http://techchicktips.net Two Texas Chicks who Love Technology and the Digital Lifestyle Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:52:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 2006-2009 digimom@techchicktips.net (Two Tech Chicks) digimom@techchicktips.net (Two Tech Chicks) Educational Technology 1440 http://techchicktips.net/podcasts/techchicksh_144.jpg http://techchicktips.net 144 144 Tips and tricks for educating 21st century learners with 21st century skills! The podcast is geared specifically to educators interested in integrating technology into their curriculum. Companion blog, forums and resources at: http://techchicktips.[...] Two Texas Chicks who Love Technology and the Digital Lifestyle mac, apple, tips, teacher, education, web2.0, digital, integration Two Tech Chicks Two Tech Chicks digimom@techchicktips.net no no http://techchicktips.net/2010/11/18/0078-tct-the-ipad-episode-the-super-long-ipad-episode/ http://techchicktips.net/2010/11/18/0078-tct-the-ipad-episode-the-super-long-ipad-episode/#comments Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:03:11 +0000 Anna http://techchicktips.net/2010/11/18/0078-tct-the-ipad-episode-the-super-long-ipad-episode/ http://techchicktips.net/2010/11/18/0078-tct-the-ipad-episode-the-super-long-ipad-episode/feed/ 2 1:04:38 The long awaited (at least by us) iPad episode!! All things iPad. We talk about nearly a bazillion different apps. We’ll get around to listing them all here soon-ish (so we’ve started listing the apps in the links below, but there[...] The long awaited (at least by us) iPad episode!! All things iPad. We talk about nearly a bazillion different apps. We’ll get around to listing them all here soon-ish (so we’ve started listing the apps in the links below, but there’s more to come!). We promise! photo credit: joshfassbind.com So here’s the beginning of our apps listing–check them out via our appolicious lists: Productivity apps More productivity apps Reference apps Reading apps Book apps Science-related apps Need some more ideas? Check out 30 Interesting Ways to Use iPads in the Classroom links, podcast Two Tech Chicks no no http://techchicktips.net/2010/01/21/0067-tct-the-apptabulous-episode/ http://techchicktips.net/2010/01/21/0067-tct-the-apptabulous-episode/#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:56:44 +0000 Anna http://techchicktips.net/?p=356 http://techchicktips.net/2010/01/21/0067-tct-the-apptabulous-episode/feed/ 1 0:39:32 The show notes are coming soon-ish. We promise! In the meantime, you can just listen! Show notes are up! See below :D Haiti donations (1:10) 2010 Earthquake in Haiti: The www.state.gov website serves as the State Department’s portal of informatio[...] The show notes are coming soon-ish. We promise! In the meantime, you can just listen! Show notes are up! See below :D Haiti donations (1:10) 2010 Earthquake in Haiti: The www.state.gov website serves as the State Department’s portal of information on U.S. foreign policy and information about the State Department. This site refers to information about the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Canadian ADE (3:58) ADE: Apple is currently accepting applications for the Class of 2010 ADEs in Canada. For more information and details on the application process review the guidelines for Canada on page 2 of the Contents section above. Deadline for application is February 13, 2010. iBoard (4:22) iboard player: Approx 400 resources for students and teachers to use with IWB. Subscription is needed, but there are 15 sample activities available. Kid Blog (7:12) Kidblog.org – Blogs for Teachers and Students: “Kidblog.org is designed for elementary and middle school teachers who want to provide each student with their own, unique blog. Kidblog’s simple, yet powerful tools allow students to publish posts and participate in discussions within a secure classroom blogging community. Teachers maintain complete control over student blogs.” Big Universe (9:30) Best Children’s Picture Books Online – BigUniverse.com: Award-winning education website for grades K-8. This engaging web community uses beautiful picture books to instill the love of reading, writing and learning, while providing an anywhere-anytime, standards-based, education resource that connects teachers, students and parents. Audio Owl (15:22) AudioOwl – Free Audio Books – Download mp3 and iPod format today! Your source for free audio books. Downloads available in mp3, iPod and iTunes format Cellphone contract (18:01) Child Cellphone Usage Policy: Sample cellphone contract that can be used with children Toy to Tool Blog (20:42) From Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Learning: “A conversation about integrating student cell phones into classroom curricula.” iPod Touch in Education (24:10) iPod touch in Education: Resources for using the iPod Touch in education. Best Kids Apps (26:01) iPhone Games Reviews, Apps Reviews, Tips & Tricks | Best Kids Apps: Review blog for parents who want to find the best children’s iPhone applications without slogging through the entire iTunes Store. Written by moms. Categorized by age and type. Appolicious (28:00) iPhone Apps: Find, share and track | Appolicious ™ iPhone App Directory: Site where you can quickly find mobile apps you’ll love. Get recommendations from editors, peeps in your social network, and more. Search and view app names, ratings, reviews, social activity (which of your friends use the app) and media mentions, plus videos and pictures for the apps. AppsFire (29:19) Appsfire: easily share your favorite selection of iPhone apps with anyone. Appsfire was born in early 2009 out of an encounter, a user frustration and a challenge: ‘crack’ the iPhone sandbox to collect the list of user apps, thereby allowing the creation of a service to facilitate peer-to-peer app recommendations… a few months afterwards, Appsfire.com was born, starting with a Mac OS X client app and a web front, followed by a native iPhone app and a PC port of the sync app. AppsFire: Helen’s Ed Apps: Widget created by Appsfire that has my picks for Education Apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch Best App Ever voting (31:29) 2009 Best App Ever Awards: Lots of categories, including several for kids of all ages. You can also vote for your fave until Jan 31, 2010! App Store Expense Monitor (33:02) WetFish Software » Software » App Store Expense Monitor: “This application gathers all iPhone applications from your iTunes folder on your computer, reads out the price information and presents the total amount of money you spent on the Apple App Store.” Our app picks: Mon[...] links, podcast Two Tech Chicks no no http://techchicktips.net/2009/04/10/episode-53-the-truce-episode/ http://techchicktips.net/2009/04/10/episode-53-the-truce-episode/#comments Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:22:21 +0000 Helen http://techchicktips.net/?p=231 http://techchicktips.net/2009/04/10/episode-53-the-truce-episode/feed/ 2 0:00:01 photo credit: Bob.Fornal Resources Philosophy for Children — Philosophical questions for students based on children’s books. Each book has a link to the philosophical issues covered in the book and another link with discussion questi[...] photo credit: Bob.Fornal Resources Philosophy for Children — Philosophical questions for students based on children’s books. Each book has a link to the philosophical issues covered in the book and another link with discussion questions. Great way to do HOT with younger students! HippoCampus — (from the site) HippoCampus is a project of the Monterey Institute for Technology and Education (MITE). The goal of HippoCampus is to provide high-quality, multimedia content on general education subjects to high school and college students free of charge. Google Earth 5 (beta release) Historical imagery from around the globe Ocean floor and surface data from marine experts Simplified touring with audio and voice recording Mars included; still missing Moon Cool Math — Lots of math resources–LOTS! BibMe — (from site) Free fully automatic bibliography maker that auto-fills. It’s the easiest way to build a works cited page. OttoBib — Bibliography by ISBN; several formats; auto alphabetize! Lexipedia — Word power visually (definition, antonyms, synonyms, etc) Be the Boss! — Blog post from Principal’s Page. Even if you’re not the principal, find some good leadership ideas here. iEar – I Education Apps Review iFaves Toddler Teasers — ($1.99 for all four or $.99 each in iTunes store) Learn letters, numbers, shapes, and colors! TextLater — ($.99 in iTunes store) Schedule SMS to be sent when you want it sent–need we say more? links, podcast Two Tech Chicks no no http://techchicktips.net/2009/04/05/episode-52-back-from-canada-eh/ http://techchicktips.net/2009/04/05/episode-52-back-from-canada-eh/#comments Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:16:20 +0000 Helen http://techchicktips.net/?p=228 http://techchicktips.net/2009/04/05/episode-52-back-from-canada-eh/feed/ 5 0:37:11 In this episode of Tech Chick Tips… photo credit: Fracture We’re back from Canada and the Teacher2Teacher conference. Love our new friends! We blabber on a bit so if you’re not interested in our trip to Canada, fast forward to [...] In this episode of Tech Chick Tips… photo credit: Fracture We’re back from Canada and the Teacher2Teacher conference. Love our new friends! We blabber on a bit so if you’re not interested in our trip to Canada, fast forward to about 11:42 :) Resources LookyBook – We say farewell! PageKeeper – quickly and easily create a webpage of links to share with your students and parents. Free with no advertising! Best example of its use: DJBecker’s Page DrivingKids – Here’s a first – we talk about something we pointedly do not recommend. Listen to the podcast to find out why! Well, okay – it’s because the navigation is clunky, the games aren’t easily discernible to ability level and the chat has very little protection for kids SmartPhone Filters – discussion of filtering on smartphones for students/kids and a link to one such application for the iPhone Lincoln’s FaceBook Page – what Abraham Lincoln’s Facebook page would look like if he had one WebSlides on Diigo – turn a collection of bookmarks (or an RSS feed!) into a slideshow. Look for an example at the end of this, and all forthcoming podcast episode notes TweetCall – call in your Twitter updates for free! iFaves GeoLogTag ($4.99 @iTunes) – use your iPhone as a geotagger to snyc up your photos with your location The Chemical Touch Lite (free @iTunes) – the Periodic Table of Elements in your pocket! links, podcast Two Tech Chicks no no http://techchicktips.net/2009/03/05/the-golden-episodeyup-50/ http://techchicktips.net/2009/03/05/the-golden-episodeyup-50/#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:36:31 +0000 Helen http://techchicktips.net/?p=204 http://techchicktips.net/2009/03/05/the-golden-episodeyup-50/feed/ 8 0:00:01 photo credit: (nz)dave Episode 50-Links that make us think… Resources Jeopardy Labs -  Allows you to create a customized jeopardy template without PowerPoint. The games you make can be played online from anywhere in the world. TikaTo[...] photo credit: (nz)dave Episode 50-Links that make us think… Resources Jeopardy Labs -  Allows you to create a customized jeopardy template without PowerPoint. The games you make can be played online from anywhere in the world. TikaTok – Imagine a story, create a book. Kinetic City – Amazing collection of games, science experiments, and projects. Beat the bugs and set things right. JayCut – Online video editing. Edmodo – Edmodo is a private microblogging platform that teachers and students can use to send notes, links, files, alerts, assignments, and events to each other. All About Explorers – All About Explorers was developed by a group of teachers as a means of teaching students about the Internet. Because we wanted to make a point about finding useless information even in a site which looked at first to be fairly well put together, all of the Explorer biographies here are fictional. While many of the facts are true or based on truth, many inaccuracies, lies, and even downright absurdity are mixed in indiscriminately. As such, it is important that you do not use this site as a source of reference for your own research! Follow @explorers on Twitter. In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update – NY Times article about how the job of librarians is changing in the digital age. Faves Mancala FS5 ($FREE) – strategic thinking board game gone global (website). ABC Animals ($2.99) – ABC Animals provides a wonderful set of interactive flashcards that aid in teaching young children to recognize, say and print English alphabet letters (website). links, podcast Two Tech Chicks no no http://techchicktips.net/2008/10/14/episode-46-were-ba-a-ack/ http://techchicktips.net/2008/10/14/episode-46-were-ba-a-ack/#comments Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:32:54 +0000 Helen http://techchicktips.net/?p=160 http://techchicktips.net/2008/10/14/episode-46-were-ba-a-ack/feed/ 5 0:29:00 Thanks for the encouragement–we missed you guys! And we promise to podcast more regularly now that we’re back! Please welcome new Twitter friends: @Dominguez73 and @jillbalzer and encourage them to post away! photo credit: chrisjfry [...] Thanks for the encouragement–we missed you guys! And we promise to podcast more regularly now that we’re back! Please welcome new Twitter friends: @Dominguez73 and @jillbalzer and encourage them to post away! photo credit: chrisjfry Resources Educational Technology Clearinghouse Digital resources for Florida schools, but available to everyone! Awesome resource! Oovoo Skype-like communication application. Available for Windows and in Mac beta. Text, audio, and video chat with up to three people. Send video messages. Record videoconferences as flash files. Send files up to 25 MB. Upgrades available. Twiddla A web based interactive whiteboard. Share documents, mark up images. Public whiteboards do not require accounts for collaboration. BetaVote Global online vote for US President. Could lead to interesting discusssion about the various countries and how they vote. Also good for math applications (statistics, story problems, etc). Neave The interactive playground of Paul Neave. Features flash-based constellations, earth view, arcade games, and digital art. Pumpkin Seed Estimation A fun fall activity open to Prek through 3rd grade student worldwide emphasizing math skills and allowing students to share their work globally. ClassroomBraids Students interact via a wiki and learn about cultures while learning about sailing and traveling around the world. Redfining Rigor — ASCD Article that challenges what we think about appropriate content. Learning Opportunities NECC 2009 Washington, D.C. – 35th Anniversary – Registration is now open; also open discussion on the NECC Ning discussion forum regarding Fair Use and Digital Citizenship. K-12 Online Conference The K-12 Online Conference invites participation from educators around the world interested in innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used to improve learning. This FREE conference is run by volunteers and open to everyone. The 2008 conference theme is “Amplifying Possibilities”. Going on now through Oct 31, but archived as well! TECH Forum High-powered, one-day event provides K-12 decision makers with thought-provoking content on the hottest topics of the day in education technology. links, podcast Two Tech Chicks no no http://techchicktips.net/2008/07/08/necc-08-t-shirt-anyone/ http://techchicktips.net/2008/07/08/necc-08-t-shirt-anyone/#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:42:13 +0000 Helen http://techchicktips.net/?p=157 http://techchicktips.net/2008/07/08/necc-08-t-shirt-anyone/feed/ 1 http://techchicktips.net/2008/04/29/episode-44/ http://techchicktips.net/2008/04/29/episode-44/#comments Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:25:52 +0000 Helen http://techchicktips.net/?p=145 http://techchicktips.net/2008/04/29/episode-44/feed/ 14 0:31:31 photo credit: Thomas Hawk Twitter Commentary in response to blog post by David Jakes (sorry–we’re a little long winded, but we just had to do it…). If you’re sick of hearing about Twitter, fast forward about 23 minutes. Hey[...] photo credit: Thomas Hawk Twitter Commentary in response to blog post by David Jakes (sorry–we’re a little long winded, but we just had to do it…). If you’re sick of hearing about Twitter, fast forward about 23 minutes. Hey… you were warned! Resources Newbie’s Guide to Twitter http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-9697867-2.htmlGood beginner’s guide for anyone new to Twitter from Rafe Needleman whose name Anna dubbed in later because she had a flub. It’s a terrible edit. Painful. We’re human. Long Portraits http://photojojo.com/content/photojojo-original/long-portrait-video A quick and easy, but powerful example of digital storytelling. 30 second or less video of someone responding to a question. Great to take at the beginning of the year and then end of year, or from year to year, maybe with the same question each year, to watch the kids grow and change. Good for career days. Artsonia http://www.artsonia.com/ World’s Largest Children’s Art Museum MooURL http://www.moourl.com/ Web’s cutest URL shortening service. If you have a really loooong URL, just paste it in the text field, and they’ll milk it, creating a moourl for you. It lasts forever, It’s automatically copied to your clipboard, and It’s really cute. We’re dropping our forums…but you can communicate with other edutechs: use Twitter use comments on episode notes use Diigo IM us links, podcast, ponderings Two Tech Chicks no no http://techchicktips.net/2008/03/26/episode-42-ha-best-you-didnt-think-wed-be-back-that-fast/ http://techchicktips.net/2008/03/26/episode-42-ha-best-you-didnt-think-wed-be-back-that-fast/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:15:41 +0000 Helen http://techchicktips.net/2008/03/26/episode-42-ha-best-you-didnt-think-wed-be-back-that-fast/ http://techchicktips.net/2008/03/26/episode-42-ha-best-you-didnt-think-wed-be-back-that-fast/feed/ 1 0:15:13 photo credit: *Katch So we felt guilty about the lapse between episodes 40 and 41, so we’re following up 41 with 42-brief, but still full of the goodness you’ve come to expect! *uh…any extraneous noises may be Anna’s [...] photo credit: *Katch So we felt guilty about the lapse between episodes 40 and 41, so we’re following up 41 with 42-brief, but still full of the goodness you’ve come to expect! *uh…any extraneous noises may be Anna’s kids, but there really aren’t many–they did a great job and were quiet while we recorded! :-) {update by Anna: Let’s play “listen for the kids!” First person who hears them arguing in the background gets a free t-shirt!} Shout Outs: * @njtechteacher for Panwaba even though it was already on our list. Thanks for sharing ideas! * @dmcordell for Student 2.0 site. * @katiemorrow is a new follower and is a new blogger–go by and encourage her AND learn from her! * @BarbInNebraska and @cnansen for helping us call out a plagiarizer! * Our Twitter network for contributing links on search engines that we added to ours for our upcoming article (SLJ-available April 1st). * btw…if you’re not on twitter yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! What a great learning resource! Resources TweetMap http://www.mytweetmap.com/ Twitter and Google Maps mashup that works as a Twitter client and allows you to see where your Friends’ tweets come from (thanks to @cnansen for sharing his students’ work). TeachStrong http://teachstrongnetwork.ning.com/ An online Professional Learning Community for educators interested in becoming stronger teachers through the use of digital technologies. BeFunky http://www.befunky.com/ Two free online applications which will allow users to create self-expressions. “Cartoonizer” re-creates images/videos by turning them into digital paintings, cartoons and comics. Uvatar (coming from avatar where u represents “You”) which helps to create an exact illustrated representation of its owner. We think the cartoonizer may be helpful for creating avatars for students to use to protect their identity. Electronic Student Portfolios http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic82.htm Fairly comprehensive listing of URLs all about portfolios for teachers and students. Diigo http://www.diigo.com/ Bookmark and highlight the web. Add sticky notes. Access and search your findings from any PC or iPhone. Create groups to pool resources for specific projects. Bonus song: Ctrl Z by Popple links, podcast Two Tech Chicks no no http://techchicktips.net/2008/03/22/episode-41/ http://techchicktips.net/2008/03/22/episode-41/#comments Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:38:26 +0000 Helen http://techchicktips.net/2008/03/22/episode-41/ http://techchicktips.net/2008/03/22/episode-41/feed/ 4 0:25:09 photo credit: ecstaticist We know it’s been a while, but we’re back! This episode is packed with links that we’ve been wanting to share with you. And special thanks to Anna’s Mom and Dad who let us arrive unexpectedl[...] photo credit: ecstaticist We know it’s been a while, but we’re back! This episode is packed with links that we’ve been wanting to share with you. And special thanks to Anna’s Mom and Dad who let us arrive unexpectedly and use their wireless this morning. Long story, but you’ll hear it on the podcast…and we have to get this posted, so it’s not as edited…hope you can bear with us! What Could It Mean http://whatcoulditmean.wikispaces.com/ Using VoiceThread, contribute a single photo of your country depicting a unique tradition, custom, routine, etc. Students post their thoughts on what that image represents. VoiceThread Revisited http://ed.voicethread.com Providing a secure, collaborative environment for educators and students. $10 fee, but that’s almost free. Kerpoof http://www.kerpoof.com http://www.kerpoof.com/teach What is Kerpoof? Kerpoof is all about having fun, discovering things, and being creative. Here are just a few ways you can use Kerpoof: Make artwork (even if you aren’t good at drawing!) Make an animated movie (really! it’s easy!) Earn Koins which you will soon be able to spend in The Kerpoof Store Make a printed card, t-shirt, or mug Tell a story Make a drawing Vote on the movies, stories, and drawings that other people have made Linked to Texas and Washington standards; committed to being kid-friendly! Educator page has ideas for using the site as well as lesson plans and other resources. Panwapa http://www.panwapa.com Developed by the educators behind Sesame Street, geared towards 4 to 7 year olds with the intent to promote global awareness. Awareness of the wider world, appreciating similarities and valuing differences, taking responsibility for one’s behaviors, community participation and willingness to take action, and understanding of and responsiveness to economic disparity. Several languages, video and print. Lesson plans coming soon. Levelator http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/ Free software that runs on Windows, OS X (universal binary), or Linux (Ubuntu) that adjusts the audio levels within your podcast or other audio file for variations from one speaker to the next, for example. It’s magic–levels of both people speaking are magically “levelled” out–your podcasts (or any audio recording) will sound professional! Gigapan http://share.gigapan.org/easter.php?window_height=697&window_width=1297 GigaPan consists of three technological developments: a robotic camera mount for capturing very high-resolution (gigapixel and up) panoramic images using a standard digital camera; custom software for constructing very high-resolution gigapixel panoramas; and, a new type of website for exploring, sharing and commenting on gigapixel panoramas and the detail our users will discover within them. The GigaPan website allows hosting and sharing all kinds of panoramas, and so the robotic GigaPan mount is recommended but is certainly not required to be part of this community. Think digital online “Where’s Waldo”. HP Project Idea http://tiny.cc/j3KGo Do a scavenger hunt with your students. Make it a Math hunt. Find an example of 4/5th. Or find a parallelogram. Extra points for using an original example. 100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn Sorry guys! We were so wowed by all the links that we didn’t read the comments all the way through! “ipod-hacker” apparently plagiarized this article from the Online Educational Database. Please see the original article: http://oedb.org/library/beginning-online-learning/100-ways-to-use-your-ipod-to-learn-and-study-better http://the-ipod-hacker.blogspot.com/2008/02/100-ways-to-use-your-ipod-to-learn-and.html Lists of study guides, tutorials, podcasts, applications, and other downloads to help users get the most out of their iPod and really use it as a learning tool. Some services are for charge, while others are free. Poll [...] links, podcast Two Tech Chicks no no