Haugen’s Tech Tips Blog

I think I mentioned VoiceThread before - the marvelous web site that lets you present a slide show and record comments, captions & doodles. The other innovation of VoiceThread is you can invite others to comment as well, creating a visually guided dialog about… well, anything.

One of my favorites:

See also Kenya Escape, the incredibly powerful story of one family’s experience in Kenya, during the election upsets of December 2007.

• Create Your Own Podcast - A step-by-step tutorial on podcasting from About.com
• Educational Podcasting - Extensive list of podcasting resources, from Gary Stager. Links to tutorials, articles and tools.
• PoducateMe - Practical Solutions for Podcasting in Education
• Gcast - Create your own audio broadcast online, where you can easily record voice messages, mix in your favorite music, and share it all for the world to hear. Includes ‘Podcasting 101′ tutorial.
• Podcasting Toolbox - From Mashable.com, a list of over 70 podcasting tools and resources
• Podsafe Music Network
• Ziepod, Your Podcast Receiver and Player
• Willowdale Elementary - WillowWeb - Web site for Willowdale Elementary, publishers of Radio WillowWeb, a podcast by and for students
• Voices Of The World - Voices Of The World was created by Sharon Tonner to connect children from around the world using their voices rather than the standard text and images and prepare them for their globalised future.
• Voices Of The World - Voices Of The World is a global project uniting children’s voices from around the world, with a different task each month for students to contribute to.
• Student Self-Advocacy | Don Johnston Incorporated - Video podcasts by students who are advocating for the tools they need to address their unique learning styles and needs.

I’m leading a workshop on Podcasting in the Classroom, and have started to gather some tips and resources on my wiki.  Stop by to check out the presentation as well as my podcasting links.

In preparing for a podcasting workshop this week, I’ve been collecting new podcasting tutorials.  Some helpful finds:

• How to Podcast: Four Basic Steps - Plan, produce, publish, promote…
• How to Podcast - from Podcasting Tools
• Howstuffworks “How to Create Your Own Podcast”
• Make Your First Podcast
• How to Create Your Own Podcast - A Step-by-Step Tutorial on Podcasting

Most of these tutorials rely on Audacity and the LAME encoder. The workshop I’m leading will use Garage Band and iTunes (part of iLife ‘08), since those tools are the focus of a yearlong series of trainings for the teachers I’m working with.  I’ll post links to those materials at a later date!

As I approach a new session of my after school publishing program, I decided to use a wiki to see if I could help make the process clearer to students and give them more opportunities to work independently. My Edison Student Publishers Wiki includes information about the program, and tips to help my 3rd-5th grade students:

• Choose a Project - news, reviews, interviews, puzzles, comics, jokes, etc.
• Find News or Information - web sites, people, papers, etc.
• Find Help with Writing - news, poetry, fiction, more
• Find or Make Images - photos, drawings, online tools, more
• Make a Puzzle - links to puzzlemaker, our puzzle starters and more
• Work on Layout - under construction

I’m excited about how this program is evolving and the wonderful, creative work kids can do. I’m new to wikis and I think this may be the first one I’ve done that approaches being useful! I’d love any feedback or suggestions on improving this kind of resource.