We added a new Web 2.0 tool on our website a few months ago, but we had to remove it. After testing the chat tool called WebbyChat, we found it to be disappointing. WebbyChat is a chat room that can be added to any site. It sits outside your page content  and can carry the conversation from page to page. Not only was it not being used, we also found it hard to control. Unlike real chat rooms, conversations were not easily monitored and we lost our ability to manage it. This is scary if you wanted to use it for classroom conversations or for online classes. We will keep looking for a free and easy chat room tool and share it with you when we find it. In the meantime, if you find something, let us know.

In this episode we will take a look at the Camstudio Screen recording software, the Flip Video camera, and educational widgets for websites.

CamStudio
Dowload you free copy [Click Here]

Watch a Video Tutorial [Click Here] 

Flip Camera
Ideas for using the Flip Video camera in the classroom:

Vodcasts
Digital Principal or Teacher Video Letters
Tape Administrative walk-throughs or best practices
Achieve classroom lessons or projects
Portable camera for school or classroom broadcast
Record students for reading fluency
Record students for speech and language screening
Document field trip
Capturing science experiments
Digital storytelling projects
Expert interviews
Community, family, historical interviews 
Record science fair experiments
Record lessons for absence students
Skits or speeches

Widgets for Your Website
More and more educators are creating a web presence either for schools, classrooms or personal use. Having a web page, blog or wiki can not only give you a place to share information or collaborate with your visitors.  But by adding some items called widgets, you site can do more. No matter is it is a traditional web site, blog or wiki widgets can be added. There are many places to find these web wigits, but I recently found a site called widget box that contain at least two thousand customizable widgets under the educational category. So now you can add everything from local weather, sign language fingering guide, time zone clock  to grammar quizzes on your site. So check out widget box today and add a little excitement to you site.

Check out WidgetBox [Click Here]

Jodix Free iPod Video Converter
Jodix Free iPod Video Converter is a tool that I have been using for a few years now to convert different video formats into the MPEG4 format. Jodix This drag and drop software installs on your computer and allows you to convert many popular video formats into the MPEG4 format. The software even allows Batch Processing so an unlimited number of files can be converted at one time. Here are the formats that it currently will convert: DVD/VCD and AVI, MPEG, WMV, RM, RMVB, DivX, ASF, VOB  

To download your copy [Click Here] 

 

How to Build A Portable Macro Photo Studio 

Not too long ago I built a portable podcasting studio for under $20. Made out of foam and cardboard, this studio helps reduce echo and bring a professional recording quality to the classroom or home, without the professional studio cost. 

Recently I have been searching for a DIY solution for building my own portable photo studio. This studio would be small enough and portable enough that a teacher could use it and store it in their classroom. It would be small enough to fit on a table and just the right size to take pictures of small items with shadow less backgrounds. You have maybe seen image like this before on professional clip art website…you know….white seamless backgrounds with beautifully defused light. 

Well, I found a site with the step-by-step instructions in building a simple 12x12x12 light tent out of nothing more than a cardboard box, tape, white and black and white cardboard and tissue paper. The only additional cost would be lamps or clips lights that can be purchased at any superstore. This simple little photo both/light tent basically diffuses the light to reduce ugly shadows and create beautiful soft light.

So what would an educator use it for? This nifty tool could be used by both students and teachers to take professional pictures of objects for presentations, lessons, web sites, yearbooks, and student projects.  

For more information on this affordable light studio and to access the simple directions [Click Here] 

To access the TechTeacher Network website, go to: www.techteacher.libsyn.com 

Did you know that the iPhone is more than just a phone. With the right application, it can also be a musical instrument called an ocarina. Check out the following video.

I learned a long time ago as a classroom teacher and web developer...there is no since in wasting time on a media that does not offer a return. So you are probably wondering what I mean by this. If you are spending time as an educator building a classroom website, podcast or vodcast, make sure your time is well spent. You need data to support the hours you invest in one of these tools. If you are spending hours updating your classroom website, but only one or two parents or students are using it...is it worth your time? The same goes for a podcast or vodcast. Both of these tools require large amounts of time from pre-production to the final broadcast. Again, if you only have a few listeners, is it worth it. I don't want to forget to mention that there are hosting costs involved with both of these medias...so you need to know if you are getting your bang for your buck (and time).

Here are two great tips to help you with the process of collecting this data. The first tip is to add Google Analytics to your website. Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to track information about the visitors that come to your site and how they interact with it. You will not only get the number of visit each day, but where they are from, how long they are on your site and much, much more. In fact, I still don't think I have really taken advantage of all of the features Google Analytics has to offer.

The second tip is to use a podcast hosting service that offers you statistics. Some important features to look for are total all time downloads, daily and monthly downloads, and the download by platform (Where are your listeners getting your podcast/vodcast).

If you would like more information about these tips, please feel free to contact me.

 

 

Normally when doing educational video conferencing I either use Polycom equipment  or Skype software. These tools are becoming more and  popular with educators all around the world. Recently I was ask to use a new video conferencing tool called "paltalk". To be honest, I had never heard of this service and thought it may be worth a try. 

One thing that is different about paltalk compared to a service like Skype is that it uses the traditional style of vidoe chat services. They use thousands of live video chat rooms and dozens of regularly scheduled video chat shows. So in a way, it seem to be a little like USTREAM or STICKM where you can do live broadcasts. The service also offers something unique...virtual streaming of video clips from your computer. So video can be shared during you video conference.

Paltalk also offers the ability to have 10 people join you by video during your conference, which is something that Skype can't do

After using this service I found many of the features mentioned above to be encouraging for the delivery of education content. For example the service could be used during an online class to make students get not only aquainted with the instructor, but also the students. Also, the ability to stream your own video content during a conference could not only be engaging, but also help reinforce a concept or enrich a discussion.

Try "paltalk" out for yourself and let me know what you think. To download, click the image below:

It important to never cut corners when it comes to your help. The same gors for protecting your computer. There are many options when it comes to virus protection, and believe me, I have tried them all. 
Malware is running ramped and you need to kill the viruses before they take down your system. In the past I have always used tools like Nortons and McAfee to protect my home computers, but the problem is that every time they come out with a new version, they seems to take up more hard drive space and more processor speed. After listening to Leo Laporte – creator of the TWIT podcasts, and doing some research, I finally I figure it was time for a change. I have found the perfect protection for my home computers. What I discovered was that when  it comes to proactive virus protection, Eset's NOD32 was the hands-down winner in "Virus Stoppers," It actually was one of the top protectors against spyware. Not only does it protect well but the program was very easy to install and I never seem to notice it scanning when I am using the computer…unlike the other services I have tried. It also has a very small foot print so it does not take as much hard drive space. Now NOD32  ties you're your Outlook or Outlook Express for e-mail scanning. NOD 32 does not work with or integrate with any instant messaging applications for scanning sent links or files. It also scans for spyware and adware in addition to viruses and it can perform all those scans at once, while some other tools require multiple scans. Get yours today: