Script writing software that is free and web based. Really like the format of the software. Easy to use and forces students to follow proper script format.
If you do any script writing in your classes (for movies or anything else interesting), this is a neat resource. Check out the help section as it provides a brief run-down of the key elements of scriptwriting to serve as a reminder to students.
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A series of studies that have had a great deal of influence on the research and decision-making discussions concerning school library media programs have grown from the work of a team in Colorado—Keith Curry Lance, Marcia J. Rodney, and Christine Hamilton-Pennell (2000).
Recent school library impact studies have also identified, and generated some evidence about, potential "interventions" that could be studied. The questions might at first appear rather familiar: How much, and how, are achievement and learning improved when . . .
librarians collaborate more fully with other educators?
libraries are more flexibly scheduled?
administrators choose to support stronger library programs (in a specific way)?
library spending (for something specific) increases?
high priority should be given to reaching teachers, administrators, and public officials as well as school librarians and school library advocates.
Perhaps the most strategic option, albeit a long-term one, is to infiltrate schools and colleges of education. Most school administrators and teachers never had to take a course, or even part of a course, that introduced them to what constitutes a high-quality school library program.
Three factors are working against successful advocacy for school libraries: (1) the age demographic of librarians, (2) the lack of institutionalization of librarianship in K–12 schools, and (3) the lack of support from educators due to their lack of education or training about libraries and good experiences with libraries and librarians.
These vacant positions are highly vulnerable to being downgraded or eliminated in these times of tight budgets, not merely because there is less money to go around, but because superintendents, principals, teachers, and other education decision-makers do not understand the role a school librarian can and should play.
If we want the school library to be regarded as a central player in fostering academic success, we must do whatever we can to ensure that school library research is not marginalized by other interests.
A great overview of Lance's research into the effectiveness of libraries. He answers the question: Do school libraries or librarians make a difference? His answer (A HUGE YES!) is back by 14 years of remarkable research. The point is proved. But this information remains unknown to many principals and superintendents.
Anyone interested in 21st century teaching and learning will find this interview fascinating.
This is another useless comparative study between online and face-to-face teaching, This study looked at 312 undergraduate students in one microeconomics course in one unnamed state university and found that male, Hispanic and low achieving students did worse online than in face-to-face classes. From this the NBER had the cheek to conclude that online learning is not all that it’s cracked up to be.
online courses in this study were just video recordings of the classroom lectures.
Will someone please tell universities and colleges in the United States that they need to redesign courses for online teaching?
‘Good teaching may overcome a poor choice of technology, but technology will never save bad teaching.’ Indeed, it usually makes it worse (the magnifier effect). Merely putting lectures (good or bad) online is bad design.
There should be a law against any university or college that fails to adopt well tried and tested standards in its teaching, face-to-face or online. This is criminal negligence, no less, and students should sue for fraud. But don’t blame online learning for this. It’s academic laziness and ignorance that’s at fault.
Tony Bates is one of the original gurus of highly interactive modern e-learning. In this blog he lets off some steam. Just reading this made me feel better.
Live Tools
These tools
can be used for live meetings/conference, virtual
classrooms, for
remote access to computers and/or to access or create
virtual worlds.
GoView made screen recordings easy. You can start recording your computer's screen and audio with just two clicks. Snipping out unwanted segments is as simple as using a pair of scissors. You can also insert title slides to add polish and act as section dividers. After all, your recording is instantly ready to be viewed an share online. It's quick. It's easy. And it's free.
Cliff, I just checked out this service last night. I was so impressed that I changed my current tech class screen cast activity into using GoView from Screen O'Matic.com. GoView is a real winner, I hope they do well enough to survive Beta.
Thank you for sharing!
“Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.”