Pixorial

Last week I learned about a site called Pixorial which creates videos. The great thing is that you can use videos from your iPhone and edit them in Pixorial. You can ad titles, transitions, credits, etc. We all had a chance to play around with it during class and create a short video that we could possibly use in the classroom as an introduction to a lesson. I chose to do a video from a clip of my daughter Giselle's huge catfish she caught in St. Michael's on the Maryland Eastern Shore. I am no science teacher, but I created a video that could be used to introduce "dissolved oxygen".

Video: The Big Catch: "Dissolved Oxygen"

So who is attending MSET 2012?

Common Ground 2012

April 19 & 20, 2012
Baltimore Convention Center

The 2012 conference will be filled with inspiring professional development workshops, concurrent sessions, and thought provoking keynote speakers to enhance your professional knowledge and skills. The expanded Market Place will provide an opportunity to check out the latest products and services in a wider scope of education and technology. See live demos and speak with representatives! But best of all, this unique Conference is THE PLACE to network, share ideas, and expand your knowledge with friends and colleagues! Don't miss it!

About MSET

Maryland Society for Educational Technology

MSET (formerly MICCA, which stood for "Maryland Instructional Computers Coordinators Association") is an organization for everyone interested in Technology and Education.

Our History

MSET, formerly known as MICCA, can trace its beginning to a series of informal meetings held by supervisory staff from several school systems in 1984. The coordinators met to share information and discuss their technology programs.
From these beginnings, the coordinators decided that an organization of all technology coordinators in the state should be formed to assist everyone with technology responsibilities. In the fall of 1986 a meeting was held at UMBC, and the association was officially started. During the year officers were elected, a constitution was adopted, and the first spring conference was held in conjunction with UMBC and MAEUC.
Since 1986, the organization's membership has grown from 40 to nearly 2,000. Instead of limiting membership to technology coordinators, the organization voted to allow anyone with an interest in educational technology to become a member. In addition, the organization has become one of the leading forces in helping to promote the use of computers in education in Maryland through a series of initiatives and our annual spring conference.
As the MSET (MICCA) constitution states:

The purpose of the Association shall be to promote the improvement of the teaching-learning process through effective computer education program development, to promote the integration of computer application into curricular areas, and to foster and promote excellence in computer utilization in the schools of Maryland.

In June 2000, MICCA (now MSET) became an organizational affiliate of ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education. Now MSET can contribute to and benefit from the international network associated with the leading organization for educational technology professionals.
In November 2009, MICCA changed its name to MSET (Maryland Society for Educational Technology) to better reflect its mission to advance excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology.
For more information about MSET today, read the Strategic Plan, and to read more about membership benefits download the MSET Membership Brochure.

QR Codes in Education

     Last year at MSET in Baltimore, MD I heard an amazing speaker who calls herself The Daring Librarian. She introduced me to creative ways to use QR Codes in education. I was fascinated by these odd looking bar codes. However, my mind was racing with ideas of the many ways I could use them with in both my computer and art classes. I couldn't wait to try them out. Here is a copy of the handout I received at the break-out session:

     This year I was able to create a lesson using QR Codes, that involved visual arts, literature and writing, and computers. My lesson was designed for my most recent project in my MEDUC 504 class at The Mount. 

     The Prezi begins by explaining what is a QR Code and where did they come from. I show examples of how QR Codes are used in advertising and where they can be found. Then the presentation goes on to explain how QR Codes can be used in education. I give examples of how the codes can be used for many different subjects and show their versatility.

     The last part of my Prezi then explains how I used QR Codes with my students at St. Mary Catholic School. We discussed The Chinese New Year in art class by viewing videos of how the holiday is celebrated. The students also looked a Chinese dragon art found that we found on the Internet. The last step was modeling for them how to actually draw the dragon and what features made it resemble a Chinese dragon.

     I asked our reading specialist at my school to get involved by having the students read Chinese myths about dragons in her literature class to further expose them to the Chinese culture. Lastly, the students were given a writing prompt to help them create their own dragon story.

     The next step was recording the students reading their stories using AudioBoo. The recording was uploaded to a QR Code generator on the Internet. From there I copied and pasted the code into Microsoft Word. The code was cut out and applied to the student's artwork and displayed in the hallway. Student's at my school could then scan the codes on the art and hear the artist reading their dragon story out loud. It was amazing! The students involved in the project were as fascinated as I was as to how the whole process works. The students who participated in the gallery walk loved hearing the stories and were jealous that their class didn't get to participate! 

     Here is the Prezi I created for my "Web 2.0 Tool" presentation to my grad class.

Copy of QR Codes in the Classroom on Prezi

Screencast for Glogster Training

Below is a screencast that I created in Jing to use for my Glogster teacher training. I wanted to be able to show my actual glog that I use to train my student's how to create their own Glogster posters. My log shows the different features available to use to create a glog such as uploading photo's, video's, audio, and the different options available on the toolbar.


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Animoto and Screencasting

Today I was scheduled to have my "formal observation" during second period computer class with half of the fifth grade class. Of course I chose the best, most well-behaved students for this observation. I also chose this class because of the new Animoto project I had just introduced last week. I began last weeks class with this short video about Animoto.

We discussed web 2.0 and how it differs from web 1.0. I then showed them several Animoto videos I have created to show them the different background choices, the different music available, the use of photographs and clip art, and text that can be inserted. Together, we navigated our way around the website so that they would be a little familiar with where tools were located and how to create the video.

Today, we reviewed the differences between web 1.0 and web 2.0. I then I quickly transitioned into their first Animoto project which was to create their own video using photographs that were taken at Fairview Outdoor School just last week. The director sent them home with sixteen PowerPoint presentations that I saved onto 16 CD's. I modeled how to upload the photo's on the PowerPoint presentations to the student's desktop. The class then reviewed the process by verbally retelling me each step to complete the process. I distributed the CD's to eleven students. It was time to get to work!
Then, in walked to additional student's who were no supposed to be there due to making up testing that our school had last week. GRRRRRR! This would have been the perfect time to have had a screencast on the whole uploading photo's process. These two student's could have sat t their computers and watched the screen cast and I could have continued to help the other eleven students with their Animoto project.

They student's finished out the rest of the class choosing which photo's they wanted to use and uploaded those to their desktop. Meanwhile, I was demonstrating the procedure for the second time to the two late arrivals.

Oh, and by the way. My principal never showed up for my observation! She was mistaken and thought it was for tomorrow, Tuesday, March 27th. Good for me that I have the other half of the fifth grade class tomorrow who will also be doing the same Animoto project.

Glogster Introduction

Glogster is a tool that allows users to create posters to express information. They are multi-media posters that can include text, images, and video. For use in the classroom- the possibilities are endless! Teachers can create glogs for their students to use and students can make glogs for projects.

Instead of using powerpoint to present your lecture- try using glogster! You can include text and images that relate to the material. You can link to additional web resources. It’s an easy, clean way to present information to students. When you finish lecturing, the glogs can be posted online for the students to refer back to later to study for the test.

Glogs can also be used as part of a webquest activity. Teachers can link to websites that contain valuable information. Videos and graphics can be embedded right into the glog so the information is neatly in one place. These webquests are easy to create and the students will have fun exploring the glog.

Students will also love to create their own glogs! Instead of printing our pictures and messing with scissors and glue, images and video can be added right to their glogs. They can express an event in history, a science concept, characters in a story, or math concepts. The value they will get out of the project will depend on the assignment they are given. Assignment should be structured so that they are providing valuable information, but can also use they creativity and express themselves!

Cloud to Replace Personal Computers by 2013

Gartner, the world's leading IT research firm has predicted that personal cloud services will replace the traditional PC as the main form of business computing by 2014. Gartner goes on to explain that analysts have identified five "megatrends" that they predict will come together and start the turn around to using the cloud. He describes them as: the consumerist ion of tech, virtualization, and the dramatic increase in user mobility.

Gartner explains that trends in computing have shifted away from personal computers to a broader perspective that includes smartphones, tablets, and other consumer devices. The new cloud service will be the glue that connects the web of devices that users choose to access at different times throughout their day.

Jeff Saginor from Digital Trends States that the cloud is no doubt part of the future. It is cost effective and you can customize it in a way that a traditional PC cannot be customized. The cloud becomes a your own collection of programs, settings, and files that follow you around each day, on any device you've got.

The ever-looming question of security is also something to consider according to Saginor. He reminds us of the huge Dropbox mistake that resulted in allowing anyone to access anyone's else's account.

Saginor ends with the statement that a lot can happen in two years. However, Gartner feels the benefits of the cloud will far outweigh the risks.

What do you think? Do you use cloud storage now? Do you see yourself using it in the near future? Do you think it is safe and secure?

Found in Digital Trends by Jeff Saginor March12, 2012
http://news.yahoo.com/pc-deathwatch-cloud-replace-personal-computers-2014-says-000409560.html