Ms. Trees' TL Blog

Animoto - Creating amazing Videos

2010-11-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

Animoto

"Turn your photos & videos into pure amazing. Animoto automatically produces beautifully orchestrated, completely unique video pieces from your photos, video clips and music. Fast, free and shockingly easy."

Create videos with your own images, videos, and music or create with animoto's stock images, etc. You enter the images, etc., and the text and they magically create the rest. Try it out!

In less than 10 minutes I created this video from a few of my own photographs - not too shabby I'd say.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com

I know you'll have fun at Animoto, so check it out!

VoiceThread

2010-11-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

VoiceThread is another Web 2.0 technology with heaps of potential. This technology allows users to dialogue around single or multiple images, videos, and text. There are various formats that can be used to as the basis of conversation - PDF's, Word, Excel, Powerpoint files, WAV or mp3 files. Users can respond and dialogue using microphones, audio files, webcams, or via typing text. Watch the simple VoiceThread below to see an example of how they can be used.

I've created a sample VoiceThread below to suggest how VoiceThreads could be used in our classrooms and schools. Please note that my sample is not 'picture perfect', but at least you should get the idea as to how it works and how you could possibly use it within your own practice. So explore and have fun! (of course this won't include laughing at me, right?!?!)
Need help creating one... please ask - I'd love to help!

Khan Academy Resource

2010-10-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

"The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) with the mission of providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere. We are complementing Salman's ever-growing library with user-paced exercises--developed as an open source project--allowing the Khan Academy to become the free classroom for the World. "

This website contains an extensive video library: 1800+ Videos in Math, Science, History & Finance, as well as talks and interviews, exercise, and test prep for SAT's.

The videos are available free without logging in; however, users must create a free account to complete exercises and veiw your progress. Be sure to check this resource out!

khanacademy.org

Teacher Syndicate Resource

2010-10-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Teacher Syndicate has just been updated!

Browse and download for FREE:

* The world's biggest education digital library with over 100,000 e-books

* 100's of free innovative lessons for all classes

* 100's of 1:1 computer resources

* New resources added weekly

* A free weekly newsletter listing all updates for that week

Also check out the specials from our education supplies warehouse!

www.teachersyndicate.com

Sharing too much on Facebook could cost you - Globe & Mail Article

2010-10-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sharing too much on Facebook could cost you
DIANNE NICE

Globe and Mail Update
Published Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 6:30AM EDT
Last updated Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 8:30AM EDT
_________

This is a great article worth reading about how to protect yourself and your identity in Facebook and online. Lots of good reminders!

New Resource - CrowdVoice

2010-10-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

CROWDVOICE - Tracking Voices of Protest

Mission:
CrowdVoice brings together the global community with the topics you care about and want to follow. CrowdVoice is user-powered - the submitted information is chosen and approved by the community. Instead of checking news, video and social networking sites for updates on the issues that matter to you, get your fix in one place and join the crowd by adding information or approving what others already submitted.

People:
CrowdVoice is a project by MideastYouth.com, an independent grassroots digital network that leverages the power of new media to facilitate our struggle against oppression in the Middle East and North Africa. We're driven by our passion for civil engagement, freedom of speech, and employing innovative solutions to pervasive and persistent human problems.

Crowded Voice - Voices in Protest

Interactive Folio and Study Guide: Romeo and Juliet

2010-10-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Interactive Folio and Study Guide: Romeo and Juliet

"Here you’ll find quite simply the most interactive and sophisticated version of Romeo and Juliet ever created: use it as a study guide and teaching tool. Read the play, read its English source texts, read critical materials on the play, explore Shakespeare's vocabulary, and experience a full range of multi-media associated with the play. "

Interactive Folio & Study Guide - Romeo and Juliet

A new tool for Internet Searching: SortFix

2010-10-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a great new tool for searching...SortFix. www.sortfix.com Watch the following clip for a little demo of how it works. This could be particularly effective with our middle school students, but useful for all of us who often get search results we don't want.

Youtube - SortFix Search Engine Animation

Sort Fix graphically facilitates search and demonstrates thinking about search refinement. A behind-the- scenes algorithm scans results to identify and present significant keywords. Searchers can grab (or remove) these words from their search baskets to refine their searches and create better queries. A dictionary basket is available to compensate for new vocabulary.

I'm definately adding this to my list of search engines! Check it out!

Chalk Talk e-newsletter: 08 Oct. 2010

2010-10-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

"Chalk Talk is a weekly e-newsletter produced for Canadian educators by CoEd Communications Inc., available at no charge by subscription. Chalk Talk contains a treasure trove of timely articles, facts and figures, and features information on free, quality, curriculum-based teaching resources that teachers can use to create interesting and topical lesson plans on a variety of subjects from Canadian History, the Environment, Social Trends and Human Rights, to Literacy and Numeracy. Current and past issues of Chalk Talk are posted to this site." http://www.4edu.ca/tors/chalk.asp

Check out their Featured Resources List for great websites!

New Environmental Resource

2010-10-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

Green Ideas Network

"Green Ideas Network has enthusiastic "green experts" to provide advice, tips and key information on all environmental topics. We take pride in focusing on solutions that can make our homes and communities healthier and greener. Green Ideas Network wants to be your centre for sustainable living. Join us now and be part of the solution! "

DEAR - An upcoming event

2010-10-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

National School Library Day is Monday, October 25th, 2010.

In recognition of this, and of course to encourage reading as a daily activity in own our lives and the lives of our students, our school is participating in D.E.A.R., Drop Everything And Read.

Time: 12:00pm (right after lunch) - 12:20pm

We would ask that everyone participate; both students & staff alike. Enjoy 20 minutes of reading and all the adventure that it brings.

FYI: The library will be open before school and during lunch to allow students to sign out materials.

For more information go to http://bctf.ca/bctla/pub/index.html

Reading really is a beautiful thing