Using Technology for ASB

Thanks for coming to my technology session!  Here are the links I shared with you today:

J.MP (A URL SHORTENER) - So let's say you are voting online, and the link for your students to vote is https://www.studentonlinevoting.com/westranchwildcats/vote.html (just a made-up link, by the way).  Let's say you don't want to have to put that big long link on your website or on your flyers/posters advertising your elections.  Instead, you can use a URL shortener like j.mp.  With j.mp (part of the bitly.com family of URLs), you can go from a really long and hard-to-remember URL to something like http://j.mp/wildcatsvote.  By using this "jump" (j.mp) URL for all of your links, and by using consistent names for your shortened links (wildcatsvote (for your voting link), wildcatstalent (for talent show sign-ups), wildcatschoir (choir audition sign-ups), etc., you develop a culture at your school  where these shortened links are easy to remember.  http://www.bitly.com

ANIMOTO - This is the site I use to make cool slideshows.  Check into getting a FREE educator account.  Web-quality videos are always free.  DVD-quality downloads are $3 each.  HD-quality is $6 for each download.  You can check out one of the slideshows we created for CADA Camp here http://animoto.com/play/s1i5lFFWpOQi3gLrX10YSg.  To start your own account, go to:
http://www.animoto.com

POSTEROUS - This is the way you can update Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, YouTube and more all with one e-mail.
http://www.posterous.com

JING - I use this program to make screencasts--instructional videos using my voice and exactly what is going on on my screen.  Here's an example I created for the teachers at my school: http://ichelp.posterous.com/how-to-create-a-grade-print-out-for-a-student
http://www.techsmith.com/jing

GOOGLE DOCS - This "cloud" technology allows you to create and save documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint-style spreadsheets, and forms and share read and/or write access with anyone else on the web.
http://docs.google.com

TWITTER FAST FOLLOW - You can send mass text messages to your entire school (parents, teachers, students, EVERYONE!) and it's absolutely free.  Have a teacher or administrator at your school setup an account at http://www.twitter.com.  Once you have your Twitter account created, simply have everyone at your school text follow nameofyourtwitteraccount to 40404.  If they want to stop, they simply text unfollow nameofyourtwitteraccount to 40404.

GOOGLE CALENDAR - A great way to keep yourself organized, and to publish school events.
http://calendar.google.com

GOOGLE VOICE - Free phone number, free texting, it's amazing!
http://voice.google.com

POLLEVERYWHERE.COM - This enables you to conduct free text message polling in a rally or assembly.  Great for the classroom, too!
http://www.polleverywhere.com

SCHOOLTUBE.COM - If YouTube is blocked at school, use SchoolTube to post school videos that you can see on your school's network.
http://www.schooltube.com

GODADDY.COM - I use this site to register custom domain names (about $10-15 a year).  Makes remembering websites easier, like the one we use for our elections (www.rionortevote.com)
http://www.godaddy.com

EDUBALLOT - I use this service to do secure, online elections.  You can run ASB officer elections, class officer elections, honor society officers, yearbook "senior bests," dance court elections, and more!
https://eduballot.votenet.com/index2.cfm

VIDEOS TO SHARE WITH ADMINISTRATION THE VALUE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/07/seven-videos-every-teacher-principal.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+freetech4teachers/cGEY+(Free+Technology+for+Teachers)&utm_content=Google+Reader

PREZI - Finally, one of the students in my UCSB I Session on July 7, 2011, mentioned Prezi.  Prezi is online presentation software with tons of bells and whistles (think PowerPoint on steroids).  You can find it at http://www.prezi.com.

Enjoy!
Ron