The Digital Sandbox

The LetterPop free plan allows for 10 flyers to be produced which will be more than enough for most teachers and students. LetterPop has over 300 templates for quick and easy production. This means that newsletters and flyers can be produced very quickly. To start a plan for the number of pictures and information needs to be laid out in advance. The downside is once the template is selected you cannot edit the template to add more photos. This is a great online software application if you want a quick, good looking document but there are limitations if you want something more complex. “You can use LetterPop to create eye-popping newsletters, actionable presentations, irresistible invitations, beautiful product features, sizzling event summaries, informative club updates, lovely picture collages, and a whole lot more.” To get more production resources go to Tech N TuIt.

Filed under: Digital Tools, Learning, Mashups, Remixing Media, Technology Integration, Web 2.0 Education | Tagged: Media, Newsletters Production Resource | 1 Comment »

If you are interested in a site where the most complete and current source of information about the Literacy 2.0 will be created the go to Tech N TuIt. This site provides a unified gateway to Web 2.0 resources as they are created through participating members of the Summer Institute of Technology.  The creators of this Wiki portal hope that the results of this project will invite many Web 2.0 developers to create social networking units of learning for classrooms across the globe. Whether you’re a teacher or student new to the topic of Literacy 2.0 or an experienced educator looking for Web 2.0 materials, you’ll find something here to meet your needs. This wiki is designed as an inquiry-oriented lesson format. The inquiry format will provide you with information on Literacy 2.0 digital tools that will enable you to create 21^st century learning environments. Go To Tech N TuIt

Filed under: Technology Integration | Tagged: Digital Tools Web 2.0, Literacy 2.0 | No Comments »

His eyes bulging with wondrous curiosity, Michael Marino was able to explore his creative side when he developed an integrated project about New York City using audio, video, satellite images, and other digital technologies.

“I got to see things and do things I didn’t even know about,” said Marino, a seventh grader at Dodge CityMiddle School. “Using all this technology on the computer was pretty interesting.”

Marino was just one of 17 seventh graders who took part in an all-day workshop on Jan. 16 called “Creating Digital Worlds with Digital Tools.” It’s part of an effort to use the latest in 21st Century technologies woven into integrated learning projects.

It’s essentially taking story telling to a whole new form—the digital story. A digital story combines a written narrative with digital voiceovers narrated by the student along with pictures, musical soundtrack and video. These multi-media tools and others, such as a virtual tour using Google Earth, give story telling a whole new meaning, said DCMS Principal Michael King.

Called The Halliburton Project, the initial phase of this program is named after Richard Halliburton, an author and adventurist who traveled around the world in the 1920s, visiting places most people can only dream about. He profiled 30 of these locations in his books such as The Glorious Adventure and New Worlds to Conquer.

“A new generation of students expects a learning environment that integrates today’s digital tools, accommodates a mobile lifestyle, adapts to individual learning styles and encourages collaboration and teamwork,” King said. “The Halliburton Project is designed to explore the latest technology tools and solutions available to help schools build 21^st Century learning environments that motivate and engage today’s students.”

The recent workshop enabled students to choose a location that Halliburton visited, write a script, narrate it using an audio-editing program called Audacity, download pictures, and import all of that into Windows Movie Maker. Students also incorporated Google Earth into their project so that viewers can see actual satellite images of the location.

“I learned how to make a small movie with narration, background music and pictures to go with my script on my historical place,” said Nallely Rios, another seventh grader who attended the workshop. Rios conducted her project on ancient PompeiiItaly. in

King and co-presenter Jesse West, a technology teacher at DCMS, presented this workshop to seventh graders in gifted education first as a pilot program. The plan is to then offer it to eighth graders in the gifted program. Eventually, King’s hope is to take it school-wide.

Also invited to the workshop were teachers from throughout Dodge City Public Schools who were partnered with the seventh graders. Sitting side by side with a computer in front of them, they shared in the learning process. The idea is for these teachers to introduce these technologies back at their own schools.

At several points during the workshop, King and West paused to administer quizzes to students. But these were no ordinary quizzes. They were high-tech quizzes in which students were issued electronic responders. Given the opportunity to read questions on a Smart board, an interactive screen at the front of the room, students registered their responses by pointing at the screen and simply clicking. After all, receiving immediate feedback on their answers helps to improve the learning process, King said.

Some students said they could have done without the testing if they had it their way, but Samantha Reyes, another student who attended, said the “clickers” as she called them “made it entertaining and fun. I wish I could do this project again if I could.”

It appears that Reyes will get her chance, for DCMS gifted education teacher Bill O’Brien will expect his students to fine-tune their existing projects and then develop more in-depth projects in the near future.

“It would be really great if we could have this technology in other classes,” said Jesus Bautista, another student at the workshop who conducted his project on the IguazuFalls located on the border of BrazilArgentina.

That’s the goal, said King, who wants to integrate a whole new generation of multi-media technologies into the classrooms. These technologies also feature podcasting, blogs, vodcasting, Web 2.0, and wiki’s—a mini collaborative web site of sorts that allows the originator to grant editing privileges to multiple parties.

See Video Halliburton Project

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Today more than ever before the world faces many difficult and complex problems where the development of broad and powerful thinking is needed. And with these complexities we should be developing ways to educate our students in the context of human intellectual development. We need to find ways to expand the neocortical functions of the student rather than repressing the mind and its development. A new generation of students expects a learning environment that integrates today’s digital tools, accommodates a mobile lifestyle, adapts to individual learning styles and encourages collaboration and teamwork.

The Halliburton Project is designed to explore the latest technology tools and solutions available to help schools build 21st century learning environments that motivate and engage today’s students. The project will provide multiple examples of media-rich projects, investigate the new world of podcasting, vodcasting, blogs, wiki’s, web 2.0, digital storytelling, Google Earth KML files and demonstrate ways to integrate these new technology into the classroom. Visit the Project at http://halliburtonproject.pbwiki.com/FrontPage

Visit the Halliburton Project at PBWiki

Filed under: Co Creating, Creativity and Technology, Technology Integration, Technology and Learning | Tagged: 21st Century Learning Skills, 21st Century Skills | No Comments »

Co-Creating may become one of the most powerful engines of change and innovations that the education world will experience. Co-Creating with other educators across the nation is like tapping a knowledge pool of similar interest, a reservoir of creativity that may emerge through an enthusiastic wealth of talent producing warehouses of digital curriculum. It will not be an easy change and many tough challenges lie ahead to offset the standardized models of the existing rigors of traditional education.

There is nothing wrong with mass co-creating, yet some see it as moving away from traditional practices of “drill and be drilled” forms of learning. The problems are even more alarming when educators become facilitators of learning that moves distinctly away from mass customization; limiting flexibility and relying on elements of creative thought. After all it was the Wright brothers who decided to fly after mashing together ideas about bicycles and creating new ideas about propulsion and wing designs. True co-creating does entail deeper knowledge of existing technology. Technology that is currently not prevalent in American schools, at least from the digital natives’ point of view.

These cries for change are now beginning to take hold as the business world is for the first time recognizing a new workplace; a workplace where individuals use the network to drive company decisions and collaborate daily in a new Web 2.0 environment. These new initiatives are beginning to emerge nationally recognizing that there is a digital divide between real world business practices and general education career preparations of the work force of tomorrow.

The new workforces of the Lego workers are now being recognized for their co-creating ideas, workers that generate the remixing of multiple concepts on a large collaborative scale, creating new mashup products.Is it possible that the real world is moving everyday closer to global collaboration and the self contained classrooms of today are shifting in another direction? A direction of isolation, building the Great Wall of China and containing all knowledge, rigorous curriculum to specified outcomes, measured and assessed to a world where these measurements may no longer be important in determining success in the workforce.

Has the term collaboration changed from working well with others to the mixing of ideas for the recreation of deeper meanings of the disciplines? In this new of world of digital natives who will monitor exactness? Who will control the truest forms of knowledge for others to repeat the same paths of learning? Who will be the valedictorians of their class as individuals climb the latter to earn their rights to prestigious degrees of higher learning? All of these questions will be pondered as the world becomes flat. In fact the gap between the development and use of technology is like crossing the grate digital divide of leaving all children behind. Are we now standing on the other side of the great digital divide looking for ways to bridge the gap? And is it to late to cross over?

View: I Am A Digital Native

Slide Share: Digital Tools for Digital Kids

Download Video: Posted by kingismike at TeacherTube.com.

Filed under: Co Creating, Creativity and Technology, Digital Tools, Technology Integration, Technology and Teaching, Uncategorized, Web 2.0, Web 2.0 Education | 2 Comments »

Co-Creating may become one of the most powerful engines of change and innovations that the education world will experience. Co-Creating with other educators across the nation is like tapping a knowledge pool of similar interest, a reservoir of creativity that may emerge through an enthusiastic wealth of talent producing warehouses of digital curriculum. It will not be an easy change and many tough challenges lie ahead to offset the standardized models of the existing rigors of traditional education.

There is nothing wrong with mass co-creating, yet some see it as moving away from traditional practices of “drill and be drilled” forms of learning. The problems are even more alarming when educators become facilitators of learning that moves distinctly away from mass customization; limiting flexibility and relying on elements of creative thought. After all it was the Wright brothers who decided to fly after mashing together ideas about bicycles and creating new ideas about propulsion and wing designs. True co-creating does entail deeper knowledge of existing technology. Technology that is currently not prevalent in American schools, at least from the digital natives’ point of view.

These cries for change are now beginning to take hold as the business world is for the first time recognizing a new workplace; a workplace where individuals use the network to drive company decisions and collaborate daily in a new Web 2.0 environment. These new initiatives are beginning to emerge nationally recognizing that there is a digital divide between real world business practices and general education career preparations of the work force of tomorrow.

The new workforces of the Lego workers are now being recognized for their co-creating ideas, workers that generate the remixing of multiple concepts on a large collaborative scale, creating new mashup products.Is it possible that the real world is moving everyday closer to global collaboration and the self contained classrooms of today are shifting in another direction? A direction of isolation, building the Great Wall of China and containing all knowledge, rigorous curriculum to specified outcomes, measured and assessed to a world where these measurements may no longer be important in determining success in the workforce.

Has the term collaboration changed from working well with others to the mixing of ideas for the recreation of deeper meanings of the disciplines? In this new of world of digital natives who will monitor exactness? Who will control the truest forms of knowledge for others to repeat the same paths of learning? Who will be the valedictorians of their class as individuals climb the latter to earn their rights to prestigious degrees of higher learning? All of these questions will be pondered as the world becomes flat. In fact the gap between the development and use of technology is like crossing the grate digital divide of leaving all children behind. Are we now standing on the other side of the great digital divide looking for ways to bridge the gap? And is it to late to cross over?

See Also Slide Share Presentation: Digital Tools for Digital Kids

View: I Am A Digital Native

Download Video: Posted by kingismike at TeacherTube.com.

Filed under: Technology Integration | Tagged: Technology and Teaching, Technology Integration, Web 2.0 and Education | No Comments »

Luckily, the nation’s schools do not seem to be filled with cyber criminals although this does not mean that students will not be creative. To offset the negative impact of student creativity, teachers should make every effort to educate their students on the importance of cyber ethics and safety. As schools begin to utilize online learning, the development of lessons in cyber ethics and cyber security will become necessary. These lessons should emphasize the students’ role in protecting themselves, as well as their role in protecting the school’s reputation and equipment. The lessons can be designed in a cause and effect format that allows them to see these problems as relevant to their lives. To demonstrate how these lessons can be developed,  I will provided four sample mini-lessons, in the areas of cyber security and cyber ethics, that can be easily integrated into the curriculum. They were created using a simple and easy to follow format, that includes a rational, an activity description and an activity script for each mini-lessons.  

Lessons on cyber ethics can include a wide variety of topics, ranging from issues of legality to questions of courtesy. For instance, students should be exposed to lessons that emphasize consequences of copyright, plagiarism and hacking violations online. Through proper activity design and instruction, students will learn to understand that if too many unauthorized games are downloaded to the network or software changes are made without permission, the system may be overwhelmed. As a result, the network and Internet services may not be available for them to use for research the following day.  On the same note, students may be more likely to follow copyright guidelines and regulations if they too have spent time creating original work for the Internet. Through appropriately designed lessons or activities, teachers can illustrate how easily someone is able to violate another’s work. Educators agree teachers should make the online and offline worlds appear seamless if these types of lessons are to be effective. The most important factor in developing cyber ethic lessons is to teach students that the rules and laws on the Internet are the same as rules in the classroom and laws in society.

• A.U.P. Activity (aupactivity.pdf)
• cyber-ethics-on-trail-activity.pdf
• online-guidelines-activity.pdf
• dont-get-trapped-activity.pdf

Join the discussion at: http://copyright1.pbwiki.com/

Filed under: Copyright, Cyber Ethics, Internet Safety, Technology Resources, Technology and Teaching | No Comments »

Since the invention of the printing press, there has been an ongoing debate on how copyright laws should protect individuals who produce, and wish to protect, their original work. Now, with emerging technology and the information highway, policy developers are finding it again necessary to reshape these laws to fit the copyright needs of today and, ideally, the future. In education alone, policy developers are facing challenges regarding copyright that did not exist 20 years ago, such as distance learning and software sharing remixing digital media and mashups. In these and other areas, policy developers must strike a balance between protecting the creators of original work and allowing the public to use the works in an appropriate and legal manner. Educators should be involved in the development of copyright policies. School administrators, with assistance from the school’s legal advisors, must protect the school’s right to use selected copyrighted materials for educational purposes. Additionally, school administrators must serve as advocates for copyright laws that protect the school from liability when a student or staff member is using computer resources inappropriately on school property.  

The use of technology in the school, especially the Internet, has dramatically changed the way educators gather information. This fact makes restructuring copyright regulations a necessary component for cyber security. Until the last two decades, written information mainly was distributed through textbooks and publications under the watchful eye of a publishing company. The people within these textbook companies had great influence on copyright policies; therefore, the publishers made copyright policy arrangements with the district at the time of purchase. However, today, educators and learners can often obtain educational materials directly from the creator, especially through use of the Internet. While this increases access to educational resources, it also can make people less likely to abide by copyright laws and regulations. Because of this, schools now are faced with a new copyright problem which can only be remedied by developing and enforcing a copyright policy.  School administrators and media specialist must outline and define how copyright issues will be applied within the school setting. As the first step in developing a copyright policy, it is recommended to first research present copyright laws as they apply to new technologies, as well as establishing a method of communicating these policies, such as a copyright handbook. Over the next few weeks the Digital Sandbox will be developing copyright information to help school librarians, teachers, policy makers and administrators with helpful tips on designing technology-based copyright policy suggestions.

• Participate at http://copyright1.pbwiki.com/

Filed under: Copyright, Creative Commons, Mashups, Remixing Media | No Comments »

Avatars can be used by classroom teachers when designing interactive lessons as a way of interacting with students. Most avatars are known as “bots” and are powered by Natural Language Processing. Some avatars like Crazy Talk allows users to record natural voice overs along with secondary sound recordingd like music. Avatars like MASH (Microsoft Agent Scripting Helper) allows the user to program several characters within a single lesson narrative. When incorporating avitars into a lesson they can be used to define terms, give directions to an activity or reinforced content. Avatars can also be intergrated into a PowerPoint presentation as they are incorporated into an interactive whiteboard lesson.

• For more information on Avatars and lesson design go to Avatars.

Filed under: Avatars, Creativity and Technology, Education and Media, Learning, Technology Integration, Technology Resources, Technology and Learning, Technology and Teaching, Technology based Lesson Design | No Comments »

The Digital Sandbox is now sponsoring a new blog entitled Educational Leadership. Educational Leadership is designed to define the roles of leadership and how these roles affect organizational decision making. The primary focus will be to develop definitions around the essential elements of leadership within the dynamics of the school setting and how leadership becomes a pivotal force in effecting the learning outcome of the school. The blog explores the essential elements of leadership and demonstrates how these elements can be adapted to influence the school improvement process.

Filed under: Educational Leadership | 2 Comments »