating a classroom floor plan: Classroom Architect [|http://classroom.4teachers.org/]; Drag and drop items into your ideal classroom space Floorplanner [|http://www.floorplanner.com/]; Not specifically for classrooms, but really neat-can be seen in either 2d and 3d visual

Podcasts: Create audio files for embedding in websites, blogs, and more.
 * Audacity-PCs and Macs: []
 * Garageband-MACs []

Vodcasts:
 * Youtube []
 * Teachertube []

Publishing tools:
 * Wordpress: [] Blogging
 * Blogster []
 * Jing (Screen capture) []
 * Photo Story-digital storytelling []

=Welcome to the Twitterverse: Tips and Tricks from Meg and others!=

There is so much information about Twitter out on the World Wide Web. I highly recommend Jennifer LaGuard's perspective on her Library Girl blog. Start there if you wish: I really can't say it any better. Why Become a Connected Librarian

Are you on Twitter? If so, add your handle here so we can follow one another and build upon our #PLNs (Professional Learning Networks).


 * @meg_allison
 * @jelkaplan

Also, hashtags are a great way to search for topics and people of interest. You can always use these hashtags and not ever enter into a "chat". That's just the way they were created. The ones I mentioned include:
 * #tlchat = teacher librarian chat
 * #edchat = educational chat
 * #edtechchat = educational tech
 * #vted = Vermont education
 * #vsla = Vermont School Library Association

Aggregators (dashboards) for Twitter: Avoid the Firehose

Hootsuite

Tweetdeck

Top 50 dashboards

= Vermont Learning Network videoconferencing for schools =

Here is the link for the website that has information about scheduling, training, and tech help

@http://www.learn.vermont.gov/default.htm

More info on the Ve2 exchange: LNV

=iPads= Have a great resource of iPad learning? Please add here.
 * 36 Core Teacher Apps for Inquiry

Tech Tips from our VIT sessions:

 * Padlet: Wallwisher is now called Padlet. Padlet is an internet application that allows people to express their thoughts on a common topic easily. It works like an online sheet of paper where people can put any content (text, images, videos, documents) anywhere on the page, together with anyone, on any device. Best of all, no login or sign-in is required to contribute to a wall. Set up your own account to create a wall. The one we started at our VIT session is called EDLI 272. Keep adding to it!


 * Order in the Library shelving game. Needs Flash Player

>> [|gClassFolders]- google apps school; hierarchical folder share system >> human body app ([|here]) >> Moodle: VUHS Virtual Learning Environment ([|here]) >> Infuse Learning ([|here]) >> Desmos Graphing Calculator ([|here]) >> Meraki ([|here]) free version available >> ScreenLeap ([|here]) >> movenote ([|here]) >> wevideo ([|here]) >> haikudeck ([|here])
 * [|Graphite] is a site developed and launched by CommonSenseMedia that provides reviews of websites, apps, and educational games. While you’re at it, explore [|CommonSenseMedia]; this is a one-stop-shop for so many different topics. I refer to the [|Educator’s Scope and Sequence] multiple times throughout the year.
 * [|Scholastic Story Starters] has been a huge hit in our 3-5 classrooms...the kids love the randomness of it as well as the option to draw. It seems to be free...so far!
 * Mystery Skype with another Vermont school and in the process learned more about Vermont's geography and geography in general
 * [|Typing Club]. It's free (and ad free and spam free!) and you can easily set up your classes and have them go through the preloaded lessons. Super easy and such a great resource. I highly recommend it.
 * [|Learning Games For Kids]has some great typing and keyboarding skills games that my students at Woodbury love to use. They have gotten kind of bored with typing web, and needed some other option to work on their keyboarding.
 * One resource that I have seen lots of teachers use is [|Wordle]. You can create cool visual art and it is a great way for students to be creative. It's also free and easy to use!
 * Kids do enjoy these! We had a lot of trouble with Wordle on our netbooks and Macs but luckily [|abcya.com] offers Word Clouds at.
 * [|__Tagxedo__]  is similar to Wordle but words within the cloud are clickable and link to google searches. An additional feature is the ability to add shapes to the cloud.
 * I really like the website [|__iCivics__]  it's legitimately entertaining games about civics. And none of the games are rip offs of facebook games with just an educational varnish, they represent a nuanced understanding of how our government truly functions.
 * When working on math facts or math practice with kids I had often used [|__FunBrain__] . On this site the students or the teacher can pick the level that they need to be at when practicing or "playing' in the math arcade. They also have some literacy portions of the site as well. [|__www.coolmath-games.com__]  is another site that I have used with kids. I think that when using technology with kids, it is one way to try and differentiate what they are doing. [|__www.abcteach.com__]  is also a great site for resources too.
 * A perfect tool for the K-12 Teacher-Librarian tool belt is a site called [|__Wonderopolis__] . It is all about inquiry, inquiry, inquiry! Everyday, a different Wonder is posted, piquing the curiosity of learners of all ages.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">To find tech tools the first place I check is the [|__American Association of School Librarians Best Websites 2013.__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is an great place to start a search for the perfect tech tool for your next collaboration with a colleague.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">The second place I turn to is [|__The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE____®____)__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">. “ISTE represents more than 100,000 education leaders and emerging leaders throughout the world and informs its members regarding educational issues of national and global scope.”
 * [|__Smore__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">: Easily create flyers and newsletters online with Smore! You can embed links, audio, video, pictures, and text into your flyers and newsletters and then publish instantly. Grades 6-12.
 * [|__GamestarMechanic__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">: This great Website is a game and online community that teaches people how to design their own games. It offers an engaging environment that allows users to share games and has a teacher's page with useful lesson plans.
 * [|__Inklewriter__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">: This dynamic site will motivate any writer to become the next great author. Inklewriter allows for interactive writing and the creation of choose your own ending stories.
 * [|__Biblionasium__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">: This is a free, protected social network for children ages 6-13 designed to engage, encourage and excite young people about reading. Teachers can track the progress of individual students, groups or classes as well as generate reports on what each student is reading and at what level, using the Lexile measures provided.
 * [|__QuadBlogging__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">: This blog site connects students in four different schools from around the world to blog with a purpose. Teachers sign up on this site and are linked with three other schools to provide an opportunity for elementary and secondary students to blog with each other. Grades 3-12.
 * [|__StudyLadder__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">: This Website was built by teachers for teachers and aligns with the Curriculum and Standards. Studyladder membership is free to teachers and schools. The activities offer a game-like feel yet builds conceptual understanding and is supportive of the flipped classroom concept.
 * [|__19Pencils__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">: This site is an easy to use online platform for locating and sharing PreK – 6 educational resources. It offers both free and paid subscriptions.
 * [|__Edudemic__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">: This site is a wonderful educational technology website. It's for both students and teachers and is filled with forums, articles, ideas, and resources on anything and everything technology. It also offers teachers some really great teacher's guides.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here is another [|__list of tools__] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"> I provide to students in a tech course I teach. These are some easy-to-use, free-to-use tools that I turn to when I’m looking to engage myself or my students in learning.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Open Sans'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">Looking for more? These came from a “smackdown” at the end of an edcamp session at VTFest this week: