Vuvox

I have been playing with a presentation program called Vuvox today. Vuvox is a web app that lets you create unconventional presentations. The one I chose was called a "collage" but it can best be described as a a scrolling panoramic image. Vuvox nicely integrates multimedia and lets you make objects in your presentation links to other media or websites. One of the best qualities of Vuvox is it forces you to think visually about your presentation. It is nearly impossible to create a boring bulleted slideshow with this tool. I may be using this tool for one of my TIES Conference presentations this year. Below is my working draft for a session titled, iTeach Mobile: Exploring Mobile Technologies for Learning, Instruction and Professional Development that I will be presenting with three of my Goodhue Public Schools colleagues. Enjoy the teaser:

Weekly Tech Tip - Technology Enhanced Active Learning Strategy - KWL

Weekly Tech Tip:

Online interactive whiteboards are online tools that let multiple people collaborate in real time on the same blank page. These tools can be useful for facilitating different collaborative learning activities. In this video I demonstrate how they can be used to facilitate an active learning strategy known as KWL. These whiteboards can be found in the Digital Backpack under "Diagrams/Concept Mapping."




Link Stew:

• Illuminations - Illuminations is a fantastic math curriculum site.
• Open Thinking Wiki - Digital Storytelling resources by Dr. Alec Couros
• Laptop for every pupil in Uruguay - BBC
• English Companion - online community of English teachers.
• Tony Vincent's learninginhand.com - great resource for information about mobile learning
• Umapper - tool that lets you turn any photo into an interactive map
• Building Maker - Create 3D buildings online
• Recording of a session on video games in education
• Best Online Collaboration Tools 2009 - Robin Good's Collaborative Map - MindMeister Mind Map

Blog Carnival:

• Why backward social-network-banning education authorities are wrong - by Ewan McIntosh

• 16 Top Augmented Reality Business Models | PERSONALIZE MEDIA

• Acceptable Use Policy for teaching with laptops - Learning in Maine

• Teacher layoffs: Should seniority rule? -Dangerously Irrelevant

• SpaceFish and the Primary Crowdsource- Ira Socol
  

New Additions to the Digital Backpack

I realize I posted a similar post last week and I usually only send these out about once a month but I realized there were some key services I forgot to add. So, here are this week's new additions to the Digital Backpack:

- Blogging for elementary and middle school. Gives teachers a lot of control.
- map where the people you are following are tweeting from
Bing Twitter Search
share images and video on Twitter
Post pictures and map them on Twitter
- watch free online technology training videos
International Children's Digital Library
- Search for Panoramic images from around the globe.
- music search engine
Stitch photos together to make a panoramic photo, create photo slideshows, or make a map photo tour.

Materials for my presentation to Hamline CSED 7761 on 10-24-09

I have been asked to speak to a class at Hamline University later today on a variety of topics. This presentation is basically about what I do as a technology integration specialist at Goodhue Public Schools. The instructors for this course have asked me to speak about my job, what it entails, grants and other funding sources, district and personal technology initiatives, virtual worlds, and mobile devices. Pretty loaded topic. I fear I won't be able to do any of those things justice in around an hour. I have decided to try something new with this one. To introduce mobile devices I am using PollEverywhere.com to gather information from the class prior to my talk. Then, to address virtual worlds I have done so by putting my presentation slides into a virtual world. People watching my presentation can join me "in world" if they choose or they can view it from the projection.

This is either going to be a huge success or it is going to flop.

Replace your audience response systems with Poll Everywhere

I will be using the virtual world Metaplace as a presentation platform today. If you would like to join me "in world" you can create a free Metaplace account and login to the world I have embedded on this blog post below. Of course, if you are joining us remotely you won't be able to hear my presentation but you can certainly ask questions and I will do my best to answer them for you. My presentation is at 2:00 pm Central Time and I will be active "in world" around 2:15. The final part of this presentation requires you to have a webcam and this page printed out. If you are joining us remotely, or if you are viewing this presentation at a later date you will need to have it printed out for the full effect.

Garys Social Media Count

Thank you @courosa & @ChristianLong for pointing out this gem via this tweet:

courosa RT @ChristianLong: Has everyone (or anyone) seen this? http://bit.ly/10UpB6 Fascinating 'running clock' re: social media.35 minutes ago from TweetDeck