Fusion Finds
Educators Integrating Technology
Some of our teachers prefer a more basic blog to use to communicate with parents and students. They don’t need all the bells and whistles of Edublogs. I’m recommending that these teachers use our Tiger Blog tool available through our web-based Tiger Mail. This software is hosted locally on one of our servers. You will find it to be very dependable, fast, and easy to use. If you can send an email, you can do this.
Here are a few example blogs published by Willard Teachers:
I have published a short Tiger Blog handout and set of screencasts. To view a screencast click the title below:
- Creating a blog and choosing your settings
- Submitting a post using email
- Submitting a post using Tiger Blog software
- Editing or deleting a post
If you need further assistance with using the Tiger Blogging tool, please let me know.
Image Credit: Britain Going Blog Crazy by Annie Mole
All the Willard R-II attendance centers are subscribing to Discovery Education Streaming this year, aka United Streaming. This is a powerful resource with an extensive collection of videos, lesson plans, worksheets, speeches, songs, images, quizzes, etc. for all grade levels. Yes, you can access this tool from home.
ACCOUNTS
If you set up an account previously, it has been reinstated with the same username and password.
If you have forgotten your username and/or password:
- Navigate to Discovery Education Streaming.
- In the Log in box on the right, click the link for Forgot your username or password?
- You can then request your username and/or password.
If you have not ever set up an account:
- Navigate to Discovery Education Streaming.
- In the New Users box on the right enter the appropriate passcode. Contact Janetta Garton for the passcode for your building.
- Click the blue Go button and proceed to set up your account using your school email address.
WORKSHOPS
- Tuesday, September 2nd: 4-5:00 or
- Wednesday, September 3rd: 3-4:00
- Register online
TUTORIALS
- Fusion: Discovery Education Streaming workshop webpage
- Handout on how to use Discovery Education Streaming
- Set of screencast tutorials demonstrating the contents of the handout
- Free, online professional development course you can complete to earn Salary Advancement hours
Image Credit: Kake Pugh
At the end of May, Edublogs 3.0 was rolled out with a new dashboard and several upgrades. You can now customize your dashboard’s colors and select its widgets. The menus have changed, with easy access to all your blogs provided across the top of your dashboard. The visual editor has a new look, including a “kitchen sink” button. The uploading process is improved and the ability to embed code in a post simplified. A new feature allows you to easily create student blogs and accounts. I appreciate the new option to convert any categories to tags. The sidebar widget management has also improved.
I’ve published a new Blogging with Edublogs handout. You will also find a new set of screencast tutorials on the Fusion: Blogging webpage. I would also recommend reading The Edublogger by Sue Waters. It is a great blog to learn more about using Eublogs and blogging in the classroom.
Willard Staff: If you are not able to participate in one of the Podcasting workshops this month, or would rather learn on your own timetable, you are in luck. The Fusion: Podcasting webpage offers a handout and short video tutorials (screencasts) to lead you through the steps of podcasting.
And, there’s more! If you want to earn 3 Salary Advancement Workshop hours while you podcast, you can enroll in the free, online professional development, Moodle course: Podcasting. This course uses the handout and screencasts on the Fusion webpage to lead you through the steps. Work at your own pace, when it fits in your schedule, from any computer with Internet access. Just in time learning, at your convenience!
Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or suggestions. I’m happy to provide you with additional assistance.
Image Credit: Blue Snowball Microphone by sklathill
tag: edtech k12 podcasting podcasts professional development tutorials screencasts Moodle
Willard Staff: If you are not able to participate in one of the Organizing Your bookmarks Online with delicious workshops this month, or would rather learn on your own timetable, you are in luck. The Fusion: Social Bookmarking with delicious webpage offers an updated handout and short video tutorials (screencasts) to lead you through using delicious. And, there’s more! If you want to earn 3 Salary Advancement Workshop hours while you work, you can enroll in the free, online professional development, Moodle course: Organizing Your bookmarks Online with delicious. This course uses the handout and screencasts on the Fusion webpage to lead you through the steps. Work at your own pace, when it fits in your schedule, from any computer with Internet access. Just in time learning, at your convenience!
Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or suggestions. I’m happy to provide you with additional assistance.
tag: delicious social bookmarking bookmarks favorites professional development k12 edtech Moodle tutorials screencasts
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