run into quite the same kind of resistance you seem to have experienced, I have to admit when I start talking about tech tools and the like, most of my colleagues haven't a clue about what I am raving. So, I just try to keep on keeping on, and to borrow some of your chosen words, attempting to inspire the kids to want to be excited about learning something, hopefully produce some insanely great work, and ultimately change the way that they see the world! Lofty goals to be sure, but as Daniel Burnham once said, "Make no small plans, for they do not have the stuff to stir men's blood." So, viva manifesto! Viva mystial!…
ise challenge; and GCompris for younger learners.
Google Earth is a must (and runs perfectly after performing the speed tweaks) and so is a program called Celtx that I use with my Media Studies class for planning productions, but can be adapted for other uses too.
A little "hidden" secret is the fact that the Asus repos hold LinDVD (the Linux version of InterVideo's WinDVD) which is exciting for those of us who use Linux on our bigger laptops (even though it's probably horrendously illegal).
I also have OpenArena running on mine which, while it probably has anti-educational value, is brilliant for playing on the train and runs like a peach.…
o ANYTHING!
Btw....do you have a skype account....I forget....or better yet...never asked!
As for the music recording....I used Audacity for the Crazy Monkeys song "episode 3" and a boss Br1180 recording studio.....a long time ago!
I have a quick favor.....whenever you want to talk about the show..... email me at theteacherslife@gmail.com that way I can keep track of what the hell is going on! I have too many boards and comment boxes going on!
If it's just music stuff, or general stuff..... hit me up like you have been doing.
Talk to you soon!…
hers. I can also download and install anything free online.
I was thinking more and more about this and I will for sure being going with a business plan type curriculum for my students. I will probably not do it for my 8th and 9th grader students but I will for my 10th-12th grade students. Computers 8 and 9 will focus more on computer fundamentals and collaboration with fellow students across curriculum.
Do you students sometimes use real local businesses? Maybe we could get some businesses to donate computer equipment if the students produce quality products.
Also do you have your students work in pairs, small groups, or individually for this?
Thanks!…
s lesson delivery, display devices, and reinforce old-fashioned lessons from the front of the class.
I'd go for things that put the technology in student hands. Have them create videos or record news broadcasts. Let them edit their own creations or run a podcasting channel. For the price of an interactive whiteboard and response systems, you could get a couple of really high end editing computers, some great microphones and gear and go to town. There are some great free tools for editing, Audacity, for example.
I for one would not trust speech assessment software. Wouldn't it be better to give the students the power to record, edit, and enhance their own audio than trust some computer?…
f kids who misbehave.
I would also recommend you look into an LMS (Learning Management System) or Learning portal. The one I use right now is edu20.org, which is free. It allows you to do many things, but a short list would be -- each student has an account in a closed community. There are email accounts, online assignments, you can create quizes that self grade...and even use rubrics for assignments that allow you to select the correct rating for each category in the rubric, and then it calculates the grade.
Other software I like: achieve3000.com (paid site for language arts), blockcad lego simulator and audacity (free) for editing sound files.…
ten to them individually, or up to five in a group. It could be to hear the information prior to a class lesson or read, or as a re-read, absent students, etc. Students take pretests and/or tests for spelling. I record them using Garage Band (previously used Audacity.) On the ipod touches, I place the 'reading' apps on one page, 'science' on another page, and so on for 'math', 'social studies', 'productivity tools', ect. The ipod touches also come with a voice recorder. Students can give a verbal response/explanation, then send it to iTunes or email. I haven't used them much as an internet tool yet.…
icrophone attached. We have experimented to get the sound a little better with usb 3D sound to give a more stereo effect. The desktop mics which cost approx $A35 tend to give better quality audio and reduce the background noise as our students tend to all be recording at once.
We bought a sony mp3 recorder which was quite expensive and found we could not import the files it saved them as, into either audacity or Sony Acid. Luckily, we had interviewed some elderly people about their memories with an old dictaphone recorder as well, so we played back the files from the dictaphone into a microphone and inputted the audio that way. Amazingly, It came up well.
We use audacity and Sony Acid 3.0 to record audio. The more capable students prefer the easier to use, manipulate and more advanced features of acid. It also comes with some wonderful music loops and sound effects. The video podcast is produced through MS Moviemaker or Sony Vegas.
We use podomatic to host the few completed casts and have placed them on our class blog temporarily.
At the moment we use iTunes for listening but we are still experimenting with the final hosting etc and I have enjoyed this discussion to help me with finalizing and hosting the final product.
I like podcasts and enhanced podcasts, because students can give a professional finish to the product with music loops, background audio, sound effects, voice effects, interviews, images, etc and once they are over the "I dont like my voice's sound" find it an interesting and a highly motivating project.
Students are working on podcasts for our local volcanic region and volunteer volcano discovery centre and the older students are producing enhanced podcasts for the existing history trail which exists in our small town, capturing the senior citizens memories as they go.
I was wondering if we use podomatic or other hosts and upload too many podcasts, will there be a cost attached to do so as I am about to upload a lot of casts soon.…
ay I gave two presentations at a regional BOCES conference on tech for teachers. One was on podcasting. I had prepared the presentations on wikis so the teachers could work at their own pace. Most just jumped into BOTH Audacity and the free download of Camtasia Studio! I decided to stop talking and just walk around the room and answer questions. I realized that while I was telling them the detailed steps to make them...they were already doing so!
By the way-- I have set up a wiki on MasteryMaze with a section on podcasting, and BOTH presentations. Perhaps your students would like to ADD to them, or use them the next time THEY conduct some teacher training! :)
They get it -- Just JUMP IN!
Sue P…