teachusingtechnology.com

There is no doubt about it, school districts across America are increasing class size and this reduces the amount of instructional minutes that each individual student has with their teacher. I think every student deserves some time, if even momentary, to communicate with a teacher one-on-one. As we peer out at our classrooms, it is evident some students require more attention than others because of their academic regression and deservedly so, we give them the time they need. But have you ever wished you could clone yourself, so you could be in more than one place at time in your classroom? That time is now! Use an iPod to deliver valuable and meaningful instruction while you evaluate and help students individually. Additionally, it provides students with a self-paced lesson. The students that get it, move on and the students that require more time can pause and review any portion of the lesson. I found out that our district had 20 iPod Touches ready for classroom check-out. Using an iPod for instruction gives you instant buy-in from students, not to mention your coolness factor goes up a notch or two. So here is what I did:

1. Acquired iPods

2. Record a screen cast movie to provide students with a content lesson -Here I use Jing to produce my screen casts. You can choose to use any screen cast software.

3. Open iTunes, Go to File>Add to Library>Select your movie file

4. In iTunes, select your movie>Advanced tab>Create iPod Version

5. Connect iPod to your computer (If a school iPod is being used, you can set it to manual by clicking on the black icon of the iPod)

6. Drag the iPod version of the screencast lesson that you created into the ipod and your done.

The lesson is now viewable, you can help individuals and small groups!

Hello and thank you to all the people that attended "Igniting the Mathematical Mind" session at CUE on Friday (3/5 ) @ 11:30 AM! Jamie Sweet and myself really enjoyed ourselves and you were a great audience! We would really love to hear from you. We have posted how to create many of the games that we covered in our session. If you see something that is not there and would like to know how to create it, please let us know. Also, if you have time, please visit Session Evaluations (Friday @ 11:30 AM)and evaluate our session, Thanks! Click on the CUE 2010 tab above to access the videos. Subscribe to access the latest videos!

I was recently honored as my school's teacher of the year. I am very appreciative that my colleagues would distinguish me in this way. A few days later I received a message from the district that I could apply for the district teacher of the year award. Lucky me, more paperwork! Well, I decided to do it. I wanted people to know how I felt about using technology in the classroom and I did. I spoke about the inadequacies in today's educational landscape and how we need to move forward in our instruction, because the students are up there waiting for us. They are waiting for us to teach them how to podcast, the are waiting for us to teach them how make movies and they are waiting for us teachers to catch up so they can teach us a thing or two. We need to learn to be the experts in any types of technology and often times we will have overwhelming support by the bright-eyed and bushy tailed students in our classrooms around the world. I use to love playing video games as a child. Space Invaders and Centipede were my favorite. Games have come a long way since then, but if I look back at those games and how they grabbed my attention, that is what we need to do all the time: grab their attention and keep it! Video games are nothing more than interactive television. Instead of watching the Simpsons or CSI, you get to control the characters, you get be part of the action and this is exciting! In education, we need to let student be part of the action. We compete with cell phones and text messaging, so wouldn't it be great to tell students to pull their cell phones out and not to turn them off and put them away. Some may think this is far fetched and that students are just going to use this technology to cheat. Maybe we need to re-evaluate how assessments are being given. At polleverywhere.com you can try this by using this website as a differentiated way to take quiz or ask a poll question when there isn't any money in the school budget for individual responders. You might even say that every student does not a cell phone or have a text plan, I say buddy up, "pair share." There are always problems, some students don't even come to school with paper and pencil to work with. This will always be a problem, but let's not make it an excuse. I am driven to, not only highlight the fact that teachers at all levels must join the 21st century, but I am also willing to help you get there. Polleverywhere.com is one of many sites that is a class 'A' tool for learning. Here are some others links to sites that I will be making tutorials for in the near future: jott.com qik.com glogster.com animoto.com

Activstudio 3 is a wonderful piece of software that comes with the purchase of a Promethean Activboard. Some of you may have just received your Promethean board and your not sure where to begin. Sure, you can start writing on the board and even begin to bring in a few shapes or text but you want more, so did I! What I'm about to explain is an easy way to get you and your students started in just minutes.

1. Open Activstudio 3 Professional
2. Click on your RESOURCE LIBRARY
3. Click on the SHARED SHAPES ICON
4. Expand shared shapes and click on SQUARES AND RECTANGLES
5. Drag a HORIZONTAL RECTANGLE onto your blank flip chart (do this 3 times)
6. Expand the rectangles so that they are all of equal size and so that they cover the entire flip chart and are connected
7. Now, click on the first rectangle, from the color palette click on green and then click on the FILL TOOL icon (the bucket), move it over the first rectangle and click the space bar. The rectangle should have changed to green.
8. Leave the second rectangle black
9. Repeat step 7 for the third triangle, but change it to blue
10. Double click on the first rectangle and click on the icon, OBJECTS TO BACK. Repeat this step for the third rectangle
11. Double click on the second rectangle and click on the icon, OBJECTS TO FRONT
12. Let's add some text! Click on the TEXT TOOL ("T") and move the cursor over the first rectangle, towards the top portion and click the space bar. An area for you to type and a text palette will open.
13. On the text palette change the color to blue and type 1.23 + 0.02 = ?
14. Press the space bar 7 times (or so), change the text color to green and type ? = 1.25
15. Un-check the BACKGROUND box on the TEXT PALETTE
16. Close the TEXT PALETTE

Note: that when un-checking the background box, at times it converts back. Simply go back and un-check the background box.

There you have it! A revealing flip chart template. Move the math question from the left to the right and it will magically disappear and the answer will appear in the blue section. You can use this template to further be creative and add objects, multiple backgrounds and much, much more! Have fun with it. If you have any questions leave a comment or e-mail me. I am glad to help!

If you are more of a visual person, click on the tutorials tab for a video enhanced explanation!

If you have a Mac and it has the Leopard Operating System, then you have Photo Booth. If you do not see it in the lower icon tray, then you can find it in the applications folder from the desktop Macintosh HD icon. Once you find the Photo Booth icon, drag it to your icons tray. What is nice about this version of Photo Booth is that it has the capability of inserting a static (still)  image or a dynamic (moving) image behind you as you record yourself in front of the image. It is very easy work with and gives, you the teacher, a great way to demonstrate a lesson or students the ability to create great projects. Creating is at the top of the updated Blooms Taxonomy model, so this is just another way to create, design and develop. Look under the TUTORIALS tab for step by step instructions on how to create a presentation using Photo Booth and its green screen properties.

In the never ending commitment to enhance the presentation of content, I give you SKITCH! This freeware, in beta version, is truly dynamic and has changed the way I review homework or introduce new material. Skitch allows you to snap, draw and share. I use this tool in conjunction with my wireless Wacom tablet. I am able to quickly access the internet, open Skitch, click on snap which displays cross-hairs that enable me to snap a shot of whatever I would like to highlight. Then I can annotate or draw on the whatever I have snapped. Avery simple tool with and endless amount uses. Go check it out. Download it. Have fun while getting your students attention.