Apple has an upcoming Education Media Event
The invitations are out so something will be going on this week. Rumors are that the announcements will be about new tools to create interactive e-books.
What I hope happens in addition to the e-book tools would be a lower priced iPad for the eduction market. That would be awesome!
Wimpyourself.com
Here’s a cute avatar maker – wimpyourself.com
It’s based on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books that are a big hit with students.
Here’s my creation (this is suppose to be me!)
3 Typing Games!
I try to post to this blog when I get a few free minutes, which often means on Friday mornings. Today I had a severe case of writers block so I spent a lot of time reading up some typing/keyboard resources for kids. That roughly translates to looking at educational games and trying to find sites that are fun and not too challenging.
Here’s what I came across today:
Arcademic Skillbuilders has some great math and typing games. What I like about this site is that students can join a game or create a game and play other people – all of it in an anonymous fashion. I can’t wait to try some of the typing games with the Intermediate Team.
Typing Adventure is another typing game where the typist races against the clock. I’ll try this out with the second graders.
Another typing game that I found is Alphabet Shoot at SillyJelly.com This game combines simple key recognition with not so simple puzzle solving. This was a big hit with the second grade boys.
ClassParrot and Cel.ly
If I taught in a high school, I would definitely sign up for ClassParrot or Cel.ly. Both are services that allows users to set up a text group and then broadcast text messages to the group. Cel.ly seems to be more robust than ClassParrot.
For those of us who are stuck in the email generation, it’s hard to believe that texting is the primary form of communication of the mobile generation.
A similar broadcast could be done using Twitter, IF students had smart phones and regularly checked their Twitter feeds.
A Book and a Hug
Other than having an irresistible title, A Book and a Hug is a great resource for finding books for young readers created by Barb Langridge. Barb has created special lists such as “reluctant readers”, “books for boys” and “safe books for middle readers”.
Readers can write reviews – no email is required to write a review. And of course everyone can read some great reviews.
There is also a section of videos made by the authors where they talk about the books that they’ve written.
This is a fabulous book resource.
Gina’s students using the SmartBoard
Gina's Class at the SmartBoard
The SmartBoards are getting lots of use in the school. Gina found some great spelling software that she wanted to use with the kids and within a minute of the image showing on the screen when we were testing it, the kids gathered around and wanted to dive in and start using it.
The SmartBoard is a really cool piece of technology, though it is nothing more than a giant trackpad. I guess that it’s a giant trackpad that can do cool things.
I owe everything to Steve Jobs
For the first time in 20 years, Time Magazine stopped the presses. Their magazine tomorrow will be focused on the life of Steve Jobs.
I owe everything to Steve Jobs because every job that I have had for the past 20 years, in some way had something to do with Steve and Apple Computer. I met my husband while working for Maya Computer, a company that sold used Macs. Most of my closest friends I met while working or teaching about Apple Computers.
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple was one of the great times in my life. Everything became possible. I remember talking to an Apple employee not long after Steve returned and he said that the entire company changed over night from one of doom and gloom to one of incredible optimism.
So what happens to Apple? Personally, I think that Tim Cook is a good leader, though not a visionary. He is someone who Steve trusted enough with his “baby”. I also think that the iTunes store and App store guarantee constant financial input into the company. So who knows.
I, for one, have enjoyed the ride so far.
All I need to know about Twitter I learned at kindergarten
How’s that for a great title? I came across this slide presentation, created by Wolfgang Rheinhardt, Martin Ebner and Steve Miller which was given at a the World Computer Conference in Brisbane, Australia. The title completely captured my interest so I just had to check it out. The presentation combines some great pictures with the “kindergarten” rules of Twitter – things like pick up your mess, flush, and play fair.
I highly recommend checking it out (if not for just having a chuckle at the selection of pictures) but also because the advise is quite good.
New School Year, New Operating System
I recently installed Mac OS X Lion to the iMac that I use so that I could interact with the new Mac mini server that we added to the network.
Since installing 10.7, I have to say I’ve come to enjoy it, especially Launchpad. Sure, it’s just like going to the Applications folder but for some reason, I just love to use it.
I also enjoy the improvements to Mail as well as how quickly the Lion enhanced apps appear.
Right now, we have three other computers using Lion – Katie, Pru and Veronica are all using 10.7!