Shocking Transformation: Mac-O-Lanterns October 31, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Uncategorized , comments closed
Bad Banana Blog has an interesting idea about recycling any old Mac Classics you might have lying around.
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- Want your pupils to construct something? Fresh out of Mac Classics? Have pupils conjure up a little fun at Yahama Motor’s wickedly fun Paper Crafts site. Once there, budding authors can demonstrate the ability to read and follow written directions like those present in the Seasons Paper Craft Halloween activity. Students can download a paper craft model of a jack o’lantern as well as its assembly instructions. Older pupils can attempt to make a detailed Liberty Square Haunted Mansion. NOTE: both files are in pdf. format.
Everyone Loves a Mystery
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Uncategorized , comments closedIt’s Halloween, the perfect time for spooky things. Make the most of the day and tap into the potential of perplexing peculiarities. Have learners do some higher level thinking by exploring intriguing topics. Consider using this spooky day to help learners integrate technology in the pursuit of answers to mysterious topics. Here are a few web-based resources guaranteed to exercise the imagination and leave students just a little unsettled.
Exotic animals have always been a source of mystery. Loren Coleman, world-renowned cryptozoologist, has an eerily informative approach to tracking elusive organisms of all kinds. He reminds all of us of the importance of keeping an open-mind. Loren contributes to Cryptomundo and writes thoroughly fascinating books about creatures that may or may not exist.
The very planet, the unexplained earth, we inhabit is a source of awe and wonder. Even though Google Earth now makes scanning the globe considerably easier, the world retains many mysterious places that are sure to keep curious minds occupied.
Mysterious disappearances also engage eager minds. When things and people have vanished, we instinctively want to know more. Whether investigating the curious facts surrounding the Mary Celeste or the enigmatic exit of the crew and passengers who disappeared along with the USS Cyclops, vanishings make us want to know more.
weGoogle, uGoogle, but do you iGoogle??? October 30, 2007
Posted by Earl Watson in : Uncategorized , comments closedYes, iGoogle has been around for some time now, but if you’re like me and you haven’t taken the time to set up your personalized homepage with tabs, themes, blog feeds, links to your Google Docs, etc, etc, then you really need to stop and do it. I took the time to really explore the capabilities of iGoogle and will be a user from here on. Try it! It’s an easy way to setup your own personalized homepage for searching the web. Set up a few tabs and see how it goes. For example, I’ve setup a “Tech Blogs” tab with all of my favorite tech blogs. Of course, SegaTech is the first one on the list! And all of the new posts feed right to my iGoogle page!
Frightfully Late Post: Edgar Allan Poe and LibriVox October 29, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Uncategorized , comments closedEditor’s note: Want to hear something scary? I’ve been in meetings all day long and haven’t had a chance to post anything to the blog! Arrrrrghhhhh! Therefore, I’m digging into the mausoleum of moldering old meanderings and bringing an arcane artifact, a putrefied post back from the dead. Yep, it’s a redoubtable repeat. Even though I posted this last year, it seems quite useful again, what with the ominously rapid approach of Halloween. Without further ado, here’s something to chill your blood…
Want to mesmerize your students with the power of words? Want to scare up some appreciation for a master of American literature? Check out the spookier side of LibriVox, where volunteers read class works of literature and make audio files available to netizens. LibriVox is an excellent means of integrating technology while simultaneously delivering important content to pupils. Best of all, it’s free! If you’re in the mood for a little macabre merriment, have your class listen to (multiple interpretations) of Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting works. These gems of terror are in mp3 format and can be downloaded and enjoyed in the safety of your classroom. Among the selections are:
- The Masque of the Read Death: an audio file read by Juan Carlos Bagnell
- The Pit and the Pendulum: an audio file read by Don Morgan
- The Raven: Version 1 read by Chris Goringe, Version 2 read by Chip, and Version 3 read by Ricardo Arroyo
- The Tell-Tale Heart: Version 1 read by Sean Randall and Version 2 read by Don Morgan
Other, excellent Poe prowling can be accomplished at PoeMuseum.org. Spooky!
Once You Pop… October 26, 2007
Posted by Daniel Rivera in : Productivity, webtools , comments closed
Today’s tool comes to us by way of Judy Repman, Professor of Instructional Technology at GSU.
Oh man! Talk about a useful tool. How many of us have had to do a newsletter, and had no time to get it done? LetterPop! is an incredibly easy to use website that gives you the tools to create a newsletter quickly, and helps you distribute it to your audience. If you can drag and drop, you can create some amazing newsletters with LetterPop!
It really is that easy. Pick a template, drop in some photos, and write your text. When you are done, you can print it, post it online to a custom URL, or email it to friends & family. www.letterpop.com
Songs for Teaching October 25, 2007
Posted by Michael Stokes in : All Subjects, Music , comments closedI got this link from the Martha Puckett Middle School Principal, Denise Voyles. It looks like everything you will need for music and education in all academic areas as well as the fun stuff. Check out Songs for Teaching.
Clip Art Season?
Posted by Michael Stokes in : Uncategorized , comments closedFunDraw is a free web-based drawing tool, as well as a great free clip art library.
Daily Clip Art is a free clip art site with images related to animals, flowers, food, music, sports, weddings and other categories.
The Open Clip Art Library is a library of user-contributed public domain clip art that can be freely used.
Google Sky
Posted by Michael Stokes in : Astronomy , comments closed
The heavens are only a few mouse clicks away with Google’s latest free tool: A new feature in Google Earth, the company’s satellite imagery-based mapping software, allows users to view the sky from their computers. The tool provides information about various celestial bodies, from stars to planets, and includes imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope and other sources. It also allows users to take virtual tours through galaxies, including the Milky Way. “By working with some of the industry’s leading experts, we’ve been able to transform Google Earth into a virtual telescope,” said Lior Ron, a Google product manager. The new software also promises users the ability to see planets in motion and witness a supernova explosion. Current Google Earth users must download a new version. The software works on computers running Microsoft Windows, Apple’s Mac OS X, and Linux operating systems. Google, the leading internet search engine, already provides surface images of Mars and the Moon through its web site, along with animated and satellite-based maps of Earth.
This story via Associated Press/AP Online .
Media Conversion Made Simple
Posted by Daniel Rivera in : Media, Technology, webtools , comments closed
The sheer number of media file types out there is staggering. From video types like mp4, mov, and avi to documents like txt, doc, and pdf to images like png, gif and jpg… It’s enough to drive you a bit crazy.
Sometimes, you find a need to convert a file from one type to another (to get that flv video to edit in Movie Maker, for example). Other times, you might find that you want something radically different, like converting your PDF to a flash file.
Where do you go? Is there a software you can buy to do that? Well, one FREE place is www.media-convert.com, a website that supports TONS of file types and allows you to upload files of your choice and convert them into almost any other file type. Convert documents to PDF, videos to audio, and of course, video to other video formats. Also available are many mobile formats – so you can convert mp3s into ringtones! You can even convert website URLs into images, like I did with media-convert, to the right. Converted files are hosted for 24 hours – for free!
A World of Learning: Planet 10 October 24, 2007
Posted by Jeff Giddens in : Astronomy, Earth Science, Life Science, Science, Technology, webtools , comments closed 
Humans have a funny habit of walking around Earth without stopping to think how fortunate they are to live on a celestial body that just happens to be in an orbital spot that’s so wonderfully conducive to living things. One way to facilitate a better appreciation and understanding of how and why life is possible in our solar system is to have students (and other interested parties) build their own planet. Learners can do this and have an opportunity to explore the rest of our solar system by visiting the Planet 10 site. In addition to the rich content at Planet 10, educators will be pleased to find .pdf files with ideas for integrating the site’s resources.
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