Sunday, September 16, 2012
Thing 10 - Online Productivity Tools
I created the following using ZOHO and published it to my blog! #EXCITING!
Thing 9 - Playing with Wikis
On the Technology Poppers Wiki, I posted the following:
Lesley: I would like to do a class blog for our 40-book challenge. The school is following Donalyn Miller's, The Book Whisperer, idea for students to be exposed to books in various genres. A blog, or even a WikiPage, would allow students to access it to post comments, suggestions and book reviews for other students to share and read. In the process they would be learning technology, netiquette, use of academic/professional language and writing and learn how to work collaboratively. I could also make pages to highlight books and provide links to outside resources like local libraries and free audiobook sites.
In my learning contract, I mentioned wanting to use a site that would allow me to communicate with my students after-hours. A site that would allow me to post my lesson, provide extensions and serve as a communication tool for students and parents to ask questions if needed. Professionally, I think a wiki would be a great tool for doing so. However, I am not sure of the notification process, when someone posts something, how soon it will notify me via my smartphone. It could also be used to collaborate with colleagues on ideas and resources to use in the classroom and in planning lessons.
Even just glancing at the ideas on the Technology Poppers page, I was inspired!
Personally, I could use a wiki to plan a trip or a party. I am usually the one who does the party planning or the vacation planning. I could use a wiki to post ideas and for others to share ideas. It could also be used as a place for references of my services or reputable vendors. I could also get sponsors via advertisements.
Again, wikis are a great collaborative and sharing tool for almost ANY idea you may want to develop and share with others.
Lesley: I would like to do a class blog for our 40-book challenge. The school is following Donalyn Miller's, The Book Whisperer, idea for students to be exposed to books in various genres. A blog, or even a WikiPage, would allow students to access it to post comments, suggestions and book reviews for other students to share and read. In the process they would be learning technology, netiquette, use of academic/professional language and writing and learn how to work collaboratively. I could also make pages to highlight books and provide links to outside resources like local libraries and free audiobook sites.
In my learning contract, I mentioned wanting to use a site that would allow me to communicate with my students after-hours. A site that would allow me to post my lesson, provide extensions and serve as a communication tool for students and parents to ask questions if needed. Professionally, I think a wiki would be a great tool for doing so. However, I am not sure of the notification process, when someone posts something, how soon it will notify me via my smartphone. It could also be used to collaborate with colleagues on ideas and resources to use in the classroom and in planning lessons.
Even just glancing at the ideas on the Technology Poppers page, I was inspired!
Personally, I could use a wiki to plan a trip or a party. I am usually the one who does the party planning or the vacation planning. I could use a wiki to post ideas and for others to share ideas. It could also be used as a place for references of my services or reputable vendors. I could also get sponsors via advertisements.
Again, wikis are a great collaborative and sharing tool for almost ANY idea you may want to develop and share with others.
Thing 8 - WIKIS
I found the links for this Thing 8 to be very helpful. My students used WikiSpaces for their Spring 2012 AIMS Night using Web2.0Tools. They used the WikiSpaces to record journal entries about the research process, to share ideas & collaborate with one another, and to email questions they had to us (the teachers) after hours.
We had to teach the students how to use it, along with setting rules and expectations. In the end, it was a great tool for both students and teachers to be exposed to.
I do like the idea of creating a Wiki to share ideas, as in the Educator Wiki link. This is something I've suggested to certain parties at my school. Having a place to pool information, resources, and ideas to make lesson planning more effective and efficient.
I also liked the Book Lovers Wiki. Our school is following the steps in Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer by taking on the suggested 40-book challenge. In this challenge, students are charged with the responsibility to read 40 books in various genres (number of books per genre is based on Teacher discretion). One way for them to get ideas of good books to read is by suggestions. A Wiki created to share book suggestions would be a great tool in helping students read in new genres.
I also liked the library Wikis that gathered resources and technology ideas all in one place.
Overall, Wikis are a great collaboration and sharing tool that could add to the classroom with new ideas and go-to resources for the students.
We had to teach the students how to use it, along with setting rules and expectations. In the end, it was a great tool for both students and teachers to be exposed to.
I do like the idea of creating a Wiki to share ideas, as in the Educator Wiki link. This is something I've suggested to certain parties at my school. Having a place to pool information, resources, and ideas to make lesson planning more effective and efficient.
I also liked the Book Lovers Wiki. Our school is following the steps in Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer by taking on the suggested 40-book challenge. In this challenge, students are charged with the responsibility to read 40 books in various genres (number of books per genre is based on Teacher discretion). One way for them to get ideas of good books to read is by suggestions. A Wiki created to share book suggestions would be a great tool in helping students read in new genres.
I also liked the library Wikis that gathered resources and technology ideas all in one place.
Overall, Wikis are a great collaboration and sharing tool that could add to the classroom with new ideas and go-to resources for the students.
Thing 7 - Image Generators
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the FlipSnack!!! It is such an AWESOME alternative to the traditional PowerPoint. The only thing I would change would be to only show one page at a time versus two (i.e. the left page would be blank and the right page would display the content) and I am sure if I fiddled with it more, there are options to do that.
I could definitely use this as an alternative to presenting notes via PowerPoint. As a student assignment, they could use it to restate (teach) objectives that I've taught in their own words. For example, I did a lesson on Dictionary Skills last week for which most of my morning block failed. I then went back and created an anchor chart and had the students take sticky notes and anonymously write what they still had difficulties with so that I could better focus my reteaching. Then, I had them in table groups to create a "teaching" flyer for the concepts they understood well. They could have created a PPT and uploaded it in to FlipSnack. I could also have students use FlipSnack for story summaries, original stories and an alternative to PPT for projects. And it still allows for those students who are proficient in using PPT to give their presentation a little flair.
Here is the FlipSnack I created using a project from last semester on copyright laws which I plan to present to my students when we begin research. AND THE YOUTUBE LINK STILL WORKS! AWESOME!
What is Copyright? (FlipSnack Demo)
I also tried WordSift. I could use WordSift to summarize key words and concepts from an objective taught. The students could use this application as an assignment by doing the same to demonstrate comprehension OR by using the "squish cloud" and "visual thesaurus" to help extend their vocabulary.
Here is an example I used from my "What is Poetry?" notes PPT.
I have used the other image generators for my students AIMS Night projects during the Spring 2012 semester. Their project was to select a topic and use a WEB2.0 tool to present it. They could choose from Voki, Animoto, Glogster, Prezi, and Empressr. It was TOTALLY OUT THE BOX!
I could definitely use this as an alternative to presenting notes via PowerPoint. As a student assignment, they could use it to restate (teach) objectives that I've taught in their own words. For example, I did a lesson on Dictionary Skills last week for which most of my morning block failed. I then went back and created an anchor chart and had the students take sticky notes and anonymously write what they still had difficulties with so that I could better focus my reteaching. Then, I had them in table groups to create a "teaching" flyer for the concepts they understood well. They could have created a PPT and uploaded it in to FlipSnack. I could also have students use FlipSnack for story summaries, original stories and an alternative to PPT for projects. And it still allows for those students who are proficient in using PPT to give their presentation a little flair.
Here is the FlipSnack I created using a project from last semester on copyright laws which I plan to present to my students when we begin research. AND THE YOUTUBE LINK STILL WORKS! AWESOME!
What is Copyright? (FlipSnack Demo)
I also tried WordSift. I could use WordSift to summarize key words and concepts from an objective taught. The students could use this application as an assignment by doing the same to demonstrate comprehension OR by using the "squish cloud" and "visual thesaurus" to help extend their vocabulary.
Here is an example I used from my "What is Poetry?" notes PPT.
I have used the other image generators for my students AIMS Night projects during the Spring 2012 semester. Their project was to select a topic and use a WEB2.0 tool to present it. They could choose from Voki, Animoto, Glogster, Prezi, and Empressr. It was TOTALLY OUT THE BOX!
Friday, September 14, 2012
Thing 6 - RSS
Wow....I had quite a bit of difficulty getting signed up for the Bloglines/Netvibes account. I waited hours to receive an activation link and then finally figured out how to link it to my Facebook account (which was not what I wanted to do).
Nonetheless. I hope I did everything right. The page reminds me of the Yahoo or Google home page tied to my account and how I can add/edit/delete the layout, columns and information displayed.
I do see how this could be useful. It allows you to view everything in one place. I may have added too much and will need to sit down and really go through what this RSS application has to offer before making a final decision about how I feel about it.
I did like some of the teaching blogs linked to the instructions and added them to my feed. One was http://millersenglish10.blogspot.com/ because I want to eventually create a blog that can be used during the school year with my students and felt this would provide a good model. I also added several technology news feeds to stay abreast of new and FREE technology that I could implement in my classroom.
I think libraries could use this because it allows you to see all the news in ONE place versus flipping between various sites and having numerous tabs/windows opened. I think it has the potential to be very useful once I get over the learning curve.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Thing 5 -The Many Faces of ME!
For my mashup experience, I decided to try Noodlepix (www.noodlepix.com)
This site allows you to upload pictures, select a main image, and then creates a collage of those many pictures into your main image selected. I had tons of pictures of myself....AND I LOOK DIFFERENT IN EACH ONE OF THEM!
I am always changing up my look and this site pulled all those looks into one.
Click on the link below to see the picture. Use your mouse to zoom in and you, too, will experience the many faces of ME!
The Many Faces of ME!
This site allows you to upload pictures, select a main image, and then creates a collage of those many pictures into your main image selected. I had tons of pictures of myself....AND I LOOK DIFFERENT IN EACH ONE OF THEM!
I am always changing up my look and this site pulled all those looks into one.
Click on the link below to see the picture. Use your mouse to zoom in and you, too, will experience the many faces of ME!
Thing 4 - LIFE: a rainbow in the storm
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexmatos/3833358146/ |
I love how in the midst of a raging storm, God can still comfort you with a simple rainbow. Rainbows are instant "Joy Shots" that ignite your soul. They remind us that God has not forgotten us despite what we may be going through.
A quote I really like that's been floating around Facebook is:
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| http://hopeencourage.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/the-teacher-is-always-quiet-during-the-test/ |
In the picture, the driver is going through the storm. Yet God's presence is made known by a quiet rainbow in its midst. Don't give up when things seem to get you down. Keep trekking toward that rainbow and be ready to give your testimony!
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