Wednesday, March 26, 2008

iGoogle Video

Please watch this video if you are having difficulty with your iGoogle page or would just like a little more information.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Get Organized with iGoogle

The School of the Future

The school of the future will require the use of 21st century skill. Technology and the Web will be fully integrated into the teaching and learning process. As a teacher you have to be prepared to make this shift. A combination of traditional face-to-face learning and Web based instruction should be blended together. Teaching using traditional methods will not prepare your students for today's world. The classroom will become student centered and the role of the teacher will change. But the teacher will continue to remain the key component in the educational process. You can choose to sit back and let this happen or you can take an active part.

The Internet certainly is a wonderful place for learning. All the tools and information you need are available. Through experience and practice your classes can truly be enhanced with the use of the Web. To be successful you need to be flexible, creative, and persistent. If you are to be a successful teacher you must foster these habits in your students and yourself. “A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.” Vince Lombardi



Part 1 iGoogle Information

Part 2
  • From your iGoogle page add a new tab.
  • Name this Tab School.
  • Select a theme and add more stuff.
  • Make sure not to check I'm feeling lucky. Automatically add stuff based on the tab name.
    Here are some Gadgets that you may want add to your school tab. Click on the links then click add it now.
  1. Google Bookmarks. I recommend you add these bookmarks. Add additional bookmarks as needed.
    1. Mr. Viereck - http://victorviereck.blogspot.com/
    2. Squirrel Mail - http://mail.eastorange.k12.nj.us/webmail/src/login.php
    3. Blogger - http://www.blogger.com/?tab=wj&hl=en
  2. Google Docs
  3. Google Notebook
  4. Google Calendar:
  5. Sticky Notes
  6. To-Do List
  7. Google Slideshow: Edit this Slideshow to show you photos. (optional)
  8. HTML / Javascript editor
  9. Dictionary.com

Friday, March 7, 2008

21st Century Skills Workshops

Effective use of real-world tools (e.g., the hardware, software, networking, and peripheral devices used by information technology workers to accomplish 21st century work) is using these tools to communicate, collaborate, solve problems, and accomplish tasks.
Presented By Victor Viereck

Goals and Objectives
  1. Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing for Results
  2. Utilize time and resources efficiently and effectively
  3. Adaptability and Managing Complexity
  4. Use self-management strategies to:
    • Allocate time and resources.
    • Remain organized.
    • Be accountable for meeting goals.
  5. Teaming and Collaboration
    • Apply collaborative skills to a variety of situations.
    • Reflect on group interactions after collaborative activities; use experiences to make future collaboration more productive.
    • Commit to a shared goal and accept responsibility for group work toward that goal.
    • Work to match tasks to team member abilities, expanding team membership when necessary.
    • Share personal understandings and resources with other group members.
    • Listen respectfully and objectively; offer constructive feedback.

1. Get Organized

1. Get Organized


Learn how to collect useful content from across the web and see it all in one place on iGoogle. From current events provided by numerous news providers to local weather and your school's events calendar, you can select any number of customized items and place them on a page that's specific to all of your own personal interests.
Here are a few of the hundreds of features that are available for your homepage:

  • A date and time clock
  • Your class calendar, easily accessed by students
  • Bookmarks for quick access to your recommended sites for students
  • Headlines from a variety of trusted news sources
  • Link to your class Blog with messages to students or families
Get organized and stay that way by easily adding multiple gadgets to your personalized homepage that will help them with their studies and schoolwork. Suggested gadgets include calendars, to do lists, maps, blogs, weather, Gmail, the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, and news from various accredited sources.
Learn how to work effectively and efficiently on the Web using shortcuts, multiple tabs and multiple windows.

2. Blogging

Get started using blogs for yourself or with your students.

Learn how to use blogger to create a weblog or blog (online journal). Blogs are simple web pages, made of short, informal and frequently updated posts. Instantly publish text and picture. Share with students and parents to get instant feedback.

The use of blogs in instructional settings is limited only by your imagination.

Options for instructors using blogs:

  • Post resources, lessons and homework.
  • Keep parents up to date.
  • Share ideas with other educators.
  • Content-related blog as professional practice
  • Networking and personal knowledge sharing
  • Instructional tips for students
  • Course announcements and readings
  • Annotated links
  • Knowledge management

Options for students using blogs in your courses include:

  • Share schoolwork with peers, parents and others.
  • Collaborate and get feedback.
  • Reflective or writing journals
  • Knowledge management
  • Assignment submission and review
  • Dialogue for group-work
  • E-portfolios
  • Share course-related resources

3. Online Documents, Spreadsheets and Presentations.

Imagine working on documents, spreadsheets and presentations anywhere or anytime. Learn how Google Documents makes it possible to create, store, share and collaborate. Learn how to make online forms to gather information in a spreadsheet or to give an online test. Share and publish presentations that you can embed into your blog or website. If you currently use a word processor, spreadsheet or presentation software you can easily use Google documents and even import existing documents.
Some of the advantages of Google documents;
  • Work on files anywhere, anytime and on different computers.
  • Collaborate and get feedback from different users.
  • Quickly analyze and organize data.
  • Publish and share your documents.
  • Collect data.

4. PowerPoint

Learn how to make a PowerPoint quickly and efficiently.
Use PowerPoint to Motivate your students by creating games like Jeopardy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Hollywood Squares and more.
From the same PowerPoint make a:
  • Presentation
  • Game
  • Review
  • Test
  • More
Learn how to print PowerPoint in different ways.
  1. Single Slides
    • Posters
    • Certificates
    • Books
    • Newsletters
  2. Multiple Slides
    • Make Flash Cards
    • Make Name Tags
    • Play a Matching Game
    • Put Things in Order
  3. Outline
    • Tests
    • Lecture Notes
    • Presentation Notes
    • Step-By-Step Procedures
  4. A Great Graphic Organizer
Your Students will Love Using PowerPoint for their own Projects and Assignment.