FOSS Tech Corner

Teacher Preparation Video Transcripts

The transcripts for all of our Teacher Preparation Videos are now available on FOSSweb and FOSSweb California. The transcripts provide text of all the audio from each video. They are downloadable as PDF files. You can access the transcripts from the Teacher Preparation Video page for each module or by going to the list of all Teacher Preparation Videos in the For Schools and Districts section of FOSSweb.

FOSS Social Media Networks

FOSS is pleased to announce that we are now on Facebook and Twitter! The FOSS social media networks are an easy way for FOSS users to get the latest news from FOSS, including teaching tips, FOSSweb updates, professional development opportunities, articles about good educational practices, and science news articles relevant to FOSS modules. Stay connected and join in conversations with FOSS developers and FOSS teachers from across the country!

If you are a Facebook user, you can become a fan of FOSS at http://www.facebook.com/FOSSscience.

Twitter users can follow FOSS updates at http://www.twitter.com/FOSSscience.

Planet FOSS Updates

In the spring of 2010, new features will be coming to Planet FOSS, a website devoted to sharing students’ digital photographs. First released in the fall of 2008, Planet FOSS has continued to expand as students around the world (as far as Lagos, Nigeria) have contributed digital photographs of science concepts observed in local environments. The new Planet FOSS updates will improve usability for teachers and students using Planet FOSS inside and outside the science classroom.

Since the launch of Planet FOSS, a number of remarkable photographs have been uploaded to the site! Planet FOSS was designed to focus students’ observations of science in the world outside the classroom. The newest feature to be added to Planet FOSS will allow users to view exemplary photographs that demonstrate the concepts in the Planet FOSS photo challenges. Exemplary photographs will be selected by Planet FOSS staff.

Students and teachers can now provide feedback on the photographs posted on Planet FOSS. A new commenting system will allow users to select from a pre-defined pool of comments designed to encourage students and facilitate conversations about the photographs.

Planet FOSS was designed to allow students to upload geographic information with photos. The newest version of Planet FOSS will allow students to enter more precise location information about where their photographs were taken. Students can then view a photo’s location on a Google Maps satellite image, as well as in the photo’s description.

For users who would like to browse through the photographs for all of the courses, a new universal view page has been created. This page will be accessed in the top bar navigation on each page.

To view the new features and contribute your own photographs of science in the real world, come visit Planet FOSS! http://www.fossweb.com/planetfoss