Pufs Land: March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Presentations

Most of you probably already know how to create Powerpoint presentations. In case you don't there are some guides below. This skills page will focus more on how to find, publish, and share useful presentations. Firstly, it's worth nothing that Powerpoint is not the only option for creating presentations and whereas Powerpoint costs hundreds of dollars to legally purchase, some other optoins are free.

Google Docs - free to use with your gmail account. Much simpler and less sophisticated than Powerpoint, but makes it very easy to collaborate and publish online.You can upload save file as a ppt or pdf for offline usage and also upload ppt files you're already created with Powerpoint. (Google Presentation Guide here)
Impress - is part of the OpenOffice packagewhich is free and includes alternatives for MS Word and Excel as well. It's very similar to Powrpoint, but a bit simpler to use and less sophisticated in its options.
Prezi is a site that allows you to create a different style of presentation. It can be shown online or downloaded for offline presentation. You can link to any of these presentations or embed them on your website.
Printable Prezi Guide here. Official Prezi Help Section . Wikiman's Prezi Guide.

Some presentations from Prezi, Slideshare and Authorstream can also be downloaded, but you'll need to create an account with each in order to do so. Presentations made with Google Docs can also be downloaded, but there is currently no directory listing the Google Presentations.

There are also a number of sites that allow people to upload their presentations so that other people can view (and sometimes download) them. Some of these are:

Slideshare - largest collection of online presentations. Also includes 'slidecasts', audio narraated presendations
Authorstream - also includes the option for users to include audio narration
Voicethread - includes the option for viewers to respond to presentations with text, audio or video. To comment below, click register. Larger version available at: https://voicethread.com/share/2869964/
You can also search through thousands of other presentations on these sites. Here are links to presentations tagged with EFL or ESL

Slideshare search EFL and ESLAuthorstream search EFL and ESLVoiceThread ESL EFLYou can also search through these sites using specific terms like 'english grammar' or 'efl education'

Here are some specific examples:
- History of English (Prezi)
- Gangs of Korea (Prezi)
- Practice Your English (VoiceThread)
- Stylistic Classification of English Vocabulary (Slideshare)
- Negative Questions (Authorstream)
- Synchronous Communication Tools in EFL Online Learning in China (Slideshare)
- Simple Past -ed Pronunciation (Authorstream)
- Storytelling Techniques Explained (Prezi)

Tasks: Take some time to browse though presentaions on these sites.You don't have to look at everything, but try to find the types of presentations you might be able to use. If you would like to try and download presentations, there is a download guide below. If you're feeling ambitious, go to google docs and create a google presentation (or upload an exisitng ppt) and embed it on your blog. Google Presentation Guide here

How to embed presentations on your blog

On the presentation page (Slideshare or other site), click 'embed' and copy the code. Customize if you wish.

Create a new post on your blog. Give it a title. Click 'edit html'. Paste the code, label appropriately.

How to download online presentations

From Slideshare

First, log in to your Slideshare or Authorstream account. When users publish presentations, they have the choice of making it available for download or not. If a presentation is downloadable, you'll be able to click on the download link. You can also select the download option when searching for content, so that you'll only see downloadable presentations. When you find one you'd like to download, you should see a 'download' link at the top of the presentation.Click that and save the file.

From Google Presentations

If you see a Google Presentation embedded on a page (like on this page: http://21ctools.wikispaces.com/Google+Reader )click Menu

Then cick the link to the presentation that looks like this

On that page, click Actions/Download at PPT

Below are some additional resources. You don't have to do anything with these. They are just here for your information. Guides

Tech How to's

Slidecast Guide http://www.slideshare.net/faqs/slidecast

Google Presentations Guide

Creating & Publishing a Google Presentation

Another new window will open. This is your google presentation. To create and edit new slides, use the top menu or RIGHT click on slides.

You can export your presentation as a PDF or Powerpoint file so that you can use it without an internet connection. Click File/Download as/ and choose your desired file type.

You can also publish this online others can see it. To do so, on the top left part of the screen, click 'Share/Publish/embed'.

Click 'Publish Document'.

You will then see web address (URL) that you can use to link to your presentation and some code that you can use to embed it on another site. (stay tuned for some more specific instructions on how to do so).

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Week#4

Register at PBWorks and upload one of your hot potato activities from week#2. Post a link to it on your blog.
PBWorks Guide Here
Go to the Audio Guide.
Experiment with recording audio.
When you're ready, record a short conversation with your partner.
Topic can be anything you like
- Things you like about spring in Busan
- Likes and dislikes of TTP
- How you might use Audacity in your teaching
- Who's more handsome - Hyun Bin or Rain?
Save that audio and post to both of your blogs.

Advanced Task (optional)
It is fairly easy to post a link to your hot potatoes activities or audio recordings on your blog. If you'd like to embed them, an extra step is required.
To embed hot potato activities, use this code:
<iframe src="URL Here" frameborder="0" height="500" width="600" scrolling="auto"></iframe>

To embed an audio file, use this code:

If time permits, look at some of the websites listed at the bottom of the audio guide and bookmark (with Diigo) those of interest - remember to share them with the LearningCall group. You can also continue sampling sites from the Website Buffet (note there's a new section for fun sites).

Homework: Post at least one photo with a short description on your blog (can be from work,friends, family, or anything else).
Next Week: Subscribe to all TTP Blogs using Google Reader - Google Reader Guide here

How can I print a Hot Potatoes Crossword Puzzle?

To print out a Hot Potatoes Crossword puzzle with all the clues listed, click File/Export for Printing

How can I resize a photo on my blog?

After you've either uploaded or inserted a photo from an external URL, you shoul dbe able to see resize options when you click on the photo in compose mode.

Below is the same image sized differently

More info at: http://learningcall.blogspot.com/2011/03/blogger-guide-examples-tasks.html#photos

Monday, March 28, 2011

Google Reader

Google reader allows you to view an unlimited number of blogs (or any sites with an RSS feed) on one page.

To access Google Reader, go to reader.google.com or click on 'reader' from your gmail.

To subscribe to a specific blog, click 'add a subscription', paste the address of the blog and 'Add'.

You can subscribe to multiple blogs at one time by importing an .opml file. To do so, click the gear and Reader settings.

Click import/export. I have created an opml file with all TTP blogs, as well as categories for EFL Blogs, Bloggers in Korea, & General Tech. Save this file by RIGHT clicking/save link as
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/46186053/3-3-2012-blogs.xml

Then browse to find it on your computer and 'upload'.

When that's done 'Back to Google Reader'

By clicking Feed settings, you can then categorize, unsubscribe, or rename individual feeds. You can also choose to list (titles only) or expand blog posts or get suggestions for other similar blogs (more like this).

By clicking on a category and then Folder settings, you can rename, delete, unsubscribe, or find more blogs like those in the folder.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Week#3

Register for Diigo. Join the Learning Call Group and then take some time to leisurely Explore Websites and bookmark at least 5 of them and share them with the LearningCall group.
Diigo Guide here Megalist of Websites Here
If you have the time (and interest), write a short blog post about some of the interesting sites you find.
Register for a Skype account and add your skype ID to your Google Doc Portfolio. (Note: only * fields are required, others can be left blank if you want) Skype Guide Here
If you have the time (and interest) register at PBWorks and upload one of your hot potato activies from last week. Post a link to it on your blog.
PBWorks Guide Here
If you've finished all of that and/or are eager to experiment with recording and editing audio files, check out the Audio Guide and give Audacity a try.

Monday, March 21, 2011

How can I have a song automatically play when someone visits my blog?

Still researching this but a few possible answers below

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Skype Guide

You can register for a skype account there and download the skype program here (it should already be installed on the TTP Laptops).

In your skype window, click the 'contact' tab to see all of your contacts. The 'recent' tab will show all of your recent chats.
To add a new contact, type their name or ID into the skype search window.

Another window will pop up with results. Click 'Add Contact' to make that person a contact.

You can adjust setting (including your mic and headset) by clicking Tools/Options.

Any time you see a contact, you can RIGHT click and call that person, send IM (text chat), send a voicemail or a file.

When you are in a skype call, you can mute your mic, activated your video or see the text chat by clicking on the icons shown below.

You can also add others to the call, by clicking 'Add People', clicking their name and 'Add to call'.
If you'd like to hang up, click 'end call'.

When you're in a group chat that you'd like to access again, you can click the write icon (shown below) and change the name.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Diigo Guide

Diigo is a social bookmarking tool that allows you to save, describe, organize, and share your bookmarks from any computer, any time. To begin using Diigo....

------------------
Task Summary
1. Register at Diigo.com
2. Check your email and
click activation link
3. Log in to Diigo
4. Join the Learning Call Group
5. Start Bookmarking
-------------------------
Click Join Diigo

Fill in the basic user info

Go to your email and click the activation link.

This part is unnecessary on the PUFS laptops -it's already been done. I can skip this step and look below
Go to the Diigo Tools Page
Click 'Get it in Chrome extension gallery now'

and then install.

Once it is installed, you will see a blue 'd' in the upper right corner of your browser. Any time you want to bookmark a page, you can click book mark. If you'd like to highlight part of the page or create a sticky note, click those. You can also share this link via twitter, facebook, email, and/or create an annotated link.

Diigo Groups allow you to join other groups of people interested in the same kinds of sites as you. You can choose to keep bookmarks 'private' if you wish.
Go to the Learning CALL group page and click 'join this group'.

Message to owner is optional and you can choose how often you want to receive email notifications of new links to the group (you can change this later).

Once you've joined a group, when you bookmark a site, you can share you bookmarks more one or more of them when you click bookmark. Using relevant one word will help you organize your links later.

Other groups you may be interested in joining

To log out of Diigo, click the triangle nex to Feedback and 'Sign Out'. To see all of your bookmarks, click 'My Library'

Task:
Once you've created your account and installed your diigo Chrome tool, visit the Megalist of websites, start exploring and bookmarking sites of interest.
You can also find websites in some of the group listed above or some of these other locations.

http://www.diigo.com/user/learningcall choose the category (or tag of interest)
http://iteslj.org/links/
http://www.usingenglish.com/links/

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Week#2

Week 2

Tips & Tricks - little things you can do to make your time online easier and more efficient.

Make sure you have created a blog at blogger.com and added that address to your Google Doc Portfolio from Week#1To find that document, sign in to your gmail and click 'Document's or go to docs.google.com
Finding, creating, & publishing activities & games.
Activities Guide Hot Potatoes Guide
Task: Create a few sample Hot Potatoes activities, save them in c:\temp and on your USB Drive
You will not be able to attach these directly to your blog. Next week, we will use PBWorks for that purpose (feel free to take a sneak peek now)
Create a short blog post about your thoughts and/or experiences about using computer based activities (in class and/or for personal use). This can include ideas on how to use them, joys and frustration of creating them, and/or comments about useful sites.

Prepare for next week (optional)
Before the beginning of next class, register for accounts at Skype (for live text, audio, & video chat), Diigo (social bookmarking),and PbWorks (file storage and wiki)
Get ready for some Audio Fun.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

PBWorks Guide

Using PBWorks

PBWorks.com allows you to create a type of website called a 'wiki'. This can be a useful way to create a website, especially when collaborating with others. They also allow you to upload files (including Hot Potatoes activies and audio files) in a way that others can access directly.

To get started, follow the instructions below.

Go to https://my.pbworks.com/?p=createand fill out the basic information