Open Sources!!!

This week I was introduced to OpenSources Apps - free downloadable programs developed and written by various Internet Communities of program writers.

After searching around SourceForge.net, I ran into a few programs I was interested in. My initial hunt took me on a search for a program that would allow the recording of speech and an ability to transcribe that speech into text. Thinking of one of my students in particular I thought this would be an awesome find - but I only would up finding the opposite abilities - text-to-speech... Maybe another day...

One app I downloaded was called Books for Mac. This app basically allowed you to create your own computer based database of books. It is a tool I was considering to make our classroom library a little more like a real public library or bookstore. After a long series of input (a whole library full of books), you can search for books based on whatever criteria you want to input. I was starting with Titles, Authors, Reading Level, Borrowed By and Owner (since my own purchased books are mingled in with books owned by the school (;). The downside was that the program kept quitting on me :(

In choosing the Books  app I was envisioning an even more interactive and independent way for students to obtain books for independent reading where they could  not only search shelves for a good book, but also a database much like they would in everyday, adult living.


After trying out Books, I went on to try out my Professor's recommendation of Photo Gimp. If you were a big fan of Paint "way back when", you'll love this as much.

Here's a screen shot:

I wasn't trying to be impressive with this work... but there's no end to the creativity that could come out of this app in the classroom and out!

Picture, Picture

I have small, self taught experiences that revolve around photo editing. It's an entertaining creative task to manipulate an image or more and turn it into something completely new.

I hadn't really thought of applying my own limited expertise of the medium to the classroom until I came across the blog of Kelly Walsh, an information and technology expert from The College of Westchester.

In one post he focuses on a variety of FREE internet based or downloadable photo editing programs. Not only does he offer some ideas for how to incorporate the technology in the classroom and teaching he also includes a YouTube video that he created to model the functions of 5 different sites' programs.

It's nice to know there are other options out there that can make photo editing feel less coveted - since full editing software tends to run at prices in the hundreds (and even thousands -whaaaaat?!??!?!??).

Using photo editing in the classroom could open up another creative outlet to prove understanding from subject matter (pictures for writing and projects, timelines, collages, poster, build scenes or characters out of a variety of pictures, etc.)

It may also be fun for teachers to change photographs for teaching purposes. To develop oral language students may describe the changes made to a photograph. You could talk about different moods photos may give based on how they are edited.

It's also just fun.

I remember in high school my physics teacher maintained a website for different class information we could access. A special link he added was titled "Morph Mr. P".  When clicked you were taken to a site with a picture of Mr. P that you could stretch pinch and pull to turn into some other version of our science teacher.

So, if nothing else, free photo editing may at least be good for a laugh :)