Tech 20 Session 9

Using Flickr to Eliminate Those Boxes of Unsorted Photos

March 25

Even with the advantages of digital photogtaphy, we too often end up with a “pile” of unsorted pictures on our computers.  In this session we talked about the use of Flickr, Picasa, and other sites for storing and sharing photographs.

PowerPoint Slides

Video

Tech 20 Session 9 from Greg Dhuyvetter on Vimeo.

Additional Resources:

www.delicious.com/gdhuyvetter/photosharing

Tech 20 Session 8

What’s All This Fuss About Twitter? And if I Have 100 People Following Me, Where Am I Taking Them?

March 12, 2009

Twitter is one of the most talked about web apps right now.  Ene if you don’t participate, it’s good to know about what it is and how people are using it.  This week we introduce the Twitter service, give a listing of terms and uses, and explain how to set up a Twitter account.

This week’s PowerPoint slides

 Video 

 
Tech 20: Session 8 from Greg Dhuyvetter on Vimeo.

Additional Resources:

www.delicious.com/gdhuyvetter/twitter

My Twitter name:

www.twitter.com/GDhuyvetter

Tech 20 Session 7

Three Great FREE Word Processors: Shhh, Don’t tell our Microsoft Overlords!

March 5, 2009

Microsoft Word is a wonderful word processor, but it is not the only one available.  For a long time technological progress was measured by how familiar a person was with the Microsoft Office Suite, but now it is possible to use different tools and not lose the ability to communicate.

This session focuses on three free word processing options.  Openoffice.org is a productivity suite with many of the features of MS Office.  Both Google Docs and Buzzword are online word processors which offer convenient storage and sharing options.

PowerPoint

Video

Tech 20 Session 7 from Greg Dhuyvetter on Vimeo.

To learn more about any of these issues, or to access the word processors, see my bookmark page at www.delicious.com/gdhuyvetter/altwp

Tech 20 Session 6

Delicious & Social Bookmarking: A Tasty Way to Organize the Internet

February 26, 2009

Del.icio.us or Delicious.com is a valuable site to find, save, organize, and share bookmarks.  Through the use of tag words you can quickly identify and find relevant sites, your own, and those tagged by others.

PowerPoint

All links for today’s session can be found at www.delicious.com/gdhuyvetter/delicious

[slideshare id=1075125&doc=mdw2k1usersgdhuyvetterdelicious-090226153453-phpapp02]

Tech 20 Session 5

Creating Your Own Blog with WordPress

January 29, 2009

Everyone should try her or his hand at blogging.  Blogging allows you to share your thoughts, experience, and expertise with the world and to connect with people of similar interests

PowerPoint

 

This week’s links:

Free Blogs

WordPress

www.wordpress.com

Blogger

www.blogger.com

Live Journal

http://www.livejournal.com/

Resources

Blogging in Plain English (video)

http://www.commoncraft.com/blogs

How to Create a Blog

http://www.2createawebsite.com/traffic/create-free-blog.html

Blogging for teachers

http://mark.blogspot.com/2005/03/blogging-for-teachers-part-1-what-are.html

Blog Rules for Educators

http://www.edtechmag.com/k12/issues/november-december-2006/blog-rules.html

Legal Guide for Bloggers

http://w2.eff.org/bloggers/lg/

50 Useful Blog Tips for Teachers

http://www.teachingtips.com/blog/2008/07/21/50-useful-blogging-tools-for-teachers/

Article:  Values and Difficulties with Teacher Blogs (Us News and World Reports)

http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/k-12/2008/09/19/in-search-of-support-teachers-turn-to-blogging.html

Tech 20 Session 4

Copyright and Fair Use: My Life in Crime

January 15, 2009

Issues regarding copyright and fair use have become more challenging for teachers in an era of easy access and digital duplication.

This session dicusses the definitions and rules for appropriate fair use in an educational environment.  Also introduced is the concept of Creative Commons and what these new licenses might mean for educators.

PowerPoint

Links for this presentation

Videos on this Subject

Copyright for Educators (series)

http://www.youtube.com/user/KOCETV

Copyright 101 for Teachers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzlry1c76nc

Creative Commons – Get Creative

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io3BrAQl3so

Other Resource Sites

Teacher First Resource Listings

http://www.teachersfirst.com/getsource.cfm?id=7493

When Published Works Pass into the Public Domain (Chart)

http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm

Creative Commons

http://creativecommons.org/

Creative Commons Search

http://search.creativecommons.org/

A Crash Course on Copyright

http://www.utsystem.edu/OGC/IntellectualProperty/cprtindx.htm#top

10 Big Myths About Copyright Explained

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

Fencing in an Expanding Universe

No, I’m not talking about swordplay.  I’ve been thinking often recently about two contradictory forces that are affecting our decisions in the world of technology.

FORCE 1:  Expansion

The principle of web 2.0 is open communication.  It is hoped that these tools can help move us and our students from passive consumers to active participants and content producers.  The insular world of the office or classroom is passing and giving way to open models of digital communication.

As teachers we want to engage students in this brave new world.  A class is not limited to rooms of desks for five hours a week.  More than any time in history, education is available any time and any place.  I’m hearing exciting examples here and elsewhere of teachers conducting on-line discussions, encouraging student blogging, and even having students use tools like Twitter and instant messaging.  Some of these efforts are amazing.  Some are poorly devised and unsuccessful.  But all of them are important steps in expanding the definition and realities of education.

FORCE 2:  PROTECTION

Just as we have never had so many tools for communicating with students, we have never been as concerned with safety and liability.  The actions of the irresponsible and reprehensible have made schools and teachers rightly obsessed with safety and liability.  This force takes several forms including sheltering students from age inappropriate materials and giving them tools to avoid cyber-bullying.  However, it also relates to communication in social media.  When I hear about exciting examples of teachers using these tools, my teacher enthusiasm is always tempered by my administrator sense that this is a potential liability for the teacher and the school.

I’m not sure what the answer is to this.  I know that we can build some of these tools into our own servers so we will have greater oversight and teachers and students more protection.  But I’m not completely sure whether we do students good or harm by building up walled gardens when they will be spending their lives in a wilderness.

A student learning how to drive a car may spend a very short time working on a training course, but as soon as the basics are mastered, the student has to navigate city streets and freeways.  The reason for this is not that we want to put students at risk, but because there is no point in navigating a protected course…it’s not where they are going to drive.  Similarly, while we need to teach students skills and safety before they go out on the digital highway, this is going to be where they drive….uh, surf.

I welcome your comments.

Tech 20 Session 3

10 Great Podcasts for Educators (How to Claim Your iPod as a Business Expense) 

December 18, 2009

Podcasts are a great way to learn.  These portable lessons allow you to “time shift” and access the material you want when you have time to listen (or watch).  This session presented a group of podcasts that you can use as a starting point in discovering this new media.

PowerPoint

Video 

 

Links for this workshop can be found at www.delicious.com/gdhuyvetter/podcasts