Deborah's+notes

​ = = toc Be proactive with these technology applications. Show your administrators HOW you plan to use these application to benefit your students. I had never heard of "Wiki", knew little of Google Docs or podcasts until I attended NSTA in New Orleans on. There I attended a session by Ben Smith and Jared Mader the EdtechInnovators. The several of the files below are copied from their website **[|EdtechInnovators]** ​ Visit their site to find more " How To " files on other Web 2.0 programs. Click the "Resources" link at the top of the page.

=Wiki:=

Ways to use Wikis.
Wiki is Hawaiian for "Quick". This describes wikispaces well - EASY and QUICK.
 * Use the site to post lesson plans, handouts, instructions, etc for students. Especially useful to students who are out with extended illnesses.
 * Post podcasts of your lessons for students review. (I have students who are asking me to post more than I have.)
 * If you have a LCD Projector you can use, you can use your Wiki as a staging area for video files, PowerPoint files, images, etc.
 * Collaborate with other teachers. Share. plan, edit with teachers in your building or teachers around the world.
 * Display student's work. I use the wiki for students to submit lab reports and podcast conclusions.
 * Have students create online content. Students can research the web and use your wiki to compile their sources before doing a report.
 * Share announcements with parents.
 * Post video tutorials from the web to aid students in understanding content.
 * Have students "Discuss" questions relative to your class.

"HOW TO" make your own wiki.
[|Video Tutorial] More Video Tutorials
 * How to add all your students at once: go to Help/Inviting Members to Your Wiki Choose the box with 4**

[|“10 Interesting Ways To Use A Wiki In The Classroom”]

 * [[file:Wikigettingstarted.doc]] ||  || [[file:Wikispace Overview.doc]] || [[file:wikispaces tutorial.doc]] || [[file:Managing Your Wiki.doc]] ||

=Podcasting:= Podcasts are audio or video files that can be found around the web. iTunes was the first to bring podcasts to the general public. You can subscribe to free podcasts. These free podcasts cover as many topics as you can imagine. Once you subscribe to the podcasts, you are interested in you can: listen to them on your computer, burn them to a CD as a WAV file and listen to them in your car, or you can upload them to your mp3 player or ipod. Some sites for podcasts are: []
 * iTunes: You can search their massive library of audio and video podcasts. Once you "subscribe" to the podcast, the new podcasts will be "delivered" to your each time you log on to iTunes. To "subscribe" go to the iTunes Store, click on Podcasts, and choose "Subscribe."
 * [|Podcast Directory] To subscribe to a podcast on the this website click on the RSS Feed button [[image:rss.png width="68" height="29"]] to learn more about how to use RSS Feeds go to RSS FEED page.
 * [|NPR Podcasts]
 * Science Channel Video [|Strange Science: Volcanoes]
 * [|Mars - A Feast for the Eyes] [|The Big Thaw]
 * [|Science Friday - Making Science Radioactive]
 * [|60-Second Science]
 * [|NASA Astrobiology Magazine] - [|NASA Cast] - [|Ask an Astronomer Videos] Search iTunes for NASA for more podcasts!
 * [|What's Up in Astronomy]
 * [|Nature Podcast]
 * [|Ecogeeks] (Science-related) - Fun and informative ways to bring science and natural history alive.
 * To find more podcasts just Google "podcasts".

But Podcasts aren't just for others.
You can do your own podcasts. Here's one way: You can produce your own podcast by recording yourself using a simple, free program called **Audacity** and a cheap microphone. Once you have the audio MP3 file, you can upload the file to your webpage or wiki. When you do your own podcasts, you can use a simple mp3 player so students with learning difficulties can carry the audio of your classroom lecture home to study
 * Down load [|Audacity]
 * [[file:Audacity Get Started.doc]]
 * [[file:Audacity Tutorial.doc]]

=Google Apps:=

iGoogle:
Create your own personalized Google page. One good thing is that this site is not blocked by most schools. Below is my iGoogle page.

How to use iGoogle:

 * Use this page to link to your Gmail, Google Docs, Google Reader and other gadgets.
 * At a glance you can see your content on various Google apps.
 * I can't say for sure but since this is a Google page, it is not blocked at my school and may not be blocked at your school.

To sign up:
Go to [|www.google.com] and click on the iGoogle button at the top and sign up.

Gmail
When you sign up for iGoogle, you may have to sign up for a Gmail account. This is not a bad thing. Gmail can compile email from all your accounts including your school account. Having your email sent to one place can save you valuable time. Also, I can send email from my Gmail account that appears to originate from any of my 3 email addresses. Also, during the summer you can continue to access your school email account.

Google Calendar

 * Uses:**
 * Personal planning
 * Lesson Planning: I use my Google Calendars to do lesson plans. I also **embed** (See Deb's Web 2.0 page for instructions on how to do this) these calendars in my class wiki pages. When I update my lesson plans the calendars on my wiki automatically update instantly. Cool! I don't have to remember to update.

You can use Google Docs to:
Visit this site to see short videos on [|How to use Google Doc videos]
 * Store copies of your files in case your hard drive fails.
 * You can keep these file private.
 * Share them with a limited number of users.
 * Share them with the world.
 * Share files with colleagues or students.
 * Collaborative projects. Up to 10 people at different locations can edit a Google Doc simultaneously. Even more can work on a spreadsheet or presentation at once. Your fellow collaborators can see edits immediately. This is true collaboration.
 * Surveys to gather information or even to test student knowledge. [[file:GoogleFormsTutorial.pdf]]
 * Work on your files from any computer connected to the internet.
 * You can " **Upload** " existing files or build new files from scratch.

Google Reader
media type="custom" key="4592548" When you establish an RSS feed to your Google Reader you can manage your feeds easily. [|How to Use Google Reader video]
 * Video How to:**