If This Then That - IFTTT

 
Technology is supposed to make your life easier, but when using social media and other sites it seems to add more to an already full plate for most educators.  So how can you still use technology and make it simpler?  Well one way is to use IFTTT, which stands for If This Then That.  IFTTT is a site that allows you to make technology recipes.  For example, let's say that I am art teacher and I use my smartphone to take pictures of my student's artwork.  At the end of the day I go home and upload these pictures to a photo website such as Flickr to share with staff, students, and parents.  By using the IFTTT website I can instead create a recipe like this: IF I take a picture THEN automatically load that picture into Flickr (set them private, so you can choose later which pictures you want to share).  Let's say I have a classroom blog, then I could create a recipe that looks like this:  IF a blog post is created THEN email parents to let them know a new post has been created.

IFTTT already has many recipes already made by others that you can use.  Just think of the possibilities!  This would also be a great site to use with students aged 13 and older. 

You have to sign up for an account in order to use IFTTT, but the sign up is easy and takes 2 minutes or less.

This is a great video made by Matthew Woodward to help get you started.

2nd Annual Digital Learning Day

Wednesday, February 6th marks the 2nd Annual Digital Learning Day. Digital Learning Day is a national campaign that celebrates teachers and shines a spotlight on successful instructional practices and effective use of technology in classrooms across the country.

Tools for Teachers

• Lessons plans for ideas: http://goo.gl/dDfXK
• Tool kits for various subject areas: http://goo.gl/UjffP
• Technology tip of the day: http://goo.gl/tSNjl

Digital Learning Day in Wisconsin

• Check out this website for information about the happenings in our state.

Screen Captures

Ever want to take a quick picture of your computer screen? When you are working on a district computer you have an option you can use that pops up on your computer screen every time you log in. It is the small box that appears called FastStone Capture.

The icons give you a few options of what you want to capture in your picture. 

1st: Capture the active window. This includes the tabs at the top of the screen.

2nd: Capture the window. This is just in inside of the webpage.

3rd: Capture just a rectangular section (that you can specify).

4th: Capture a free hand region that you can draw yourself.

5th: Capture the full screen. 

6th: Capture a scrolling screen.

To use this feature, have up on the screen what you want to capture. In the FastStone box click on the type of capture you want to do. When it is captured, it will open into a new screen and you can zoom, crop, cut, copy, draw, add a caption, make a decorative edge, resize, email, print or save the image you captured. 

Fotobabble - Talking Photographs

Fotobabble is a site that allows the user to upload a photo and then record voice to play while the photo is on the screen. You can string your Fotobabbles together to create web-based presentations, digital stories or virtual tours with your voice leading the way. To use this program you need to create an account. An account requires a username, password and email address. For that reason, only people 13 years and older can create an account on Fotobabble. (Companies are not allowed to collect personal information, such as an email address, from anyone younger than 13.)


Watch the video below to see how to create a fotobabble. It takes just minutes to upload a picture and add audio. The max record time on the website is 1 minute. If you have the updated version of the app for iPhone or iPad the recording limit is 5 minutes.




Ways to share the fotobabble: 

• With the URL link to share through email or post online
• There is code to embed in websites and wikis

Here is a link for directions on how to change many fotobabbles in a slideshow.
Ideas of ways to use Fotobabble:

• Home-made greeting cards
• Talking postcards from your travels
• Review products, songs, movies, TV shows, anything!
• Citizen journalism: Reporting from the scene of something newsworthy
• Provide commentary on a photo found on the web
• Promote a brand, products or services
• Create contests
• Narrate the story behind a special photo
• Adding a visual element to your poetry or music

Using Overdrive and How to Download to Kindles

Overdrive is here, Overdrive is here!!!  If you are not familiar with Overdrive, it's a subscription based website that allows users to download eBooks and Audiobooks on to their electronic devices for free.  Most public libraries have Overdrive (including all in our area), and now our school district also has Overdrive available.  I'm so excited to be able to offer Overdrive to both students and staff as a way to access books from the school library 24 hours a day!

You can download eBooks and Audiobooks onto your: computer, android phone, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, iPad, Kindle, Any Device with the free Kindle App, Nook, Sony eReader, etc.  List of compatible ebook readers.

Most adults may not enjoy reading books on their phone, but we have to remember our students are from a very digital generation.  As an experiment, one teacher allowed her students to bring in any device that had the Kindle App loaded on to it (which was a surprisingly large percentage of students).  The students were then allowed to download books to their devices from Overdrive.  I went up to help, and the students were so excited about being able to read on their own devices. One student who normally did not like to read, was quietly sitting in the corner reading off of his iPod Touch.

The Menasha Overdrive site is located here: http://mjsd.lib.overdrive.com

Student's can use their student ID number to check out materials.  Staff will be receiving (if you do not have it already) a letter with your id Number (or you may ask any library papaprofessional) in their mailbox soon.

Further Overdrive Instructions for Our District are Located Here. (only works if logged into your district gmail account)

How to Download Kindle Books from Overdrive

How to Read Early Grade Disney Books Instantly

Overdrive Pro's:

• Easy to download to Kindle or any device with Kindle App
• Easy to download and read K-3 Disney books online (if you have the subscription, which Menasha does)
• Instant access to books.
• Access to school library 24 hours a day/7 days a week
• Students can read books on their own devices.
• If you have the Adobe Digital Editions software loaded on your school computer (we do not) it works great with a Smartboard for class reading.
• Link right from Overdrive to free public domain books.
• Links for visually impaired students.

Overdrive Con's

• Must download Overdrive Media Console software in order to download books to devices other then Kindle or Early Grade Disney Books.
• Overdrive Media Console not loaded on our school computers (yet)
• Must have Adobe Digital Editions software in order to read PDF books on computer (which is not loaded on school computers (yet)).

For additional videos and help with Overdrive check this website (you will need to be logged into your school gmail account).