Box.net

Box.Net provides a way to backup files, share them, and even collaborate with others (collaboration comes with a price). Almost any type of file can be saved. You could create one Box.net account for every email account you have and end up with one gig to store music and another gig to store photos. This is an online service and access is available from anywhere you can connect to the Internet. Another part that's beneficial is being able to post files right to a website and if you decide to make the file public it is given a website address. There are no advertisements seen and the site prides itself on that. One gigabyte of space is free. Upload any type of file and multiple files at one time. The drag and drop function for adding files is handy or just upload through the browse and upload method. For those teachers that don't have access to their school files from home, this would be a great way to keep files, update them, and print them. Very secure and constantly backs up the files to provide redundancy. There is even phone support for paying members.
A weakness is that in order to join you need to include an email address. The only way to collaborate is to buy the professional account. File size is limited to 10 MB for the free service.
The price is hard to beat for 1 GB, free. It's $79.95 a year for 5 GB and $199.95 a year for the 15 GB. The most expensive plan also comes with 20 subaccounts to allow for sharing and collaboration.
A great application to the classroom is called the widget. It allows for pictures, video and audio to all be put within the widget, or box that holds it all. The widget can then be added to a website, blog, or wiki. It would be great to accumulate a few resources for students to use and place them within the widget to be used at a website, without having to add in all the code for each individual item or go back onto Box.net to retrieve them. This is a free way to backup files without having to buy a jump drive and access those files from home. This is more for the teacher to keep work safe and be able to access the work anywhere, which could lead to better preparation and better teaching.

Gliffy

Gliffy is a diagramming program that is a more advanced version of Inspiration. The web based program features drag and drop use with the vast symbol library. Once the diagram is finished it can be made public or private. Chris Kohlhardt and Clint Dickson founded this San Francisco based company.
Gliffy is web based so access is available anywhere there is hardware connnected to the World Wide Web. Another strength is being able to share diagrams with other collaborators who are able to make changes, deletions, or additions. If the creator does not like the revisions a revision history button lets the creation be switched back to an earlier version. There is a large assortment of symbols in each of the categories. Symbols in the Tab section at the top of the page enable the creator or collaborators the ability to create, modify, and view. Work on Gliffy can be added to a website or wiki.
It is possible to upload images to include in the diagrams, but only up to 2000 Kilobytes for a free account. An email address is needed to access the website, making it less student friendly. I am having difficulty receiving my confirmation email from Gliffy that will allow me to collaborate. Gliffy could be hard for younger students to use.
As with many other applications on the web, this site is free for all the diagrams made public, but only 3 private diagrams are possible. The premium service is $30 for one year or $45 for two years allows unlimited private diagrams along with more options and abilities.
Just like Inspiration, Gliffy can be used as a prewriting organizer. It can also be used to plan out a report or presentation, brainstorm, create flowcharts, and floor plans. I see using this with students working on aerial views of maps. The existing object pictures show students the way to think about furniture, and more importantly windows and doors.

Wikispaces

Wikispaces is a simple website creator that is in the process of giving away 100,000 free, advertisement free accounts for teachers. You can use wikispaces just like a school website, it's very easy to add information and format the page. What makes it even better than a website is that other people can add information to the site and collaborate on it. Invite those you want to collaborate or just create a public account. Just click the Edit This Page button and type all you want. Since it is online, teachers are able to work on it anywhere they have an Internet connection. Pages can be added quickly and then those pages can be connected together with hyperlinks between pages. With the same hyperlink button, links to websites can be included on the page. Easily edited and navigated. No advertisements on the free teacher pages. Informative video podcasts take you through the step-by-step process of starting a page, adding information and links. Another feature I really found useful is that pictures, Word, and Excel documents can be uploaded very easily. Then take the thumbnail picture of the file and place it on the page where you want it. Other people can then open those files or images. The colors and layout can be changed under the Manage Space link. Recent changes can be seen and all it takes to make a New Page is to click on New Page. I even have an RSS feed showing me all the changes that have occurred to my Wikispaces site on my Bloglines account.
Sometimes symbols, font type and spaces will make the layout of the page change from the way you want it to look. There can be problems with symbols affecting the HTML code. Math problems do not line up well. Like I said before there are free accounts and if you sign up for an educator account there will be no advertisements - even though the ads are very subtle.
Students would be able to create pages of information on topics they are covering in class. Teachers can list websites for students to use. Add a homework page that lists the assignments for each day of the week and update them daily. It's a great way to put all resources, strategies, and ideas into one place. Use it just like a school website. Also, any Word documents used in the class can be uploaded onto the page to create accesible study guides, worksheets, rubrics, or any other Word or Excel documents. Wikispaces is a terrific site that on plan on using in the future. I'm even thinking of using a Wikispaces page next year as the second grade site, instead of the school Website, I should probably check with my IT coordiantor about that first. Come and check out my updates to my wikispaces site.

The Water Cycle Song

I have been meaning to add yet another song to my ever growing list (of 3). A parent of former students was in my building a few months back and asked me if I still sang the song because her kids still remembered it. This is after five years for the older of the two children. So here comes the third installment to the tune of Oh My Darling Clementine.

Evaporation (do the reverse of raindrops coming down with your fingers like you would do in Itsy Bitsy Spider)
Condensation (curve both arms over your head meeting to together to form a cloud, which might look like an egg or o to some students)
Percipitation on my mind (here's where the raindrops can come down)
It's the water cycle, it's the water cycle and it's happening all the time (have the students rotate their arm around in a circle as if doing the backstroke)

Now you have the tune and the motions that allowed my second graders to learn the vocabulary of the water cycle. Just in case you need a visual here is the water cycle, thanks to the public photo area of Flickr.

Integrating Music

In my graduate class we looked at TeacherTube and I thought I'd add a couple of songs I do with my class. Music is a very powerful way to learn and I should do more of it in my classroom. I'll put the words to a song that helps my students remember when to add -ed to a word. It's corny but effective. Now once I learn how to do a podcast I'll be able to add the audio here as well. I'll write out the words and think of the tune to Turkey in the Straw.
When your root word ends with K your ed sounds like T,
when your root word ends with K your ed sounds like T,
when your root word ends with K your ed sounds like T,
when your root word ends with K your ed sounds like T
Na-na, na, na-na, na-na, na, naa,
Na-na, na, na-na, na-na, na, naa,
Naanana, na, na, na, naa, na na-na, na, na, na, na, na
K makes your ed sound like a T (Shave and a hair cut - two bits)


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You can also to switch off to CH, S, SH, P, X instead of T or make each line of the song a different combination.

Now that I'm in the singing mood, I'll put another one up here too. Months of the year can be tricky for students to remember, but not after you get them singing this one to the tune of Are You Sleeping.

January,
February,
March, March, March, (have the kids march in place during the all the marches)
March, March, March,
April, May, June,
July, August, September,
October, November,
Decembuuurrrrr, (pretend you're cold and and shake during Decembuuurrrr)
Decembuuurrrrr.

Months of the
Year Song

Now that I've laid some music on the line let me know all about those musical hits you belt out for your class.

Sharing Part 2

A way my teaching partner and I created more of that extremely valuable resource in school, time, was by bringing both of our classes together for read aloud. Two days a week she brings her class to my room and I read to both classes. She also reads to both classes for two days of the week as well. This allows one of us to have 20 to 30 minutes of prep time each day we do read aloud. One thing we have done to allow our students to practice reading in front of a group is to have two students each week (Very Important Person or Star students of the week) read a favorite book to the classes during one of my read aloud times. Then during my teaching partner's time one day we have students from both classes read their writing samples and stories they created to the whole group. Students really think about which of the writing samples they want to share and they enjoy receiving feedback from their peers. Very much like blogging. Let me know if you have any creative ways to build in more prep time.

2nd Grade Shared Files

Our district has set up a shared file system on the server for each grade. It's quick and easy for your IT department to do. Yesterday at a grade level meeting I was able to take the other members of my team through the process of locating and entering the folder. We then started adding work we had completed in different programs (mainly Word) to a set of organized folders I had put in place. Having three elementary buildings in my district makes it harder to share or even remember to share with the other two buildings. Technology makes it very easy to share documents. Now that we have put all this information in, it is important for us to take a look through it and see what everyone has included. Otherwise it's just a resource that sits there like so many of the workbooks, books, and binders I have sitting on my shelf.
What about non-computer based sheets you ask? The photocopiers out there now allow you to email yourself a copy of the sheet you just photocopied in a pdf file to your email.
The staff meeting I had yesterday was pretty valuable. Everyone was to bring in an activity that helps with differentiation in the classroom. Lots of great ideas that I will talk about in a blog at a later time. However, since everyone gave an activity we now have a red folder full of activities - but no time to look through them or choose what will work best. That's often the problem with professional development, load you up with all this information over a short period of time and you're off on your own. There is usually no follow through or activity to bring back. Anyone have any presentations you've been to where the presenter had some great way for you to learn it, but put it to use in the classroom?