Learn and End Hunger at the Same Time!

I occasionally encounter a website that grabs my attention so completely that if I am not careful, I will lose hours of my day. http://www.freerice.com/ happens to be one of them. Freerice.com is a website created by John Breen, on October 7, 2007 a computer programmer in Bloomington, Indana, while watching his son study for the SAT.

I can not remember how I heard of the site, it was a while ago, but, I thought it was a great idea. I love words and this was a fun way of improving my vocabulary and at the same time feed hungry people. "How?"you ask; "can you feed hungry people while playing a game on the Internet?" FreeRice partners with the UN to donate 20 grains of rice for each correct answer you give.

When you first visit the site you will see a word and four definitions, if you select the correct response you will donate 20 grains of rice, a tally is kept on the right side of the screen. As you answer more and more questions correctly the difficulty of the words increases, providing even more of a challenge.

At first, the site focused on English Grammar only, now they have added additional subjects, Math, Science, Language Learning, Art and Geography. This is an excellent resource for teachers to engage their students while benefiting the world.

How effective is this website? To date FreeRice.com has donated 42,243,701,230 grains of rice.
it takes approximately 20,000 grains of rice provide enough caloric intake to sustain an adult for one day. I will leave it to you to do the math.

Visit www.FreeRice.com and see if you can use it in your class.

Do you have a favorite website that you like to use in your classroom? Let me know, if I receive enough responses I'll do an article on it.

eInstruction was Interwrite... is now eInstruction... was Interwrite

Product name changes can throw us for a loop sometimes, especially when you are not tuned into the reason why they update. Company mergers, collapsing product lines, marketing, even whim drives these changes. I don't really get caught up in that spin; I just want the products and software that I use to be reliable.

Interwrite products are now eInstruction. The links to these manufacturers are getting sorted out, and is with any merger, it will take a bit of time for those to completely blend. The important factors, such as eInstruction tech support and Workspace software downloads are available without a glitch.

eInstruction released Workspace-ExamView Edition Software not long ago and you can download it for FREE. It has a bunch of new features that will bring current eInstruction (formerly Interwrite) Pad, Board, and Response users up to a new level. Some basic training video clips are available online but Matrix Ingenuity has a series of classes that we offer for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced users.

I'll be interested to see what the current (now eInstruction) Pad/Board and Response users think of the new software... We'd be glad to show them what they have now...

Chris' Choice Software - Photo Story 3

I am starting a series on programs that I find cool. Cool by its very nature is subjective so for each program I will list what I think is cool about it and how you could use it in your classroom.

My first choice is Microsoft's Photo Story 3, you can find it here.

Photo Story 3 is a free program that allows you to create slide shows with your digital pictures and add various visual effects, commentary and music. If you want to make a video like Ken Burns then this is the program to do it.

I downloaded the program a couple of months ago, intending to try it out, I never got around to it until last week. I was at an event where pictures were taken, they were not great pictures, so instead of just posting them as a slide show on a blog, I decided to use photo story to make a video. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun it was to create a movie from my pictures.

Here is how it worked for me.

I imported my pictures and put them into my timeline. I did have an issue here; the pictures were taken at the largest resolution and the file sizes were HUGE. So, I went back and changed the resolution to a more modest size 800 x 600, only because I wanted a smaller file size and it was to be posted on a blog. PS3 worked well with the larger files, albeit a little slow, but I needed something smaller.

After I imported the pictures I arranged them in the order I wanted them displayed, edited them for contrast, color, and red eye reduction, added motion and transitions, and then added a sound track. You can choose from music on your hard drive or have the program create a sound track. Here is where I have a small issue, while soundtrack creation is cool and customizable, the end result still sounds a little computer sounding and generic.

Once everything was the way I liked it, I added opening and closing titles and chose a format to publish it in. PS3 went to work and my movie was finished.

I had a great deal of fun with it and am looking forward to using it more often.

Here are a few ideas on how to use it in your classroom:

1. Have your students collect pictures and tell a story with them (a video collage) - add narration and music.
2. Pick a topic and have your students take pictures and make a movie that tells the complete story.
3. Watch a Ken Burns special and discuss with your students how he uses pictures to tell his stories. Next, have your students use the same methods.
4. Break your class into groups and give them all the same pictures and have them create a video. Have a showing of all projects and then report on how different and/or similar each video was.

Photo Story 3 What's Cool

• It is easy to use. Just import your pictures, add music, export and voila you're done.
• It is powerful. you can edit and change things to your hearts content.
• It is free. Yep it is!
• It is fun. Revitalize old pictures and tell a compelling story.

Tell me what you think. Are you using PS3 and is it working for you? Are you using another piece of software that you like? What are your choices for useful educational software? Do you have a fun story of using PS3 in your classroom?

Matrix Ingenuity will be offering training on using Photo Story 3.
If you are interested in taking a class please contact me at training@matrixingenuity.com or check out our website at http://www.matrixingenuity.com/ for upcoming training dates.

PS. if you want to see my video it is here.

Back to School

Here at Matrix Ingenuity we are always looking for ways to increase the value of our offerings and to address your specific needs. With that in mind we have created a "Back To school" special with you in mind.

We start out with an incredible deal on the Interwrite pad for only $475.00 including shipping and if you purchase 5 pads you will receive 2 hours of free training. (a $750.00 value)

Next we have your choice of projectors a NEC NP200 at 1024x768 with 2100 lumens for only $625.00 or a Sanyo PDG-DSU21N at 800x600 with 2300 lumens for $525.00. Both projectors are a great value.

If you have more specific needs remember that you can always call us at 916-857-0561 and we will be happy to assist you in any way we can.

eInstruction CPS Software Updated

eInstruction has updated their CPS software. You can choose to automatically update from the help menu or visit this link and download the complete version.

This update allows CPS to fully integrate with the Interwrite Learning Workspace software, allowing the Interwrite Bluetooth Wireless pads and the Boards to take advantage of the CPS suite of software, including ExamView.

Workspace Updates to Version 7.60

On June 30th eInstruction launched Workspace- ExamView® Edition.

Overview & Outline of the New Features:

ExamView integration – View questions from the ExamView® Learning Series or publisher test banks on the Workspace page for instruction or assessment using student response pads

1. Enhanced Tools – Create gradient backgrounds and snap to grid to make your Workspace pages colorful and aligned. Also, learn about the enhanced text box tool, free form fill and capture tools, stamper, picture pen, and right-click menus.
2. Gallery Interface – Drag and drop images to personalize your collection into customizable folders
3. Toolbar Customization – Easily customize your toolbar by dragging and dropping the icons you want to have easily accessible
4. Device Manager – Graphics-enhanced device manager makes finding your devices easier than ever before
5. Preferences – Tab-based preferences makes finding options faster and easier

Click here to download the “How to Guide” for the new features of Workspace 7.6.

TextMark or If you can't beat them....

If you look to the left you will see a new addition to our blog. It is a TextMark widget and it allow me to communicate using text messaging.
What is cool about this is that now you have a method of communicating with your students in a method that they all understand and use, even if you do not want them to use it. Many times I will go into schools and see students texting, under a signs that say "No Cellphones" or "Students are not allowed to use cellphones during school hours."
I am not advocating letting students use cellphones in school, I see how disruptive it can be in training sessions. However, by having your students subscribe to this easy to use and free service you can notify them of homework changes, tests or any information that you might need to get to everyone. It also allows students to ask questions and receive responses anonymously, which can encourage greater participation.

Check it out for yourself subscribe and start receiving alerts on your phone.

Be aware that standard text messaging rates apply for you service provider.