tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66918616897265872082012-02-16T02:44:12.652-06:00Elearning shares Technology Tips with Chinook Colleaguesmistuh_dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18074949800421656466noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-79127603277821928632011-05-05T20:57:00.002-06:002011-05-06T09:15:01.388-06:00

Blogs in Plain English Here are some Blogging in Education  links. Blog usage matrix. Stephen Downes on blogs in education and a very lengthy essay on blogging. Top 100 education blogs. 6 reasons to get your students blogging. How to start a classroom blog. Blogging in EAL classes Top 10 Reasons to Use a Blog in the Classroom And, just for fun...

Rob Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05525094908361454339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-69935180874624655212010-08-24T07:10:00.000-06:002010-08-24T07:10:19.551-06:00

I'm always fascinated by the creative ways in which people apply technology.  Recently, I came upon a CBC article on The Virtual Paintout, a blog which challenges artists from around the world to visit a particular geographic location in Google Street View and then re-create a scene from that location and submit it to the blog.  The rules of the challenge are very specific; the scene must be

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-79581122166652265632010-07-26T15:54:00.000-06:002010-07-26T15:54:29.021-06:00

Discovering this one was one of those "Holy Cow!" moments for me.  You can insert your own exclamation once you try it out. Normally we think of spreadsheets as tools for performing mathematical calculations and logical operations.  Certainly this is the original realm of spreadsheets, but over the years they have expanded into much more powerful - and versatile - tools.  Google has taken that

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-11143764858243282412010-06-30T11:13:00.000-06:002010-06-30T11:13:51.489-06:00

Alas, the title proves that you can take the English teacher out of the classroom, but you can't excise his penchant for bad puns and double entendres. This is not a lament.  And, it is certainly not a complaint.  It is, however, the last official post to the Tech Tips blog.  Today will the last day for the Elearning team.  If or when an Elearning department re-emerges, it will no doubt take a

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-40326394676862884952010-06-23T08:32:00.001-06:002010-06-23T08:32:50.430-06:00

Just last week, I had a request from someone who wanted to convert and existing PDF to an MS Word file so that students could complete the forms that the document contained on the computer rather than with pen  and paper. As luck would have it, Google just announced today that users will now have the choice to fully convert PDFs to Google Docs when they upload them.  Furthermore, they have added

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-33534506145285460052010-06-17T13:25:00.001-06:002010-06-17T13:44:45.988-06:00

As most of you are probably aware, at the end of this school year the Elearning department - at least in the form it has taken until now - will cease to exist.  Therefore, I thought I would spend some time ensuring that those who have made use of some of our work in the past can continue to do so in the coming year. Where's That File? A number of teachers, administrators, and itinerant

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-59198666603763801022010-06-10T11:30:00.004-06:002010-06-10T11:32:57.275-06:00

Qu'est-ce que c'est L'audacity?  L'audace? I probably should open by saying, "Pardon my French." I recently did some work with a grade nine French class in Audacity, an open-source sound editing software package.  The teacher had given the students a topic on which they were to create a short French dialogue/skit.  The skit involved incorporating sound effects, so they also listed these in

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-42779912867461753122010-06-10T07:20:00.001-06:002010-06-10T11:35:16.421-06:00

In response to my previous post regarding Igeom, the interactive Geometry applet, John Cazakoff of Shaunavon High School directed me to  mathopenref.com, a site which hosts a number of online interactive applets covering many common geometry concepts.  The site is an excellent supplement to the regular math classroom.  Its strength lies in its activities for plane geometry, but it does have some

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-73621054049092610102010-06-03T10:54:00.003-06:002010-06-03T16:48:36.580-06:00

Yesterday the Federal Government introduced Bill C-32, an attempt to re-write copyright legislation to acknowledge and deal with the age of digital content.  Why should you care?  Well, as a consumer - but more specifically as an educator - C-32 has some significant ramifications for everyday life. On the surface, there is a considerable amount to like about the bill:It limits personal liability

Rob Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05525094908361454339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-47991227559447116722010-06-01T11:41:00.002-06:002010-06-01T12:46:33.961-06:00

I've blogged in the past about using Google Forms and Google Docs to create online forms which feed data to a spreadsheet, where it can be compiled, analyzed, and graphed. Recently, I've done some work with a school to create an online student behaviour tracking form.   I think this is an excellent example of tapping the power of Google Docs for a very practical educational purpose.  Here is

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-1677029879760182252010-06-01T10:34:00.000-06:002010-06-01T10:34:16.846-06:00

This morning CBC is reporting on an Edmonton area school which plans to experiment in the fall with allowing students to use Iphones and Ipod touches to access the Internet.  Students will be expected to disable the actual phone and texting capabilities of their Iphones and connect via the school's wireless network.  And the school plans to block certain web sites to rein in some types of

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-90400532128131009592010-05-31T14:41:00.001-06:002010-05-31T14:41:31.574-06:00

As the end of the year draws near, I've decided to look back through the Tech Tips Blog posts to see if I left any glaring omissions that ought to be addressed before I draw the curtain on this enterprise.  And I found a big one. I realized that in all my previous posts I have made almost no mention of Open Office. Open Office is a full-fledged office suite of applications which rivals Microsoft

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-75949424457448576162010-05-31T11:42:00.002-06:002010-05-31T11:46:56.912-06:00

I had a recent request from a grade nine math teacher who was wondering if I could suggest interactive geometry software to support the unit on circle geometry. (Unit 8 in the Pearson Math Makes Sense text).  A quick perusal of resources turned up Igeom, a free Java applet created in Brazil and available for download on the Internet.  Igeom is relatively easy to use after a bit of instruction,

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-21980195395153333802010-05-19T13:08:00.004-06:002010-05-19T13:44:55.675-06:00

Back in December I drew attention to bighugelabs.com, a website that allows the user to take a photo of herself and place it within a relatively professional-looking context: a magazine cover, CD cover, Andy Warhol pop-art poster, motivational poster and more. This week my colleague Rob Geiger has passed on a few more web sites which perform similar magic.  Each has its own strengths - and

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-51935707159549846102010-05-19T09:52:00.000-06:002010-05-19T09:52:58.259-06:00

One of the most rewarding things about working as an Elearning Catalyst Teacher is learning new technologies and new ways of using old technologies.  I'm sure some folks just assume we were born with the background required for the job, but in actual fact, we're frauds; most of the ideas we bring to the table we've learned from the teachers and students we work with.  So, credit for this Tech Tip

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-79291846909028703082010-05-18T23:16:00.000-06:002010-05-18T23:16:36.817-06:00

Further to our previous posts on Facebook privacy, I recently encountered two web sites which allow users to automatically scan their Facebook privacy settings and correct those settings that present privacy risks. Reclaimprivacy.org provides scripts which examine a user's Facebook privacy settings.  To do this, the user creates a bookmark/favorite for the script link, then logs into Facebook

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-27170839971764779992010-05-18T12:58:00.001-06:002010-05-18T23:24:53.482-06:00

As cloud computing grows in popularity and we do more work with internet-based applications (such as Gmail and Google docs), the need for good security practices increases. Google’s suite of applications is just one of those incredibly useful sets of tools that makes cloud computing so attractive. Because all of Google’s applications are accessed using the same username and password (your Gmail

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-27925512166832178472010-05-14T11:55:00.000-06:002010-05-14T11:55:42.041-06:00

Not that long ago, Google added the ability to add in-line images to Gmail messages.  Before that, users could only attach images to messages. Now Google has enhanced Gmail's handling of images by allowing users to drag and drop images directly into the compose window.  Users can simply drag an image directly from a folder window into their message.  One word of caution, though.  Images should

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-77864601026444959142010-05-12T15:17:00.001-06:002010-05-12T15:17:50.103-06:00

In Part 1 of this series of articles, we examined the potential privacy risks involved in the social world that is Facebook.  In Part 2, we looked at taking control of Facebook's privacy controls.  In this, the third and final installment, we will examine how we can help our children and students navigate the Facebook universe safely.  For some of us we may need help in understanding why young

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-24288820887077185552010-05-12T11:14:00.001-06:002010-05-12T15:19:04.358-06:00

In a previous post, we examined some of the reasons users should be concerned about their privacy - or lack thereof  - on Facebook. In this post, we will look at how to take control of your Facebook account. The tutorial below examines the many security, privacy, and notification settings within the Facebook interface.  If you would like to watch this video in a larger format, you can watch it

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-8398354817610357962010-05-09T08:59:00.001-06:002010-05-09T08:59:36.157-06:00

Wikipedia has just introduced a "Book Creator" function which allows users to compile any selection of Wikipedia pages into a single book, which can then either be downloaded as a PDF file or printed as a physical book.  The feature is remarkably easy to use; a quick video tutorial run-down can be found here.  While the video emphasizes a physical book as the final product, creating a PDF file is

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-26459109509825993012010-05-04T13:21:00.001-06:002010-05-13T09:31:19.198-06:00

When it comes to Internet Safety, one of the topics parents ask about most is Facebook.  Facebook provides people with a means of staying connected with friends and family, but it also serves up some major challenges to maintaining one's privacy. Now, before you dismiss the contents of this post as a "kid's issue," think again.  A great number of adults who frequent Facebook could benefit from

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-92024632651607260982010-04-27T16:36:00.002-06:002010-04-27T16:37:37.715-06:00

Many educators are familiar with the power of Inspiration as a tool for brainstorming, visualizing, and organizing ideas.  However, fewer people know that the folks at Inspiration have been at work bringing those same capabilities to the web.  Mywebspiration.com is an online service which allows users to create Inspiration webs and outlines directly within their web browser and save the files

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-3488025815336381162010-04-23T14:04:00.000-06:002010-04-23T14:04:31.874-06:00

This blog entry is specifically targeted at Chinook administrators, office managers, or any others who may be responsible for editing their school's web site. This fall, you will want to update a number of documents on your web site - things like student handbooks, ...  The problem is that if you upload a new document, you will also need to change/update any links to that document on your school

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-25906444285877150042010-04-20T11:22:00.000-06:002010-04-20T11:22:52.760-06:00

In several posts in the past, I have mentioned portable versions of software.  Portable software titles are specially designed to be self-contained so that they can be run directly without any installation process.  This means that the user can place the program file/folder on any memory device (USB thumb drive, SD card, portable hard drive) connect that device to any Windows Machine and run the

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-78026803925308718592010-04-20T10:43:00.000-06:002010-04-20T10:43:59.214-06:00

Good news for those who use Gmail.  Google recently added the ability to drag and drop attachments into the compose window within Gmail.  This is particularly useful for multiple attachments, which used to require browsing for each individual file to be attached.  Now a user can open a folder window, CTRL-click on as many files as he/she wants to attach, and drag them all to the area just above

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-50311754856674132262010-04-20T10:14:00.000-06:002010-04-20T10:14:07.713-06:00

Many folks are aware of the benefits of Google Docs as a collaboration and sharing platform.  Recently Google announced a number of enhancements which make it an even more powerful tool for collaboration. You can catch up on the enhancements by reading my overview below, or you can view this video summary. New additions include: Improved import of documents created in MS Word and other

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-13315805698041535182010-04-12T10:38:00.002-06:002010-04-12T10:39:26.492-06:00

I have already extolled the virtues of Microsoft Photostory in a previous post, so I won't go into exhaustive detail about the program itself.  Instead, this post will focus on curricular applications for Photostory. For those unfamiliar with the program, Photostory, available as a free download from Microsoft, allows users to create sophisticated photo slideshows quickly and easily.  Its

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-85433378863317839312010-03-31T11:14:00.001-06:002010-03-31T11:15:32.229-06:00

When I worked as Technology Coordinator for the legacy Gull Lake School Division, I always carried a Leatherman tool on my belt because I never knew when I might briefly need to enlist the services of a screwdriver, pliers or a knife.  It served me well, but I also always a carried full toolkit in my car for more extended work.  Sometimes you just need a real screwdriver. The same is true with

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-64855712353691240482010-03-30T10:57:00.000-06:002010-03-30T10:57:34.639-06:00

Safety is a common component or unit in many health curricula.  While classroom discussions on this topic have traditionally included safety at home, at school, on the playground, and in the streets, increasingly it should also include safety in cyberspace.  Students need to be taught guidelines for remaining safe while interacting with others online. There is no sense pretending that we can

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-91024931369827923022010-03-22T13:44:00.001-06:002010-03-22T13:45:23.540-06:00

For those of us who have ever taught a piece of literature and struggled to provide students with the kind of background knowledge that will allow the piece to spring to life, Google Lit Trips is an impressive marriage of technology, geography, and culture. Each lit trip is created by one or more educators to help students connect with the geography and culture of the locations within a

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-14773126123192938832010-03-18T11:13:00.001-06:002010-03-18T11:14:29.747-06:00

A number of Elearning Catalyst teachers have been working with various classes lately on stop-motion animation projects.  Stop-motion is a relatively simple project which can provide some variety within Arts Education or in any course which has story-telling as a component.  Within Arts Ed, students can also record their own a cappella "sound track" to accompany their animation, thereby

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-66464135652404408662010-03-08T09:46:00.001-06:002010-03-08T09:46:53.647-06:00

Google Maps is a rich resource for teaching Social Studies at a wide range of grade levels, but in this Tech Tip we are going to focus on Social Studies 30.   Let's presume that we want our class to explore legislative buildings and famous Canadian landmarks.  There are a number of ways we can employ Google Maps for this purpose.  Here is one procedure for doing so.  It has the added bonus of

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-41206318506242269782010-03-08T09:20:00.001-06:002010-03-08T09:22:40.658-06:00

PowerPoint is one of the most frequently used applications in education.  Its prevalence can be attributed to its balance of power and ease of use.  However, there are certain functions that regularly cause users grief, and, as Elearning Catalyst Teachers, we often find ourselves answering the same questions to address these frustrations. This post will provide links to tutorial material which a

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-65256910981006244732010-03-07T08:24:00.000-06:002010-03-07T08:24:13.933-06:00

Fans of Popular Science magazine may be intrigued to know that it has recently partnered with Google Books to provide a complete online archive of past issues for free.  The archive is searchable by keyword(s), although there is no advanced search feature. Articles appear in full colour as they did in the original magazine, complete with all graphics, and with the user's search terms highlighted

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-14824549422672103282010-02-09T11:31:00.001-06:002010-02-09T11:33:46.145-06:00

If you've ever wanted to send a print document quickly to someone at a distance, you may be interested to know that your school photocopier provides a solution.  Most Chinook schools now have Toshiba photocopiers, and most of these photocopiers have the ability to scan print documents to PDF files. This ability can prove very useful in a number of situations: You have a print document or

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-56507538108658388992010-02-04T09:34:00.002-06:002010-02-04T19:47:48.822-06:00

A few weeks ago, I told a story of my brush with identity theft and posted some advice on online security.  Then, a few days ago, Marion Dueck at SCCHS brought this article to my attention.  It provides some interesting statistics on how easily certain kinds of passwords can be compromised. For those who may not have the time or inclination to read the article (although doing so would be well

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-41030996194697453172010-02-04T09:09:00.001-06:002010-02-04T09:12:56.258-06:00

As a follow-up to my earlier post on generating PDF documents, my colleague Derek Murdoch at SCCHS brought another solution to my attention.  PDFmyURL.com specializes in creating a PDF document out of any web page.  Simply copy the URL (web address) of any page you are viewing and paste into the PDFmyURL.com web site.  It very quickly generates a PDF file and prompts the user to download the

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-72161272824667014982010-02-03T10:39:00.002-06:002010-02-03T10:45:44.404-06:00

As we rely more and more on the Internet for our communication, daily interactions and research, having a reliable, fast Internet connections in school becomes increasingly important.  At one time we might want to have reliable Internet access in our schools; today we need it. It stands to reason, then, that if we rely on something so much, we should treat it well and use it responsibly.  We do

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-14371500137703705522010-02-02T22:11:00.003-06:002010-02-02T22:19:12.209-06:00

Creating PDF's with Free Software Anyone who has downloaded a document from the Internet is probably aware of the PDF document format, a format that was created by Adobe Software, which allows users to create documents that can be viewed on many different platforms.  The strength of the PDF format is that the reproduction will always look exactly like the original. If I send a Word document or

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-66654403221697136632010-02-02T20:00:00.002-06:002010-02-03T14:33:02.859-06:00

Over the past couple of weeks, I've had several inquiries about ways to conduct online surveys and collect online data.  In each case, I've pointed people towards Google Docs and its Google Forms feature. Google Forms make it extremely easy to create an online data entry form in minutes.  First the user selects the type of question she would like to add: Multiple Choice (radio buttons)

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-88992845384502453702010-01-31T08:35:00.000-06:002010-01-31T08:35:33.383-06:00

When I first reviewed and recommended spellingcity.com last, fall, I suggested that one of its shortcomings was that it didn't allow the teacher to create his/her own context sentences.  That has now changed. Now, when teachers finish creating a word list, they will be taken to a screen that allows them to choose alternative sentences for their words, if they exist, or create their own.

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-34768839773479004022010-01-19T11:25:00.002-06:002010-01-31T08:35:55.831-06:00

Those of us old enough to remember Windows 2 and 3 have little reason to pine for the "Good Old Days" of MS Windows, but one feature that was readily available in those versions was the ability to tile windows.  With one or two mouse clicks, one could easily arrange all active windows within a neat grid on the screen. I occasionally use this feature when I need to have two applications open at

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-49340723179076250442010-01-18T14:08:00.001-06:002010-01-18T14:08:58.227-06:00

Vector graphic software is probably one of the most underutilized technologies in education.  For those who may be unfamiliar with the term, vector graphics are images that are defined or created by lines, curves, polygons and fills rather than with individual dots the way bitmap graphics are defined.  The digital images produced by your camera or scanner are bitmap graphics; the images produced

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-18622682107564976532010-01-18T12:32:00.002-06:002010-01-19T13:58:37.203-06:00

Once every two years, as either the Summer or the Winter Olympics approaches, teachers usually try to incorporate the event into their classroom activities.  My colleague Rob Geiger passed on this site on wikispaces.com which provides teachers with links and activities related to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. While it's not definitive, it should serve as a good starting point for teachers.  

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-71977392196906197832010-01-12T23:29:00.000-06:002010-01-12T23:29:11.681-06:00

Many of you are probably already aware of the power of Google Docs, which provides the ability to create, share and collaborate on text files, spreadsheets, and presentations, all online.  Collaboration is probably Google Docs strongest suit, but up to now users were limited to storing and sharing files in Google Docs native formats or as PDFs, which were not editable. Today Google announced

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-83559258699481499282010-01-12T11:52:00.000-06:002010-01-12T11:52:20.582-06:00

Most people who use Gmail find its interface improves their workflow over other email solutions.  But the folks at Google are constantly fiddling with Gmail to add improvements and customizations that might make the interface work even better for the user.  Many of these add-ons are experimental, so they are tucked away in the Gmail Labs section of Gmail.  You can access Gmail Labs by logging on

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-43861372855921484572010-01-08T15:02:00.001-06:002010-01-08T15:03:03.582-06:00

In the few weeks that I have been running these tech tips, you have probably noticed quite a number of references to Gmail and other Google applications.  I suppose it's time that I explained why Gmail appeals to me and why I frequently recommend it to others. Universal Access: As a web mail client, Gmail is available to you on any computer on which you can access the Internet.  And it's free.

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-30544064565582165632010-01-08T11:36:00.001-06:002010-01-08T15:06:12.579-06:00

A few years back I made a ritual of watching the nightly national news on TV to stay abreast of what was going on in the world.  Somewhere along the way, though, that habit gave way to watching The Daily Show and The Colbert Report to get my daily dose of political, social, and media satire instead. I still stay in touch with local and world happenings, but now I do it online, usually in

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-27438066197672009192010-01-07T11:49:00.000-06:002010-01-07T11:51:26.301-06:00

Just one follow-up to our previous instruction on mail forwarding.  There is a potential disaster lurking here if you ever encounter a snag with your Gmail password.  Asking Gmail to send you your forgotten or mistyped password will fire that email off to your secondary email address.  If that's one of the addresses you've now configured to forward to Gmail, the email will immediately be shipped

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-82162853988910032062010-01-07T11:06:00.001-06:002010-01-07T11:50:10.684-06:00

In the last Tech Tips, I drew attention to easybib.com, a site that greatly simplifies creating MLA Works Cited pages.  Thanks to Marion Dueck for drawing my attention to another cite that provides a similar service, but with much greater flexibility. citationmachine.net allows the user to create citations in a number of formats (MLA, APA, Chicago, and Turabian).  It also includes a built-in

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-20345306630208122162010-01-07T09:11:00.000-06:002010-01-07T09:27:48.350-06:00

Whenever I have the opportunity to talk with Math or Science teachers, I always like to make sure that they are aware of some of the tools that can make their lives easier.  One of the most powerful tools that every teacher in the Division has access to is the Microsoft Word Equation Editor.  The Equation Editor allows the user to craft complex mathematical and symbolic expressions that would

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-11820243985925460792010-01-05T21:29:00.000-06:002010-01-05T21:42:39.041-06:00

Quite a number of Chinook employees consolidate their mail accounts within Gmail to take advantages of the many advantages that Gmail offers over other web-mail services and local-software email clients. If you are one of these, you may be interested in this tech tip. Up until now, if people have expressed an interest in Gmail, the Elearning team has always showed them how to configure Gmail

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-6581379858801771582010-01-05T09:38:00.000-06:002010-01-05T09:41:47.556-06:00

Sometimes Christmas brings unwanted visitors.  (And no, I'm not just talking about your obnoxious uncle.) After a week's hiatus from work, my wife returned yesterday to find that, in her absence, her office computer had been infected by a particularly pernicious piece of malware called "Personal Security," which disguises itself as a virus protection package, but which is, in fact, anything but.

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-28003025184489204332009-12-15T14:34:00.000-06:002009-12-15T14:34:43.872-06:00

Unlike the narrower focus of the last two instalments of Tech Tips, this week's topics are, admittedly, somewhat random.  We'll begin with some advice on keeping your identity safe on the Internet, move on to show you how your students can create quite professional-looking publications in a matter of minutes, and end with a quick way to create bibliography entries.  But first ... A Follow-up:  

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-1059544792917651542009-12-09T11:09:00.000-06:002009-12-09T13:00:29.581-06:00

In last week's Tech Tip I promised that I would spend a week or two examining how technology can provide students and teachers a means of connecting with people from around the world.  This week's Tech Tip,  examines iearn.org (International Education and Resource Network), a not-for-profit organization with the express goal of "Connecting Youth - Making a Difference in the World." Its diversity

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-76424136863570846812009-12-09T10:33:00.000-06:002009-12-09T10:33:45.252-06:00

Google has a listing of lesson plans for using Google Apps in K-12 education. If you're a Google App user, this resource may get you thinking of possible ways to support curriculum. Many of these have an American flavour, but I'm sure they can be adapted.

Rob Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05525094908361454339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-23861501191683258862009-12-07T13:55:00.000-06:002009-12-07T13:55:41.898-06:00

Blogger is prettier (just like me!). Blogger is simpler (just like... nevermind). Classblogmeister gives you much more control! Classblogmeister organizes posts according to assignments, teachers, and classes. Blogger's Terms of Service say that it can't be used by anyone younger than 13 years of age. Blogger is in the Googleverse so it's very easy to interact with other Google products, such as

Rob Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05525094908361454339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-28564350524589308042009-12-07T13:36:00.001-06:002009-12-08T13:13:05.216-06:00

If you need to register a school in Classblogmeister, go to the address below: http://classblogmeister.com/?blog=rethink Once your school has been registered, you can create a teacher account within your school.

Rob Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05525094908361454339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-26879042033091285452009-12-07T10:04:00.000-06:002009-12-07T10:04:45.569-06:00

It seems a bit ironic to be blogging about blogging, but here goes... We spent some time today presenting a workshop on blogging. One of the topics we discussed was "Why Blog?" Here are two articles that address this question: 20 Reasons for students to blog Why use blogs in education? Another topic we explored was "How can I use blogs in education?" The following resources might be useful:

Rob Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05525094908361454339noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-50596813650208589152009-12-02T22:40:00.001-06:002009-12-02T22:42:54.040-06:00

All too often when we think of integrating technology into the curriculum we fall into what I might call the Application Trap.  In other words, we discover some piece of software and ask ourselves how that might be applied within a particular subject and/or at a particular grade level.  The fault in this approach is that it tends to place the application first and the human/learning element

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-36767755109000497362009-11-25T07:00:00.001-06:002009-11-25T07:01:10.638-06:00

This Week's Tips - Free Graphing Software Having cast a few nuggets in the direction of the social studies and ELA teachers in the past couple of weeks, I thought it time to make some suggestions for Math and Science teachers. There are a number of free applets which math and science teachers may find useful, particularly when it comes to teaching graphing. I won't pretend to be an all-out

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-49090664916004278852009-11-18T08:59:00.000-06:002009-11-18T08:59:52.299-06:00

Last week, I attended a conference where I was able to gather a number of ideas for incorporating technology in the curriculum.  Unfortunately, the conference distracted me from my usual "routine," and I didn't manage to get out a Tech Tips email.  So this week, I'm combining two suggestions in one email rather than littering your mail box with two separate tips in one week.  The first suggestion

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-76227262187666145632009-11-11T14:34:00.000-06:002009-11-11T14:40:58.764-06:00

It's day 1 of the ECOO conference, or maybe day -1, considering this is really the pre-conference. Today Cal and I spent the day working with VoiceThread, but before that, we shared a cab ride with Jeff Brown, a Technology and Learning Resources Consultant from the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. It's truly amazing how different our worlds are. For Jeff, a small school is one with 500

Rob Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05525094908361454339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-22281175259636978012009-11-02T15:12:00.000-06:002009-11-13T22:06:16.005-06:00

This Week's Tech Tip - Using Creative Commons Images Many teachers and students are already familiar with the ease of searching for images on Google Images and then copying and pasting those images in documents and presentations.  There's just one problem with doing so.  Very seldom do we check to see if, in fact, this is legal.  Many - if not most- of the images that one might find on Google

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-73018393637278103662009-10-25T21:09:00.000-06:002009-11-04T13:12:20.551-06:00

This Week's Tip:  Photostory 3 An old adage cautions that "There's no such thing as a free lunch."  Like all truisms and generalizations, this one is only partially true.  Certainly, in the realm of computer software, there are many quality products available for free.  Last week's Tech Tips focused on free software to protect your computer from viruses.  This week's free software recommendation

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-73046549219452490102009-10-21T14:44:00.000-06:002009-11-13T21:39:10.602-06:00

Expanded Distribution This week I've expanded the list of folks who receive this email to include the ELT group, as I received some requests from this group to be included in this mail-out. As well, I have had some requests to include some EA's in my mailing list, so I have added them as individuals. If you have folks within your schools or offices who are interested in receiving these weekly

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-31610124688203620532009-10-21T07:22:00.000-06:002009-11-13T22:07:49.288-06:00

Tip 1: Password Security: October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and, as if to punctuate that declaration, some recent events have brought into stark relief the importance of keeping our private information private. While Internet transactions are, as a rule, quite secure, their safety and security can easily be compromised by poor decisions on our part, in particular, insecure

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-9854103504569820742009-10-21T07:21:00.000-06:002009-11-13T22:08:37.857-06:00

Teachers are a busy lot, who often find themselves trying to keep track of the many commitments they have in their professional, extra-curricular, and personal lives. This week's tech tip highlights a tool to help teachers, or anyone else, manage their complex schedules, Google Calendar. The links below direct you to a series of video tutorials which examine some of the basic - and not so

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-69300613146846385782009-10-21T07:19:00.000-06:002009-11-13T22:09:00.898-06:00

First as a follow-up to last week's Tech Tip, my colleague Rob Geiger pointed out that my video on using the Format Painter had neglected to draw attention to the benefits of double-clicking on the Format Painter button. Double-clicking essentially "locks" the Format Painter in an "on" state so that you can swipe the Format Painter cursor across multiple selections, copying the format of your

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-45167888883044150972009-10-21T07:18:00.000-06:002009-11-11T14:40:34.615-06:00

In conversations I've had within the last week, I'm reminded that sometimes folks may be unfamiliar with some of the more fundamental abilities of Microsoft Word, features which can simplify common, everyday tasks in education. To address this gap, I've put together three video tutorials to introduce (or reinforce) people's knowledge of some of MS Word's underutilized features: Using the Format

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-51305999793535630662009-10-21T07:15:00.000-06:002009-11-13T22:11:51.527-06:00

True to last week's promise, this week's tech tips will show you how to create email filters within the Chinook email system; however I have a few other items first. Inspiration follow-up: Further to last week's Inspiration tech tip, in a conversation with one of our division Project CRISS leaders, I was asked if Inspiration could handle/generate outlines in "Power Outline" form, one of the

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691861689726587208.post-78991160736885867362009-10-21T07:11:00.000-06:002009-11-13T22:10:55.081-06:00

First, let me introduce myself to those of you who may not know me. My name is Cal Deobald, an Elearning Catalyst teacher with Chinook School Division. My primary assignment is working with the schools in the southwest area of the division, but this year I have also assumed duties for leading and organizing professional development provided by the Elearning team. In this second capacity, I

Mistuh_Dnoreply@blogger.com0