Windows Live Writer, Teachmeet and Computers in Classrooms

Windows Live Writer, Teachmeet and Computers in Classrooms

Here are a couple of items of news that may interest you. Windows Live Writer is a free blog post editor. Teachmeet is an unconference designed to allow teachers and others to spread the word about exciting stuff without boring their listeners into submission. Computers in Classrooms is a wonderful e-newsletter/magazine that I always look forward to reading. Mind you, I am slightly biased because I produce it.

Windows Live Writer

For some time now I have been using Windows Live Writer for writing my blog posts. I've tried quite a few of these things, and most of them are over-featured to the point where they are not useful. Well, not to me anyway. On the other hand, ordinary text editors and word processors are either under-featured, by not making it easy to insert blog-type things like pictures from the internet, or create a load of unwanted code in the background.

Unfortunately, it has seemed to be in beta format for, well, forever -- until now. Actually, to be more precise, it went out of beta back in November, but I have only just discovered it!

The new version is much better than the old one, with the facility to insert video and maps, and with the option of a British spell-checker. I have also installed a number of plug-ins, such a word counter, Flickr browser and smiley inserter.

Now, that image to the left was just inserted through the Flickr plug-in, and it was much faster than my usual method of browsing through Flickr directly. The picture insert feature has been improved too. It is now much easier to insert a link to the photo's URL and to set margins.

The word count facility is pretty good, though you have to remember to select the text first.

As for the smileys, not sure how they will turn out, but in the offline draft mode I'm working in now they are looking good.

I tried using the map-insert feature, but couldn't get on with it. For a start, it is too US-centric. I mean, it didn't recognise Downing Street as a London placename for heavens' sake. Also, it seemed to takes ages to think about what to do next whenever I changed a parameter. Shame really.

OK, how about the video-embedding feature? Couldn't have been easier, except for the fact that, unfortunately, it embedded code that was not recognised by the content management system I use. Worked fine in Blogger though.

To obtain Windows Live Writer, which can be configured to interface with several blog types and multiple user accounts, go here. For the 3rd party plug-ins, go here.

Teachmeet

Looks like the unconference started by Ewan McIntosh, at which teachers and others get to give short and even shorter presentations, is being franchised. Anthony Evans, one of the ICT advisory team in the London Borough of Redbridge, is hosting a Teachmeet at the end of an ICT Co-ordinators' conference in May. Both Anthony and Ewan were featured in my Conference Discussions podcast. Find out more about the Teachmeet here.

Computers in Classrooms

Just a quick note to say that the January edition is almost ready (OK, I know it's a bit late, but good things are worth waiting for... -- sorry about all the smileys, by the way!)

Articles featured include ICT in Russia, school leadership, reflections on BETT and the world according to Stephen Potter. Look out for the new edition sooooon.

Technorati tags: Terry Freedman, Teachmeet, Windows Live Writer, Computers in Classrooms