Sharing the Addiction

I just found a great page of resources on how to present well - especially with Powerpoint or a similar slideshow tools. Here is the link to the wiki page. This video was on the page and was made by students - I think it is really well done.

Tags: powerpoint, presentation

This is just a quick post to let everyone know that the Time4Innovation online conference is happening at the moment with a focus on ICT leadership, building learning communities, and implementation of ICT in education. I am the keynote for the second session on building learning communities and would love feedback from the blogosphere

Tags: time4innovation

Click here to get your own player.

Tags: podomatic links

I love the internet - it is such a leveler! Getting in touch with people who work with different tools has now become very easy and effective.

I have posted a number of times in the past about a favourite photo editing tool of mine called FotoFlexor. It has to be one of the easiest way to manipulate photos and work in layers and it’s FREE online. However, recently I have been concerned about the advertising at the top of the site for ‘Girls Gone Wild’ where woman were topless with only their hands for cover. I decided to try and get in touch with someone from the site about this issue and the email exchange below shows the results:

Hi there,

I wanted to bring your attention to the banner advertising on your site (particularly the Girls Gone Wild ads) that means that we can’t use Fotoflexor for education. I have a number of teachers ask me in my role as an ICT advisor what site will allow them to edit photos and work in layers and FotoFlexor is the obvious choice but the advertising of topless women holding their breasts means that we can’t use it in education.

I’d really appreciate it if you could drop me a line just to let me know if that type of advertising will stay on the site so that I know to advise teachers that they won’t be able to use the application.

I am a HUGE fan of Fotoflexor and voted for it in the web awards and was very excited about using it with students. I do understand that you have to make money as well.

Hi Suzie,

Thanks for your interest in FotoFlexer. I completely understand your concerns and I’m 100% sure we can find a solution. Let me talk it over with some people internally and see what filtering we can do with the ads (to be honest, I didn’t know we had ads like that!). I’ll be in touch with a solution for you shortly.

Hi Suzie,

I tracked down the issue with GGW wild ads, they were running on an Australian regional campaign, which is why I had never seen them. We have instituted exclusions for all “sin” ads in the future (sex, alcohol, cigarettes, anything not appropriate for all ages). We serve a young audience generally and these should never be served on FotoFlexer at all, at any time. The ad company that sells our ad inventory has said that the exclusions should be in place with very little delay and so the issue should be resolved.

I really appreciate you brining this to my attention!

-Neil Warren
FotoFlexer.com

And so a great result! Now I can feel free to recommend FotoFlexor without any further problems. It just shows that it is definitely worth sending a quick email to the people behind the tools if there is something that you think could be improved.

Hi all,

I am putting together lists of great websites for teachers to use in workshops and wanted some input from the blogosphere on what are your favourite primary school level links. Add a comment to this post with some of your top picks.

I am putting together pages for each year group band in the cluster. The Yr 0 to two age group teachers have already met and this is the list of links I prepared for them.

http://zerototwo.wikispaces.com/Great+links+for+Juniors

I’d love more throughout the age groups. Let me know your picks!

Thanks a lot

Just a quick note to say thanks to the Ohio Treasure Chest Podcast that has highlighted this blog on its regular podcast about great K12 resources. While I couldn’t get the podcast to play (the site seems to be unavailable at this time), it is great to get such positive feedback from the great unknown that is the audience for this blog. Go check out the website of the Ohio Treasure Chest where they have a large number of reviewed sites and tools for education. I have also now subscribed to the podcast so thanks Eric for the email and the feedback!

Random facts meme - tagged twice so here it is

First, the Rules:
* Post these rules before you give your facts
* List 8 random facts about yourself
* At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
* Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged

1. I was into music in my younger years - I played trombone and sang in the NZ Secondary Schools Choir - we won an international singing competition in Hawaii.
2. I went to ballet classes for eight years as a child and was in two NZ Ballet productions in the children’s chorus - then puberty struck!!
3. I used to have an addiction to a chat network called IRC around 10 years ago. I could spend up to 4 hours a day chatting to people I’d never met (a bit like SL for some people these days
4. I spent four and a half years in London and travelled somewhere new every school holidays. I often went on my own meeting people along the way. I miss the travel!
5. In London, I worked as a specialist ESL teacher for two and a half years and wrote a booklet on software and internet sites to support ESL learners sold through an organisation called BLEN.
6. The silliest thing I have ever done as a teacher was when teaching about Native Americans. I decided, in order to give the kids more motivation to design totem masks for art, to perform a little ceremony on them to help them find ‘their inner totem spirit’. You can imagine the reactions of some of the parents!!!
7. I met my husband by moving into his flat.
8. We had an Art Deco wedding because I really love everything about that time. We went to the Art Deco festival in Napier to research it.

Now - I don’t know many people to tag that haven’t had this already but here goes.
Room 5 at Arakura School
Mrs Kelso’s Class in Auckland
Mr Frater’s Class In Wellington

And that’s going to have to do

I think I have found a social networking tool that I can imagine using with a class of children. It is called Imbee and it is designed for children ages 8 to 14. It is a chaperoned site which means that you have to be validated to join and then all the sites by children can be monitored.

They are specifically courting the use of the tool by teachers with a special area for teachers with lesson plans and information on how the tool can be used in education.

I found out about this site by listening to a MediaSnackers podcast (thanks for the link on your blog Allanah!)