Ten Tools for Teachers
Sure, as a professional you use your computer for email and web searching. But, there's so much more available online that educators absolutely love! Tony Vincent shares ten of his favorite resources. Learn about widgets for your website, software to capture images and video, social bookmarking, customized start pages, and more. Best of all, each of the ten tools are free of charge so you can get to using them right away!
Radio for Kids, by Kids
The real power of podcasting comes from the creation of the audio programs that are posted online for a global audience. Learn about the making of two amazing podcasts: Radio WillowWeb and Our City. Gain valuable instructional strategies, recording tips, and useful techniques for creating podcasts with students.
I Didn’t Know You Could Do That With an iPod!
iPods are showing up in classrooms as a motivating learning tool. Sure, you know about audio and video on iPods, but there is much more iPods have to offer. Go beyond simple audio and video and use iPods as motivating learning tools. Learn about interactive texts, RSS feeds, flash cards, quizzes, and more!
Meet the Mobile Web
The Mobile Internet is the term for websites and services that are formatted for the smaller screens of mobile devices, like cell phones and handhelds. There are a growing number of tools to make the Mobile Internet a friendlier place. Learn about the Web on handheld devices, including research, blogs, news feeds, and bookmarks. You will even discover the options for creating homepages for the mobile web.
Our City Podcast: Learn About Places from the Kids Who Live There
Our City Podcast invites kids from around the world to submit episodes about the places they live. With over 50 episodes, Our City Podcast has dozens episodes from all over North America. Explore ways to use Our City Podcast in classrooms. Also learn about preparing a class to produce their very own episode about their own city.
Audio Recording, Mixing, & Editing 101
With today’s computers, it is easy to record voices, edit mistakes, rearrange content, add sound effects or music, and export as an MP3 file. Producing audio content can be a powerful motivator, and the software is free. The session focuses on Audacity, free software for Mac and Windows users.
Quiz Me!
Quizzler is a popular cross-curricular program that Tony considers a must have application for any Palm, Pocket PC, iPod, or web-enabled handheld. Come to this session to learn how to find, make, beam, and take quizzes. Tony will even share some great tips to use when making quizzes. Discover how to collect quiz scores from students and how to turn ordinary quizzes into fun, interactive, and entertaining learning experiences for students.
Listen Up, Teachers!
There are over 30,000 podcasts just waiting to be listened to. It’s good news that many of these free audio programs are made especially for educators. Learn about finding, subscribing, and listening to podcasts for professional development. Get great ideas for lessons, learn about new technologies, and think critically about your profession through podcasts.
What It’s All About: Blogs & RSS
Blogs are easy-to-update websites. Gone are the days of complicated HTML editors and uploading. Teachers and students are keeping blogs for posting assignments, reflecting on lessons, and connecting with one another. Blogs use the magic of Really Simple Syndication to make their content available in a variety of forms and websites. Learn how real educators and students use blogs and RSS for learning!
Terrific Macintosh Tips for Teachers
Mac OS X is becoming more and more popular. It is full of useful features, many you probably don't know about. Learn about useful keyboard shortcuts, zooming in on the screen, adjusting the volume, grabbing screenshots, making zip files, and many more tip and tricks educators will find extremely useful.
Fun & Free Palm Software
Dozens of educational software applications are avaialble for the Palm Operating System are absolutely free! Tony Vincent demonstrates software and classroom activities that teachers and students are using for learning. Examples include completing crazy word stories, arranging parts of speech, simulating pond life, and mathematical games.
Q & A: What’s Tony Got to Say?
Whether you’re new to handheld computing or have been using handhelds with students for years, you surely have questions. Tony answers your queries about classroom management, charging, software, learning activities, or whatever else is on your mind. Find out what Tony has to say and join the discussion by adding your own two-cents’ worth!
I Like Handhelds Because…
Palm™ and Pocket PC™ handhelds aren’t simply organizers—they are fully functional computers that can run a variety of software applications! In fact, they are a great way to put a computer in the hands of every student. Classrooms all over the world are using handhelds for teaching and learning because of their low cost, portability, ease-of-use, and versatility. However, Tony Vincent has other reasons that he and his students love handheld computers in their school. From time saving software for teachers to creative ways to teach parts of speech, learn about how handhelds are great for teachers, students, and learning.
From Crazy to Creative
Innovative teachers and students from across the country are using handheld computers in creative, cool, and even crazy ways. Tony Vincent shares experiences, activities, and software that will leave no doubt that handhelds are small computers that can be used in so many different ways. Get a glimpse of the educational possibilities when students have access to handheld computing!
...or ask me about speaking on any topic I've covered on my websites, podcast, or blog! |
Learning in Hand: iPods
Spend a day with your iPod in this hands-on workshop. Besides learning about audio and video on iPods, you'll learn about so many other educational uses for iPods, including viewing notes, recording voice memos, accessing news feeds, creating interactive study aids, and much more.
Palm Handheld Curriculum Workshop
Handhelds are a great tool to teach concepts in every curriculum area! Tony demonstrates samples activities for state capitals, math problem solving, parts of speech, and planets. Within these lessons, teachers will use wonderful freeware applications that teachers can use to teach many more activities than the samples ones presented.
Doing It Without Software: Web Applications
There are many tasks that used to require software that you can now do from inside of your Web browser. Web applications are great for students and teachers because they are free and you won’t install software. Learn about creating jazzy slide shows, resizing images, animating photos, and more!
Podcasting
Anyone can publish a podcast nowadays, so why aren’t you? Learn from an experienced podcaster about this wonderful form of communication. With Radio WillowWeb and Our City Podcast as guides, Tony shares from his experiences from podcasting with students. Working together, the group will create a sample podcast episode while learning valuable tips and techniques along the way. You’ll leave energized to start your very own podcast!
Become a Blogger
A blog is a website that is easy to update. No longer do students or educators need to know HTML or complicated software to have a presence on the Web. Learn about why blogs are such incredible tools for teaching and learning, read example blogs, and start your very own!
Make Marvelous
Movies
Bring your digital camcorder if you’ve got one and let’s
make a movie! Sure, software like iMovie makes it easy to put together
a video. However, there are techniques you can use to make ordinary
movies spectacular. Learn about tips and tricks for helping students
memorize lines, improving sound quality, changing camera angles,
and much more.
Web Widgets: Interactive & Self-Updating
Web widgets can bring new life to a classroom site. Web widgets
are little bits of code you embed into a webpage or blog. Once a
widget is placed on a page, it can grab updated information or display
interactive content. Learn about places to find, customize, and
use free Web widgets that display their information right on your
own page. Examples include word of the day, daily riddles, educational
videos, audio files, photo albums, games, and polls. Your website
or blog will thank you for the fresh, new content!
You’re in Control: Producing Content for Handhelds
There are hundreds of great Palm OS applications for learning. However, handy applications shouldn't be the only files taking up the memory on your students' handhelds. Besides an array of programs, handhelds should be filled with quality content. Learn about creating eBooks, audio programs, websites, and videos for palm-sized computers. Discover how meaningful learning really can be when teachers and students produce and share their own digital content!
Social Studies and Handheld Computers
Discussion groups, practice by doing, and teaching others are methods that lead to high retention of information. Learn about innovative activities you can conduct with handhelds that use these methods to teach social studies concepts like economics and history in fun and effective ways!
Language Arts and Palm Computers
Handhelds are a great way to motivate students in language arts! Learn creative ways to engage learners in reading and writing activities. Experience the game "Cross-Talk," learn about great ways to use a word processor, interact with eBooks, and more!
Reading and Palm Computers
There are so many great activities for elementary students that help reading comprehension and use Palm Powered handheld computers. Tony Vincent demonstrates multiple engaging activities for before, during, and after reading. From building vocabulary and background knowledge to personal connections, visualization, and concept mapping, your students will see there's more to reading than just decoding words!
Handhelds in Your Classroom: Off to a Speedy Start
Are you new to using Palm™ or Pocket PC™ handheld computers with students? Are you having difficulty figuring out where to begin? Help is here! Jump-start your lessons using handhelds by learning about cross-curricular activities that are simple to do with students. These activities require only free software, handheld computers, and class full of eager learners. Explore how to engage students with digital dictionaries, electronic quizzes, virtual concept maps, challenging games, and more!
Handhelds + Math + Bloom's Taxonomy = Loads of Learning
Take a trip through Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy by learning about cool activities for third through eighth graders that use Palm™ and Pocket PC™ handheld computers. The journey begins with digital flash cards for the Knowledge level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. The trip also includes activities for teaching the Order of Operations, algebra concepts, spreadsheets, Roman numerals, and more. After sampling activities from a full array of thinking skills, teachers will have numerous ideas for teaching differentiated math lessons using handhelds.
Science and Palm Computers
There are many great pieces of software for Palm handheld computers that help students learn important science concepts. Learn about using handhelds to teach about gravity, biodiversity, moon phases, and ecology.
Spectacular Spelling
Spelling tests and their week-long preparation are commonplace in most schools. This session focuses on two useful Palm freeware applications to aid in studying for these exams. One is SpellIT, software for easily entering and practicing spelling words and their definitions. The second application is Dictate. Dictate allows teachers to create words, phrases, or sentences to be used in dictation. Students input the dictation into their handhelds as the teacher reads each item aloud. One of the best features of both SpellIT and Dictate is the instant feedback provided to students. Valuable management techniques will be shared so you get the most out of these two Palm applications. Handheld-using learners will appreciate studying for weekly spelling tests with these effective tools.
Tiny Spreadsheets = Great Learning Tools
Sheets To Go and Pocket Excel are great pieces of software that ship with virtually every Palm or Windows Mobile handheld. Spreadsheets can be powerful learning tools. Like their desktop companion, Excel, Sheets To Go and Pocket Excel can be used for making tables, storing data, and performing calculations. Learn about making your very own spreadsheets for geometry calculations, figuring your age and weight on other planets, practicing homophones, using self-checking worksheets, and more. You'll be amazed at what students in grades 4-12 can do with a tiny spreadsheet!
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