Saturday, July 30, 2005

Technorati

For those of you who blog or use blogs, you need to know about Technorati, a keyword search tool for blogs. It also offers an easy way to track keywords and names, ot keep you easily apprised of any posts using these terms.

They have also just created a Technorati Mobile app to use with a handheld device.

--Kathy

Friday, July 29, 2005

Skype

Okay, I guess I am late to this technology, since I have had access to full-featured video and web-conferencing tools via Macromedia Breeze and have not experimented with the consumer tools.

It is easy to install and use Skype, which is a telephone-like system for the computer that is free! It even allows the participants to talk at the same time...gotta love the ability to interrupt! I am doing a test next week to see if I can participate in an interview over Skype which will then be turned into a Podcast. I will let you know how it works!

-Kathy

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Moblogs

I have spent the morning setting up a mobile blog that allows me to send information from my cell phone to a Blogger blog. Since I have the Treo 650, which is more like a mini-computer and is not quite the same as a regular cell phone that takes pictures and sends e-mail, the process was a bit more complex.

Here is info on how to get started if you are intersted.

http://www.blogger.com/mobile-start.g

I can send SMS messages to my mobile blog, and e-mail messages, but cannot get pictures to appear, even if I choose to send an MMS message. I guess it will do for now.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Wikipedia discussion

I am not yet ready to offer my opinion, but I have been giving this whole Wikipedia thing a lot of thought. I first watched the Webcast of the opening keynoter at NECC 2005, David Weinberger, entitled The New Shape of Knowledge.

I then listened to a 02/22/05 NPR broadcast dealing specifically with Wikipedia.

Andy Carvin has also written a thoughtful essay that describes ways to use Wikipedia in the classroom. Give it a read.

As one who deals with using, organizing, accessing and evaluating information (and teaching others to do the same) on a daily basis, I am really torn.

PS Another interesting article may be found here, in the Village Voice.

Your thoughts and why?

Thursday, July 14, 2005

Combining blogs

Dear All,

I maintain a couple of blogs, and I am going to continue them here, so they are all in one place, on Kathy's Kaffeeklatsch. Please set your bookmarks to
http://kathyschrock.blogspot.com/

or your RSS feeds (get an online one at http://bloglines.com/)to
http://kathyschrock.blogspot.com/atom.xml


Thanks!

Kathy

NECC 2005 Information

For those of you who attended or are interested in the list of links to the items I included in my NECC 2005 presentation, "The Magic of Technology Gadgets for Educators", you may find them here: http://kathyschrock.net/magic/

The presentation was intended to be a light-hearted look back, but, more importantly, an eye-opener for teachers who will be thinking of very creative ways to use these devices to support teaching and learning.

One idea that I have been promoting is the use of a USB flash drive or MP3 player to minimize the number of students who don't have access to some software applications at home. You can read more about that here, in an article entitled SOAP on a Rope. Feel free to post your comments about the article and any other thoughts you have about devices in the classroom!