Thing #18

Video
I wanted to share something on "Web 2.0", so I searched www.ted.com for a video on Wikipedia. I found a podcast by Jimmy Wales, who developed Wikipedia. As we know, there are no gatekeepers; most content is available without charge, and anyone may add to it's volume of knowledge. I've attached the video for sharing this podcast with you (see bottom of page).As part of the open-source movement, programmers freely provide their source code for the sheer enjoyment of seeing their creation used. Web 2.0 is what makes the term "interconnectedness" come to life. The tools we have today allow multiple users to participate. These tools are effective for business success as well as for personal enjoyment.

Thing # 17

Web 2.0 Awards - I wanted a widget (Widget"= objects on a computer screen the user interacts with (thanks to Wikipedia for that definition)! and here's one to show off at the bottom of this page! I went to www.widgetmate.com/news/. I wanted scrolling news headlines and widgetmate allowed you to customize the way it's presented. The Web 2.0 awards for tools that can be used can be found on http://www.seomoz.org/web2.0 . "

Thing # 16

Learning a language - LiveMocha (livemocha.com), is a free site where members can tackle 160 hours of beginning or intermediate lessons in French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Hindi or English. There is no charge for tutoring; instead, members tutor one another, drawing on their expertise in their own native language. Learning a new language does require listening, speaking and memory skills. This speaks for itself, when the number of students entering US public schools with a first language other than English continues to grow. Could this not be a site that those students can access with ESL teachers for English language learners? I don't see Italian on this menu by livemocha, but I can tell you that I've already spent some good money toward dictionaries, and Cd's in hopes of learning "limited" Italian, so when I do get there one day I can communicate with them! If they add Italian to this menu, I'll be tuning in.

Thing #15

Audiobooks & ebooks - FREE! I like the audiobooks idea alot! But ebooks online, even for free is not something I'll explore anytime soon. I can see myself lying in bed when the day is done, and resting with my headphones and listening to a story. I never see myself as going to my computer to read an entire book, online, even if it's free. But, if you'd like to explore one, Myra has provided us with that link at http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780060558123. It's Neil Gaiman's, American Gods. Would I love to read the book? Certainly-but not online! Amazon offers you an out in the upper left corner asking you if you'd like to buy the book. However, if I want to read the book, I'll go to the library to get it, rather than buy it. Again, that's free and I don't have to sit in front of my screen to read it. I may be interested in signing up for a 3 month trial subscription for just $7.49 at http://www.audible.com/ so I can give the audiobook version a try. Afterall, my eyes are tired at night and it would be a good way to unwind from the day. Can this audio version be uploaded to my Ipod? I would hope so!

Thing #14

Podcasting- Since I posted my thoughts on podcasting in Thing #9, I'll keep this short. Simply put, it's a way to distribute multimedia files such as music or speech over the Internet for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. Anyone with a simple computer, inexpensive microphone, and access to the internet can create a podcast. The simple podcast I created at the top of this page was done on http://www.voki.com/. I simply called an 800 number from my cell phone and that number recorded by voice, and uploaded it to the web! http://www.poducateme.com/guide/ was a great resource in learning all there is to know on podcasting. The first podcast I listened to was http://www.edtechtalk.com/ and just as recent as last week, our Bud Hunt was podcasting on Ed Tech with many other schools around the US about how we and they decide to filter certain sites and who is in charge of that. It was interesting to hear the comments of one school in Alabama that the staff could not even access their own blogs from their own computers. Once the podcast has been recorded and placed on the internet, anyone can listen to it. I think it would be great to have teachers podcasting daily so students can access that class 24/7 and review discussions and notes. Check out my podcast within this page on my voki. How better to experience an event, than by listening.

Thing #13

Google Docs- A great place for "tools", http://www.google.com/educators has compiled a group of it's programs into a collection, particulary those that are appropriate for learning. It's a great guide to all the google products, such as Web Search, Earth, Book Search, Maps, and even Spreadsheets, and Blogger. There are some examples of how educators are using them and their lesson ideas! Google manages much of the details of the tools they offer. Computer based learning activies that are well designed and effective is what Google Docs has to offer. I did some further experimenting on Google Images, since this is where most of our students are directed when it comes to finding images on the web. This is no doubt a unique tool for images.

I also explored Google Glossary and loved it! I like to have definitions right at my finger tips and this is one way to get them, fast! Some of the tools I went to explore did require a Gmail account. As educators become familiar with open-source applications such as these, the future may be that they are just a "common place" for educators to look for and use these applications, creating a huge on-line presence that students will be comfortable with.

Thing #12

Open Source Applications - this is very interesting; saving the purchaser with the need for applications sometimes hundreds of dollars. I can't believe these licenses are not restricted by copyright laws, but apparently they are not. Most PC's do not come with office software, but that shouldn't stop you from creating spreadsheets, documents, even editing photos with apps you can access through the Wed. The cost of software licenses and new computers could be eliminated by schools because of the on-line availability of these applications. It makes sense in a world of freebies on the web today! You can download free source applications to burn cd's, to check for viruses, even to manage a CD collection! Applications from Google and Zoho offer fully functional office suites that run in Safari and other Web browsers. Check out Google Docs on Google. To use them, visit docs.google.com and click on "Get Started". The suite can also import and export Microsoft-compatible files. At Zoho, the applications are free for individuals, but there may be a fee for businesses.

Slow Download?

Try this tip! If you've got a slow connection, did you know you can access sites on the internet without the graphics and animations? You can try using the mobile-phone edition of the site, if it's available. You get the same info without waiting on all the associated "flash". To find a site's mobile edition, try searching for "mobile (name of site), often however, you only need to replace the "www" at the start of its address with "m". Here's an example: instead of http://www.mlb.com/, try m.mlb.com.

Thing #11

Wikis: Well we all know the most important site on the web these days is http://wikipedia.org/. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia that stores the "sum of human knowledge". Every day new entries are added about people, places, things, historical events - even the news as it happens. We get the pedia part of wikipedia, but what is a wiki? When I visited Hawaii, the transit that we boarded was called a "wiki-wiki", which means "quick". So, a wiki is a website where anyone can edit anything, anytime and QUICK. So, the question is; is this a good resource for students' research work? The consensus among educators seems to tell students to use it as a starting point, but not as a sole research. Wikis are a great collaborative tool among teachers or districts to collect and share information, not just for students. Students, or staff can post and edit entries to a wiki, add graphics, or links as well. As students interact, they learn to collaborate, publish, and write. I think when students read something on a wiki, they are already thinking about how to "change it".