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Download YouTube Videos

Last month, New Prague teachers were given access to view sites previously blocked by the content filter. The biggest request for this feature was the ability to view educational content on YouTube. If you do not know how to bypass the content filter, watch this 2-minute video.

Once you have access to YouTube, it will not take long to search and find videos related to your curriculum. Unfortunately, random links, ads, and thumbnails appear at the end of YouTube videos... occasionally displaying inappropriate content. This is why it is beneficial to download the videos before playing them in the classroom. There are several ways to do this; I've demonstrated a few methods here: (1) DownloadHelper, (2) iDesktop.tv, (3) KickYouTube

What video format should you use when downloading? In general, (.wmv) is best for PC users. This format plays well in Windows Media Player and can be inserted into PowerPoint presentations. If you want students to view your video on Moodle, (.flv) works well.

PDFs to Word Documents

One of the benefits of working in the education profession is the number of teachers who are willing to share resources. The Internet makes  collaboration easier than ever before. One of the early hurdles educators had… finding a format everyone could open. Adobe Systems solved this problem by creating the Portable Document Format (PDF). It’s a file that anyone can open and view with the free Adobe Reader. Unfortunately, the format requires an expensive program to edit… until now. PDF to Word is a free online converter that makes the editing process quick and easy.
  1. Upload the PDF file
  2. Enter your email address
    TIP: Use an"outside"email address (Gmail, Yahoo!, HotMail, etc.). Our email filter blocks some of the attachments sent from this service.
  3. Wait a few minutes for the attachment to arrive as a Word (.doc) file
I was surprised how well it converted PDFs with text, graphics, and tables. This is one of the best free tools I have seen in a long time. Website:  www.pdftoword.com

New Tri... Reset Moodle

The end of the trimester is almost here. Many teachers may be wondering, "How do I clear out all the enrolled trimester 1 parents and students?" Simple, hit the "Reset" button...
  1. On the left-side of your course page, click the Reset link
  2. Under Roles, click Student in the Unenroll users box
  3. Scroll to the bottom, click the Reset course button
  4. Click the Continue button
For more detailed information, watch this 4-minute tutorial.

Now that your trimester 1 students have been cleared from your course, you'll need to communicate the enrollment keys to your new students and parents. This will automatically sort your students into separate groups for periods 1, 2, 3, etc. Watch this 2-minute tutorial to learn more about enrollment keys and groups.

Skype Your Classroom

High quality video conferencing is expensive. Good quality video conferencing is free... with Skype. Teachers all over the world are finding creative ways to use this amazing tool. New Prague teachers have Skyped classroom lessons with home-bound students, interviews with out of state applicants, and held a classroom discussion with a guest speaker from Germany. Have you been thinking about a collaborative project? Skype might be the tool to help make it happen. For more ideas, read this blog post: 50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom.
December 2009
  Download YouTube Videos
  PDFs to Word Documents
  New Tri... Reset Moodle
  Skype Your Classroom

AP History Project
The high school AP History class created their own online study guide. Students made "snapshots" of historical eras, events, and people. This is a great example of using a wiki for a collaborative project.



Staff Development Day
The next district-wide staff development day is January 18. Thanks for everyone's input; we have a wide-variety of course offerings. Registration information will be sent before Christmas break.

Google Apps for Ed.
Google has become much more than just a search engine. They offer a number of free applications that can be accessed online. A few NP teachers are piloting these applications with their students. Look for the "Google Docs" presentation in the Jan. 18 Staff Dev. Day brochure. If you want to learn more, click the image below to watch a 3-minute video.



Tech Ed Link
The Design Squad website is the online companion to the PBS Kids television series. The site targets middle school science and technology students. Like the show, the goal of the website is to help kids understand the connection between engineering and the things we all use in everyday life. Order your free Teachers Guide.

Top 10 Tips... New Media
Edutopia released a free download titled, "Top 10 Tips for Teaching with New Media." It highlights the following topics:

1.   Break the Digital Ice
2.   Find Your Classroom Experts
3.   Get Off to a Good Start
4.   Think Globally
5.   Find What You Need
6.   Meaning from Word Clouds
7.   Work Better, Together
8.   Open a Back Channel
9.   Make It Visual
10. Use the Buddy System



The Best Spanish Links
Larry Ferlazzo is a well-known blogger who reviews and writes about a wide variety of educational resources. He recently wrote a post titled, "The Best Sites for Learning Spanish Online."






 Shawn Brandt
  Technology TIP website
  sbrandt@np.k12.mn.us
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