Creating Forms in Google Spreadsheets

Google Spreadsheets has included the amazing ability to create an online form. These forms can be used many ways:

• Generate feedback
• Conduct a needs assessment
• Quiz your students
• More

Once a form is created, it can be displayed as a stand-alone web page or even embedded in a wiki page or blog post (as I've done below).

To learn how to create forms with Google Spreadsheets, please click here.

This post is dedicated to the fine teachers at Quail Hollow. :)

Embedding a Slideshow in Your Blog Post

Would you like to embed a slideshow directly inside of your blog post? Not on the slide as a gadget, but right inside of your post? This post discusses exporting images from iPhoto into a Picasa web album and then embedding a Picasa web album slideshow into a blog.

Before you can export images from iPhoto to a Picasa web album, you need do two things:

1. You need to to download and install the Picasa Web Albums Uploader. (http://picasa.google.com/mac_tools.html)
2. You need to create a Picasa account. You will be prompted to do so after installing the Picasa Web Album Updater.

After you have Picasa Web Albums Uploader installed, you use the following directions to embed a slideshow right into your blog post.

DIRECTIONS
1. Download your photos into iPhoto
2. Choose images to export, then select File→Export


3. You will be prompted to sign onto your Picasa Web Albums account


4. Click on Export to export the album to Picasa Web Albums.

• You will be prompted to name the album and to choose to export the images to a new or existing Picasa web album.
• You can edit the album in Picasa Web Album (album properties (private or public) album name, captions, order, delete, etc)

5. Choose an album, click “Link to this album”

(Click on the image to see the largest version)

6. Click on “Embed Slideshow

7. Select viewing options, Copy the HTML code that Picasa generates

8. Create a blog post, click on Edit HTML

9. Paste code, Preview, Publish.

Special Note: I keep my images of students in private web albums, not public. You can choose the option to store in a private or public web album each time you upload images to your Picasa web albums.

The Educator's Guide to the Creative Commons

[Cross-posted at Drape's Takes]

As not every teacher understands how to implement the Creative Commons into their curriculum, I thought I'd take a minute to explain how I would use it if I was in their shoes.

Step 1: Understand the rules of the Creative Commons.

• These two videos give a pretty good description of what it is and why creative people like it.
  

• The presentation that follows, created by Jessica Coates, also gives an excellent description of how to use Creative Commons in the classroom. Because she has licensed the presentation with a CC-Attribution license, I am able to include her presentation in this blog post (or distribute it anywhere else on the Internet) - without worrying about Fair Use or other copyright restrictions - given that I attribute her as the author of the presentation. These were the terms that she decided upon when she created her license.
  
  

Creative Commons in the Classroom

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: resources source)

Step 2: Use Creative Commons-licensed materials in my curriculum. There is a growing number of resources available online for finding Creative Commons-licensed materials. The list of directories maintained on the Creative Commons wiki, for example, is continually growing. To narrow the list down slightly, I'll list a few of my favorites here:

• Images - Most pull from Flickr's extensive collection
  
  Flickr (check the Creative Commons box at the bottom)
  FlickrCC
  Compfight
  FlickrStorm
  everystockphoto
  Open Clipart Library
  Geograph British Isles
  Wikimedia Commons
  
  
• Audio
  
  CC Mixter Samples
  Jamendo
  Freesound
  Internet Archive
  Owl Music Search
  SpinXpress
  Wikimedia Commons
  
  
• Video
  
  MOD Films
  Internet Archive
  SpinXpress
  

Step 3: Reuse, remix, and share my Creative Commons-licensed curriculum materials.

• Remember: The Creative Commons makes it easy to understand when it's OK to reuse, remix, or share new content.
  
• My blog is an example of how I share my ideas and materials. I've licensed everything I share here under a CC-Attribution-Share Alike license.

Step 4: Teach my students about Creative Commons while I also teach them about global collaboration, desktop publishing, why creativity is such an essential skill, and my core subject.

• If I were teaching a core subject today, I would use Flickr to teach math, wikis to teach history, and Voicethreads to teach geography. In doing so, I not only teach the core content, but I teach my students a variety of other essential skills that might not be addressed by the core.
• If I were teaching a core subject today, I would also use project-based learning far more than the sit-n-git techniques I used to employ. With that in mind, it is any wonder why I love the Creative Commons?
  

To close, what are your thoughts regarding the Creative Commons? How and why do you use it with your students?

Technorati Tags: creativecommons sharing teaching core ishareyoushareweallshare

The AverVision 300 AF+ Document Cameras

At the December Trainer/Trainee meetings we will be demonstrating the document cameras received through the EC project. We have received a lot of great feedback from you regarding these cameras and hope what we share will help you even more with them. As a review, or a preview if you wish here is a T4 Tips Podcast all about the document camera.

Does your Wikispace have ads on it?

I have been looking at and have enjoyed looking at your great Engaged Classroom Wikispaces. I have found wonderful project examples to share and getting to know what is happening in your classroom. At times, I have noticed that some of the Engaged Classroom Portfolio wikispaces I have seen have ads down the right hand side of your wikispace. Look at your wikispace and if you see the ads then there is a way to get rid of them.
When you signed up for your wikispace you probably didn't sign up through the Educational Wikispace portlet.
http://www.wikispaces.com/education
If you go to your wikispace page and go to Manage Space and then choose Settings then Subscription. Scroll to the bottom of this page you will see the following:






Then Request a Complimentary Plus Upgrade

You can look at, enjoy and learn from each Engaged Classroom wikispaces at:
http://theengagedclassroom.wikispaces.com/Trainer%27s+Info
and
http://theengagedclassroom.wikispaces.com/Trainee%27s+Info
If you haven't added your links to these pages yet, please do so.

Thank you PJ for making our blog background so lively and timely.
http://thecutestblogontheblock.com/

If you have found any other helpful hints or tips when you are adding to your wikispace, please comment. Margo

Info on November's EC Monthly Meeting

Here is the November Agenda for the Engaged Classroom Monthly Meeting.
http://theengagedclassroom.wikispaces.com/Monthly+Trainings

Note: You will be receiving your Senteo Student Response Systems. Please bring a charged laptop with you that you want the Senteo software installed on. You can bring your teacher laptop or Computer 1 of the Enaged Classroom Laptops. You will need to be able to have administrative access rights to your machine. After this meeting and you install on one machine, then you will have the Senteo installation software on a CD to put on your trainees laptops and other machines as needed.

4:15-5:15 Notebook and Senteo Installations

5:15-5:45 Introduction of the Smart NoteBook

5:45-6:00 break

6:00-7:15 Senteo Instruction and Questions

This is the wikipage where the Smart Resource information is:
http://theengagedclassroom.wikispaces.com/Senteo+Clickers

Guidleines and Suggestions for laptop use

Please share additional suggestions that you have found valuable when using the laptops in your classroom.

Guidelines for The Engaged Classroom Laptops

• Engaged Classroom Laptops are for student use only and should stay as a 20 laptop lab. Lending the computers out to teachers or others to use will compromise the original intent of the lab. At this time this 20 laptop lab should only be used by the Engaged Classroom Trainer and Trainees.
  
  
• First and foremost, teach computer use and rules. Not only teach it, but hit it hard. Let students know what is expected and what the consequences will be from the very beginning. One caution: be careful to make the crime fit the punishment. If students misuse the computer, take away the right to use the computer. However, if students misbehave on the playground, take away playground privileges, not the right to use the computers.

Suggested Computer Rules and Procedures

• Laptop Cart- Make sure the laptop cart is locked when computers are not in use. Even during recess or lunch, laptops should be recharging in locked cart. Have just a few students put away the laptops at a time.
  
  
• Carrying Laptops- Make sure to carry the laptops with the lid closed. Best to have laptops fully charged before use and not have power cords all over the classroom.
  
  
• Laptop Screen - Be sure not to touch the screen. Fingerprints are tough to remove and damage can occur.
  
  
• Laptop Use – Laptops should always be used with teacher permission and guidance.
  
  
• Internet - Only use websites which the teacher has hot linked to supporting internet resources. Have a purpose in visiting the internet site.
  
  
• No changing system preferences - ever!
  
  
• Cooperate with your partner on the computer - Compromise with each other - no one controls all aspects of the computer. Project creativity is stronger with two heads thinking together.
  
  
• Be sure that your hands are clean before using the computers.
  
  
• It everyone’s responsibility to be sure all of your classmates are being appropriate with computers. Please let the teacher know when there are inappropriate behaviors. You and your partner are a team. If your partner is being inappropriate and you do not let the teacher know, you will be held accountable as well.
  
  
• Never download any programs from the internet and if your computers give you a dialogue box where you have to agree or say yes or no...always check with the teacher first.
  
  
• Never delete or alter another student's work.
  
  
• Never click a free offer or an advertisement.
  
  
• Only click on print once!
  
  Thank you Granite eMINTS for sharing.
  

Portfolio Template - Wiki Page

There have been several questions from various EC trainers about the wiki page and how to upload the portfolio template for your projects. First of all, the template can be located at this site.

Engaged Classroom Participant Portfolio Template

(Note: Make sure you sign into your wiki account and then open this template in a new tab.)

Click on Edit This Page.

Remember the tool bar will appear at the top of the page when you are editing in a wiki page.
Select the template by clicking it and highlighting in blue. Once the template has been selected, go into edit and select copy.

When you go back into your wiki page, make sure you have clicked on edit this page, and then click in the page. Go into edit, and paste, and the template will paste into your wiki page.

Make sure you save after you have pasted the template into your wiki page.
Please contact your technology specialist for questions regarding the template.

Subscribe!

If you prefer to get your dose of JSD Engaged Classroom information through email rather than through RSS (or daily visits to the blog), you may now do so. Simply submit your email address into the form on the right and you'll receive a copy of all new post in you email inbox.

Wikispaces

As you are teaching others how to create their own wiki, you may find the page that Wikispaces has created specifically to help teachers to be particularly useful. Of note are instructions for easily creating student accounts (see tip number 5) and two helpful getting started handouts (see tip number 8).

• Getting Started Handout - 2 Page
• Getting Started Handout - 3 Page

Please visit http://www.wikispaces.com/help+teachers for more information.

Time to share ideas!

Engaged Classroom Teachers have been asking, "What are some ideas to begin to use the new 20 laptop mobile lab with my students?"
One suggestion for a way to begin is to use online interactive tools that support your curriculum.

Read Write Think Student Materials for Language Arts
http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/index.asp

Illuminations Math Interactive
http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivitySearch.aspx

UEN Interactive
http://www.uen.org/3-6interactives/
http://www.uen.org/7-12interactives/

UEN Presidential Election Resources
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=20756

Body Worlds and the Story of the Heart
http://www.uen.org/general_learner/bodyworlds.shtml

Create Words Clouds
http://wordle.net/

Always check out the new monthly links at T4
http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/t4/

Please share other ideas that you have used with your students when beginning to use the mobile lab in your classroom.

Greetings and Updates

Greetings Engaged Classroom Trainers and Principals,

It was a great experience for us to get to know you all during the summer trainings. Your enthusiasm was great and we look forward to an exciting school year with you.

In an attempt to further clarify items related to the Engaged Classroom professional development opportunity, please share the appropriate information with your trainees.

• INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS: Information regarding the instructional tools that you should have received in connection with the Engaged Classroom can be found here. With the exception of the Student Response Systems, you should have received all of your Engaged Classroom equipment. If you have not received all of your equipment, first contact your school secretary to find the invoices. The items on the invoice were delivered to your school. If an item is not on the invoice, or listed as back-ordered, then please let your Curriculum Technology Specialist know that you are missing something, and what that specific item is.
  

• STUDENT RESPONSE SYSTEMS:
  
• The Senteo student response system (from Smart Technologies) will be distributed during the November Monthly Inservice.
  

• PROJECTORS AND SOUND SYSTEMS: Please note that projectors and Audio Enhancement systems will be installed in your school as soon as possible, but without firm installation dates in place. Additionally, the mobile lab imaging will follow a similar schedule but should be completed within the next several weeks.
• Issues with the sound system, call Audio Enhancement at 1-800-383-9362.
• Issues with projection installation, can be discussed with Dave Rostrom in Maintenance at 567-8881.

• MOBILE LAB COMPUTER #1: In an effort to accommodate the diverse needs of various software programs and hardware components, computer #1 in the Engaged Classroom mobile labs will be completely open to administrative access. This will be particularly useful for teachers who, for example, wish to use computer #1 to attach to a video projector for instructional purposes. When doing this, the video display resolution of the computer may need to be changed to accommodate the needs of the projector. You will now have the ability to make this change, as well as others, via administrative access to system preferences on computer #1.

• COMPUTER IMAGE CHANGES: Since the inception of the Engaged Classroom Program, there have been eighteen changes to the program images placed on the mobile computer labs. This is normal. We will continue to deliver periodic software up-dates, and newer, more effective software programs to your systems as we become aware of them, and they are made available to us. Our priority is to ensure that you, as the teacher, have the best and most efficient tools possible to help deliver instruction to your students.

There are a number of things that both the Engaged Classroom Trainers and Trainees should be working on:

• A checklist highlighting the individual tasks to be completed for Trainers and Trainees in October and April can be found here.
  
• Please visit this website to choose your dates for the five monthly after school trainings. Remember, you will need to attend one training in each month (October, November, January, February, and April). Use the forms here to sign up.
  

Additionally, the following websites might assist you with ideas in establishing with your class guidelines for use of the 20 new laptops.

• Computer Rules Prevent Problems
  
• Computer & Internet Rules For Elementary Classes
  
• SKC Computer and Information Technology Rules for Students
  
• Williamstown Public School Computer and Internet Acceptable Use Policy

Remember, when you are using your blogs, wikis, and any video from source (such as YouTube), it is your responsibility to make sure that your principal is aware and supports your efforts.

Important: For future information and discussions related to the Engaged Classroom, we will be utilizing the following blog:

http://jsdengaged.blogspot.com/

Our intent is to use this blog to get announcements and information to you on a regular and timely basis, rather than sending out multiple emails in a month. Please bookmark the blog or subscribe to it in your RSS reader so that you can get these updates regularly.

We look forward to an innovative and engaging year working with you in your Engaged Classroom.

The Curriculum Technology Specialists