KASD Tech Talk

New Site

2011-06-29T07:27:00.002-05:00

I have moved the Kimberly Tech Talk to the district Blogger account. The new address is http://kimberlytechnotes.blogspot.com

Free Idea Mapping Tool

2011-05-20T07:45:00.003-05:00

If you are a fan of the program Inspiration then take a look at Diagramly. This free online tool allows you to create idea maps, flow charts etc for FREE. It does not create outlines and there are not a lot of instructions but it is very easy to use.

Looking to use GIS in your Classroom?

2011-05-05T07:59:00.001-05:00

Are you or one of your colleagues interested in using GIS software either for instruction or administratively? A geographic information system (GIS) allows us to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts.

A group Wisconsin GIS professionals and educators is applying for a grant from ESRI for free use of all their GIS software for instructional and administrative use through summer of 2014 for K-12 schools, districts, clubs and DPI. The grant requires that we develop a plan of implementation for using the software and providing professional development. The grant includes both instructional and administrative use. This brief survey explores the potential demand and training requirements as well as curriculum development opportunities.

If you think that you may have an interest in participating, please fill out the following brief survey.

https://sites.google.com/site/esrigrant/GISSurvey

Please forward this message to anyone you think might be interested.

More information on GIS is available at:

http://www.esri.com/what-is-gis/index.html

and

http://www.esri.com/industries/k-12/index.html

iPad Class

2011-05-03T07:10:00.002-05:00

The Freedom School District in conjunction with Marian College is offering a iPad class at Freedom High School on the following dates:

May evenings May 10,11
May 16-22 online and assignments
May 24,25 wrap up

Please email me Kathy Lorge for more information

Win 10 Tablets and an LMC Make Over

2011-04-20T13:41:00.002-05:00

ACER VIDEO BOOK REPORT CONTEST

Technology can help bring excitement and creativity to the traditional book report while still displaying students understanding of reading. This contest aims to marry traditional reading curriculum strategies with 21st Century skills in an attempt to make book reports and reading more interactive, fun and engaging for young learners.

The Acer Video Book Report contest also provides an opportunity to educators to re-think the standard book report by producing videos that creatively illustrate the students' comprehension of the book, along with teaching collaborative and critical thinking skills.

How to Submit:
• Simply select a book from one of the two literary categories:
Fiction or Non-Fiction
• Help your students create a video to share their favorite book.
• Submit the YouTube/online URL for a chance to win:
1. A 21st Century Library Makeover from Acer for your school—Ten (10) Acer Windows 7 Tablet PCs.
2. One educator conference pass and hotel accommodations for the 32nd Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA)
annual conference to be held in Austin, TX from February 6-10, 2012.
3. Tablet PCs will also be customized "sponsored by the winning student(s) name(s)', Acer and Microsoft.
• Sign and submit the Student Release Form by the deadline, July 15, 2011.

Summer Smartboard Training

2011-04-13T10:24:00.002-05:00

Tierney Brothers is putting on a number of summer classes for Smartboard training

Oconomowoc, WI
4/26
SMART Response Integration
http://goo.gl/qHeVi

Oconomowoc, WI
5/12
Jumpstart your SMART Board and SMART Notebook Integration (Level 1)
http://goo.gl/sAJbp

Oconomowoc, WI
5/17
SMART Response Integration
http://goo.gl/qHeVi

Minneapolis, MN*
5/17 & more
Elevate your SMART Board and SMART Notebook Integration (Level 2)
http://goo.gl/OPCer

Waukesha STEM Academy – Saratoga Campus
6/16
SMART User Conference
http://goo.gl/eswcC

Minneapolis, MN*
7/20-7/21
TBI SMART Certification (2 Day Course)
http://goo.gl/F7dbx

Wausau East High School
8/23
SMART User Conference
http://goo.gl/eswcC

*Sessions conducted in Minneapolis are available to view remotely online via webinar

Skype for Educators

2011-03-31T14:36:00.004-05:00

Skype has created a new site just for educators. It is a live database of other teachers, content experts, authors, illustrators, etc. that are willing to meet up with you via Skype. You can sign up for free and then start searching for people that can bring greater depth to your lessons or become an expert for someone else!

Google Docs Supports File Types

2011-02-21T11:25:00.004-06:00

Google Docs has been updated to support more file formats. Check out this full description.

Fun Web Site for Writing

2011-02-11T07:30:00.002-06:00

Are you having your students do some journalistic type writing? Here is a fun web site to make their stories look just like a newspaper clipping. Once they are finished the resulting clip can be downloaded and saved.

The Newspaper Clip Generator

Environmental Learning

2011-01-20T11:44:00.002-06:00

"Shout" is an online/offline global learning forum sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute. It give students a place to explore real environmental issues while interacting with peers, and experts from around the world.

shoutlearning.org

Google Sciende Fair

2011-01-13T10:19:00.002-06:00

Google is looking for the brightest young scientist from around the world. They are sponsoring a world wide science fair for students 13-18. Students can work alone or in teams and their work must be posted to the Gooogle Science Fair 2011 site.

To find out more check out the Gooogle Science Fair 2011

CESA 7 Training Sessions

2011-01-03T14:02:00.003-06:00

1/5/2011 Workshop – WIKI for Staff and Students

8:30-12:00 Room B, CESA 7

Registration link: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=13727&I=736352&H=1

1/21/2011 Workshop – Lights Camera… Video Production & Movie Making for Teachers

8:30-3:30 UWGB

Registration link: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=13727&I=721889&H=1

2/2/2011 Workshop – iPads, iPods and iPhones(iThings)

8:30-3:30 Room B, CESA 7

Registration link: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=13727&I=819449&H=1

2/7 and 2/8/2011 Workshop – SMART Boarding in the Classroom, Level I Beginner

8:00-4:00 Room C, CESA 7

Registration link: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=13727&I=720331&H=1

2/9/2011 Workshop – SMART Peer Coaching

8:00-4:00 Room C, CESA 7

Registration link: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=13727&I=720373&H=1

2/10/2011 Workshop – Intermediate/Advanced Level 2 SMART Board Training

8:00-4:00 Room C, CESA 7

Registration link: https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=13727&I=720371&H=1

Handy Classroom Resources

2010-12-29T14:22:00.004-06:00

The state of Wisconsin is providing some very helpful resources for using technology in the classroom. Below are a list of some of those resources.

Free Music and Sound Effects
The Educational Communications Board has teamed up with SoundzAbound to provide copyright free music and sounds that you can use in school related videos, Powerpoints etc. There is a wide variety and it is search-able.

Free Images
The Ideas web site provides a number of free resources one of which is a collection of high quality photographs.

Public Television Programs Streaming
A large number of the educational programming found on PBS can be streamed at anytime from the Ideas web site.

Current Events
Helpful links to sites supporting current events.

Latest Tech TIps from UW Stout

2010-09-02T11:38:00.001-05:00

Check out the latest Tech Tips for teachers from UW Stout

FREE Webinar

2010-08-24T13:13:00.001-05:00

Becoming a Tech Savvy Educator.
Free webinar
For more info click here.

Thinkfinity Training

2010-07-15T07:55:00.001-05:00

Verizon's is offering free webinars this month. The webinars will cover the Thinkfinity web site. You can find out more HERE.

Reading Speeds - iPads, Kindle, Books

2010-07-07T09:21:00.001-05:00

A study of people reading long-form text on tablets finds higher reading speeds than in the past, but they're still slower than reading print. To read more click here

Free Thinkfinity Training

2010-06-14T14:24:00.002-05:00

Verizon is offering free online training for their Thinkfinity web site. This is the site formally knows as Marco Polo. This is a great tool to find online resources for all your curricular ares

FREE Thinkfinity Training

Micro Grants Available

2010-05-21T11:09:00.002-05:00

Check out a number of micro grants available to technology using teachers.

Micro Grants

Science Videos on Youtube

2010-05-20T07:30:00.002-05:00

The Boehringer Ingelheim and the National Science Teachers Association have collaborated to create a new channel on YouTube. This channel has just been created and the content is expected to grow. Here you can find quick video demonstrations and experiments to use in your classroom or share with parents.

Check it out at Family Science Quest

Interactive Quizes

2010-05-11T07:25:00.002-05:00

Looking for an online interactive quiz for your students. At MyStudyio you can create interactive quizes that incorporate video, audio or animation. This site is currently free. The system walk you through five steps to create your online assessment. Check out some examples or sign up at http://www.mystudiyo.com/

Don't Forget the Paper

2010-03-23T07:33:00.002-05:00

When talking technology integration we often forget that sometimes the tangible is better then the virtual. The short article by Gary Stager addresses the need for creating projects that can be held, felt and treasured. The Genius of Print

Online Reputation Management

2010-03-09T07:35:00.002-06:00

This is a great article protecting and managing your reputation online. Good information as a professional and to share with your students.

Online Reputation Management

Using Mobile Web Devices in your Classroom

2010-02-22T10:33:00.003-06:00

Verizon Wireless is sponsoring a webinar on using mobile web devices (aka SmartPhones). There are two sessions so if you have some prep time that aligns with the webinar times you might want to check this out.

21st Century Learning Using Mobile Learning Devices

How do we deal with the availability of online learning?

2010-02-11T07:33:00.003-06:00

At Educon 2.2 we had about 100 people discussing the future of education now that students can pick and choose from a plethora of online educational opportunities. The group generated a list of questions that we feel need to be addressed as the shift from traditional classroom education to online community education comes upon us.

“What are the ‘big’ conversations that schools should be having in relation to the ‘tectonic’ shifts that are occurring with online learning?”

· What does an educated person look like today?

· What are the essential practices of teachers in a system where students are learning outside of school?

· If some percentage of schooling is socialization and relationship building, how would that happen outside of school?

· How are we going to shift the expectations for schools from all of our constituents?

· How do we change policy to support more flexible time and place learning?

· How does our thinking of the physical space change? How do we support the changing role of teacher?

· What is the role of the teacher? Do we really need a physical space?

· How do K-12 and higher ed have this conversation about change together?

· What is the purpose of school? How do we teach kids ethics and citizenship?

· How do we continue to make school available to everyone?

· Is school a resource or it something we do?

· How do we adapt our curriculum to the technologies that kids are already using?

· How do we ensure that every child has access to learning opportunities outside of school?

· How do we make school fun?

· What should be compulsory about school?

· How do we make sure that the weakest forms of traditional schooling don’t get amplified by technology?

· How do we avoid the social justice implications of an elitist model of education?

· How do we ensure those without privilege have equal access to quality education and opportunity?

· How do we become better equipped, both as individuals and as systems, to deal with change?

· What is preventing us from being adaptable to change?

· How do we rethink the reallocation of resources to support individualized instruction?

· We will be creating a new class of marginalized people with these shifts?

· What is the essential learning that schools impart to students?

· How do public schools prove that they are committed to education all children?

· What risks are we willing to accept?

· What is our obligation to collaborate with other systems going through similar changes?

· How do we measure or assess the effectiveness of individualized self-directed learning outside of school?

· How do you validate or evaluate informal learning?

· How do we help students discover their passions?

· Who is going to pay for equity of access to these environments?

· How can we use our best resources more effectively for our students?

Learn what BadgerNet can do for you!

2010-02-08T13:18:00.002-06:00

BadgetNet is a state run Internet service that provides valuable educational resources free of charge. They are offering a number of shortWebinars that will explore their rich set of online tools. Most of these are archived so they can be viewed at anytime. Some are run over the noon hour and they last between 30-45 minutes.

BadgerNet Learning Series

Technology Is Not All Good

2010-02-01T11:06:00.003-06:00

Interesting article on the negative effects of texting and social networking on kids English skills.

Link to Article

Education via iPhone

2010-01-18T14:28:00.002-06:00

The delivery of education is changing quickly and so are the tools to acquire that education. BarMax is a complete study guide with lectures, essay's, sample questions and practice tests used to prepare for the California bar exam. What is really interesting is that it is delivered on an iPhone or iPod Touch. Do we need to re-think how we do things?

Classroom 2.0

2010-01-18T07:33:00.002-06:00

Here is a very nice site for educators looking to implement Web 2.0 tools in their instruction. It is a social networking site for technology interested teachers.

Classroom 2.0

Micro Grant

2010-01-13T07:32:00.002-06:00

Check out this micro grant and you could win a Flip camera and $200.

Something to Contemplate

2009-12-02T09:15:00.001-06:00

Free Webinars

2009-11-17T13:12:00.003-06:00

Webinars are like seminars delivered via the web. Most webinars are live and allow two way interaction with both audio and video. Often these webinars are captured and made available "On Demand" for viewing at anytime. The On Demand webinars do not allow for interaction since they are recordings of early webinars but they still offer all the content. A great deal of the webinars are free but some do charge a fee. Webinars can be a great asset for your personal professional development or a great tool to get students involved in live discussions with experts in the field. Give a webinar a try! A few examples are listed below but you can always Google for the topic of your choice.

Professional Development Webinars

Virtural Touring

2009-11-13T13:41:00.004-06:00

Use the Internet to take your students on virtual field trips with Project Explorer. This web site uses digital media to bring the world of travel to your classroom. Currently there are currently four destinations with over 160 short videos and photos and text. The trips explore the food, music, culture and languages of the area. The non-profit organization behind the trips is working on additional trips.

Check out Project Explorer

Geography, Mapping and Technology

2009-10-21T14:28:00.001-05:00

Are you looking for some good resources on how to incorporate technology into your mapping or geography lessons? Check out these articles

Whiteboard/Slate Resources

2009-09-14T08:40:00.002-05:00

There are many free online resources to use with your interactive whiteboard or slate. To see some of these check out this link. Many of these are lessons plans but there are also a lot of interactive online activities or tools to make the whiteboard truly interactive.

Whiteboard Resources

Learn and Share Safari Montage

2009-06-29T14:16:00.002-05:00

Safari Montage has developed an online community that will allow you to learn how to use this service and to share your ideas with other educators. This is a free service that has forums for discussion of best practices. Make the most of Safari Montage by joining their network.

http://www.safarimontagehdnetwork.com/

Interactive Whiteboard Course 3 Credits

2009-06-02T07:55:00.001-05:00

UW-Whitewater is offering a 3-credit graduate level workshop entitled “SMART Boards in the Classroom” this summer. The course, taught by Sharon Webb of CESA 2, is designed to provide K-12 classroom teachers with the strategies, skills, and training to successfully integrate the SMART Board interactive whiteboard in the classroom.

The class meets face-to-face from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. the week of June 22-26, with follow-up contact hours conducted online through July 3.

For registration information, contact the UW-Whitewater Summer Session Office at [ mailto:lenchoc@uww.edu ]lenchoc@uww.edu or 800-621-5376.

Marian Technology Summer Classes

2009-05-29T13:21:00.002-05:00

Summer Online Courses at Marian

Please note due to the limited notice of the Twitter class start date- we are bumping the start date back to June 5th- to allow more teachers to enroll in this exciting new online course and others being offered. Here is the original message below. Please register through Marian University for these two credit graduate courses instructed by Naomi Harm at:

PDF registration form
Register online with or without IQ web access

Once you have registered through Marian University, you will be given the web address and access code to proceed with the online course work Naomi Harm has created for you.
______________________________________________________________________

Are you interested in taking a summer online educational technology graduate course? If you are- this is the opportunity for you! Marian University has added five brand new- cutting edge online graduate courses for Summer 2009. Naomi Harm, National Intel Senior Trainer and Marian University adjunct instructor, is the designer of these new courses and will be the online facilitator for each two credit graduate course. Tuition is set for $420 for two graduate credits.

EDT604 June 5 - June 26
How to Become a Transformed Twitter Teacher (T3) in a Flash
Twitter is becoming an integral part of many digital lives and personal and professional learning networks. This introductory course of "How to Become a Transformed Twitter Teacher (T3) in a Flash" explains how to use Twitter; an online microblogging service that offers a way to share short bites of information instantly with others. This course will explain what Twitter is and how its service is used by individuals, by businesses, and within k-16 education and the classroom environment. Demonstration of how to sign up, send and read Twitter updates (also called "tweets"), and build your own PLN (Personal/Professional Learning Network) of friends. The training will also explore and describe how to get the most out of Twitter by customizing an individual profile, setting options, and tapping into third-party resources that make it easier to follow and send updates. Upon completion of this online course- each participant will receive a cool new "flash" drive.

EDT604 June 5 - July 3
Digital Storytelling in the K-12 Classroom
Change your students' 21st century learning experiences by tapping into the wonderful world of Media Literacy. This graduate course is designed for teachers who are interested in using digital storytelling both in their teaching and to meet curriculum and technology literacy expectations from various subject areas through student presentations. You will investigate Web 2.0 storytelling tools such as Bubble Share, Flickr, Jump Cut, One True Media, Primary Access, and YouTube. You will interact with these sites and share how they can be used in conjunction with Microsoft Photo Story 3 or iPhoto to add visual enhancements to lessons and to add engagement and creativity to your teacher and student presentations.

EDT604 June 12-July 10
Teaching and Learning in the "Flat Classroom"
What does a flat classroom mean? How do you recognize one and how can you create your own embedded with 21st Century Skills? We invite educators who want to transform their learning spaces to include global collaboration in their curriculum to join us for this unique graduate course. We emphasize a hands-on approach with examples highlighting inquiry-based and research oriented technology applications. Featured projects include the Flat Classroom Project, Global School House Network, ePals, Eduscapes, CIESE, TechnoSpud, and Global Education Collaborative. This two credit graduate course showcases innovative ideas for building community and collaboration with wikis, blogs, online social networks, back channel chats, online video collaborations, and other web 2.0 tools.

EDT604 June 19 – July 17
Building and Growing Your Personal/Professional Learning Network (PLN)
Collaborative social networks allow educators to create online communities that support their personal and professional learning. Whether your personal learning network is overflowing or just starting to grow, this graduate course will help you to refine your PLN to best suit your learning needs. We'll lead you to interesting people who advocate for the effective use of technology to improve teaching and learning. We will discuss tips and tricks to leverage the potential of these networks and provide resources to help participants set up their own networks. Participants will gain hands-on experience using social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Ning, and Delicious to build professional learning networks.

EDT604 July 10 -August 7th
Web 2.0 Literacy Tools to Transform Teaching and Learning
According to Wikipedia, “Web 2.0 is a term describing changing trends in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aim to enhance creativity, information sharing, and collaboration among users.“This graduate course will not only teach you how to use some of the new web technologies that are beginning to transform education, it will also put you well on the way to implementing them in your practice. The tools will be investigating include image/video editing and production, collaboration, writing and research, converters and widgets, presentations and virtual environments. These tools will allow teachers and students to express their creativity in any curricular area, and you will learn how each of these tools are being used in classrooms around the world to meet Information, Communication,Technology (ICT) skills and Notational Education Technology Standards (NETS).

Marian University
45 S. National Ave.
Fond du Lac, WI 54935-4699
(920) -923 - 7618
Questions? Call: 1 -800-262- 7426 ext. 7618
registraroffice@marianuniversity.edu

Interactive Charts

2009-05-26T11:14:00.002-05:00

How about interactive charts? This website allows you/students to create interactive pie, bar, line and more. Create the chart you need and publish it on the web. The best part it is free to use.

Check it out at
http://www.chartle.net/

Interactive Timelines

2009-05-21T07:56:00.002-05:00

Here is a great tool for staff and students. This web site allows you to create interactive/multimedia timelines. Free and easy to use.

TimeGlider

Inservice Videos Now Available

2009-04-21T11:20:00.003-05:00

We have made available on the Safari Montage video server four videos from our March 2009 in-service. These video were filled during the presentations and will provide you some review or new information from a session you were not able to attend.

The session are:
Introduction to ePals and Skype (37 min 56 sec)
Introduction to Photostory (27 min 28 sec)
Using the Flip Camera and Movie Maker (33 min 50 sec)
Introduction to Blogging (21 min 27 sec)

FREE Lectures Online

2009-03-27T08:46:00.005-05:00

This week YouTube created a new branch in their online video tree. YouTube EDU is focused on organizing all the educational content on YouTube. You can search YouTube EDU without the worry of finding non educational or inappropriate content. Most of the content is from University's and Colleges. You can check out at YouTube EDU

There is another site Academic Earth that pulls together lectures from Berkeley, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale. All this content is free and open for you to use in your classes.

The Future of Manipulatives

2009-03-12T13:21:00.002-05:00

MIT students are working on creating the future of hands on manipulatives. This is some really neat technology we may see in the classroom.

Microsoft Dreams of 2019

2009-03-03T09:06:00.003-06:00

This five minute video takes you on a tour of what Microsoft envisions for the year 2019. It may seem like fantasy but remember what technology looked like in 1999...

39% of US homes have Internet access
3% of US homes have high speed Internet access
Home networking is introduced
iPods didn't exist
A cheap DVD player cost $300
Plasma TV cost $12,000

Smartboard Training

2009-01-22T13:10:00.003-06:00

Infocor is a company specializing in training for the Smartboard. They are offer two FREE sessions in Appleton on February 10th. Seating is limited so if you are interested sign up soon. Below are the session descriptions.

They also offer paid courses with college credit. You can sign up and get more details by clicking here

FREE SMART Board Seminar Series - Feb 10 - Appleton (4:00 - 5:45pm)
FREE seminar series in Appleton on February 10th at the Best Western Midway Hotel. If you are new to SMART Boards, take our 4:00-5:45 p.m. Intro to SMART Boards seminar. You will learn the basics of using a SMART Board, learn about teacher resources on SMART's website, find out about SMART's wireless bluetooth connections, the AirLiner wireless slate, Senteo response system, SMART Learning Marketplace and MUCH MORE.
.
FREE SMART Board Seminar Series - Feb 10 Appleton (6:00 - 7:45 pm)
Our 6:00-7:45 p.m. seminar SMART software - What's New - taught by InfoCor Training Institute's very own Chuck Gevaert. This session will give you an overview of the powerful new features in SMART's latest FREE software release. Get a copy of the Lesson Activity Toolkit for quick classroom concept review building. Learn about the power of Synchroneyes classroom management software and new SMART peripherals to assist you in delivering knowledge in the classroom.

Changing your Default Font in Word

2009-01-20T07:51:00.002-06:00

If you would like to make the new "Green" font your default font follow these directions.
1) Open a blank Word document.
2) Click Format-->Font
3) Select the desired font
4) Click the "Default" button in the lower left corner of the box
5) Answer "Yes" to the popup.
6) Close the document - no further saving is necessary.

How to follow the Inauguration

2009-01-19T08:28:00.001-06:00

The site Lifehacker has a great list of ways to be connected to tomorrows Inauguration.

Going Green

2009-01-14T09:50:00.005-06:00

On the suggestion of the Environmental Club at the Kimberly High School the IT department is going "green". This week we have installed a "green" Font that can be used in any of your documents. No, the font does not print out green it actually uses approximately 20% less toner then a standard font. This new font was developed last month by a Dutch company. The font has tiny holes so less toner is used. The font is best used with type sized 9-12. The larger the font the more noticeable the holes become. The font also looks gray due to the white space (holes). This is a great font to use for 90% percent of your printing but for jobs that require a very professional look stick with the traditional fonts.

This is a example of what the font looks like at different sizes.

The font is named Sprang Eco Sans. Give it a try and save the planet!

Student Video Documentary Contest

2009-01-09T07:59:00.003-06:00

Do you have some budding vidoeograhpers in your classroom. C-Span is looking for some top quality documentaries for its 2009 contest. Student teams up to three individuals create an 5-8 minute documentaries focusing on a topic of national interest. There is $50,000 on the line. Time is running out, to find out more click here.

What Will Change Everything?

2009-01-07T07:15:00.002-06:00

The question above was posted on an Internet site the following is one answer that I thought was very interesting.

CHRIS ANDERSON
Curator, TED Conference

A WEB-EMPOWERED REVOLUTION IN TEACHING

Today when we think of the world's teeming billions of humans, we tend to think: overpopulation, poverty, disease, instability, environmental destruction. They are the cause of most of the planet's problems.

What if that were to change? What if the average human were able to contribute more than consume? To add more than subtract? Think of the world as if each person drives a balance sheet. On the negative side are the resources they consume without replacing, on the positive side are the contributions they make to the planet in the form of the resources they produce, the lasting artifacts-of-value they build, and the ideas and technologies that might create a better future for their family, their community and for the planet as a whole. Our whole future hangs on whether the sum of those balance sheets can turn positive.

What might make that possible? One key reason for hope is that so far we have barely scraped the surface of human potential. Throughout history, the vast majority of humans have not been the people they could have been.

Take this simple thought experiment. Pick your favorite scientist, mathematician or cultural hero. Now imagine that instead of being born when and where they were, they had instead been born with the same in-built-but-unlocked abilities in a typical poverty-stricken village in, say, the France of 1200 or the Ethiopia of 1980. Would they have made the contribution they made? Of course not. They would never have received the education and encouragement it took to achieve what they did. Instead they would have simply lived out a life of poverty, with perhaps an occasional yearning that there must be a better way.

Conversely, an unknown but vast number of those grinding out a living today have the potential to be world-changers... if only we could find a way of unlocking that potential.

Two ingredients might be enough to do that. Knowledge and inspiration. If you learn of ideas that could transform your life, and you feel the inspiration necessary to act on that knowledge, there's a real chance your life will indeed be transformed.

There are many scary things about today's world. But one that is truly thrilling is that the means of spreading both knowledge and inspiration have never been greater. Five years ago, an amazing teacher or professor with the ability to truly catalyze the lives of his or her students could realistically hope to impact maybe 100 people each year. Today that same teacher can have their words spread on video to millions of eager students. There are already numerous examples of powerful talks that have spread virally to massive Internet audiences.

Driving this unexpected phenomenon is the fact that the physical cost of distributing a recorded talk or lecture anywhere in the world via the internet has fallen effectively to zero. This has happened with breathtaking speed and its implications are not yet widely understood. But it is surely capable of transforming global education.

For one thing, the realization that today's best teachers can become global celebrities is going to boost the caliber of those who teach. For the first time in many years it's possible to imagine ambitious, brilliant 18-year-olds putting 'teacher' at the top of their career choice list. Indeed the very definition of "great teacher" will expand, as numerous others outside the profession with the ability to communicate important ideas find a new incentive to make that talent available to the world. Additionally every existing teacher can greatly amplify their own abilities by inviting into their classroom, on video, the world's greatest scientists, visionaries and tutors. (Can a teacher inspire over video? Absolutely. We hear jaw-dropping stories of this every day.)

Now think about this from the pupils' perspective. In the past, everyone's success has depended on whether they were lucky enough to have a great mentor or teacher in their neighborhood. The vast majority have not been fortunate. But a young girl born in Africa today will probably have access in 10 years' time to a cell phone with a high-resolution screen, a web connection, and more power than the computer you own today. We can imagine her obtaining face-to-face insight and encouragement from her choice of the world's great teachers. She will get a chance to be what she can be. And she might just end up being the person who saves the planet for our grandchildren.

Using Video in Your Curriculum

2008-12-02T08:02:00.004-06:00

Are you looking for another source of "clean" video for use in your classroom? Are you looking for examples of quality student produced video? Are you looking for tips and tricks on using video as a tool in you curriculum? Check out SchoolTube. This site is a great sources of student produced video that can be used for instruction on a topic or instruction on good videography. The site also has a collection of teacher resources to help you use video in your classroom. Sign up for a free account and you will receive an email with the Video of the Day, a high quality showcased student video.

SchoolTube

10 Million Life Photos

2008-11-18T15:09:00.002-06:00

Google now has archived and indexed over 10 million photo's from the Life Photo Archive. The pictures go back as far as the 1860's. The index is fully searchable. Take a look

Video in the Classroom

2008-11-18T09:14:00.005-06:00

Here is a great example of student produced video that demonstrates their knowledge of the economy and the current crisis. This is a good use of technology as a tool to express their knowledge of the subject.

Math Program Free until June

2008-11-11T13:33:00.002-06:00

Help For Students Who Struggle with Math & Algebra

ModuMath Basic Math and Algebra Multimedia Video Courses

The non-profit Wisconsin Technical College System Foundation (Foundation) operates instructional material acquisition and development projects that enable Wisconsin’s Technical Colleges to obtain instructional materials at a low cost. When the materials are of interest to other Wisconsin organizations, the Foundation invites other organizations to acquire the materials at a significant discount off the national price list.

The Foundation is now offering specially reduced pricing to Wisconsin schools and libraries of ModuMath Basic Math and Algebra courseware (ModuMath) to assist in meeting the needs of students who struggle with math and algebra. The two ModuMath courses can be used by middle school, high school and adult learners.

ModuMath is a tool or learning resource which can supplement classroom instruction or serve as an alternative to the classroom.

ModuMath courses and competency tests can also be excellent refresher tutorials in advance of Wisconsin Knowledge & Concepts Exams and UW Math Placement Tests.

ModuMath provides 51 math and 32 algebra performance based interactive video lessons; competency tests for assessment or drill and practice; prescriptive tests with automatically generated individualized lesson plans; a records management system to track student progress; and optional study guides.

ModuMath is currently deployed at over 100 community colleges nationally and at 120 Wisconsin Technical College sites.

Free Trial until June 30, 2009

Any Wisconsin public, private, or charter school or library may use these two ModuMath courses without charge until June 30, 2009.

After June 30, 2009 an annual building site license to use either course is only $750. The annual building license allows use of the respective ModuMath course with an unlimited number of enrolled students and/or library patrons in a single building.

To request free course materials and begin your free trial call 608-850-2046 or email Greg Wagner at video@modumath.org .

30 Days to Better Blogging

2008-11-10T07:21:00.002-06:00

Here is an interesting blog site where the author is giving a tip-a-day for thirty days on how to make a better blog. There are some very useful tips here.

Thirty Days to Better Blogging

Free Web 2.0 Training

2008-11-05T08:35:00.004-06:00

Do you want to learn more about Web 2.0 Tools? Do you need fresh ideas to engage your students? Would you like to build a personalized Web 2.0 Curriculum Integration Plan?

InfoSource Learning is offering FREE access to their Integrating Technology in the Classroom with Web 2.0 Tools online course library. In addition, this offer includes access to the exclusive Curriculum Integration Plan at no extra charge, which will allow you to build a personalized roadmap to full technology integration.

This twenty course library takes teachers on the exciting journey of learning and integrating Web 2.0 tools into their lessons. This library was created for teachers by teachers so courses contain an abundance of real-life examples and classroom projects.

Below you will find a list of all of the courses contained in this library. To sign up for this free offer click here.

Interactive Whiteboards
Introducing Interactive Whiteboards
Integrating Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom
Combining Interactive Whiteboards with Other Technology

Blogs
Introducing Blogs
Integrating Blogs in the Classroom
Creating a Blog

Podcasts
Introducing Podcasts
Integrating Podcasts in the Classroom
Creating a Podcast

Wikis
Introducing Wikis
Integrating Wikis in the Classroom
Creating a Wiki

Online Photo Sharing
Introducing Online Photo Sharing
Integrating Online Photo Sharing in the Classroom
Using Flickr
Using Picasa

Online Video Sharing
Introducing Online Video Sharing
Integrating Online Video Sharing in the Classroom
Using YouTube
Using TeacherTube

Web Page Creation
Introducing Web Page Creation
Integrating Web Page Creation in the Classroom
Using Google Page Creator

Online Searches
Introducing Online Searches
Integrating ONline Searches in the Classroom
Searching with Google

This offer is only good up to November, 21st

Images & Video Copyright Free

2008-11-03T10:29:00.003-06:00

Looking for a collection of videos and images that are free to use and have no copyright worries? The ide@s web site is just the place. Available to all Wisconsin teachers it has a collection of videos and images that are standards referenced and copyright free. All images are teacher reviewed for appropriateness and relevance.

Check them out HERE

Intro to the Technology Standards

2008-10-28T10:28:00.002-05:00

UW-Green Bay and the Stephens groups is offering an online course exploring the International Society of Technology Education technology standards. These standards will be the bases of the Wisconsin technology standards.

This three-week survey course will introduce K-12 educators to the main threads of the ISTE National Education Technology Standards (NETS), and Wisconsin fourth, eighth and twelfth grade technology proficiency standards.

Week 1: Explorations in Creativity & Innovation and Technology Operations and Concepts led by Tammy Stephens

Week 2: Explorations in Communication & Collaboration and Digital Citizenship led by Alicia Mundt

Week 3: Research and Information Fluency and Critical thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making led by Brian Dixon

To find out more Click Here

Using Global Experts

2008-10-23T13:10:00.002-05:00

One of the hot topics in 21st Century Skills is the use of Global Experts. Today most student's and staff have access to email and the Internet. These tools open up the world of content specific experts. People that are willing to take questions and provide their expert knowledge. This is a great tool to use in the classroom. I have started a list of "Expert" sites. This list will grow as I find more sites. Feel free to use the list anytime.

Ask the Experts List

Room of the Future Grant

2008-10-10T07:46:00.002-05:00

Tierney Brothers is the multimedia vendor that provides our Smartboards. They have a grant available just for the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota that will provide a complete room of the future. This includes a Smartboard, projector, mounts, wall mounted control pads, document camera and a presentation remote. You can apply for the grant by clicking on the link below.

Tierney Brothers Classroom of the Future Grant

Training Opportunities

2008-09-04T10:23:00.003-05:00

CESA 6 is holding a number of training opportunities over the next few months. Check out the links to their brochures.

Beginning Moodle
December 9th

Introduction to the SmartBoard
October 8th

Advanced SmartBoard
November 26th

Thinkfinity (formally known as Macro Polo)
October 28th

Safari Montage Here to Stay

2008-08-25T12:22:00.004-05:00

The district has subscribed to the Safari Montage video streaming package we tested last spring. Remember to keep this tool in mind when planning your lessons. See your LMC staff for training. You will find the Safari Montage icon in the Novell Delivered Applications window on your desktop.

WIKI Online Training

2008-07-16T10:43:00.005-05:00

PBWiki is offering educators a FREE online course on how to create a great classroom WIKI. Once you complete the course you will get a free year of their Platinum level WIKI service. Just click here to sign up.

Become a Thinkfinity ( Marco Polo) Trainer

2008-07-14T14:43:00.003-05:00

Thinkfinity (formally known as Macro Polo)

If you would like to become a field trainer for Thinkfinity the DPI is offering an online course to become certified. If you do take this course please notify Mike McDermot so the district knows who is certified to train our staff.

Learning Environment: Online Facilitated Course - delivered via Blackboard

Audience: This session is intended for educators who are interested in training others to locate and integrate Thinkfinity resources, but who have little or no experience with the Thinkfinity resources themselves. Due to the fast-paced nature of this session, educators are encouraged to have a high comfort level with using the Internet. Specific audiences may include library media specialists, technology integration specialists, staff developers, teacher leaders, and pre-service or graduate program faculty and students.

Pre-requisites: none

Session Description: This comprehensive online training session guides educators, who have little to no prior experience with Thinkfinity through acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to become a Thinkfinity Field Trainer. This includes the following components: Thinkfinity's content and resources, navigation and searching strategies, integration to enhance student learning, tools and resources available for Thinkfinity trainers, best practice training strategies, and development of a customized training plan.

Objectives: After completing this hands-on session educators will be able to train end users (educators) to:

Provide an overview of the Thinkfinity program, including professional development and rollout;
Locate free educational resources including interactive student tools, high quality lessons, and panel-reviewed Web sites;
Differentiate between types of online resources available through Thinkfinity and recognize their flexibility for use to support student learning, regardless of individual technical skills and technology availability;
Think critically about strategies for using various Thinkfinity resources to increase student learning
Create a customized integration plan to engage learners and maximize student achievement, using Thinkfinity's Integration Framework;
Differentiate between different types of Thinkfinity training for end users, and customize training sessions for various audiences;
Navigate to a variety of training resources through the Trainer Toolbox;
Complete the four-step process necessary for all Thinkfinity training sessions, using Thinkfinity's powerful professional development management system;
Critically think about a variety of resources available for customizing training sessions for end users;
Effectively apply a variety of exemplary training strategies; and
Create and implement a customized "Thinkfinity Training Plans" developed during the session.

Required Materials: Thinkfinity will provide all materials for this training session.

PLEASE, REGISTER (PRE-ROSTER) WITH ME, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THIS COURSE. SEND ME YOUR NAME, DISTRICT/AFFILIATION, TITLE, AND EMAIL ADDRESS. YOU NEED TO REGISTER BEFORE THE FIRST OF THE MONTH PRIOR TO THE MONTH YOU WISH TO ATTEND THE COURSE. THEN I WILL FORWARD YOUR REGISTRATION TO THINKFINITY. THINKFINITY WILL CONTACT YOUR WITH LOGIN PROCEDURES.

Donna Steffan
Education Consultant
Instructional Media & Technology Team
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
125 S Webster P O Box 7841
Madison WI 53707-7841
Phone: 608-267-1282
FAX: 608-266-2529

District Computer Sale is Coming!

2008-07-01T13:14:00.003-05:00

The district's annual computer sale of old computers is coming up on July 10th and 11th. On July 10th the sale is open to district employee's from 8:00 am until 12:00 pm. Then it will be open to the public in the afternoon and the morning of July 11th. For a flyer with details on dates, times, location and computer specs click here.

Music and Copyright Laws

2008-05-07T13:10:00.004-05:00

I learned something new today. Most of us are breaking the law when we use background music in our Powerpoint presentations and videos. Fair Use covers us in education, right? Not in this case. With the increased use of Powerpoint and video in the schools understanding the copyright law is important. This is especially true with the use of background music. The link below takes you to a document that explores the issues with copyright and music.

Copyright Issues Explored

Google Academy for Teachers

2008-05-06T15:21:00.003-05:00

For the first time Google is opening their Teacher Academy to people outside California. Each year they accept 50 educators for a one day intensive training on technology use in education with a focus on Google applications. The Academy is free but travel and lodging are the responsibilitiy of the participant. The event is held in Mountain View, California. For details on how to apply follow this link.

Google Teacher Academy

More Technology Summer Courses

2008-05-06T14:05:00.000-05:00

Aurora University is pleased to announce our summer IT course offerings:

Summer Institute I 2008 - 3 Credits / 3 Days
Focus: Digital Video, Whiteboard Technology, Podcasting, Website Review, Software, Project-based Learning Model & Technology Integration

Summer Institute II 2008 - 3 Credits / 3 Days (no prerequisite required)
Focus: Google Apps, Thinkfinity, Advanced Whiteboard Technology, Virtual Museums, Web 2.0, Geocaching

PC Podcasting for Educators - 3 Credits / 4 Days

SMARTBoard Technology in the K-12 Classroom - 3 Credits / 5 Days

These courses are not offered online, rather within an interactive, hands-on learning environment.

SEE OUR LINK FOR COURSE DETAILS.
http://auroracourse.com

Be Careful of what You Post Here or at Home

2008-05-02T11:37:00.002-05:00

Here is a very interesting article in the Washington Post on teachers and their My Space and Facebook pages. When Young Teachers Go Wild on the Internet

Milestone in SPAM

2008-05-02T10:17:00.004-05:00

This week the district hit a milestone in SPAM. We officially received our 10,000,00th email message of the school year. I know that many people still receive SPAM and unfortunately that will always happen. There just is no way to block 100% of the SPAM. Our filter does do a very good job. As of today we have received 10,381,293 email messages. Out of that 9,470,528 have not made it to your desktop because they were SPAM. That is a whopping 91% of our received email is SPAM add to that the few that get through and you can see SPAM is a huge problem.

What can you do to help prevent SPAM?

Limit who and where you give out your email address
Do not reply to any SPAM message, even if it says "Click Here to be Unsubscribed"
Do not forward chain email the type that say... forward this to everyone you know
Do not click on links in a SPAM message

Strange Returned Email Explained

2008-04-29T09:12:00.002-05:00

There has been a rash of strange returned email to district staff. Many of you have contacted me about a message received stating they sent a spam email to someone and it was blocked or returned. They claim they never sent that person an email and they are correct. This is the result of someone being infected with a spamming virus.

Someone on the Internet with an address book containing your email address is infected. The virus uses their address book to populate the FROM field in the spam email. The virus then sends out thousands of email that look like they are from you. When a spam filter blocks the spam it often sends a return message to the person the message is FROM. Since your email address if in the FROM field you get the returned message even though you did not send the original message.

There is not a lot we can do to stop these returned messages. You will just have to delete them as they are received.

Video Streaming Test

2008-04-22T07:42:00.001-05:00

At our February in-service many of you had the opportunity to see the United Streaming Video product. This product provides educational video clips and complete series that your can watch via your computer. The KASD is currently testing a product that is nearly identical to USV but we feel offers some distinct benefits. The service is called Safari Montage. You will find an icon for this product in the Application Launcher on your computer. You will be asked to log into the service. Use your Novell ID and Password for the login.

Once logged in you can find a tutorial button under the small video screen. Take time to play with the system it is very user friendly.

We have the system for 45 days after which we will decide if we will keep the service. There are a couple of ways the system can be installed. We are starting with the most simplistic method. There may be some issues with the performance, that is why we are "testing" the system. If you encounter performance issues I would appreciate an email with the following information.

Date
Time
Building
Type of issue (jerky video, jerky audio, no video, no audio etc.)

If you have questions on how to USE the product please contact your LMC director.

Convert your PowerPoint to Video

2008-04-16T09:48:00.005-05:00

I came across this site today and thought it would be helpful. The link below will take you to a blog that gives detailed instructions on how to use the site AuthorStream to convert a PowerPoint into a video. Once converted you can embed the video into your blog, wiki or web page.

Click here for the tutorial

Digital Media Conference this Summer

2008-04-16T08:43:00.002-05:00

The deadline for early registration for the 2008 Milwaukee Digital Media Conference is quickly approaching. Participants can save $50 off of the registration if you register before May 1st. This year’s conference will be held at the Milwaukee County Zoo. This is a hands-on collaborative conference in which participants will learn about wikis, digital mapping, digital photography, video-editing, and podcasting.

Dates: Monday, July 28th- Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Fee: $250 by May 1st early deadline. $300 after May 1st.

Website for more information and registration details: www.milwaukeedmc.com

**We also still have room for our digital media workshops on May 10th. Information is available on our website at http://www.thestephensgroup.com/workshops.php .

Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity! Also, please pass this information along to others that may be interested.

Public Records

2008-04-01T14:42:00.004-05:00

Last week a Wisconsin court made a very interesting decision that will effect everyone in education. A link to the story is below. In short the court ruled in favor of a resident that wanted to view teacher email under the open records law. The only reason the resident wanted to view the email was to see how teachers were using tax payer equipment. If this ruling is upheld in an appeal it will open a possible floodgate of similar requests. Every email you write on district equipment would be available to any district resident for any reason. It is extremely important that you use district equipment with the understanding that anyone, inside or outside, the district could have access to everything you have created.

Open Records Case

Protecting Your Password and Data

2008-03-31T11:21:00.005-05:00

Recently the Little Chute Area School District had their web site hacked. It was found that the hack was performed by a student of the district. While the hack was not performed from within the district and the only server they got to was the web server which is leased outside the district it does remind use to be vigilant about security. The Little Chute hack was the result of the student being able to get a teachers ID and password. Here are a few security reminders:

Never store you login ID and password near your computer
Don't let students watch as you log in
Don't leave your computer unlocked while you are out of the room
Don't tell a student your login ID and password
If you suspect a student is doing something wrong notify your superior

Watching Your Shared Folders

2008-03-18T08:00:00.004-05:00

If you have a shared folder on the group drive that students can access you need to keep an eye on its contents. Some students are taking advantage of the shared group drive to load games, videos and MP3's. If you have a shared folder please take time to periodically check the contents. If you see a file or folder you did not create look inside. Often the students will bury the games 10-15 folders deep to try and hide the games. If you do find items that should not be there please contact Mike McDermot.

Available Courses in Technology

2008-03-06T09:42:00.002-06:00

Aurora University is pleased to announce its spring IT course offerings:

Spring Institute 2008 - 3 Credits / 3 Days (Scheduled over Spring Break!)
Focus: 21st Century Tools Overview - Digital Video, Whiteboard Technology, Podcasting, Website Review, Software, Advanced MS Applications & Technology Integration

PC Podcasting for Educators - 3 Credits / 4 Days (4 Saturdays in April)

SMARTBoard Technology in the K-12 Classroom - 3 Credits / 4 Days (4 Saturdays in April)

These courses are not offered online, rather within an interactive, hands-on learning environment.

SEE OUR LINK FOR COURSE DETAILS.
http://auroracourse.com

Pay Attention

2008-02-12T07:44:00.003-06:00

Here is another video to make you think. It is a little long almost eight minutes but very interesting. Is the KASD at the level stressed in the video, no, but is it something we should strive towards? Do we need to re-think how we do things in the classroom?

Pay Attention

2008-02-12T07:44:00.002-06:00

Here is another video to make you think. It is a little long almost eight minutes but very interesting. Is the KASD at the level stressed in the video, no but is it something we should strive towards? Do we need to re-think how we do things in the classroom?

More on the Future

2008-02-04T08:43:00.001-06:00

Are we creating the correct classroom?

The Future

2008-02-04T08:15:00.001-06:00

In the near future we will have the great opportunity to hear one of the great minds on the future of education. To get you started thinking about the future and present state of education I will be posting some short videos or web sites that hopefully will stimulate your thinking about the future.

More Space on Email

2008-01-29T07:43:00.001-06:00

We recently upgraded our email server with larger hard drives. With the increased space we have increased each users to 25 megabytes of storage. Even with the additional space it is important that you maintain your email space by deleting unnecessary messages. Remember that messages older then 90 days will automatically be deleted. Directions on how to permanently save an email message can be found in Link4Learning under the Information Technology section. There are also many other tips and tutorials found here.

Click here to go to Link4Learning

Getting started with Blogs

2008-01-23T11:01:00.000-06:00

The first order of business is what is a blog and how does one keep track of new blog posts? Think of blogs as an online journal or diary. It is a place that anyone can create a voice and publish their thoughts for the world to see. The term blog is the shortened term Web Log. Blogs can be one way communication in which the author posts information and readers read. Other blogs can be two way communication where the author post information and the reader reads but can also respond and add to the dialog. It is the authors choice on which style they would like to use.

The great thing about blogs is that you can subscribe to them. This means that once subscribed you do not have to go to each blog website to see if new post are available. Just start your blog reader and it will automatically look to see if any new post are available. It then grabs those new post for you to read. I recommend that you use Google Reader to keep track of your blogs and podcasts. It is free, available to you anywhere you have access to the internet and has a great set of features. Click here to sign up for Google Reader.

To learn how to get started with Google Reader view this tutorial.

You can also get some help from your building technical assistant.

It is a Beginning

2008-01-18T11:22:00.000-06:00

This is the first post of my new blog. The idea here is to provide a way to keep you updated on new technologies, teaching ideas (with technology) and general news in the technology department of the Kimberly Area school District. My goal is to make at least one post each week and hopefully more.