Return of the Gadgets- Leslie Fisher

Presented by Leslie Fisher-- http://www.lesliefisher.com/- A great discussion of interesting tech gadgets.

• Utilities: Snapz Pro (mac- http://www.ambrosiasoftware.com/ ) and Snag It (Win http://www.snagit.com/ ) screen shot software, which also makes Quick Time movies w/ sound
• Squeeze software- to compress video- made by the videographer from "The Office"
• Consolidate your IM apps into one: http://www.adiumx.com/ (mac); Trillian for Win- http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/
• Font addicts: http://www.fontreserve.com/ - 99.00, can tell it which fonts to open w/ particular apps; http://www.myfont.com/ - Go to "what the font" to upload a jpeg of any font- the site will tell you what it is called
• Backup-- http://www.mozy.com/ - online backup, 5.00 per month
• Clip Art- http://www.clipart.com/ - purchase by week, month, or year; Art Explosion software
• Affordable Stock Photos: http://www.istockphoto.com/ , http://www.dreamstime.com/
• High end professional images: http://www.jupiterimages.com/
• Digital cameras: Trigger style, $499.00- Canon Power Shot TX1- 7.1 megapixel, May, 2007, image stabilization built in; Sony DSC T100 8.1 Megapixel, $399.00
• Camera Cards-- Buy PROFESSIONAL grade cards to improve your photos- Lexar Professional 1 Gig $58.00; or San Disk EXTREME III 4.0 gig- $62.99. (approx. 5-10 dollars more per card for professional grade)
• Use a card reader- NEVER hook camera directly to computer! If battery dies while uploading you're in trouble! Lexar or Kingston make good card readers.
• USB 1 vs. USB 2: make sure you are using 2- firewire or USB2
• Show off your digital photos: http://www.smugmug.com/ End user can downlaod photos, password options, fund raiser option.
• Home theater nuts--- great new remote - Logitech Harmony- 890 (399.00) 880 (150.00)- set all components w/ their software- easy to use and control your theater and equipment... up to 16 devices.
• i-pod touch: 8gig or 16 gig- Internet in wifi hot spots. For more accessories, even ipod hoodies- http://www.everythingipod.com/; http://www.belkin.com/
• itunes music store-- will have presidential debates online for free
• LPs (record albums) to MP3s- ITT USB. http://ion-audio.com/ $134.00- a cassette player version is available. For an extra fee they will even remove the crackles and pops from the albums- unless you want them to sound old!
• Apple's i-phone- only AT&T now. http://www.everythingiphone.com/ http://www.appleopolis.com/ http://www.iphone.beejive.com/
• keyboard of light-- http://www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com/ actually beams of light - a keyboard.
• http://www.keyspan.com/ a USB based cell phone charger
• Presenter remotes- http://www.keyspan.com/
• Solio- solar phone charger http://www.solio.com/
• Laptop bags- http://www.timbuk2.com/ ; http://www.sfbags.com/ ; http://www.lopro.com/

happy shopping!

Wikis, RSS, Social Bookmarking- in Plain English

check out these easy to understand videos to help define these topics...

Wikis-http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english
RSS-http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english
Social Bookmarking- http://www.commoncraft.com/bookmarking-plain-english

Open Source Software-- What is it?

Open Source software- what is it, why would you want to use it- what are the benefits? Opportunity, Flexibility, Choice, Freedom.
Open Source is publicly available software that includes the source code so the community of users has the ability to modify it and contribute to its revision. It is LICENSED and free in the sense that you do not pay for it, but it allows you freedom. Check licenses before modifying, share if you modify, comply with the rules of the developers.
Take a look at www.theopendisc.com High quality- Windows platform software. Launced Oct. 14, 2007. Download and burn as many copies as you want!
Sample programs discussed:

• Celestia- a great solar system simulator
• Tux Series- ELEMENTARY software including Tux Paint like Kid Pix, Tux Math Command liek Math Blaster, and Tux 4 Kids. (we are working on getting this for our students here at Sims)- students cannot adjust or modify this software- the setup/config program is a separate file.
• Open Office- just like MS Office- but free
• Neo Office Impress- like Power Point
• Scribus- desktop publishing and PDF Creation
• the GIMP- image editing program (advanced)
• Inkscape- liek Adobe Illustrator
• Blender- make Pixar style movies

Great Sites

Here is a list of web sites I noted throughout the week - I didn't want to forget to look at them-- misc. topics...

• http://www.slideshare.net/ - Share power point shows online
• http://www.digitales.us/ Tell digital stories
• http://www.googlelittrips.org/ Google Lit Trips
• http://www.google.com/educators/index.html Google for Educators
• http://streetside.org/index.htm Share life stories online
• http://bubbl.us/ Free program like Kidspiration- online
• http://kitzu.com/ Digital Kits
• http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/ and http://www.compendiamusic.com/ and http://www.digitales.us/resources/music_sound_sources.php Royalty free music
• http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Home.jsp Georgia Encyclopedia

Each topic I want to share with you is a separate "post" below. The first topic is: Technologies for the next 5 Years--- David Pogue

(warning- this info is technical-- feel free to skip this post if it's a little bit confusing, or ask Justin to have lunch with you to discuss,....)
David Pogue was the keynote speaker for Ga ETC this year-- (see more in the post below below)- he described technologies that will, according to him, have the most impact on us in the next 5 years. I'm not endorsing these topics- just sharing with you. As educators, it is always helpful if we stay current on technology- since creative teachers find interesting ways to use all sorts of technology in the classroom...
1. the i-phone. you can watch his hysterical movie on You Tube from home called "i-phone, the musical"- once the most viewed movie on You Tube. i-phones will be much more popular in about 4 years...
2. RFID--Radio Frequency ID Tags-- which would allow library users to simply walk out of the library as long as they are carrying their library card-- the books would automatically be checked out to them...-- Cathy & Donna- can you imagine library inventory where you just run around the room w/ a wand and you're done in 10 minutes?
3. Voice Over IP- cheaper alternatives for phones such as Vonage or Skype
4. Voice to Text-- your voice mails can now be automatically transferred to text or emails and sent to you. Companies such as Simulscribe, Callwave
5. Sling Box type technologies-- take your TV shows with you when you travel- control your home TV from anywhere w/ computer or mobile phone.

How much do you know (or want to know) about these? Post a comment!'

Gail Lovely- ABCs, 123s, and WWWs- Primary resources

This one is for the lower grades- Preschool- K - First.... Maybe EIP and SPED...
Gail Lovely is an awesome leader in the area of instructional technology-- I have shared many of her items as sites of the week w/you over the years...
Click here for the entire presentation-- It should open in a few seconds...
http://www.slideshare.net/secret/s6MefMtnTsCmWY
Here are a few items that might be worth a try...
Real and Make Believe - gamegoo- Patterns - Art Zone - Musical Sketch Pad - Online projects - The Tooth Fairy count starts January 1st, 2008 - E-Pals projects - - The Spaghetti Book Club - Book reviews for kids by kids.
Great Sites she shared:
For Students:

Between the Lions
Up To Ten
Boobah
Game Goo
Color Patterns
Shape Patterns
Weather Patterns
More Patterns
Sounds
Piano Patterns / Sounds
Kids Art Zone
Making Music

Teacher Resources:
Read Write Think http://www.readwritethink.org/
Make your own ABC pages/chart http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/alphabet/
Beginning Keyboarding http://www.literacycenter.net/lessonview_en.htm
Almost instant Rubrics http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
PBL checklists http://pblchecklist.4teachers.org/
Create an online lesson in Trackstar http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/index.jsp

General Resources and Links By Subject:

Math http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/4_11/numeracy.shtml
Math - Time http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/BangO
Science with PEEP http://peepandthebigwideworld.com/
Literacy Resource Examples
Vocabulary Development Word Fun http://www.eduplace.com/fakeout/
Book Reviews By and For Kids http://www.spaghettibookclub.com/
Lots of Literacy Activities http://www.ictgames.com/literacy.html
Make a Robot and then Write about it! http://www.candlelightstories.com/Games/RobotLab.htm
Art: http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/zone.htm

Tiny URL

If you have never heard of this site-- it is a neat thing and free. It allows you to make a SHORT student-friendly URL (which means web site address) from a really long one.
http://tinyurl.com/
The instructions are on the main page of the site- see me if you need help.