Olga LaPlante

We all have a varying degree of experience with social networking websites. However, teenagers and younger generation tend to be there more frequently than older adults. Whatever your preference, you have certainly heard of kids (and adults, actually!) getting into trouble over something they posted on their page, or some site.

So, here are some ways to explore this contraversial topic.

Please go to this WebQuest and explore all about social networking and its place in school (or not).

Sharing Web 2.0 Tools

To find blogs about your subject, you can do a search. Go to Google Blog Search and type in the type of subject-related topic you would like to read about. Please find and write about a blog that you would like to investigate. Include the URL in your post. If you’re not sure how to make the link active, read this article, “How To Make A Link Active”.

If you feel like you lost your grip on certain things with this new interface, here is a little tip: to add files to your posts, use the ADD MEDIA option on your toolbar. Here:

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To learn about the proposed syllabus go the wiki page here.

Here is a simple way to create a meaningful podcast, that you can use immediately with your community, if you publish it online.

Check out this water conservation site that offers dozens of tips on how to save water. Some of them will definitely apply to you and your area. Find 3 tips you like most or find most appropriate. (Remember that change starts with you!).

Then quickly make a search to find pictures/photos or use your own original work to illustrate your message.

Open GarageBand (if you have it!), and record your wise tips, using a Male or a Female Voice Track. Once you recorded your voice (narration), add some background music or a jingle to make your recording more expressive. This article may be helpful. Also, don’t forget to use your own Learning Center on your MLTI computers.

Bring in your pictures, to create a video podcast. Time them to transition from one to another in sinc with your narration.

Helpful Tip: Make sure that you don’t leave gaps between pictures. Pictures are easily “stretched” to take up all the room available.

Finally, show/play your podcast to a colleague to make an impression. Share it using iTunes, or send it as a file to your desktop. Enjoy your learning as you are helping raise awareness of water-wasting habits in your community!

Post it to your Edline account as a file or an assignment. (For Westbrook Teachers only).

A number of resources collected for those who are interested in expanding their knowledge and use of interactive whiteboards. This is not necessarily limited to using just SmartBoard Interactive Whiteboards, - other than the training on the software specific to the SMART brand - but is also a collection of interactive resources from the web.

Good places to look for stuff:

- The WhiteBoard Blog

- Becky Rank’s Portaportal: Be Smart

- My Delicious bookmarks

- SMART Tech website: Support

- SMART Tech website: Educator Resources

- MISTM: Math Interactive Resources

Notes from the session in at the Camden Hills High School, August 19th, 2008 - see link below.

notes-from-session

It’s very peculiar to go to youtube - everything seems to be there! Legally or not legally, you can find tons of stuff to watch, some of it will definitely be of poor quality, and some of it simply inappropriate if you think of school use.

Now, it does to a huge degree represent what people - with a computer, web access, and a web cam - can do, will do, won’t do, and how they put it together in front if a little camera that opens them to the world with very mixed messages, and often out of context.

There is a professional presentation by Michael Wesch on the YouTube community; wish I could give you a link, but he uses some authentic language that I am afraid to offer to students. But if you go to Will Richardson’s blog (link provided) then you will be able to view his presentation, which is very deep, very positive, very interesting, and very moving. I cried in the end - because it’s not just silliness and a waste of time, some people heal by joining this community, and learn to live in this world - not to be labeled “losers who have nothing better to do”.

Check it out - you will never think of YouTube - or a similar community - the way you think of it now. It’s simply amazing.

Anyway, just felt strongly about it. It’s worth every minute you spend on it.

Have you already read this blog post from Clay Shirky? I found it rather interesting - the concept behind it, and very very optimistic - placing watching TV on the same scale as drinking gin, but yet stating it is a temporary stage - like a global societal adjustment to sudden free time and fast changes around. And that Wikipedia and similar projects are filling in the need for intellectual productive outlet. Now the problem seems to be (as Will Richardson mentions it in his latest post) that Wikipedia editors are most likely grown-ups who have chosen to participate - and in a very productive and safe way. How many of those contributors are teachers? Because if there were a lot, then their students are surely in good hands, for they will be modeled to how to use the web well.

We would like to inform districts who qualify and are interested in continuing professional education the following information. Please download and review. Description.

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