There is a conference coming for K-12 IT professionals this April!If you're an IT professional who works for a school, school district, or educational organization, you may be interested in a conference this April in Pennsylvania.IU 13 in Lancaster, PA, is hosting Tech Talk Live on April 26-27, 2011. While there are other conferences for professionals interested in using technology in the classroom, this is the only conference that serves IT professionals who work in educational environments. The content is directed toward directors of technology services, systems and network administrators, application developers, and IT support staff.Walt Mossberg, who writes a weekly column on personal technology for The Wall Street Journal, is scheduled to speak. Breakout sessions delve into the nitty-gritty of deploying and maintaining information technology systems in K-12 institutions. Greg Schwem, a standup comedian who pokes fun at corporate and institutional cultures, is giving the keynote, to bring levity to the intense two-day event.Early Registration is $250 through the end of February, and includes entry to win a free Apple iPad.For more information on this conference or to register, visit the Tech Talk Live website, http://techtalklive.iu13.org.POST-CONFERENCE REVIEWS 2010

This is the easieast tool I've seen to create comic strips. I've been planning to create a comic strip with my students in class and then ask them to create mini dialogues with language learned that day for their own comic strips. http://writecomics.com/You don't even need an account. First you click on the characters, then the backgroun, choose a speech bubble, type in the text (click SUBMIT WORD) and when you've finished click FINISHED and you've provided with a link. It's that easy. :( It's a pity they don't offer us an embed but you can always grab a screenshot and publish it.These are some comic strips created by a colleague of mine, Angela Gonçalves, to present modals of deduction.http://writecomics.com/gen/3583.html  To learn how to use it, watch this TUTORIAL:

Simple application which you can use to write notes to yourself or to others. Each sticky note can be shared with others via link or sent via e-mail. http://noterr.com

I've recently discovered I could create screencasts to offer grammar explanation recordings to my students. After sharing the idea  in a workshop, a colleague of mine (Angela Gonçalves), has made some really good recordings I wish to share with other teachers. The first three were created by Angela and the last one is mine.Making Deductions (must , can't , might)Obligations (have to , must, don't have to)First and Second ConditionalNarrative Tenses (S. Past , Past Cont., Past Perfect)

Sharing an idea for using the webcam images from GeoCam.tv Describing pictures in one of skills required for the Cambridge exams, therefore, if you're helping your students to do that, you could show students the various webcams around the world and ask them to choose a place. Click on the camera icon and have students describe what they can see to each other (pairwork). You can then debrief by asking for descriptions from some volunteers.These are live webcams from Natal, Brazil and Liverpool, UK. You can also have students predict what they might see before clicking on the image icons. In France, students might say they will see the Eiffel Tower, in Egypt the pyrammids, and so on.Discovered GEOCAM.tv via @NikPeachey 's tweet.

I've always been excited about what is to come in terms of technology and its implications in our lives.If you want to learn more about the terms WEB 1.0 / 2.0 / 3.0 , I suggest the wonderful post by NIcky Hockly.Teachers & Web 3.0 - A Beginner´s Guide to Webs 1,2,3, x - e-moderation station via kwoutBelow is a presentation, shared by Nicky and devised by Steve Wheeler from the University of Plymouth.Web 3.0: The way forward?View more presentations from Steve Wheeler.

I've recently fallen in love with comic creators and its various possibilities of use in the classroom. This WONDERFUL presentation shared below, not only brings several links to comic creator sites but also provides suggestions for teachers.Tap into the World of Comics Primary School versionView more presentations from S. Hendy.These are some of the COMIC CREATOR sites suggested by S.Hendyhttp://www.toondoo.com/ http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/comic/http://www.professorgarfield.org/comics_lab_extreme/http://www.garfield.com/fungames/comiccreator.htmlhttp://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/http://myths.e2bn.org/story_creator/http://www.bam.gov/sub_yourLife/yourlife_comiccreator.htmlhttp://www.pixton.com/uk/http://www.creaza.com/http://www.chogger.com/http://comiqs.com/editor/http://www.comeeko.com/http://www.pikikids.com/http://superherosquad.marvel.com/create_your_own_comic http://cpbherofactory.com/http://www.scholastic.com/charlottesweb/comic/index.htmhttp://www.scholastic.com/goosebumpsgraphix/makeyourown/index.htmhttp://www.scholastic.com/dogslife/createtale.htm

Want to animate a short text for a blog, wiki or to send your students a cool message?Use WONDERSAY to help you create the animation and then embed it or share it via twitter or facebook .Found the site while exploring David Kapuler's great blog.made on Wondersay - Animate text with style

I have a very bad memory for lyrics but love singing. If you are like me, tubeoke is just great. You can watch the music clip and read the lyrics all in the  same screen.HOW TO USE THIS SITE WITH STUDENTS?For warmer - have students choose a song they like and have them sing together while reading the lyrics.Use a song lyrics to highlight a grammar structure or to call attention to specific vocabulary.Or just have fun and sing, sing , sing.If you want to find a song for a specific structure, try LYREACH, a site you can use to find songs by typing a sequence of words you expect to find in a song. Another great site for practising with lyrics is http://www.lyricstraining.com/

This is a fantastic site I haven't explored to its full potential yet but found it so interesting that had to share it.With Magic Studio, you can create quizzes, drag n' drop activities and other interactive presentations. http://www.magicstudio.com/SOME EXAMPLES:- Once you've dragged the right word over the image, you can hear the sound of the animal.- click on the objects to hear the pronunciation.  - an interactive timeline where you can include images, audio files, links to videos and other files.