Make websites Student Friendly

The annoying adverts that move and jump and promise that you have won (!) a free iPad aren't student friendly.  Although many can mentally block the ads, there are students who need a cleaner page. Getting rid of the ads is one solution.

Would you like to give ads the heave-ho? Compare these three screen shots from Gizmodo. The first is the site with ads, the second is the same site using Komando, and the third is the site using adblocker:

Gizmodo site with adverts

What did I do to get rid of the ads?
Try turning to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus/


or http://www.komando.com/downloads/category.aspx?id=9425

Gizmodo site using Komando

Which site would be better for your students?

Gizmodo site using AdBlocker

YouTube Part 2 - How to Save, Edit, and Clean Up YouTube Videos

In this post (SEE VIDEO BELOW) I will show you how to make your YouTube Videos clean (without the comments or suggested videos). By cleaning them up you can post them on a website, send the link, or just show them in class without worrying about what students will see other than the video. I will also show you a few sites where you can download videos to show later and even do some editing.
In a future post I will show you how to do some further editing of YouTube videos and how students can make their own videos with titles, music, and editing features.
In my first post I showed how to set up your own YouTube channel via your school Gmail account so that you can save videos and create playlists. If you missed that post you may want to view that video first. If you click on YouTube under Labels to the right of this post it will take you there.

This LINK will take you to some of the resources I mention in the video below such as EmbedPlus, KeepVid, and SafeShare.

How to Ingest a Flipped Lesson: A Lesson for both Novices and Experts

ingest a flipped lesson from Falmouth Flipped on Vimeo.



If you are unsure what people mean by flipping a lesson this video, linked here, explains nicely.  We (your information technology cohort) have basically begun flipping professional development on this blog.  Previous posts by Anne McDonald, Peggy Becksvoort, and Cathy Potter have all been examples of flipped lessons.
Above is a video for novice users. The video teaches you how to ingest a flipped lesson including starting, stopping, and pausing video, using tabs, and working between windows and tabs.  This lesson would be good for any teacher grades K-12 who wants to be more comfortable using their laptop. If you consider yourself a novice user, don't worry - you are not alone! Our goal is to provide a lesson that you can take in at your convenience and at your own pace.
For experts more interested in flipping their classrooms most likely geared towards grades 7-12, here is a shared document on flipping the classroom.  This document will guide you through all the basics of flipping including screencasting with iPads, the basics of using white boards, and sharing video.

Learn It In 5

Learn It In 5 is a free resource for teachers who want to learn how to incorporate technology into their classrooms. The site features short, how-to videos that demonstrate various technology tools and applications. Learn how to set up a classroom blog, find out about new iPad apps, learn how to use Skype in the classroom, and much more!

http://learnitin5.com/Digital-Classroom-Strategies

Screenshot from Learn It In 5