Help! YouTube is blocked at school!

This is one of the most frequently requested tips I'm asked about by colleagues... Zamzar is a great tool for quickly converting files and videos from one format into another.  Zamzar supports a variety of file extensions and is useful for picture, document, music, and video conversions.

One really great use of Zamzar is for converting online videos into files you can save and reuse.  This will not work with video on news sites which are played within the site but it's great for youtube.  Since youtube is blocked at school, you can use Zamzar to convert youtube video into mp4 (QuickTime), wmv (Windows Media), or other video files if you access the video at home.  When the file is ready to be retrieved, you'll receive an email from Zamzar.  Simply click on the link provided and download your file.  (Zamzar is not blocked, so you can download the files at school.)

RSS feeds

I am seriously addicted to RSS feeds.  When I bought my first PC (which was sometime at the beginning of this decade but I think it weighed more than my dog... reference adorable picture for a size comparison) I set up an MSN page where I could select content like weather updates and quote-of-the-day. I suppose those options are still available, but with RSS the possibilities for my Google Reader are literally endless.  I am constantly adding feeds based on news sources, blogs, and topics that interest me.  I've lately been in the process of pruning and fine-tuning my feeds.  I've also been working hard to hook everyone I can on RSS - my latest convert is my 67-year-old mother who is in the process of expanding her browser use from tabbed home pages to RSS feeds on her nascent iGoogle page.  It's hard for me to imagine life before RSS, so this is my first recommendation for anyone who hasn't yet investigated this phenomenon.

More about RSS aggregators & feeds

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Using Web2.0 Tools for Student Writing

In our workshop today we've been talking about ways to get students writing and reading each others' writing. I first tried using a blog two years ago as a way for students in AP Psychology to post extra credit reflections on psychology topics and examples in the news and in their lives.  The hard part was providing editing and posting options while maintaining and protecting student privacy.  I have since moved on to pbwiki as my mainstay for providing opportunities for students to practice and publish their writing, but many tools are available for promoting student writing.

TIES workshop November 1

Here we are learning about RSS feeds, podcasts, and blogs. What are your thoughts?