Stick It To The (Virtual) Wall!

Ever been to an inservice, seminar, professional development session, yada-yada-yada where you sit with folks at a table, make a bullet list of summaries on a GIANT piece of paper, then stick it on a wall for all to see?

How about this variation: The wall is bare and your table has a deck of Post-It notes. Each of you write something on a Post-It note, then stick it on a "Parking Lot" (typically on a wall for all to see)?

You get the idea...

Here's a virtual alternative:
http://wallwisher.com/wall/cpitrolo

Check it out, leave a note. Give it a try at your next session. I'll bet some of you might even use it an a virtual wall for posting "exit passes" at the conclusion of a lesson (hint)!

So Many Choices: Which Tool To Use?

A few days ago I was asked whether a blog or a wiki was the right tool to use for a classroom project. The teacher wasn't quite sure of the difference, so I asked what the goal was; what the end product was. Once that was determined, the choice was clear.

I located a matrix (see above - click on to enlarge) charting various Web 2.0 tools and their various applications.

To realize the full impact that Web 2.0 tools have to offer, and rather than reinvent the wheel, let me redirect you to a fellow blogger's article that you'll find extremely detailed, in the form of a post using an analogy entitled The Technology Toolbox

EtherPad - Online Document Collaboration in Real Time!

I've just discovered this collaborative source via Twitter called EtherPad. It allows multiple participants to collaborate simultaneously on a document in real time.

Naturally it's free (at least for now), and no account is required! Couple it with the power of Skype or Oovoo, and you've got a really powerful set of collaborative tools at your disposal!

An excerpt from the site: "When multiple people edit the same document simultaneously, any changes are instantly reflected on everyone's screen. The result is a new and productive way to collaborate on text documents, useful for meeting notes, drafting sessions, education, team programming, and more."

Check out EtherPad and the awesome demonstration at http://etherpad.com

Center For Interactive Learning & Collaboration (CILC)

What a resource! CILC's newsletter alone is worth the time it takes to subscribe. You'll receive in your email inbox regularly updated opportunities to connect with others on a global scale, and on a variety of issues and topics.

Be sure to delve deeper into the website! There you'll find a variety of videoconferencing resources for teachers and students, all related to collaboration and free professional development.

The collaboration index features something for everyone from primary grades to secondary levels and all curricular areas. There's something for everyone!

http://www.cilc.org/collaboration_all.aspx

Couple the videoconferencing resources at CILC with Videoconferencing for K–12 Classrooms, Second Edition and Interactive Videoconferencing from ISTE. You'll pave the way for a winning experience for your students!

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

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.

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

Student Writing: Online, Anywhere, Anytime, Integrated

WRITEIT! LIVE, an online student writing platform, appears to offer a untold potential! Accounts start as low as $4.00 per student as of this posting. The publisher offers a myriad of educational products, but this one in particular catches my eye.

Visit the publisher's site at http://www.ftcpublishing.com or go directly to the writing site and sign up your school (up to 250 free fully functional trial accounts) at http://www.writeitlive.com.

Another site to explore is JAYCUT. This site is free, and allows you to audio, video, and photos. You can also create transitions and special effects. Great for podcasts and digital storytelling! http://www.jaycut.com.

As an aside: While performing recent installs of DIBELS software, I can say with confidence that the vast majority of computers need antivirus definitions updated. This is a very important "maintenance" procedure. If you'd like a refresher on how to perform this simple task, let me know. I'll be glad to assist you.

NING and Elluminate: Architectural Scaffolding for PLCs

NING

http://www.ning.com

Social Networking 2.0

Interactive
Multimedia
Scalable
Public/Open community
Private/Closed Community
Local
Global

Get your feet wet – Explore!

•http://www.classroom20.com
•http://nextgen.ning.com
•http://digistories.ning.com
•http://eflclassroom.ning.com
•http://k12opensource.ning.com


Couple the power of NING with the capability of Elluminate to bring members together for sharing information, planning, and problem-solving. How? Consider the limited, free, cross-platform service provided for by Elluminate, or the fuller, yet economic version.

ELLUMINATE:

http://www.elluminate.com

Free for three (3) simultaneous connections. Hint: Three connections could be equal to three rooms with ten people each. The cost for additional connections is very reasonable…as low as $33.00/month.

To view a recorded demonstration, or to schedule a live, online demonstration go to http://www.elluminate.com/demo/live_demo.jsp

I’d be glad to go through these services with you and your staff. Please contact me to schedule a demonstration. Sessions include file sharing, PowerPoint-sharing, audio and video, co-browsing, markups on whitespace, and more!

TED

There's YouTube (sorry - if you're trying to access this extremely beneficial site from school, it'll be blocked), TeacherTube, GodTube (now called Tangle), Facebook (yet another blocked website), Blogger, MySpace (you guessed it - blocked), Ning, TBD, and a host of other Web 2.0 sites that provide dynamic content.

Take social networking to another level! Consider TED as your next stop to gather information and exchange ideas with others, upload and download videos, and acquire new, global perspectives!

A visionary think-tank I am fortunate to be a member of, Master Minds, held a teleconference today. One of the "speakers" we listened to was Benjamin Zander, a classical music afficionado. We discussed how the related arts MUST be made part of the STEM approach to assessment, and how they were, for the most part, being overlooked. We also discussed left and right-brain studies as they relate to assessment and the arts.

What I'd like to introduce to you, however, is the immense potential for gaining new insights and networking potential with educators from all over the world! Check out TED. You won't be sorry!

Collaborating With Others - It's How We Grow & Learn

One of the blessings of networking with colleagues is the knowledge that's shared. In doing so, all reap the benefits of growing - even more so when that knowledge is "brought home" to those with whom we associate.

Janet Bennincosa, a friend and colleague in Harrison County, wears one hat, and one hat only - Technology Integration Coordinator. She has developed a set of resources that I'd like to share with you. It's packed with information focusing upon 21st Century Tools, resources, and curricular resources, K-5, covering all content areas. I know you'll find some very useful resources that you can put to use.

Click on the URL below:

http://www.wvschools.com/harrisoncounty/csos/elementarycsos.html