Embedit.in is a great site I happened upon the other day. You can select a document, graphic, or web page and choose to embed as the full file or a thumbnail. Click "embed" and Embedit.in provides the embed code. You can then copy and paste the code in the Source of your ANGEL page.
As you can tell, it is diffucult to explain. The video does a great job though!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Most Important Question on Syllabus Quiz
About two weeks ago I sent out a call for the most important question you post on a syllabus quiz. Boy, were we surprised! And it generated some lively discussion here in the Butler Online office in El Dorado. So here are the responses we received so far. Maybe they will generate some ideas for you as well
What is the most useful question that you put in your syllabus quiz?
What is the most useful question that you put in your syllabus quiz?
| Have you purchased your book(s) for class yet? | ~Sonja M. |
| What days are assignments/tests due? | ~Vicki L. |
| What time are assignments/tests due? | ~Vicki L. |
| What day/time are assignments due for this class? | ~Lisa P. |
| What is the late-assignment policy in this class? | ~Sheryl L. |
| Who do you contact if you have a technology-related question during this course | ~Mark D. |
| How many points are discussions worth? | ~Jared M. |
| What is your instructor's email address? | ~Marj H. |
| What percentage must I attain to earn a B in this class? | ~Theresa J. |
| What is the minimum score you must receive on the final exam ... to pass this class? | ~Bethany C. |
| What happens if you have a late assignment? | ~Elizabeth L. |
| When emailing the instructor, what goes first into the “subject” line? | ~Ron G. |
Wigflip
Wigflip has a number of tools you might find useful in your ANGEL course and computing in general. You can create sticky notes, add text to graphics, create scrolling text and signs, etc., etc. I created a reminder sticky note for my course and added it to an assessment. Click the first thumbnail below to view what students see when they open the assessment.
The second thumbnail is a graphic enhanced with a reminder to plan ahead for technical problems. The hope is that the graphics will catch students' attention better than text alone.
The second thumbnail is a graphic enhanced with a reminder to plan ahead for technical problems. The hope is that the graphics will catch students' attention better than text alone.
| Do you have ideas for using some of the Wigflip tools? Please share as a comment. |
Friday, September 24, 2010
Mouse Mischief
This might be of interest to those of you who teach face-2-face as well as online. Have you seen the 'Classroom clickers" in action and wished you had a set for your own classes? Well, you can have nearly the same scenario free if you have a computer, projector, and can get some mouses (mice, mices?)! Watch this video to see how.
Facebook - Friend or Teacher?
Alex Golub, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, wrote in an article about Facebook that:
The more widely you friend people on Facebook -- and it is a slippery slope -- the more and more your Facebook page becomes a professional Web replacement on Friendster's slick Internet replacement Web site. It becomes less and less a "private" space and more and more a place to show a public face to a very wide audience. In forcing you to craft a public persona, it raises uncomfortable issues of power and inequality and lurk under the surface of our actual world interactions -- which is probably a good thing.
Keeping in mind the popularity of Facebook, how do you feel about instructors and students in higher education being friends on Facebook? Have you experienced this?
Where is the dividing line between personal and professional interaction on Facebook? OR, should there be a division?
To read the entire article, go to: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2009/02/03/golub
The more widely you friend people on Facebook -- and it is a slippery slope -- the more and more your Facebook page becomes a professional Web replacement on Friendster's slick Internet replacement Web site. It becomes less and less a "private" space and more and more a place to show a public face to a very wide audience. In forcing you to craft a public persona, it raises uncomfortable issues of power and inequality and lurk under the surface of our actual world interactions -- which is probably a good thing.
Keeping in mind the popularity of Facebook, how do you feel about instructors and students in higher education being friends on Facebook? Have you experienced this?
Where is the dividing line between personal and professional interaction on Facebook? OR, should there be a division?
To read the entire article, go to: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2009/02/03/golub
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Gapminder and Gapminder for Teachers
Geekapedia explains Gapminder thus:
"Gapminder World provides users with the opportunity to explore social issues through real world statistics. Because the data is represented visually and animated, it can easily display trends, not only reflecting where we’ve been but where we’re going. The ability to compare countries makes it easy to see the socio-economic gaps that still exist in our world."
Gapminder for Teachers provides full lesson plans and Gapminders that are free to use and download.
This Gapminder of Human Development contains lots of information and shows just how involved a Gapminder presentation might be. Check out the Videos tab. You will have access to a number of videos that employ Gapminder in their presentation. Lots of great ideas.
Click the Data tab to access (presently) 511 sets of various data that you or your students can use to construct Gapminders.
"Gapminder World provides users with the opportunity to explore social issues through real world statistics. Because the data is represented visually and animated, it can easily display trends, not only reflecting where we’ve been but where we’re going. The ability to compare countries makes it easy to see the socio-economic gaps that still exist in our world."
Gapminder for Teachers provides full lesson plans and Gapminders that are free to use and download.
This Gapminder of Human Development contains lots of information and shows just how involved a Gapminder presentation might be. Check out the Videos tab. You will have access to a number of videos that employ Gapminder in their presentation. Lots of great ideas.
Click the Data tab to access (presently) 511 sets of various data that you or your students can use to construct Gapminders.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Dell laptop/tablet PC
This is so cooooooooooool! Thanks to Eddie Andreo for the heads up. Take a look at what might be your next computer laptop. It is the new Dell combo...both a tablet and a laptop computer. Watch the video...and be prepared to say "Wow!"
Spice Up your Math Class
I just came across Using the Internet to Spice Up your Math Class, a great resource for teaching Math in the college classroom. The site is a mind map with links to oodles of resources (how do you like that technical terminology?). Just click the +sign on any of the labels to expand the content. Hope you find something useful here.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Google for Teachers II
I imagine many of you have visited Richard Byrne's blog, Free Technology 4 Teachers. Richard is a Google Certified Teacher. He recently released Google for Teachers II, posted below. In this version he discusses how to use Google Custom Search, Google Bookmarks, Google Sites, Google Alerts, Google Groups, and Google Calendar.
The original Google for Teachers covers Search Tools, Google Books, Google News Widget, Google Docs, Creating Quizzes in Google Docs and Google Maps. Both versions are available for free download.
Google for Teachers II -
The original Google for Teachers covers Search Tools, Google Books, Google News Widget, Google Docs, Creating Quizzes in Google Docs and Google Maps. Both versions are available for free download.
Google for Teachers II -
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Think Anatomy
Think Anatomy is a great site where students can learn almost anything about the human body. The site has links to several videos, images, interactives, mnemonics, games, lectures, quizzes and tests, etc. It even includes iPhone and iPod apps that can be downloaded.
If you find the above sited useful you might also like Get Body Smart. This is a learning experience that includes these body systems:
If you find the above sited useful you might also like Get Body Smart. This is a learning experience that includes these body systems:
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
iPhone Digital Microscope with Camera
Take a look at this video to see how a very clever guy turned his iPhone into a mobile digital microscope that can take pictures. He used a tiny SE45X microscope, the phone, a phone case, and some super glue. The SE45X microscope is available on Amazon for $10.75.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Web Notes - to replace Awesome Highlighter
I have discovered that the Awesome Highlighter site is not operating right now. I'm not sure if this is permanent but it caused me to search for a replacement. This turned out to be good because I found Web Notes. Web Notes is easier to use and has more options.The demo below shows all that you can do with Web Notes.
This would be a great tool to share with your students who are required to write a research paper or for you, as an instructor, to highlight the pertinent information on a web page. You can highlight, add notes and share in a number of ways. Web Notes also provides storage for your annotated pages. These can be private or public. You might find the Web Notes Tutorial valuable.
WebNotes Screencast from Alex King on Vimeo.
This would be a great tool to share with your students who are required to write a research paper or for you, as an instructor, to highlight the pertinent information on a web page. You can highlight, add notes and share in a number of ways. Web Notes also provides storage for your annotated pages. These can be private or public. You might find the Web Notes Tutorial valuable.
WebNotes Screencast from Alex King on Vimeo.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Online Education's Newest Billionaire Fan
In an article in Education Tech News, it was revealed that Bill Gates is a big fan of the Khan Academy. '"This guy (Sal Khan) is amazing" Gates Tweeted recently. "It is awesome how much he has done with very little in the way of resources."'
He now has his own You Tube channel with over 1,200 short video lessons for you and your students to review. They range from arithmetic to advanced calculus...and from economics to finance. He has several science videos and hopes soon to start on disciplines outside the realm of math and science.
Khan has been mentioned in this blog on a couple of occasions. I encourage you to check out his tutorials to see if any will work as links in your class. If you use math at all in your class, there will probably be something beneficial for you and your students. Enjoy!
He now has his own You Tube channel with over 1,200 short video lessons for you and your students to review. They range from arithmetic to advanced calculus...and from economics to finance. He has several science videos and hopes soon to start on disciplines outside the realm of math and science.
Khan has been mentioned in this blog on a couple of occasions. I encourage you to check out his tutorials to see if any will work as links in your class. If you use math at all in your class, there will probably be something beneficial for you and your students. Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Google Instant
OK, I know some of you can't stand to wait more than a tenth of a second to get your answers to all of life's questions. So yesterday Google launched Google Instant. Watch the video and then watch the difference when you use Google for your next internet search. By the way, it can be turned off if you don't like it.
I have to hand it to Google. They are committed to continuous quality improvement! Enjoy.
I have to hand it to Google. They are committed to continuous quality improvement! Enjoy.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The future of textbooks
Have you been paying attention to the ebook wars? Prices are coming down and many free books are available for the download. The top three ebooks, Kindle, Nook, eReader are in fierce competition and even more options are on the way. Are you reading electronic books? Each has its own pros and cons. But it is definitely the wave of the future.
What about textbooks? A recent study showed that 70% of students still prefer a hard copy book. But things may be changing fast. Just last month, Barnes and Noble launched NOOK Study. With this website, a student doesn't need a Nook, just a computer to read the material. The key is that they have partnered with major textbook companies to improve the textbook in many ways. The most interesting aspect to me is interactive graphics. Imagine watching cells grow or DNA molecules rotate. The options are limitless!
Another reason students may be willing to change to ebooks is the cost. A 40% - 60% discount off the price of paper texts just might do the trick. Nookstudy allows students to highlight and save notes to the side of the etext.
The final thing to watch is smartphone technology. Most smartphones have ebook apps available for download. Blackboard and ANGEL are working on new and improved mobile technology today...and it might be ready by the end of this year.
The future it here...and it is great fun to watch.
What about textbooks? A recent study showed that 70% of students still prefer a hard copy book. But things may be changing fast. Just last month, Barnes and Noble launched NOOK Study. With this website, a student doesn't need a Nook, just a computer to read the material. The key is that they have partnered with major textbook companies to improve the textbook in many ways. The most interesting aspect to me is interactive graphics. Imagine watching cells grow or DNA molecules rotate. The options are limitless!
Another reason students may be willing to change to ebooks is the cost. A 40% - 60% discount off the price of paper texts just might do the trick. Nookstudy allows students to highlight and save notes to the side of the etext.
The final thing to watch is smartphone technology. Most smartphones have ebook apps available for download. Blackboard and ANGEL are working on new and improved mobile technology today...and it might be ready by the end of this year.
The future it here...and it is great fun to watch.
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