ICTeD Services

Multiple Sites in iWeb - Recuperating After Cardiac Arrest in Lion!

I've been playing around with a get around to keep iWeb going under Lion, particularly when you want to create multiple iWeb websites under the same login. [See my earlier blogpost, Death of iWeb, 21.10.2011].  There is some hope!
This is one way, a bit clumsy, but it works. [There may be other "get arounds', please post if you have others.]

1. Open iWeb. This will open up your last created iWeb website or a blank iWeb site. Work or edit this file until you have finished with it.

2. When you want to create your new iWeb website do this.
Find the Domain.sites2 file. To do this in Finder > Go > Go to Folder.
In window where it says Go to Folder type ~/Library. Click Go.
This will take you to the now hidden User > Library folder.
Then go to Application Support > iWeb.
In that folder is the Domain.sites2 file that is your iWeb website 
Drag this onto your Desktop and rename it to something more useful.

3.  Click on iWeb again and start a new website.This will create a new file in the User > Library > Application Support > iWeb folder called Domain.sites2.

4. Work on your new site, when finished drag this file onto your Desktop and rename it to something more useful.

5. Want to edit the first iWeb file?
Go to the User > Library > Application Support > iWeb folder [ as you did above].
Drag your first iWeb file into this folder, Rename it Domain.sites2.
Click on it and bingo you can edit your first file!

Confused? Maybe this screencast will help. Download is 13.2 MB, QuickTime required
Download IWeb_Lion

[As with any software recommendations in my blog and websites, what I write about, is my opinion only and I take no responsibility for anything going wrong with your computer, server, network etc.. Please read the conditions and product disclosures and EULA for each application. Always exercise care and caution!]

Billy Carts and eLearning - 2011 Edition!

Two years ago I wrote some activities for a Design Creativity & Technology unit about model Billy Carts. This activity was pitched at years  5 & 6. These activities are still around in my other blog, http://ictedservices.typepad.com/elearning/billy-carts/

However, this time around these activities have been refined and compacted a bit! They are also better supported for student learning, with more tutorials and screencasts.

I've created a  model website for students with examples, some instructions and assessment rubrics. It is available at  http://www.ictedservices.info/billy_cart_2011/Home.html

Any queries about this unit, just ask!

[As with any software recommendations in my blog and websites, what I write about, is my opinion only and I take no responsibility for anything going wrong with your computer, server, network etc.. Please read the conditions and product disclosures and EULA for each application. Always exercise care and caution!]

The Death of iWeb

 

Apple has already had its greatest loss this month with the death of Steve Jobs. However, the death of iWeb while not of the same magnitude is also a big blow particularly for students and teachers.
This is my spin, if you agree or disagree please comment.

1. I have used iWeb for years with many groups of students, who have used it to create websites on sustainability, farming, democracy and various Challenge Based Learning projects.
See http://ictedservices.typepad.com/elearning/challenge-based-learning/    http://www.ictedservices.info/   http://www.ictedservices.com/iWeb_PD_2.0.html

2. iWeb and MobileMe meant that anyone could create a good looking website easily and then easily have it hosted. This meant that teachers and students without access to any online services at their school could still create and host websites. O.K. so this hosting facility is going with the transition to iCloud, but there are plenty of other places where you can easily host a website or three!

3. Enter Lion and iLife is trimmed of iDVD and iWeb, which are both no longer supported. iWeb is no longer packaged with new Macs and not available at the App Store. Read up on the web and find that if you have an iLife '11 disk you can install it. Hey, great!. So I do this and find that you need to re install iPhoto. No problem doing that from the App Store and we are back in business or are we?Yes, you can seemingly still create an iWeb website in Lion. But what if you want to create another iWeb website at the same user account? Now you used to be able to do this by going to where the domain file was stored, user/library/application support/iweb and grab that file and put it somewhere else or rename it etc. When you re-launched iWeb, a new domain file was created and you could create another iWeb website. So what now? Well firstly, the user library folder is hidden. You can get to it in Finder > Go > Go to Folder then ~/Library. O.K. so you can find the domain file, rename or move it [ i.e. do the old trick above] as before,  but it no longer works. Create as many re-named domain files as you like, but they will all open up with the content of just one of the iWeb sites! So basically it's one iWeb website per user. Now you can create one website in iWeb, publish it to a folder, delete your site from iWeb then create a new one, but what if you wanted to edit the first one?

4. Now I am teaching ICT to 160 grade 3 & 4 students who are making individual websites about Simple Machines. I also teach 140 grade 5 & 6 students who are making individual websites about the technology of building a Billy Cart. They are just having a ball! Some of these completed websites will be hosted on the School Intranet, all will go home on disk or USB drive. Now the school is running Snow Leopard on its computers, so we have no problems with such projects, well, not until next time when we have upgraded our computers.

5. Is there volume licensing for RapidWeaver  or similar in schools? Students and teachers need something simple to quickly make websites in!!

If you have an opinion on this please comment.

[As with any software recommendations in my blog and websites, what I write about, is my opinion only and I take no responsibility for anything going wrong with your computer, server, network etc.. Please read the conditions and product disclosures and EULA for each application. Always exercise care and caution!]

My Next Upcoming PD Gigs!

This blogpost needs the #shamelessselfpromotion tag! I'm just finalising the details if three after schools professional development sessions I am running at Williamstown PS. Abstracts below!

Teaching and Learning in the 1 to 1 Classroom using MacBooks.

Thursday 22.09.2011 – 4:30-6:30,
The Gallery, Williamstown Primary School, Corner of Parker and Electra Streets, Williamstown, 3016.
Ample parking available outside school, check signage.
Nearest railway station, Williamstown Beach.
MacBooks, online resources and afternoon tea included.

Are you involved on 1 to 1 learning with MacBooks? Are you using a class set of MacBooks for some of your curriculum activities? Then this activity is pitched at you!

This session will cover the following:

• The pedagogy of the 1 to 1 classroom.
• Classroom organisation.
• Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy & the 1 to 1 classroom.
• What are some curriculum activities that are supported by 1 to 1 learning.
• Why collaboration is vital?
• Assessment in the 1 to 1 classroom.
• Buying, leasing, parent co-contribution or ownership.
• Technical support and security.
• School policies for the 1 to 1 classroom.

A comprehensive set of online resources will be available as will membership of a network to support this learning.

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What’s New in iLife ’11?

Thursday 20.10.2011 – 4:30-6:30.
The ICT Teaching & Learning Centre, Williamstown Primary School, Corner of Parker and Electra Streets, Williamstown, 3016.

Ample parking available outside school, check signage.
Nearest railway station, Williamstown Beach.
iMacs, Online resources and afternoon tea included.

Just got a new MacBook, maybe through the DEECD  Notebooks for teachers and Principals program? You will notice that it comes with the new version of iLife.

• So what’s new in iLife ‘11?
• What are the changes?
• What are the implications of this upgrade for the classroom>
• Exploring what’s new in iPhoto?
• Exploring what’s new in iTunes?
• Exploring what’s new in GarageBand?
• Exploring what’s new in iWeb?
• Exploring what’s new in iMovie & iDVD?
•  What are some great things you can do in the classroom with iLife ‘11
• Where to after this session?

This will be a hands on session as much as possible. A comprehensive set of online resources will be available as will membership of a network to support this learning.

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Reinvent your Teaching with Challenge Based Learning!

Thursday 25.08.2011 – 4:30-6:30.
The ICT Teaching & Learning Centre, Williamstown Primary School, Corner of Parker and Electra Streets, Williamstown, 3016.

Ample parking available outside school, check signage.
Nearest railway station, Williamstown Beach.
iMacs, online resources and afternoon tea included.

Challenge Based Learning is an approach which has -

•          A multiple entry point strategy and varied and multiple possible  solutions
•          A focus on universal challenges with local solutions
•          An authentic connection with multiple disciplines
•          An opportunity to develop 21st century skills
•          The purposeful use of Web 2.0 tools for organizing, collaborating and publishing
•          The opportunity for students to do something rather than just learn  about something
•          The documentation of the learning experience from challenge to solution
•          24/7 access to up-to-date technology tools and resources so students can  do their work

Challenge Based Learning: Take action and make a difference [Apple 2009] p.2

Find out how Challenge Based Learning can invigorate teaching and learning of Primary and Middle Years classes! It is an approach that is highly engaging, embraces authentic learning and is great for students and teachers to use 21^st century learning skills. Find out about the theory and see classroom examples.

A comprehensive set of online resources will be available as will membership of a network to support this learning.

If you are interested in coming to any or all of these sessions, details and bookings will be appearing on the Victorian Information Technology Teachers’ Association [VITTA] very soon. http://www.vitta.org.au/ or phone 9495 6836

eTrain 2011

Missed out on blogging about this great student event at the Collongwood Children's Farm and Abbotsford Convent earlier. eTrain 2011 was conducted on March 22 & 23, 2011. This is the fourth year that I have been asked to work with students at this event. Again students constructed a website about the farm with rich multimedia, using iWeb and the rest of the iLife suite. A great couple of days.

Student website is at http://www.ictedservices.info/etrain2011.htm

Planning & Teaching in the Challenge Based Learning Classroom - Presentation at ICTEV Conference 2011.

This is my next presentation on Challenge Based Learning [see below]. Hope to see you there.

See  http://ictev.vic.edu.au/ictev2011-state-conference-touch for more details, registration etc.

Will blog about this after the event.

Making a teaching and learning space for Challenge Based Learning

I've written about my teaching space before, see http://ictedservices.typepad.com/icted_services/2008/11/ict-teaching-learning-spaces.html
The space is now going through another transformation as students and teachers use it for Challenge Based Learning. It now includes a chromakey green screen for student video making using iMovie '09 [See http://ictedservices.typepad.com/elearning/2010/06/challenge-based-learning-activity-for-grade-56-tourism.html and http://ictedservices.typepad.com/elearning/2010/06/challenge-based-learning-activity-for-grade-34-the-human-body-1.html for the units being taught there this term]

Hardware / Peripherals now includes:
29 Intel iMacs running Leopard
1 Intel iMacs running Snow Leopard
1 Promethean Whiteboard
1 Chroma green screen with lamps
2 Flip Camera
2 Digital still cameras
3 Ipods with Belkin TuneTalks
Headsets with mics for nearly every iMac
5 iSight Camera [ the old silver ones]
3 Animation stages with lights
1 Bose speaker set
5 USB thumb drives

The key software includes
ILife '09 [DEECD licence]
iWork '09 [School site licence]
iStopmotion2 [3 seat licence]
Comic Life [School site licence]

Also DEECD provided high speed internet

The room has a great feel to it know and is an inviting learning space
For a plan of it see below
http://www.gliffy.com/publish/2173645/

I'm also starting the Grade 5/6 students using Moodle as a resource to their learning.

Tech Road Test: MacJournal 5

I have just bought MacJournal v5 from a promo on MacUpdate. I was interested in it as a tool in which I can throw in a variety of media [ text, documents, audio, video etc] to be better oragised. This could replace me scratching throw piles of papers, files on a messy desktop & and equally messy desktop. It syncs to Mobile me & IWeb. Sounds great. Will play with it more and maybe read the manual. It also supposedly lets you write your blogpost in it and then directly upload to your blog.
Well let’s see.  Will report back if this gets posted OK.
Hey it works, I'm impressed!I It was worth the money just for that!! 

[As with any software recommendations in my blog and websites, what I write about, is my opinion only and I take no responsibility for anything going wrong with your computer, server, network etc.. Please read the conditions and product disclosures and EULA for each application. Always exercise care and caution!]

The Biggest Reducer: Student Website Authoring about Food Miles

Kara and I have just finished our second day with students from years 5 - 7  [10  to 13 year olds] from three different schools, who were constructing websites on the environmental impact of Food Miles on the environment. See my blogposts for 29/3/2009 & 25/4/2009 on the background and preparation on this activity. As seems the case with these two day events, the first day is about content background, team building and ICT skill building and with not much website content. However, by lunchtime on the second day it all comes together amazingly! The 24 students we had were just great!

Background to curriculum planning for this event is at
http://www.ictedservices.info/biggest_reducer/index.htm

The completed school Food Miles websites are below
School One
School Two
School Three

Hope this of use to other teachers doing environmental activities on food miles!!

Student Website Authoring Activity - The Environmental Effect of Food Miles /2

 Gathering resources for this activity on "Food Miles" for this activity [see blogpost 29/3]. Have come across some great videos on You Tube These are the five I am using [some have been edited in length, so to enhance their use in the activity]. I hope the makers don't mind them being posted here. They are all great videos and will be a great stimulus for the start of the activity.

[QuickTime required - Don't have Quicktime? Click here]

Will write how the activity went in the next week or two.