AnnaJade+Chung-Gotterman

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 * Monday **


 * Big Idea:** Web Tools
 * Microsoft Web Design Resources for Schools and Students. In this session we were introduced to the Microsoft Expression software and how it can be used to have students do projects or resumes on-line. We got a disc that gave us Expressions Training for Teachers. We are to email Tom at ew4hs@innovativeteachers.us to ask how to get a site license that does not time out. This could be free if you get info from Tom about the site license. If you get new computers, the licensing fee will be $299.
 * We found a group out of Boulder, CO creating free simulations for math and science. I went to look at several of the simulations (Chemistry: Reactants, Products, and Leftovers, Math: My Solar System, and Biology: Eating and Exercise.) I thought these simulations were well done. Link: http://phet.colorado.edu
 * We saw several examples student work where students were using still photos and audio, then creating movies in iMovie or MovieMaker for the IBM. I can see my students doing projects this way.


 * Tuesday **


 * Big Idea:** More Web Tools
 * Google Tools. The key word here was "sharing". Folks have to play in the same sandbox. We will have to go register our school/district in Google Apps for Education. Then teachers will have control of what students see and do. We are not to let students just create a gmail account on their own, these accounts will not be in the same sandbox. Once we are registered you have access to many things. First, we saw google docs: http://docs.google.com. A google doc can be created then shared. Once in share mode, the google doc can have real-time conversation. (I'm thinking department meetings?) Second, we saw spreadsheets: http://spreadsheets0.google.com. A spreadsheet is used to collect data, but with google you can create a form that updates the spreadsheet in real-time. Third, a presentation was created, when I tried to create a presentation in google, it sent me to google docs. Lastly, google website creation software: http://sites.google.com where everything previously created was imported to the google website. (I'm thinking SLT meeting agenda, minutes, etc.) I liked this information. I can see my students creating docs, spreadsheets, or presentations then importing to a google site.
 * We found NOAA. They gave us this really cool poster of a "Sky Watcher Chart". It has cloud formations & what they mean on one side and the Earth's Water Cycle on the other side. They gave a website: games.noaa.gov. I went to look at the site, I looked at a Storm Tracker and Lightening and Thunder. They seem well done and informative. Seems like good animations for Earth Science.
 * We also found NASA. Their video clips look good, website: www.nasa.gov/education/nasaeclips or wwwe.youtube.com/nasaeclips. She also talked about Eyes on Earth, NASA S'COOL and World Wind.


 * Wednesday **


 * Big Idea:** More Web Tools
 * Google: 25 Things You Didn't Know It Could Do. Some things you can do: use the google search at the top of the pane, type in "time London", "weather Denver", "earthquake Haiti", "define bewilder", "150 euro in USD", 5x9+(sqrt 10)^3. Google Help and Cheat Sheet: http://www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html. Get an alert when something happens (keyword: volcano): google.com/alerts. Search info: " " (exact search criteria), site: (within a specific web site), - (exclude criteria), * (fill in the blank), + (search exactly as is), OR (give one or the other search criteria), AND (default). You can create a custom web search using: www.google.com/cse/manage/create. Labs are pet projects google employees are working on. They may be in the beta test phase. http://www.googlelabs.com/. Google app to draw 3D models: http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/. There was a reference to mashups. You can look at google moon: http://earth.google.com/moon/index.html, or google mars: http://www.google.com/mars/, or google sky: http://earth.google.com/sky/index.html#utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=ha&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-bk-earfea&utm_term=google%20sky. Google also has a bunch of books on-line: http://books.google.com/. Lastly, you can create your own google homepage using iGoogle: http://www.google.com/ig#utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-BKWS&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=igoogle.
 * We stopped in on Intel. Don Morris. He gave us a disc with two courses (Assessment in 21st Century Classrooms Course and Project-Based Approaches Course). We have heard a lot about project based teaching/learning during the ISTE conference.
 * We stopped in on The Denver Museum of Nature and Science. They gave us a couple of discs on Lunar Exploration and a School Programs Guide that classes can go to at the museum or other classes that are being broadcast on Channel 22 on cable. www.dmns.org.


 * Implications for your Classroom ** At this conference what jumped out at me were two things: 1) project based learning, and putting the projects on the web with various web tools. I can do projects and have students put those projects on the web, in both my Health and Earth Science classes. If I end up teaching math classes, I still think I can have students create real-world problems/projects to solve and put those projects on the web.