Roanoke County Schools – Page 38 – Teaching with Technology

Inserting Pics into ActivStudio from a File

Posted on September 21, 2009 by Tina Coffey

There are many ways to add picture files to a Flipchart. This is useful if you have taken pictures with a document camera, scanner, or digital camera and would like to then use them in your flipchart.

To view a full-size version of this screencast, click here. You’ll probably want to do this…it’s small here!
http://content.screencast.com/users/elemitrt/folders/Jing/media/ef66077c-f802-497a-ada1-e0fda38c9dc7/jingswfplayer.swf

Method 1: Click and Drag Between Folders:

Open the folder where the pictures are located.
Open a blank flipchart
Size the windows so you can see both of them.
Click and drag from the image from the File Window to FlipChart.
Choose “Add Object”

Method 2: Drop the file directly into the My Images folder

Drop directly into My Documents>ActivStudio 3>My Images
Open Up ActivStudio
You will see the file in your resource folder under My Resource Library.

Method 3: Insert the File from Design Mode

Turn on Design Mode while in ActivStudio
Go to Insert>Image>From File
Navigate to the file and click on it.
Make sure to turn off Design Mode when you are done.

Method 4: Click and Drag Between Word and a Flipchart:

Open the Word Document.
Open a blank flipchart
Size the windows so you can see both of them.
Click and drag from file windoWord Doc to FlipChart.
Choose “Drop Image”

Method 5: Snap a Picture with the Camera Tool

Open a ActivStudio
Minimize the FlipChart
Find the image on your computer
Click the camera icon>Area
Choose the area you want to save
Choose the first icon “To Current Flipchart Page”

With all but Method 2, you may want to drag the folder over to your Resource Library if you plan on using it more than once.

Office Picture Manager will help you edit your pictures before you insert them into a flipchart. You can find it by going to Start>Programs>Microsoft Office>Microsoft Office Tools>Microsoft Office Picture Manage. If you allow it to be your default picture editor, it will open picture files anytime you double click on them.

To learn more about the functions of Picture Manager, download this handout.

There are more ways to add images…these are just my favorite. You don’t have to use all of the methods, just pick one that’s comfortable to you and stick with it. If you want to share another way to add images, please comment below! 🙂

McGlothlin Award Nomination Call

Posted on September 2, 2009 by Tina Coffey

apple2 Do you know a wonderful teacher who deserves recognition? What about a chance to travel and bring “the world” back to their classroom? If so, please consider nominating this teacher for the McGlothlin Award. This Award is one of the largest monetary awards in the country ($25,000, $10,000 of which must be spent on international travel), provided by the very generous McGlothlin foundation. Their goal is to recognize teachers for their hard work, reward them, and inspire others to enter the teaching profession. It is open to full-time elementary or secondary teachers of core curriculum areas within the Blue Ridge PBS broadcast area. To check to see if your division is eligible, look here. Teachers must have five years experience and plan to continue teaching in the years to come.

This year they are opening nominations to the public and asking that all entry materials be sent electronically, to mcglothlin@blueridgepbs.org
The following elements should be sent no later than November 6, 2009:

Resume or curriculum vitae that lists the nominee’s
• education history
• employment history
• continuing professional development
• awards/honors
• conference or other presentations
• volunteer service to the community

Three letters of recommendation, forwarded from the authors. (Suggested sources: principals, supervisors, parents, colleagues, current or former students.)

Nominees must provide a personal statement about their teaching (limit is two (2) typewritten pages) that demonstrates how they fulfill the criteria of the McGlothlin Awards. Please include the answers to these important points:
• How do you bring the world to your classroom?
• Where would you choose to spend $10,000 of your award for international travel?

Click here if you’d like more information about nominating someone you know!

Ideas, Links, Roanoke County Schools

Welcome Back with Wordle!

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Tina Coffey

Want an easy back to school activity that will help you begin to know your students? Try Wordle! Here’s an example of an About Me activity using it. Please remember to use only first names if you do this with your students.

The instructional ideas for this resource are endless. You can find some of these ideas in this post, Wordle Word Clouds. I also suggest taking a look at the ideas Tom Barrett has collected from many other educators below:

Finally, you may want to check out Jen Wagner’s Guess the Wordle Wiki. There she posts different Wordles throughout the week, and students are encouraged to guess their subject using the words in the Wordle (Monday is an easy wordle, Wednesday is a little harder, Friday is the hardest). She will also be adding a Thursday Wordle that will be about a book (librarians, this might appeal to you)!

If you have your students create Wordles, make sure you direct them to this exact URL (http://www.wordle.net/create) so they bypass the gallery of other Wordles. While most of the examples in the gallery are usually okay, from time to time inappropriate words do appear there. By going straight to the “Create” area, you lessen the chance that students run across inappropriate words. 🙂

If you have never used Wordle before and would like some help as you explore it with your students, please contact me!