Introducing Learning.com

Clay County educators have a great online resource to turn to for digital content.  It is called Learning.com and can be accessed at http://www.learning.com.  This site helps Clay teachers provide students with a "single sign-on" that connects them to a wide variety of online educational resources.  Some of these include Discovery Education, McGraw-Hill, Pearson, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Cengage (National Geographic), just to name a few.

A document titled "From Textbooks to Digital Content" was developed and distributed earlier this school year.  It contained additional in-depth information that can't be shared in this public forum.  If you are a Clay County teacher and you would like to get started using Learning.com with your students, email me using your school email.  Search for Ruth Paine in the Address Book and just send me a message.  I will be glad to assist you, or answer any questions you may have.

Prezi for the iPad

EME5050 - ABC for Week 13

I have fallen in love with Prezi and now I've found Prezi for the iPad.  I'm in heaven (well almost). It is basically a viewer, but at least it is a start in the direction of being able to use Prezi on my iPad and not just on my computer.  I am thrilled!  I've also found the Prezi Blog at http://blog.prezi.com/tag/ipad/. 

Below is the video I found on YouTube about using Prezi on the iPad.  Check it out!

I tried viewing my most recent Prezi production on my iPad and it didn't display as "cleanly" as it does on my computer.  When I say "cleanly" I mean there is no overlapping and there is plenty of white space between the items along the "path" of the presentation itself.

The Prezi Blog is a great place to keep up-to-date on the Prezi app and any updates that are made to it.  It also is a good resource for information on the current and future features of the Prezi for iPad app.  Below are a few items that I learned about from the blog recently:

• The Prezi app does not yet have editor features.  It only allows you to show the Prezis you have created on your computer.
• The current version of the app does not work with video files, YouTube video embeds, PDF, or SWF files.
• The first time a Prezi is opened on your iPad it will take a little while to load, especially if it is a large file.  After the first run it will start to load much faster.

I hope you check out the Prezi iPad app and make sure to keep up with the latest Prezi news at the Prezi Blog.

An Update on the Enhanced Classroom Installations in Clay County

EME5050 – ABC for Week 11

In the School District of Clay County, Florida we have an initiative called the Enhanced Classroom.  If you don’t work in our district, you may be scratching your head and asking “what is an enhanced classroom”?  In Clay County we define it as a classroom that has the following hardware and software installed:

• Document camera
• Multimedia projector mounted in the ceiling
• Computer
• PenPad
• Sound System with wireless microphone, speakers and amplifier
• DVD/VCR player
• Pull down screen
• Easiteach software

All classrooms in round two of our district-wide installations of enhanced classrooms was completed at the end of February 2011.  

The following are procedures for schools to follow when technical assistance is needed for any enhanced hardware or software in the classrooms:

• The school IT person, Technology Coach or Media Specialist/Tech should be the first responder.  While the school principal may want to designate the primary contact, it is important that all work as a team so teachers receive “just-in-time” support.
• The first responder simply checks connections and power to determine if there is an easy fix.
• If it is not an easy fix, the school must enter a Maintenance Work Order via TERMS.
• Maintenance will then address the Work Order.

For the Classroom Technologies (CTS) installations, two spare bulbs will be sent to each library media center.  If a bulb is used as a replacement, the Media Specialist/Tech must write the school’s 3 letter initials, date, and room number on the section of the box that states the model and part numbers as well as write the date manufactured if available along with school initials, room number, date replaced, bulb hours/life and mail to the District Media Center.

o   The school is responsible for determining who will change the bulb.

o   A training video for proper bulb replacement will be posted on Blackboard.  Directions on how to locate the hours the bulb was used as well as resetting once replaced for models:  Sharp PGF212X-I, Viewsonic Model PJD6211 and Mitsubishi Models XD205, XD206 and SD206 will be included.

o   To dispose of bulbs containing mercury, pack them securely and send them to Bruce Harvin in Operations, County Office.

o   Because there are various brands and models of these projectors please refer to the manuals for the instructions on how to reset the unit to zero hours after replacing the bulb.

o   If in constant used do not turn the projector off and on.  If the projector will not be used for a prolonged period of time turn it off.  This will prevent increased wear to the unit.

• The school is also responsible for determining how routine cleaning of equipment will be handled.  Because DLP projectors do not have filters, routine dusting is necessary to prolong use and avoid damage.

Software Installs:

• The enhanced software has been installed on the Application Servers at all school sites.
• If a school has a Technical Specialist or Technical Support Assistance on site, they are responsible for loading the Enhanced Software.  This includes the software for the Elmo, the PenPad, and the Easiteach Next Generation (NG) software with content.  Every school is licensed for the newest version of Easiteach in their classrooms.
• All other sites have elevated privileges personnel who are being trained to install the software.  If assistance is needed, elevated privileges personnel will need to know the following to either contact the Helpdesk via email or assist the teacher if IssueTrak is available for use:
• School
• Room number
• Property number of the computer ready for software install
• Service tag of the computer

Training is available as follows:

• As schools are completed, Facilities is conducting a brief overview session for teachers.
• After the schools verify the software has been loaded, administrators may call and schedule Bill Ralls and/or Ruth Paine for additional training on general equipment use.
• Training for the school IT person, elementary Technology Coaches and Media Specialists/Techs will be scheduled ASAP by may be after FCAT.
• Easiteach software training will be scheduled as it is requested by a school administrator.
• School level “EPIC” training is being developed and schools will be informed as it becomes available.

PLEASE NOTE:  There are about four different “versions” of enhanced classroom installations.  All consist of the same component but brands and/or models vary.  For sake of clarity, communication should refer to one of the following:

            Classroom Technologies installations (current bid including POE)

            Computrac/RM installations (mainly 2008-2009)

            CGE installations (during construction with some modifications)

            SLE or OVE installations (during construction)

The Easiteach software is now a district-wide license that includes Easiteach content.  It is no longer limited to only one PC.  There is a new version of the software loaded on the school application servers so those teachers with older versions may choose to upgrade to the newer version.   

        

I am hopeful that the information in this post will be beneficial to you if you are a teacher in Clay County who has questions about the enhanced classroom procedures.

Introducing Virtual Vincent!

EME5050 - ABC for Week 12

This week I learned about a great Web 2.0 tool called a voki.  I'm sure you are scratching your head and asking yourself, "What in the tarnation is a voki?"  I'm glad you asked!  A voki is a "personalized speaking avatar" according to the Voki for Education web site.  It's time now to formally introduce you to my new voki friend who is named "Virtual Vincent."  Just click on Vincent's play arrow and he'll actually talk to you.  I programmed him to say what he will say to you as I created him at the voki web site.




Pretty cool, huh?  You really need to take a closer look at the Voki for Education web site.  It has a lot of great educational ideas for using customized avatars in blogs, profiles, and even email.  Oh yeah, I need to point out that a big bonus is that this is a *FREE* web site!

Since I first started using this voki web site last year, it has really been updated and improved.  When you do get a chance to check out the web site, you will see for yourself that it offers sample lesson plans teachers can use to incorporate this kind of technology into their curriculum.   Virtual Vincent that you met earlier was a customized voki I created for a WebQuest I'm developing for one of my graduate courses on the fundamentals of technology for educators. 


I hope you'll make a point to go to the Voki for Education web site and sign up for your own *FREE* voki account.  It will be a great way to add some "21st century spark" to the lessons and activities you will be using with your students.

*FREE* Online Learning from LearnKey!

EME5050 - ABC for Week 9

In the School District of Clay County, we have a great resource for *FREE* online training for all employees in our district.  It is called LearnKey and it is found at http://clay.onlineexpert.com/.  Below is a screenshot of the login screen.  As you can see, the program is also called OnlineExpert, and we are using the newest version which is the 6.0 version.

The first step is to take a look at this new version, so I suggest you use the "Tour the New Features" button to view a helpful tutorial that will show you around.  Then you should use the links that are at the bottom of the screen to find out even more about the training that is being offered. 

If you are an employee of the School District of Clay County and you would like to take part in this training, then make sure to follow the directions for registering for an account.  That information was presented a couple of times, but the link you will want to use is the Register Now for FREE link.  You will be asked to input your email address as you register, so PLEASE user your Clay Email Address.  (This is also what you will use when you log in from now on to the training web site.)  Don't forget to write down the password you will be using for this web site and store it in a safe place!  Once you've successfully registered for your LearnKey account, I will be notified because I am the facilitator for this particular program.  As soon as I finish processing your registration, I will contact you with the details of how to proceed.

I hope that you will take advantage of this very beneficial *FREE* online training.  If you are a certified teacher who needs to earn in-service points for re-certification, you can use this training to do that.  If you are a support person, then this training can help you improve your work related skills.  I am the facilitator for this training program, so if at any time you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at rpaine@mail.clay.k12.fl.us.  I will be glad to assist you!

Ruth Paine

Podcasting in Education - Video Podcasts

EME5050 - ABC, Week 7

In my post last week, I shared how podcast training in my district (the School District of Clay County, Florida) has been streamlined. This training is still open to any employee in our district who would like to start using podcasting to help support and enhance what they do in their jobs. Below are the three different podcasting courses we are now offering:



• Podcasting in Blackboard

• Podcasting in Education – Audio Podcasts

• Podcasting in Education – Video Podcasts


Once the participant successfully completes a specific course, he/she will be ready to start using that particular type of educational podcasting in his/her job. For example, once the Podcasting in Blackboard training has been completed, the participant will be ready to start creating and posting podcasts in Blackboard Learn (our district's online learning management system). These podcasts will be created using Voice Podcaster which is offered through Wimba. Once a podcast is posted in Blackboard, listeners can subscribe to it us an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed (more about that in a minute).


Today’s post will focus on the last of the three different podcast courses we are offering. It is called Podcasting in Education – Video Podcasts. Just as the Podcasting in Education – Audio Podcasts training course does, this course follow the four basic steps all podcasters need to follow. They are: Plan, Produce, Publish, and Promote. A difference that needs to be pointed out at this time is how an audio podcast is different from a video podcast. By definition, “a podcast (or non-streamed webcast) is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication,” (“Podcast,” 2011). Notice that this was the definition of the word podcast. Now let’s define a video podcast. A “video podcast (sometimes shortened to vodcast) is a term used for the online delivery of video on demand video clip content via Atom or RSS enclosures,” (“Video podcast,” 2011). Notice here that a video podcast involves video of some sort. Now you should be able to see that the difference between an audio podcast and a video podcast is that audio podcasts only contain audio while video podcasts usually contain audio and video.


There is also a difference when it comes to the types of software that are used to create an audio podcast versus a video podcast. As I pointed out in last week’s post, in our district podcast training we use Audacity and LAME Encoder to create our audio podcasts. The participants first use Audacity to record and edit their audio files. Then when they are ready to become audio podcasts, they export their audio files as MP3 files (with the assistance of LAME Encoder). For creating vodcasts, we train participants to use either Windows Movie Maker (for Windows computers) or iMovie (for Apple computers). There are many different options for incorporating video into a video podcast. Our training participants may choose to insert still digital images or they can actually use a digital video camera to capture video to use. In addition, they may also choose to use Camtasia Studio to produce a screencast that can then be used in their video podcasts. As I mentioned, there are lots of different options when it comes to creating vodcasts and our training participants have been very creative so far. One actually chose to use Photo Story 3 to create her vodcast. During this training, the participants learn that each vodcast starts out as a video file and then the finished format must be MP4 for it to be an actual video podcast.


Once a vodcast is an MP4, it needs to be published. At this time, our district is using Internet Archive to store our podcasts and that makes them easily accessible when it comes time to promote them with listeners. Our training participants create a blog that is specifically used to showcase the podcasts they create during and after this particular training. These blogs are created in Blogger which is Google’s free online tool for creating blogs. The participants learn how to embed their vodcasts within the contents of a post in their blogs. As I mentioned in last week’s post, Blogger is programmed to include RSS (Really Simple Syndication) which is “a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updates works – such as a blog,” (“RSS,” 2011). In this way, the podcasters are able to share their new podcasts as they are created.


This has been a brief overview of the new Podcasting in Education – Video Podcasts training that we are now offering in Clay County. If you are an employee in the School District of Clay County, Florida and you would like to learn how to start creating educational podcasts to use in your job, please contact me at rpaine@mail.clay.k12.fl.us and I will be glad to assist you. If you have any specific questions that were not answered in this post, please make sure to send me an email and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

References:

Podcast.  (2011).  In Wikipedia.  Retrieved March 1, 2011 from
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast

RSS.  (2011).  In Wikipedia.  Retrieved March 1, 2011 from
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS

Video podcast.  (2011).  In Wikipedia.  Retrieved March 1, 2011 from
     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_podcast

*Update* on Clay's Podcasting in Education Training

EME5050 - ABC Post for Week 6

Almost four years ago, during the summer of 2007, our school district started offering podcast certification training for any SDCC (School District of Clay County) employee who wanted to learn how to create educational podcasts to use in their jobs.  This program was opened up to teachers, administrators, and support personnel at both the school level and the district level.  It started out as a very ambitious program and participants were required to successfully complete all three of the training levels below in order to become “Certified Clay County Podcasters”:

• Podcasting in Education - Introductory Level
• Podcasting in Education - Intermediate Level
• Podcasting in Education - Advanced Level

Today this entire program has been streamlined, and now we are offering the following three different podcasting courses:

• Podcasting in Blackboard
• Podcasting in Education – Audio Podcasts
• Podcasting in Education – Video Podcasts

All three courses are still open to any employee of the School District of Clay County who would like to start creating educational podcasts to use in their jobs with the district.  This time, once a participant has successfully completed a specific course, he/she is ready to start using that particular type of educational podcasting in his/her job. If you refer to my earlier post (6/29/10) entitled *New* Podcast Training for Clay County Educators, you can learn a little more about the new Podcasting in Blackboard course.

For the remainder of this post, we will focus on the Podcasting in Education – Audio Podcasts training that we are now offering.  During this training the participants will learn about the following four basic steps all podcasters need to follow when creating a podcast:

1. Plan
2. Produce
3. Publish
4. Promote

First, the participants will learn how to plan the podcasts they want to create.  Then they will learn how to use two software programs called Audacity and Lame Encoder to actually produce their podcasts.  The next step will be for the participants to publish their new podcasts by uploading them to a dedicated server where they will be stored.  The last step is for participants to promote their newly created podcasts.  They will do this by creating a blog that will be specifically used to showcase the podcasts they will be creating during and after this training.  These blogs will be created using Blogger which is Google’s free online tool for creating blogs.  Participants will learn how to embed their podcasts within the contents of a post in their blogs.  Blogger is programmed to include RSS (“Really Simple Syndication”) which is “a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works – such as a blog” (“RSS,” 2011). This is a perfect way for podcasters to share their new podcasts as they are created.

This has been a brief explanation of the new Podcasting in Education – Audio Podcasts training that we are now offering in Clay County.  If you are an employee in the School District of Clay County, Florida and you would like to learn how to start creating educational podcasts to use in your job, contact me at rpaine@mail.clay.k12.fl.us and I will be glad to assist you.  If you have any specific questions that were not answered in this post, please make sure to send me an email and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.  I am the facilitator/instructor for these courses.

Next week’s blog post will be a brief explanation of Podcasting in Education – Video Podcasts which is the third type of podcast training we are offering in Clay County.

Reference:

RSS. (2011). In Wikipedia. Retrieved February 23, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/
     wiki/RSS