A Couple of Mixbook Tips

A little over a month ago I wrote a post promoting Mixbook.com and how great it has been so far in the classroom. Since that post, more and more teachers are using it and that is awesome! Like with any tool that gets used more, there have been multiple questions asked about how to tweak Mixbook so it does what teachers want. I hope these two tips help those that choose to use Mixbook in the classroom.  I am happy to place my Twitter plug here because I used Twitter to message the guys at Mixbook for some help! Follow @mixbook – great resource.

1. When you have multiple Mixbooks embedded on a site they all start playing at once, so how do I turn off the autoplay feature?

Within the embed code, there are multiple places where the code states (autoplay=true) – all you need to do is find those and change the word true to false.

2. The second tip for today is changing the width of the Mixbook. There are times when the embedded book will not show all of the text and it gets cut off. This can be adjusted by again altering the embed code. In this particular case we simply changed the width number to a larger number. Both the width and height are located in the code, so you can change the size of the entire book if you wish.

Images for this post were created using Snagit for Mac.

Hope this is helpful to anybody out there using Mixbook. If you have any other tips for using Mixbook in the classroom, examples, or project ideas, please share them here.

My BFF

Let me tell you about my best friend. As we all know, best friends have many qualities we value and respect. After all, those qualities are exactly why they become your best friend! A true best friend in your life is a rare commodity for sure. They are hard to find, but when you find one they are a true blessing.

My best friend is an absolute riot! In fact, I’d go so far as to say she is a real hoot. She knows precisely when and how to blast off a joke. She is a master of using just the right insertion of a sarcastic remark, lightening the mood is a breeze for her, and she can always relieve an awkward situation. Her sense of humor is the best…the best I tell you.

My best friend is super pretty! My best friend is beautiful. My best friend is gorgeous. My best friend is classic. My best friend is classy. My best friend has beautiful green eyes. My best friend can do her hair any way and it looks incredible. My best friend smells extraordinary.

My best friend has taught me a tremendous amount over the last 13 years. I have learned how to truly be thoughtful of others. She has taught me that loyalty is of paramount importance with your family and in any quality relationship. I am now much more patient, sympathetic, and a stronger man having known and learned from her.

So let’s review the qualities of this best friend: funny, super pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, classic, classy, thoughtful, loyal, patient, sympathetic, and makes me a stronger man. She is also a wonderful mother to her three children. There isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for them. WOW! It’s incredible to imagine that I am best friends with this person. It’s even more amazing that I married her 10 years ago today! Happy Anniversary, my dear! Thank you and I love you!

Mixbook

A new online digital storytelling tool has burst on the scene for teachers and students in our district. I was introduced to Mixbook in September at the Classroom2.0 conference at the Capital Area Intermediate Unit. The founders of Mixbook have done a tremendous amount of adapting their product for educational use. Mixbook is easy to use, very intuitive, and a great alternative for classroom bookmaking. One very nice feature is that Mixbook will give you a code when your book is completed so you can embed it on a web page, a wiki etc.

A couple items we’ve discovered while working with Mixbook in the classroom. Student accounts require an email address. We logged students in using the teacher’s account for them to work that day and then changed the password after we were done working for that day. Also, students in groups can only be editing one page at a time from different laptops. In other words, one student can be working on page 1 while another member of the group can be working on page 2 etc. You can also set up books ahead of time, so when students log in a book on a particular subject is already there ready to go.

Here are two Mixbook examples from an elementary classroom. Students created a Mixbook about National Symbols.

National Symbols Mixbook Example

Here are some examples of third grade students building Mixbooks about the 5 different regions of Pennsylvania.

Regions of PA Mixbook Examples

I’m hopeful this provides you with another tool to use in the classroom. If you’ve used Mixbook in the classroom, please post a link to examples for others to see or at least share your ideas about how to use this in the classroom. Thanks and happy Mixbooking!

5 Photo Finds for the Classroom

It always seem to be a challenge for teachers to find sites that provide copyright free images for use in the classroom. Here are 5 sites that were recently shared on Twitter. I just told somebody the other day that I don’t know how I knew about anything before Twitter (sometimes it seriously feels that way). Nonetheless, I am hopeful this post provides some more resources for teachers working in the classroom.

http://www.everystockphoto.com/

We are a search engine for free photos. These come from many sources and are license-specific. You can view a photo’s license by clicking on the license icon, below and left of photos. Membership is free, without advertising, and allows you to rate, tag, collect and comment on photos.

http://www.pdphoto.org/

PDPhoto.org is a repository for free public domain photos. Unless something is clearly marked as being copyrighted, you can assume it is free to use. If you want to use these images: Go ahead. Most of them have been placed in the public domain. However >>> While most of them are public domain, a few aren’t. Be sure to read the license under each of the enlarged pictures. If you have any questions, please ask.

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/

PublicDomainPictures.net is a repository for free public domain photos. You can upload your own pictures and share your work with others.

http://www.pics4learning.com/

Pics4Learning is a copyright-friendly image library for teachers and students. The Pics4Learning collection consists of thousands of images that have been donated by students, teachers, and amateur photographers. Unlike many Internet sites, permission has been granted for teachers and students to use all of the images donated to the Pics4Learning collection.

http://www.sunipix.com/

Sunipix is a picture library for students, teachers, architects, website designers, advertising and marketing executives, civil engineers, business executives, travel agents, government agencies, and media/Information Technology professionals. Sunipix provides royalty free photographs (100 DPI) free of charge for personal and business needs.

Interactive Whiteboard Middle Ground

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interactive_whiteboard1.jpg

This is third time I’ve tried to write this post. I’ve had a hard time trying to cover all the bases and still say what I want to say. So I think at this point I’m just going to be as direct as possible and go with it.

I believe interactive whiteboards can be an incredibly engaging instructional tool when used properly. Now what does it mean to use the IWB properly?

First, you have to actually unpack the equipment and turn the board on. When teachers refuse to even try I have to ask how that board ended up in that room in the first place. I would love to see some kind of application process put in place before a teacher receives a board. I also question whether the teacher really has the best interest of the students in mind. I think of this quote often, “We need to prepare students for their future, not our past.”

Interactive whiteboards are called interactive for a reason. They NEED to be used interactively! That means let the students touch the board. Stop blocking the board with desks and tables. When kids aren’t allowed to touch the board, the board becomes exactly what the critics say it is…a glorified overhead. It focuses attention on the front and center of the room and kids just sit and watch. Certainly not the best use of something supposed to be interactive.

I realize it takes more time to plan and adjust lessons to incorporate technology. But any teacher that is a good teacher actively reflects on their lessons and adjusts them accordingly. It bothers me tremendously when a teacher says they’ve been teaching for 25 years when actually they’ve taught 1 year, they just taught it 25 times. There are so many resources available now it would not be that difficult to make some adjustments. I also don’t expect teachers to modify every lesson plan for the entire year at one time. All I ask is that they make an effort. Try modifying one unit or one section of a unit and see how it goes and move on from there. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, but at least try it!

There are critics that claim these boards are a colossal waste of money and there are the champions that claim their mere presence can transform classrooms. I agree with neither. There has to be some middle ground. They are only a waste if they’re not used properly, and when they are used to be truly interactive they can be quite effective. Is taking the middle ground a cop out?

Classroom 2.0 PA 2009

Photo courtesy of FlickrCreativeCommons/Regulus

It has been over a month since my last blog post and I need to stop slacking! It should be much easier to find some worthwhile topics now that we’re back in school and there is always something going on.

For example, a couple of weeks ago I attended the Classroom 2.0 PA Conference at the Capital Area Intermediate Unit (IU15). It was outstanding! There were about 50 people in attendance, which led to some very informal and productive sessions. For me, the conversations that take place during conference sessions are the most beneficial. The sharing of thoughts, ideas, and knowledge about a particular topic opens the pipeline of ideas to take back to my school district and our teachers.

I also had the opportunity to present for the first time at a conference. I thought it went relatively well, but I found quite difficult to prepare when I didn’t know the level of my audience. Consequently, I found that I assumed a certain level of knowledge that I should not have. That being said, I hope I was able to adjust the information I shared so everybody was able to walk away with something to take back to his or her classroom.

Here are some of the gems I found while attending this year’s event.

During the two days of the conference, we had the opportunity to Skype with the following people:

• Steve Hargadon – founder of Classroom 2.0

http://www.classroom20.com

• Andrew Lafoon and Aryk Grosz – founders of Mixbook. Mixbook is a site that allows you to create collaborative photo books and photo albums. They have done a tremendous job of building this site and adjusting the site for educators.

http://www.mixbook.com/

• Nori Yoshida and Jack Yu – co-creators of Brainyflix, which is an SAT vocabulary video contest. This is a “must” for any high school teachers!

http://www.brainyflix.com/

I think the best way to share what was available is to just link to the wiki. Here you can find all the presentations, handouts, wikis, etc. A big thank you to Cheryl Capozolli for organizing the conference and developing a great opportunity for learning! Stay tuned for information about next year’s event.

http://cr20pa.wikispaces.com/Presentations

NETS*A Now What?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chocxtc/3671112258/

NECC 2009 was a great learning experience for me, and I continue to reflect and ponder many thoughts and ideas from my time in Washington D.C. With the start of school right around the corner, I’ve been thinking about the impact of ISTE’s release of the NETS for Administrators (NETS*A). When I say I’m thinking about their impact, I’m actually wondering if they’ll have any impact at all for us.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed that the majority of people attending technology conferences and workshops are the people in the technology department with a few exceptions. There have been two groups from our school district noticeably absent from these technology conferences and workshops, and those two groups of people are regular classroom teachers and administrators. The drive behind this post is to put all the questions I have in my head in print and hopefully get some feedback on how to get them answered or how to proceed this school year. Here is why I wonder if the NETS*A will have any impact…

1. Will our administrators use NETS*A?
2. How will they use them?
3. How do we as an Ed Tech team get administrators involved?
4. What’s the best way to show administrators what good classroom technology use looks like?
5. How much progress is possible without administrators on board?
6. Will we be able to show them how important technology is in education?

Any possible answers or suggestions you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I will attempt to make this issue a priority this school year because I feel as though we need them completely on board to make the changes that are necessary in today’s educational setting. I think both district and building administrators can be great leaders. Their experience, knowledge, and leadership skills are invaluable to the goal of continued improvement in education.

Top 10 Reasons Staci is Cool

I know this woman who is SO cool she deserves her own blog post. At least that’s what she says and I promised her I would blog about her just to quiet her down. However, now I’m sitting here with this “promise” hanging over my head and a reminder every time she calls. I recently finished her Top 10 list of coolness, so without further delay…here is the Top 10 list of why Staci is the COOLEST!

10. Staci plays a mean game of Wii bowling. She hasn’t bowled a 300 yet, but she kicks Dave’s a$$.
9. She wears some crazy-a$$ shoes. Not sure where she finds those things, but they sure are somethin’.
8. Staci Rhubright Sorber took to Facebook like a fish to water. What took so long? Why the resistance? It took some convincing, but she’s now rockin’ Facebook like a pro.
7. She hates the Eagles. I don’t think this item needs any comment…but I’ll make one anyhow. What a colossal mistake the Cowboys are making if they don’t bring Pac Man back!
6. She’s the only one that did & will do shots of 151 w/ Lauren. Both these chicks are nuts…that’s like drinking straight kerosene.
5. Only someone of great awesomeness can quote from the momentous film Dumb & Dumber on the fly. I contemplated making this #1, that’s how great it is for her to dig that movie.
4. Staci is THE best God Mother. Seeing the kids is important to her. That alone endears her to us beyond anything else.
3. She amazingly adjusted to the role of mom. I think everyone knew she’d be a quality influence on Jared, but it has been fun to watch her in her new role. Plus…how could she be worse than the other female role models in his life!
2. She married Dave. Gotta give her credit…she did better than alright with this choice! In fact, Dave might be so spectacular he deserves his own post – we’ll see!
1. Staci is best friends with Lauren. This could be the ONLY possible reason that tops #2. Separately they are amazing women, but together they are…well, t-r-o-u-b-l-e!

Since I ONLY included 10 reasons here, I am obviously missing some other explanations for why Staci is SO COOL! Please feel free to leave a comment and share what you would add. Promis fulfilled, Staci. Now get off my back!

Love ya. Chris & Lauren

An attempt @ NECC Recap

As a first-time NECCer, I’ve been contemplating how I want to approach my first post NECC blog. I’m not sure what the best way is to capture my thoughts, feelings, impressions, and lessons learned. I cannot find a way to recap everything from NECC succinctly, so I’ve decided not to fight it. The following is my best effort to encapsulate my experience.

First impression: WOW, WOW, and WOW! It took me at least a day to wrap my head around what was really going on. There were countless places to explore and opportunities to learn. Having a chance to experience everything was impossible, so decisions had to be made about what was most important. That task alone was a difficult one because I was a first-timer and wasn’t sure where my time would be best spent. I started by attending some sessions…

Sessions:

• I attended a session with Dr. Christopher Moersch where I had the opportunity to learn about bringing the H.E.A.T. Dr. Moersch also introduced us to the LoTI level, which was a new concept to me. You can find more information from Dr. Moersch at The LoTI Connection.
• One of my favorite session of the conference was Effective Leadership in an Era of Disruptive Innovation with Dr. Scott McLeod. He was able to show us how to move in education with disruptive technologies. You can read more at Dangerously Irrelevant.
• Sylvia Martinez of Generation Yes presented a terrific session on professional development and how to empower students with technology. You can see Sylvia’s session here on the Generation Yes blog.
• I definitely took advantage of the opportunity to attend Sheryl Nussbaum Beach and Will Richardson’s session titled Here Comes Learning. This was quite a nice overview of how learning looks different today, creating learning communities, and connecting! Will Richardson – Weblogged and Sheryl Nussbaum Beach – 21st Century Learning
• I enjoyed a NETS session titled “Differentiating NETS*T – Moving Teachers Toward Transformative Technology.” I was a little concerned when this one started because I was afraid I was going to be stuck in a session where they discussed a whole host of tools I was already familiar with: Voki, Blabberize, Edublogs, Audacity, Wikispaces, Elluminate. However, I was pleased to see that the presenters then took these tools and showed attendees exactly how to use these tools to move teachers toward technology being transformative, and I believe that is completely where we need to be headed! You can see the manner in which they used these tools at ConferenceConnection2009.

Bloggers’ Cafe: I had heard so much about this area in the past I knew I had to spend some time there. I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated at first. I am a definite newbie when it comes to blogging and have been at it less than a year. BUT…Twitter was my savior (as usual). I had the unbelievable opportunity to meet so many people that I’ve built online relationships with it was amazing. It was like we had been talking for ages because in some cases I’ve “known” these people for over a year. And now I had the chance to sit and pick their brain for more than 140 characters. An experience I won’t soon forget and thanks to those I met and with whom I had the time to engage!

Exhibits: HOLY EXHIBITS! Geez! I was blown away by the sheer magnitude of this place. But after I took some time to wade through the majority of the displays on the floor and pick up my personalized flash drive, I actually returned to speak with multiple vendors who were quite helpful and informative. I do have to wonder if this area needs to be so “over-the-top”? Do these businesses really have education at the forefront of their minds? After seeing the pink Cadillac and Elvis, I pretty much had my answer. But…on the other hand, my kids and I definitely enjoyed the swag! Check it out:

NECC was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before and I am hopeful that I have the privilege of attending each and every year!

Top Tools from 09

Photo courtesy of Joi Ito from Inbamura, Japan via Wikimedia Commons

As many educators do after a school year is over, I recently found myself reflecting upon the previous year and thinking about what was successful for teachers and students. There are a multitude of web 2.o tools available for teachers to use for many different purposes. After our district’s A/V Expo, I realized that three tools truly stuck out. Teachers and students had tremendous success using VoiceThread, Blabberize, and Glogster.

VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate pages and leave comments. We have been lucky enough to be able to purchase school accounts for each of our elementary schools. These accounts have been used in numerous ways throughout the year. VoiceThread is quite intuitive and diverse in its use which translates well to the classroom. So here are some examples of how Voicethread was used this year by some classes…

Fifth Grade VoiceThreads

Grade Three VoiceThreads

Blabberize allows you to add audio to a picture or other image. This tool is also an easy, straightforward web 2.0 tool to use in the classroom. It provides students an alternative to written reports, speeches, or a way to publish student stories. Click HERE to see multiple examples of using Blabberize in the classroom.

The last tool on my list, and one that I believe has some real potential, is Glogster. Glogster is an online poster maker which allows you to add images, graphics, voice, music, and text. So far this tool has been an enormous hit, however, our teachers have experienced some functionality issues. It is my sincere hope that over the summer months these wrinkles are ironed out, so our students can experience the full potential of Glogster. Click the link below to see some examples of student Glogster work.

Student Glogs

These were the three prominent tools I saw thrive in our elementary buildings this year. I am hopeful that teachers continue to take advantage of the web 2.o movement and continue to explore new tools as well. Please help us to expand our horizons by contributing suggestions, examples, or links here via the comment portion of this blog. I look forward to your input!