February 2011 - Technology and Learning

Using Compfight, Downloading Images & Giving Attribution

by chrissyh | Feb 20, 2011 | Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, How to

IMPORTANT NOTE:
These instructions are only if you need to download creative commons images to your desktop to use in another programme on your computer – such as KeyNote, PowerPoint, iMovie, Word, SMARTNotebook etc.
(These instructions refer specifically to PowerPoint, but can be applied to other programmes.)

If you are looking for Creative Commons images to use on your blog, (in a prezi or anything else that’s online and can take embed code) – check out this post with instructions instead.

Open Firefox. Type this URL in the address – compfight.com

Type in your search word (keyword) and click search
VERY IMPORTANT! (see arrows for the settings)
Make sure Creative Commons, Safe Search & Show originals are black (not blue)
Don’t click on the Shutterstock images (on the right-hand side) they aren’t free!
Click on the image you like (a new tab will open).

Download Steps

Click on the Action button; scroll down to View all sizes.
Make sure the size is at least 600 x 600 (or bigger). Sometimes it’s called the Large or the Original size
Click on the Download link.

VERY IMPORTANT STEP
This dialogue box will open:

Make sure the dot is in the “Open with” circle. Click OK. WAIT for the photo to open.
Click File, scroll down to click on Save As …
Rename the file (what is the photo?). Make sure you keep the .jpg (file extension).
Save to Desktop. Click Save.

Close the photo file & the download box but DO NOT close Firefox
Use the back button on Firefox.

Highlight and copy (command c) the URL of the image you have used.

Use the F3 key on the keyboard to find your PowerPoint.
Paste the URL on the last slide. (Attribution Slide)
Use the F3 key to go back to the flickr page.
Find the name of the owner of the image. (top right hand side)

Write that name on the PowerPoint slide too. (see below)

Remember – proper Attribution (giving credit to the owner of a piece of work) means:

Write down their Name (either Real Name or Online Name)
Include a link (URL) to where you found their work

You can download a PDF version of these instructions here: Using Compfight

Changing Your Blog Theme

by chrissyh | Feb 1, 2011 | Beginning Blogging

Over the Winter Break, we upgraded our blogging platform and add some very cool, new themes. Soon we will also be deleting some old themes that either don’t work or don’t look good.

If you are using one of these themes on your blog you’ll want to change your theme in the next couple of weeks.

CAUTION: Changing your theme can cause you to loose your widgets. Write down the order of your widgets and and copy and paste any code you have into a document before updating your them.

Themes to be deleted the first of February:

72 Class
Anarchy
Black Letterhead
Blue Moon
Borderline
Chaotic Soul
Day Dream
Gental Calm
Hemingway
Man-ja
Redoable
Veryplaintxt
Primitivo

Check out the new themes we’ve added!

EvoLve

Twenty Ten

This theme is so good that it’s the new default theme for all ISB student blogs. It’s a great theme, easy to use. You can pload your own picture to use as a header, customize the menu, and the widgets always work!

2010 Weaver

Magazine Basic

Obandes

Chip Zero

Adventure Journal

Smart One

Swift

Atahualpa

Embedding a YouTube Video

by chrissyh | Feb 1, 2011 | Grade 4, How to

These are the steps for embedding YouTube videos from our school/class YouTube account. Please log into the class/school YouTube Account first. Many classrooms have their own YouTube account. (Ask your teacher for the class username and password)

Remember:
You can embed any other YouTube video in your blog without logging into the class/school account (as long as it is appropriate to your learning). Skip steps 1-3 and begin at Step 4.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
Do not use the URL that has an extra dot in the URL as it will not embed using the YouTube magic button. (See the extra dot below)
http://www.youtu.be.com/watch?v=xyzxw4f4

Step 1: Log into YouTube account (in this case it’s *Ms Terry’s Class)