SpicyNodes: RESPECT

SpicyNodes: RESPECT

How2Web2 - Final

My involvement with this online course has lead to great things.  Not only did Ann and I present at our Staff IT Conference at the start of term, but I have been chosen to trial the use of iPads in a class of Year 7 students next term, and I am being sent to a Conference in Hobart in July to learn even more about IT in the classroom.  The online course opened up so  many doors to so many different things!!! I now need time to digest it all and try to revisit some of the ones I wanted to spend more time on.  In the classroom I have had students make Motivational Posters on the MyBigHugeLab site (part of Flickr), 3 of my classes are signed up to Glogster, I have a group of extension students using Google Earth, Google Maps, GPS and much more as they design a program for next year's Year 7 classes on the school's history. My focus now is on iPads in the classroom, so if anyone out there knows some good websites and/or Apps for these, I would love to hear from you.

How2Web2 Over and Out!!!

Ann and I have finally finished our online PD in Web2.  We were given enough confidence to present a session on Web2 Tools to our staff at an IT conference at the beginning of term.  It was great having Ann to work with - don't know if I would have had the impetus to keep on going without having a fixed date every Thursday afternoon.  We are now going to have to find something else to do on a Thursday afternoon!!! Thank you and now signing off...

eBooks, etc etc

World eBook Fair ... needed to pay to sign up ... not!!! LibriVox ... needed to update our Windows Media player on the school network for this to work - can see a huge potential here, just need to talk to our IT guys about it. WorldCat ... loved the Cite/Export - Bibliography function, which enabled you to get a Harvard type citation for your bibliography.  Am definitely going to pass this on to our S&E teachers. World Public Library ... were able to open and download books in PDF format.  These could then be projected for use in the classroom. Baen ... Science Fiction books ... were able to download these in RTF format.  Best Places to Get Free Books ...  got us into the Friedbeet website.  Good potential for futher exploration here.  Cliff's Notes ... a great resource for Literature teachers.  And then I discovered myebook.  I have already planned a series of lessons using this website.  It is just what I need to encourage some reluctant Year 7 creative writers. Ya ... and thank you for the lead.

Podcasts

A couple of years ago, I had a class make their own Podcasts for their class members.  Everyone podcasts now days!!! Triple J radio have podcasts of all their shows, Hamish and Andy make sure you don't miss a show, my daughter's Uni lectures all go out on podcast.  I have just started looking into the use of podcasts in the classroom - linked to a Wiki and those students who are absent have access to the classroom from wherever their computer is. Our school has Mimios, which have the ability to do audio podcasts of the lesson from the board - haven't tried this yet as I don't have a Mimio yet!!! Podcasts are a part of the everyday now, and I need to get on board.

YouTube and TeacherTube

I use a YouTube clip at least once a day in my classes - even if it is just the "Song of the Day" clip in Year 12 RE. I have found some really useful educational clips on both YouTube and TeacherTube and highly recommend them to any educator.  Every topic I have searched for I have found. My lessons would not be as interesting without them - and even my "Just Because" clips for my Home Room class entertain us and keep us smiling.

Rollyo

I am currently starting some research on the use of ipads in the classroom and can see a use for this.
I have already put a couple of websites into a Rollyo, and have found it a really easy way of finding information within a website.
I hope to have more time to spend on this application soon.
The idea of setting up a Rollyo for my students is also quite appealing - hopefully I will get to this soon.