Free software ... use in your school

So your budget has been cut in half or eliminated all together? Hopefully your technology planning for the last flush years has been effective and you're now just in maintenance mode. If so, open source is the way to go for free software that's usually just as if not more effective than the professional version.

This week I discovered a blog by Steve Hargadon that documents the latest in open source software.

Internet & Web Design Unit

Today was *almost* the last day and I realized something: instead of reviewing students' work I could have had them e-mail me their code!

I compiled resources from all over the web, special thanks to Dave Site for providing great tutorials about the Internet's origins, beginner's HTML (have to accept ads for free stuff!).

Sequence (all resources are available at my class website):

1. History of the Internet: timeline of events, how the Internet is connected, various Internet communications
2. Search engines & Web directories: searching for information, using booleans, most common search engines & web directories, history of Internet search, techniques for effective searches
3. Evaluating search engine results: systems to evaluate validity of information obtained, practice evaluating hoax sites for validity
4. Research tools: to confirm information obtained, as a starting point for school projects
   
5. History of social networking: provides relevance to students' lives today
   Focus question: what internet technology can you envision for your generation in the future.
6. Beginning web design & HTML: Dave Site Chapters 1-16 except
   Ch. 10: FTP section, Copyright section is relevant, should prompt discussion on plagiarism.
   Ch. 14: Frames are still used but new standard is to use CSS for page design
   Ch. 17: I consider forms and mailto forms as intermediate

The class site also features links to make students' pages more colorful and interesting.

Some online code sites so students can view their code without being on a host:

• Dave Site: the "Try it Yourself!" allows students to code and view their pages immediately
• W3Schools: has great editors that show code and page side-by-side, except codes in the header do not show
  

Free Online Courses

The best things in life are free and getting online resources to educate yourself can't be beat!

That's what I'm talking about!

This article demonstrates the drive, innovation, initiative required by teachers to bring technology to students. These people persevered through theft, indifference, lack of compensation, and (from personal experience) an inattentive and insensitive technical staff to impart technical knowledge to their students! Kudos to them!!!!!!

Innovative teaching methods: performing arts

Would you teach rap to your students for $365,000! The Ron Clark Academy, a school in Atlanta, Georgia, came to Oprah Winfrey's attention doing just that: students uploaded a rap about voting, which caught national fire during the election period, which led to television performances worldwide on CNN & BET, which presumably led to being noticed by someone with the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, which led to the $365,000 donation. What started all this? Students' creativity and educational technology: taping and uploading a video.

Free Books! International Children's Digital Library

Need an activity to keep your quickest learners occupied? How about a book? But instead of keeping a print library in your computer lab that you constantly have to update with new books, why not allow students access to a digital library such as the International Children's Digital Library (ICDL)?

2009 is the Year of Science!

Probably in part to increase students in scientific and research fields, 2009 has been declared "The Year of Science 2009" and a fabulous celebration took place this past weekend. I wish I had heard about it as it would have been a great opportunity for students to experience hands-on science. No matter: stay tuned for activities this year as I'm sure the Bay Area's many science museums and exhibits will provide plenty more opportunities.