Recording Skype

I want to start recording Skype conversations to be able to publish them as a podcast. Until now, I have used PowerGramo or Pamela as an add-on to Skype to accomplish that on my PC. I then saved as an MP3 file and then imported that file into Garageband on my MAC where I created and uploaded the podcast. Too many in- between steps for me and I am ready to find a recorder that will capture and convert my Skype conversations directly on the MAC. I sent a call out on Twitter and received the following recommendations.

	shoemap @langwitches Consider joining the next session of Webcast Academy. Recording Skype calls is covered. www.webcastacademy.net 18 minutes ago
	GingerTPLC @langwitches If you’re only needing to record audio, you can always set yourself up with Audacity. http://tinyurl.com/7xp2v 20 minutes ago
	WendyDrexler @langwitches Let me know if you hear anything. I would also like to know the easiest way to record Skype on Mac. 27 minutes ago
	alicebarr @langwitches I have not used this but have heard it’s good http://www.ecamm.com/mac/callrecorder/ 36 minutes ago
	nzchrissy @langwitches I think there is a free version of audio hijack but it only for so many minutes …. 48 minutes ago
	pgeorge @langwitches-I use Call Recorder and Conference Recorder on my Mac-Skype addon-GREAT!-http://www.ecamm.com/mac/callrecorder/ 49 minutes ago
	nzchrissy @langwitches I use audio hijack pro or nicecast if I’m webcasting a skype call. 55 minutes ago

I think I will give Call Recorder from Ecamm a try. Looks like the have a free demo version. Full version not too expensive either (U$14.95).

Stay tuned for some upcoming Skype recordings that are developing between Melanie Holtsman, Andrea Hernandez and myself…

Inspired by Larry Ferlazzo- THE LISTMASTER

I was simply blown away by Larry Ferlazzo and his amazing resource list of

The Best Ways For Students (And Anyone Else!) To Create Online Content Easily, Quickly & Painlessly

He found his niche and is THE LISTMASTER ! Hats off to him and keep those lists coming Larry.

The following list is the collection of resources I am growing for my elementary school students and are listed on our school’s TechConnect Resource Page. These tools and sites are intended for the students to explore and play with in more detail at home.

Simulation

• Create a City

Creativity- Drawing

• Kerpoof.com
  Make a picture, story or movie
• We are Multicolored
  Design and create your own flag. Learn about the symbols and significance of world flags. Remember not to give out your full name when you publish your flag. Use your online identity, avatar’s name or first name only.

Digital Images

• Microsoft Photostory

Video

• Windows Moviemaker (comes pre-installed on your Windows machine)

Programming

• Scratch
  Scratch is a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art — and share your creations on the web. Scratch is designed to help young people (ages 8 and up) develop 21st century learning skills. As they create Scratch projects, young people learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the process of design

Typing Programs

• Tux Typing 2 (free to download)
• BBC Practice Typing
• http://sense-lang.org/typing/
• Fun School Super Speller Play a game and improve your typing speed
• Krazy Keyboarding for Kids
• Stack Cups
  

Games

• LineRider
  Learn about cause and effect
• Etch-A-Sketch
  Be Creative with this Classic
• Connect All Four
  Game of Strategy
• I do Dog Tricks
  Type in a command and watch the dog do tricks
• FancyPants
  Practice your hand-eye coordination. The pants may not look like much to you, but to a stick figure, they’re stylin’ threads! Jump on spiders and find your way to the next level!

Geography

• USA Map Tetris
  Test your knowledge about the States in the USA
• GeoSpy Game
  National Geographic: Identify continents, countries, states and provinces
• GeoNet Game
  Test our knowledge about the USA or the world
• Do you know all your States in the USA?
  Are you smarter than a Third Grader?
• GeoGames
  Build Planet Earth, Cities and Countries

Research & Reference

• Encyclopedia Britannica
  We will be giving you a username and password for this site, so you can access all the information at home.
• Math Dictionary for Kids
  Great visual dictionary for mathematical terms.

Science

• Earth & Sky for Kids
  Science News and Podcasts for kids.

Generators

• Transform yourself into a Dark Ages History character
• Text to Speech Generators
  • Ottogram- Dress up an Otter and have him say something
• Create your own comic strip with
  • Captain Underpants
    
  • Tell-a-Story-Builder
  • My Comic Strip

Comiqs- Create and Share Comic Style Stories

I just tried out a new site called Comiqs. Its tagline is: Create and Share Comic Style Stories.

Comiqs is a service that lets our users create and share their comic-style stories with the community. We aim to provide our users with easy to use tools that transforms their most cherished and most memorable photographs into something fun.

For Bloggers:
Comiqs allows you to share your thoughts and emotions in something that is more vivid than just words alone. By allowing bloggers to combine photographs and picutes with a story, comics can bring an additional dimension of meaning to your blog post.

In order to save and publish a comic, which allows you to get a URL or an embedd code, you will need to sign up with an e-mail address. For our younger elementary school students that could be accomplished with the famous gmail trick described before by Kim Cofino

Basically, Gmail allows you to create subsidiary accounts linked to an individual Gmail account. Check out this great screencast demonstrating how to create linked Gmail accounts that Alec Courosa made with Jing earlier today (I need to start getting the kids to make screencasts with Jing next – what a great way to create tutorials!).

Basically, this means that one teacher can have 20 permanent e-mail accounts that are all delivered into one teacher e-mail account. Therefore, if the teacher account is teacher@gmail.com, all you have to do is add a �+studentname� before the @ symbol to make a linked account. Therefore mail sent to teacher+studentname@gmail.com will go straight to teacher@gmail.com.

Once your account at Comiqs is created and you are logged in, you can either upload photos from your computer, link to your Flickr account, enter the URL of an image online or choose an image from a Comiqs Photo Library. The photo library concerns me a little, since there is obviously no control over where from or what kind of images will appear.

Dragging and dropping, entering text and rearranging layouts are all very easy and intuitive. Even lower level students would have a ball with this.

Another great storytelling (FREE!) web based tool that allows anybody to express themselves a little differently than with pencil and paper.

My WordPress blog was not happy with the embed code provided. The layout of the entire blog paid the price. I have really start looking for a good plugin that will allow these embedded object codes. For now here is the Web URL of the comic page I created.