Demo+Reviews

====After you have attended a demo, please write a two or three sentence review. (Include who did the demo, what they demo'd and what you got from it. Be sure and sign your name to your review!) You should attend as many demos as you can (supportive colleague) and review at least one during the summer session (critical practitioner -- well ok, not too critical!)====

Keynote Demo
Like others I was impressed with this hardware. More incentive to buy Mac.

I have learned to do a basic Keynote slideshow presentation, but Christie was able to show me more added features in the inspector toolbar. She introduced the alpha tool, showed me how to put pictures and music in using the media button, have moving arrows and/or pictures using her own examples. Thanks Christie! (Tina)

It was great to see an overview of Keynote 08. I like the new features such as the fade in and inserting pictures on other pictures. (Carolyn)

Thanks Christi for introducing the me to the great extra features of ilife 08. I will be purchasing a macbook tomorrow. :) (Sherry)

Adding the Chasing Metaphors assignment to Wikispaces
I added the slide show created for the assignment to wikispaces. I need to remember to edit to add it and save when complete. Marlene

Google Docs and Surveys
I am really excited about trying to add a survey to our home website. Clayton did a wonderful job showing what the program could do. Way to go! (Tina)

Of the various programs I've seen on this topic this is the best - seemed to be simpler.

I like how google surveys tabulate all responses into a spreadsheet. This makes the information really easy to look at and print out. Clayton is always thorough and patient, making sure that all participants have their questions answered and go away with confidence knowing they can work with the new technology on their own. Well done.

I couldn't have said it better. Thanks Clayton, I've already added a survey to my class web page. (Christie)

Great demo Clayton! I'm going to use this information in my field study. I like flexibility of the software. (Mel)

Dale Hauff writes -- Very useful demo, Clayton -- great presentation (although, you need to preserve the dignity of each learner -- I cried myself to sleep last night!!)

Once again, the amazing skills of Clayton Willms exceeded my expectations. Online surveys using Google Docs was simply incredible. This new knowledge assisted me in my growth as a "User of Technology". (Wilms)

Clayton gave me a brief introduction to making surveys and I think I am hooked! I think that having incorporating interactive surveys on my website will keep students interested and motivated. Looking forward to part 2 tomorrow =) (Michelle)

I will use Google Docs and surveys on my website - the survey will be helpful with my field study. (Ken)

Jeff helped me with on-line surveys after he went to this workshop. Thanks, all. (Bruce)

iWord Demo
ATTENDED A "IWORD" DEMO TO SEE WHAT TO ANTICIPATE IF I BUY A MAC. CONFIRMING MY THOUGHTS ON GOING Mac!


 * Navigating the SetBC Website:** I had no idea this website was available not only for kids with special needs, but for kids with a variety of learning needs. Am more interested in learning about some of the software such as Kurzweil and Clicker 5. Thanks Joanne.

Photo Shop
Fascinating software for those who want to do a little, or a lot, more than they can with iPhoto. A few interesting applications Billy showed me included cloning and recolouring objects from a picture. Great demo.

Kaija was very patient and really knew her stuff. She showed me how to make a collage using mulit layeres that phase into each other. I will be using this new skill for both personal and school uses. Kaija even went above and beyond and wrote out the steps for me, what a great friend. =o) Michelle, this is crazy good for scavenger hunts in Geo 12, especially at Collegiate. Great to motivate and engage the kids:) (Anita)
 * Photoshop Elements**
 * Geocaching/G0- ching**

**Google Docs Demo**
Dale showed me how to use Google Docs, I thought it was great and easy to use. I really liked that you could put all of your documents onto it to keep them safe in case your computer crashes. At the very least it can be a great back up. Thanks Dale!(Craig)

Kidspiration
Demo'ed a software program that is great for visual learners. Very easy and also gave many examples how to use in the classroom. (Tanis) I love the ideas I learned from this demo...I can see myself using this even in a K class. (Michelle)

Great job sharing this Michelle. If I teach elementary this is a real winner. (Anita)

**Interactive Math Sites**
Darryl shared several sites (he will add a list of links) that students can use to learn/practice a variety of math skills. What was fabulous about these sites is that they provide virtual manipulatives, which can be an alternative to handing out manipulatives to all students. For those students who work better with hands on, they could also use the actual blocks, etc. Many of them are also compatible with the SMART board, should you be lucky enough to have access to one. The activities are broken down by age groups and topics. Thank you Darryl. (Hilary) I would like to use interactive websites in my class and I am trying to think of a research question. I am just worried about the cost of obtaining a smart boardJag I too thought Darryl's math sites were great offering a variety of ways for students to learn/practice different math concepts. I also liked that many of the websites are available for use at home. Thanks Darryl, I will definitely be checking out some of these websites. (Sherry)

Thank you Darryl. I had looked for a few Smart Board websites for my own use earlier this year, and was very happy to discover more, thanks to you. I particularly liked the one from New Zealand called Rainforest Maths. I will be letting my parents know about this one. Trish

Great job Darryl! I definitely look forward to trying out these sites with my students - especially the base ten blocks for re-grouping, as the "lasso" is a great visual for them. I like how you mentioned that some of these sites are also good for more advanced students who are looking for a challenge, as this was an issue that I ran into last year. Thanks:) (Tina)

Glad to know about the various free math sites. It's a good way to provide extra support for students to work from both at school and home. (Carolyn)

Google Docs
I am so glad that I got the chance to see Jeff's demo on Google Docs...I look forward to using it in my classroom. Thanks Jeff...Well Done =) (Michelle)

The Google Docs are amazing for sharing documents. I think this is a great tool for group work/collaboration for our students:) Thanks for the demo Jeff(Anita)

Great demo Anita. I never knew that I was able to send all my Abbynet emails to a gmail account. A great tool for securing emails! (Michelle)
 * Gmail**

Michelle Thanks so much for helping me better my Iweb. Who knew you could make it even better (Anita)
 * iWeb**

I will use this program in my classroom. Great practical ideas to use in my classroom. The pictures were amazing. (Michelle) This is a handy site. I like the option of having somewhere else to grab pictures from besides Stockxchange. (Christie) Thanks Tanis! This is a great resource for my Geo 12 class. Endless photo examples of geological features!!! (Anita
 * flickr**


 * PHOTO BOOTH**

Thanks for showing me how to post my mug onto wickispaces Marlene! Irene R


 * Garage Band**

Thank you Craig Marsh for showing us how to use garage band. You did a great job of keeping the demo slow so that the three of us could follow along. I looked at garage band earlier this year but it looked extremely complicated. I will now play around in it and learn more about it. Corrine Dorsey/Janice Kwok

Thanks Craig! Great demo of a very cool program. (the musician in me, albeit a rather mediocre one, could definitely get addicted to this program) A multitude of uses, both professionally and personally. I love how easily it works with the other Mac programs. (Darryl)

iMovie
Thanks Carolyn! Great demo of a great program. I like how easy it is to work with, how it is integrated so well with other Mac applications. Very user friendly and visual. Makes those guys at Microsoft look at little like..... well, that generic 30-something middle-management father figure that everyone likes to poke fun at on the Mac commercials. (yep, I might hav'ta git me one a them there, whad'ya call 'em .................McBooks!) (Darryl)

Thanks Cori for walking me through Skype and helping me set up an account. This is one really neat program.
 * Skype**
 * )Janice Kwok

Irene showed me how to download and use this program - awesome curricular and personal use for real time video and phoning at a low cost, amazing changes in the technology in real-time communication with video (Dunn).

By Rebecca- Thanks Rebecca, now I don't have to yell across the hall to my teaching partner when I have a quick question. This is a very handy little feature. I also like that you can talk long distance for free to others through this software. (Christie)

I agree. I never thought of using it to communicate to colleagues. I live out in the portable, so skype will be very handy. I was also very excited to think that I could talk to my daughter in London, however, my family tells me that her brand new pc Vista does not have an external camera or microphone! We'll have to fix that. (JoAnn)

thanks for signing me up on Skype Joanne. Will see if friends in India and Paraguay have access to computers to have chats with them that are instantaneous, rather than having to wait for mail, or waste valuable time typing on email. Irene. I helped Sherry sign on after you left. You are an very thorough supportive colleague! Irene

Thanks for showing me Jag! Can see using Skype in conjunction with a pen pal program. Heaps 'o potential. Even more engagement and accountability for our little darlins'. (Darryl)

Hilary you did an amazing job. I never knew that you could buy resource books off this interactive website. (Jag)**
 * StarFall.Com

Hilary showed us the many uses of the Starfall website (we were especially excited about the on-line store with inexpensive items!). I like the fact that when students are reading they are able to select unknown words to be said for them, thereby getting the chance to read on their own and getting help when they need it. (Tina)

Thanks Hilary for teaching me about the starfall store where I can get some great resources for the classroom. I never knew it existed. I'm quite excited. (Sherry)

**Kidspiration**
Tina showed us many ways to use this website--I would like to get this for our school--yet another thing that we need for our lab! Great for all primary students. Trish

Thanks Kirsten for sharing your technological expertise. After looking at Google Docs and Poll Daddy to create surveys, Survey Select looks like the best of the bunch! I will deninitely use this tool to enhance my class next year. (Piper)
 * SURVEY SELECT**

Tumblebooks
Patti and Sherry introduced the Tumblebooks website and it is a good resource for Primary teachers. We looked at how to take a quiz after reading a story (or having the story read to a child), how to generate a book report and how to find the A.R. level of the selected book. This site has English, French and Spanish texts. Trish and Carolyn also added to this discussion and showed what they knew about this site. (Tina) Thanks Patti, Sherry, Trish and Carolyn for the Tumblebooks tour. I've used the site on occassion in the past, but never really got a good chance to look through all the appications. My ESL and LD kids (oops, students //with// ESL or LD concerns) will be happy for it! (not to mention more independent, more confident, and more literate) (Darryl)

Cori and Janice showed me the Tumblebooks website; I can see it may be useful for ESL learners at our school and for weak readers. Thanks for the tutorial (Bruce)

Dale Hauff writes: Thanks Craig for the great overview of wiki spaces. Your help was clear, concise, educational, and helpful. It's worked really well with both my summer institute exploration as well as my field study for the fall. I'm going to be exploring wikis with my website and extending my classroom beyond the school day. Wikis are an integral part of this.
 * Wiki Sites**

Powerpoint
Trish did a wonderful job of introducing the Powerpoint program to herself and exploring the options available, and was able to demonstrate her knowledge by showing a presentation she created. Now I want to go see if I can find some of those same features in Keynote! (Tina)

ICONS by Clayton Clayton did an great job of showing how to personalize the desktop icons, can see a lot of applications to graphic arts, fun and easy! Thanks for making the video (despite the peanut gallery) :) (Dunn) BRAINPOP JR. Tina showed me a new site I had never heard of called Brainpop Jr, an interactive site that helps to explain the writing process, build knowledge about story elements such as character and detail. After watching the little videos about these, the kids can take a quiz to test their comprehension about what they have learned.  Very cool...and helpful to me potentially for my field study.I will share this one with my staff.  Trish