Update at the bottom 

Tom Turner had a post on fliptrack which is a nifty program, so I tried it out:

[swf width=”360″ height=”290″]http://fliptrack.com/v/IAwKcB23nu[/swf]

Here is a comparison of some of the programs I’ve used lately:

http://fliptrack.com/
Has a download to PC but both programs are not very user friendly. No undo buttons or cut-n-paste that I could discern.
Photos from PC, Flickr, Photobucket, etc. but only local with PC d/l?
Music (inc. pop tunes, etc.)

http://www.slideshare.net/
It works, but as with all of these, the embed of flash to edublogs is kluegy
PowerPoint, or Open Office files only please!
No audio, even if it is embedded in your slideshow

http://www.bubbleshare.com/
Pretty easy, but adding audio fizzed out on one slide, and refused to work, also you can only add sound you record from their site, no uploads
Any photos, jpg
You can add audio and thought bubbles to photos

This just added:

http://jumpcut.com for video editing. Full editing, you can even use still photos. Upload audio, link to facebook, flickr. All on-line, with an easy to use and pretty intuitive interface. It all made sense, and the embed results worked out better than above.
Check it out here.

First, Doug Noon had a post on the adolescent brain (I know, we all think they’ve lost theirs) and considerations in instruction as a result of that. I posted experience with the “Las Vegas” approach to learning (good grades = good luck) that some lower students get.

The NY Times has a piece on the lack of specific preparation for middle school educators, and the lack of the later, that touches on some of the points that Doug makes (although his had more cites to brain development — good work).

One of the articles that Doug linked to was a piece I had heard on NPR about how students conceptualize intelligence (whether it’s set, or whether it can grow). So I’m trying this with some of my “lower” students. One boy in particular we are looking at for potential RSP services, and since that meeting, his grades have shot up a little. Another girl has a brother (double retained) who has really improved this year. I cited these improvements and told them they can get “smarter”, better grades, more intelligent (the one boy is an ELL so language/vocabulary in the explanation will be key). I told them it will be hard, but it was possible. Let’s see if it works.

This Sunday I will be at Ed Tech Talk Weekly talking about the great tools I’ve found at Mike Temple’s edublogs tutorals.  The Skypcast/text chat is Sunday at 4p.m. PDT(click here for other times). There is a text chat accessible here (choose the EdTechTalk room). Click on a player for EdTechTalk A to listen to the audio. If Skype is not being “difficult” they usually post the Skypecast link to join in.

One of my favorite adminbloggers Scott McLeod will be on Women of Web 2.0 this Tuesday March 20th, at 6 p.m. PDT (other times). There is a text chat accessible here (choose the EdTechTalk room). Click on a player for EdTechTalk A to listen to the audio.

I’m inviting Tom Turner and Rick Scheibner to join me there, and anyone else who can make it.

I’ve been tagged by Tom Turner on the Open Book Meme so here are the vitals:

My Blogs

• https://mizmercer.edublogs.org  (my teacher reflection blog)

• http://nicholasfifth.edublogs.org (class website/blog)

• http://alicemercer.edublogs.org (personal blog)

IM Stuff

• Yahoo!ID/Yahoo!Messenger: alice_mercer

• Skype: miz mercer

• I have an id on AIM, but I’ve dumped that because it wanted me to update all the time. I have an goggle id, but don’t have gtalk.

Sites that I frequent alot

• http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/ For an admin perspective (so I don’t get too big for my pants)

• http://tnturner.edublogs.org/ Because Tom is so energetic, optimistic, and helpful

• http://miketemple123.edublogs.org/ Just started reading this blog it is packed with tips on edublogs. Totally awesome as my kids would say.

• http://borderland.northernattitude.org/ I wish I could be this thoughtful in my writing. He has a beautiful voice.

• http://edtechtalk.com I don’t read this blog as much as meet people there. They have weekly Ed Tech Talks with chat at the site and audio SkypeCast.

I tag: Mrs.Durff, Rick Scheibner, and Gail, since she lives nearby too!

Couple interesting posts about Special Education around lately.

First, Scott McLeod on dangerouslyirrelevant asks about the state of workforce training for the new economy. He asks what was going on out there.

I can’t speak in general, but I know this is a big issue both for Special Education and other students who are not academically oriented in my state. There are serious issues in my school district at the high school level, special education is having enormous problem with the transition to work/life after high school part of IDEA clashing with pressure for students to pass CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam).  Some teacher are complaining that they are being told by administrators to have students take, and keep taking over and over, Algebra classes the students are not capable of passing in a futile attempt to have them pass CAHSEE, and they are not taking the transition to workplace classes that would be useful to them.

Next, eduwonk has a piece on NCLB and Special Education which is interesting, because it talks about how different and “layered” the Special Education population is.