Did it... bought a Mac

I decided that I needed to be more well-rounded with all ed tech tools and apps. I've done a lot of research and learned that the new Apple computers can run Windows and Mac operating systems at the same time. I purchased a program called Fusion that allows an immediate switch of operating systems. Before I even install Fusion, I want to spend time using the Mac programs. I'm feeling a bit illiterate, not knowing how to do the basics. For example, I keep trying to right-click, and I still haven't figured out how to resize a window to the size I want it.

The school district I work for is strictly a PC district. Therefore, my new computer will most likely stay home for my own personal work and fun. I want to use it for webcasting and for the development of some on-line classes I am working on now for the One to One Institute. I look forward to comparing iMovie to MovieMaker.

Thanks, Julie and Derrall, for helping to get me going and for being there for all my dumb questions!

MIchigan DEN Virtual Conference

[kml_flashembed movie="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/46928cc51133af17/47a4e8cd9463e5b" width="432" height="250" wmode="transparent" /]This is a cross post with the Michigan Discovery Educator Network blog.   

What an awesome day!  I just returned home after attending the conference at Doherty Elementary School in West Bloomfield.  The day was a blend of virtual and face-to-face professional development sessions.  Kudos to Cindy Carson, who hosted the event at her school, and facilitated the day, making sure the presenters had what they needed, the food was ordered and delivered on time, door prizes were available to attendees, and other "behind-the-scenes" duties. 

Thanks to MI Leadership Council members Eric Strommer (Flint Schools), Cheryl Lykowski (Bedford Schools), and Pam Shoemaker (Walled Lake Schools) for facilitating breakout sessions.  The opportunity for attendees to ask questions and work with each other was a bonus to attending the conference in person. 

The virtual keynotes and breakout sessions will soon be posted to the Discovery session archive page.  I plan to watch the sessions I did not attend, as I heard they were great! Web 2.0 tools that I plan to also check out sometime soon are posted on Alan Levine's 50 Ways Wiki.



Flixn

[kml_flashembed movie="http://flixn.com/flash/players/camdefault.swf?videoid=tm3kjr" width="328" height="320" wmode="transparent" /]

A first grade teacher in my district just got a new webcam and is anxious to post some video on her classroom blog.  She asked me if I knew how to use Flixn.  I've never heard of it, so I figured I'd give it a try.  The program is very easy to use!  And it does not even require a log-in.  I look really tired and am having a bad hair day, so I apologize.  However, if you are a blogger and have a webcam, this program is worth taking a look.

Kudos to Barb, who has her first graders writing more than ever before... due to her blog.  The students love getting comments and sharing their writing with others. If you have a moment, they would love for you to make a comment.  Thanks!

Discovery Resources About Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Are you looking for classroom ideas and resources about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr?  If you are a subscriber, Discoverystreaming has many new videos, audio files, images, and writing prompts available.  Click here for easy access to these resources. 

Take students to the 1960’s and the Civil Rights movement with these resources.  Also get them thinking and writing about Dr. King, his message, and his impact on our nation and the world.

Weird Al Gives Lesson About Copyright

Click  here to listen to a Weird Al's lesson about copyright.

6th Graders Write Science Song and Perform Dance

Jean Buller, a sixth grade teacher at Clifford Smart Middle School, assigned her students to write songs to go along with the astronomy unit they were studying.  When I heard of this, I encouraged Jean to podcast.  With some brief training, Jean was using Audacity to record the students, converting to mp3s and posting the files to her website.  I had the pleasure of assisting her for a portion of the day while the students were performing.  The students really enjoyed watching their classmates sing their songs.   They were also very excited to be able to share their creative works with their family and friends!  Jean reported that her students did remarkably well on the unit test and she attributes their success to this activity.  

I happened to have my Flip videocamera in my purse (I don't go anywhere without it... I never know when I might need it!)  One group of students had choreographed a dance to go with their song.  I grabbed them and took them into the hall to record their performance on video.  Enjoy!

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Free Premium Yugma Account for Bloggers

Yugma : Free Web Conferencing, Online Meetings, Web Collaboration Service, Free Desktop Sharing, video conferencing, remote control software, net meeting, mac conferencing: home

Thank you, Langwitches for this tip!  Until the end of the month, free Premium accounts are available to bloggers from Yugma.  Yugma is for hosting web meetings, and it allows you to share your computer desktop with others, along with whiteboard and chat features.  If you are not a blogger, you can still sign up for a free account for up to 10 attendees.

I cannot wait to try it!  I've copied and pasted the info from Sylvia's blog below:

Hi, This is Connie from Yugma. On behalf of Yugma with our One Year Anniversary, I would like to thank you for mentioning us on your site and helping us to spread the word about our product. The blogging community had had an integral part in making Yugma one of the fastest growing real-time web collaborations services in 2007 with over 100,000 users to date.

To express our thanks, we’re donating/sponsoring Yearly Premium Yugma accounts (valued at $99.50) to bloggers who simply ask. To learn more about this program and how to get your sponsored Yugma account, check out the details on the Yugma blog – linked below.
http://www.yugma.com/blog/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=261&Itemid=1

Please be sure to check this out soon! The window to request your account through the Yugma Blogger Program will be through the end of January, 2008.

With Greatest Appreciation,

Connie and the rest of the Yugma Team

PS: Be sure to stay tuned! Yugma is set to release new features and improved performance in the next few weeks and months. To keep informed of all the happenings, check out http://www.yugma.com under the news and blog.