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Screenr: Instant Web-based Screencasts

April 1, 2013Kelly Tenkely1 Comment3929 views

What it is: Have you tried to type the following into Google: “school makes me”? If you haven’t, it is a sobering reminder of the state of education as perceived by students and society. I started Anastasis Academy to change this reality for students. My hope is that one day soon, the automatic suggestions that Google pulls are overwhelmingly positive. Last week, I asked students at Anastasis Academy to finish the statement “school makes me…” I didn’t prompt them or give them any additional details about how I would be using it. The answers that we got are in the video above. Pretty cool to see how even one year of freedom in learning leads to different perspectives. I can assure you, these are not the words most students would have used about school prior to coming to Anastasis Academy. In fact, in full disclosure, we have 2 students that are new to Anastasis. They started only a few months ago. They finished the statement with “bored” and “tired.” *sigh* This was a sad moment for me. I want more for these boys. Later in the day they both happened to be hanging with me in the office for a few minutes. One of the boys asked me why I had asked the question. I showed them what happens when you type the words into Google. “Oh, that is really depressing. So why did you ask us?” I told them that I cared about what they thought because if there was something we could do differently as a school, we would do it. Both boys asked if they could change their answers, “we were thinking school in general…this place isn’t really like that.” There were no GRAND statements of how much they loved it and we are changing their world…give it time!

To create the video above, I needed to screen capture my Google experience. I’ve long been a fan of Screenium but for some reason, it has decided to throw in the towel and is not interested in recording anything but audio. Frustrating. So, I set out to see if I could find an online screencast recorder that I could use. Jackpot! I found Screenr and it is my new go-to for screencasting.

Screener is a web-based screen recorder that makes it really easy to create and share screencasts. There is nothing to install or download (always a plus!), you can record on a Mac or PC, the video plays on all devices, and it is totally FREE! Just click the record button, capture your screen and voice (if you want) and then share the link or download the video to use in other programs. I downloaded my finished screencast so that I could make a little video in Keynote with our words.

How to integrate Screenr into the classroom: Screenr is a fantastically simple tool that allows teachers to create detailed screencast instructions in minutes. This free-to-use application can capture video of anything that is on your computer screen. Audio can be included (or not) for any screencast. The resulting video can be embedded on a webpage or blog, sent to students via email, or downloaded. Screencasting is a great way to teach students how to use e-Learning tools or how to complete any computer assignment. When I taught in the technology lab, there was never enough of me to go around. Screencasting made SUCH a difference in how I spent my time with students! Students could self direct learning, or remind themselves of that one step they forgot. Instead of waiting for me to be available, students could keep working and my time was spent working to help students make connections in learning instead of just on answering process questions.

Screenr would be useful for students who want to share something new they learned. Have a student who is JAZZED about coding? Let them show off that passion by creating tutorial videos for other students. Anything that is computer based and could use some explanation is perfect for Screenr. Because you can embed videos, you can share them on a class blog or website. If you tag your videos and posts, it will be easy for students to quickly search and find what they need as they work.

Screenr can be used for more than just tutorials. Remember this video? This is such a cool, creative use of a screencast. Students could similarly show off their learning through screencasts of various programs on their computer. Just takes a little inspiration and creative thinking!

Tips: There is a pro version of Screenr, I’ve found the free version to meet all of my needs for school/classroom use.

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

Padlet: now with the ability to download and print!

March 27, 2013Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment10801 views

What it is: Wallwisher has long been one of my go-to cool tools. Recently, Wallwisher got a bit of a facelift as well as a new name: Padlet. Padlet is a fantastic little web application that provides a virtual bulletin board of sorts. Teachers can pose questions or ideas for students to answer or think about. Students are sent the unique wall URL and can leave virtual sticky notes answering the question. Students do not have to login to use Padlet, a simple double click allows them to add any thoughts they need to the wall. The platform is very simple to use but provides the opportunity for discussion and collaboration between students. In addition to a brand new look, Padlet will now let you print or download your walls. STINKING AWESOME! Now you can take all of your Padlet walls and save them as an image, PDF, Excel or CSV format. Just click the share/export button and you are in business! Another fun new feature is the ability to keep up with what has been posted to your digital wall using email notifications. You can sign up to get a daily update of all activity on the wall.

How to integrate Padlet into the classroom: Padlet can be used to create a flexible online space where students can create virtual posters, brainstorming boards, virtual project portfolios, and share learning with others. Students can work together on the same Padlet space for group projects.

Padlet offers an exceptional opportunity for students to brainstorm, collaborate, and group ideas. Students can use Padlet to brainstorm ideas for writing, explore lines of inquiry, collect research, for grouping ideas, and collaborating on group projects. Create a Padlet board for your students and ask them to group like ideas, sort, and expand on thoughts. This could be done for any historical event, literature, science concept, and even phonics. Students could practice spelling by typing out their spelling words along with a sentence or synonyms on sticky notes. Then, they can group words by spelling pattern or common phoneme blends. Create a Padlet of sticky notes with English words and sticky notes with a foreign language word on them. Students can work together to group words with their meanings. In math, create Padlet stickys with word problems on one color of sticky note and answers on another set of sticky notes. Students can work to create groups of problems and their solutions. Padlet can be used for whole class activities using an interactive whiteboard, the class can brainstorm together and collect ideas or use the grouping feature in an activity created by the teacher or students.

Students could even use Padlet to create “bucket lists.” They could create a bucket list of books they would like to read, places they would like to travel, imaginary literary places they would like to travel, things they want to learn about, etc.

Padlet boards are SO versatile. If you need a way for students/teachers/parents to collaborate digitally, Padlet is the place. Now that boards can be downloaded and printed…the possibilities for use are even greater!

Tips: See how others are using Padlet by visiting the new Padlet gallery. You are sure to pick up some new great ideas for use!

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

This blog post brought to you in association with MyFactorySchweiz

Physics Central: Nikola Tesla and the Electric Fair

January 9, 2013Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment2864 views

What it is: Physics Central is a fantastic website full of…you guessed it, physics! There are fantastic sections for students to explore science, activity books, experiments and activities. Students can learn more about physics in action (physics as found in the world around us), meet physicists, and learn about physics research. Physics Central will ignite a students curiosity in: sound, electricity and magnetism, force and motion, light and optics, material science, quantum mechanics, space and the universe, and thermodynamics and heat. My favorite find on Physics Central so far (I’m sure there will be many more favorites the longer I explore) is the Nikola Tesla and the Electric Fair section. Here, students will find a downloadable kit that includes a manual, comic book, and four related activities.

How to integrate Physics Central into the classroom: Physics has always been among my favorite sciences. There is something about it that is fascinating to me. Physics Central is packed full of great resources to enrich your classroom. The comics are a fun way to learn about famous scientists, inventors and events in science history. The complementing activities bring the comics to life and invite students along on the journey of discovery.

Work with your students on a “PhysicsQuest” like Nikola Tesla and the Electric Fair and see what they come up with. Compare their results with the actual solutions (posted on the site). Join the current PhysicsQuest with your students to help students recognize the fun and relevance of science. You can register now for the Spectra: Turbulent Times quest.

Tips: Start a PhysicsQuest with your students, as an after school club, or as a home extension investigation.

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

festisite text layout: Valentine’s word art

February 13, 2012Kelly Tenkely2 Comments5448 views

What it is: Tomorrow is Valentine’s day! While I’m not a big celebrator of this holiday at home, I do enjoy making a big deal of it at school. It is a fun day to build community and culture within a school! Our Valentine’s day plans include jump rope and hoops for heart, the Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, a read-in, book exchange and some fun games/art projects! I am excited! One of the sites I am looking forward to introducing tomorrow is festisite Text Layout. The site is easy to use and yields some impressive results. Students type a bit of text into the text box. Then they click “Layout text” and get their text written as a shape poem inside a heart. The image is delivered as a PDF which makes it easy for students to print and save their creations. Cute and easy!

How to integrate festisite text layout into the classroom: festisite text layout is a neat way for students to play with text. Students can use festisite text layout to write a shape poem about Valentine’s day or a non-fiction poem about the heart. Use the site to create fun Valentine wishes for friends.

Turn the heart text layouts into a game by writing heart-related vocabulary definitions. Students can cut out the heart shape and write the vocabulary word on the back. Students can see how fast their team can get through the deck of cards they have created.

We will be using the heart layout to write a reflection about what we “love” about a book we are reading during our read-in tomorrow. This shape poem can be taped to the inside cover of the book so that when we do our book exchange, it has a personalized message about the book from the giver.

Tips: festisite has other fun text layouts to try including money, card games, logos, iPhones, poems, and text layouts. You can even create spirals, mazes, banners and rebus puzzles out of your text. Way cool!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using festisite text layout in your classroom!

Tag My Doc: Access Documents Stored in the Cloud via QR Code

November 28, 2011Kelly Tenkely2 Comments2740 views

What it is: Holy awesome. That was my reaction when I opened my inbox to find an email from the team over at Tag My Doc. Tag My Doc lets you put a “tag” (QR code) on any document which can be scanned with a mobile device and retrieved as a virtual copy of the document. Tag My Doc is like reverse printing…instead of going from virtual to paper your document goes from paper to virtual. Tag My Doc lets you share documents any time. Tag My Doc has a sister mobile app called ScanMyDoc. ScanMyDoc is a QR reader for your mobile device. Students and teachers can sync ScanMyDoc with their TagMyDoc account to manage all scanned documents.

There are some great time-saver add-ins that let you tag and save your document directly from Microsoft Word or PowerPoint so you don’t even have to leave the application.

Pretty. Darn. Cool.

How to integrate Tag My Doc into the classroom: My mind is racing with the possibilities of Tag My Doc in the classroom. I can envision middle and high school teachers using Tag My Doc to share documents with students. In the land of mobile devices, Tag My Doc makes a whole lot more sense than endless paper copies that get lost on the way home. Post the QR codes from Tag My Doc next to your door, as students leave the classroom they can scan the code for the evenings homework, study guides, rubrics, etc.

Students can use Tag My Doc to keep a record of all the digital documents created throughout the school year. Each document can be uploaded to Tag My Doc and an accompanying QR code can be printed and put in a physical portfolio. No more worrying about where a document was saved and if students transferred it to a flash drive or CD at the end of the year. Everything is kept in the cloud and easily accessed.

Back to school night and parent teacher conferences are a great time for parents to gather information about what is happening in your classroom. Instead of making paper packets, hand out a business card with your contact information on one side and a Tag My Document QR code on the other side. Parents have all of the information they need without the paper clutter at home. Awesome.

Tag My Docs is fantastic for staff meetings, conferences and meetups and anywhere you are sharing documents.

Tips: Tag My Doc supports the following file types: jpg, tiff, png, bmp, gif, doc, docx, ppt, pptx and pdf.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Tag My Doc in your classroom!

Moglue: Create interactive ebooks and release as apps!

October 26, 2011Kelly Tenkely4 Comments11276 views

What it is: Moglue is an interactive ebook builder that helps students create and share their stories on mobile devices as an app. This download desktop platform makes it a snap for students to create interactive ebooks and release them as apps for iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch), Android tablets and Android phones. Students only need to build the content once and Moglue makes it compatible with each user interface seamlessly. No programming is required, this is a great creation platform for all classrooms! Using a simple drag and drop interface, students can make their stories come to life. Every child is enabled to be an artist now.

How to integrate Moglue into the classroom: I think tools that make content creation simple are absolute genius. As much as I would love for every student (and myself) to know how to program, it takes quite a bit of know-how before students can make their stories and ideas come to life. The intuitive interface of tools like Moglue let students focus on breathing life into their creations and not on the technology tools used to build them. Tools like Moglue are wonderful for the classroom where students are often short on time and resources (someone to teach them programming). Because the interface is so easy to use, students can focus on telling a story, releasing their inner artist, and letting their creativity shine.

Students (or classes) can use Moglue to:

Tell a fractured fairy tale
Create a choose your own adventure story
Demonstrate science concepts in an interactive “glossary”
Create a class dictionary of math, science, economics or geography words
Write creatively
Create an interactive “textbook”
Create an illustrated dictionary for a second language
Create an interactive “travel-the-world” geography book

This is a neat way for students to publish their work and share with others!

Tips: The Moglue builder can be downloaded on Mac or Windows computers and has a great tutorial to get your students started!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Moglue in your classroom!

Paper Toys: Architecture to print and build

September 12, 2011September 12, 2011Kelly Tenkely3 Comments3784 views

What it is: At Anastasis Academy we have several kids who are absolutely crazy for architecture. Not only can they emphatically tell you that they want to be an architect when they grow up, they collect architecture Lego models, will tell you how they wish they could go back in history to meet Frank Lloyd Wright and will build and draw models any chance they get. These are elementary students! Today when I came across these Paper Toy models of famous architecture, I knew I would have to share with our students and, while I was at it, would share with all of you who may have your own budding architects!

On Paper Toys you can find and print paper models for:

How to integrate Paper Toys Architecture Models into the classroom: In addition to instantly reaching hero status among your architecture crowd, the Paper Toys Architecture Models is a great addition to the math, history and art classroom. Students can put the models together digging into the different architecture styles, mathematical models represented by the architecture, and the history of the architecture. Students can print and build the models (a great exercise in patience, perseverance and attention to detail). Next students can attach their finished model to a base where they can surround it with math, art or history details they learned about the building to the base. If they really want to get creative, they can twirl and swirl the words around using different color markers to create an informative landscape.

Students can dig in further and map the various models on a Google map. If several students are creating models, they can compare and contrast architecture from different time periods, different geographic regions and identify the origins of the type of architecture.

Tips: Be sure to check out the other Paper Toy models. Your students can build cars, monuments and much more. New models are added every month!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Paper Toy Models in your classroom!

Children’s Books Forever

August 31, 2011Kelly Tenkely11 Comments5911 views

What it is: Children’s Books Forever is a simple site that packs a powerful punch for instilling a love of reading at an early age. These are free children’s books that have become classics and children’s favorite books from around the world. The books can be used on an interactive whiteboard, power point, overhead projector, on iPads (or other iDevices), or classroom computers. Did I mention they are free? These fun picture books are downloadable in pdf format and are wonderful for expanding your classroom library. New books are being added regularly to Children’s Books Forever so be sure to check back often!

How to integrate Children’s Books Forever into the classroom: I love sites that spread a love for reading while simultaneously beefing up the classroom library (and student’s home libraries). The site is simple to use, just choose a book, download as a PDF and read. Couldn’t be any simpler! The books can be read in multiple languages making it a wonderful place for students who are learning a second language or speaking English as a second language. Be sure to click on the links in the left side bar, they will lead you to additional books. Find books for toddlers, Waldo humor books, inspirational books and more information on author Hans Wihelm in addition to the books featured on the home page.

The stories featured on Children’s Books Forever are beautifully written and illustrated. Do your students have a pen pal or buddy in another country who speaks a different language? Why not find a book that is featured in both languages to read and discuss together? This is a great connecting point for students!

Bookmark Children’s Books Forever on classroom computers so that students can easily access the books during reading time. The books can also be printed and added to the class library. Be sure to remind your students they can access these stories from any Internet connected computer, they can keep reading at home too.

Many of the stories on Children’s Books Forever can be used for character education discussions in the primary classroom. Project these stories on an interactive whiteboard or projector-connected computer for a class read along.

Tips: Be sure to sign up to be notified when new books are added to Children’s Books Forever via email!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Children’s Books Forever in your classroom!

Swiffly: Convert SWF (Flash) files to HTML5

June 28, 2011June 28, 2011Kelly Tenkely3 Comments2889 views

What it is: Google rocks my socks. The good people at Google that are dreaming up ways to change the world never cease to amaze me. Today, new to Google Labs is a little tool called Swiffy. Swiffy let’s you upload a SWF file (otherwise known as Flash) and convert it to HTML5. Sweet. This means that you can use flash content on devices without a Flash player (i.e. iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch). You know what that means? The iDevices are officially the PERFECT device thanks to Google. (No need for the list of reasons you don’t like iDevices, I’m a hardcore fan and you are not likely to change my mind with a rant. Deal? Deal.) Swiffy works directly from your web browser, I have tried it out in Firefox, Safari and Chrome. It worked in all three well! It will also work from Mobile Safari which means it will work from your iDevice. Very handy. Using Swiffy is as easy as uploading a file and clicking “upload and convert”. It couldn’t be easier.

How to integrate Swiffy into the classroom: When I was in college I had a professor that often said “The wheels of academia are SLOW to turn.” She couldn’t have been more correct. I have seen this in nearly every arena of education. Technology is no exception. Many wonderful resources are available as flash files. The problem? iDevices (the iPad, iPod Touch) are becoming more frequently used in the classroom and they are not flash friendly. Google labs comes to the rescue with Swiffy. Simply upload the flash file and convert it to HTML 5 using Swiffy. The new HTML5 files can be distributed to student devices so that learning can continue uninterrupted by something silly like file type. Very cool.

Tips: SWF 5 currently gives the best results. If possible save the SWF file this way!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Swiffy in your classroom!

Min.us: Instant document sharing

June 6, 2011Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment2380 views

What it is: Do you ever find yourself wanting to share a file quickly and easily without relying on email to deliver it? You do? I thought so. Min.us is a great way to share files quickly and easily, it even provides file sharing options between devices! Students and teachers of all ages can use Min.us to share files. Just drag the file onto the screen and click “Start Sharing”. It could not be easier. Choose to share publicly or privately. Share using the unique URL that is generated. Easy peasy. No need for students to sign in. A built-in timeline shows all of the files that have been shared. Min.us has a desktop application that can be downloaded and placed in the task bar for sharing without opening a browser. Min.us has apps for sharing on mobile devices including the iPhone, Android, and Windows 7 with more mobile options coming.

How to integrate Min.us into the classroom: Min.us is an easy way to share documents with your students, colleagues and parents of children in your classroom. Drag and drop a document and share the link for fast, easy sharing. Include permission slips, class documents and make-up work as Min.us links in a weekly newsletter for easy access to EXACTLY the document that each family needs. No more sending emails full of attachments that get filtered or bounced back! Quickly share documents between teacher and student computers. Students can use Min.us to turn in work, teachers can use it to share documents quickly with classroom computers or share documents immediately with a computer lab full of computers.

Tips: Login to follow your documents (how many downloads, a feed of documents you have subscribed to and a full history of all of your documents).

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Min.us in your classroom!