Introduction to Google+

Yesterday at EdCamp Philly, I participated in a session about using Google+ Hangouts to virtually connect classrooms and speakers.  This past year I have used Skype to bring publishers, authors, a psychologist, and presenters from Japan into my classroom through video, but because Skype does not have a recording option connected to the program nor is it easy to connect with multiple speakers at the same time, I am interested in moving over to Google's Hangouts.  And it turns out a lot of teachers are making that switch.

So for those of you not familiar to Google+ or Hangouts, here are a couple of tutorials to help you get started. This first series of videos comes from Google Certified Teacher Jay Atwood and is a fantastic introduction to Google+ for educators:

For teachers just getting started with Google+, you will want to take a look at the Google Help page.

So now you are ready to Hangout.  Here's a good introduction to Hangouts:



For more specifics on setting up a Hangout, the Google Help Page and  this tutorial give not only a great overview but step-by-step directions. Once you are ready to jump in, be sure to join the Google Hangouts in Education community and follow the Google in Education page.

So, how will you use Hangouts in your classroom?

EdCampPhilly

Okay, I'll admit it. I got a bit distracted over the last couple of years - had a couple kids, started my own craft business, went back to teaching full-time - but I cannot believe that it has been nearly two years since I've posted. Shame on me! So after attending my first EdCamp today, I was inspired to share more of what I learn, whether those reflections are polished or not. My hope is to get back into a more regular practice of posting and that begins today. So here it is, just a few of my random thoughts and links to goodies that I learned about while at EdCampPhilly:

• Culture of Innovation: itunes.apple.com/us/course/creating-culture-innovation/id580285828
• An interesting app: www.vizify.com
• Teachers as Technology Trailblazers: www.kristenswanson.org
• iTunes course for creating an iTunes course: itunes.apple.com/us/course/itunes-u-course-creation-guide/id644450313
• stumpteacher.blogspot.com
• Professional Development for Teachers - 8 Steps To Make It Better: smartblogs.com/education/2013/02/06/a-plea-professional-development-reform-8-steps-make-happen-tom-murray/

Tech Tools Teacher Should Know About:

• A must for teachers: www.cybraryman.com
• Gobstopper - annotated public domain with questions/quizzes
• Tellagami - create talking avatar characters to tell a story (for the iPad only)
• PlaySpent - A game to simulate what it’s like to live on minimum wage
• Professor Word - it allows you to look up the definition of any word in your browser
• Zac Browser - Browser for children with autism and autism spectrum disorders
• 121Writing - You can respond to Google Drive docs with highlighting and voice; give student writers feedback that they listen to, leaving the grade until the very end
• Lino - Stickies; more robust than Wallwishr/Padlet
• Apps Gone Free - Daily free apps
• Video Notes - Lets you annotate videos that you are watching
• And the big take-away: Choose2Matter But more on this one soon

Time for a Change

In the coming days, you'll see some changes taking place. I'm tired of the tree design as it no longer fits as a metaphor for my online spaces. So I'm trying out some new, cleaner designs for this blog, my class Ning and wiki sites, as well as for my Twitter site. If you have ideas, I'd love to hear them. And stay tuned for changes.

You'll See More Soon...No, Really, You Will!

So all my plans for my maternity leave this past school year are still just that...plans. I wanted to update my resume. Update my blog. Update my websites. I didn't. I haven't. But I definitely haven't simply let the year slip by. I became a fellow in the National Writing Project. I'm working on a grant through the National Writing Project. I'm teaching my first graduate class to teachers. I started a business. And I've been writing (sorry, that it hasn't been here). So instead of planning, I've been doing.

But you'll see me returning more in the next few weeks as I plan and teach my first graduate course with the PA Writing and Literature Project on Reading and Writing in Digital Spaces. I'm currently trying to narrow down the tons and tons of videos and articles and books and blogs that I could use in this type of course. I certainly have way more than what I need. And in the process of narrowing down my resources I ran across this TED Talk video from Will Richardson. I think this might be an interesting place for me to start our study. What do you think?

Inspiring

Said so much better than I ever could, Sarah Kay expresses why I am passionate about teaching high school writers. We all have stories to tell.

Learn with Me: Blogging Basics

^{cross-posted at Babee Crafts}

I've been blogging for a while...okay, not as regularly on this blog since starting my maternity leave this past fall, but you will find me blogging about my adventures in mommyhood over at Babee Crafts. That said, although I've been writing online for a number of years, I've always used sparse, pre-designed templates. I'm excited to have stumbled across a couple of really great resources this past week for expanding my blogging know-how and hopefully adding some professional punch to my blogging endeavors.

First, you have to check out the amazing collection of resources posted just last week over at Tip Junkie. Her post "Blog 101: How to Start, Make It Cute, and Succeed Blogging" is fantastic! I'm looking forward to really digging into all the resources and links she has posted. Whether you are using Blogger or Wordpress, she has a wealth of specific links for customizing your blog whatever platform you happen to be using.

And Heidi over at Sew. Craft. Create. started a new series today which will go through a number of questions she's received recently about blog design. So, if you're looking to punch up your blog's impact, be sure to follow along! She'll be going through how to add links into your header, create your own grab buttons, and so much more.

All that said, watch for changes here! You should start to notice some subtle (and not so subtle) changes with my blog design in the near future...and hopefully a few more posts as well!

Why Twitter is Awesome...and why I need to check in more regularly

I haven't been using my @jenniferward Twitter account as regularly as I have in the past. As I'm on maternity leave, I find it a bit more difficult to carve out the time that I would like to read and respond to all the great teachers and resources that my Twitter PLN forwards my way. And, as I've been trying to build my brand/business with Babee Crafts, I've found myself using my @babeecrafts account more and more. But here's why I really should be checking in on @jenniferward more frequently:

PBS New Hour Extra likes me.

I discovered yesterday a tweet from @NewsHourExtra that mine was one of nine education blogs that they follow. I was included on a list with David Warlick and Vicki Davis. I idolize these guys! I realize this might sound silly, that a very specialized group of teachers and educational technology enthusiasts know who David Warlick and Cool Cat Teacher are, but seriously, they're celebrities! I can't believe I'm on a Twitter list with these folks. So thank you PBS News Hour Extra. I will certain try harder to live up to this honor.