Week+3+-+Jan+25th

=Thoughts & Reflections... =

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=Reading #3 - "I Do not Need Your Network, or your..." - William Richardson =

This week's brief reading re-addressed the recurrent theme of why we need to integrate the technology students are using into our classrooms and wondered why we are not jumping to do this. Likewise, it questioned why no one has suggested changes to the curriculum to accommodate today's different learners.

I see the evidence behind the arguments for allowing students to bring their laptops, cell phones, and iPods into the classroom, however I still struggle with the dilemma of how to prevent them from using these devices in class to do everything but school work.

During this week's class we discussed our readings thus far and engaged in a brief discussion as to the role of social networking and cell phones in the classroom and in schools. I am still wary of allowing this technology into my classroom as I worry about how to prevent things like cyber bullying, copying and cheating, and texting and messaging for non-educational purposes.

However, I did read the article posted on our course website, "Don't tell your parents: schools embrace MySpace," and I was interested to read about "Elgg," a social networking site developed with education in mind. Perhaps if students had separate social networking accounts just for school that they just accessed at school and were monitored by the school, we could avoid some of the hazards of the more public and less controllable social networking sites.

I still need to do some thinking about whether or not I embrace social networking and cell phones as educational tools. However, I did find two interesting YouTube videos in favour of the integration of both technologies in the classroom. Have a look below and see what you think...

media type="youtube" key="UQvO43wJ1Bg" height="353" width="367" align="center" media type="youtube" key="WOZiwOrZsbk" height="278" width="450" align="center"

=Information & What I Have Learned... =

This week we... > > [|Casey and Tucker Movie_0001.wmv]
 * 1) Discussed our readings thus far. I think the major message up to this point is finding a way to integrate technology into your classroom in a way that you as a teacher are comfortable with, but also so that you are better able to reach students and reduce their boredom in class.
 * 2) Learned about [|Google translate] and the dilemmas it poses for French teachers. The solution: have students show you __every__ step of their writing process so you can be sure it is __their__ work.
 * 3) Examined ways to improve our wikis. Some suggestions included:
 * Organizing content by week instead of by category
 * Writing in point form and using bullets for easier reading and scrolling
 * Personalizing the introduction page with a picture and a few facts about you
 * Checking grammar and spelling!!!
 * Using only legal "free" images and citing where they were retrieved from. Here are some useful links:
 * GettyImages - search royalty-free images at: []
 * Flickr - go to "advanced search" and select "only search within creative commons" at: [|http://www.flickr.com]
 * Google Images - go to "advanced search" and under "usage" select images that are "labeled for reuse" at: [|http://images.google.com]
 * Stock XChng Photos - this site is also owned by GettyImages - search free images at: []
 * 1) We are supposed to post a minimum 30 second podcast on our wiki this week....I am a podcasting virgin, so the final product should be interesting.....Click on the link below entitled "Casey and Tucker Movie" and see what you think of my podcasting abilities...

=Software & How To Use... =

=Audacity =


 * Audacity is an easy to use podcast making program that can be easily downloaded for free. To download and for more information please visit this link: []
 * Think of this program like a workshop. Everything MUST be saved in the same location. So, before you do anything else, create a separate folder (ideally on a USB so it's portable) for all of your podcasting stuff (Audacity files, music, pictures, etc)
 * *Remember that when you save your work in Audacity you are saving the work in progress and not the final MP3 file that is usable in other programs
 * When you are finished your project in Audacity, instead of "saving" it, export it as an MP3 to another program, such as Windows Movie Maker.
 * In order to be able to export an Audacity file as an MP3, you must download LameEncoder.DLL, which can be found at this link: [] (be sure to follow the download instructions very carefully!)
 * In order to be able to record with Audacity, you must have a microphone and set of headphones that are compatible with your computer. A decent set can be purchased at any electronics store for as little as $15.00
 * Once you are sure your headset and microphone are working, you just need to click on the red button in Audacity to start recording an audio track.
 * To remove a section of your sound byte, highlight the section, select the "scissors" tool, and then click on the highlighted section again
 * To add a music track or sound effects, go to the "project" menu and select "import audio," then you will have to select your already downloaded music or sound effect from the folder you have it saved in (which is ideally your podcast folder)
 * [|Freeplay Music] is a website that offers access to free and legal downloadable music
 * [|A1 Free Sound Effects] is a website that offers access to free and legal downloadable sound effects **encourage students to use sound effects sparingly**
 * To decrease the volume on the music track or to increase the volume of your sound (as you DO NOT want the music or sound effect to drown out your audio), highlight the section of audio you wish to modify and use the "envelope tool" located in the upper right hand corner of the screen

=Windows Movie Maker =


 * If you wish to create an exceptional podcast by integrating photos and video, Windows Movie Maker is an excellent program in which to do this
 * To begin, import "audio or music" from your podcast folder and choose your completed Audacity project that has been saved and exported as an MP3
 * Select the "show timeline" option in Windows Movie Maker
 * Import any pictures or video you wish to add to your podcast and "drag" them into the storyboard timeline at the bottom of the screen. You can then play around with their positioning to create a wonderful finished product
 * Be sure to save and export your finished video as a .wmv file