Video Conferencing Tools

This week I made a chart comparing different video conferencing tools. Take a look!

Site	Pros	Cons
Skype	Can connect with people all over the world safely and at your convenience.   Free sign up and free download.	Need the phone number of the person you are trying to connect with.
Adobe Connect Now	Reminds me of Google Docs- storage space, being able to share and edit files, work from anywhere, having private files, and having more than one person view a file at the same time.	Need to sign up for an account and purchase the software. You can do this exact same thing in Google.
Tiny Chat	You can have a personalized chat room and only have certain people chat in it.	When you first get on the home page you can tell it is very inappropriate for students You would need to make sure your personalized chat room link did not have any inappropriate ads or content in it. You do need to sign up for an account and while it is free, the teacher would probably have to sign everyone up to avoid exposing the students to bad ads.
Meeting Burner	The basic Meeting Burner subscription comes with a lot of options.  Options include: Screen sharing Mac and PC compatibility  chat during meetings,  online support audio conferencing by telephone, computer or Skype meeting scheduling  streaming video  email reminders   Many of these options are great for students to use in a classroom. Students can use the site to schedule homework and keep track of it as well.	You need to sign up for an account, but the account is free.  Other options cost money.
Go To Meeting	Seems like an easy way to video conference. Can use it on any device, tablet, and smartphone. Easy way to conference and schedule future conferences.  Webinars and conferences can be a great way for teachers to communicate, get training, bring people into the classroom, and learn.	Must purchase software but you get a 30 day free trial.  Some setting have larger capacities so large classrooms might not be able to all participate at once depending on the product being used.
Yugma	It is a free account as well as a free download.  Easy presentation tools as well as Skype integration, screen sharing, and file space to store files.  Saving and recording web meetings and webinars is a good way for teachers to share what the class is doing as well as sharing with students who were not present during that time.	You still have to pay per month or per year to use its service.  The pricing also depends on how many people would use it, so the more people use it, the more money it costs.
Webex	Free sign up, can purchase a premium account.  Has mobile apps to use.   All done though a cloud, says it is a secure network.   Also provides web meeting, webinars, and training.   There was a specific section for online learning and teaching.   This section showed how it was very interactive with students as well as having a library of recorded lectures, collaboration with peers, group training, tutoring, peer projects, etc. It seemed like it has a lot to offer in terms of online learning.	If the network or cloud is down, you cannot access your account.

I wanted to do a separate paragraph on Skype Education. Skype Education also has so much to offer. It is a positive, great and safe way to connect with other classrooms, communities, and professionals all around the world. Recently my third class Skyped with the head of the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls, Canada after completing a unit on butterflies. After the class tweeted about it, Skype Education actually tweeted us and asked the class to blog about it and share the blog with Skype Education. They seem very invested in offering great ways for classrooms to explore the world by video conferencing safely.

 Overall I found many positive sites that I liked. For the ones that require a subscription I would definitely do the 30 day trial before deciding on paying for them. My favorites included Skype, Meeting Burner, Go To Meeting, Yugma, and Webex. I found that these sites had the most to offer for teachers, classrooms,and even the whole school. I think that these sites are great ways for teachers and students to collaborate as well as whole schools to train teachers, communicate, and collaborate. We all can have very busy lives and I feel that these sites are a way to alleviate some of the stress that comes with the job of being a teacher. I think that many of these sites are great tools that I will definitely try to use in my own classroom.

Academic Search Engines and Web 2.0

I was given a list of 12 academic search engines to look like. I definitely found ones that I like and ones that I dislike.

Like:

• Academic Info is pretty cool. I like how it is easy to navigate. Just pick your topic and the sources are easy to find. This is great to find primary sources and accurate historical information.

• I love using Eric and Google Scholar to find research articles I need for papers. I am able to find whole PDF documents links to different sources that I can use. The only downside for Eric is you have to log in though the university to have access to some articles. You don't have to do this in Google Scholar.

• Infomine gives a good preview of what is on the source. This way it makes it easier to pick out which site you want to use before you click on it.

• Infotopia and Kidtopia are nice alternatives for Google. They definitely filter out a lot of junk.

• Library of Congress and the National Archives are great for finding primary sources! I love the variety of files that are available from audio files, videos, pictures, maps, and letters. There is a ton of information available on these sites. I bet I could spend hours on these sites picking out sources and finding information for the topic I am looking up. I am definitely using these sites in the future.  

Dislike:

• I did not like Base. I wasn't sure what I was looking for or what I was looking at. I tried to type in Civil War and I was not pleased with the results. The results just did not make sense. I did not know what the results were. They just seemed like random files.

• LibGuides was very hit or miss for me. Not all of the search results were fantastic.

• CiteULike: Oh boy. I was a bit annoyed the second I saw this site. I didn't like how you had to register for it. Plus, the name itself is kind of annoying. When I did a search it first led me to a bunch of gibberish. Honestly I had no idea what it was leading me to. Then I clicked on a link and it led me to a bunch of spam. I had a bad feeling about this site as soon as I saw it and I was right. 

• RefSeek and Virtual LCR were OK. They basically seemed like Google to me. Nothing really impressive about these sites. I guess they just gives you the more academic links first, which isn't bad. 

 One thing in general that I noticed was that these engines were definitely for looking up academic information. What I am having trouble finding is a general search engine like Google that filters out bad sites and photos for kids. I am not sure if Google has those settings. While I enjoyed looking at these academic sources I would love to find a great alternative search engine like Google for kids.

These sites lead me into discussing Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is huge. It branches off into so many different categories that it can be hard to keep track of it all. The way I describe Web 2.0 is that it is a way people can connect. Connecting can just mean talking, giving or sharing information, finding information for others, finding other people, finding services, lesson plans etc. As you can see Web 2.0 has created a whole new world online.

Teachers can use this world to connect with other teachers as well as connect their students with other students. Teachers can find lesson plans and ideas, links and information to use in the classroom, and so much more. Web 2.0 has made the world open for an individual classroom. The ways of connecting with others and finding and sharing information has grown globally.

As teachers we have so many resources that sometimes it can be hard to narrow down what is useful and what is not. Bookmarking sites can be handy to know which sites are good. Even the academic search engines can help us find useful sites and information that can help us.

 With so many options available it seems hard to keep track of them all. From which Web 2.0 sites to use from which academic search engine to use it can all seem pretty overwhelming. Yet at the same time I find it exciting because I am always learning something new. I found so many new academic search engines just from one web sites shared to me by the power of Web 2.0.

As I finish this blog that is possible due to Web 2.0, I think about how much the web has helped me. I need to force myself to stop writing because I feel like I could write forever on Web 2.0 and the web in general. There is so much to talk about and explore! So, I will end this by posting this link on Web 2.0. Have fun!

Web Based Tools Part 1

So this week I tried out 3 tools: Wordle, Voice Thread, and Animoto.

Wordle- I have seen Wordle but have not used it before. It seems easy enough but my computer was having a really tough time downloading Java so that I could use Wordle. I got it to work eventually. This would be a great way for students to express themselves or to use vocabulary words creatively to show what the students are learning. I tried to put in a quote but I didn't like the way it looked in Wordle. It seemed too hard to read and figure out. The Wordle I made is all words that are about school. It was my first attempt and I didn't think it was that bad!

 Wordle


Voice Thread- I used Voice Thread a little bit in another class. What I really like about this is that it doesn't necessarily have to use your voice. Personally, I always feel weird and uncomfortable recording myself so I like how I can use comments or my voice. I like the doodle option, but I feel that some students could be immature with this feature and use it inappropriately. I like how many people can comment on this. It can be open to the whole class or even the whole school. People can share ideas or ask questions anytime they want. The only downside is it can be hard to input YouTube Videos. They have to be saved to your computer first.  I tried to make a Voice Thread on the Iroquois Confederacy.   


Voice Thread

Animoto- Animoto is a nice way to make a 30 second or less video. It always stinks that if you want a longer video or more options you have to pay for it. But either way it is still really easy to use. It would be a great way to show what the students are working on in the classroom. The video can show a project or a lesson from beginning to end. It can also be a video on a field trip, presentation, or solely on student work. It could be broader and show what the whole school is up too. Animoto can easily be done by students as well. The students can take pictures of their best work and showcase it with Animoto or can take pictures of their work and show it from beginning to end. This way the student picks the pictures instead of the teacher. I dedicated this Animoto to my dogs because I felt like doing something non-educational for fun.      


Animoto Video


In the end I think that all of these tools have a place in the classroom. They can be used to show off a classroom or a student's creativity. What is nice about these tools is that they are all free and that they can be used by students in the classroom and at home. Students can learn how to be responsible online with pictures and videos. Another thing is that web tools do not have to look educational to be educational. They can still be professional and useful in the classroom. It is important to show students what professional and appropriate web sites look like. These tools are a great way to start showing students what professional sites look like and how to use them, which is an important skill for them to have down the road.    

Microsoft Access

I had never used Microsoft Access before. It looks like Excel, but was it the same as Excel? It wasn't like Excel at all.

For some reason I find Excel very hard. Everything about it-from inputting data to working and manipulating cells. I think it is a major pain and very frustrating. Yet I did not get as much frustration and annoyance when I worked with Access. I found it much easier to use. Plus I loved the options of managing the data and making Tables and Queries.

My main question is why do we have Access and Excel? Are they just redundant of each other? So I had to do some searching. I found this link with an explanation that I like:
https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/technology/tutorials/office/access03/access_excel.php

"Access vs. Excel 

 Access databases and Excel spreadsheets, although originally very different, have evolved to have similar functions. Although either type of program can do many, but not all, of the things that the other one does, there are some things which are easier in one program than the other. 

 Excel is not a database management system. Excel spreadsheets store data in rows and columns called worksheets. The areas within the worksheet where the rows and columns intersect are called cells. The most common use of spreadsheets is to manage basic information such as telephone numbers, employee names, financial data, calculations, etc.

Access stores data in tables that look similar to worksheets but function quite differently. Tables, the foundation of all relational databases, function both independently and interdependently with other tables to allow the database user to combine data from multiple sources and analyze and/or report information in almost limitless ways."

This makes sense to me. As I think about it, it makes sense to use Access if you have a significant amount of data to manage and store. If you are just making a table or two, Excel would be the right option. Still, I like Access better than Excel.

The other thing I find interesting is honestly I had never heard of Access before. I never used it any of my classes and was never told about it. I was barely taught Excel in one class. It makes me wonder why it isn't taught more. Is it because only certain businesses or professions use it? Who uses Access? I can see big businesses with massive amount of data using Access more than Excel. Maybe it is taught in business classes.

I wonder if this is something that should be taught in more classes. It is very useful and can be used in everyday life, like the example we had of keeping track of gifts and cards sent and received. I know if I was planning a big party of even a wedding this could be a tool to use to keep track of data. I could even use it to make charts and graphs and use it during math classes. Students could use Access or Excel and make their own charts. It would be great for a class that has a lot of data to keep track of. Maybe even a science class could use Access. Access is definitely a great tool from Microsoft to have.

More Web Tools!

I was given more web tools to explore this week. I like many of these tools because I really can see them being used in a classroom.There are some sites that as soon as I opened them I just closed them immediately. I don't know why but after looking at a homepage of a site you can get a sense of what it is like and if you even want to continue using it. The sites that I found interesting I am going to sign up for a play around with some more. I might not continue using them but they are worth checking out further.

I don't mind usernames or passwords, but it gets tiresome opening a webpage and knowing you cannot do more unless you get a username and a password.  I understand that usernames and passwords are important, especially when using sites like ePals or sites to make an online portfolio, book, magazine, story, or blog. There is a time and place for them.With logging in it makes it easier for projects to be saved and in some cases like journal entries, long papers, or assignments that take up a lot of time this is a good feature to have. The downside is the time it takes to make sure the software is downloaded and everyone knows their log in information. Sometimes it is easier to use a program that does not require a log in.

I guess I sometimes lean towards the sites that are quick, easy, and do not require a log in. For example, the ReadWriteThink timeline is great to use if students need to make a quick timeline in class.

Another thing that I was thinking about is how it is great to have all these tools and sites to use, but how many usernames and passwords can one person memorize? It got kind of tiresome looking at all the sites and seeing how they all require a log in. My notebook of usernames and passwords could possibly get bigger!

I like sites like Google Docs where there are many tools that can be done with one username and password. Document creation, blogging, publishing, map creation and editing, and chat rooms are all possibilities. I am a Google fan in general. Many searches are done on Google and Google Timeline and the Google Customized Search Engine are all great tools for students to learn.

I love the sites that help teachers make rubrics and quizzes. Sometimes it is easy to use these types of sites instead of making one on your own. The formatting may look better for what you are creating. Also, many of the audio tools to record and edit audio I have used before and work well.

I've tried to use Twitter to try and reach out with other teachers but you have to keep up with it. I am going to look more into Classroom 2.0 and see if I like that better instead of Twitter. I would love to connect with more educators and share my ideas.

Overall there are so many tools that if I said something about all of them this entry would be pages long. It still amazes the that there are so many different sites and programs to use. I liked how this site organized them all. I'm definitely bookmarking this page for future use!

Web Based Tools

I was recently given a list of web based tools to look at. After exploring them, these are my top 5!

1. Typing Adventure- I really thought this game was fun! It is a great way to have students learn how to type. Even while I was playing it, I was questioning my typing skills. I found myself looking at the keyboard and making sure I knew where the keys were. It made me think about if I need to take a typing class and how many fingers I use to type.

 2. Kidblog- KidBlog seems like a great way for students to have a safe blog online. I like how it’s a class page and only the teacher and students in the class can see it. I also like how it can be shared with parents with a password. It would be great to use for creative writing and journal reflections. The only downside is students would probably have to be in a computer lab or have mobile laptops/iPads and not every school has those yet. This could be used as a home assignment but not every student has access to a computer and the internet at home.

3. Animoto- Animoto reminds me of a free version of iMovie. It has the same features like using pictures and videos to make movies and you can insert music in the movie as well. I like how it can be used on a variety of computers and platforms. The downside is you do have to pay to make videos longer than 30 seconds. Depending on how you use it in class it makes me wonder if it is more cost effective than iMovie. I think making movies using pictures, videos, and music is a great way for students to be creative while sharing their point of view on any subject matter.

4. Triptico- Holy guacamole, this app is AMAZING! I only tried the free version but there is so much you can do with it!! My favorites so far are the word magnets, order sorter, student group, pin board, and find ten . These tools would work great on a SMART Board because they are so interactive! Students can come up and do the activities. If you want more tools it's $80 a year for a school subscription and $24 a year for an individual subscription. A paid subscription gives you tools like match maker, word mix, bingo, and student selector. Some of these features can be done on a SMART Board but to be honest they seem easier to use on this app. The free app is pretty basic, but it has a lot to offer!

5. MindMeister- This tool was very simple to use. It's a great way to make basic mind maps if you do not have software like Inspiration. The key word is basic. If you want to make more complex designs, you are better off paying for software like Inspiration. If you want to make a basic graphic organizer than this tool is good to use. I can see younger students using this tool. An example is student can use the main bubble to thinking of a subject such as verbs and then in each bubble branching off from it are examples of verbs that the students come up with themselves. This could even be timed and then printed off and used as an assessment tool. It can also be a way to organize thoughts and printed off and saved in a notebook or taped on the wall.


 I really enjoyed playing around with these sites and apps. I was sad that some of the sites were down. I still want to use Triptico more. All in all it's good to look at new apps and sites that are available. Some might not be applicable to use in every classroom, but it is important as a teacher in Educational Technology to read up on what's new. I hope I can keep up with everything! There has to be an app for that, right? :)

Microsoft Excel

I have seen how Excel is great for graphs and for data. It can be great in the classroom to teach students graphing. Yet when I saw we were doing Excel, I cringed a little. My relationship with Excel has been very up and down. I have played around with it a couple of times. I do not really know how to use Excel and I haven't had much of a reason to use Excel. Also, most people I know do not know how to use Excel. 

I went into the tutorial not feeling confident. Of course the first steps are easy. I know how to open a new document. As I was going through the tutorial though I had to walk away and come back a few times. Simple things like cells were really bugging me.

It also took some time to learn how to make a graph. Simple things like learning how to change the data in the graph or labeling it took time. Mail merge is starting to make a little more sense but I am still not 100% sure if I will ever use it.

Another thing was that it was a challenge to try and make a crossword puzzle using Excel. I had never done that before so I was up to the challenge. Well, it was definitely a challenge. I eventually had to look for more tips online to help me figure out what I was doing. After an hour some things just suddenly clicked and I was having an A-HA moment.

The more I play around with Excel, the more comfortable I am with it. This can lead to a whole other topic on teachers and technology training that I will save for a rainy day (or since its the Fall Semester maybe a snowy day coming up soon).

I know I am not an Excel expert by any means. I think there is even more than can be done with it that I don't know about. I wonder if students would be willing to learn with me if I use it in a classroom. I also wonder if they would be able to understand it better than me and if they would find it easy to use. I will have to try it in my classroom one day and see what happens.