Symbaloo

Oops...it seems that it has been quite a while since I posted! I will be updating later this week, but for now, here is a little preview of what I will be posting about Symbaloo.

Quietube

Our students have been making video announcements for about two months (more on that later this week). At first, we were transferring the segments to Dropbox, then to Windows Movie Maker on the PC. This was tedious, and when the teachers tried to watch the videos, the buffering took so long it was not an effective use of time. Three weeks ago, I discovered that it would be acceptable to use YouTube to publish our announcements. MUCH EASIER!! The only thing I do not like about using YouTube is the information on the sides when you are getting ready to show the video. Enter Quietube.com. When you go to quietube.com, you will be instructed to drag the quietube button to your toolbar. It took about two seconds to get it set up. Now, all you have to do is enter the URL, click on the quietube button, and watch your video.

Yes, you could just watch in full screen mode, but quietube covers up the ads and comments that you might not want little eyes to see. It is definitely worth a try!

Snapguide

Want a cool, easy app to see if your students can tell someone how to do something? How about showing your students how to work a problem or do an experiment? On a personal note, maybe you want to show how to knit a ruffle scarf. Try Snapguide!

A colleague asked me if I could help her with Snapguide because she is thinking of using it with her science class after a field trip.  Since I had never heard of Snapguide, I asked her to give me tonight to play with it. I am so glad I did! Here is a link to one I did to just try it out. I made it in less than 10 minutes.

http://snapguide.com/guides/email-multiple-pictures-from-your-ipad

I would spend more time on one for my students or teachers, but I wanted to try it right NOW, and did not want to have to think too hard.

You can insert text, photos, and video. After you make your steps, you can rearrange them if necessary. When you are finished, you publish it for the world to see.

I have not researched the ramifications of student use, but if they are using an email you create and remain anonymous, it should be fine. I will update when I find out more.

Maybe I will make a Snapguide on how to make a Snapguide.

Sending Multiple Pictures from your iPad

If you have ever tried to send pictures to someone from your iPad, and have sent several emails with one picture each, you need to see this. Quite by accident, I discovered how to send multiple pictures in one email. Here's how...

1. Tap on your camera roll (the flower that says "Photos")
2. When you see your pictures, tap "Edit" in the top right corner.

 3. Select the pictures you want to send.

4. Tap "Share" in the upper left hand corner and choose how you want to send them.

Easy, found by accident, works great--just what I need on a Friday afternoon!

NISD TechnoPalooza 2013

Here is one of the presentations I will be giving at TechnoPalooza 2013 this week. I will explain each slide in my next post.

Clay Yourself

TCEA’s Tots & Technology conference was wonderful. My head is overflowing with new information and ideas I want to put into place next year. Many of the sessions I attended were on Google—forevermore to be called “The Great and Powerful Google.” I was amazed to find out things about Google that I never knew! I have decided to become a Google Education Apps Certified Teacher, so I will share more about Google this summer as I go through the process. Until then, check out this video: 10 Surprising Facts About Google .  It has nothing to do with classroom applications, but it is very interesting.

On to something you can use…

Several of the sessions I attended talked about www.clayyourself.com. It seemed interesting, so I thought I would check it out. Here is my clay avatar:   

Pros:

1.       It is fun. You get to pick the way your avatar looks, and there is a cute little clay squirrel that guides you through the process.

2.       After you create your avatar, you can give it a stage name through the “Stage Name Generator.” You choose your favorite vacation spot and it generates a name for you. Luckily, you are able to keep generating names until you find one you like. My avatar’s stage name is Mia Cucumbers.

3.       Next, you go to the script creator and fill in nouns and verbs (like Mad Libs) and it creates a script that you can record.

Cons:

1.       It is owned by Hotels.com.

2.       It asks for your name and displays it with your avatar in the Headshot Gallery. As long as students do not put in any identifying information, it should be ok.

3.       The site could not “connect to the audio server,” so I did not record my script. I will have to try again later.

Would I use this program with students? Possibly. It would depend on how well they could be monitored to ensure that no personal, identifying information is added to the site. The avatars are easy and fun to make, and would be better than having their pictures on Edmodo or their blogs. I suggest showing the following cartoon “Faux Paws Adventures on the Internet,” before doing any online activity.

Other uses for clayyourself.com…

digital storytelling, character development, descriptive writing, giving and following directions

If you use clayyourself.com in the classroom, let me know what you did and how it worked for you.

 

Summer, already???

This has been a very fulfilling year. It has also been a very brain-filling year! Next week, I will be in Galveston at the TCEA Tots and Technology. Just based on the handouts that have already been posted on the website, this should prove to be the most worthwhile conference I have been to all year.

If you are not a member of TCEA, I highly recommend that you join. The yearly fee is $30, which is less than any other organization of which I am a member, and it is well worth the money. Check out their website and see what they have to offer.

I will be posting about Google and all its wonderfulness as soon as I get back from Galveston. I am sure I will learn even more at the conference.

Leave a comment if there is anything else you want me to try. I will give you my honest results!