Brief commentary on the future of education…
Download Video: Posted by mcleod at TeacherTube.com.

Bored with making posters and doing PowerPoint presentations? Tired of the same old thing? There are many alternatives to traditional projects that you can try using Microsoft Publisher.
Using templates where you just type in your information, Publisher lets you create banners, greeting cards, advertisements, brochures, pamphlets, etc. etc. instantly and painlessly.
Are you a history teacher studying Ancient Egypt? Your students could create an advertisement for a company that will mummify people, incorporating what they have learned about the process and social customs.
Maybe you teach English and you are studying Edgar Allen Poe. Your students might collaboratively create a newsletter showcasing his accomplishments.
An environmental science teacher might have the students make a flyer detailing the dangers of the global warming or benefits of legislation supporting clean air.
If you teach a business class, you might have students create their own business cards.
Study Skills/Resource students might use the calendar feature to plan long term assignments and homework.
A foreign language class might create a travel brochure for a culture they are studying.
The ideas are endless. Microsoft Publisher offers students a chance to show their knowledge in a professional, real-world product that is both motivating and educational. Check it out today!

Educational video has been a staple of curriculum for decades—all the way back to the old reel to reel filmstrips and 35mm slides. The latest incarnation, digital video, now makes this process much more convenient.
In the past, subject specific video could be hard to find. It is also very expensive; a single 20 minute film can cost $100. Time is also an issue; often you do not have time to show an entire movie but certain scenes would be relevant. Unfortunately, the trouble of rewinding and fast forwarding to get to the right place was cumbersome.
Gone are the days where you have to purchase or rent movies to show in class, or deal with any of these other issues. Usher in United Streaming—an online video library with over 40,000 video clips, all correlated to state standards, searchable by subject, grade level, or keyword, ready for downloading during the school day or from the comfort of your own home.
Research suggests that students learn better when they are presented with material in a variety of formats. Video allows those visual learners to connect to a curriculum and develop understanding they might not get from lecture alone.
Many teachers at West are already taking advantage of this great service. Downloading is not difficult to do and can be mastered quickly. It happens overnight, minimizing the time commitment from you. Videos can be shown as is by copying them onto CDs, or they can be integrated into PowerPoint, Word, Inspiration, or other documents for a complete multimedia experience.
It’s easy to get started with United Streaming.
1. Go to http://www.unitedstreaming.com/ and enter the passcode (see Bridget to find out what it is) to create your account.
2. Sign into United Streaming using the new user name and password you created.
3. Type a search term in the box to find videos for your lessons.
It’s that simple. For more information, please see Bridget in the Nexus.

The increased prevalence of PowerPoint presentations, DVDs, Internet research, and technology use in general has created a noticeable gap in resources. If your students create PowerPoint presentations in class, how do you present them? Labs are always full, and the cords just don’t reach from the computer to a projector in the middle of the class (not to mention the insurance liability when someone trips over them!). How do you show your class what you expect them to be doing in the labs? What if you want to play a review game on the computer? Are you afraid your class will sleep through that DVD on Ernest Hemingway? If any of these scenarios apply to you, a media cart is the answer. The technology department has taken all the equipment you would need to do any of these things and more, and placed it on a self-contained cart you can wheel to your classroom. Projector, laptop, DVD/VCR combo, and speakers combine to allow you the ultimate multimedia experience. Teachers who have tried them find them to be convenient and an enhancement to their curriculum. A media cart can be checked out from Sandy in the Nexus. If you would like additional information or a demonstration, please contact Bridget at bfitzsimons@sd129.org.

A feature in NetTrekker allows students to select websites at specific reading levels and to highlight sections of text which are then read aloud to them!NetTrekker is a district subscription for online research that enables students to do Internet searches within an evaluated database of educational websites. The sites are rated and each has a grade level readability designation. Results can also be sorted by or limited to grade level readability.

To get to NetTrekker:
It’s listed as a “Favorite” on the Internet Explorer toolbar. If you need a user name and password, please see Kathy, Bruce, or Bridget.

The “Read Aloud” feature can be selected by clicking the button “OPEN Read Aloud” under the purple toolbar.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us!