New Google Image search tool for quickly locating images licensed for reuse

Being a good netizen means giving credit to resources we find and use on the web. Sometimes this can be a tricky and time consuming process. Fortunately, Google Images has recently updated the search tools feature to make finding Creative Commons licensed photos more friendly.

To get started, begin a Google Image search and locate the Search Tools selector.

Next, click on the Usage Rights selector.

Choose the reuse license that best fits your needs. In most cases this will be "labeled for reuse" unless you plan to modify the image or use the image in a business setting. 

The Usage Rights selector filters the images so that you are only browsing images that you have permission to reuse with the expectation that you will properly cite the image wherever it is used.Here's an example.

Mars Exploration Rover by NASA is licensed under public domain

I'll be honest. Proper citation takes more time than just copy and paste, but it is a skill that we need to model as teachers and teach
to our students. And at least it is getting easier to find these images in the first place.

Finally, there are some tools available to help automate the citation process if you use the Chrome Browser and are searching for Creative Commons images on Flickr. It may also be helpful to know that the Research Tool in Google Drive has a similar filtering option for finding Creative Commons licensed images.

Quick Guide to Collaborative Google Presentations

Collaborative presentations can be a great way to start using Google Drive in the classroom because “slides” act as a personal workspace for each student or group of students but with the added ability to view and even co-edit the slides of others. It’s also a great way to demonstrate the power of collaborative cloud based document creation. But remember! - Collaborative means that some decisions can affect the whole group. For instance, changing a theme impacts everyones’ slides. This is a great opportunity to discuss digital citizenship norms  and respecting the work of others. Some of the suggestions below will help you to manage a collaborative document and consider the best approach for your classroom.

Step 1 - Create a presentation

Click on the create icon from the Google Drive homepage and select Presentations. You’ll be prompted to pick a theme.

Step 2 - Create a title slide that includes directions for the activity and specifies the slide criteria

Step 3 - Make a model

I find that it’s helpful to have a slide that the teacher creates ahead of time modeling the format and content examples. You can even make a template slide and use the duplicate slide feature to provide each student with a scaffolded workspace.

Step 4 - Pre-number or Pre-name the slides (optional)

You may want to pre-create the slides and label these ahead of time to designate whose space is whose. This is handy especially for first time users.

Step 5 - Sharing

Share by email - if you have a list of every student’s email (Google Forms are great for collecting these) then you can add individual students to the presentation. Click on the blue share tab in the upper right hand corner of the presentation or right click on the file from the Google Drive homepage.

The advantage to this method is that students will have access to the document via the “shared with me” tab of their Google Drive homepage and that all changes to the presentation are tracked to the user who made them. Students who tamper with the presentation can be identified using the revision history and unwanted modifications can be reversed.

Share by weblink - if you can’t add students individual via their email address you can create a public or semi-public link that allows students to access the document anonymously.

The advantage to this method is that it does not require your students to even have a Google Account. The link can be easily shared if the teacher has a webpage or uses a service like Edmodo or Moodle. A URL shortener like bit.ly or tinyurl.com are helpful for making the links shorter in the case of teachers who do not have a classroom website. The disadvantage is that anonymous can sabotage a project if expectations are unclear and monitoring is minimal. The good news is that the revision history may allow you to restore work that was mistakenly or purposely modified.  

Digital Citizenship Week

You may or may not have been aware of the fact that October 21-25th is Digital Citizenship week. Helping our students become good digital citizens is a responsibility that we all share. Displaying posters, having classroom discussions, and practicing netiquette in online educational environments is a great way to model the behaviors and attitudes we want to see reflected by our students.

One of my favorite resources for Digital Citizenship is http://www.commonsensemedia.org/ They have a great K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum, resources for families and parents, and even some games for teaching concepts of Digital Citizenship to students. 

Not sure where to start? I recommend reading this blog post from Common Sense Media about Digital Citizenship week and the many resources available to educators looking to integrate Digital Citizenship instruction into their classrooms.

Edmodo and Common Sense Media have also partnered up to offer several Digital Citizenship resources including a Webinar on Oct. 23rd and an Edmodo Community dedicated to supporting Digital Citizenship in classrooms.

Why I'm excited about ImageCodr.org for schools - #scc21c

Update: Check out this great Creative Commons Attribution Helper Chrome Extension

Copyright, Creative Commons, Fair Use? As educators we should be familiar with these terms as well as our obligations to use and properly cite the work of other individuals. But in the flury of getting lessons together or beating out another presentation it can be extremely difficult to credit others in this age of instant digital media, not to mention helping our students do the same.

  by  karindalziel 

Thankfully, a new tool has arrived that helps to streamline the proper citation of creative commons images - ImageCoder.org. What ImageCoder does is help you find images licensed under the various creative commons licenses on Flickr, presents you with a concise overview of what the license does and does not allow, and then provides you with an embeddable html code that properly cites the image for your blog or website.

Here's a screenshot of the license information and embed code for the image above.

Unfortunately, this won't work on Word documents or PowerPoint but would great for classroom and student websites or blogs. 

Thanks to Richard Byrne and his fantastic blog for pointing me to this great new resource!

Friend or Foe? Mobile device cameras in the classroom.

One of our greatest fears as educators surrounding mobile devices like the iPad is the camera. The camera more than any other feature seems to have the potential for doing the most harm while simultaneously having countless educational value.

As we introduce mobile devices into the classroom or invite students to bring their own devices is there a way to effectively teach good digital citizenship and safety regarding the camera before it's too late?

I believe that the solution lies in asking students to use their mobile device camera frequently and repeatedly within the classroom to accomplish a variety of academic purposes each and every day and to conduct regular, purposeful checks of the images we ask them to take.

Here are some examples designed with a 1:1 or BYOD setting in mind with the potential for modification to fit in a shared device classroom. As students enter the room I might ask them to take a picture of the day’s agenda written on the board. This visual schedule will assist students with time management and provide a reference to the day's objectives when they are home. I might then ask students to open an app such as skitch or or paperport notes and have them photograph the day's bell ringer activity. They can then use annotation features to respond to the question and submit their response. Throughout a lesson I would encourage students to photograph notes on the board, their own notes and ancillary items in the room like posters or models. I would also ask students to take pictures of assignments I pass out or graded work that I've returned to them. And throughout this process, I would be explicit in my expectation that they refer to all of these photos for completing class tasks, homework, or as study guides. I would also do spot checks to see that students are taking photos of the required items and embed tasks within assignments that draw on information found in the photos. Finally, I would have students evaluate their photos for evidence of mastery and organize these photos for a portfolio.

Variations of these photo activities might also work in shared device settings by having students organize folders for the photos or by sharing the photos to an e-mail or dropbox account that the student can access using a different device. Designating student roles such as class photographer and class videographer would also help model appropriate use of mobile device cameras and turn the shared mobile device into a classroom resource.

Realistically, the storage on these mobile devices is limited and organizing the countless photos would require some room in our already crowded instructional schedules. But let’s be honest. This is not a storage or time crisis. This is about digital footprints and averting disaster.

In short, we hog the heck out the camera and expect not only access to the content but also encourage application, reflection, and the development of a final product using the photos taken. Not only does this reinforce the idea the camera is a tool and not a toy, it supports student organizational skills, provides multiple means of a representation (See Universal Design for Learning), and most importantly makes questionable content far less inviting.

M"DeI believe that given two weeks of near constant reinforcement of using the camera as a tool coupled with embedded instruction on the importance of digital citizenship and safety the majority of students would hesitate before taking and posting the kinds of pictures we all fear.

Today I came across this great infographic for helping students make good decisions about the pictures and videos they take. I also had the opportunity to share the poster with some Middle School students working in a nearby school. Yes, they’ve heard some of these “rules” before. But hearing it again and within the context of taking a picture of themselves (a reflection activity they were asked to complete) deepens their understanding and lets them apply the criteria we discussed.

By the way, there is an alternative. We can disable the cameras on devices we own. We can ban the devices they own. We can have once a year conversations about digital citizenship and safety that are isolated from the content of our lessons and that interfere with “real” teaching because “we have too.” Oh wait, that’s what we do right now. How’s that workin’ for ya?

In all seriousness, teaching digital citizenship and safety requires innovative strategies and deliberate effort. Let’s work together to find solutions that work. Please share how you are tackling the “fear of photos” in your classroom.

A few quick thoughts on why I like the iPad

No, the iPad will not fix education. And, no, it is not the right device for all settings. But here are a few reasons why I think the iPad has already had a significant impact in schools.

1. I believe that the iPad is encouraging schools to fast track infrastructure projects involving wireless access and to increase bandwidth.

2. I have encountered more conversations about "going 1:1" and "bring your own device" in the past year than ever before.

3. The iPad can't truly be locked down. I think that this is pushing educators to look at "digital citizenship" more closely and to revise their AUP's from what you "can't" do to what you "should" do. It also encourages meaningful and authentic learning over "you need to learn this just because". If we can't answer the question, "Why do I need to learn this?" then our students will turn elsewhere. Honestly, why shouldn't they?

4. It's mobile. That's right folks. This thing can move to any part of the room, can leave the room, can "gasp!" even go outside. The 4 walls and a stage with tidy desks in a row is not working. Our learning spaces can and should be more dynamic. If the iPad helps, Fantastic!

For me, it's not about the apps, the swipes, or cool. It's about shifting our focus toward student centered learning. If the iPad is pushing our conversations and practice toward this goal then I'm excited.

Tech Tuesday Tip - Usernames and passwords #scced #ttdn

It's inevitable.You go to a professional development workshop, a colleague shares a cool website with you, or you've just downloaded a new app and you are asked to create a new account. You enter your username - taken! You enter a password - "12345" isn't secure, try again! What to do?

Image Attribution: Padlock by FreeFoto.com http://www.freefoto.com/images/11/42/11_42_1---Padlock_web.jpg

Here are a couple of links to suggestions on managing your countless accounts that will hopefully help you to develop your own system. Remember, these are only suggestions. A truly secure account is unique to you. I also recommend having separate systems for your highly sensitive accounts such as financial, e-mail, or sites with confidential or privacy related content (student data, etc.)

Teaching Parents and Others About Passwords - By Richard Byrne

Creating Effective Passwords - By Steve Katz

Another recommendation from a colleague is to use http://keepass.info/. KeePass is a free download that you install on a flashdrive for storing and securing all of your passwords. Having a secure and portable password locker is great idea for individuals on password overload.

University You: Building a learning network with #Twitter (part 1) #edchat #edtech

I wanted to share the following  presentation which I created to help St. Clair County educators begin using Twitter.com to build their learning networks. It's a good starting point for anyone who has never used Twitter, needs to set up an account, and wants to learn some of the strategies for making Twitter work as a professional networking tool.

Go Search Yourself - Link of the week

Here's a fun little weekend project using Google's Search Stories courtesy of Jeff Utecht and his excellent blog The Thinking Stick.

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to present several sessions on Google Apps to the folks Mattawan, Michigan.  I usually include an image of myself stilt walking entitled "Who I Am" to make sure I don't forget to introduce myself.  I was feeling the pull to try a new introduction and Jeff's post about Google's Search Stories inspired me to create the following.

  

I don't "Google" particularly well since both my first name and last name are commonly used words, but I still found a way to convey who I am through search.  This is a nice activity for highlighting the importance of managing our digital identities, and I really like Jeff's suggestions of using Search Stories to do a comparative activity.

I have had a wonderful summer "twibattical" taking a brief hiatus from all things digital, but I'm back and looking forward to an exciting year of sharing and learning with you all.

Houston we have a problem - Help crowd source our Professional Development

I'm preparing to help facilitate a Summer professional development institute focussed on helping high school teachers integrate technology to foster 21st century learning.  And I think we have a problem.  The problem isn't the brand new laptop, iPod touch, flip cam, microphone headsets and software we are giving teachers who participate.  The problem I think is reflected this anecdote from Will Richardson's blog:

At a collection of school leaders and IT people, one of the participants told the group that his school had bought a number of iPads for teachers and that they had scheduled a chunk of training on how to use them. Unfortunately for him, I had just read an exchange on Twitter where Gary Stager had made the point that I quickly made to the group: “You know, something like 1.3 million people have bought an iPad and I doubt any of them have gotten any “training” on how to use it.” The people in the room half chuckled, but one woman said “Our teachers won’t do anything with technology unless we give them training.”

After reading this my first thought was, hey, we're giving out the same consumer level devices which are sold without training by such high minded institutions as Walmart, yet we've slotted significant chunks of our training time to how you connect the device to the computer and how to download an app.  Are they really that hard to use? 

It does get a little more complicated when we look at the applications and software.  Our plans call for training on Moodle, Google Apps, social media, and screen casting (multi day trainings in and of themselves in a traditional model).  But aren't we really just saying make your teaching and learning environment accessible, authentic, interconnected, and multi-sensory.  

So I'm throwing out a few smaller brainstrorms in the hopes of pulling in some big guns from the interwebs. *yes, that  means you all,  in the hope that our little problem will demonstrate a bigger picture solution.  Or just tell me that I'm wrong.  It's how I learn.  

I call this Challenges not Training:

1.  "Use your iPod touch to share with a friend the fact that you just got an iPod touch"  Skills needed - Turn it on, connect to internet, set up e-mail or go to web based e-mail, compose a message, send. Variations: Set up facebook app, set up twitter app, record a voice memo and e-mail it, etc.

2.  "Use your flip camera to share a video or a picture with a friend the fact that you just got a flip cam"  Skills needed- Turn it on, record video or take still shot, export to computer, share via e-mail, facebook, twitter, upload to youtube, etc.

Make it a race, make it a cooperative activity (first group to get all to accomplish task), give prizes.

3. As for the applications:  "You have several students who are failing your course. They are disengaged during lectures, they consistently misplace their work, they seem more interested in texting notes to their friends than taking notes, and your worst fear is that they are recording your classroom using the camera on their cell phone.  What strategies and resources could you integrate into your lessons to engage your learners, make the material multi sensory, personally accessible, authentic and interconnected?"

I hope that at least few folks will take a moment to reply.  I and my group thank you in advance.  

Stephen Heppell - Reflection and notes

I had the good fortune today of listening to Stephen Heppell’s presentation at the St. Clair County RESA.   His message was positive and humorous.  The perspective was global.  I can’t help but get excited by the examples of change both large and small which Stephen shared with us.  There two main points which I took away today.

There is no One Size Fits All.
The most reckless gamble we can take is not to change

I’m grateful to be involved in a program in a district where this message is not lost.  A message in which we are the architects of our change.  

Caveat: My notes below are incomplete at best, but may be of value, especially to those who were in attendance.  

The Ingredients: 21st Century Schools are using:

• Search for: Consolarium


• Nintendo DS and gaming - Brain training
• bullying has virtually disappeared in these environments.
• Not clear why this is, just is.


• Search for:Learnorver


• Connecting students over skype
• Students in Sweden not being overly tested. Intrinsically aware of their own abillity.


• Search for:eduQuest


• Using video cameras to describe science experiments rather than formal writing.
• Singapore used this study to build dedicated science labs in every elemetary school.


• Search for: asms adelaide


• exposing young students to undergraduate college courses.


• Schools closing their staff rooms and reopening them as shared spaces.  Turned into cafe’s and chillout spaces.


• If everyone is a learner why have special rooms for the old learners (adults)?


• Schools going shoeless for the day


• has unexpected benefits
• changing furnishings is also integral
• adults - shoes off too
• don’t do slippers


• Search for: unlimited christchurch


• took one floor of a department store
• using empty spaces to embed education
• minimal use of furniture
• One cohort - no continual influx


• Using video deliver school-wide messages flexibly
• Search for Bilston Academy


• created an advertising campaign to PR the community
• promoting the positive aspects of learning


• Search for: home bases, mini schools


• no more than 125 students
• intimacy
• trust


• http://teachers.tv - Learner Voice


• students attend in-service, do lesson observations, interviewing staff
• Student asked “What is an itch”
• cannot be compulsary


• Search for Cayman futures


• One course at a time!
• immersion
• compare to dramatic productions (focussed and dedicated, project based)
• remove the corridor transition time


• Search for: praisepod


• adults had praise tokens
• you go to a video recorder which records to DVD
• A peer asks what did you do that was so good?
• Changing school culture
• Now they are using cellphone deliver to parents.
• Hero Award cards which students give to teachers for going above and beyond - students are only given 3 cards.  Teacher raffle at the end of the term.
• Praise points for behavioral (controllable activities, not grades)


• Search for: tk park
• Search for: hellerup school


• Using stariwells and corridors as lecture and work spaces
• move students less


• If you have a computer lab use mirrors on the walls.


• see their faces or see screens

Context:

• http://mapumental.com


• technology and information are pervasive
• data is changing how we make decisions


• We live in a world of no secrets and


• big surprises
• Google Translate transforming data into native language
• phones may have simultaneous translation with 16 months
• students are being presented with things they haven’t met before
• we are now preparing for the unexpected, we need to surprised students in their learning
• “We had expected the unexpected, but we weren't’ prepared for this!”

Tools:

• GPS track sticks
• 3d printers - Geometry lessons
• cellphones
• http://twitcam.com

Teaching very large classes

• 120 students ( 1 teacher leader, 1 teacher differentiating, 1 teacher doing remedial support)
• With just one teacher the support is serial
• With multiple teachers the support is parallel
• extended learning class periods

Learner Voice:

• asking students how we improve our learning
• http://teachers.tv
• student driven learning (vested)

Furnishings:

• non-traditional seating
• would not recommend projectors and would instead focus on flat panel tv
• tech day show and tell
• playfulness matters

School Design:

• made projectors that project both inside and outside
• chill out room in the Netherlands (set the scene based on famous plays)
• Add color
• outdoor amphitheaters
• three points of focus or more / make collaborative teaching easy
• curved furniture
• agile room design
• color coding of areas
• inflatable wall pods

Misc:

• Ask 3 then me
• Essay grading; put the essay’s in the middle of the room ask each student to take two, compare and rank which is better.
• Download free essays online, compare them, contrast them, critique them, improve them.
• School libraries should be shelved with student work

• How can we change learning?


• Theoretically via cognitive enhancement - using pharmaceuticals to enhance learning.  Putting chemicals in the water like fluoride. Yikes
• Parenting is far and away the greatest factor in student success.