Broadcasting 101

This Christmas season I had the good fortune to see in action a free web-based broadcasting application that worked very well.

At the church I attend, two services were broadcast over the Internet using http://www.justin.tv ("just-in" tv). The equipment used included:

1. a netbook
   
2. an Internet connection (wireless broadband card/dongle from Sprint, although one from any provider should work)
   
3. an account at http://www.justin.tv

The stronger the signal, the better will be the results (less buffering). I can only imagine how clear the viewing would be if the computer were attached to an ethernet cable!

In any case, this is one easy service to use. It's free. It doesn't require sophisticated equipment. It's easy to set up and be broadcasting live streaming video and audio within mere minutes. There's also the capability to chat with the justin.tv broadcaster while the streaming is in progress.

Of course the possibilities are endless:

1. broadcasting church functions to shut-ins is one such application
   
2. the broadcast of school-based activities and performances for folks who otherwise couldn't attend
   
3. Students could set up a quick and easy channel for broadcasting school routines, menus, and morning announcements, giving them practice with public speaking

Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab

Of all the ESL resources on the Web, Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab is one of the most informative, practical, and interactive that I've seen.

The listening lab is continually being updated. Among other benefits, the listening activities feature key vocabulary words and follow-up assessments.

Be sure to explore this site whether or not you are an ESL specialist. I firmly hold to the belief that ALL practitioners are ESL instructors.

Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab also has a presence on Facebook. From his Facebook page: "Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab (http://www.esl-lab.com) was first over a decade ago to provide language learners opportunities to improve their listening comprehension skills in English. Contact Randall at eslrandall [at] yahoo.com"

If you're so inclined, add his Facebook page to your "Fan" list. At his website, scroll down near to the bottom-left. Look for a button to add the site to your Facebook groups. Consider subscribing to his e-newsletter and keep up-to-date on latest developments to this extremely valuable resource!

Music and Art - Universal Languages!

With Christmas (not "The Holidays" - it's the Advent season) now upon us, I thought I'd share a few discoveries that you might want to explore during your down time.

The arts, particularly music, are dear to me. They are universally understood. When language fails us across geographic borders, the arts can communicate in a manner that the spoken word can't approximate.

That being said, the following are a few that you'll want to explore and integrate into your classroom instruction:

1. Paint.net
   
2. PhotoFiltre
   
3. Jam Studio
   
4. Playlist

Paint.net is for digital image editing. Likewise for PhotoFiltre. JamStudio allows one to create music with all manner of complexity (instrumentation, voices, etc.). Playlist.com is a music social networking site. There are numerous genres from which to choose, listen, and share with others.

Observations and food for thought: The first decade of the 21st century is about to conclude. Web 2.0 has matured. Web 3.0 is developing.

• What have you learned about 21st century skills since the turn of the century?
  
• How many Web 2.0 skills have you learned in the past few years?
  
• Most importantly: How have you used these powerful skills in your instruction and shared your knowledge with others (especially with students)?

A side note: Explore the amazing opportunities at SharedTalk - Your Language Exchange Network. You and your students might just establish some global connections and learn more about spoken and written languages in an interactive, real-time manner!

Merry Christmas! May God bless you abundantly in the year ahead!

The Hat

Looking for a cool tool for grouping students when you want to "automate" the process? Let "The Hat" do it for you!

From the website:

"Just like pulling names from a hat to see who goes first, second, etc., this handy little program takes the time and tedium out of randomizing the order of a list of names. Now you can use the program to select individual names from a list one at a time, making it great for selecting winners of contests, etc. It features cool animation of the names actually coming out of a hat and optional sound effects."

The URL: http://www.harmonyhollow.net/teach/

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Talk about your one-stop wiki for web 2.0 resources! This wiki allows you to add your own tips as well. Check it out at http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/

A quote from the site:

"Many teachers believe that assistive technology has to cost money, typically a lot of money. They tell me they are afraid to bring up AT at team meetings for that reason. Other teachers tell me that particular software or hardware is available but no one knows how to use it so it just sits in a closet, unused. Sometimes, teachers who were trained to use particular tools or devices have left the district and no one else is interested in learning how to integrate the AT. A common complaint is that the software is too complicated or there are technical issues that prevent implementation."

There's so much so see and glean from this site in the form of assistive technology (AT) that time and space won't do it justice here. So.....grab a cup of your favorite warm beverage, curl up on the couch, and dedicate an afternoon of exploring all that this treasure-trove has to offer!