Thing 14.1 -- Productivity; File Conversion

Converting files helps students access them regardless of the software they may be using. Putting them in .pdf format ups the security on your files as users can’t readily make changes to .pdf files. I often post items to district-wide shared drives which literally 1000s of users access and it’s reassuring to know that I have a secure paper trail in the event a rogue copy gets loose!:) 

Word allows you to do this quite easily. Simply choose .pdf as your file type when saving a document. I tend to keep duplicate copies of items I share with others; one .doc & one .pdf. This may seem extraneous, but by keeping an editable version, I can quickly update a rubric, newsletter or other doc and always know that I have the final available. It’s kind of like having a template. Plus I always know that the pdf is the official—best version. 

File conversion tools such as zamzar and media converter give you many more options and not just for working with text documents. The ability to convert to various audio, video and image files means anything you create can easily be viewed by any user. Here are just a few examples: tiff, thumbnail, html, pdf, jpg. A quick trick like this is especially useful as you consider multi-platform delivery. Students (and parents) access materials from a variety of endpoints devices; computers, phones, tablets etc. The ability (or willingness) of each individual manufacturer and operating system to support various file types can be frustrating. File conversion gives you a way to speak the language of each user. 

I really like the thumbnail option. Sometimes titles just aren’t enough. If you have a variety of resources for a particular unit of study, displaying thumbnails helps your students select what they’re looking for without having to click back and forth.

Thing 13.2--Interactives; Flashcards

In my former life I was a Spanish teacher and I used a Website called Quia. This fantastic tool is quite similar to Quizlet. I created flashcards that students used for a variety of games & practice. Quia is a bit more robust than Quizlet in that I could create different classes, with calendars, grading etc. 

One important thing to note about using online flashcards is that there is a learning curve. Students have to be taught HOW to effectively use flashcards. It isn't enough to learn just one side. They have to be able to go both ways. Adding voice, image and making other differentiations may be useful for many students, but remember that how they learn and study the terms is how they should be expected to recall them. So make sure your assessment matches. If they have to be able to match or define terms, learning / recalling a picture won't be of much use to them. If they need to simply understand a term to demonstrate it in a project, that allows for more flexibility in creating the set. 

Either way, flashcards provide a quick, concise way for students to become literate in any discipline and represent an priceless addition to their strategy toolbox. 

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards

Thing 13.1 -- Interactives; Google Earth

Loving Google Earth! This is one of those tools that truly crosses all content areas. As a tech specialist, I strive to find resources that work in multiple areas. This assists staff in collaboration, and helps students envision how tools apply in multiple areas, rather than 'this is a [fill in content area] resource only'. Placemarkers are especially useful for this in establishing location for history, literature, famous figures--and their lives, discoveries, etc. Here are my two examples. 

 

 

 

Lake MacDonald in Glacier Natl Park. The exact spot we got married at last summer!

 

Princess Juliana Airport beach in St Maarten. Look for the placemarker -- we weren't actually on the beach, but in a catamaran off shore -- which is why I missed the Adobe session! ;)

Thing 8 -- Visual Learning

Bubbl.us diagram comparison of mind mapping tools. Mindmeister wins hands-down! What I like about Mindmeister:

1. Full collaboration and sharing options.
2. Cross-platform app available
3. PC Client available (on Safari & Chrome -- fingers crossed for Firefox)
4. Full integration with Google account
5. Links to files, Websites, & images

 

All these tools give you a place to at least start organizing thoughts, ideas and resources for project planning. With Common Core in our future and SBAC testing on the horizon, collaborative project planning and storyboarding skills are increasing important for educators and students. I like to embed tools in my PD so that staff get introduced to a variety of items; not just the topic at hand.

I could use bubbl.us as a formative assessment; at the beginning of a presentation to collect assumptions, expectations, fears, wonderings etc; at the end, to collect reflections and desired follow up.

I could use MindMeister to work with our communications department in developing social media guidelines. With MM we can work collaboratively across space, we can mine resources and link them together for further review later. We can also develop an action plan in regards to rolling out the plan to various role-groups that might include press releases, district-wide communications, training videos, etc.