2008 February | 4OOPS Tech Tricks

On the Occasion of Outages: LEAP! February 29, 2008

Posted by 4oops in Plan B.
Tags: outages, Plan B, Teague
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The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. Alvin Toffler

Glitches Happen
Bugs Happen
Outages Happen
Chocolate Happens
Jeans Shrink

…but I digress

Yesterday’s Edublog outage was (more…)

Assessment Data Article Snags Cover February 27, 2008

Posted by 4oops in Writings.
Tags: authentic assessment, data driven decision-making
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“Using Assessment Data to Enhance Your Reading Program,” an article I wrote whose title is almost longer than the article itself, is the cover story for the March, 2008 edition of Connected Newsletter, a delightfully innovative print and electronic magazine under the editorship and nurturing of Paige Meredith. Click Here to read the article.

Where Words ExtEnd February 20, 2008

Posted by 4oops in Tech BFFs.
Tags: digital photography, teaching strategies, technology integration
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Where Words ExtEnd

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. ~Eudora Welty, author

Visuals communicate concepts where words end. Words invite students to express a concept, topic, word, or phrase through pictures opens a door to another form of expression. Students also gain ownership when their photos become an online gallery.

Cataloging and managing the photos that students submit, can be daunting unless you access help online.

Explore two free sites that will help: Kodak Gallery and Flickr

If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn’t need to lug around a camera. ~Lewis Hine, photographer

Use both sites or either site (depending on your objective and your school’s filter) to set up a class account for students to upload their pictures. Within your main account, each student (or student teams) may create their own “album” (at Kodak) or “set” (at Flick’r). You can monitor their uploads before making them “public.” (Note: Please keep privacy and your school’s AUP guidelines in mind when using student photos.)

Here is an example from Kodak and an example from Flickr

Kodak also has a store to transform photos into objects for gifts, fundraisers, or mementos. Kodak has a great new embedded slideshow tool that lets you create an online slideshow with all sorts of cool tools.

Here is a show I made in about 3 minutes http://teague.tumblr.com/

All photographs are there to remind us of what we forget. ~John Berger, storyteller and artist

We have great ideas for integrated pictorials across all curriculum topics.
Click here for more information or send me an email.

Quote Sources:
http://www.quotegarden.com/photography.html
http://www.photoquotes.com/

Staff Development Works! February 17, 2008

Posted by 4oops in Education.
Tags: Staff Development, technology training
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Great news! See this article from EdWeek.

TCEA Teachers Soar as Squids! February 12, 2008

Posted by 4oops in Web 2.0.
Tags: blogs, TCEA
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“Squid” is the affectionate name for authors of Squidoo pages and that is just what Linda, Pam, Jennifer, Stephanie, Angie, Melissa, Ruth, Pam, Liu, and Barbara became in our “Squidoo for You” session at TCEA. See their great work and leave them an encouraging comment in the Guestbook: http://www.squidoo.com/tcea

P.S. Kicking yourself for missing out on the TCEA session? See 2-7-08’s post below and/and this link: http://www.squidoo.com/building-squidoo

Squidoo for You? YES! February 7, 2008

Posted by 4oops in Tech BFFs, Web 2.0.
Tags: blogs, building webpages, http://4oops.com
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The The 5 W’s of Squidoo:

What is Squidoo? an interactive web-editor portal interface with lots of cool modules!

Where can you Squidoo? anywhere on any computer connected to the Internet

Who can Squidoo? You, me, another can become a “Squid.”

When can you Squidoo? Anytime and Anyplace because the Internet doesn’t close!

Why Squidoo? Because it reflects the interactivity and dynamic interplay with content that meets students cyberly where they like to learn best…and…it’s fun!

Welcome Techies to TCEA! Glad you are here! February 6, 2008

Posted by 4oops in Education.
Tags: internet resources, TCEA, Teague
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Glad you made it to beautiful Austin for either the “Kudos, Techies…” session or the “Squidoo” session. Please feel free to click around, investigate, try some of the tips and tricks listed here, leave comments, and return often!

We at OOPS: Our Overnight Planning System appreciate your willingness to serve in our classrooms!

Happy Teaching!

10 Tech Tricks You Are Already Doing: Part 2 February 5, 2008

Posted by 4oops in Education.
Tags: internet resources, Teague
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# 6 You are utilizing a “Plan B” when technology goes down. “Plan B” means: archiving websites, saving online movies to your hard drive or other storage device, and having lesson options available in offline format.

# 7 You are keeping up with computer maintenance through player plug-in updates, virus software updates, weekly virus software scans, avoiding extra toolbars, screensaver, widget downloads, and performing monthly defrags.

# 8 You are using MS Office and/or Star Office modules as a lesson warm-up, as an application of content exercise, and as a method for students to create digital products.

# 9 You are finding what you need in internet searches, application files, and when teaching students to research by using: the Edit Menu/Find feature.

#10 You have downloaded these Great Freebies while they are still free: MS PhotoStory, Microsoft Reader, and Google Earth.

Link to the online game containing these tech tricks: http://www.oops.bizland.com/10tech.swf

10 Tech Tricks You Are Already Doing: Part 1 February 4, 2008

Posted by 4oops in Education.
Tags: http://4oops.com, internet resources, Teague
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1. You invite students to demonstrate concept mastery through creating a Digital Deliverable such as a: digital product. Need new ideas for products? Click here: http://www.oops.bizland.com/oopsproductpage.htm

2. For computer classroom or lab management, you assign students to specific computers, you begin each lesson with a Warmup activity which gives you time to troubleshoot tech challenges, and you use Learning Centers when you do not have 1:1 connectivity. Need new ideas for Warm-ups? Click here: http://www.oops.bizland.com/100days.htm. Need more iformation on Learning Centers? Click here: http://www.oops.bizland.com/May07_LearningCenter.pdf and here: http://www.oops.bizland.com/centers.htm

3. For lessons, you are teaching students to use the Insert/Comment feature in Word for checking, revising, grading, peer editing. you are showing students how to hack down URL’s for 404 sites, and teaching students to save their original file and draft revisions with their initials and “draft 1” “draft 2” etc…

4. In case of internet outage you are saving internet content in offline form for easy retrieval and archiving.

5. You are applying authentic assessment through Rubrics. Need some nifty websites to create online rubrics? Try David Warlick’s Landmark Project: http://landmark-project.com/ and Teach-nology: http://www.teach-nology.com/

Next Post: Tech Tricks #6-10

Happy Teaching!