Category: Video Tutorials

20 iTunes Feeds for the 2.0 Teacher

Kelly Tenkely3 Comments on 20 iTunes Feeds for the 2.0 Teacher4747 views

There are a lot of free podcasts that have been created with the teacher and tech nut in mind. Most of these podcasts are available free through iTunes. (If you don’t have iTunes, you can download it for free at Apple.com.) Here are 20 iTunes feeds that would be of interest to tech-savvy teachers:

Teachers Teaching Teachers – This teacher-friendly podcast is hosted by three public school teachers from NYC. Discussions include teaching and web 2.0 technologies.

Teacher 2.0 (Video) – A companion to the Clever Sheep site, this video podcast offers information about e-learning tools and web 2.0 technology.

Teacher 2.0 (Audio) – This Teacher 2.0 audio podcast covers many of the same topics as its video counterpart: e-learning tools, web 2.0 technology, etc.

Educational Technology Conference – The Educational Technology Conference addresses several education issues in this iTunes feed. Topics include ethics in the classroom, technology integration, and advancements in education.

Teach with Video – This iTunes feed explores how teachers can incorporate digital video projects in the classroom. Other topics include classroom management and lesson design.

Cool Tools for Library 2.0 – The Cool Tools for Library 2.0 podcast is dedicated to exploring how web 2.0 technologies can be used in education settings.

EdTechTalk: Women of Web 2.0 – Four women host this podcast for teachers who are finding ways to use Internet technology in their career and in the classroom. The hosts interview other women and share tech resources.

EdTech 101 – The Ed Tech 101 podcast is aimed at teachers who want to integrate technology in the k-12 classroom. Podcasts are short (three to five minutes) and include information about new software and hardware.

EdTechLive – Steve Hargadon interviews new guests and hosts panel discussions on educational technology in this audio podcast.

Teaching for the Future – Teaching for the Future is an audio podcast hosted by David LaMorte. Episodes center on media literacy and technology education.

Two Tech Chicks – This education technology podcast is hosted by two tech-savvy women from Texas who want to help teachers learn how to integrate technology into everyday curriculum.

The Tech Teachers – The Tech Teachers is an audio podcast that focuses on the ways in which education and technology overlap.
Technology Matters – This educational technology podcast for teachers shares 21st Century tools and discusses how blogs, wikis, and podcasts can be used to further technology in educational settings.

Moving at the Speed of Creativity – Wesley Fryer hosts this education podcast which focuses on technology integration, literacy, and education instruction.

Bit by Bit – This teacher podcast centers on the changing classroom environment. Podcast topics include technology in instruction and teacher responsibility.

KidCast – A companion podcast to the book of the same name, KidCast is entirely devoted to podcasting in the classroom.

The Teacher’s Podcast – Although this podcast isn’t geared specifically toward education technology, it does provide valuable training and professional information for teachers of all subjects.

GeekSpeak – This technology podcast is hosted by professional geeks who enjoying reviewing and sharing the hottest new tech products. A new podcast is recorded each week.

TWiT – This Week in Tech is an award-winning technology podcast hosted by a group of tech nuts who enjoy sharing new resources and talking about how technology can be used in various settings. A new podcast is released every Sunday.

Tekzilla – Patrick Norton and Veronica Belmont host this popular tech podcast for people who have “tech hunger.” Each episode features reviews, tips, and information about high-tech apps and products.

Guest post from Karen Schweitzer, the About.com Guide to Business School. Karen also writes for the online college database on OnlineColleges.net.

Help Me 2 Learn: Grammar 1

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Help Me 2 Learn: Grammar 110632 views

grammarWhat it is: Help Me 2 Learn: Grammar is an outstanding way for students to learn the difference between nouns, pronouns, verbs and adjectives.  Help Me 2 Learn is actually a pay for learning website, but Grammar 1 is a full demo of the grammar game for FREE!  This is an incredible interactive that will help your students learn four parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives.  The interactive has a baseball theme and begins with some coach time where your students learn about the different parts of speech.  Each part of speech is introduced by the coach and  accompanied by several interactive examples.  Students get a single when they learn about nouns, a double when they learn about pronouns, a triple when they learn adjectives, and a home run when they learn about verbs.  There is a speed round game where students will play a game identifying parts of speech they have learned.  Finally, students can do a word sort in the Home Run Derby game.  This game is truly impressive, especially considering that it is FREE to use with your students!

How to integrate Help Me 2 Learn: Grammar into the classroom: Help Me 2 Learn: Grammar 1 is a great site to use in a computer lab setting.  The coaching and game is paced according to student input.  Students can learn at their own pace and get immediate learning feedback throughout the game.   The Coach Time section of the site could be completed as a whole class with an interactive whiteboard.  Students can take turns interacting with the coach time at the board.  After completing Coach Time as a whole class, set up a grammar center where students can play the Speed Round, and Home Run Derby.

Tips: This site is a comprehensive way for students to learn about nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives.  This is a site that is worth letting students take time with individually in the computer lab setting.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Help Me 2 Learn: Grammar 1 in your classroom.

Creaza

Kelly Tenkely2 Comments on Creaza4421 views

 

What it is: Creaza is a suite of web-based creativity tools.  There are four tools in the Creaza toolbox that will help your students organize knowledge and tell stories in new creative ways.  Mindomo is the mind mapping tool.  Students can use this tool to organize thoughts, ideas, links, and other information visually.  Mindomo is the perfect tool for exploring new material, looking at connections, and organizing thoughts for further development.  The mind map topics can contain media files, links, and text.  Cartoonist is a cartooning tool that students can use to create multimedia stories.  Cartoonist can be used to create comic strips or more personal digital narratives.  The finished product can be viewed online or printed out.  (Check out the video demo to learn how to use this tool.)  Movie Editor helps students produce their own movies based on Creaza’s thematic universes, video, images, and sound clips.  Students can use the Movie Editor to edit a short film, create a news cast, a commercial, a film trailer, etc.  Movie Editor can import film clips, sound clips and images to tell a story.  Audio Editor is the final tool in Creaza’s creative suite.  Audio Editor is a tool that allows your students to produce audio clips.  Students can use Audio Editor to splice together their own newscasts, radio commercials, radio interlude, etc.

How to integrate Creaza into the classroom:  Creaza is a great suite of online tools that allow students to display learning creatively.  The Media and Audio editors follow established conventions for sound and media editing complete with timelines.  Using this online software will be a nice introduction to more robust media and audio editors.  Mindomo is a great way for students connect new and existing knowledge.  It is also a nice place for students to plan out a story.  Cartoonist and Movie Editor are great tools that provide students with a creative outlet for telling a story.  Allow students to show their understanding of a period in history by creating a cartoon about it.  Display a new science concept in Movie Editor complete with voice over.  Students could create a short video or radio type commercial for a book that they read in place of a traditional book report.  The uses for are limitless, you will think of many ways for your students to use this creative suite to display knowledge.

 

Tips:  Cartoonist is the only tool that has a video demo, this is a great way to teach your students how to teach themselves.  Encourage students to learn how to use this tool by watching the video demo first and working with the tool.  Movie Editor does take a little bit of playing with to figure out how to use it, give your students a day to play with the tools so that they get a handle on how it all works.  

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Creaza in your classroom.

Educational Videos

Kelly Tenkely2 Comments on Educational Videos3508 views

 

What it is:   Educational videos can be expensive, out of date, or hard to find.  Happily there are a few sites working to make it easier to access educational videos for free.  PBS has always been known for their great educational material.  They have hosted videos on their site for some time but they were not located in one place where they could be easily sorted through.  Now PBS has PBS video, all the great PBS material in one easy-to-search place.  You can browse these videos by program, topic, or keyword search.  All videos are on demand, I have been impressed with the quality!  Another great website for on demand free videos is American History in Video by History Education.  American History in Video has more than 5,000 titles in its collection!  The videos allow students to analyze historical events, and look at the events over time through commercial and governmental newsreels, archival footage, public affairs footage, and important documentaries.  Students and teachers can search videos by year, historical event, people, places, subjects, and by keyword.  This is an outstanding collection of free on demand history video!

How to integrate Educational Videos into the classroom:   Video is an amazing medium for teaching.  It brings textbooks to life and helps students to relate to history and science in new ways.  Kids often find history boring and I believe one of the reasons is that they haven’t had enough life experiences to relate what they are learning to prior knowledge.  Video helps them make connections that reading a textbook can’t do.  Use these videos as an introduction to learning, as a reinforcement during learning, or embedded in lessons. 

 

Tips: Always make sure you watch a video in its entirety before showing it to a class.  Sometimes content may not be age appropriate or as on topic as you would have guessed.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Educational Videos  in your classroom.

The Greens

Kelly Tenkely1 Comment on The Greens8978 views

 

What it is:  Earth Day is tomorrow!  The Greens is a great site to get your students thinking about the earth and going green.  The Greens is a collection of 10 short flash movies that teach students important concepts for taking care of our planet.  Episodes touch on topics such as: paper use, recycling, composting, conservation, consumption, pollution, and energy.  The goal of The Greens is to instill environmental ethic in students.  Teachers can download a Greens activity guide (pdf form).  Students can use the carbon calculator to calculate their carbon footprint.

How to integrate The Greens into the classroom:   This is an awesome site to generate conversation on Earth Day (or any day!).  The Greens episodes are short enough to use several in class and can be used as discussion and idea starters for students.  Watch the videos in class and discuss ways that students can be greener at school and home.  Download the activity guide for some great extension activities.  Set up a “green” center in your classroom where students can watch an episode and write down ideas of implementation in their own lives.  Share these ideas at the end of the day.

 

Tips: The video episodes require a Flash Player (this is a free download if you don’t already have one). 

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using The Greens  in your classroom.

Simple Science

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Simple Science11004 views

What it is:  Simple Science is a collection of informative science music videos for use in the elementary classroom.  The videos can be used to reinforce science learning objective and science concepts.  The videos can be watched from the website for free or purchased on DVD.  Simple Science video topics include: adapting, micro organisms, forces, changes, dissolving, how we see, changing circuits, keeping healthy, life cycles (flowers), gasses, water cycle, sun, earth, moon, changing sounds, moving and growing, habitats, keeping warm, solids vs. liquids, plants, friction, teeth, circuits and conductors, materials, rocks and soil, magnets and springs, light and shadows, air, atoms, DNA, Earth, electricity, insects, and magnetism.  The format reminds me of School House Rock.  Lyrics for all songs can be downloaded for students to follow along.

How to integrate Simple Science into the classroom:   Simple Science videos are perfect for introducing or reinforcing science concepts.  The songs and videos break down science concepts so they are easy to understand.  Use Simple Science with a projector for whole class instruction or set up a science center on classroom computers where students can stop by and watch the videos.

 

Tips: The Simple Science website did not work for me using the Opera browser. I was successful with the links using Firefox.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Simple Science  in your classroom.

Fliggo

Kelly Tenkely4 Comments on Fliggo2447 views

 

What it is:  Ever wish you could create your own video sharing site?  Fliggo is your answer.  Create a video sharing site in under 5 minutes easily!  Sharing student created videos on YouTube is not always an option in the school system.  YouTube may be blocked, you may have concerns about other video content, or the related videos that are presented to your students may be inappropriate.  Fliggo is the answer.  You can create a video sharing site for your school complete with school logo.  Fliggo gives you control over who can post videos, who can comment, and how videos are approved.  Fliggo is simple enough to use with elementary students!

How to integrate Fliggo into the classroom:  Fliggo is the perfect place to upload student created video.  I have students turn every Keynote presentation into a video so that we can share it online.  Students love sharing their work with the world.  I get emails from parents, grandparents, and other family members about how excited they are to see what their kids are working on in school.  This is an awesome way to showcase student work.  Students can comment on other student work encouraging an authentic classroom community.  Fliggo is easy enough for elementary students to upload their own videos if you choose to allow member uploaded video.  In my classroom, students create commercials on a variety of topics.  I like using commercials because students understand their purpose (to advertise), they are short, and they quickly get the point across.  Students have created commercials in my classroom for a multiude of subjects and topics.  

 

Tips:  I love the idea of creating a school “YouTube” type site, your students and parents will love it too!

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Fliggo  in your classroom.

Movavi

Kelly Tenkely1 Comment on Movavi4002 views

What it is:  Movavi is a free, online video converter.  What I love about Movavi is its ease of use, there is no software to install and the site doesn’t have ads.  Enter a URL of a video or upload a file, choose your preferred output format, and enter your email address.  That is it! Movavi does the rest for you, you will get an email with a link to download the video.  Simple!  

 

How to integrate Movavi into the classroom: Movavi is great for those schools where YouTube and other video websites are blocked.  You can download the video for your class and view the downloaded version without worrying about it being blocked.  It is also great for those times when bandwidth is an issue.  Download the video and you won’t have to worry about a choppy video during peak Internet use times of the day.  After a video is downloaded, it can be viewed on a machine that isn’t Internet connected.  Embed the downloaded videos into PowerPoint or Keynote presentations.   You can even convert 5 videos at a time and have them merged into one video as part of the conversion process.

 

Tips:  Make sure you know which video formats play best on your computer before converting video.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Movavi in your classroom.

The Periodic Table of Videos

Kelly Tenkely1 Comment on The Periodic Table of Videos2784 views

So today is going to be another whirl wind of posts day.  I am cleaning out my Google Notebook saved sites, hopefully you will find one of these awesome resources helpful for your classroom!

What it is: If I had access to the Periodic Table of Videos when I was going through chemistry, my understanding would have exponentially increased!  This site literally looks like a periodic table, when a student clicks on one of the elements, a video opens up that explains the element.  So neat!  The site was created by the University of Nottingham, who is continually updating the videos with the latest and greatest experiments and explanations.  There is a section with extra videos, a collection of science bloopers that are entertaining.

 

How to integrate The Periodic Table of Videos into the classroom: The Periodic Table of Videos is a great way to introduce the elements to students.  I remember spending hours memorizing the Periodic Table but never really understood the properties of the elements.  This site will help your students get a grasp on exactly what the different elements do.  This is also a great way to bring those elements into your room that aren’t practical or readily available. Use this with your chemistry classes in the computer lab setting or with a projector.

 

Tips:  The Features section has some extra videos on topics such as experiments and noble gases.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using The Periodic Table of Videos in your classroom.

Aviary Peacock

Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment on Aviary Peacock1659 views

I hope that you all had a blessed Christmas!  What I learned this year is that even though I take a break from posting, spammers do NOT break for holidays and other bloggers tend to blog MORE when they have a break to do so.  This means that #1 I have a lot of spam to sort through and #2 it has taken me a long time to get through my Google Reader!  I am finally getting around to a post that I intended to do several days ago (actually 3 posts) all on the Aviary creative suite of tools.  So, without further ado- here it is…

 

 

 

What it is:  Aviary is a website on a mission to make creativity more accessible.  They do this by making powerful image software available online (no download required) and with free versions of the online software.  Aviary has four different offerings: Peacock, Phoenix, Toucan, and Raven.  Because each tool does something different, I am going to break it down into four posts.

 

Peacock is a “visual laboratory”that lets students experiment with pixel based images in fun ways.  Students can create pixel images applying filters (this will feel similar to other image editors such as Adobe).  Students can also blend several pixel based images together to create images.  These pixel images would make great backgrounds for other documents, web pages, or other Aviary tools.  Students can also upload “resources” or pictures from their computers or other sources to manipulate in Peacock.   Peacock easily integrates with the other Aviary tools switching images quickly between the applications.  This makes the possibilities for creativity endless.  

 

How to integrate Peacock into the classroom:   Aviary Peacock is a neat way for students to explore and experiment with visual arts.  The application really does feel like a laboratory.  Students start out with one image of their choosing and can manipulate the image with different filters, blenders, etc. to come up with completely new images.  It is interesting to experiment with the different ‘ingredients’ to see how an image can be transformed.  Peacock can be used to create backgrounds for web pages, documents, or other Aviary creations.  Peacock can also be used to help students understand cause and effect as they manipulate images.  

 

Tips:  Aviary Phoenix and Peacock are both in beta right now.  Be sure to check out the Peacock overview video to get an idea of how Peacock works.  

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Aviary Peacock  in your classroom.