Have you tried these tools?

Last weekend, I attended Learning2.0 up in Loveland and heard Amy White talk about some tools she uses in her classrom. I showed these to my students as soon as I got bakc Monday morning. They wanted the tools to all be in one place so they could come back and find them. SO...
Go2Web20.net- resource of things that help with web 2.0 applications (go look at the e-learning tab)
www.edzone.net -Marilyn Western’s Technology Tips for Classroom Teachers

http://www.xtranormal.com presentation and summarization of reading

http://animoto.com/ make a video from images-

http://goanimate.com/studio (every time you create something, you get points)-create own people and scenes; more time consuming than Xtranormal.

http://prezi.com/ going beyond Powerpoint

http://foldplay.com –show relationships between three ideas/symbols/pictures Kaleidocycle
make your own photo collage

http://glogster.com –create posters
create posters with photos post reading of novel.

ComicLife/ToonDoos/Bitstrips

PowerPoint- illuminated texts- animate words to come alive with words or phrases in text
Great idea for poetry!Select text and animate text using animate feature

Garage Band-podcasting and music –could use for interviews (Audacity and Finale Notepad)
(Create a song for the character in the novel- make sure to couple this with narrative and reflection about creating piece)

iMovie- digital storytelling instead of personal narrative (Photostory? Moviemaker)
make the example with video, stills, and voiceover so kids can see all those elements

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What Have We Learned or What Haven’t We Learned? Where Are We Going?

After a long and drawn out approval process, our 9th grade Honors students were able to read Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother after reading George Orwell’s 1984. Throughout the novels, we completed a multitude of chronological charts connecting the years of 1920-1950 to the book 1984, and 1950-2006 to Little Brother. We wanted kids to examine the events that might have influence these authors to write their novels. All along we asked the kids to think about “What have we learned or what haven’t we learned from these two novels? And given that information, where are we going as a society?”

Every activity during this 8 week process built upon our students formulating an understanding of those questions. From watching videos about MIT’s 6th sense, Google Googles, and Karl Fisch’s 2020 to reading about full body scanners and laptops being used to track student’s home life. We also brought in guest speakers from our History department who talked with the kids about the events surrounding WWII that would have influenced Orwell and post 9/11 legislations /actions that influenced Doctorow. We even had kids figure out the connections between Ned Kelly, The Chicago 7, and our protagonist Marcus Yarrow(can you figure that one out?). Towards the end of the unit, we had the kids write about Ben Franklin’s quote from 1759, “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Upon completion of reading both texts, the kids were challenged then with writing a paper defending their answer to the questions “What have we learned or what haven’t we learned from these two novels? And given that information, where are we going as a society?” that wasn’t a traditional black and white paper, but a Wikified Research paper.

As a previous student wrote:
In most English classes, inventing new verbs is reserved for confused students. However, in English 9 honors, wikified has become a universal verb penned by none other than the teacher herself…. A WRP, or wikified research paper, is made on wikispaces.com [and this year we added Google Sites] and allows students to link to resources within their papers, along with embedding various images and videos within their papers. This concept broadens the research paper from words on a piece of paper to a worldwide published work that includes interactive and supplementary elements which help define and support the student’s thesis.

As the students composed thesis statements defending their view point, we taught them about the wonders of wikispaces and Google Sites showing them the difference between publishing a paper for their teacher to publishing a paper for the world. There is a whole new level of engagement and responsibility in writing a paper of this magnitude.

Throughout the writing process, the students were challenged with composing something that was meaningful and relevant to their take-aways from the novels. Some students felt we have learned nothing as a society and continue to fall into the same traps Orwell and Doctorow identify such as blind acceptance of the truth, inability to decide for oneself, lack of trust in government and others, and the overwhelming power of technology. Others feel that because of Marcus’ role in Little Brother and Winston’s role in 1984, that we are learning not to blindly accept what others say and that everyone is empowered to challenge the system.

The students were also asked as a result of their learnings what will happen to us in the future. This part of the WRP could take any form: traditional paragraph, podcast, poem, video, etc…. If they could imagine it, they could create it. I think this is the part of the paper I have enjoyed more than any other. The kids are challenged with creating their own interpretation of a world which they have a greater role in. As they progress through these influencing years of learning, they are creating a future which could mimic their predictions, or challenge the future they see.

At the end of the writing process, the students turn in their wiki work and arrange for a assessment date with Maura or I. We grade their papers together talking through what the student’s intended in each paragraph as well as what we take away from their writing. The writing process comes alive at this point with the ability to walk each student through their thoughts clarifying confusions and appreciating their willingness to do something different. With each paper, I am able to see a clearer picture into my students’ writing mind reflecting back on their growth and seeing the amazing possibilities that lie in front of them. It is so powerful to sit next to each kid while commenting on the creativity of their work and feeling their personal pride in a job well done. Their exuberance at showing their teacher, and I would even guess the world, their thinking is inspiring.

I would encourage you to look through their work as well giving them feedback.
Period 2
Period 5

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Netbooks Aren't Replacing Notebooks

According to a survey from PriceGrabber.com, over half of consumers do not see netbooks as a replacement for their traditional laptops. Of those surveyed, 55% said a netbook is a nice compliment to their laptops but they'd never buy one to replace it.

The findings probably aren't all that surprising. Sure, netbooks are cheaper and smaller, which makes them more portable but the point of having a laptop at all is so that it is portable, right? Most people prefer doing most of their tasks on their laptop that is capable of handling anything they might run across. The reasons? 54% said the netbooks are too uncomfortable due to size, 50% were unhappy with the lack of CD drive, 49% didn't like the lack of storage, 38% felt the computers are too slow, 26% don't feel they can run their multi-media files on them, 16% believe the netbooks won't run their games as well, and 14% had other reasons for their feelings.

On the other hand, 45% of people do see netbooks as laptop replacements. This could mean any number of things but it seems as though a lot of people aren't in need of big screens and lots of power for their everyday computing needs. The study defined a netbook as any laptop with a smaller than 11-inch screen, that cost less than $500.

The survey does point out that the netbooks have caused an overall drop in the price of computers. In December 2008, the average laptop cost around $800, compared to $654 in December 2009. They also noted that the average netbook user falls into the 45-64 years old age category. It used to be that 35-54 year olds preferred the smaller computers.

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Looking for Laptop Rental information? Visit our Tech Travel Agent Laptop Rental Page for a variety of laptop rental solutions for business or personal use. Or call today at 800-736-8772.

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ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-PU17-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - Up to 14 Hours of Battery Life

ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-PU17-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook - Up to 14 Hours of Battery Life

Product Description

The 10.1-inch Eee PC 1005PE-P Seashell with Windows 7 Starter shines as the ideal Eee PC for the traveler looking for outstanding wireless connectivity and efficient Eee PC performance. Thanks to the exclusive ASUS Super Hybrid Engine and high-density battery, you can take this mobile phenom wherever you choose and enjoy up to an incredible 14 hours of unplugged freedom.*

The Eee PC 1005PE-P is encased in a smooth pearlescent shell that captivates onlookers and features the next generation Intel Atom N450 processor for extraordinary battery life. Plus, it gives you extended comfort with a chiclet keyboard, large palm-rest, and multi-touch trackpad. For more convenience, the Eee PC 1005PE has hotkeys placed above the keyboard – granting you quick access to Wi-Fi and control of the ASUS Super Hybrid Engine that instantly optimizes system performance for the task at hand. Throw in a generous 250GB hard drive with 500GB of ASUS WebStorage** and you get the ability to store, share, and access your important data anytime, anywhere.

ASUS worked closely to make your Windows 7 experience better with groundbreaking utilities such as FastBoot and LocalMe. With ASUS FastBoot technology, this Windows 7-enabled Eee PC starts up fast so you wait less and do more. LocalMe is a GPS-like application that when connected to the internet provides easy access to local areas and gets you where you want to be.

Miles ahead of its competition, the Eee PC 1005PE-P provides unsurpassed battery life and superior portability that liberates you from wall chargers and brings you into the next generation of mobility.>>> Read more review<<<    
>>>Distcount Sale at Amazon.

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Samsung NC20-21GBK 12.1-Inch Black Netbook - 6 Hour Battery

Samsung NC20-21GBK 12.1-Inch Black Netbook - 6 Hour Battery

Product Description

Shop online, surf the web and chat with ease. The NC20 mini notebook gives you the freedom to accomplish more on the go. Enjoy images filled with bold, vibrant colors on a glossy LCD screen with 1280 x 800 resolution. The NC20 mini notebook is an affordable mobile solution ideal for all your online needs.  >>> Read more Review.
>>> Distcount Sale at Amazon.

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MSI Introduces Two New Gaming Laptops

MSI has announced that it is adding two new models to its line of GX gaming laptops. The MSI GX740 and GX640 feature Intel Core i5 and support the latest DirectX11 gaming standard.

According to the company, these are the slimmest, lightest gaming laptops available. But as many point out, gaming laptops are usually pretty big and heavy, so that's not saying too much. Anyway, the GX640 weighs roughly six pounds and has a 15.4 inch screen. It measures about 14 x 10 x 1.5 inches. The GX740 is slightly bigger with a 17 inch display and weighs a little over 7 pounds. It measures around 15.5 x 11 x 1.5 inches.

In addition to the Core i5 processors, the laptops each come with an ATi Mobility Radeon 3D discrete graphics card, which, as mentioned, supports DirectX 11. The GX740 comes with the ATI Radeon HD 5870 card, while the GX640 comes with the HD5850 model. Both cards have 1GB of GDDR5 graphics memory. The cards are said to use less power, yet provide excellent visuals.

The laptops have several other exciting features. In addition to running Windows 7 Home Premium, both come with 4GB of RAM, Wi-Fi, a 2Mp webcam, a four-in-one card reader, SRS-certified Premium Sound speakers a digital 7.1 optical surround output feature, and a 640GB hard drive.

For sound performance, the GX740 incorporates five speakers into its design: two hi-fi 3D speakers above the keyboard, a woofer for deep bass in the computer's base, and two more hi-fi 3D speakers in the front. The GX6540 only has two speakers.

The laptops are also "green." They feature an ECO function button that allows you to switch between five different power levels, based on what type of task you are performing.

Both laptops will be available in the United Kingdom March. No word on how much they will cost in the United States.

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Looking for Laptop Rental information? Visit our Tech Travel Agent Laptop Rental Page for a variety of laptop rental solutions for business or personal use. Or call today at 800-736-8772.

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Lenovo's New G-Series Laptops

Last week, Lenovo announced two new additions to its G-Series family of laptops. The budget laptops are powerful with a AMD Turion II Dual-Core processors integrated ATI Radeon HD graphics. Both the G455 and G555 have 16:9 widescreen HD displays, come with Windows 7, and support DirectX 10. They also feature a few favorite Lenovo applications, including OneKey Rescue System, VeriFace face recognition for security, Energy Management 5.0 software for efficiency, and a repair and recovery tool among others.

Both laptops will be available in the United States in March and will start around $449.

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Looking for Laptop Rental information? Visit our Tech Travel Agent Laptop Rental Page for a variety of laptop rental solutions for business or personal use. Or call today at 800-736-8772.

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