Podcasting using Audacity and uploading MP3's



Recently, our French Teacher asked me about uploading an MP3 file that she had created using a sound recording program called Audacity--which did pose some problems for us...
(http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9869_)

But, I was able to upload an Mp3 to our schoolwires website with now problem and copy the url and open it in a new window.  From that link it simply opened up windows media player, so our school wires website should be capable of playing uploaded mp3's.

Generally, the process would be to upload a sound file either on a  file page or simply as a link on a flex page. There is also a "Podcasting Page" on School wires that you can choose when you create a new page. Here is a link to the PODCASTING page Help manual on school wires:
http://help.schoolwires.com/36651082412593930/lib/36651082412593930/_files/CenUnit5Ch9.pdf

Our staff will receive training on working with a "podcasting page" on November 16th--Here is the schedule of technology training for this year:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0ApexppJsFByqdGVVak1YTklrTUkwZmdDUWtzZ0xmT0E&hl=en#gid=0

Finally, if you figure out school wires is not the best place for podasting, there are alternatives... Here is an article with a suggestion for a site where you can upload podcasts:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-11293_7-6246557-7.html

The school district has also written about Podcasting on their "in-touch" technology blog:

http://wsfcsintouch.blogspot.com/search/label/podcast

Finally, Mr. Cardarelli completed a project this week using Photo-Story.  Photo-Story is an easy program to use and make a pod-cast.  If it's your first time making one, and you don't want the problems of Audacity, give Photo-story a try.  Here is the free download site for Photo-story 3:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx

Here is a link to some more resources on Podcasting/digital story-telling:

How to buy a laptop? Or which laptop is best?

I have already had these questions several times in just the last month.  I found this Wiki How to:  and there actually is quite a bit of good advice in there:

http://www.wikihow.com/Buy-a-Laptop

I also normally recommend that folks check out consumer reports ratings:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm

I have an on-line account, and can go on-line and help you decipher the most highly recommended models.
Here is a list of the top rated laptops by consumer reports:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/computers-internet/computers/computer-recommendations/laptop.htm

If you don't have an account, I can log-in with you and go over them :)

Study Shows Computers Lower Grades, But May Boost cognitive ability

I recently heard on NPR's "Hear and Now" an interesting story about a study on families who received computers verses families who did not in Romania.  The study was researched by a team from Chicago.

Here is a link to the interview on NPR:

Many people assume that a computer in the home will help students in school and help prepare them for the work world.  However, this particular study had mixed results showing that the students who received computers showed big drops in academic achievement.  On the other hand,  the students did show improvement in cognitive ability.  This raises many questions.

One conclusion of the study was that parental involvement really mattered.  Students with parents who set strict rules about computer use, showed less decline in academic achievement compared to the students who basically had free reign on the computer (probably just playing games all the time).  As a teacher, this part of the study is almost common sense -- knowing how parental involvement makes such a difference in the students that I see.  

The positive in this study is the increased cognitive ability, and perhaps another issue one might raise could be what are schools there actually measuring when they assess "academic achievement" ?  Perhaps schools are not measuring "real life skills" i.e. "cognitive ability"  that students really need.  


The author agrees that this study has mixed results. However, it does give educators and especially me as a technology facilitator something to think about in relation to some assumptions about computers in the home. 

Here is a copy of the study:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.hereandnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/0722_computer-study.pdf

Social Networking: Teachers and Students

This question came up on facebook.  "Correct me if i am wrong, but we are not supposed to be facebook friends with any student, whether we teach them or not. i have had a lot of rising 9th graders want to be my friend!"

Here is the link to the WS/FCS Board Policy on preferred mediums of communication that exist for teachers, school administrators and all other employees to communicate with students rather than the use of social networking sites. 

http://policy.microscribepub.com/cgi-bin/om_isapi.dll?clientID=104460929&advquery=social%20networking&depth=2&headingswithhits=on&hitsperheading=on&infobase=forsyth.nfo&record={1160}&softpage=PL_frame

The main point is:  "The Board strongly recommended that teachers, school administrators and all other employees not communicate directly with students or list WS/FCS students as “Friends” on personally administered pages of social networking sites, unless the student is the employee’s child, grandchild, sibling, cousin, niece or nephew. The Board of Education reserves the right to limit the mediums of interaction and communication between a teacher and student in the event the communication between the teacher and student warrant such."

It does say "recommend"...so that means you can not be fired for simply communicating, but the problem is the slippery slope that exists when communication starts on social networks that include your friends who do not necessarily think of your job as a teacher and the things that might say or post pictures of you doing :(

 However, other renowned educators feel quite differently than our school system.  In fact there are principals out there that actually encourage their teachers to friend students on Facebook!  Read more about that here:

http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2010/07/innovative-educator-in-new-york-times.html

Finally, here are some articles that have been written on the topic:

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/should-teachers-friend-their-students-facebook
(there was a suggestion on here for making a group page that would allow you to communicate with students on a very limited platform--like a fan page)

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Students_Teachers_Social_Networking/

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=11759793021&topic=7244

Wireless Router Issues

Had a question from a teacher today about her wireless router at home, "how they could reset their wireless router back to its default settings since they no longer could remember the password". Ever happen to you? Me too!  I  realized this is a common question that I get.  How to setup a wireless router, how to reset a wireless router.  How to connect to a wireless network, etc. 

One overall suggestion...If after many hours of trouble shooting a wireless router and you still can’t figure out what to do just go to Google and type in your wireless router model and trouble shooting and you will find many more tips.

The following  are some links for managing those specific issues:

Tips for wireless router troubleshooting:
http://www.dvhardware.net/article15009.html

Resetting a router password (also has links for specific models)
http://www.ehow.com/how_5865391_reset-password-router.html

Here's another good site with sugestions for resetting your wireless router:
http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/reset-wireless-router-default-settings/

Setting up a wireless network:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2091721_connect-laptop-wireless-router.html
Here's another good one from Microsoft for setting up a wireless network:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/organization/wirelesssetup.aspx

Wireless Projector

A teacher at my school asked me today if he could write a grant for an ipad that would be able to work with a wireless LCD projector or LCD TV...Here are some articles I found about it, but I am looking for some advice on how well they work or how reasonable this is:

http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/02/08/infocus.adds.mac.os.x.support.for.displaylink/

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362658,00.asp

Wireless LCD TV's:

http://www.wirelesslcdtv.net/

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7590_102-0.html?threadID=113140

School Wires Basic steps

School Wires Step By Step:

Go to your school's website
Once at your page, In the upper right hand corner, click on “USER OPTIONS”

Choose the drop down arrow next to user options and select:  SIGN IN

Enter your active directory (windows/computer) login name: For example: jdowns, and use your active directory password (how you log-on to your computer) ...

Click on Sign-in

To edit your page, go back to User Options and choose Site Manager.

Click on the name of the page you want to work on, such as your Welcome Page.

Make any changes you like and be sure to hit the SAVE button in the lower left before navigating away from the page!!

Note the different editing tools: Hovering your mouse over those tools will tell you what they do. Take note of the “abc” button for spell check/grammar/thesaurus.

Also, from the Site manager page, there are many other things you can do:
add new pages (that will appear on your left navigation),
make pages “inactive”
under tools… set up a photo gallery, set up a form/survey, etc.

10) When finished working, always be sure to go back to your main page, and under USER OPTIONS, choose “sign off”.

Resources:

WS/FCS Wiki on School Wires: http://wsfcswebmasters.pbworks.com/Schoolwires

Teacher website "non Negotiables"
http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/module/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?PageNumber=1&SurveyID=123http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/module/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?PageNumber=1&SurveyID=123

(all new teachers must read and sign)

Basic editing your webpage--Help Card: http://wsfcswebmasters.pbworks.com/f/Section+Editor+helpcard.pdf

Do's and Don't of Teacher webpage: http://wsfcswebmasters.pbworks.com/f/Teacher+Webpages.pdf