Lucky for me a former teacher who owns the $200 version of the iTouch happened to visit school last week. He loves it and enjoyed showing me all of the features that he uses including online books, GPS, camera, and calculator. The attraction seems to be that it is user friendly and has a large amount of memory.
I can see how this tool can easily be integrated into the teaching and learning experience: sending reminders and notices, creating podcasts, having students use the photog. app.to visually record and share experiences, playing curriculum related games, using the calculator, using the calendar, etc. Simply 21st century teaching and learning.
Wikipedia--another great way to extend the walls of the classroom. I heard of a fun LA lesson--have students corroborate on a writing assignment.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Thing 5 Microblogging
My experiences with Facebook and Twitter are fairly new. I first joined Twitter and did not find cause to use it. I believe that if I used my cell phone for sending posts I would have used Twitter more frequently and for sharing with my friends and family. Since working through Microblogging I have joied a few more groups. After trying Twitter, I joined Facebook and check it about daily. Both applications are set up to send me email alerts.
Creating a Facebook account for students is taking a discussion group to the next level. Teachers can post links, thoughts, or assignments and students can post videos, pictures, images, etc. in addition to their text/discussion contributions. Students (and teachers) can use Twitter and back channeling in the same manner that they use texting with their cell phones. As one of the posted articles pointed out, during lecture type opportunities the students can post spontaneous thoughts and/or find quick references.
Creating a Facebook account for students is taking a discussion group to the next level. Teachers can post links, thoughts, or assignments and students can post videos, pictures, images, etc. in addition to their text/discussion contributions. Students (and teachers) can use Twitter and back channeling in the same manner that they use texting with their cell phones. As one of the posted articles pointed out, during lecture type opportunities the students can post spontaneous thoughts and/or find quick references.
Thing 4 Video Hosting
My daughter is taking an online college math class and was having difficulty understanding the teacher's instructions. A friend suggested that she look for help using YouTube. It was an excellent suggestion. She found a video of a teacher giving the lesson exactly as she needed.
Using YouTube to allow students to share their work can be simply another means for teaching and learning (peer tutoring and honing communication skills), inspirational to others and confidence building.
Using YouTube to allow students to share their work can be simply another means for teaching and learning (peer tutoring and honing communication skills), inspirational to others and confidence building.
Thing 3 Like Skype
My responses are going to start sounding redundant, but once again--what a great way to expand our teaching tools. Additionally, using Skype or any other teleconferencing tool is a fabulous way to increase our available staff, for example, to team teach or access the experts and expand our students' contacts without the PR cost!
I recently heard a discussion where the word "depersonalization" was used as a negative consequence of virtual learning. I think that Sype would be an excellent tool to allay any such fears.
I recently heard a discussion where the word "depersonalization" was used as a negative consequence of virtual learning. I think that Sype would be an excellent tool to allay any such fears.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thing 2; Image Generators 2
I could not choose, so tried them all (and even at that found myself getting distracted and straying off into other links, and links....I guess I got caught in a web tide and started floating away). How much fun!
Student use of Wordle—because the user can either type in text or copy and paste, Wordle can be used to look for the frequent use of vocabulary in newly assigned text, maybe predict a theme or main idea of a reading assignment, or the student can examine their own writing for redundancy of a word, and create word posters. Using Wordle, students can work either as individuals or as part of a team.
title="Wordle: For Library2Play2">
alt="Wordle: For Library2Play2"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">
Student use of WordSift has many helpful functions and some especially helpful to identified ESL students such as the visual Thesaurus, providing examples of different meanings to the same word, the Academic Word List (AWL), posts of images and video related to selected words, sound (ability to hear the pronunciation of a word in English and other languages--awesome), and the organization of key words according to color (green, red).
Glogster—As a student learning how to create a Glogster for myself, I needed to plan and research images as well as my pictures, links, video, and possible sound. I also needed to give thought to my font type, color, shadowing and layout. Different (different than traditional cardboard poster) thinking was obvious—that related to the video, sound, links, and images so easily available on the net, options that allow the student to present more information using less space. Using the electronic poster online allows the student to combine art and layout skills of the cardboard poster along with presentation available on the net. An added bonus is that the Glogster can be easily viewed by a larger audience.
Depending on the purpose of the poster, it is difficult for me to say that one is better or worse. Because I feel so very strongly that we should be using technology in such a more creative way in our teaching and learning, I have to make sure that I am not biased in my thought process. Ex. There is a place for hands on Art (the cardboard poster) and using that instructional delivery across the curriculum areas is also a valuable tool.
Voice Thread is an easy to use internet tool that combines visual, auditory, and text mediums and can be used by students as a presentation tool for sharing (favorites, how-to’s, greetings, announcements, etc.) sharing with the intent of gathering input, as an evaluating tool (their own work or another’s), story telling, sharing an experience, and simply being a voice (i.e. electronic portfolio). There is potential for using Voice Thread in every classroom.
Animoto—Another presentation tool--Fun, easy to use. I did like that there is a library of music and images for the student to choose from. Many options available for sharing the final product.
Voki— a talking avatar can be used to send a strong message in an email or blog relevant to the theme of the blog or mission of the email writer by putting a voice to words regarding, for ex., living green or eating healthy.
Bookr— students can easily use this tool to create a photobook instead of any other application that creates slide presentations (ex. powerpoint, virtual whiteboard, voice thread); however, the user is limited to using only those pictures/images that have been loaded into Flickr
Student use of Wordle—because the user can either type in text or copy and paste, Wordle can be used to look for the frequent use of vocabulary in newly assigned text, maybe predict a theme or main idea of a reading assignment, or the student can examine their own writing for redundancy of a word, and create word posters. Using Wordle, students can work either as individuals or as part of a team.
title="Wordle: For Library2Play2">
alt="Wordle: For Library2Play2"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">
Student use of WordSift has many helpful functions and some especially helpful to identified ESL students such as the visual Thesaurus, providing examples of different meanings to the same word, the Academic Word List (AWL), posts of images and video related to selected words, sound (ability to hear the pronunciation of a word in English and other languages--awesome), and the organization of key words according to color (green, red).
Glogster—As a student learning how to create a Glogster for myself, I needed to plan and research images as well as my pictures, links, video, and possible sound. I also needed to give thought to my font type, color, shadowing and layout. Different (different than traditional cardboard poster) thinking was obvious—that related to the video, sound, links, and images so easily available on the net, options that allow the student to present more information using less space. Using the electronic poster online allows the student to combine art and layout skills of the cardboard poster along with presentation available on the net. An added bonus is that the Glogster can be easily viewed by a larger audience.
Depending on the purpose of the poster, it is difficult for me to say that one is better or worse. Because I feel so very strongly that we should be using technology in such a more creative way in our teaching and learning, I have to make sure that I am not biased in my thought process. Ex. There is a place for hands on Art (the cardboard poster) and using that instructional delivery across the curriculum areas is also a valuable tool.
Voice Thread is an easy to use internet tool that combines visual, auditory, and text mediums and can be used by students as a presentation tool for sharing (favorites, how-to’s, greetings, announcements, etc.) sharing with the intent of gathering input, as an evaluating tool (their own work or another’s), story telling, sharing an experience, and simply being a voice (i.e. electronic portfolio). There is potential for using Voice Thread in every classroom.
Animoto—Another presentation tool--Fun, easy to use. I did like that there is a library of music and images for the student to choose from. Many options available for sharing the final product.
Voki— a talking avatar can be used to send a strong message in an email or blog relevant to the theme of the blog or mission of the email writer by putting a voice to words regarding, for ex., living green or eating healthy.
Bookr— students can easily use this tool to create a photobook instead of any other application that creates slide presentations (ex. powerpoint, virtual whiteboard, voice thread); however, the user is limited to using only those pictures/images that have been loaded into Flickr
11.5 More Things; Thing 1 The Networked Student
Thank you LRC for organizing a Library2Play2.
My personal thoughts, teacher/student; teaching/learning: I am grateful to see that we are recognizing and appreciating online and virtual instruction. The video demonstrates an example of an older (secondary/college) student in a virtual class that uses research intensive assignments, fact finding, and information sharing as the basis for teaching and learning. In a simplistic manner the video shows the viewer how the student can seek out and easily contact experts, regardless of geographic location, truly expanding learning to beyond the textbook, the walls of the classroom, or knowledge base of the assigned instructor. I love that the student is expected to demonstrate whether or not he or she has assimilated new learning, has sifted through the differences of fact vs. opinion, by way of information sharing via a social networking site; what an A+ assessment tool.
The teacher has the responsibility of giving good initial expectations for the assignment, asking the right probing questions, being available for students’ questions, and monitoring student progress and direction.
The librarian can help with online or virtual learning through their knowledge of electronic databases, online libraries, appropriate blogs, wikis or other networking and communication tools.
My personal thoughts, teacher/student; teaching/learning: I am grateful to see that we are recognizing and appreciating online and virtual instruction. The video demonstrates an example of an older (secondary/college) student in a virtual class that uses research intensive assignments, fact finding, and information sharing as the basis for teaching and learning. In a simplistic manner the video shows the viewer how the student can seek out and easily contact experts, regardless of geographic location, truly expanding learning to beyond the textbook, the walls of the classroom, or knowledge base of the assigned instructor. I love that the student is expected to demonstrate whether or not he or she has assimilated new learning, has sifted through the differences of fact vs. opinion, by way of information sharing via a social networking site; what an A+ assessment tool.
The teacher has the responsibility of giving good initial expectations for the assignment, asking the right probing questions, being available for students’ questions, and monitoring student progress and direction.
The librarian can help with online or virtual learning through their knowledge of electronic databases, online libraries, appropriate blogs, wikis or other networking and communication tools.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thing 21
I need to take more time to experiment with Podcasts and Audio Books at a later date. This is a "thing" that I have made several attempts at working through and it simply does not interest me. First of all, I am having issues with loading programs on to my computer. The awareness and exposure to the tool is appreciated.
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