California DEN

Brought to you by guest blogger: Dave Kootman

I would like to share with you some great software that you can use both at home and at school.  I will be reviewing different software that will make your life easier as a teacher and a computer user.  The best thing about all the software I will be reviewing is that it is FREE!

            The first program to be reviewed in this column is 2020 by ByLight Technologies.  2020 is essentially a screen shot capturer and photo-editor in one. A screen shot is a still image of the content currently on your monitor.   On a Windows PC, by default the only way to get a screen shot is by pressing the Print Screen (Prt Scr) key, which copies the image to your clipboard.  You can then edit the image in a word processor or a photo editing program.  That can get confusing and time consuming, so…

            2020 is a program that runs in the background when opened and allows you to capture any image on your screen that you select.  Under the “Capture” tab I usually select “capture rectangle” to select the exact image I want.  Once the image is captured, you can add arrows, highlight text, annotate or even use cool filters, similar to Photoshop.  You can save in many formats, including JPEG.  This is a great tool for creating tutorials or even just changing the file size of your images. 

            You can download 2020 here:   http://www.photo-freeware.net/2020.php

Take a look at this picture.  It’s a great example of how you can highlight text and make annotations with 2020.

A few months ago I received a call from a gentleman that wanted to learn more about the Discovery Educator Network.  Upon returning his call, I learned that he had already applied to the DEN and was anxious to be approved and have the opportunity to tap into our resources.

We spent quite a while on the phone over the next few days talking about his passion for integrating FREE technology into his classroom.  Hmmm… I thought… My DEN members LOVE FREE stuff, so I asked him to host his own column in our S. CA Blog.

So meet Dave Kootman.  He’s is currently a 4th grade teacher and technology coordinator at a school on Camp Pendelton in San Diego, CA.  He has been teaching for 4 years and loves learning about and sharing new ways computers are changing lives.

Stay tuned for posts in a new category titled "Tech Tools for Teachers"  If there is a program you would like him to write about please email Jannita_Demian@discovery.com and put Tech Tools in the subject line!

Welcome to the family Dave!!!!  We can’t wait to hear all the exciting things you will share with us!

Ahhhhhh…. can you hear my relaxing sigh!  That’s because we just finished yet another successful Beach Bonfire.  Have I told you lately how much I love my job?!?! Honestly.. just check out this sunset picture taken by DEN Member Kathy Martin’s husband. If you click on the photo and look really closely on the right hand side, you can see the Queen Mary!

I remember when I was going through the interview phase and someone asked, "How will you adapt to not being in an enviroment with your co-workers on a daily basis?"  It’s one of those questions that throws you for a loop.  What would life be like not in an "office family"?  Well over a year later, I would have to say meet my new family… bigger and better than ever!  Take a look at our family photo!

I have to take this time to say thank you to my incredible DEN for all their support, encouragment, but most importantly their enthusiasm!

Over 20 DEN members and their families joined together for some fun in the sun as we toasted summer goodbye.  We had such a blast! Ray, Bobby, and Laurian grilled with perfection.  Everyone brought such great snacks!  Award winning recipes for the evening… hmmm Bobbi’s home grown tomatoes… Brett’s wife’s guacamole and blueberry crumble cake… Karen’s daughter’s cookies….  But most importantly was the chatting and the exchanging of ideas and contact information. Take a look at these great pictures! And yes to all our friends back east… they are wearing their coats… after all it dipped to about 65 degrees.

P.S. For all those who missed the unvieling of the secret s’more recipe… well… you’ll just have to wait until next year!  Ha! Ha!  Well… okay… we used Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (that’s for my boss in Hershey!)  But the real secret is cutting the marshmellow in 1/2 first and lodging the chocolate inside (special thanks to my husband for figuring that one out!)  Our DEN newlyweds the "Harvey’s" even fed eachother How sweet!  While Carol Anne taught us… it really is best if you remove the brown paper wrapper prior to roasting your Reese S’more.

Personally, I feel bad for the little guy…. orbiting like a good planet and BAM!  No longer a planet!  Interesting writing assignment for next week…. Write students write as if they were Pluto.  How does he feel about all these changes? You might be amazed by how much  more students write when they take on a different perspective.  In fact you may want to use our brand new WRITING PROMPT BUILDER and find a great IMAGE of Pluto (just looked for images of Pluto and to my disappoint realized that we do not have any up yet.. however when I searched by "planet" I found the one posted on this blog).  But before you do that, make sure you watch a little VIDEO SEGMENT about the planet… I mean un-planet…. on unitedstreaming to help familarize your students with their new character.  Did you know we also have a song about Planets in the AUDIO section? When I clicked in the EVENTS category I learned that Pluto was 1st discovered in 1930 and pictures first made available in 1996 (maybe we should grab some of those) Feel free to forward me any work samples… I’d love to post them for the world to see

Thank you Betsy for a great post on the national blog about all our former mnemonic devices that will no longer work. What are these scientists trying to do to us!  Seriously, they may have too much time on their hands!  So if we can’t use this one anymore…

M

y Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine ____________.

What should we use?  Brad Fountain posted this on his blog as a suggestion, ake Vera Eat More Jam Said Uncle Ned

M

Let’s hear your thoughts on the issue and brain storm some others!

On October 1, Discovery Channel will present the first installment of DISCOVERY ATLAS, a four part series during the month of October that will profile the rich cultures, social diversities and natural phenomena of

China

,

Italy

,

Australia

and

Brazil

. The journey begins Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with the world premiere on Discovery Channel and Discovery HD Theater of DISCOVERY ATLAS:

CHINA

REVEALED. For more information about this series, visit http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/atlas/atlas.html.

The ATLAS series, including videos, images, bonus educational vignettes and teacher resources, will be available on unitedstreamingand Cosmeo.  Additionally, the Discovery Educator Network will provide interested teachers with the opportunity to participate in DEN: Atlas in the classroom program, which will include

* Materials for hosting Atlas: China Revealed Premiere Parties in your local community

* Invitations to exclusive Atlas webinar series/discussion group

* Invitations to discuss and collaborate with educators around the county via webinars, wikis, and discussion boards

* Access to educational resource kits to support "Discovery Atlas" classroom activities

If you are interested in exploring ATLAS with the DEN, please send an email to debbie_baillie@discovery.com by Friday, September 1 with the subject line "Discovery Atlas" to register for this program.

This morning I recieved an FeedBlitz email with updates from the MD DEN blog.  I was TOTALLY blown away with what I found.  Aaron Smith, a DYNAMIC DEN member from back east, wrote about a gentleman by the name of Karl (from the Fisch Bowl Blog… a staff devt blog for his CO highschool) was asked to present to this faculty.  His goal, "to get the staff to really think about what are students are going to need to be successful in the 21st century, and then how it might impact what they do in their own classrooms’.  I remixed content from David Warlick, Thomas Friedman, Ian Jukes, Ray Kurzweil, and others, added some music and came up with the following presentation.  If you want the music you’ll have to download both files…" 

Why should you download this PPT… Because DID YOU KNOW THAT…

• The 25% of the population in China with the highest IQ’s is greater that the total population of North America… Translation for teachers: They have more honors kids that we have kids.
• China will soon become the number one English speaking country in the world!
• The U.S. Dept. of Labor estimates that today’s learner will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38.
• The top 10 in demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004.  We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist! Using technologies that haven’t been invented in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet!
• In 2002 alone Nintendo invested more than $140 million in research and development!

I have to stop because I could go on and on…. So for more AMAZING FACTS and INFORMATION download this PPT and MP3 file right away.  Then head over to his blog post and let him know what you think and/or post your comments here.

Download did_you_know.ppt

Download didyouknow.mp3

In case you were unaware of this, we now have to read and then approve any comments that are submitted before they can be posted. Recently, DEN member Scott Johnson submitted a comment in response to the thoughts of Guest Blogger Ed Warkentin. While Scott claimed that they were just the 4:00AM ramblings of a veteran educator, I felt that they were worthy of their own guest spot on our blog. I have the very fortunate position of being in the middle of peer collaboration every day. I have seen and heard and learned an incredible amount from each and every one of you. My conversations with Ed and Scott have inspired me to want to try something new. For many of the larger conferences, the DEN has Pre-Conference events…and don’t get me wrong, these are invaluable in and of themselves! But, here’s a question for you? Could we get even more out of the experience by sharing in POST-Conference festivities? Something to think about.

Here is the post by our Guest Blogger, Scott Johnson:

After seventeen years of teaching, the single thing that motivates me the most is peer collaboration. I enjoy going to conferences and I do learn a few things from the presenters. However, I get more out of discussing the sessions with my colleagues who are attending with me as well as the new ones I meet. This concept was validated even further when I attended the DEN West Coast Regional Event at Sea World in San Diego last spring. We had the crème of the crop speakers and presenters (Hall Davidson and David Warlick) and their knowledge was paramount, but what really allowed me to take it to the next level was my new found peers and our discussions, brainstorming, sharing, and team building. I left there more rejuvenated than I had been in years. I found myself asking why and how was this so different. The answer was just what guest blogger Ed Warkentin and Steve Dembo have shared. It was the collaboration. I believe this could revolutionize future "conferences" and the way teachers learn. The DEN is on the cutting edge of it. That is why I have become involved with them and continue to be as active as I can.

Another testimony to this is my frustration when districts hire outside consultants to come in and train us. Don’t get me wrong, many are very good and have great things to share. But, there are also so many great resources within our very own district and they are often overlooked or the opportunity for them to share is not given.

Recently, I have been fortunate to share the importance of this collaboration model with the people within my district. By chance, they have coordinated our early release days so that we can partner and collaborate with other schools in the district. I have already started working with other teachers on our new social studies adoption and we have collectively come up ways to incorporate technology into our lessons to make them even more engaging and meaningful for the students.

This collaboration model is right on track and I think the DEN is the locomotive pulling the train.

(This is one of my favorite photos of Scott! That smile is contagious.)

Okay… it’s 11:40 pm and I am getting ready to sign out for the night but I felt compelled to post one more blog.  Here’s the deal, many of you often send me wonderful emails reminding me to rest and get to bed early but what I discovered in the past 2 nights as I have been busily trying to catch up on emails is that you are working as late as me.

I set a new record this week.  I actually spoke, by phone and email chains back and forth, with quite a few of you even past 10:30 pm.  I won’t incriminate anyone on the blog… but they know who they are!

Just wanted to say keep up the GREAT work!  But do try to get some sleep! 

Sweet Non-Student, Non-Testing, Non-Standard based Filled Dreams-

Jannita

As many of you heard I had quite an eventful week.  But it doesn’t seem to give up.  A few days ago, we discovered bees swarming one our brick barbeque in the backyard!  So being in the hero of the house, my hubby took off to "Good Ole" Home Depot today.  Next thing I knew my dog, Bear, was running around the house…. Why you ask?!?!  Well, let’s just say my hero decided to do a "test" and spray a few to see if they died instantly… right next to the hive.  Hmmm…. Let’s just say "Myth Busted" Mass swarming occured… I’ll leave it there… especially since he’s standing behind me right now.

When we returned from dinner and the swarming had subsided we returned outside to find hundreds of little dead bees.  (Does that mean myth "confirmed" or "plausible")  The first thing we saw was a small huddle of bees, still hanging on and still protecting (huddling around) their queen. Til death do you part I suppose!  Then of course I had to have my hero lift the lid to examine the combs.  I was thrilled to find 3!  No honey yet… but perfect little honey combs.  I am quite the tactile person and upon feeling it learned that it’s quite slimy.   My hubby gave me the whole run down as his fater used to raise bees!   

So the teacher in me decided to turn this into a bit of a lesson.  (Even after being a year out of the classroom the need to turn ANYTHING into SOMETHING still runs through the veins!) Of course I ran inside and started searching on unitedstreaming.  I learned that bees need to travel to 10,000 flowers to create 1 tsp of honey and 2 million to create a bottle full from a great clip titled "Busy Bees"  I also noticed that we have the Magic School Bus movie titled "In the Bee Hive"  In addition we had articles, AUDIO clips, images, quizzes, events, and clip art!  (Here’s a reason why you never give your username and password to students… I noticed one movie was on "The Birds and the Bees" now don’t go checkin!)

I have 3 little honey combs that I would love to mail out to some teachers that could use it as part of their lessons.  Does anyone out there teach about bees?

It never fails… every training I am at, teachers need more money to purchase more resources.  Well, grants are where it’s at… go get it! It’s like little money trees… but you have to be willing to climb the branches.   Some of them are much easier than you think!

So, I was on our CUE website (www.cue.org) today, checking out upcoming dates. (SAVE YOUR CALENDAR FOR MARCH 1-3… BEG YOUR ADMINISTRATORS NOW TO SEND YOU… AND IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PRESENTING… THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS 9/4/06) 

Okay… back to my point… I was browsing around and found a TERRIFIC link called the "Grant Wrangler"  … a free program that searches out educational grants for K-12 schools.  So go there now…. www.grantwrangler.com!

And sign up to become a CUE member if you haven’t… they have sooooo many great resources available to you!