Free Web Tools for

Administrators
Marian Thacher
OTAN
[email protected]
Florida Adult Education

• ACE
• Florida TechNet
• Distance Learning –
FATDEC
• Florida Literacy
Coalition
Objectives for Today

• Role of the Program Administrator

• A look at some tools
– Blogs - Meeting Planning
– Wikis - Social Bookmarking
– Mobile Phones - Social Networking
– Online Docs
 What’s
with the
handout?

Captainmdcan, Fickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainmcdan/233091932/

Posting Audio Files
• GabCast – Call and give
– Your name
– Your agency
– One thing you would like to take away from this
workshop
• Call 866-282-2457
• Channel Number 35924#
• Password 2121#
Role of Program Managers
• Funding

• Professional Development

• Modeling!
What Is Web 2.0?
Internet services that emphasize
collaboration and sharing
• Web 1.0 • Web 2.0
– Static pages
– User-created
– Read only
– Participatory
– Receive
information – Collaborative
7
Where we are going on the web
• From consuming to producing
• From authority to transparency
• From the expert to the facilitator
• From the lecture to the hallway
• From "access to information" to
"access to people”
Where we are going on the web
• From presentation to participation
• From publication to conversation
• From formal schooling to lifelong
learning
What are the tools?
• Blogs • Meeting Plannin
g
• Wikis
• Social
• Mobile Phones
Bookmarking
• Online Docs
• Social Networkin
g
BLOGGING
Have you…
• Read a blog?
• Commented on a blog?
• Sent others to a blog?
• Started your own blog?
Blogging
• For administrators – what’s the
point?
Blogging in Adult Ed
• Administrators – Information,
collaboration, reflection, instruction
• Professional Development –
reflection, inquiry, sharing,
collaborating
• Teachers – assignments, info,
news,
• Students – writing assignments,
communication, publishing Photo Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
somewhatfrank/
How does a blog work?
• Free!
• Your own URL
• A template – you just add text, photos, etc
• For your audience – staff, students, community
• Others can add comments
• Some blogs allow additional pages, various links
Why a blog?
• Communicate with staff
– The air conditioning will be fixed on …
– Staff meeting moved to Room B12
• Communicate with Students
– Register for new semester now
– Student Council elections next Tuesday
• Community Information
– Joyce Lude chosen as Administrator of the Year
– 124 people received their GED so far this year!
Blogging Examples
• Collection of Examples
– Webtwopointohinadulted.wikispaces.com/Blogs
• Baldwin Park Principal’s Blog
– http://www.bpace.k12.ca.us/users/johnkerr/
• Dept. of Ed Regional Blog
– http://socaladulted.weebly.com/
Blogging Examples
• Newport Mesa Blog ePLC Blog
– AdultEdMatters.wordpress.com
Blogging Examples

• Hayward Adult School Fights the Budget Cuts

– http://adulteducation-solutions.blogspot.com/
Free Blog Sites
• Wordpress
– http://wordpress.com/
• Blogger
– http://www.blogger.com/
• District Provided
– SchoolWires
How do you get started?
• Go to the site and try it
• Ask someone to help you
• Watch a video on YouTube
• Google “How to Create a Blog”
• Use the Help on the site
WIKIS
What is a wiki?
• Editable Web page
• Private or public
• You control it, choose
who can edit
• Use for collaboration
• Share info with a group
Photo Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/somewh
atfrank/251789400/
Wikis in Adult Education
• WASC Chapters (Accreditation)
• Event planning
• Group Collaborations (study circle, planning
team, curriculum writing)
• Presentations
• Info that needs to be updated frequently
• Info that requires input from many
Wikis in Adult Education

• ALE Wiki – with info on

COABE presentations
• Many examples from
adult educators
Adult Ed Wiki Examples
• LAUSD CBET Wiki
– http://cbetexchange.pbworks.com/
• MiraCosta College ESL 5
– http://mccesl.pbworks.com/
• W VA ABE Wiki
– http://wvabe.wetpaint.com/
Adult Ed Wiki Examples
• ESL Professional Development Wiki
– http://eslstaffdevelopment.pbworks.com/
• CA Budget Cuts Wiki
– http://adultedbudgetcuts.wikispaces.com/
• CA Wiki for New Administrators
– http://newadultadmin.pbworks.com/
Where to Create a Wiki

• WikiSpaces
– www.wikispaces.com
• PB Wiki
– www.pbwiki.com
• WetPaint
– www.wetpaint.com
How Can Your Cell
Phone Help You Do
Your Job?
Should we ban cell phones in
the classroom?
• Basic features of the mobile phone
– Texting
– Photos
– Video
– Audio
– Calculator
– Calendar
– Browser
– GPS
Texting
• Question of the Day
– Are you practicing English?
– Did you complete the math homework?
– Please bring your math homework to class tomorrow
– What does Information Literacy mean?
– How many centimeters are there in one meter?
– Did you watch 60 Minutes last night? Text me one thing you
learned.
– ???
Texting
• To Staff or Students
– Announce an event
– Cancel an event
– Cancel a class
– Announce GED test dates, repairs, program changes,
holidays
– Reminder for registration dates or info
– ???
Text Students or Staff or…
T-Mobile: [email protected] 
AT&T: [email protected] 
Cingular: [email protected] 
Sprint: [email protected]
Verizon: [email protected]
Nextel: [email protected]
phonenumber = your 10 digit phone number
Things you need to know or say
• Do you have unlimited text messaging on your
phone?
• Would you like to receive text messages from
the school?
• Can you text your teacher if you will be absent?
• You will receive about X text message from us
per month (stick to it!)
Photos and Videos
• Upload photos and videos from your
phone, by txt or email, to
– Flickr
– Picasa
– PhotoBucket
– Your Blog
Posting Audio Files
• GabCast – Call and give
– Your name
– Your agency
– One thing you would like to take away from this
workshop
• Call 866-282-2457
• Channel Number 35924#
• Password 2121#
Gabcast
• Who posted a message?
Why Post an Audio File?
• Welcome to your website or blog
• Make an announcement
• Request feedback, or make some other request
• Respond to an important event
• Post a regular podcast – 15-30 minutes a week
on specific topics
• Some people would rather talk than write
How easy is it to post?

• Click on Add
• Copy and Paste
• See it
on my blog
One More Option – Drop.io
• Create a drop (free) http://drop.io
• Up to 100 MB
• Docs, pdf, spreadsheets, audio, video
• Use this to share audio…and everything else
• Share large files
• Anyone can add to your account – you control
Apps for SmartPhones
• Flashlight – use
it for polling or
quizzing
DOCUMENTS IN THE CLOUD
Google Docs
• Create, share, collaborate
• Word processing, spreadsheets, slides
• And now forms!
• How OTAN is using it
• And…the price is right!
Why docs in the cloud?
• Access from anywhere
• One version, many contributors
• Back up
• Share with one, a few, or all
• Save work from a group or class
• Distance becomes irrelevant
Meeting Planning
Meeting Wizard
• MeetingWizard.com
• Save yourself hours of frustration!
Doodle
• www.doodle.com
• Fewer bells and whistles
• Easier for your invited users
• Perfectly adequate
Bookmarking and Tagging
• How you save sites now
• Bookmarking
• Tagging
• Tag clouds
• Go to the wiki

(my Delicious account) (my diigo account)

Delicious
SOCIAL NETWORKING
Examples of Social Networking
• Email Lists
• Blogs, Miniblogs, Microblogs
• Delicious, Diigo
• Facebook, MySpace. LinkedIn
• Google Groups, Ning
• Flickr, YouTube, TeacherTube
• RSS, Google Reader
• LibraryThing, Shelfari
From premiardeigo,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9119028@N05/591163479/
Why a Social Network?
• Build a professional network
• Market your program
• Examples
– Ning (Social, Professional)
– Linked In (Adult Education, Business Community)
– Facebook (Primarily social but also professional)
– Twitter (Sharing information, building a network)
Ning
• California ABE Initiative
– http://californiaabe.ning.com/
• GED in a Drug Recovery Home
– http://mlfbcasii.ning.com/
• CALPRO Multilevel ESL Workroom
– http://www.calpro-online.org/VirtualWorkroom/
VirtualWorkroomPortal.asp
LinkedIn
• Professional Networking
• Make contacts in your
field, your state, areas of
interest
• Look for potential
employees
• Share information
• Replaces the resume
Facebook - groups
Facebook - groups
Facebook Pages
• Torrance Adult School
• Bassett Adult School
• Milpitas Adult
Education
• San Juan Adult
Education
• OTAN
Twitter – What is it?
• Short posts
• Share information
• Get information
• Build a network
• Become known
• Be where your customers are
Twitter – Possibilities
• Search
• Hashtags, like #chgo2010
• Lists
Twitter – Rules
DO DON’T
• Complete your • Post too often
profile
• Push your product
• Post good links
• Say anything you
• Announce Events
don’t want
• Retweet info published
• Follow like minds • Ignore direct
• Reciprocate messages
 The only Web
site you need…

WebTwoPointOhInAdultE
d.wikispaces.com