Summer Tech 2010

Guest – Shelly Snow

• Literacy Assessments: Informing and Useful
  Are you wondering how you can use all of your literacy assessment results to inform instruction and interventions for your students? See how this can be done on one page using Filemaker Pro as a collaborative tool. A great resource for RTI. Intermediate – preferred afternoons (Tuesday)
  

Bethany Hanson

• Open Source Visual Arts: GIMP and Inkscape for the Classroom
  Have you ever thought of a art project that would enhance your students learning and then thought it could be done better on the computer ?   But didn’t know how to do it ?  Or if if it was possible with your school’s computers ?   Then these programs are for you . Both are free and widely available .
  GIMP  is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems . It is similar to Photoshop and comes with the MLTI image. Inkscape  is a vector based graphic program which is similar to Adobe Illustrator.   It’s easy to install on most machines .  (Tuesday & Thursday)
• Pages (Beginner, Mac)
  Literacy skills are key to effective learning, and the ability to present your work and ideas in an aesthetically pleasing way can be powerful and motivating. Understanding and leveraging the capacity of “Pages” as a desktop publishing tool will allow you and your students to present your work in a way that has the look and feel of a professional publication. Intuitive and easy to use, “Pages” offers a stylish, yet customizable workflow that can seamlessly incorporate impressive design concepts and help elevate the impact of work you are already proud of.
• Keynote (Beginner, Mac)
  Keynote can be used to communicate and present your ideas and in a meaningful and impressionable way. Lose the boring bullet lists and learn how to effectively use presentation software to truly compliment and convey your ideas in a visual manner. Make an impact on your audience as you showcase your work or demonstrate your knowledge in a way that has a polish and shine that you can be proud of. Be confident in understanding the capabilities of the software so that you can comfortably provide your students with an alternative method of demonstrating the extent of their learning not just to you, but to their classmates and beyond.
• Compose a Better Photograph (Mac/PC)
  How many photographs do you have either in family albums or on your computer? My guess is that you have quite a stockpile of images that you have collected over the years. We all love to take pictures, right? And we all have our favorite photographs. But what makes a particular photograph special? Explore aspects of composition that make a photograph more appealing as we look at the arrangement of elements within the frame and their relationship to the background. Understanding a little bit of theory will allow you to see and create more interesting and compelling photographs. Develop ideas on how you can incorporate digital photography into your classroom curriculum, and expose your students to a meaningful and multimedia-filled classroom environment! Bring your camera and be prepared to shoot!
• Digital Photography Using iPhoto (Intermediate / Advanced, Mac)
  One of the advantages of digital photography is that you have the ability to use your computer to enhance and adjust your images to make them look even better. Whether they are destined for email, print, or your choice of presentation tool, use iPhoto to learn how to organize, edit, crop, resize and make subtle adjustments to your photographs and make them look their best for when you want to display them. Marvel at the one-click options to view your photographs in a slideshow, a calendar, greeting cards, and even your own coffee table book! Develop ideas on how you can incorporate digital photography into your classroom curriculum, and expose your students to a meaningful and multimedia-filled classroom environment!
• Pages (Beginner, Mac)
  Literacy skills are key to effective learning, and the ability to present your work and ideas in an aesthetically pleasing way can be powerful and motivating. Understanding and leveraging the capacity of “Pages” as a desktop publishing tool will allow you and your students to present your work in a way that has the look and feel of a professional publication. Intuitive and easy to use, “Pages” offers a stylish, yet customizable workflow that can seamlessly incorporate impressive design concepts and help elevate the impact of work you are already proud of.
• Keynote (Beginner, Mac)
  Keynote can be used to communicate and present your ideas and in a meaningful and impressionable way. Lose the boring bullet lists and learn how to effectively use presentation software to truly compliment and convey your ideas in a visual manner. Make an impact on your audience as you showcase your work or demonstrate your knowledge in a way that has a polish and shine that you can be proud of. Be confident in understanding the capabilities of the software so that you can comfortably provide your students with an alternative method of demonstrating the extent of their learning not just to you, but to their classmates and beyond.

Guests – Blogging Parts I and II – Sarah Sutter and Thom Cosgrove

• Part I: So you know what a blog is, may have started one of your own, and now want to explore the role blogging could play in your school.  This session will examine blogs as community building tools, connecting classrooms, administrators and schools to the greater outside world in a two-way dialog. The focus will be on blogs by teachers and administrators as a first step to creating a culture of writing, sharing and connecting throughout the school.  We’ll touch on stakeholder buy-in, outreach, and building capacity for participation throughout the district and at all grade levels as well as the basics for getting started. (Thursday)

• Part 2:  Now that teachers, admin and parents are comfortable with blogs as part of the school culture, how do you go about involving students directly? We will explore  the policies, procedures and pedagogy for effectively using blogs as writing tools, peer editing platforms, e-portfolios, and a means of connecting students with experts and other learners from around the world.  As a teacher, how do you manage 120 student blogs? How do you set them up? What parental permissions might you need?  These are just some of the questions we’ll address in this session. (Thursday)

Guests – Project Based Learning with Keith Kelley (Thurs. Session 2)

• Discusses his program using this methodology to help students understand the creative aspects of learning.
  5th Grade Robotics and Building Modules (Cars, Boats)
  6th Grade Build Skateboards
  7th Grade Design Computer Games
  Lastly (and major focus)  8th Grade build their own products that they need to prototype, design, build, market and sell.
  

Sarah Sutter

• Understanding Your Camera (Mac/PC)
  Ever wondered what all of those little symbols on the camera dial mean? Getting the most out of your digital camera can be difficult, especially if you are trying to understand the manufacturer’s manual. Aperture, shutter speed, exposure, white balance… yikes! Understand and more effectively use some of your camera features to safely and creatively venture off that little green “automatic” button every now and then. By understanding the relationship between the camera controls and your artistic choices, you can simply focus on making better photographs. Develop ideas on how you can incorporate digital photography into your classroom curriculum, and expose your students to a meaningful and multimedia-filled classroom environment! Bring your camera and be prepared to shoot!
  

Jason Baack – The Champ

• Information Security for the Classroom Teacher (All levels, Mac / PC)
  With camera phones, PDAs, iPods, thumb drives, web based storage and wireless information can be shared more easily than ever. How can educators protect the information important to them? Participants will learn how to identify various tools that are being used today to probe school networks, as well as protective measures that can be used to mitigate threats.
• Identity Theft – What Can I Do About It? (All levels, Mac / PC)
  Identity Theft happens daily! This session will arm you with the tools you need to stop ID theft from happening as well as teach you some of the current methods being used to steal YOUR identity. Chances are it is not what you think. This session is for both Mac / PC users, criminals don’t care what systems you use.
• Online Video Applications (All levels, Mac / PC)
  You have heard of Skype & iChat video, but what about tools such as Qik, Vidorea, and Ustream? Learn how you could start streaming video on the net with FREE software. Take your classroom, special projects, or field trips online and sharing in a few moments.
• GPS – Let’s Go Exploring! (All levels, Mac / PC) DOUBLE SESSION
  This class will use free mapping software and hands on participation. Students will use software and GPS handheld devices on a field trip to a local park to find a hidden geocache. If you have a GPS – BRING IT
• Google World (All levels, Mac / PC)
  Everything you wanted to know about Google and what you can do with it. WARNING – May include tools you never knew Google had!
• Online simulations (All levels, Mac / PC)
  Become aware of and experience some simulation tools that are free and available for you on the web to assist you in your classroom experiences. Perfect for the science and math teachers looking to expand their classroom experiences.
• PC Podcasting (On request)
  Have a PC, want to Podcast? No problem! We can show you the tools and the steps to get started podcasting with your PC, just like your fellow Mac users.
• Ken Who? (Mac/PC)
  Ken Burns, that’s who. He’s the guy who has the cool effect that looks like you are zooming or panning over a photograph simulating motion named after him. Not getting the picture? Think the Civil War and Baseball documentaries on PBS, or just about anything you see on the History Channel these days… he was the guy who made it popular, and now thanks to the smart software developers out there, you too can create dazzling and compelling movies from still images. Digital storytelling encourages the development of literacy skills in multiple ways, motivating students to be active learners and thinkers as they engage in the writing process to tell a story and become creators of content. Big fun!

Laura Richter - Finalist for Maine Technology Leader of the Year 2008-09

• Empower Learners with Noteshare (All levels, Mac)
  Noteshare is a program for creating and sharing Notebooks containing text as well as media files. These Notebooks can then be shared within a room or across the globe. Participants will learn the numerous functions of Noteshare as they explore ways to integrate this media rich Notebook within their content area and within their classroom environment.
• Motivate Students with Garage Band / Podcasting (All levels, Mac)
  GarageBand is a program for creating audio broadcasts that can be published online for anyone to download. This session will cover the basics of how to make a professional sounding podcasts and we will also examine their place within any curriculum area. We will learn to access and subscribe to free educational podcasts available through the iTunes music store.
• Engage Learners with iPhoto – (Beginners, Mac)
  With the program iPhoto, participants will import photos from a digital camera or from online sources and create albums to house them. Basic manipulation tools will be explored for adjusting brightness, eliminating red eye, cropping etc. Photo albums can be easily turned into slideshows and burned directly to DVD format or exported to Quicktime. We will also make a simple photo webp age that can be published online and explore the possibility for creating classroom books with photos and captions.
• Integrating Comic Life with Your Curriculum (All levels, Mac)
  With this program participants will create not just comics but also greeting cards, photo albums, brochures and other projects integrating annotated images. Comic Life allows users to make page layouts containing boxes for images and text. Particular attention will be paid to the potential for classroom integration which is endless, including literacy reinforcement, book reports, storytelling, dialog punctuation, timelines and more. Filters can be applied to enhance and make digital images look hand drawn. Comics will be exported to iPhoto Albums, Quicktime, web, or even sent to a print service for a hard covered, professional looking book.
• Undersea Adventures of Captain Eli (Beginner, PC/Mac)
  This session will focus on the many ways to integrate technology with graphic novels.  Will include geography, MLR and national standards.
• iMovieHD (All levels, Mac)
  With this video editing software we will import movie clips from a digital camera and use still photos from iPhoto to create a rich multimedia project. We will learn to edit video clips, add music tracks, record voice, transitions and titles. iMovie is a powerful classroom tool for the creation of documentaries, PSA’s, instructional videos and much more. We will look at its potential for use across the curriculum.
• Something Wiki This Way Comes (Beginner, PC / Mac)
  Have you been wondering , what is a Wiki? It is a super useful website that opens up communication and allows any number of people to contribute or change content in a collaborative space. The potential for classroom use is great … think about students working together or with a community volunteer using a  common space as they work on any given project! We will explore the free online websites that offer free Wikis and begin this process of collaboration on the spot!

Ann Marie Quiron Hutton – ACTEM Technology Educator of the Year 2007

• Cheep Cheap: WiiMote WhiteBoard (All levels, all platforms)
  If we combine the digital projector with a wii remote game controller along with the free software and an IR pen we create a low cost interactive whiteboard.
• Cheep Cheap, Too: Moodle (All levels, all platforms, browser based)
  Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is a Free web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites.
• Virtual Learning Environment with Studywiz (All levels, Mac)
  Studywiz is a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) developed in collaboration with schools in Australia, Asia, Europe and now Maine. It is part of the MLTI and an easy to use, flexible and scalable tool. It enriches teaching and can engage the entire school community in learning.
• SketchUp (Beginner, Intermediate. All platforms)
  A free 3-D modeling program that can be used by students and professionals. Let the kids design a dream house or turn a 2-D drawing into a 3-D digital design. See how you may use this in your classroom.
• Edusim (Beginner, All platforms)
  This tool creates a Virtual World. Let your students design their own environment. Easily draw additions into the world. It also works with SketchUp allowing the import of your SketchUp creations. It is a fun and engaging.
• Lions and Tigers and Bears? No, It’s iChat and AIM and Skype
  Skip the email and join the IM generation. This session will cover how best to use IM technology for instructional communication.
• iPod Touch/iPhone Apps – In Education! (All levels, PC / Mac)
  Tired of fighting the cell phone/mp3 player war? Why not find a way to turn those devices into learning tools? Come see ways other educators across the country are doing just that and help brainstorm ways we can too.
• Mac Tips and Tricks (Beginner, Intermediate, Mac)
  The iBook is a wonderful tool. It has many great features, applications, utilities and uses. Join us for some useful and fun tips and tricks. We’ll help you manage your iBook more efficiently & have fun while doing it.
• NoteShare Server (Beginner, Intermediate, installed on a Mac, notebooks may be edited by a browser PC or Mac)
  What is the difference between NoteShare Server and NoteShare? Learn the differences and how to use the Server to help organize and empower your school and your classroom. See how to edit a Notebook with a web browser, using NoteShare Express on any computer platform (edit your Notebooks with a PC, Mac, Linux…!)

Tim Hart – Technology Ninja

• Using Online Media in the Classroom: (All Levels, PC/Mac)
  This session will look at educational web spaces, show you how to participate, and present ways to use them as you immerse students in rich information. Some websites we will be using are YouTube, Google Video, and the Internet Archive.
• Creating Electronic Portfolios using Mahara (Intermediate – Advanced, PC / Mac)
  Mahara means ‘think’ or ‘thought’ in Te Reo Maori. Mahara is a fully featured electronic portfolio, weblog, resume builder and social networking system, connecting users and creating online communities. Mahara is designed to provide users with the tools to create a personal and professional learning and development environment. Participants in this session will walk through creating an electronic portfolio and learn tips and tricks for using Mahara in the classroom.
  gger will be the blog sites of choice, however everyone is welcome.
• Video Games in Education (All Levels, PC/Mac)
  Back by popular demand, the session that will change the way you look at Video Games. Learn about the great learning experiences video games provide and how video game designers are actually teachers. Games will be played and fun will be had.
  
• Increase your Personal Learning Network  (All Levels, PC / Mac)
  This session will show you tools to help you sift through the wealth of information on Internet and identify the best learning resources and opportunities. Participants will see how tools like Twitter, RSS, and social networks can increase your personal learning network.
  
• Introduction to Second Life (All Levels, PC/Mac)
  See how people from around the world are using Second Life, a 3D virtual world, to teach and learn. Participants will get a quick tour of what Second Life has to offer and walk away with how to get started on their Second Life.
• Expanding Firefox (All Levels, PC/Mac)
  Everyone knows that Firefox is one of the best browsers on the market. Not everyone knows that you can expand the features of Firefox through the use of free add ons. Want to track web sites for use in a research paper? Done. Want to download a YouTube movie in a single click? Done. Want to be able to channel surf the web based on your interests. Done. This session will show you a few of the best for use in teaching and learning.
• Social Networking (All Levels, PC/Mac)
  This session will cover how students are using social network sites to communicate and how teachers can get involved. Come learn how to connect with friends on Facebook and setup a safe social network for use in the classroom.
• Let’s have PHUN (All Levels, PC/Mac)
  Do you like playing with blocks and knocking them over? Yes? Then this is the session for you. PHUN is a 2D physics sandbox where you can play with physics like never before. The playful synergy of science and art is novel, and makes Phun as educational as it is entertaining.

Gail Garthwait  - Institute Director

• Screencasting (Mac/PC)
  Extend the opportunity for students to learn beyond the time that they spend sitting in your classroom by creating multimedia tutorials that are available at any time. Personalize their learning experience by providing them with an opportunity to learn at their own pace, and in a way that addresses their individual learning styles. Imagine the possibilities for creating a collaborative group project where students research, develop, and create “how-to” tutorials on personally relevant content for others to learn from, or creating a pathway for students to demonstrate the depth of their learning in a way that is engaging and exciting. Discover the power of combining recorded visual and auditory digital media in ways that will be valuable learning tools in your classroom.

Summer Technology Institute 2009 – Afternoon Workshops- Final Schedule will be available next week.

(B) indicate beginner workshops
“Surprise Me!” is an option under all workshop registrations. Chose that if you can’t make up your mind!
Friday after lunch has been set aside for strand time and presentations