Note: All workshops can be tailored to suit specific time and content needs

Audio Podcasting

In this workshop, Andrew Douch will demonstrate how any teacher can easily make a podcast for her students using the free software Audacity.  Audacity allows a teacher to record his or her voice, edit, add sound effects and music, and export the resulting podcast as an MP3 which students can listen to anytime, anywhere on their iPod or mobile phone.  Imagine making it possible for your students to listen to you speaking while they are on the bus, walking to school or doing their chores?  Record vocabulary, poems or songs that you want your students to remember, or get your students to make their own podcasts!  Andrew will also demonstrate how your podcast can be uploaded to the Internet where your students can easily access it from home or school. More detail...

Podcasts with Pictures

In this workshop, participants will learn how to use a number of tools to create podcasts which include images and media.  An enhanced podcast is a podcast with pictures that display on the iPod screen as students listen to the audio.  A screencast allows a teacher to demonstrate anything that can be shown on the screen of a computer, captured as a movie file, complete with the teacher’s vocal explanations or narration.  A vodcast is a video podcast showing either the person speaking or video of the subject that she or he is speaking about.  A Voicethread is a group podcast, where all the students in a group can contribute to a single conversation about an image, text or video.  The tools used for each of these applications is simple to learn, and in most cases free to use.

The Tools of Engagment

(The best of Web 2.0)

This presentation can be tailored to any length.  The more time available, the more tools that we can cover.  In any presentation about Web 2.0 tools, Andrew will show teachers some tools that are very easy to use, free, and inherently engaging to students.  Teachers will feel empowered to walk into class the very next day and start using their new repertoire of engaging and powerful tools.

Making iPod Quizzes and Study Notes

In this workshop participants will learn to use the notes feature of an iPod to make virtual study notes for students, or to teach students to make notes for themselves.  We will also learn how to make interactive multiple-choice quizzes that can be played on an iPod while a student listens to music!

Blogging, Discussion Forums and IM

If your school uses an LMS then a blog, discussion board and IM (instant messaging) may well be included as part of the package.  But if not, there are many web 2.0 services available for free that allow a teacher to achieve the same goals without the red tape and battles with IT technicians.

PowerPoint

Most PowerPoint presentations are boring.  As more and more teachers use PowerPoint in the classroom, they will only get more boring.  Research has shown that the Slides that most presenters use actually detract from the power of the message rather than adding to it!    In this session Andrew will demonstrate what makes a good PowerPoint slideshow engaging and interesting, even captivating, and what makes a bad PowerPoint slideshow boring.  Having learned some principles of good PowerPoint design, participants will learn skills including how to make a non-linear PowerPoint show and how to use a PowerPoint slideshow to motivate and inspire your students.

Excel

Microsoft Excel is often thought of as being a business tool.  But it has many applications for teachers and students.  It can be used to keep records of many different types, to generate graphs and to save students from having to do repetitive calculations so that they can focus on higher order thinking skills.