17 Things Round 2: Completed!

Thanks to all who participated, and congratulations to the

8 finishers!

'Lite Edition' finishers: Tom D., Whitney B., Patty Y., Suzanne B., and Laurence F.

'Master Class' finishers: Kristi S., Kellie D., and Bridget W. (Make sure to check out the Master Class Projects page to see the innovative student projects completed by these participants. Each project has a description, rubric, and student examples!)

Stay tuned for next year's program....

The following are Wordles created from the text of participant reflections and survey comments:

'Master Class' FINAL POST and Survey Link

PROGRAM DEADLINE: Monday, 5/2/11

You have made it through TWO rounds of the 17 Things to Chew On program! The final step in the 'Master Class' is to write a reflection on the program, your successes, and any challenges or obstacles you encountered along the way. Here are some questions to prompt you:

• How has the Master Class assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
• Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from the Master Class that surprised you?
• Do you think it's important for all teachers to integrate technology into their curriculum, or do you think it should be up to the individual teacher's preferences?
• How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote the program in the future?

And, finally, please take a minute to complete the survey. Your feedback will help with future planning. Thanks again for participating in 17 Things to Chew On: 'Master Class'! Click here to take survey

'Lite Edition' FINAL POST and Survey Link

PROGRAM DEADLINE: Monday, 5/2/11

THIS IS IT! The last post. The final step in the 17 Things to Chew On: 'Lite Edition' program is to write a reflection on the program, your successes, and any challenges or obstacles you encountered along the way. Here are some questions to prompt you:

• How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
• Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
• Do you think it's important for all teachers to integrate technology into their curriculum, or do you think it should be up to the individual teacher's preferences?
• How would you describe your learning experience in ONE WORD or in ONE SENTENCE, so we could use your words to promote the program in the future?

And, finally, please take a minute to complete the survey. Your feedback will help with future planning. Thanks again for participating in 17 Things to Chew On! Click here to take survey

'Master Class' THING 5: Evernote

This is the last "Thing!" Thank you so much for participating in the program again. I hope that you have found some of these new tools useful. I've had fun exploring them!

Some Web 2.0 tools are perfect for one-off projects (Prezi, Animoto, VoiceThread), while others take time to set up but are great for longer-term applications (Weebly, Diigo, Edmodo). Evernote falls into the latter category and has become one of my favorite Web 2.0 applications now that I have begun using it regularly. Evernote is an application that allows you to keep notes collected into a variety of different notebooks, sort of like an online filing system. Notes can be text, images, websites, or PDFs, and can be tagged and added to a notebook. For example, I was looking into e-textbooks a few months ago and I had several Post-It notes with vendor information, several websites with articles about e-textbooks programs, and some notes I had taken at a conference. I was able to take a picture of each Post-It note with the camera on my phone and upload it to my Evernote iPhone app. I was able to add each website to my Evernote computer application. And I was able to take notes from a conference on my Evernote iPad app. I added each of these notes to my "School" notebook. These apps all sync together, so that I could get all of my notes on any of those devices. Even if you don't have a smartphone, being able to use Evernote on a computer (you could use it both at school and at home) would allow you to save collections of websites, images and documents for universal access.

Watch this video for the company's description:



Here is a student's perspective:

To complete this Thing, create an Evernote account. You will have to download the application like you did with Diigo (if you have any problems doing this at school, contact Mike Connors or Dave Fischer). Create some notes from websites, images, and notes you've typed into Evernote, then create a few different Notebooks and save the notes into those notebooks. Make sure to tag each note, too. Finally, try sharing one of your Notebooks with the Master Class group (Bridget W., Kirstin B., Kellie D., Kristi S., and me) by clicking the "Shared" button at the top of the Notebook section. You can choose which Notebook to share by clicking "Start Sharing", then choose "Share with Individuals", and then just type in our RB email addresses. I just tried sharing my Notebooks with my husband and with Doreen, but I don't yet know what they will be able to see/do with what I've shared.

It took some time for me to make adding stuff to Evernote a habit, but now that I do, I have a really useful and robust account full of organized notes!

To complete Thing 5:

• Watch the videos
• Download Evernote
• Create an account
• Add 5-7 Notes and tag each Note with keywords
• Create 2-3 Notebooks
• Add Notes to Notebooks
• Share with the Master Class
• Post about your experiences. Would you use this personally? Would it be worth the time it would take for initial set-up? Do you have mobile devices that would make this even more useful than if you were just using it on a desktop?

'Lite Edition' THING 7: Choice of Animoto or ScreenToaster

You made it! This is the end. For this final "Thing", you have a choice between two Web 2.0 tools from the original 17 Things to Chew On program. The first option is to explore Animoto, which allows you to create short video montages using photos, video, text and music. The other option is to create a screencast video using Screencast-O-Matic. Screencasts are great for creating tutorials, demonstrations, or even lectures where you want students to both hear and see what you're talking about.

Here are the instructions for both. Choose which one you want to explore!

Creating Video Shows with Animoto

Animoto is a really cool tool that will create videos using photos, video, and music you upload (or, you can choose from music in their library). Short 30 second videos are free for everyone to create, or you can choose to upgrade and be able to create full-length videos.

You can apply for an Educator account, which will allow you and your students to create videos for free using special codes. Here is the link to the Animoto/educator page: http://animoto.com/education .

Now let's check out Animoto! Visit the site and watch any of the sample videos. Also, Bridget Wilmot and Kirstin Bacon submitted student Animoto projects for their Master Class projects, which you can find on the Master Class page of this blog.
Here are a few student-created Animoto videos I found on SchoolTube:





For this Thing, you should create an account (either with an Educator Access code or not), and then create a video and post it on your blog so we can all check it out. 

To complete Animoto Thing 7:

• Request an Educator Access code if you would like to create longer videos
• Register for an Animoto account
• Watch a sample video
• Watch the two student videos posted above
• Create a video and post it to your blog
• Post about your experience. Did you find it easy? Would you use this with students? Have students create a video as a final project?

-OR-

Screencasting with Screencast-O-Matic
Have you ever tried to explain how to use a computer program, web tool, or software application to someone? It can be pretty frustrating, especially if you are not actually teaching them in person. Have you ever used an online tutorial when you were learning a new application or taking an online class? What if you could create a video lecture that included images, video or text on the computer for students to watch at home? Screencasting is the perfect tool for these scenarios. Screencasting is a way to create short videos where you can record what's happening on your screen while you're narrating via microphone or webcam.

Unfortunately, the tool I used last year was Screentoaster, which has since closed down. Luckily, Screencast-O-Matic is very similar, and I was able to make this screencast in about 5 minutes (although I didn't have a microphone, so there is no audio).

To complete Screencast-O-Matic Thing 7:

• View the "Watch a Very Quick Demo" video on the homepage
• Watch my screencast
• Record a screencast of something. You'll need a microphone (they have them in the Tech Office)
• Upload the screencast to Screencast-O-Matic and create and account
• Embed or provide the link to your screencast in your blog post
• Post about your experience. Did you find it easy? Would you have students use this or would you record something for them?

New Spice | Study like a scholar, scholar

Just because! This is a hilarious take on the Old Spice Guy commercials, but it's all about the library.

'Lite Edition' THING 6: Social Networking with Edmodo

Social Networking with Edmodo

The social networking tool that we used last year was Ning. Ning, however, is now a fee-based tool and no longer fits our "free" requirements. The tool we can try this year is Edmodo, which has gotten a lot of buzz in the world of educational technology.

According to its website, "Edmodo is a free and secure social learning network for teachers, students and schools. Edmodo provides classrooms a safe and easy way to connect and collaborate, offering a real-time platform to exchange ideas, share content, and access homework, grades and school notices."

Here is a video that explains a little bit more:



I have created an Edmodo group called 17 Things 'Lite'. Once you have created a Teacher account and have signed in for the first time, look over on the left side of the screen for "Groups". Click "Join", then type in the 17 Things group code, which is xmi199. You should now be able to see the poll and the (fake) assignment I've shared, plus the announcements I've made. You should type a note to say "hello" and in the box that says "Send", type in '17 Things Lite.' This is how you can submit assignments, share links, etc.

To complete Edmodo Thing 6:

• Watch the Edmodo video
• Register for an Edmodo account
• Join the 17 Things 'Lite' group
• Write a note, post a document, or share a link with the group
• Post about your experience. Did you find it easy? Would you use this with students?

'Master Class' THING 4: Phlogging with iPadio

The time has come to phlog. I was recently reading my daughter an old Dr. Seuss book which featured fantastical animals, including something called a "Blogg." Little did Theodore Geisel know that in sixty years a "blog" would become an actual thing; likewise, who would have ever thought that "phlogging" would become an actual verb?

Phlogging, or "telephone blogging,", is a way to communicate content, on a regular basis, via the telephone. It's like podcasting, except that it does not require any software or hardware besides a phone. The tool that we will be exploring for Thing 4 is iPadio. Like all of our "Things", iPadio is free and, like most, requires no software downloads. It's also charmingly British, complete with a British-accented greeting when you call the toll-free number.

Like all "Things", you have to create an account in order to use the tool. Once you create an account, you will be given the phone number to call as well as a four digit PIN to enter. Once you've recorded your phlog, you will have the option to "Download", "Edit", or "Delete" it. Downloading it will save the file as an .mp3 on your computer. If you choose "Edit", you can give it a title, date, description, tags, upload an image, and even set your location. At the top of this page you can also see your PIN, iPadio telephone number, and the URL for your iPadio channel. This is the link you could add to your class websites, post on Skyward, etc.

Finally, if you click on a phonecast title (or on the "ShortURL" link), you also have the option to share that phonecast on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites; download it onto iTunes; copy the URL; and embed it into a website. So many options!

Here is the link to my iPadio channel: http://www.ipadio.com/phlogs/AliciaDuell/ . Listen to my two phonecasts, set up an account, and record your own.

To complete Thing 4:

• Listen to my phonecasts
• Create an iPadio account
• Record at least two phonecasts. Try to have one of them be instructions for an upcoming homework assignment, project, etc.
• Post about your experience. How could you use this in your class? Would you use it?
• Include the link to your iPadio channel in your post.

Note: 'Master Class'Thing 5 will be posted on or around March 11th!

'Lite Edition' THING 5: Voicethread

Voicethread is one of my favorite tools. Voicethread is a way to facilitate a discussion of images and video with a large number of people in a totally online environment. After creating a Voicethread account, you can create individual Voicethreads. For each Voicethread, you can upload images and/or video, comment on each page using text, audio or video, and then share the Voicethread with other users, who can then make their own comments using text, audio or video. It's amazing!
Here is a link to a Voicethread created by the company itself: http://voicethread.com/share/409/ Watch it for an explanation and demo.
Here is a link to a Voicethread created by an educator, to be shared with other educators. Check out how many people commented on it! http://voicethread.com/share/3352/ .
This year, our own Jessica Mauritzen had her Spanish students create Voicethreads. You can see two of them here and here.
And here is the link to the Voicethread I created last year, which contains images of the building as well as a few student interviews re: their use of social networking and the Internet. You should make at least 5 comments on it, one of which should be audio or video. To leave an audio comment if you don't have a microphone (I don't have one here at school), click on the telephone icon after you click on "Comment", enter your phone # (cell, home, or school), and the program will call you within SECONDS! Wait for the greeting, record your message, then hang up. You've just left a comment on the Voicethread! To leave a video comment, you'll need a webcam, which I might try to do later from my home computer. Here is my Voicethread: http://voicethread.com/share/900480/
FYI, you can request that your account be upgraded for free to an Educator Account, which lets you create an unlimited amount of Voicethreads and gives you a lot more storage space. I got mine upgraded within 24 hours of submitting the request.
(Disclaimer: I paid $10 to get 60 minutes of "phone commenting" on my account. If you don't pay that, I think users might have to rely only on text, microphones or webcams).

To complete Thing 5:

• Watch the two sample Voicethreads
• Watch the two student Voicethreads
• Set up a Voicethread account
• Watch the Voicethread I created and make at least 5 comments, one of which should be audio or video (you'll need to have a VT account in order to comment)
• Post about your experience. What do you think of Voicethread? Could it apply to you and your classes? Would you use it?

'Lite Edition' THING 4: Wikis

A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit content. Wikipedia, the online open-community encyclopedia, is the largest and likely the most well known of these knowledge-sharing tools. Wikis have many benefits, are easy to use, and have many applications.

Some of the benefits of wikis:

• Anyone (registered or unregistered, if unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
• Tracking tools allow you to easily keep up on what been changed and by whom.
• Earlier versions of a page can be rolled back and viewed when needed.
• Users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content.
• Multiple pages can be added to one wiki.

For an overview of wikis, watch this video:



Educational uses for wikis are great. Check out the site below to see examples of wikis in use:

• Welker's Wikinomics (This is a teacher's class wiki. Check out the different areas of his wiki.)

To complete Thing 4:

Watch the video.

Visit the link above and explore how one teacher uses a wiki in the classroom.

Visit the 17 Things wiki. This wiki's settings are public, so anyone can view and edit the page. However, you can also change the settings so that only members of your wiki can view, edit, etc. Read the intro page of the wiki and then follow the directions about where/what to post.

Create a Wikispaces account.

Create a wiki for either school/personal use.

Write a post reflecting on your impressions of wikis. How could you use them in class? Have you ever done collaborative writing with kids? Would this be a possible way to do it? How is it different than Google Docs?

Post the URL (web address) of your new wiki.

Comment on at least one other person's blog- even if they haven't yet completed this Thing!

Note: Thing 5 will be posted on or around February 4th!