OpenOffice October 14, 2010
A free technology that is available to all teachers and students is the software program OpenOffice. This technology is a priceless tool that can help teachers or students create documents, spreadsheets, graphics, PDF files and much more. All of this can be gained at no cost! The software is compatible with all types of common computers and also can read and write files from other software programs such as Microsoft Office. OpenOffice holds an open-source software licensure which means that anyone can download it and can put the software on as many computers as they wish. They can also share or pass copies of it along to others. OpenOffice has been around for over twenty years and takes pride in its user-friendly software and free technology. OpenOffice also allows users to always be using the latest version of the software without having the hassle of installing a new version. OpenOffice not only is a terrific tool in the classroom, but can also be used by businesses, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and more! To learn more about OpenOffice or to download the free software, visit the website at http://why.openoffice.org/why_edu.html and learn more!
Podcast- “Teaching in a Virtual World” October 1, 2010
While searching for a podcast to observe, I was hoping to find one that would present a technology tool that would be new and beneficial to me as an educator. I ended up finding a podcast created by the School of Education at Indiana University. The podcast was one of many from a series called “Teach with Tech.” The podcast titled “Teaching in a Virtual World”’ featured Sarah Robbins, a professor at Ball State University that is known for her research and unique teaching styles. Robbins informed listeners of how she teaches some of her courses in a “virtual environment.” She introduced a program called Second Life that can be found on the web. It is a 3D online world that allows teachers and students to interact through a virtual environment. Teachers and students can go on the site and create what is called an “avatar,” which is a virtual character that represents their real personality and appearance. The students can also build objects to go along with what they are learning. Robbins said that Second Life is a great tool when using distance learning because it helps students feel like they are being taught by a real person and not just a computer. Professor Robbins likes that fact that she can meet face to face with her students and then meet them in their virtual classroom for the next class that week. It helps break up the monotony of meeting in the same place for every class. Second Life can also be a great place for educators all over the country to meet with each other in a virtual environment and share tools and ideas for teaching. Educators can also share ideas with each other through Second Life’s newsletter specifically directed towards teachers called The Sled. For educators that teach in secondary education, there is a specific environment called “Teen Grid” which is designed for students ages 14-17. Anyone over the age of 18 that would like to join the “Teen Grid” environment has to be a licensed educator with a completed background check. The program of Second Life was completely new to me and I found it to be a very unique learning tool. I think it would be exciting for students to be able to create their own virtual classroom and their own “avatars” to represent themselves in the virtual world.
Add “Teach with Tech” to your RSS Feed: http://teachwtech.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss
Podcast: http://www.indiana.edu/~icy/podcast/
Second Life Education: http://education.secondlife.com/?lang=en-US
Allison Ritter 