WSD eToolBox

"The ways that video conferencing can enhance the educational experience are numerous. Ginger Lewman, director of the Face2Face program at the Turning Point Learning Center in Emporia, Kansas said that video conferencing has been used "as an essential learning opportunity for the past four years. We've been connecting with students across the U.S. and the world to bring religion, geography, history and service learning to vibrant life." But how exactly do you use a video conferencing system in education? Below are five ways to use video conferencing in the classroom."

"A 3 minute introduction to the basics of cloud computing "

"What is a PLN? If I had to define what a 'Personal Learning Network' is, I would keep it simple and broad: n. - the entire collection of people with whom you engage and exchange information, usually online. Personal Learning Networks, or PLNs, have been around forever. Originally, they were your family and friends, maybe other educators you worked with, but as the internet and web 2.0 tools have become nearly ubiquitous, PLNs can include tons of different communities - social networking sites like Facebook, blogs, Twitter, wikis, social bookmarking tools, LinkedIn, and so many more. Basically, anyone that you interact with is apart of your PLN, whether they are social contacts, professional peers, or experts in their field. Most of the 'learning' takes place on-line now, because it is simple to find and connect with others with similar interests from around the world."

"We made this video for our friends (and yours) that haven't yet felt the power of our friend the RSS reader. We want to convert people... if you know someone who would love RSS and hasn't yet tried it, point them here for 3.5 minutes of RSS in Plain English."

"Teachers often ask me "how do you find these things?" or "how did you know about this?" Much of the time I don't have to find or even look for innovative new things, because the news comes to me... and not because anyone is sending it to me, but because I'm using a tool called RSS, or Really Simple Syndication. Once you learn about RSS, learning about other new tools becomes much easier, which makes RS"

"Personal Learning Networks Are Virtual Lockers for Schoolkids Students drive their education with custom-made Web pages equipped with RSS feeds."

"The March/April issue of L&L is chock full of great information. Be sure to read David Warlick's article, "Grow Your Personal Learning Network," which discusses new information and communication technologies that can keep you connected and help you manage information overload."

""Educational Networking" is the use of social networking technologies for educational purposes. Because the phrase "social networking" can carry some negative connotations for educators, the phrase "educational networking" may be a way of more objectively discussing the pedagogical value of these tools. The original URL for this site (http://socialnetworksined.wikispaces.com) still works, but http://www.EducationalNetworking.com is now the main URL."

"Free posters for your school, office or home! Just download and print! No registration required."

"Printing out award certificates has never been easier! Just download, fill out and print. 100% Free. No registration required!"

Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. We exist because our nation's children spend more time with media and digital activities than they do with their families or in school, which profoundly impacts their social, emotional, and physical development . As a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization, we provide trustworthy information and tools, as well as an independent forum, so that families can have a choice and a voice about the media they consume.

"The Internet runs right through the middle of our kids' lives. It opens a world of entertainment and communication, but it also allows direct access to people and Web sites that can expose kids to age-inappropriate content and risky social contacts. At Common Sense Media, we believe in media sanity, not censorship. And since we can't always cover our kids' eyes, we have to teach them how to see. The information here will help your kids stay Internet safe and smart. Click on the links below to find out what every parent should know about how our kids use the Internet."

"New from NCLRC: The Culture Club Update The Culture Club is an online environment where teachers of foreign languages can find materials and information to help them teach about the culture(s) of their target language(s). Below you will discover what is currently featured in each of the nine rooms of the Club. Each room also has a link to its Collection where you will find all the previously-featured materials. Please let us know what you think of receiving this update. If you have trouble following the links from the email, paste this URL into your browser: http://nclrc.org/cultureclub/email_club.html"

"The Culture Club: A space to share multicultural and multilanguage resources for teachers and students alike "

"Welcome to the workspace for the Horizon.K12 Project. This space is a place for the members of the Horizon.K12 Advisory Board to manage the process of researching, discussing, and ultimately, selecting the topics for the 2010 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition. The annual K12-focused report, which summarizes the qualitative research that will be conducted on this wiki, and the K12 Project as a whole are a collaboration between The New Media Consortium and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). The generous support of the Office of Global Social Innovation at Hewlett Packard makes this research possible and is thankfully acknowledged."

The Horizon Report series is the most visible outcome of the New Media Consortium's Horizon Project, an ongoing research effort established in 2002 that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, research, or creative expression within education around the globe. This volume, the 2010 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition, examines emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning, and creative expression within the environment of pre-college education.

"services that don't require registration, nor download from any kind in order to use them. Tools that are really easy-to-use (most of them are single-page sites), and basically web-applications that can help on your daily internet visit/work."

A straightforward explanation of Creative Commons in easy to read cartoon format.

"4 minute weekday news bulletin for 7-14 year olds. Accompanying scripts available on the BBC World Class website - bbc.co.uk/worldclass."

Weblist is a new way to gather and organize content on the web. Create your list of URLs centered on a specific theme and we will combine it to one easy to navigate URL. Once you have created your list you can save it as a smart bookmark or as a customizable home page, share it with friends via email or through the top social media networks, and post it on your blog. Weblist is a great place to discover new user edited content across the web. Find lists in any subject from musical playlists to lists of informative scientific articles and anything in between. Weblist is a free service and registration is optional. If you choose to register as a user your entire list will be saved under your account and you will be able to edit, delete and add to your lists.