Weekly Tech Tip: Integrating Clustr Maps in the Classroom

This fall, Jodi Alper's 5th grade students worked on a "Fractured Fairy Tale" project. For the project they wrote their own versions of popular fairy tales. Then we took them to the lab where they recorded themselves reading the stories. The students edited their recordings using Audacity to modify their voices, add sound effects, and add music. The recordings were then uploaded to Podbean, a free podcasting service, where they were made available to anyone in the world who wanted to listen. Additionally, we placed a map on the site to track visitors. This week's tech tip explains how Mrs. Alpers uses this map to engage students in learning about world geography and I walk you through how to set one up for yourself.

Tech Tip:



Link Stew:

• Blaise Aguera y Arcas demos augmented-reality maps on TED Talks
• Lego Augmented Reality
• Educational Benefits Of Social Networking Sites Uncovered, summary of a UofM research project from 2008 on Science Daily
• 100 Ways to Teach with Twitter
• The Stupidest Thing You've Ever Heard of: All about Twitter Fantastic presentation about Twitter by Dean Shareski
  
• After Frustrations in Second Life, Colleges Look to New Virtual Worlds on The Chronicle of Higher Education
• FREE PowerPoint Twitter Tools | SAP Web 2.0
• Symbaloo - start simple
• Send Large Files for FREE - Send unlimited files, up to 2GB each
• Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds - Kaiser Family Foundation
• Digitally Inclined: A Study done by PBS on Student Technology Use
• The Good Enough Revolution: When Cheap and Simple Is Just Fine on WIRED
• Are Social Networks Messing with Your Head?: Scientific American
• Facebook profiles for places - Interesting Facebook visualization tool comparing how people are connected
• iTunes U - in your web browser

Blog Carnival:

• Other teachers grade that way, too? by Matt Townsley on MeTA musings
• Are Stereotypes Ruining Our Kids? By Julie LaChance on The eJulez Perspective
• Beliefs and Change By Pete Reilly on Ed Tech Journeys
• Faceless on Facebook By sjtaffee on Blogg-Ed Indetermination
• Words Matter | Unit By David Jakes on The Strength of Weak Ties
• Dear E.D. Hirsch By Barry Bachenheimer on A Plethora of Technology
• What is Technology? By Ira Socol on SpeEdChange