Morris County ETTC

Educational Technology Training Center Professional Development Registered Provider #5

Blogging in Education
Course Description: Blog? What’s a blog?
A “blog” or “weblog” is a simple webpage that anyone with an Internet connection can create. A blog can be an online diary or journal, a discussion board, a way to disseminate assignments online. It can be random thoughts or a political soapbox. They are a new way to work with journals in the classroom. A fun way to get students to write! Come and find out about this fun way to reach the NetGeneration! Participate in our blog & learn how to create your own and have it hosted for free! We will investigate existing blogs for educators at all levels, and how they can be used in and around the classroom.
(Prerequisite: General understanding of how to use the computer and Windows.)

Web 2.0 Tools for K-12
Course Description: Welcome to the new age of using the web, where concepts change every day. Back in the dark ages of web 1.0 you could only view information online and duplicate for writing reports, sharing with others, etc…. With the new web 2.0 tools people are changing the way real world works- in business, social activities and education. Now you can write directly online in a blog, wiki, google docs, etc… and get immediate feedback from others across the world, or just across your back yard. Find out how Web 2.0 is transforming the way we think about software and using applications. Learn how you can access free, interactive word processors, graphic organizers, spreadsheets, interactive bookmarks and more right within your browser. Even in elementary school, laptops, iPods, digital cameras, iPhones and more, are slowly replacing pencils, crayons, paper, and glue.
Find out how these tools can support collaboration and transform your classroom. Your students are already virtual learners- create an environment to suit their optimal learning potential.
(Prerequisite: Basic computer skills)

Google Docs: Create/Connect/Collaborate
Course Description: Ever wish there was an easier way to work on a document which required input from different people without the hassle of saving documents, emails and oh, the long frustrating wait?
Well, here’s Google Docs: a free, web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, form, and data storage service offered by Google. One of the most innovative features of Google Docs is allowing multiple users to work on a single document simultaneously, in real-time.
Another great feature, which is very common in online collaborative software, is version histories. As people edit and save the document, old versions are archived. You can go back and review previous versions with a click of a button.
(Prerequisite: Basic computer skills and general understanding of Office applications)

Wikis in the Classroom
Course Description: What is a wiki and how does it fit into my classroom?
Wiki is an easy- to- use, free online space, where you can create and share information among a number of users. In the classroom, wiki is a free tool that empowers every student to participate in group projects. Easy to set up- it works just like typing in Microsoft Word. Wikis usually consist of text, but you can also include photos & images.
Educators use wikis to create, publish, organize, collaborate, communicate, develop curriculum and post research and projects with due dates. No more “dog ate my homework”- wiki edits are time stamped. You know who made changes and when they were made. Teachers can make coursework and homework information easily available to both students and parents.
Wikis are ad-free and very safe to use, since you control who sees your wiki, by choosing the participants (your students). Go ahead and try it- it’s as easy as making a peanut butter sandwich!
(Prerequisite: General understanding of how to use the computer and Windows)

Using PowerPoint to Play Jeopardy
Course Description: What better way to learn than by playing a game.
Use the Jeopardy format in Power Point to introduce new classroom material, review for tests/quizzes, for extra credit or for after-school club activities. You will learn how to create a template, which can be used to create games for a variety of content materials.
(Prerequisite: General understanding of Power Point. Familiarity with creating hyperlinks desirable but not necessary)

Remember and Organize Everything You Do Online with Symbaloo and Evernote
Course description: Think of a visual, organized desktop for your weblinks.
‘Symbaloo’ is a Greek verb that stands for ‘assembling’. It is basically a personal online desktop, which helps users in managing favorite sites and services. Frequent web users have very large number of links saved in the browser’s, bookmarks in folders, etc. By using this simple, very visual start page, you can smoothly handle the links of these frequently accessed websites.
Evernote gives whole new meaning to the word “synchronized.” This software uses technology to help users organize various types of information from several different sources into one, central, web-based location. The product also allows users to clip web pages and archive them for later reference, store screen shots, photos and text notes, all within a customizable storage system. Evernote will also organize things for you by the date a note or other document was created.
(Prerequisite: Basic computer skills)