How to Create a Link to a Shared Folder using SkyDrive

Posted on May 17, 2013 by TechnoChrista

Do you want to share handouts with students, letters with parents, or documents with staff members? You can!

One of the EASIEST ways to share files using SkyDrive is to create a folder. You can then generate a link to the folder. Anyone who has the link can click on it to view the folder contents. The link can be put on a school website, class blog, printed newsletter, or included in an email message.

For example, here is a link to a SkyDrive folder which gives you access to watch a video about how to make a shared folder!

If you prefer your instructions in a printed format download How to Create a Link to a Shared Folder using SkyDrive.

Let’s get started!

What do you need?

You need to have a SkyDrive account. If you already have one move onto the next step.

  1. To register for an account visit http://skydrive.live.com
  2. Click on the link Sign up now .
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts to create an account.

TIP: Are you tired of having to remember multiple email addresses and passwords? If you already have an email account, use it to create your Microsoft account.

TIP: Write down your username and password and store it in a safe place so you do not forget them!


skydrive

Share files using SkyDrive

Login to SkyDrive

  1. Visit http://skydrive.live.com
  2. Type in username and password and then click Sign In .
  3. When you first login to SkyDrive, you will see a navigation bar along the TOP and RIGHT side with tiles in the middle screen. The tiles are folders. Your screen will look something like this:

SkyDrive Files window

Create a Folder and Upload Files

  1. Click Create and select Folder.



    2. SkyDrive select folder

  2. Type in a name, such as Staff. Press ENTER.


    3. SkyDrive label folder

  3. Click on the folder to open it. You will see a message that says your folder is empty.


    4. SkyDrive empty folder

  4. To upload a document, click UPLOAD in the top bar.



    5. SkyDrive upload

  5. Access the file from your computer. Select it, and then click Open.

    6. If you have more than one file to upload (and they are located in the same spot), press the CTRL key at the same time you click on the file. Continue to hold the CTRL key and click files until all the files you want are selected. When you are finished, click Open.

  6. An indicator will show that the files are uploading:



    7. SkyDrive upload indicator

  7. When finished, the files will show up in the folder:



    8. SkyDrive files

  8. To close the folder you can click Files on the bar at the right. OR, you can click Name’s SkyDrive in the pathname above the files.

SkyDrive navigation options

Share the Folder using a Link

There are many ways to share a folder. You can send a link automatically in an email, post a link using Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, or generate a link that you manually share. I prefer the last option because it offers FLEXIBILITY! I typically, bookmark it. I can then easily share the link by posting it to a school website, recording it in a printed document that is sent home to parents, or emailing it to a mailing list.

  1. Move your mouse over top of the folder you want to share. Select the folder by clicking in the top right check box.



    2. SkyDrive folder selected

  2. Right click on the folder and select SHARING, or click SHARING in the top bar.
  3. Click Get a link.

    4. From the options, decide the access you want to allow users to have. Do you want them to be able to view the files or view and edit the files? Please note, in both cases, the user will be able to download a copy of the files. DO NOT PICK PUBLIC – THAT WILL MAKE IT SO ANYONE IN THE WORLD CAN SEE THE FILES!

    SkyDrive share link options

  4. Click on either View only or View and edit, click Create.
  5. THIS IS A CRITICAL STEP! The link is VERY long. Click Shorten. DO NOT CLICK CLOSE YET!!!

    6. SkyDrive shorten link

  6. RECORD THE SHORTENED LINK!
  7. To make sure you don’t lose the URL – save it digitally! Select the shortened link. Right click on it and select Copy or use the keyboard shortcuts CTRL + C. Open up a Word document. Right click the mouse and select Paste. Save the document as link.
  8. Now you can share this link with anyone! You can place it on your class blog, school website, newsletter, or in an email message.
  9. ANYONE who clicks on the link will be able to view the files in your folder WITHOUT HAVING A SKYDRIVE ACCOUNT. Please note, they cannot see any of your other folders/files in SkyDrive.
  10. Want to test the link? Log out of SkyDrive. Type the URL into the browser window and press ENTER. You will see EXACTLY what the students, parents, or staff will see.
Posted in Computers in Schools | Tagged , | Leave a comment

12 Reasons to Use Kidblog for Student Blogging

Posted on May 13, 2013 by TechnoChrista

What is a blog?

A blog is a short form for a web log or weblog. It is web-based publication consisting of short articles posted, in reverse chronological order. Blogs have been compared to journals or diaries because the content is fuelled by personal experiences.

Blogging promotes literacy.


The author of a blog is called a blogger. A blogger writes an article or post. The post is a text entry that can include photos, videos, links, or other digital media.

Reading blogs is not passive. The reader actively engages with the author by writing comments stating their opinion, suggesting topic-related resources, or offering encouragement. The author can then respond to the comments, creating a dialogue about the text.

In education, a school can have a blog reporting about topics relating to the school community, a teacher can have a blog to communicate with students and parents about classroom activities, or students can have their own individual blogs as part of school assignments.

Kidblog.org is a Free Blog Service for Educators

There are many services for blogging. Some require a yearly subscription and others do not. One of my favorite FREE options is Kidblog.org. This service is easy to use. Teachers can instantly create a class with a blog for each student. There are many reasons this is an excellent option:

  1. Maintain Control: Teachers maintain control over all student blogs and accounts. They can easily add, edit, and delete accounts.


  2. Protect Privacy: Student blogs are private and are only viewable to classmates and/or the teacher. Teachers can elect to make posts public.


  3. Moderate Content: Teachers can moderate all content posted to blogs including articles and/or comments.


  4. Establish Guest Accounts: Teachers can create a guest account to permit parents or other users to read only or read and comment on posts.


  5. Require No Personal Information: Accounts are created by the teacher. No personal information is required for students, nor do students need an email account.


  6. Bulk Account Creation: Adding student accounts can be fast! Upload a plain text file or spreadsheet with user information.


  7. Easy Login Options: The blog has its own unique URL. However, if students forget the address, they can visit kidblog.org, type in their class name, and then select the correct option from a list.


  8. Create a Blog Roll: Connect with other classes that blog. A link to their blog will appear in the blog roll widget. Now students can read and comment upon posts written by other classes from within their school or from around the world.


  9. No Ads: There are no banners, rotating images, or other advertisements placed onto the blog.


  10. Personalize Blog: Teachers can give students the option of uploading their own profile picture or avatar and select a theme for their blog. Once this is set, teachers can restrict access to the profile to prevent students from changing their display name.


  11. Custom Navigation: The blog has a built in navigation structure. However, teachers can set categories and tags, to organize and filter blog entries further.


  12. Straightforward Tools: The writing tools are similar to most word processing programs allowing students to easily format text, insert pictures, add a link, and more!


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Fun with Fonts

Posted on March 27, 2013 by TechnoChrista

Are you looking for a quick language arts activity your students can do in one or two class periods in the computer lab? Why not have fun with fonts?

Have your students create a picture using words. This activity is a great way to encourage your students to use descriptive language. It can be done for a novel study unit, Family Day activity, or school year book page.


PowerPoint Activity

How to Create a Word Picture using PowerPoint

  1. Open PowerPoint.
  2. Change the layout of the slide to blank. If using a newer version of PowerPoint, click the Layout arrow on the Home tab and select Blank.
  3. Adjust the slide layout to landscape or portrait.
    1. If using PowerPoint 2007 or 2010, click the Design tab. Use the Slide Orientation command.
    2. If using PowerPoint 2013, click Slide Size on the Design tab, click Custom Slide Size, and make a selection from the options (TIP: You might want to type in the dimensions for the slide such as 8 x 10″).
  4. Draw a text box on the slide and type a word.
  5. Select the word and set the font and font size.
  6. Arrange the text box on the page.
  7. (OPTIONAL) Save the slide as a picture.
    1. If using PowerPoint 2007 or 2010, click the File tab. Click Save & Send and select Change File Type. Select PNG from the file types and click Save As.
    2. If using PowerPoint 2013, click the File tab. Click Export and select Change File Type. Select PNG from the file types and click Save As.

TIPS

  • Make the Word Look Meaningful: Use a font that suits the meaning of the word. For example, use a font that has squiggly lines for the word silly.
  • Vertically Stack Letters: Press ENTER after each letter in a word to make the text vertical.
  • Bigger is Better: The larger the font size, the easier it will be to read. The smallest font size you should use is 20 pts. If you make the letters smaller, the text will be difficult to read when it is printed.
  • Save as Picture: Text that has a unique font applied will not be readable on a different computer that does not have the font installed. Instead, a substitution will be used or the text will appear as random symbols. If you want to print the file from a different computer, it is a good idea to save it as a picture. Now it can be printed anywhere.

How to Download and Install Fonts

Your computer only comes with basic fonts. To make this activity really fun, you might want to use the Internet to download free fonts onto each computer. The fancier, the better!

  1. To find reliable websites type free fonts into the search engine. Some of my favorite places to go for fonts are:
    http://www.1001freefonts.com
    http://www.fontspace.com
  2. Each site is a bit different. Typically, you need to download the font version that is right for your computer (Windows/Mac)
  3. Save the font to your computer. TIP: Save it to a place that you will be able to find it, such as Desktop or Documents.
  4. When you download the font, it will be zipped. You must right click on the compressed folder, and select Extract All. Click Extract.
  5. Now you will see an open folder with TrueType fonts. If there is a text file, it will contain information from the author of the font and will often offer a preview of the letter shapes. It is always a good idea to preview the file.
  6. To install a font, right click on it and from the menu select Install.

NOTE: Fonts are stored in the following location C:\Windows\Fonts

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Office 2013 PowerPoint Transitions are Fantastic

Posted on March 5, 2013 by TechnoChrista

Office 2013 has added many new transitions that make using PowerPoint FUN!

What is a transition?

A transition is an action that occurs between slides, when changing from one to another.

Why use a transition?

Transitions are more than just “razzle dazzle.” When used thoughtfully, they can improve a presentation.

Transitions can:

  1. begin a presentation with excitement
  2. emphasize a message
  3. enhance information about a topic
  4. divide ideas
  5. match the purpose of a presentation
  6. create viewer interest



What New Transitions are in Office 2013?

The good news is that Office 2013 has included some new transitions that will transform an average presentation into something EXTRADINARY. Here are a few of my favorites:

Begin a Presentation with Curtain: In Office 2013, the CURTAIN transition is a great way to begin a presentation. It transforms the slide into a curtain that gradually parts to show the next slide. This transition will attract immediate attention.

Emphasize a Message with Crush: A transition can emphasize a message to the audience. In Office 2013, the CRUSH transition is great for slides about an environmental topic related to recycling, garbage, or waste. This transition really makes a point.

Enhance Information about a Topic with Airplane: A transition should suit the topic of the presentation. In Office 2013, the AIRPLANE transition is a great choice for a presentation about flight or a famous aviator. It is also fun to watch!

Divide Ideas using Fall Over: A transition can be used to separate ideas to signal the audience you are changing topics. In Office 2013, the FALL OVER transition divides one topic area from another in a presentation effectively.

Match the purpose of a presentation using Page Curl: A transition can be used to match the purpose of the presentation. In Office 2013, the PAGE CURL transition is perfect for a digital story. It makes it easy to read the story as you change from one page to the next, simulating the action of a real book.

Create audience interest with Fracture: A transition can be used to create audience interest. In Office 2013, FRACTURE is a transition that attracts viewer attention because it is different and unique.

Transitions Make a Presentation BETTER!

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Teaching using Video Instruction

Posted on February 18, 2013 by TechnoChrista

Video Instruction

Record a video and have your students follow the instructions.

Can students in Grade 7 watch a video and follow the instructions to complete a task?
Yes, they can!

I use a range of instructional methods when teaching in the computer lab. One common method I use is to model the instructional steps using a projector. Today, I tried a new approach. I pre-recorded the steps using Jing and then provided each student with access to the video. In addition, I had created a worksheet with the instructions. Students had the option of watching the video to learn how to organize data into a spreadsheet or they could follow the steps on the printed worksheet.

Was there a Difference in the Quality of Work?

The lesson was fairly simple. Instructions explained how to input survey data, format the cells to make the information easy to read, and use AutoSum to perform a basic calculation. No matter the instructional method selected – video or printed workbook, all students successfully completed the lesson. However, it was observed that students who used the printed workbook were more likely to “skip” a step. As well, the students that had questions about the activity were more likely to be using the printed workbook.

Do Students Prefer to Watch a Video or use a Printed Workbook?

The answer to this question may surprise you. When given a choice, the class was divided equally between those students that watched the video and those students that preferred the printed workbook.

I expected more students to select the video, so I was a bit surprised. I wonder if over time, this changes.

Why Did Some Student Prefer the Printed Workbook?

Why did some students prefer the printed workbook? When asked students tended to cite the following two reasons:

  1. Not enough screen space. Students felt that the video took up too much of the screen and should be smaller. (noted!)
  2. Interrupts workflow. Students did not like that they had to keep pausing the video to complete the next step (not sure how to change that)

How Did Students Use the Video?

The students that choose to watch the video exhibited a range of viewing behaviour. Since the students were not told HOW to use the video it was interesting to observe how they used to video to learn:

  • Watch the entire video first. Some students opted to preview the lesson. Once they had a “big picture” understanding of the lesson, they then used the printed workbook to follow the step-by-step instructions.
  • Listen to the video. Some students (who are likely auditory learners) chose to listen to the video. They wore headphones and followed the auditory instructions in the video. They did not watch the action in the video.
  • Split the computer screen. Some students decided to divide their computer screen into two parts. They would watch the video on the left side of the screen and then pause it. Next, they would complete the step demonstrated in the video using the program window open on the right side of the screen.
  • Toggle between windows. Some students preferred to switch back and forth between the video and the program. These students would watch the video at full screen size and then pause it. Next, they would toggle to the program window, which was also full screen size. Students would complete the step demonstrated in the video. Once finished, they would toggle back to the video.

As a Teacher, Did I Prefer Video Instruction?

The short answer to this question is YES!

Here is what I liked about using a video:

  • Provide More One-on-One Instruction: Since I wasn’t delivering the instructions, I now had time! I used this time to help those students who require extra attention. I have a few students in my class that need more one-on-one attention. I liked having the ability to work with them individually.
  • Higher Quality Interactions with Students: I liked that I had time to chat with students about their work/experiences. Typically, I don’t have the time to wander the room to chat with students. Instead, I spend the time giving instructions and “putting out fires” related to tech issues. What a wonderful difference!
  • Enhanced Classroom Management: I found that the students behaved better. There was less chatting about unrelated topics and off-task behaviour. I think this is because the students were more engaged when watching the video.

Does Watching a Video Create Poor Listeners?

Since I am a guest instructor, I work with the classroom teacher. This provides me with a unique opportunity to gain a different perspective. Although the classroom teacher did like using the video as an instructional tool, there was one concern: students are not developing listening skills.

I have given lots of thought to this perspective. In many ways, it is true.

Students need to learn to be quiet when someone else is speaking. They need to be able to listen attentively to acquire information when in a group setting. They also need to be able to follow a set of oral instructions to complete a task. These are essential social skills.

The video presents a different type of listening skill. Instead of the teacher modeling each step using the projector, with each student in the group following along at the same time, the video provides step-by-step instructions to each student individually. The students are no longer listening directly to the teacher. They are listening to the video. Students control the pace of instruction when viewing the video and they can play a section repeatedly to hear the instructions.

Does this make them poorer listeners?
I don’t think so. I think it is just different. However, I am not sure how to overcome the concern.

What is Next?

I am going to use different video recording software to create a new video for Assignment 9. This software will record a video that will run in a smaller window on the screen. Will the video be preferred more if smaller?

I am going to provide a “digital” version of the Assignment 9 workbook instructions that will allow each student to cross off each step as they go. Will this prevent them from missing steps?

Posted in Teaching Strategies | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Create a Set of Video Instructions for your Students

Posted on February 11, 2013 by TechnoChrista

Jing is free software that allows educators to easily video record a set of step-by-step instructions that your students can follow. Jing creates a Flash version of the video. The video can be viewed on the local computer or uploaded to Screencast, a free online viewer.

jing in education

Record instructions for your students.

How do I record a Jing video?

  1. First, download and install Jing.
  2. Prior to using Jing make sure that your microphone is working properly.
  3. When you are ready to record, open Jing and select CAPTURE.
  4. Select a portion of the screen you want to capture. This can be your ENTIRE screen or just an open window.
  5. Select CAPTURE VIDEO.
  6. Select your microphone and then click CONTINUE.
  7. The program will start to count down. Get ready! Now complete each step using the computer, while narrating each action.

    8. TIP: You can only record a FIVE MINUTE VIDEO. If you need to type in a lot of information, you can pause the video recording and then resume when you are ready.

  8. When you are done click FINISH. Save the file.
  9. Now you can share the file with students.

Why create a Jing video?

Jing makes teaching easier. Sure, you can provide a printed version of the instructions with screenshots, or you can model the steps using an overhead projector, however creating a video takes less time and is often a more effective teaching method for your students. Consider the benefits:

  • Pace of Instruction: Students decide when to pause the video to complete a step. This allows each student to adjust the pace of instruction to suit their individualized needs.
  • Never Miss a Step: Students can rewind the video to re-watch a step. No longer is it a huge issue if they miss something the teacher was saying during group instruction.
  • Teacher Becomes a Guide: No longer is the teacher front and center delivering the instructions. Instead, students can watch the video. This frees the teacher to provide extra help to those students in need.
  • Classroom Management: The students are listening to the instructions using headphones and watching the screen. This form of instruction tends to engage students so they talk less with their friends and stay focused on the task.

Tips for Using Jing:

Today, I created a Jing video for TechnoWonderland, Assignment 8. I didn’t worry about making it perfect. I didn’t want to waste a lot of time making a video, if in the end the students did not like following the steps using this method. Here is what I learned:

  • Consider your screen size. I have a large monitor, the students have small monitors. When I recorded the video, I recorded the entire screen. This was a mistake because the video was not as clear on the student machines, when it scaled down.
  • Test if your computers will open Flash files. Some computers won’t open flash files locally. You have three options. 1) Students can view the file in Internet Explorer. 2) Install a Flash Projector. 3) Upload to screencast. Instructions for 1 and 2 are outlined below.

How to Open a Flash File in Internet Explorer:

These instructions vary somewhat depending on the operating system.

  1. Right click on the flash file.
  2. Select OPEN WITH.
  3. Select CHOOSE DEFAULT PROGRAM.
  4. Select INTERNET EXPLORER.
  5. Place a checkmark in the ALWAYS USE THE SELECTED PROGRAM TO OPEN THIS KIND OF FILE.
  6. Click OK.

How to Use Adobe Projector:

The Adobe Projector is a program that plays Flash files. You can install it on each computer to allow students to double click a .swf file and have it play locally. Here is how:

  1. Download the Adobe Projector for Windows based computers: http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/updaters/11/flashplayer_11_sa.exe
  2. Right click on the .swf file.
  3. Select OPEN WITH.
  4. Select CHOOSE DEFAULT PROGRAM.
  5. Click BROWSE.
  6. Locate the folder that has the download Adobe Projector file.
  7. Select flashplayer_11_sa.exe and then click OPEN.
  8. Verify that ALWAYS USE THE SELECTED PROGRAM TO OPEN THIS KIND OF FILE is selected.
  9. Click OK.
  10. The file will play locally. Now when you double click and .swf file it should play.

    11. NOTE: Unlike most programs, the Adobe Projector program does not have an “installer”. This means when you click the executable file, it just opens the program, instead of installing files on your computer. This is why you have to complete steps 2-9.

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Setting Group Policies to Work with SkyDrive

Posted on February 4, 2013 by TechnoLaurie

Are your students unable to print or download files from SkyDrive at your school? Ask your system administrator to adjust your group policy settings by adding several URLs as a trusted source.

Please note, these instructions are written for Server 2003 (Yes, I know that’s OLD). If you have a newer server the instructions might be somewhat different, however the URLs will be the same.

NOTE: THIS SHOULD BE DONE BY YOUR SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR.

You can open your Active Directory Users and Computers’ control panel by navigating to it on your Start menu by going to Program Files > Administrative Tools > Active Directory Users and Computers.

That will open a console that looks something like this:

active-directory

If you want the policy to apply to your entire domain, right click at the top of the console. The domain is specified by an icon of three computers. If you want to apply the policy to another group or organizational unit right click on that instead.

Choose Properties from the context menu and then you will see the screen below:

properties

Click on the Group Policy tab and then click the Open button. This is called the Group Policy Management tool. The organizational unit you previously selected will already be highlighted.

Right click on it and choose Create and Link a GPO Here…

group management policy

That will take you to the place where you can name the policy. Name it something that will make it easily identifiable. Then click OK.

trusted sites

You have just created your policy. Now you need to define the settings that you want to trickle down to your clients. Locate your policy in the right pane and right click on it. Choose Edit to get started.

edit

Now you need to drill down to the settings that you want to set. In the left pane, click the + sign to expand each group as follows: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Internet Explorer > Internet Control Panel > Security Page and then double click Site to Zone Assignment List in the right pane as you can see below.

zone assignment

After you double click on Site to Zone Assignment List you will see a window to enable the settings and configure it. Click enabled. Then click Show. On the Show Contents screen, click Add. By clicking add, you add URLs and specify what zone you want them to be placed in. You can also add wildcards to factor in variations of the URL.

Add the following URLs (one at a time) to allow your students to be able to view their SkyDrive documents as a PDF file, print the PDF, and download the Word file to their computer.

https://*.livefilestore.com/storageservice/passport/auth.aspx/* (this address uses wildcards * to include multiple portions of the url) (NOTE: This URL allows a file to be downloaded)

https://d.docs.live.net (NOTE: This URL allows a file to be downloaded)

https://word-view.officeapps.live.com/wv/WordViewer/request.pdf (NOTE: This URL permits printing)

add item

The number 2 denotes the number of the zone. In this case it is the trusted zone. Microsoft breaks down the settings as follows:

  1. Intranet zone – sites on your local network.
  2. Trusted Sites zone – sites that have been added to your trusted sites.
  3. Internet zone – sites that are on the Internet.
  4. Restricted Sites zone – sites that have been specifically added to your restricted sites.

After clicking OK you can wait for the 15 minute default refresh of Group Policy or you can run gpupdate.exe from the Run command on any workstation to see if it worked. Optionally you can also restart the workstations to force the update.

Your students will receive a series of prompts when they log into Skydrive and open a file. They must click Yes to be able to print and download.

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Teachers Should Set their Email Signature

Posted on January 24, 2013 by TechnoHella

Teachers, you should include basic contact information in every email message you send. The email recipient should know your full name, school name, school address, and school phone number. I know that the majority of email messages you send are likely to people that already possess this information. However, when booking school trips or communicating with vendors, providing contact information is vital.

For example, every day teachers contact TechnoKids by email. They often want to confirm their order or receive product support. Trying to help these educators is usually very difficult because they rarely provide enough information to track their customer record. It is impossible to provide a quick reply because typically we have no idea who the person is making the request.

email signature

Include an email signature.

Don’t waste your time exchanging multiple messages to clarify a simple detail such as school name. Instead, set your email signature to include contact information.

What is an email signature?

An email signature is a block of text that is automatically inserted at the end of every new message and reply. It should contain useful contact information.

Why include an email signature?

Including an email signature in a message will save you time, set a professional tone, and identify you as a skilled user of technology.

How do you make an email signature?

To include an email signature by default in any message refer to the how-to article for your email program:

Using a mobile device? Check out these how-to articles:

What makes an email signature effective?

What should go in an email signature? What shouldn’t? Here are a few tips for creating an effective signature:

TIP 1 Include essential details. Such as:

  • Full Name
  • Job Title
  • School Name
  • School Address (please include zip code to aid those that may contact you by traditional mail)
  • School Phone (include your extension)
  • School Website or Teacher Website

TIP 2 Less is more. If your signature extends beyond 5 lines, it may have too much information. You don’t really need:

  • Philosophical quote or funny saying
  • Images

TIP 3 Keep the formatting simple. Use plain text. Avoid different fonts, colors, unusual characters such as asterisks, or animated graphics.

TIP 4 Create multiple email signatures. If you alternate between work and informal emails, you may consider having two different signatures. When you send a message, you can pick the signature you want to use depending on the recipient.

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Skydrive and Digital Partnering

Posted on January 14, 2013 by TechnoChrista

Use Skydrive to have students collaborate. Instead of traditional pair groups, where students sit together in the same physical space, use Skydrive to engage in digital partnering.

What is Digital Partnering?

Digital partnering is a pair group that uses technology to share ideas and work together.

Collaboration can be Simple Using Skydrive

screen shot of comments pane in Skydrive

Click to see sample Skydrive comment.

Collaboration doesn’t have to be time consuming. If fact, it can be as simple as sharing ideas.

Skydrive allows teachers to post student work to a Group. Members can view and comment upon work within the Group. This provides an excellent opportunity for digital partnering.

For example, consider the activity we completed today. I posted all the students’ amusement park maps created using Microsoft Word into a Group folder.

Students acted as business consultants. They were divided into partners. Each student logged into their Skydrive account to view their partner’s amusement park map. They examined the current attractions on the map. Using the Comments system they suggested five new attractions that would make the park even better.

In the following class, students will view their own map to read their partner’s suggestions. They will then combine the suggestions with their own ideas to generate a list of possible new attractions for their park. This list of new attractions will be used to create a survey. Survey data will be organized in Excel and graphed. The graph will be analyzed to select a new amusement park ride.

Seven Benefits to Digital Partnering

There are several advantages to students working in pair groups digitally:

  1. Time to Think: Not everyone can generate ideas quickly. Some people need more time to think. Digital partnering allows a student the opportunity to work at their own pace to process information and develop a solution, without the pressure of their partner sitting beside them waiting for input.
  2. Efficient: Work can begin immediately. There is no need to move around the room and adjust seating, which can create a commotion and can be time consuming.
  3. Focus on Task: Students can focus their attention on the task without the distraction of their partner. Chatter about unrelated topics is eliminated.
  4. Increase Student Involvement: There is no coasting or allowing your friend to do all the work when engaged in digital partnering. Since each student is responsible for generating ideas and posting them to the Comments pane, they must participate.
  5. Spark Inspiration: Often when students hand in their work they think it is done and they never have to look at it again. However, by having a partner comment upon the work it can inspire students to look at their work in a new way. As students gain a fresh perspective this can spark even more ideas for how to improve.
  6. Equal Opportunity: Outgoing? Shy? The personality of the student does not matter. When students work together face to face, often the shy student may not contribute as much to the conversation. Not because they do not have the ideas, but because they are overpowered by the ideas flowing from their outgoing partner. Digital partnering gives everyone equal opportunity to share ideas.
  7. More Receptive to Feedback: Too often suggestions for ways to improve can be taken personally, especially in face-to-face interactions. A person may become offended and want to defend their work in front of a peer. Technology creates a comfortable distance between people. This allows each student to focus on the ideas presented not on “saving face”.

Commenting, Idea Generation, and Digital Partnering

Commenting is a skill that takes time to develop. Often students are not familiar with how to provide feedback to peers. Sharing ideas, through a commenting activity, provides a focused, meaningful way to help students practice this skill effectively. It also prevents students from posting hurtful criticism or vague feedback such as good job on their classmate’s work because they have specific task they must complete.

Over the next few months, the Grade 7 class is going to continue to use Skydrive to collaborate. We are building towards success by engaging in simple tasks. In the previous class, students viewed fellow classmates’ amusement park maps and posted one thing they really liked about the park. Today we expanded the complexity of the task to use Comments in a new way.

To prepare students for the task, we reviewed an amusement park map together. On the overhead projector was a sample map. Students were asked to provide suggestions on attractions that are missing from the amusement park that visitors may enjoy. I modeled how to add a comment and post the ideas. Once familiar with the activity, students were partnered with a classmate. These are the steps they completed:

  • Login to Skydrive
  • Access the Group folder
  • View partner’s amusement park map in the Word Web App
  • Critically evaluate the contents of the document to generate ideas
  • Activate the Comments pane
  • Select part of the document
  • Post a comment that contains five new attractions that can be added to the park
  • Close the Word Web App.
  • Log off Skydrive
screenshot of Skydrive comment

Digital partners work together to share ideas.

Here is a sample comment. It is unedited. At first glance you might notice the grammar errors. If you focus on those you will be missing something wonderful – the exchange of ideas.

Notice the excellent suggestions by George. Now notice, how the student responded to their partner’s ideas. The reply is positive and acknowledges the suggestion they like the most.

What is so amazing about these comments is I never asked students to reply to their partner. On their own students discovered how to reply to a comment. As well, the quality of their replies was such a pleasant surprise.

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Commenting and Skydrive in the Classroom

Posted on December 18, 2012 by TechnoChrista

skydrive in education - commenting system

There is educational value in having students comment on their classmates’ work.

SkyDrive offers a unique way to share completed work with others. Instead, of posting the work to a bulletin board you can place it online. Imagine your students opening a document posted to SkyDrive. In the left pane is a preview of the file. In the right pane is a list of positive comments from their peers. The comments detail the aspects of the document that are well done. Fellow classmates have highlighted qualities they like such as an interesting facts, formatting options, or creative elements. By reading the comments students feel valued and appreciated because their efforts are recognized.

In today’s class my students experimented with the Comment system built into SkyDrive. It was an exploratory activity. My expectations were low. It was my first time having students complete this type of task. I was worried that the computers would all freeze when everyone began commenting, especially if there were multiple users viewing the same document. I was pleasantly surprised when this DID NOT happen!

Everything ran smoothly. Students were able to open the documents and provide feedback. There was no lag time or freezing.

Exploration of SkyDrive Commenting System

I am glad I took a chance and tried this type of activity. Here is what I observed during class:

  • All students provided positive feedback. No one made a negative comment.
  • There was a range in the quality of comments. Since this was just an exploratory class I was only testing to see if students could comment. When I complete a similar activity in the future (now that I know it works) I will spend more time directing students on how to provide helpful, specific, feedback.
  • Students were VERY enthusiastic. Often they would post a comment and then leave their seat to tell their friend to open their work so that they could ask them to read what they wrote. This resulted in me asking the students to stay in their seats, which then caused them to speak loudly to their friend across the room. So, as you can imagine, I had to rephrase my request.
  • Students would often comment on others comments. This showed that not only were they reviewing the work, but also reading the comments. Sometimes those comments took the form of mini conversations similar to a chat dialog. I think when this happened both students must have had the same document open at the same time, and were having fun chatting in real time about the work.

Five Benefits to Commenting

Today, commenting is part of our life. People can post comments about news articles, blog entries, videos, social bookmarks, social media posts, and more. It is highly likely that your students are already engaging in this activity. Why not make it have educational value? There are several benefits to commenting:

  1. Positive feedback boosts self-esteem.
  2. An audience of peers encourages students to do their best work.
  3. Reviewing another person’s work provides inspiration for future projects.
  4. Commenting promotes critical thinking as students need to closely study the work to notice the strengths.
  5. Commenting encourages responsible digital citizenship because students recognize their posts are public and must be phrased appropriately.

How to Prepare Student Files for Commenting

Do you want to engage your students in a similar activity? There are several steps that must be completed in advance:

  1. Create a Group.
  2. Invite students to join the Group.
  3. Create a folder in the Group and set the Sharing properties to members can edit.
  4. Upload student documents into newly created folder.

How to Add a Comment

Adding a comment is simple. My students are only in Grade 7 and they required VERY LITTLE instruction. If you have older students, they will catch on fast! Here is how you write a comment:

  1. Right click on a file and select Open in Word Web App.
  2. Click Comments.
  3. Select an item on the document you would like to comment upon.
  4. Click New Comment.
  5. Type comment.
  6. Click File – Exit to close document.

Commenting Tips

Here are some helpful suggestions:

    Skydrive in Education: commenting message

    The first time Comments are added to a document this message will appear.

  • Load Comments Prior to Class: The first time you attempt to add a comment to a document SkyDrive will post the following message Your document is almost ready for commenting! To begin commenting, Word Web App needs to reload to include recent changes to the document. This message is going to frustrate your students. When it appears they have to click Reload, re-click COMMENTS, re-select text, and then re-click NEW COMMENT. To avoid this situation, activate Comments on each document prior to teaching class. Or at the very least, warn your students that this message will display.
  • Be the First to Comment: Take the time to review each document and post a comment. This will provide your students with a sample of how to provide feedback.
  • Select an Item in the Document First: Students must select text in a document before they can add a Comment. If they do not make a selection, they will receive an error message.
  • Practice Commenting Together: As a group, write a sample comment together. Have students suggest comments and then brainstorm ways to rephrase the feedback so it is higher quality.
  • Provide Examples of Low Quality Comments: Create a list of comments that are not specific, positive, or helpful. Let students know that those type of comments are restricted.
  • Be the Moderator: Read the comments posted. Delete those that are not appropriate or ask the student to rephrase the statement.

Reflection Questions about Commenting

In my next lesson I want students to reflect on the experience. Here are some of the questions I plan to pose:

  • How does the type of document alter the commenting process?
  • How does commenting help a person improve their work?
  • What types of comments are helpful or empowering?
  • What types of comments are hurtful and disempowering?
  • When might you want to post your work and allow comments?
  • When might you not want to post your work?
  • What are the limitations to Skydrive when it comes to sharing work? Is there a workaround?

Limitations of SkyDrive Commenting System

The Commenting system on Skydrive has limitations and there are several areas for improvement. (Over time, I am hoping that the product evolves.) Here is what I have noticed:

  • Editing and Comments: A person should be able to act on the comments by making alterations to the document. Unfortunately, Comments cannot be seen when you edit a document using the Web Apps. They can only be seen if you open the document using a Desktop version of the program. That is a shortcoming.
  • Printable Comments: Comments are not printable. If you print the online document they are not included in the printout. Neither can you just print the Comments pane. I have tried using a screen shot to be able to create a printed record of Comments and this worked.
  • Permissions: File permission is a MAJOR flaw. At this time, if you permit a person to comment, they can also edit and download the file. That should not happen! I want four permission levels that could be set for every shared folder/file: 1. View only 2. View and comment 3. View, comment, and edit 4. View, comment, edit, and download.

I am the first to admit that today’s lesson was not perfect. In fact, since I was anticipating total network failure I remained surprised that everything was working and that this was possible. My next Commenting lesson will be way better. Hopefully these tips will help you too!

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