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Location:
Nebo School District
Grant Building
105 South 400 East
Springville, UT
Directions

April 3, 2009

Welcome

Google Earth - Mitchell Jorgensen
You can create your own Google Earth maps.  http://maps.google.com/

• Download the file and open the map created with Google Earth
• Google Ocean is a big update to the program
• Animal tracking can be used to get info. on animals and follow their movements
• Map of Strange http://mapofstrange.com/ highlights strange things found in Google Maps
• Interacts well with Wikipedia

Moodle - Tracy Poulsen
Moodle is a course-management system that allows two-way communication between teachers and students.  http://moodle.org/

• No papers to lose
• Documentation for when assignments are turned in
• Individual, anytime feedback
• A variety of question types can be imported
• Tests and assignments can be completed and submitted online
• The interactive blog is one of the best features
• Software is free – the only cost is for a server and maintenance
• Flexibility and feedback opportunities are an advantage

Drupal - David Wadley
Drupal is open-source software used for web site creation.  http://drupal.org/

• You don’t need to know the back-end administration, just your site
• Create content – Page – Type a title – Type in content
• Drupal is like Word with a variety of editors
• It’s best to know some basic html in order to edit source
• Allows you attach pictures and other documents
• Separates content management from the theme
• Multiple themes and modules are available and created profiles may be installed
• Backend is almost identical but the front view may be different for every site

ThinkQuest Projects - Pam Turley
ThinkQuest is sponsored by Oracle.  http://www.thinkquest.org/en/

• ThinkQuest Projects – elementary
  Debate and survey functions
  Teachers may limit access to classroom/school or open it to the world
• Competitions:  Website, Narrative and Local
• ThinkQuest Library is full of resources

Wireless Whiteboarding - Pam Turley
USB wireless adapters will wirelessly connect to any USB device, including SmartBoard tablets.

• The one that was shown is called a Cables Unlimited Wireless USB Kit with Transmitter and Receiver with Base and can be found at http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4211658&CatId=944

Wimba Classroom - Pat Lambrose http://my.uen.org/myuen/21
Pat shared a variety of lessons she has used with students in a Wimba classroom.

• Where in the World is Pat? – she took pictures of her travels around the world and students tried to guess which country she was in
• Puzzles to figure out – e.g. Two people are found dead in a cabin.  (airplane crash) Students discover what happened by only asking yes or no questions.
• Are you smarter than a 5th grader?  (using polling)
  Letters – straight lines vs. curves

Key Points or Ideas -

• It’s easy to put powerpoint slides in Wimba
• Wimba activities can be a chat and lesson all in one
• Have students login with their name and their partner name rather than initials – it makes it easier to know who you are calling on
• Wimba is a fun way to have students interact and respond to what they see on the screen
• Mix up polling, multiple choice and go to web site to keep the lessons interesting
• Round robin web site
• Remember to close the room at the end of your session! 
• Every educator with a myuen web site has a Wimba classroom

Ideas for future uses of Wimba - 

• Meet the author(s), writer’s conference, spelling bee, geography bee, etc.
• Archives of weekly Wimba training will help meet needs of those who cannot attend the Tuesday sessions.
• Statewide and/or eMints common Wimba classrooms
• My access for writing meet monthly via Wimba

Skype - Pat Lambrose and Robert Gordon
Skype can now be used with the iPod Touch (1st generation-don’t have speaker/volume buttons and therefore can only do text) and iPhone.

• Turns the iPod Touch into a phone whenever you have a wi-fi signal
• Make computer-to-computer phone calls for free

UTIPS Grade Level Account Discussion / Updates - Jared Orton and Julie Quinn

• Phase 1 – Stabilization and centralization of the hardware – hardware will housed in one location
• There are currently 4 blade servers at UEN, 6 more to come
• A total of 10 blades will be running at UEN centrally to service the state
• Individuals will still retain admin access, they just won’t house the servers
• Phase 2 – switch to software other than Cold Fusion

Other UTIPS Information -

• UTIPS is a high priority for the state
• A message has been added to the TIPS site notifying users that the site will be taken off-line July 1, 2009
• There was a discussion about the folders on the front page of UTIPS – something needs to be done with them (get rid of general access to them?) – they will be taken from the front page on July 1, 2009
• Science pretests are cleaned up http://science.myutips.org/
• There will be item updates 2 times a year – increasing quantity and quality of questions
• One goal is to create a more robust set of training materials for UTIPS

USOE / UEN / UCET Updates - Kathy Webb, Rick Gaisford, Kelly Dumont (I hope I didn’t miss anyone else)

What would it cost to bring one-to-one computing to Utah?

• More and more schools are going to start doing this because costs are going down
• There is fear about bringing one-to-one in because teachers aren’t sure how to use it well
• Kitchen Cabinet – curriculum support for high-access classrooms at any grade level (online curriculum support/books that is easy for teachers) http://pp1.ehs.uen.org/groups/zkitchentable/
• Kitchen Cabinet is a way to share curriculum resources and to support teachers
• There are 2 areas:
• wiki – how to teach/support,
• blog – push it
• What’s being taught is on the calendar
• Contact Kathy Webb if you would like to participate principal@ehs.uen.org

Other Info. -

• The UEN course schedule has been posted.
• We discussed the possibility of an Online Integrating Curriculum class, perhaps starting with ITC-Level 2.
• PEAC meeting – more open premium account access in order to use Wimba, etc.
• Another Classroom 2.0 Workshop will be held August 10th and 11th at Jordan High School

Cool Trick
You can zoom in on whatever you are doing on your computer.

• On a PC – Zoomit
• On a Mac – it is built in to the operating system (control+ or control-) and in System Preferences – Universal Access

C-Forum Business - Lynn Sorensen
Margo Shirley was honored as the CForumer of the Year.  This was a well-deserved honor for someone who has done much to benefit CForum.  Thanks Margo and Congratulations!

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Future meeting dates:

• October 9, 2009 – Jordan
• November 6, 2009 – Provo
• December 4, 2009 – Canyons
• January 8, 2010 – UEN
• February 5, 2010 – Granite
• UCET is February 26 and 27
• March 26, 2010 – Nebo

  In preparation for next year, please send a notification or email to all districts, especially those that may not currently be sending a representative to CForum.