Historical Facebook, Egypt, Science Resources, & APPS

HISTORICAL FACEBOOK
You might be thinking that Facebook has not been around long enough for the word historical to be used along with it.  However, Derrick Waddell created a Facebook template for historical figures. This template asks students to complete a Facebook profile for famous people throughout history. This super cool project idea has a place for pictures, an "about me" section, a friends column, and a map to plot the travels of historical figures. Please take special note, this template will not result in an actual Facebook account being created. However, I think that our MS and US students could really enjoy this. What a great idea to take something (Facebook) that students love and use everyday and partner it with historical research.

PROTEST IN EGYPT
As the events unfold in Egypt, it would be a shame for such a teaching opportunity to be missed due to a lack of resources.  The link below offers a very long list of sites that can be used as resources for information on this historical event.  Larry Ferlazzo is a blogger that provides wonderful resources on a variety of educational topics. Check it out!
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2011/01/27/the-best-sites-for-learning-about-the-protests-in-egypt/

LAWRENCE HALL OF SCIENCE
This is a great website for our ECS, LS, and MS students. It is a wonderful science based website for students to get to know more about more about where they live and what is around them.  This site offers games, quizzes and explorations on a variety of topics.  I have not dug in really deep to this one yet but the section on measurement was over the top fun.. http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/kidsite/

ABC YA!
This is a website where I was able to find several really good APPS for my little ones to use.  I recently turned another year older and received an iPAD as a gift from my family.  Not only can I not put it down, but now we all seem to argue over who gets to use it next. We even have had to set a timer a few times when the demand is especially high.  The APPS listed on this site are not iPAD specific, but will work on your iPHONE and iTOUCH as well.  Check it out! http://abcya.com/educational_kids_iphone_ipad_apps.htm 

2011 Resolutions

SNOW DAY #2!!
Well, yesterday was a welcome day off for the Ward house.  We enjoyed being together, ate way to much comfort food, played in the snow, and had a lot of fun in the neighborhood.  Today will prove to be more of the same with snowball fights and sledding.  What a perfect way to start the new year. 

I am guessing that tomorrow will probably be back to the regular routine. This will also be a welcome change.  As the head housekeeper and cook for the Ward Snow Resort, I will be ready to get back to the normal routine.  Before cabin fever sets in I thought I would share with you a few websites to help make these wintry days at home a little more fun.

MAKE-A-FLAKE
http://snowflakes.barkleyus.com/ is a fun website that will allow you to create your own snowflakes.  Little ones will love this.

FUN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Below is a website that will give you several ideas for some fun games to play in the snow.  I really liked this one.  After a little while, the snowball fight can get old and you need something to change it up. http://boyslife.org/outdoors/outdoorarticles/2576/winter-camping/ 

THE GUARDIAN
This is the time of year when we are flooded with recap stories of the past 12 months. 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2010/dec/22/2010-year-review is a website that will provide you with a year in review for each day of the year or by month.  I think that this site would be a wonderful instructional tool for social science classes discussing current events.  However, the absolute best part about this site is that it allows you to create your own year in review.  I am really excited about this and plan to make one for myself to share with my family.  The steps are simple and easy to follow.  You just need a good memory and photos downloaded to your computer. 

2011 RESOLUTIONS
At the beginning of each year resolutions are made.  I have made many over the years - all of which I have given a valiant effort.  However, some have died out before the goal in mind was realized.  Some of my goals have been personal and some have been professional.  This year, I have decided to make goals for both areas of my life.  One of my professional goals is all about you!  I want to:


Transform each classroom into a place where students are engaged and teachers are inspired.


I challenge each of you to take this semester and try something new in your classes.  Pick something that you can get excited about and see instant results.  Read back through this blog to get some ideas or browse the web for 2.0 tools.  I am here to help, support, inspire, cheer, and assist in the implementation of your ideas.  I hope that you will take action to make a difference in the way our children learn.


Below is an EDUCATIONAL CHANGE CHALLENGE by Darren Cannell.  Please take a few minutes to watch this video.  The main question being asked is:  Are you preparing student for their world or for yours?

Google Reading Level Search

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! 

This is by far my favorite time of the year.  I wanted to share with you a few websites that will allow you to give back.  As educators, we GIVE each and every day to the students in our classrooms.  However, it is always a good idea to reach outside the walls of PA to do what we can.  The following websites allow you to CLICK and DONATE to help those in need.

http://www.care2.com/click-to-donate/

http://www.oneclickatatime.org/

http://www.thenonprofits.com/

http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1   

SEARCHING BY READING LEVEL

A few weeks ago I wrote about the ADVANCED SEARCH feature of Google.  I wanted to share with you one additional feature that I just learned about through my PLN (Public Learning Network). Thank you to Richard Byrne for sharing this tidbit. 
Did you know that you can search by reading level?  How cool is that?  I think that our lower school students who are conducting research will find this specifically helpful.  Here is how it works:
1.  Click on the ADVANCED Search link to the right the standard Google search Bar.
2.  Key in the search term that you are looking for information on.
3.  Click on the drop down arrow to display the reading level.

4.  Click on the desired level ( Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)

5.  Click on ADVANCED SEARCH in the bottom right corner.

PREZI UPDATE!!

This is super exciting.  Since I blogged about PREZI last school year, several of you have begun to incorporate it into your classrooms.  I absolutely LOVE PREZI and each time I have introduced it to a group of students, they quickly fall in love as well.  One downfall of PREZI in comparison to PowerPoint, is the inability to change the design template colors..... until now.  www.prezi.com has announced the ability to customize your colors and fonts. (I know!  I could hardly contain my excitement about this as well.)  Go ahead and CHEER!  When you click on the colors and fonts tab of the wheel, you will now see a THEME WIZARD option.

 

After clicking on the THEME WIZARD option, a new window will appear from which you can design you heart out.  It is so fun!  You can even customize specific colors to match the PA logo design.  HAPPY ZOOMING!

LIFE WITHOUT THE BILL OF RIGHTS?

I know that some students seem to think that learning about the Constitution can be boring.  However, it does not have to be boring.  It can be fun with this interactive game from the Bill of Rights Institute. The game is titled Life Without the Bill of Rights? It is a click-and-explore activity that puts your students in control, asking them to consider how life would change without some of our most cherished freedoms. Players are invited to understand the significance of their rights including freedom of religion, speech, and press, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, and the rights of private property. This is a fun one that can be done in large or small group on the SMARTboard.  Check it out. http://billofrightsinstitute.org/teach/freeresources/constitutionday/

The Bill Of Rights Institute also provides a really good graphic organizer that can be used as a guide for this activity.  It can be found on the link provided above.

PEARL HARBOR

Today is the 69th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Below is a wonderful multimedia map and time line provided by National Geographic that includes photos, footage, firsthand accounts, and narration on this historic event.  This activity will bring the attack on Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, to life—moment by moment, target by target. You will need to click the orange arrows in the bottom right corner to move from item to item and make sure your sound is turned on.  I think that this is a great way  to present this historical event to our students.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor/ax/frameset.html 

GOOGLE
EBOOKS

This is just so exciting.  On Monday of this week something big happened – Google announced the Google ebookstore.  Google eBooks, (which is different from Google Books), is designed to provide access to ebooks through a wide variety of ebook reading platforms such as the Nook, an ipad, and a tablet.  Most of the books in the ebookstore require purchase, but there is a nice list of classic titles that are available for free. You can check out the list by clicking on the link below. Also, take some time to watch the promotional video for the ebookstore.  It provides a clear explanation of the benefits.

http://books.google.com/ebooks?hl=en&as_coll=1040&uid=2278874564547928826&source=gbs_slider_bookshelves_1040_webstore_home

Giving Thanks, Crayola, and Video Editing

I am thankful for so many things in my job.  I love the people I work with, the students I teach, and the expansion of instructional technology across our campus. I am thankful for the positive attitudes and the willingness that so many people have to try something new.

Last week, I posted a survey for you to declare your inner GEEK as I have on numerous occasions.  A GEEK is someone who is passionate and deeply committed to something.  I think that we are all PA GEEKS.  On the left you will find the response breakdown of interest by your fellow readers.  The "OTHER" category consisted of a Photography Geek, a Knitting Geek, and a Disney Geek.

SAVE THE DATE - February 26th 

The PA Support Auction is coming up soon.  I am so excited and thankful that once again the proceeds will be immediately benefiting our students with a new PE area and remodeled Library/Media Center.  Save the date and get excited for a wonderful time.

As a little girl I remember loving when I received a new box of Crayola Crayons.  The way they are perfectly lined up in the box and perfectly shaped just made me happy. The Crayola website has a cool new feature that I think our ECS students will just LOVE to use on the SMARTBoard.  This is not as good as receiving a brand new box, but pretty close.  http://www.crayola.com/coloring_application/index.cfm

I have spent a significant amount of time lately helping students find, save, convert, and edit you-tube videos for their history day projects.  I am so thrilled by the number of students who elect to create a technology based entry.  It is my observation that our students seem to be able to find what the YouTube video content that they want to use without issue.  They know how to click SHARE to copy the URL to include a link into their project, some know how to use the EMBED option to add the HTML code of the video to their project, but very few that I have helped know how to edit the content.  I guess the ones that know how have not asked me for help... makes sense.  I have listed below an option for converting and for editing You-Tube videos.

CONVERTING

http://keepvid.com/ is a simple to use website that will allow users to paste in the URL of a YouTube video and convert it to an editable format.

EDITING

www.jaycut.com is a website that I am just becoming familiar with.  It is an online video editor that has become increasingly popular.  It is simple to use and since it is available on the web without a required download, your creation can be accessed from anywhere. The only downside that I found is that only one audio track is available.  So, if you are needing to combine voice and music you will need to use a program like AUDACITY.  

COMBINING VOICE & MUSIC

 Audacity can be used to record, play, and edit (cut, copy, splice) a variety of audio file types including WAV, MP3, and even live audio from microphone, line input, or other sources.  Audacity is a free download that comes in two pieces. 

1- The Audacity software

2 - The Lame encoder

(Detailed instructions are provided below.)

Download Audacity

You can download Audacity here. Audacity is available for Windows & Mac.

This is the Audacity download page:

If you click on the Windows link, you will go to this screen:

Click on the installer link at the top of the page (Note: the version number may be higher when you download). The next screen will contain a list of several locations that you can download from. 

Choose a location that is closest to you and click on the icon to the right to save the installer file to your computer. Remember where you save the file on your hard drive.

Now find the installer file that you just downloaded and double-click on it to start the installation and follow the instructions which are presented to you.

Download LAME MP3 Encoder

You can click here to go to the LAME MP3 Encoder download page.

 

Click on the link to select WINDOWS.

The next page has another list of links where you can download from. Click to select any of the available links. Click on it and you will download a zip file (a compressed file) containing the LAME encoder.

Unzip the file. This will create a folder that you can rename to be  LAME. It is important that you remember where you put it so you can connect it to Audacity later.  You will need to navigate to this file the first time that you create an MP3 file in Audacity.

Exploring Windows 7:
Because the holiday season is upon us, I wanted to share this information with you. www.explania.com is a website that provides animated explanations of how to do, use, and understand just about anything.  You can watch hundreds of animated explanations, interactive tutorials and instructional videos. I know that many people (myself included) have a new laptop on their wish list for either themselves or someone else.  If you are a PC person (like I am), and you have not had the opportunity to experience WINDOWS 7 yet, take a few minutes to watch the video below.  It covers the newest features of the operating system.  I am completely sold on using the split screen.  It has made multitasking super easy.  In my first post this school year, I mentioned the SNIPPING TOOL.  It is not mentioned in the video below but you can look it up on the side bar.  It is the best thing since sliced bread!   
What’s new in Windows 7? - Explania 

SKYPE - For those of you who already use Skype or those who are interested, registration is open for a Skype Directory for educators.  Simply follow the link below and provide your name and email address.  They will send you a confirmation email to which you must reply by following a link.   This will help to put you in contact with other educators using Skype. Skype in the Classroom will launch in December.  Registration is open now for those teachers who would like to be in the Skype in the Classroom directory.

http://blogs.skype.com/classroom-pre-register/

If you are not familiar with the powers of SKYPE, it is amazing and it is FREE.  Skype can be used in your professional and personal life to connect with people all over the world.  I am SUPER EXCITED about the Skype directory.  The hardest part of making a connection in the classroom is finding someone to connect with.  I think that the directory will ease the "looking" process and allow us to make connections with other classrooms, authors, & professionals more frequently.
Below is a short "how to" video on the use of Skype.

How To Use Skype on Howcast

GEEKING OUT - I like to consider myself a GEEK.  I know that most people do not like this term - some even consider it an insult.  I on the other hand like to think of it as a compliment.  To me a good geek is someone that is passionate about something (any thing).  I am a passionate person and hope that you are too.  If you are, you too are a geek.  I challenge you to embrace the name and be proud.  I am a mom-geek, a house-geek, a glee-geek, and an instructional technology-geek (just to name a few).  I am passionate about all of these things.  I take them to the extreme with my commitment and dedication.  Below is a link to a graphic describing the of evolution of a geek (and the inspiration for this posting). I hope that you can find your inner geek I like have.
http://www.21stcenturyfluency.com/blogpost.cfm?blogID=1549

Below is a survey that is just for fun!  Let's see what type of geeks we have at PA.  I will post the results next week.

 https://www.edline.net/pages/Pulaski_Academy/Surveys/Geeks

GOOGLE and Noodletools

Better Than MOM!

You guys are probably just like me in that when you want to know something, you ask your parents. It has been a standard comment by people everywhere.  "Go ask you mother" or "go ask your father" was said many, many times in my childhood. Even today, as things come up in life, my parents are a source of information and advice for me.  However, when I REALLY need quick, and accurate information without the long conversation that comes with talking to my parents, GOOGLE is my go-to choice.  

We are all accustomed to using keywords to search for the information that we need.  KEYWORDS are the most important words or phrases you want a search engine to hunt for.  

Did you know that if you include quotations around your keyword that the search is then limited to the exact way that you keyed it in.  For example:

• A search on Honey Bees will produce results of all pages that contain the word Honey or the word Bees. I received about 1,820,000 results .
• A search on "Honey Bees" will produce results of all pages that contain both the words Honey Bees separated by a space. I received about 1,150,000 results.

Boolean (boo-li-an) Searching is also an option.  Boolean search allows you to seek out information in the form of a question.  For example:

• If you type the keyword Tobacco you will get a list of all websites that contain the word Tobacco. I received about 50,600,000 results.
• If you type the question "What are the adverse affects of tobacco"? I received about 997,000 results.

A problem that I often encounter with students is that when a search is conducted, the students assume that they can only look within the first results page.  This is not always the truth.  I think that it is important to teach our students how to read a search page.

A SPONSORED LINK is a link you can click on to see an advertisement for a product.  The words SPONSORED LINKS are there to tell you that what you are about to click on will be biased and is not meant to inform but rather to persuade.  GOOGLE offers many additional features that I have discovered many people are not utilizing.

The greatest little-known tool is GOOGLE Advanced Search.  If you go to the GOOGLE homepage and click on the ADVANCED SEARCH tab found to the right of the search box, you will be amazed by what you see.

The advanced Search Feature is on the right hand side.

Once you click to enter, you will be able to expand your search results.

You should be very specific with your search keywords  It will produce a narrow look into your topic.

GOOGLE SCHOLAR is another feature that is really, really great.  It is found by clicking on the MORE tab on the top left of the screen.

According to GOOGLE, the scholar search feature allows your results to produce "only scholarly literature from many sources such as books, journals, and articles."  I have found this feature to be pretty good for up-to-date academic information.  Let me show you an example:

1.  Access GOOGLE SCHOLAR 

2. Type in video games in education (without quotation marks.)  You will receive 405,000 results.

3. Type in "video games in education" (with quotation marks).  You will receive 445 results.  BIG DIFFERENCE!

4. Click on the Advanced Scholar Searchto the right on the search bar.

5. In the DATE field, type "2007-2009". 

6. In the SUBJECT AREAS field, click on SOCIAL SCIENCES, ARTS, and HUMANITIES.  You will now have 108 results.  AMAZING!!

GOOGLE BOOKS is also found under the MORE tab.  It has access to literally millions of libraries and publishers and their books worldwide.  Just like GOOGLE SCHOLAR, an Advanced Search feature is available.  Yes, I know.  This just keeps getting better and better.

GOOGLE has many other cool features to offer as well.  Below is a video provided by PCWIZKIDS that will explain how to use GOOGLE to do all of the following:

• Define words
• As a calculator
• Figure conversions such as USD to PESOS, kg to lb, and seconds in a year
• Determine time
• Look up movie show times
• Look up airline flight status
• Search by site type
• Finding music fast

NOODLETOOLS

Outside of GOOGLE, I have found http://www.noodletools.com/ to be an invaluable resource.  After navigating to the site, you will see a list of available features. My personal favorites are the ones highlighted in YELLOW.

 By clicking on CHOOSING THE BEST SEARCH you will see a list of categorized search engines by task.  This is a very lengthy list but your students can find what they are looking for on based off of questions listed on the left hand side and then they are provided with the best search engines to get the results that they desire.  As much as I love GOOGLE, it is not the only place to find what you are looking for.

 By clicking on NOODLEBIB EXPRESS, you can quickly create MLA, APA, or CHICAGO style citations that can be copied and pasted into a document.  Isn't that convenient.

Please use the above information to save yourself time and to inform your students about the options available to them when conducting research.