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Thought for the
Week
Nothing
is more powerful and liberating than knowledge.
-- William H.
Gray III |
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Upcoming Blackboard Classes
- Register Now!
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Register Now:
http://www.cpsb.org/techclasses |
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BB312: Podcasting in
the K-12 Classroom (This course is all
online - no face-to-face meeting)
Dates of Training:
February 18 - March 4, 2010
(2 weeks online)
Location: All Online
Prerequisite: BB201
Technology Requirements: Internet
Access at Home/Computer Proficient, microphone,
headphones
CLUs: 2
This two week online class will serve as an
introduction to using podcasting within the K-12
classroom.
BB101: Introduction to Using Blackboard as a
Classroom Website
Dates of Training:
February 22, 2010
(face-to-face orientation - 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. - Lab
C) February 22 - March 22, 2010 (online course)
Location: Lab C
Prerequisite: None
Technology Requirements: Internet
Access at Home
CLUs: 6
The hands-on workshop (orientation session) combined
with a 4-week online will guide the teacher through
the creation of the Blackboard Classroom Website.
Participants will learn how to customize the design
of Blackboard, add documents, and utilize Blackboard
tools.
For further information, feel free to contact Kim
Leblanc
(kim.leblanc@cpsb.org.) |
Featured Blackboard Site
|
 The featured Blackboard site
was created by Marla Baldwin, a fourth grade teacher
from Gillis Elementary. Mrs. Baldwin created the
site to serve as a resource for all of her students
and as well as a communication resource with
parents. Visit
Mrs. Baldwin's site. |
More Web 2.0 Tools For
Educators
|
 For
the past two issues of TechConnect, several free Web
2.0 tools that teachers are using to expand their
professional knowledge and collaborate on projects
were highlighted. A Web 2.0 site allows its users to
interact with other users or to change website
content, in contrast to non-interactive websites
where users are limited to the passive viewing of
information that is provided to them. This week
TechConnect continues to introduce educators to Web
2.0 tools.
TeacherTube
http://teachertube.com/
The teaching profession’s very own version of
YouTube lets educators upload and share video clips.
VoiceThread
http://voicethread.com/
This online presentation program allows users to
post slideshows using a variety of media, while
providing audio or text narrative. Viewers can also
comment on the presentation using audio, text, or a
doodling tool.
Skype
http://www.skype.com/
This software allows users to make free phone and
video calls over the Internet using a computer.
Survey Monkey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/
This online survey tool helps you to collect and
tabulate responses from a project group. Basic
option, allowing up to 100 responses, is free.
Wikispaces
http://www.wikispaces.com/
An easy-to-use platform, WikiSpaces allows users to
create basic Web pages that group members can
collaboratively update and edit.
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Google Docs Upgrades
Storage To All File Types
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 Users of Google Apps for
Education now will be able to store images and other
media files to Google Docs. Google Docs users now
will have access to 1 free gigabyte of storage in
the online suite of word processing, spreadsheets,
and other commonly-used programs, and each file can
be as large as 250 megabytes.
Google already
offered unlimited storage for files that were
automatically converted into the Docs format. With
the change, Google Docs also will store files in
their original format, and only those will count
toward the limit. Check out all the new features
from Google Docs at
http://www.google.com/google-d-s/whatsnew.html. |
Send PowerPoint Handouts
To Microsoft Word
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 You
can share the content of your PowerPoint
presentation by printing your outline and all your
notes and handouts by doing the following steps:
1. Open a presentation in PowerPoint.
2. Choose File > Send To
> Microsoft Office Word.
3. In the Send To Microsoft Office Word
dialog box, select the desired page layout for your
presentation. For handouts, choose either
Blank Lines Next to Slides or Blank
Lines Below Slides. For notes, choose
Notes Next to Slides or
Notes Below Slides. For an outline, choose
Outline only.
4. Click OK. Your chosen
presentation information will appear as a new
document in Word.
5. Edit, format, and print the information as
desired. |
Switch Audio Converter
Software
|
 You
can convert and encode sound files on PC and Mac
with this Switch audio converter software. Switch is
one of the most stable and comprehensive multi
format audio file converters available; and it is
very easy to use and is completely free.
Switch universal audio converter supports all
popular formats, converts or compresses sound files
within minutes of downloading, and includes batch
audio converter to convert thousands of files in one
conversion. You can also extract audio from any
media file including video. The URL:
http://www.nch.com.au/switch/index.html |
Resize Icons Quickly in
Windows Vista Explorer
|
 If
you are in a folder and would like to quickly resize
the icons, there’s a shortcut you can use with your
mouse wheel to resize the icons. This is a great way
to show off the beauty of the new vector icons in
Vista to your friends. Just hold down the
Ctrl key, and scroll the mouse wheel in any
folder. The icons will immediately resize bigger or
smaller. The same thing works wherever you are in
Windows. You can cycle between the different views
this way. |
Schools of Distinction
Award - Enter Your School Now!
|
 Every year, Intel honors
U.S. schools that have demonstrated excellence in
math and science education as Intel Schools of
Distinction. In order to be considered for an Intel
Schools of Distinction award, schools must develop
an environment and curricula that meet or exceed
benchmarks, including national mathematics and
science content standards. Eighteen K-12 schools
will be selected as finalists and receive $2,500
from the Intel Foundation. Six winning schools will
receive $10,000, and one of these six schools will
be chosen as the Star Innovator and receive an
additional $15,000 grant as well as additional
products and services.
The deadline to enter online
is February 17, 2010.
Find out more at
http://www.intel.com/education/schoolsofdistinction/. |
| Best
on the Net!! -- Visit this site for
hundreds of websites for teachers! We would love to
hear from you about the best educational sites you
have found on the web. Please submit, via email, the
sites you feel merit inclusion. Send to tech.connect@cpsb.org.
Please include the URL and a short sentence about the
site.
Featured
Sites: (These sites were submitted by teachers in
Calcasieu Parish)
Fraction Math
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/con_math/g03c21.html
In this interactive learning game, you'll find both
a fraction and its model. The only problem is that
they're both hidden behind squares, and students
must correctly match up the partners by memorizing
where they are located.
Learn About British Columbia
http://www.kidzone.ws/geography/bc/index.htm
Vancouver, British Columbia is hosting the Winter
Olympics this year. You can take a photo tour of the
Canadian province, print out a flag, map, and
further worksheets to explore this timely geography
topic.
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