Global Connections; Cultural Connections

Looking for a safe source to connect your classroom with others throughout the world?

Here's THE place to go to:

http://eflclassroom.ning.com/page/classroom-connecting

'Nuff said!

;-)

Collaboration for ESL Practitioners & With ELLs

If you've read through the posts I've made to date, it should be apparent by now that there are a myriad of tools for online collaborating with practitioners. Some tools offer more features than others. Most all are free.

Below is a link that has a list of URLs to collaborate with those whose audience is a bit more focused: ESL (English as a Second Language). What a great way to get involved in eTeching and eLearning!

http://cli.gs/bXaJEM

eWalk Report

How to Create and View an eWalk Report
Charlie Pitrolo

Log in at https://mxweb.media-x.com/home/marionboewv. Click on the eWalk icon. From the next screen, click on Reports.

On the next screen, click on the “Subject” tab.

Select the Walkthrough 08-09 template from the drop-down menu.

Select the date range to the right of that section (section 3), then click on “Submit Report”.

WebTop? iCloud!!!

In the schools, LoJack was installed on laptops to track them in case they are stolen. This year recoveries have been made. In an earlier post to this blog (see the March 14th entry entitled "Lock & Trace Your Other Laptop(s)", I mentioned a product that you could download to your laptop (or desktop), and that does the same. It goes by the name of LaptopLock.

On another, similar note:

Some of you may be familiar and in fact may have received training on WebTop. Whether or not you have, there's a similar product that takes WebTop to a new level. Consider it a portable operating system that follows you from computer to computer, no matter from which computer you login, and from any location!

This "virtual operating system" offers a generous 3 GB of storage space, email, a web browser, a writing application, calendar, file sharing, calculator, desktop with customizable desktop, chat client, and much, MUCH more!!! It offers most everything that WebTop does, and more.

Of course, iCloud is free. Check out the iCloud virtual operating system at http://www.icloud.com. It works very, very well on Internet Explorer, and fairly well (with some minor glitches) in FireFox, although it appears that strides are being made in this area.

Collaboration Tools Revisited

As your team or PLC seeks alternative ways to communicate (aside from SLOW, clunky, outdated, one-way email), consider at the possibilities afforded to you by the free service called Scribblar. It offers a whiteboard that can be marked up, a private room that accommodates audio and multiple users, uploadable documents, and more.

http://www.scribblar.com

To complement your collaborative efforts and make them as portable as your collaborative environment, consider the wealth of free, cross-platform (they work on Macintosh or PCs) applications that run from a flash drive OR an SD card (often used in digital cameras) if your laptop has a card reader slot. These applications, like the OpenOffice Suite, are Microsoft Office compatible. In other words, OpenOffice Writer will save files in .doc format to your flash drive or SD card, then, when inserted in another computer with Microsoft Office installed, the files will open.

The really attractive feature about portable apps (applications) is that they take up NO (0%) room on the computer's hard drive! The web browser leaves NO trace of Internet activity (like cookies, passwords, or History) on the computer to which the flash drive or SD card was inserted and the program run. Likewise with the portable email program. Get the idea?

Free, portable, small, private, and compatible. What's not to love? Get a flash drive or SD card then be prepared to feel the freedom! The larger the capacity, the better. While a 4 GB unit will suffice comfortably , I use an 8 GB drive. They're inexpensive; the latter costing $20.00 or so at Radio Shack.

Download the PortableApps from http://portableapps.com.

Homes That Promote Learning

What Kind of homes promote learning? The answers to those of us in education may be obvious, but to those who are new to parenting (or who have less than adequate parenting skills), the answers may be elusive. Check out http://tinyurl.com/d62sw8 and the other videos to learn more, or to provide parents with timely information.

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Take Note!
In past entries, I've mentioned online resources that allow for journaling and retrieval of notes. Here's another that takes journaling to another level. It also accommodates video and movie clips. Of course it's free. Check out http://www.evernote.com Learn how to journal or send notes, photos, movie and audio clips from your cell phone, iTouch, or other mobile devices and send them to your Evernotes web account. Great for students with cell phones when on field trips or other out-of-classroom situations. The applications are endless!

Sending Email Using Gmail

Create an email account at http://www.gmail.com.

Write down your email account name and password.

 

On your Centro, open Versamail.

Create a new account.

 

Enter a name for your new account (i.e. "access")

 

Enter your login name: (i.e. yourname@access.k12.wv.us)

Enter your access.k12.wv.us password.

 

 

Mail type: POP

 

username: yourname@access.k12.wv.us

Incoming Mail Server: access.k12.wv.us

Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.gmail.com

 

Advanced:

 

Incoming Server Settings:

Port Number 110

Both Boxes Unchecked

• Use Secure Connection (SSL)
• Use Authentication ((APOP)

 

Next>>>

 

Outgoing Server Settings:

Port Number: 465

Check Both Boxes:

• Use Secure Connection (SSL)
• Use Authentication (ESMTP)

 

Username: yourname@gmail.com

Password: Gmail account Password

 

Click "Done"

Professional Learning Communities - Outside the Box

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are wonderful entities. Time, distance, and location will always be factors that present themselves as obstacles to be overcome.

Enter Twiddla - a virtual meeting space that's free, offers co-browsing, a white board, conference-calling, document-sharing, and more! You can open an account or conduct a meeting without an account. There's even a "sandbox" for you to practice learning the features of this powerful "virtual meeting space". Give it a try!

When logistics are critical, Twiddla might just be the answer your PLC is seeking!

http://www.twiddla.com

Charlie