I decided to play around with VoiceThread (with a few pictures from my trip to Peru last summer) because I had never used it. It is quick and easy to get started once you register (e-mail address and password). Since I didn’t have a microphone I just played around with the comment button that allowed me to type them in. I like how you can zoom in and out of the pictures to explore things in more detail. I also played around with the ‘doodle’ tool which would be helpful in teaching to highlight areas of interest. What was annoying is that when I did a ‘doodle’ on one page it often showed up on other pictures as well and I would have to go back and edit those pages. This program is great because of how quick it is to use, but in terms of editing, I like Photo Story because you can add more special effects and it allows you to add music easier. I can definitely see myself using this with my students though (it would be fun to create a tour of the human body systems using this) or having them play with this to present something since it is a free Web 2.0 application. It is nice how easy it is for others to comment, participate, or share (I would be able to e-mail the link to parents so they could see their child’s creations).

I spent about 20 minutes trying to embed the whole thing into my blog and it wasn’t working correctly, so just click on the link below to view my very amateur video (I made it quickly so ignore the spelling errors, etc.):

My VoiceThread

I have been extremely frustrated with my Gateway computer that I bought about a year and a half ago because it takes about 5 minutes to run every time I start the computer. I can turn it on and walk away to start brewing a cup of coffee before it is ready for me to use! It seems like it is starting up every program on my computer and I am sick of seeing the ‘thinking hourglass’ icon when I want to get to work! A few months ago I added some memory to my computer thinking that it would help speed things up when I started my computer; it didn’t help that, but it does run faster now when I have multiple applications running at once. I have changed my computers startup menu options in Windows and have even messed around with the ‘Startup Application Manager’ options with Norton SystemWorks, but neither of theses manipulation attempts have helped in anyway.

I decided that at this point I want to look for a free or cheap fix to my problem. Since my issue isn’t detrimental to the functioning of the overall computer, just an annoyance, there is no need to purchase another computer. I started by doing some searches on-line for shareware and found a free program called Advanced WindowsCare V2 PerIsonal edition at IOBit.com. After I downloaded the program, I worked with the Startup Manager under the ‘Tools’ menu and was able to pick which programs that I didn’t want to start-up when Windows launches. I had done similar manipulations with SystemWorks and the computer menus without any improvement in start-up time. When I applied the new WindowsCare settings and restarted my computer I got a new record, a minute and a half! Besides allowing me to fix my problem, I like the additional security, optimization and cleaning support that this program provides as well. 

If someone with a similar problem had come to me I would ask them the following:

-       What manipulations have you already tried to decrease start-up time?

-          How much do you know about managing and optimizing computers?

-          How much are you willing to pay to fix this minor annoyance if needed?

My suggestions for someone who had a similar problem would be to:

-     First, try making menu/start-up manipulations with the computer or other programs that are already available (SystemWorks etc.)

-     Second, look for free or shareware programs that you could use next.

-     Third, if these don’t work, look into having a professional diagnose and optimize your computers running time for you.

I would not suggest buying another computer unless there were other major problems or specific optimization/speed issues that were affecting all the other computer applications as well. 

I was very intrigued this week in class when our professor introduced us to Skype which allows you to talk with video to anyone in the world for free. Our instructor showed us how it worked by communicating with her daughter who was on the other side of the planet. For a free program, I was surprised how clear the picture was and that there wasn’t much of a delay on the arrival of the sound.  I see numerous possibilities for this program in my personal and professional life.

In my personal life I could us it to talk to my father who works in Ecuador. He is a geologist and works from a remote location and phone calls are not a luxury that he has, but he does have internet access! He is gone for two months at a time and has limited contact with the family. It would be great to try this so that we can feel better connected to him when he is away and know that he is safe. I am sure that my mom would appreciate ‘seeing’ her husband more than once every two months. My sister has also recently moved away and is going to have a baby soon, so Skype would allow the whole family to keep in contact much easier when the new baby arrives and would allow my dad access to his new grandson as well.

At school, I would love to use this program so that my students could talk to scientists from other countries. I myself almost went to Antarctica for a semester to do biology research before teaching, but unfortunately things didn’t work out. I still regret not being able to go so that I could share those experiences with my students, so it would be great if they could interact and get first hand accounts of what it is like down there from local scientists. Another thing that I would like my biology students to ‘experience’ is a human cadaver dissection. Many of my middle school students cannot handle the horrible smell and it gets expensive taking 150 students on such a field trip. If I could find a doctor or medical student who would be willing to show my students part of a ‘live’ dissection in progress without the smell (and risk of fainting), then Skype would be perfect for that! I am excited to think about what other applications that Skype would be appropriate for in my classroom; it only took me a few minutes to brainstorm these ideas so the possibilities are numerous. 

One of the applications that we played with was called bubbl.us. It is a tool that can be used by teachers and students for creating concept maps, flow charts and brainstorming activities. I have used Gliffy and Inspiration before, and thought that this tool was much easier to use, specifically for students themselves. You can start creating your product right away without having to deal with registering all your students or creating logins. There is a ‘help’ box to the right of the screen that can walk students throughout the creation process.

One of the questions that I and some of my other classmates had was: What really does Web 2.0 mean? We have been hearing the term used more frequently and at times I was not completely ‘clear’ about what it means. The following short video clip helps to provide an explanation for this terminology:

VIDEO CLIP: ‘What is Web 2.0? All You Need to Know’

Another interesting video clip I found was what the future holds for the Web beyond 2.o, which may be called Web 3.0 or something else. It amazes me how fast technology evolves and changes. Yikes! I am afraid that I may not be able to keep up. One of the topics discussed was about how the Web will eventually be three-dimensional, fully immersive, and will be an augmentation of reality.

VIDEO CLIP: ‘Future Talks: Beyond Web 2.0′

Sometimes I wonder if we will even need teachers in the next twenty years or so with the way that technology, the Internet, and computers are leading. What do you think?

Multisensory Learning Using Technology 

What would happen if every blog published on the same topic on the same day? Blog Action Day aims to find out tomorrow. On October 15 2007, bloggers around the world unite for one day to change the conversation. At this point today (Sunday) there are over 15,00 people signed up to participate with their blogs, from large corporations to individuals! In its inaugural year, Blog Action Day will be co-ordinating bloggers to tackle the issue of the environment. There are two ways that bloggers can participate on Blog Action Day:

1. PUBLISH A POST on their blog which relates to an issue of their own choice pertaining to the environment.  

OR

2. COMMIT TO DONATING THEIR DAY’S ADVERTISING EARNINGS to an environmental charity of their choice. There is a list of “official” Blog Action Day charities on the site, however bloggers are also free to choose an alternate environmental charity to donate to if they wish.

       For more information visit:

    Blog Action Day Website

      Two video clips on Blog Action Day: 

     First Video Clip     

 Second Video Clip

If you were to blog on a specific environmental topic tomorrow, what would it be?

I am really concerned about the amount of trash we produce and where we are going to continue putting it in the future when we run out of space for landfills. It will be interesting to see how many sites actually participate tomorrow and to see what their concerns about the environment are. It is pretty cool to see how blogs can be used to connect people and help them communicate from all over the world; the capabilities of technology are truly amazing!

Video Clip: ‘Why Let Our Students Blog?’

Until I took this class and was forced to begin a blog, I had no idea how important and integral blogs can be to the learning process; no matter which level you want to take it to with students. The more that I blog, the more that I get into it (thanks Brent)!  In the classroom they can be used for improving literacy, giving students ownership, allow sharing opportunities, create a forum for discussion, empower students, create excitement, foster creativity, provide extension activities, and increase LEARNING! 

I would like to know how this clip has inspired you to use blogs in your classroom? Do you have any other ideas on how blogs can be used to reach students or improve the learning process?! 

Next weeks clip: ‘Blog Action Day!’

Video Clip: ‘Blog Song’ 

Next weeks clip: ‘Why let our students blog?’