Check out the video below and learn how to create simple flash activities using Notebook 10. Look for a new post soon showing the amazing new features with Notebook 11.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Friday, February 17, 2012
Jing a Free Screen Capturing Tool
Ever need to take a picture of your computer screen? Don't want to pay for a software tool to do this for you? Well it sounds like it is time to check out Jing!
Once downloaded, Jing's little sun interface with branching arms will dock on the edge of your computer screen just waiting for when you will need him next.
Just click the crossbar capture tool, draw a square and choose capture.
Teacher Handout: How to download Jing and take a Screen Shot
Once downloaded, Jing's little sun interface with branching arms will dock on the edge of your computer screen just waiting for when you will need him next.
Jing allows you to annotate or draw on your new image. Add text, draw arrows, even highlight points of interest.
Ideas for using Jing in the classroom:
- Take a photo, then use Jing to and add arrows pointing to important features for students to label
- Take a photo of a map, from a worksheet add text and labels to the map.
- Take a screen shot of the computer error you got and send it to your technician.
- Use Jing to personalize images for worksheets, Power Points, or Prezis.
- Have students use Jing to upload work to a url using the Share feature. Set up a digital drop box for kids to turn in work.
Teacher Handout: How to download Jing and take a Screen Shot
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Badge Maker
The website www.bighugelabs.com has a ton of great teacher resources. One of my favorite is the badge maker. Here are a few ideas on how to use badge maker with 3rd-5th graders.
Pre-writing Activity
Because there is limited typing space on an ID badge, kids are forced to focus in on the main points. This makes ID badges great for pre-writing as students prepare to compose personal narratives or research papers. If you are running short on time they make a great end product too.
Displaying Students Poetry
Student's poems are often short enough to fit on an ID badge. Students can then upload a picture to go with their poem or add a picture of themselves, the author.
Classifying & Creating Data Tables
Since ID badges have a big title line they are perfect for creating classroom graphic organizers. Students print out their badges & the teacher classifies and displays students work on a graph that is on the class bulletin board.
Tech Tip: Id badges make for an impressive final product that can be displayed in hallways or clipped to research journals for inspiration. To print them have students save the file and then past them into a word document. This allows students to control the print size and print a badge that is actually the size of a real ID badge (thus saving ink!).
Student Instructions: Student Handout
How have you used BigHugeLab's Badge Maker with your students? Did your kids have fun?
Pre-writing Activity
Because there is limited typing space on an ID badge, kids are forced to focus in on the main points. This makes ID badges great for pre-writing as students prepare to compose personal narratives or research papers. If you are running short on time they make a great end product too.
Student's poems are often short enough to fit on an ID badge. Students can then upload a picture to go with their poem or add a picture of themselves, the author.
Classifying & Creating Data Tables
Since ID badges have a big title line they are perfect for creating classroom graphic organizers. Students print out their badges & the teacher classifies and displays students work on a graph that is on the class bulletin board.
Tech Tip: Id badges make for an impressive final product that can be displayed in hallways or clipped to research journals for inspiration. To print them have students save the file and then past them into a word document. This allows students to control the print size and print a badge that is actually the size of a real ID badge (thus saving ink!).
Student Instructions: Student Handout
How have you used BigHugeLab's Badge Maker with your students? Did your kids have fun?
World Wisdom
With a little creativity, Wordles become more than just "beautiful word clouds" in the classroom. By adding a fun techno twist to student projects, wordle helps kids get excited about writing. Kids get to play with design elements in a fun and easy way. http://www.wordle.net/
Here are a few ideas for upper elementary:
Research BrainstormingHave your students start their research project by cutting &pasting an article from one of your schools library data bases into Wordle. Words that are repeated often in will appear bigger. By looking at their wordle students have a good idea about what their man research points will be.
Here is an example using an article form Gale's Virtual Data base for a report on Sam Houston.
Classification
Wordle can be a great way for students to demonstrate an ability to classify things. The Wordle below shows the student understands the concept of Onomatopoeia. The same activity could be done with adjectives, possessive nouns, American presidents, or odd numbers.
Here are a few ideas for upper elementary:
Research BrainstormingHave your students start their research project by cutting &pasting an article from one of your schools library data bases into Wordle. Words that are repeated often in will appear bigger. By looking at their wordle students have a good idea about what their man research points will be.
Here is an example using an article form Gale's Virtual Data base for a report on Sam Houston.
Classification
Wordle can be a great way for students to demonstrate an ability to classify things. The Wordle below shows the student understands the concept of Onomatopoeia. The same activity could be done with adjectives, possessive nouns, American presidents, or odd numbers.
Take Home Gifts
Printed on card stock or poster paper, a wordle makes a great take home gift for students to give to family members.
Tech TIP: If you plan on printing student wordles for display in the classroom, consider having students use a white background color.
Student instructions: Student Handout
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