TechKnowledgy Newsletter

Western Reserve Public Media’s Professional Development Schedule
List updated March 19, 2010

A 21st Century Learning seminar A Learn It, Love It, Leave With It Workshop

April 2010

Tuesday, April 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Smart Board — Basic

Thursday, April 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
101 Doc Cam Uses

Monday, April 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
You Be the Producer — Flip Video Edition

Tuesday, April 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
IPod Touch in the Classroom

Tuesday, April 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cricuts in the Classroom

Thursday, April 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Smart Board — Advanced

Monday, April 26, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Communicating Through Podcasting —
Audio and Video

Tuesday, April 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Smart Board 2.0 — Where Do I Go Now?

Thursday, April 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Digital Photography and Google Picasa

May 2010

Tuesday, May 4, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Smart Board — Basic

Thursday, May 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
101 Doc Cam Uses

Friday, May 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
EdTechConnects — Wikis, Blogs and Podcasts

Tuesday, May 11, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
You Be the Producer — Flip Video Edition

Thursday, May 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
IPod Touch in the Classroom

Tuesday, May 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cricuts in the Classroom

Wednesday, May 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Communicating Through Podcasting —
Audio and Video

Thursday, May 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Smart Board — Advanced

Tuesday, May 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Smart Board 2.0 — Where Do I Go Now?

Thursday, May 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Digital Photography and Google Picasa

Today’s documents can be used for a variety of applications, from dissection to close-up imaging to serving as an additional camera for video work. Find out new and innovative uses for this classroom tool.

Through the game of baseball, students learn about the basic principles of physics as set forth by the National Science Education Standards and the Ohio Science Academic Content Standards. The multimedia kit includes a teacher guide, four videos and a Web site, http://www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/baseball.

This new simulation computer game for grades 4-8 is based on the popular Western Reserve Public Media project Antarctica: 90 Degrees South. Students are trying to get to the South Pole. Along the way, they must make logical choices or their trip is ended. Visit the Web site, http://www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/antarcti.

Workshop attendees receive a game CD and the accompanying teacher guide that includes supplemental lesson plans.

Big or Small: Measure It All is keyed to mathematics standards in grades 4-6. Five 10-minute videos focus on how mathematics is used in the real world. Hands-on lessons match the topics of the video. A second component of the package is a virtual tour of Ohio using Google Earth. The multimedia kit includes a teacher guide, videos and a Web site, www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/measure.

What’s the Problem? is a series of eight 10-minute videos that focus on the uses of mathematics through parodies of different TV network reality shows. The project is targeted to grades 8-12 intervention for the graduation test but would also work well in a regular class setting.

Learn how free Web 2.0 communication tools such as blogs and wikis can be integrated into the classroom. This seminar focuses on software used to create and manage communication environments, the creation of blogs and wikis and the use of Web 2.0 tools.

Google Sites is a free application that allows you to create, manage and post your own Web site for students, administrators and parents.

Create a classroom Web site using WGTE’s Build Your Own Web Site program. After creating an account, participants use simple application tools and templates to design a Web site with options such as Homework Calendar, Web Pages, Photo Gallery, Online Storage, Polls and Quiz Center.

Students will be bombarded with persuasive techniques in all aspects of their life. They need to recognize the persuasive techniques that are being used to manipulate their thinking and how they can use these same techniques to influence others. The multimedia kit is keyed to grades 8-10 language arts standards and includes a teacher guide, five videos and a Web site, www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/changemymind.

Today’s way to communicate can be achieved with little equipment investment and without the need for mobile listening devices. This workshop teaches you how to create your own audio and video podcasts. It also includes lessons on podcasting directories, information on gathering audio feeds and suggestions for educational usage.

Constitution Challenge is keyed to grades 5-8 social studies and language arts content standards. Videos include The Constitution, Checks and Balances, The Bill of Rights and Federalism. The teachers guide provides many hands-on lessons in both social studies and language arts. The Web site contains PowerPoint shows and Jeopardy-style games that can be played with the class. The multimedia kit includes a teacher guide, videos and a Web site, www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/constitution.

Tired of using the school’s die cut machine? Feeling limited? Have your very own cutter right in the classroom for student and teacher use. Explore how other teachers use the Cricut and find new and innovative lessons to bring into your classroom.

Learn how to set up a digital still camera, save images to a CD and use photo editing software to enhance images. Create a slide show with the free program Picasa and inserting images into PowerPoint are also discussed.

Learn how to set up a digital still camera, save images to a CD and use photo editing software to enhance images. Create a slide show with the free program Picasa and learn how to insert images into PowerPoint.

Learn how to integrate podcasting, Windows Movie Maker, PowerPoint and other technologies to create digital stories and scrapbooks.

Learn about the power of collaborative learning communities, including how to create collaborative documents, presentations, spreadsheets and forms for use in your classroom Also find out how wikis can assist in developing collaborative communities.

Five 10-minute videos, a teachers guide and a Web site focus on general economics topics including scarcity, production, consumption and distribution and the market economy. The project also views economics with a historical perspective. Lesson plans are constructivist in approach and hands-on. The package is keyed to standards in grades 5-8. The multimedia kit includes a teacher guide, videos and a Web site, www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/economics.

How does all of this technology fit together in my classroom? How can I utilize the technology I have with technology I would like to have? Can blogging and digital photography work together in my classroom? Find the answers to these questions and more.

Find out about free tools, programs and add-ons that enhance the capabilities of your PC.

Google is much more than a robust search engine. Learn how to create buildings in 3-D, enhance photos, travel to any place on earth and link Google functions to Smart Board lessons.

Free Web 2.0 productivity tools such as Google for Educators, Zoho and Thumbstacks allow for the creation, distribution and collaboration of documents and presentations across the Web. Find out how to integrate these applications with students and colleagues.

Generations: Cuyahoga Valley National Park — Preserve and Protect contains interdisciplinary lessons for grades 4-8. The teacher guide contains lessons in mathematics, language arts, science, social studies and art. The project also features board game, a virtual tour and podcasts. An online game, found at http://generationscvnp.org, allows students to advance on a virtual trail by answering trivia questions about CVNP. Find the project online at http://generationscvnp.org/education.aspx.

Welcome to the world of high-tech treasure hunting! Learn about basic GPS handheld functions, the rules for depositing and finding geocaches and how to work in the online geocaching environment.

The iPod Touch is revolutionizing the handheld computer industry and the educational classroom. Learn about this mobile computing device and free classroom applications.

Math nMotion tackles the very difficult concepts of graphing linear equations, inequalities, ratio and proportion and using data to make decisions through the example of racing Formula M cars. Hands-on lessons are keyed to 8th grade mathematics standards. Find the project online at http://westernreservepublicmedia.org/mathnmotion.

The goal of this project is to help students understand the different eras of history including the Barbarian Invasions, feudalism, the Crusades and the beginning of the Reformation. The package is keyed to grade 7 social studies standards and includes a teachers guide and Web site, www.WesternReservePublicMedia.org/middleages.

Learn how to organize and customize your PC desktop, burn a CD, save files to a jump drive, add a printer, use a search program, edit a photograph, bookmark and organize Web sites and more.

Create lessons with screen captures from any program using SnagIt. Then edit and share exactly what you see on your screen in PowerPoint, on your Web site or in Movie Maker. Camtasia can also be used to capture video of your computer screen activity, allowing the creation of instructional movies for your classroom.

Learn how to add images, music, animation, narration and videos to PowerPoint. Output and print your presentation in different formats — even a self-running show.

Students in grades 4-8 practice collecting data, presenting it in an understandable fashion, analyzing it through graphing, identifying ways data can be distorted and looking at both arithmetic and geometric probability (area models). This resource is keyed to Ohio mathematics standards in grades 4-8. It contains five videos, a teacher guide and a Web site, http://WesternReservePublicMedia.org/quizbus.

The Smart Board can easily be integrated into the classroom. Learn the software, set-up and operation of the Smart Board. Lesson plans and additional resources will be discussed. This is an entry-level professional development course for beginning Smart Board users.

Learn about wireless tablets, document cameras and student response systems that work directly with Smart Boards. Develop resources related to this technology.

Gather with other Smart Board users to discuss best practices in the classroom and develop additional lesson plans using the technology. Share tips and tricks for making an easier, faster integration of this exciting technology into the classroom.

This is for Smart Board users who have taken all the classes and want to learn even more. Bring your Smart Board lessons and learn how to enhance them, plus learn about Smart Board accessories.

Free Web 2.0 curriculum tools such as Kerpoof (online creation station) and XTimeline (timeline creator) are useful classroom tools. Find out how to integrate them.

Ubiquitous Science looks at the science behind kinetic art. Kinetic art contains moving parts or components that depends on motion for artistic effect. The wind, a motor or an observer usually power the moving parts. Jean-Pierre Gauthier is a kinetic artist who uses motion sensors to track the movements that people make. Their motions trigger his artwork to either move or make sounds or patterns.

Ubiquitous Science covers waves, speed, velocity, weightlessness, the electromagnetic spectrum and Newton’s Laws. It is keyed to grades 8 and 9 science standards. Find the project online at http://westernreservepublicmedia.org/ubiscience.

Windows Movie Maker software is an easy-to-use editing program that lets you seamlessly capture video and still images from digital devices and add effects, transitions, titles and music. When you are done with your video, put it on a DVD, send it to the Web and even send it out as a podcast.

Free Web 2.0 multimedia tools such as YouTube, TeacherTube and other streaming video sites can be used to support educational efforts with your students and colleagues.

Who’s Your Boss? offers lessons about entrepreneurship and financial literacy. The entrepreneurship section helps students discover information about themselves. Standards for this section are taken from The National Content Standards for Entrepreneurship Education, which can be found online at http://entre-ed.org.

The project’s teacher guide looks at financial literacy, which is defined as the ability to read, analyze, manage and communicate about the personal financial conditions that affect material well-being. It includes the ability to make personal and financial choices, discuss money and financial issues confidently, plan for the future and respond competently to life events that affect everyday financial decisions, including events in the general economy.

Learn the process of creating a video, including creating the script, setting up the shoot and filming creatively. Videos will be created using Flip Video technology and emphasis will be given to video production to the Web.

Enjoy this look at the process of creating a video, including brainstorming the idea, writing the treatment, creating the script and shooting the video. Discover the different ways to broadcast videos through the Web.

Enjoy this condensed look at the process of creating a video. Bring your crew of no more than three students, as well as your own equipment (camcorders, microphones, etc.), and learn how to produce a video. A helpful resource for schools interested in entering the eTech Ohio Student Video Contest!

INFOhio, our statewide cooperative school library and information network, is a virtual PreK-12 library open 24/7. INFOhio transforms teaching and learning by connecting educational resources with the power of information technology. Learn about the latest INFOhio plansand initiatives, all promoting information literacy and media literacy through the use of technology. Receive hands-on training with INFOhio’s online resources, such as World Book, EBSCOhost, Biography Reference Bank and Science Online. Work with helpful teaching resources, including Internet2, the Research Project Calculator, the Digital Media Collection, TRAILS, which is an information literacy skills assessment, and other Web 2.0 tools for our 21st Century Ohio learners.

Avoiding predators on the Internet is just a small part of online safety. Many may not realize it, but cyberbullying, identity theft, social networking, copyright, and even sexting are all parts of the new eSafety issues. Cell phones have added greatly to the creative ways students can share information and unknowingly risk breaking the law. The Children’s Internet Protection Act requires that students be educated about appropriate online behavior, but is your staff up to date? Join us to participate in this statewide videoconference where you and your staff can learn about the importance of educating your students and the new reporting you must certify to be eligible for e-Rate discounts. Attendees will receive information about locating curriculum resources in addition to valuable information.

A quick overview of INFOhio, Ohio Resource Center and quality PBS resources begins this standards-based look at online resources for instruction. We’ll take a glimpse at every grade and subject area including STEM, special needs, assessment and more. Top educational apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch and podcasting will also be reviewed. In the afternoon participants will customize their experience as a facilitated hands-on lab and extensive listing of sites grouped by curricular area will be available to help participants build interactive lessons. Also included is a sampling of short, effective online video segments which will help you and your students polish 21st Century technology skills while preparing for standards-based instruction.

In collaboration with SOITA out of Dayton, we offer this seminar that shows how to create content and share it through online video collection sites including YouTube, TeacherTube and iTunes. We emphasize the process of making your videos accessible to your students, your community and beyond.

Google loves educators! Explore Google tools that focus on the core areas of 21st century learning skills: communicate, collaborate and create. Take a quick look at Picasa, a photo editing and online sharing application; SketchUp, a computer-assisted drawing application; and Gmail. We also explore these Google applications: Docs, Calendar, Moderator, Reader, Earth, Wave, Trends and Translate. Time will be given in the afternoon to create an iGoogle page, customizing it with gadgets, resources and tabs for sharing with students.

This collection of topics will allow participants to explore the world of Web 2.0/3.0. Learn how to use wikis to easily create and edit collaborative community Web sites. The blog portion explores how information is maintained with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events or graphics and videos. See how podcasting can help students find, subscribe and download educational materials. Web 2.0 discussion covers the remarkable phenomenon of user-generated content and innovative uses of technology. Finally, you will explore how Web 3.0, also referred to as the Intelligent Web, offers a more productive, personalized and intuitive environment on the Web.