Wednesday Web of the Week: PhotoSynth

Ok, this is kind of cheating because this isn't only a Website, but it really matches well with yesterday's Phto sharing tips.  PhotoSynth is another tool available to anyone with a Windows Live (Hotmail, MSN or Live email account) account.  Photosynth creates 3-d images from pictures you take.  It stiches them together automatically based on textures and colors. It does require a download in order to create them, but there are lots of amazing ones that are already built.  Programs have done this before.  Quicktime from Apple has been able to create 3-d elements you could manipulate for a long time, the difference here is the level of automation and the 'free'ness of it.  Meaning it doesn't cost a penny. So take a look at some great synths or download the desktop program (Windows only) and give it a try yourself!

Teaching with Tech: Photo's on Windows

If you are a Windows user, and I know there are a couple of you out there, you may wonder how to take care of your digital photos.  It can be really easy!

There are several tools that will allow you to manage and work with photos, especially photos that you may be using in your teaching situation.  Microsoft actually provides some excellent ones that you may find helpful.  If you are a WindowsLive user, or in other words, if you have ever had and used a Hotmail, MSN or Live email, you can access these products.  Even if never had a Hotmail account, you can create one and still use the services.

The first step is to download the WindowsLive tools: http://www.windowslive.com/Desktop This set of desktop tools includes something called WindowsLive Photo Gallery.  Photo Gallery allows you to organize, tag, and edit photos on your desktop computer.  When you are sorting and organizing lots of photos that you may use to teach multiple concepts, this can be a real life saver.  It takes a little bit of time to learn, but luckily there are tutorials to help. One of the nice features is that Photo Gallery integrates with the Windows Live Web tools so you can share your photos easily.

So grab your camera, shoot some pics and organize it all easily with a tool you may already have!

Bonus Link: Learn about all the Windows Live tools here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/windows-live

Wednesday Web of the Week: NEW! Read, Write, Think!

Web Address: http://www.thinkfinity.org

One of the parnterships that UEN has is with Thinkfinity.  Thinkfinity is the Verizon Network's Educational Foundation.   Thinkfinity in turn is partnered with other organizations to provide a single federated search of 8 different educational partner sites.  What this really means for teachers is that by clicking on the Thinkfinity link in the Pioneer Library or when doing a global search in Pioneer, you are also searching 8 of the best websites ever created for sharing lesson plans and materials.

Thinkfinity recenty announced an update to one of their partner sites which for Utah Educators means that Read, Write, Think resources have been updated.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Redefine Books

Teaching often involves helping students read.  Learning also involves a lot of reading.  No matter what the subject area we teach or learn in, reading is an important part of it.  But there are some possibiliies on the horizon that may force us to redifine what we mean  by books. See more about what may be the book of the future on Apple's iPad.



You can also read more here: http://paidcontent.co.uk/article/419-first-look-how-penguin-will-reinvent-books-with-ipad/