Blog Tips and Tricks #8: Time Savers with Pre-made URLs & GDOCs as a Medium

I tried to upload quizzes from online math books and found some quicker ways to accomplish the task after several frustrating attempts. With Blogger you will find outside mediums to be your friend. HTML friends include "notepad," not MS Word and this video highlights Google Docs as your friend to quick copy-and-paste several links with attached URL's to your blog.

Blogs Tips and Tricks #7: Creating Additional Blogs

Making new blogs is important once you have established your first. Reasons include: 1) you have more than one class content, 2) you have different types of students, 3) you have different age levels 4) need I say more about all the things you do and want to show off?! Here is a video which should help set up a new class blog and website for all the stretching you do:

Blog Tips#4: Commenting on Others Blog Posts

There is a reason why Will Richardson described blogging as a a "Read, Write" technology. The more we interact with our readers and the blogs that we read the more information that is passed and the more learning that takes place. It enhances our growth as both an individual, as a student, as a teacher and as a techno-user/learner.
       
I discovered this first hand while commenting on a fellow teachers blog, Mr. Resendez. He teaches high school astronomy and physics and posted an article about and picture of an impressively clear image taken from a telescope of Saturn. He was comparing how it weighed against digital animation of celestial images in movies.  While commenting I mentioned he should share this with his students and use it as a step towards discussing where the color in the image derives.

Most people are not aware, but the color in pictures taken from space is added later based upon the wavelengths of light reflected from atmospheric and surface compositions of planets and other celestial figures. That's when it DAWNED on me (like an Oprah Aha Moment?). I had been talking with the art teacher earlier, Ms. Martinez, and she was showing me some of her art from her sketch book. She showed me the perfect thing at the perfect time for our astronomy students.


ART INTEGRATION IDEA:
1. Students find an image of a planet (or other object) taken from a telescope still in black and white
2. They determine the elemental composition of the surface and atmosphere and the wavelengths (colors)
    associated with each.
3. The students lay a piece of tissue paper on the image and color some of the darker wavelengths that will appear.
4. Students lay a second piece of tissue paper down and color more of the colors that will appear in their proper locations.
5. Finally, if a 3rd tissue is needed, they lay it on top and color some of the lighter colors that will appear.

When laying all three tissues down on top of the telescopic image, they should have their final product proving they are both an artist and a scientist.


All that from commenting on his blog. Here are other reasons to comment:

A) While commenting on the 4th and 7th grade teachers blogs I realized I had a better idea of what was happening around our school and am better prepared to describe our school to other potential families that may attend our school and pass by on a tour.

B) Reading and commenting allows for PLCs to take place in a new way. We not only hear what other teachers are doing in their classrooms, but also can now tie it back into our own lessons: CROSS CURRICULUM TEACHING.

C) If the students are commenting on another teachers blog I am reading and commenting on I can interact with them and it creates a greater sense of unity within the school and strengthens my relationship with that student. I also gain insight on more of their character and abilities as a student.

D) Fundraising. Money flows when people are following your blog and actively commenting on your blog. Show me the money!!

E) It makes me feel good when I know you're listening. Look, everyone wants support and this is an easy way to show it to your colleagues.

F) Reaching out. Not everyone in Mr. Bryant's blog audience is going to be in mine. But I have a better shot at reaching them by commenting on his blog. I think it was James Earl Jones that said, "If you comment, they will come." I want as big an audience as I can get and vice versa. If a student has a question and I can't answer it well enough, I want them to realize Mr. B's blog is a click away and he may better explain the answer, or have a resource for them on his site.

Why do you think it's important to comment on other blogs? Please, do share!

Blog tips and Tricks #2: Changing your Favicon on Blogger

Written Steps Below:

1)      .ico is the file format favicons need to be and our computers cannot change files to this format. Go to the following website (http://www.icoconverter.com/) which converts picture files to .ico files, click browse under Image file (PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, 2 Mb max.), then click the "convert" button (All the default values are good, don't change anything, just browse, choose file and convert). The conversion should create a square 100 kb or below image, as needed for favicon images.   

2)    Then, log into your www.blogger.com account. When you log in you will be in your “Dashboard.” click on the “Design” tab. At the top left of the screen you will see a window box titled "Favicon." Click on that tab.

3)   Once in the Favicon window you will be able to upload your Favicon image in place of the the default orange blogger icon. This will help personalize your blog a little more. If you do not see your icon image on your link and blog immediately, fret not! Some work instantly and others may appear a day later. Rest assured that once it is changed and becomes active you will not have any issues again with it until the next time you attempt to change it. 

When choosing your Favicon image keep in mind:

                          * Your image is INCREDIBLY TINY so you will need something that
                               is recognizable.

                          * You have to be careful with taking a photo from the internet because 
                              you may be infringing on another's copyright.

                          * Allow a student to create it. You can take a picture of any surrounding or
                               creation and turn it into a favicon image (it will convert a picture into a .

 

 Be Creative! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

6)       

 

Blog Tips & Tricks

Tip #1: How to post another person's cool blog post on your blog.
Tip #2: How to copy & paste all or part of a cool article into a post of your own
Tip #3: How to Create a link for sourcing and to share other sites on the web
Tip #4: How to Embed a YouTube video
Tip #5: How to delay posts until later

Hope you enjoy these tips and the video!

Weblogs Inservice: Pedogogys, Practice and Getting Started.

Definitions: Web 2.0 (or Web 2)

Web 2.0 (or Web 2) is the popular term for advanced Internet technology and applications including blogs, wikis, RSS and social bookmarking...One of the most significant differences between Web 2.0 and the traditional World Wide Web (retroactively referred to as Web 1.0) is greater collaboration among Internet users and other users, content providers, and enterprises.  --VIA



Video #1: Web 2.0 Technologies.



Prezi #1: Using Web 2.0

21st Century Teaching: WWW and You on Prezi

Question #1. How do you use Web 2.0 in your classroom? 

I asked students what an e-portfolio was several times over and eventually they were able to regurgitate the answer. When I asked them what to include in it and the format, they could not. We found the answer through investigation on Google and collaboration on Google Docs. The portfolios were created on Google sites. The students found the answers and found the examples and the concept through edu, wiki sites and the  format was established and the concept stuck better than I was able to explain in words. Our science fair went off with out a hitch after an enormous amount of time and preparation because of the collaboration students were able to have outside of the classroom. The science and math teacher were able to plan the event down to the last detail because of Web 2.0 collaboration. We needed a blog to go a step farther, a Wiki to go farther, a podcast to go farther and next year we will.




Video #2: Web 2.0 Student Classroom Practices

Resistance comes from us All!! Even if we believe or say we are utilizing all our resources, all that are at our hands, we still are not. They are ever changing; and two or more resources is not enough! Our Students Deserve the MOST!

We have to be able to utilize technology and extend our learning beyond the walls of our classrooms. It is a fantastic time because we are able to reach outside our classrooms for learning, whether it be parents at work, friends in other classes or even people of foreign countries. We have access to movies, Wikis, cell phones, podcasts, photos, blogs, social websites and instant messaging to learn about cars, countries, gardening, solve homework problems, learn to tie knots, present, read, write and connect to others. "Blogging can teach critical reading and writing skills, and it can lead to greater information management skills. It can help students become much more media and information literate by clarifying the choices they make about the content they write about, it can teach them about how networks function-bnoth human and computer-and it can teach the essential skill of collaboration (The Book, see below)." But first, students have to know how to manage their resources and know who they can reach out to when they have issues or questions.

Take baby steps. get comfortable with Web 2.0. Get comfortable with blogs and the read/write web. Scaffold similarly to your practices with students. Don't be the person at the in-service that isn't hands on, you'll never learn it and be successful. Baby steps!

ISSUE #1: Teaching students HOW to navigate the Web, find pertinent and valid information and use the information appropriately.

ISSUE#2: Internet Safety 

TAKE 10, Discuss for 15 (Groupwork Investigation):

2. Do you have fears associated with students being on the web or fears of them publishing their thoughts, work, pictures on the web?

3. What safety measures can we enact as a school, team, class? Should we hold beginning of the year or ongoing classes for students regarding safety and appropriate use of computers (home and at school)?

4. What are the reasons and personal fears for most people resisting the technological change? How do we over come that?

Some things to think about!!

• Inappropriate Contact    
• Inappropriate Content 
• Inappropriate Conduct

The Book Chapter 2 & 3 Discussion:
What are your goals, expectations and concerns after reading this book? What do you want to perfect and walk away with? What will it take to put you in this car today?


Video #3: Will Richardson on Blogs



The Book: What is posting and what is blogging and does it really matter? (3rd Edition, p.31) Is it CONNECTIVITY?

CHALLENGE (Groupwork Investigation): 
Find 5 blogs. Be prepared to discuss what a blog is, how they are formatted, were you drawn in or if emotion were evoked, what would make it better; does it begin to give you any ideas for creating a classroom blog? Share a Blog URL with class to check out on front screen. Read to comment. Investigate how others comment. Comment on at least 3 blogs.

Question #5 : How did you find blogs? (Newspapers vs Blogs and 21st C skills = Modern & Outdated)

                   BLOG, BLOGS AND MORE BLOGS                         

"Weblogs are already making an impact on our curricurricula whether we are employing them as research tools or not."

Going back to safety and using pertinent information correctly takes us to credible resources. If you have edition 3 of the book flip to page 37, "Blogs as Resources." This chapter is right when saying about blogs, "...[They're] sources of information about whatever topics you might be studying...[but] whom to believe?"

We have to be the model for this. We have to explore this ourselves. Book recommendations:1) Look at
the  "blog roll'" a list of blogs that the blogger links to, 2) Look at an "Authority" rating which is based on how many other bloggers have linked. but still, take time to evaluate. Even try to find who owns the site and where the money is coming from: internic.com

ginkelsey.blogspot.com


http://lewiselementary.org/

http://ideasandthoughts.org/

Scroll through the book (ch 2 & 3) and decide which links you really wanted to check out and which seem silly now. All were relevant to your growth.

Blogs are all about CONNECTIVITY, interacting, reading with purpose and writing in reaction to your feelings about your day, another blog, a question presented, a graphic posted or to inform. When students use the technologies they are most familiar with or are enamored by relevancy increases.
When students are writing about what they care about, relevancy increases. When they realize the scope of their audience and anticipate their reaction relevancy increases. When Relevancy increases, their effort, the quality of their work and their learning may become directly effected.

Of course we initially think of blogging as a journaling tool, which works great for classrooms. This will likely be how we initially begin scaffolding for both educators and students.  We cannot let this disway us or limit us, because it can be far more reaching and beneficial.

Connecting with an author,connecting with a scientist, connecting with old friends & family to show off.
Which websites from the book would you like to peruse??

Other Ideas for Blogs:

Keep in mind that we have a green screen and film department, recording studio, art studio, scanners and the limits are endless.

1. Teacher complaints on not knowing when events are taking place, being out of the loop. Answer: RSS
                                     (May be the result of fewer meetings, teacher collaboration & quicker updates also)

2. Student/Teacher Organization (Cloud Computing): Online filing cabinet, time stamped homework turn- in.
                                                                                 One space to view and collaborate, several classes.

3. Teacher Documentation:  transparency, future thesis papers, later reflection for students (Data Center
           Extras). You may also use this as a way to share links with other teachers and students, or store for
           yourself (better organized, because you categorize it).


4. Digital Story Telling:
http://www.dtc.scott.k12.ky.us/technology/digitalstorytelling/cdst.html
http://www.storycenter.org
http://electronicportfolios.com/digistory/

 
5. Class Websites & Assignments or Announcements:
https://sites.google.com/site/10thgradeacademy/


6. Digital Portfolios & Archives: "PROFICIENT IN...& WHAT WE NEED TO INCLUDE IN REFS"
Privacy & Permission:
https://sites.google.com/site/leighledbetterportfoilo/home
https://sites.google.com/site/aubreyautopsyportfolio/home
https://sites.google.com/site/joaquinhernandezjrportfolio/music

Digital Portfolios (e-portfolios) on Prezi

Mr Kelsey and Ms Amor & Google: 
http://justinhileman.com/sites/justinhileman.com/files/images/portfolio/wendyg0.png
http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/courses/ci335/eport_examples/index.htmlLet the Brainstorming Begin. . .
http://www.cesa8.k12.wi.us/teares/math/it/samplePort/LAURIE/Related%20Classes.htm
https://sites.google.com/site/sites/system/app/pages/meta/search?q=digital+portfolio&scope=my&in=title



6. Give HW, Prepare for tomorrow's class, Comment on Visuals:

What is happening here? What would the intercepts be and what do they mean? Why are their 3 topics labeled on a 2-D coordinate system? Are their any coorelations? Please comment your answers and impressions for full credit.




The Book: Obvious-teaching, writing, reading, but works for, "all areas of curriculum to collaborate with subject-specific experts, to archive learning, to share results of experiments, and to publish student work...infuse writings into all disciplines." Expand the walls of your classroom, seek out and post studies, its all future scientists and physicists will be doing.


8. My idea of a school blog: Green Screen, Podcasting, TAKS testing tips, school promotion, fundraising via companies, news, online newspaper, students write, teachers write. Everyday a blog is written, but highlighting a different moment within our school, a different classroom, our arts, our core, our integration and multi-sensory teaching, our technology, to sell art, necklaces, etc. SITE MANAGER IS KEY!

The Book: Classroom uses of Weblogs (3rd Edition p.39-40)
Read and Reflect!


The Book: 
"If we want our students to learn from blogs, we have to experience that learning firsthand...'get into their shoes.'"

Start Small: Begin typing reactions you have things you have read to get use to the blogging process. As you become more comfortable and establish a rhythm increase the depth of your posts. Scafflold similarly to that of students. Get students reading blogs, but provide models. Let them respond to posts. Implement HW and relevant class links. Post a question for them to think about as preparation for discussion.

Signing up for Blogger and Beginner Bloggers:

If you can email, you can blog. It is extremely user friendly, more so than Google Sites and anything you would embed on sites can easily be embedded on Blogger. In fact you are likely already signed up. It is owned by Google, as is Youtube and other resources you may use in conjunction with this. Google alsomakes everything easy with tutorial videos, forums and customer support on how to due nearly everything.

• Sign Up
• Posting/Editing
• Post Bar
• General Tour
• Commenting/Viewing

1. Gadgets, Monetize
2. Linkup parties, following & followers, exposure, $$
3. Adding Pages, Buttons & Paint
4. Labels & Organizing
5. HTML & Blog Identity
6. Embedding Prezi, Music from Bandcamp, etc
7. Custom Blog sites
8. Stats & Jump Break
9. RSS

#6. Blogging Questions (How to, Capabilities)?

Remember the book:

Independent Assignment: Create First Blog:

Each person must post the URL Link to their Blog on Google Docs. Each person must write a reaction blog, based on their experiences in the class or regarding blogging or Web 2.0 classroom integration and tools.  I would also encourage you to continue looking through varying blogs for ideas and pleasure. Finally, I would appreciate any comments and feedback you have about my presentation on my comment section. If you become a follower, you will begin receiving notices through your blog about any future posts I make, including RSS, Podcasting & Wikis.

Thanks for listening to my ideas for the classroom and viewing my blog!