Tools « TeachingSagittarian

CreativeCommons Image Searching

Since becoming more aware about Presentation Zen, the need to search for suitable images has increased. Using images licensed under Creative Commons goes without saying, and as a classroom teacher, I believe it’s very important for me to model image attribution and Creative Commons usage to my students.

Usually I just use the advanced search on [...]

Fireworks Animoto Style

I’ve written about Animoto before. It’s very intuitive, quick and easy as well as free to use when you want to create a 30 second video. For just US$3 per video or US$30 per year, you can make longer videos.
Some ways to use Animoto in the classroom:

Teaser (introducing students to a new topic)
Assessment [...]

Thanks Mr Crosby!

Today we used a new tool in our classroom. We now have these awesome Writer’s Phones, thanks to my good friend, Brian Crosby, in Nevada, USA and his post “Can You Hear Me …. Can You Hear Me Now?

The phones, were of course, a huge hit and they enjoyed a very successful integration into [...]

PhotoPeach

Since we’ve just returned from a fabulous first ever trip to the South Island, what better subject with stunning photos to try out PhotoPeach. And I’m impressed.

Features

It’s FREE, and super easy to use. (Grade 5’s will find this a breeze). You have the option of choosing from the generous list of free audio for background [...]

VoiceThread as a Digital Portfolio

I’ve been twittering the past several weeks about using VoiceThread as a digital portfolio for our Student-Led Conferences this semester.

In the past, my students have used Photostory3 to show and talk about their learning as a starting point for their Student Led Conference with their parents. I’m now teaching in a mac school so Photostory3 [...]

The Power of Skype and your PLN

My fabulous colleagues back home in New Zealand have been enjoying the Learning@Schools09 Conference held in Rotorua. When my good friend AllanahK tweeted that she was organising a “Matt-style” dance at the start of Wes Fryer’s Keynote presentation, I couldn’t resist the urge to tweet back “Can I skype in?”

Sure enough – at 7.15am Bangkok, [...]

Skype-Connection-Fest

We’re involved in Silvia Tolisano’s short, simple yet so powerful Skype project AroundTheWorldwith80Schools. In just two short weeks we have connected with seven different classrooms in four parts of the world. And we’re not stopping there! By the end of our school year, I hope to share with you that we managed to connect right [...]

No Google for a Week

I’ve just finished reading Michelle Martin’s latest post, A Week Without Google, on her Bamboo Project Blog.

My heart darn near skipped a beat at the thought of it. Could you imagine it? No gmail, gchat, gtalk, google calendar, google docs, google maps, google search, google earth, google alerts, no blogger, and alas no iGoogle – [...]

Twitter Mosaic

Get your twitter mosaic here.

Get your own Twitter Mosaic here:

Thanks to Jane’s E-Learning Pick of the Day for this one!

Psssst ….. don't tell anyone ….. but

Today I missed my Windows PC. Yes, yes I know ….. but before you mac’ers shoot me with bows and arrows, hear me out.

Over the past few weeks my 5th graders have been creating Lines, Angles and Polygon digital learning stories for 3rd & 4th graders at our school. The purpose was to create an [...]