Near the end of the school year, my students have been interviewing experts on different topics from the content we studied.  Their projects will be posted soon.  However, we had a problem as some Professors had never used skype and where unsure of how to use it.  

So, while looking for an alternative way to record these interviews from around the world, I sent out a tweet and someone in my PLN, tweeted back: meetings.io.  


Meetings.io is a free service.  You DO NOT have to create an account to use the service.  You can go to the site, open a meeting and then email the link to people you would like to speak to.  It works great.  Images are clear (better then Skype), locations are shown, sound is clear and images are side by side so you can see each interaction clearly.   

If you create, a free account, you get more.  With an account you get a private room that is always open with the same address, so people don't need more emails. Meetings.IO promises to have the following up and running very soon:  note taking section, open a live chat box, share files, and screen share.  These options show up in your private room now, but if you click them they state they will be up and running soon.  The note taker function is up and running now.    See Features

I really found this site to be quick, easy to use and very clear.  However, check in your schools to see if it is blocked or if they block ports this software needs to work.  It was blocked at my school, but a great option for home use.  Let me know what you think after you use it.  

Cheers, Garth

Garth and I are sitting here at an AALT conference listening to Mr. Richardson (Dr.) talking about the change that is needed in education.  Will has written several important books including Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms and Personal Learning Networks.  Will is doing a great job of setting up how technology can really help expand education past “Jeopardy-like questioning”. 

The crux of Will’s argument revolves around allowing students to use everyone and everything at their disposal to find passion in learning.  He is also doing a great job of showing all of the knowledge and skills that are developed through students being freed to learn through what they are passionate about.

Will just asked a great question, “Do our kids really need everything we put in their heads?”  Are we creating learners or the learned?  **Since I am writing in real-time, this post may seem a bit jagged.  Will has moved onto a discussion about real ways to change our scope and vision of education in the classroom.  Great look at how the Web has created a world of abundance and has truly changed the access to information. 

I will add more to the post later when I have time to sit and reflect with Garth.

Welcome to the GCEDC presents: Creating Digital Content!

Below you will find the presentation that Garth and I will use to lead our discussion concerning students creating digital content. 

While we will only discuss Wikipedia book creator and Wikispaces, on the last slide are a few other free, digital content creation alternatives. 

Links visited in this workshop: 
1.  WikiBOOK  Use Print/export, pick book and go.
2.  InstaGrok, It really Rocks.  
3.  Student Created Online book:  

Tutorials: How to make a wiki in wikispaces.   How to use creative commons. 


On a side note: Some fun digital content. Some readings you might want to view first with links to cool stuff: 
How do we Motivate middle school students? Part one
Mosaickr.com
Wallwisher: Free online collaboration tool
Cartoon Yourself, one time before 2010 ends...
Prezi to replace PowerPoint?
Voki and an 11 year old
Answergarden
Links to other sites to view and our build at: 
http://www.xtranormal.com/
http://goanimate.com/
http://answergarden.ch/

Mike and I have done several posts on Amy Burvall and her successful history content music videos on youtube and facebook.  No doubt she has inspired thousands of students around the world to learn and better understand history--not to mention the adults.  This year was the second year students have created History music videos for my class, as a project option.  These students are 12-13 years old and completed these projects on their own time.  I have put in a few examples of their work.  I think you will agree that these young adults will never forget these projects or the fun they had making them, not to mention the content that will forever be stuck in their minds.   Please leave a comment on what you think about these student created projects, that will leave a legacy for others in the years to come.  

On a side note, I have written permission from parents to post all these videos.  


Here are Amy Burvall's  links: 
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/historyteachers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/historyteacherz 
Tweet @historyteacherz
email [email protected] 

My first blog on her work was April 6, 2011: History class with rhythm.