Etherpad.com is a great, simple collaboration tool for teachers. No user accounts or log in necessary... just a crazy URL as "security".

Steps:

1. Go to etherpad.com
2. Click "Create New Pad"
3. Record and bookmark URL of the created document to send to others and be able to return to your document to edit.

Mmmmm-mmmm.

"If you want to travel fast, travel alone. If you want to travel far, travel together."

- African Proverb (as quoted by Al Gore in a TED talks video on the worsening climate crisis)

I am not at all comfortable with Terminal commands.

Sure, the commands always work, and can help you to achieve exactly what you want efficiently and effectively, but... where are all the pretty colours?

If you have Remote Desktop at your school, which you almost certainly do, open Remote Desktop, select the computers in your classroom or lab, and then under the "Manage" category in the Toolbar select "Send Unix Command".

Copy and paste the following commands into the window, one each time, and then click "Send" just prior to your class coming in... or during class, if you like to live on the edge. Your students will be amazed. Or, at the least, a little bit freaked out.

(If you have tray-loading machines, like eMacs, the last command is particularly fun!)

Computer Speaks Current Date

osascript <<EOF
say (current date) as string using "Cellos"
EOF

Machines sing the list of software updates.

osascript <<EOF
set suList to (do shell script "softwareupdate -l") as string
say suList using "Cellos"
EOF

Make Computer Speak

Say "Your Text Here"

Optical Tray Wave Script

for i in 1 2 3 4 5; do
drutil tray open
sleep 1
drutil tray close
sleep 1
done

In an article in ASCD's Education Update (Vol 50, Num 10, October 2008), Rick Allen explores some research on the use of technology to improve literacy. Some points:

• thus far research on the efficacy of technology in teaching literacy has provided "lackluster" results
• current technology does not significantly influence student performance (Effectiveness of Reading and Mathematics Software Products: Findings from the First Student Cohort)
• improved newer technologies have more promise (Intelligent Tutoring Systems: Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh - Reading Tutor, Pearson's Quick Reads) and other speech recognition software
• technology is more effective in remedial teaching (for example, learning disabilities like dyslexia)
• Charles MacArthur, Handbook of Writing Research: in a study of 9-10 year-olds with severe spelling problems, word processing software significantly improved literacy
• Carol Greig, Reading Buddies: an example of mp3 players increasing literacy skills for beginning readers
• effective tools for evaluating reading levels: KidBiz3000 and Achieve3000, Reading Assistant (available for both PC and Mac)
• software able to slow down audio is effective for students with auditory problems

In short, at the moment research shows technology does no worse than a live teacher, and can be used effectively to improve learning when used in conjunction with "live" teaching. Newer technologies provide increasingly effective results (audio analyzing, speech recognition, interactive). My feeling is that the new GarageBand, with built-in lessons, would be an example of this newer, more effective technology.

The full article is available for purchase at ASCD.org.

Three steps to creating an annotated image using a Mac. Something every teacher should have in their Mac arsenal of digital teaching techniques:

1) Take a screenshot of the image you would like. A standard keyboard shortcut is: option-command-shift-4, which will then save the image that you have captured in your crosshairs to your clipboard. Or, alternatively, open the Grab application to get the screen shot that you want. So many options, including which of the two option buttons to use. Remain calm.

2) Open Preview, and go File -> New From Clipboard. Or, for the lazy, the keyboard shortcut is apple-n.

3) In the Preview toolbar of the new document click and hold on "Annotate" to get the desired tool. (View -> Customize Toolbar if that command is not available in your window.) Create the annotation you would like, ideally, editorializing without the bitter, jaded sarcasm you're accustomed to using in the staff room.

Et voilà.

If you use BoinxTV - a great application for creating your own TV station at your school - the creators of BoinxTV recommend using video in the "Apple Intermediate Codec" for the recorded video you add to your live feed. This is because, apparently, it is a very efficient codec in terms of CPU usage. They sound smart, so I believe them.

To convert to Apple Intermediate Codec, open QuickTime Pro then Export -> Movie to QuickTime Move

-> Options

Video -> Settings

and it is the Codec near the top.

It's a Codec jungle out there, so listen to the people who know what they're talking about. And that's likely not to be me.