BP16_2009113_Media Asset 2

BP15_2009113_Peer Response to Sheryl Floyd

Sheryl Said: Journalism is my content and I know quite a bit about it--except for design. Those of you who have read my discussions and posts know that my intelligences are weak in the area of creativity and art. (I dread the music class we have to take!) Thus, I am always borrowing ideas and searching for inspiration for my students to use in our publications--whether those designs are to be used in newspaper, yearbook or online.

Here is a cool site for anything that could be an inspiration for design. Just looking at the pretty boxes is good enough eye-candy for me. But each square is a link to the website that has good design--many are designers, some are just fun links that have good design like fatburgr.com which gives you fat content of many of your favorite restaurants. Yes, it’s easy to get sidetracked on one of these links!

Each link is also rated with number of views on that site through the inspiremix link. I like also how the site divides designs into typography, Wordpress site, flash, website and logos. The website says it is for daily inspiration. The simplicity of the website is nice but the only interaction one would have with this site is to receive a daily e-mail, rate the designs and to suggest a design site. A design blog or justification or advice about the designs would be nice. There also isn’t any info about the developer.

Finally, I am sure several of the sites would not be appropriate or viewable at school. But it sure is pretty and it sure gets your visual juices going!

Carrie Kleber said...
Sheryl,
This site looks like it would inspire creative juices. I am not great at art or creativity, but I want to encourage my students to be creative on certain assignments. I have always found it helpful to look at examples of creativity or well designed material before I get started, so why should it be any different for my students. I think this site will be a great example for me to show my students to get them thinking.

BP14_2009113_Peer Response to Larry Harris

Larry said: Classtools.net

This Web 2.0 allows users to create, customize, and share video games as study tools for academic content. The tutorial you find upon entering the site is very clear and thorough. There are many template options, and once the content data is entered, students can choose from a variety of games to review the material. It also has other study tools that can easily be created to fit any content. Among those are Venn Diagrams, flash card creators, and a source evaluator. These are just three of the nineteen template possibilities. The source evaluator really strikes me as timely. As I have mentioned in previous blog entries, the skill of source evaluation is critical for learners in the information age.

The site also provides users with an embed code to embed in websites, blogs, and social networks. All the items created at this site are flash files, so they can be used in Smartboard notebook software.

The educational uses are obvious and some go beyond rote rehearsal to include evaluative and analytical cognitive domains. Students could also be tasked with creating games to support any content area and operate in the domain of synthesis. This has been a GREAT find that I will start using immediately by embedding vocabulary practice games in my classroom webpage (embedded above for you to try). I will be sharing this site with my colleagues at work as well. Many of us use Smartboards. Classtools.net’s compatibility with Smartboard software makes this a Web 2.0 tool that can be implemented in the classroom as independent work, small group work, and even whole group instruction.

Carrie Kleber said...
I just finished playing one of the games you set up on Classtools and I had a blast (literally). I am constantly looking for a way to incorporate games into vocabulary practice. I know my students would have a great time with this site, and based on your comments Larry, it sounds like it isn't to difficult to set up. I'm also thinking this would be a great enrichment activity. When student have complete all of their other work for class they could get on Classtools and practice.

BP13_2009113_Peer Response to Joanne Yates

Joanne said: Create a Graph

For the past three years my school has been in the process of learning to implement Response to Intervention (RtI), a systematic approach of matching classroom instruction with the instructional needs of the child. The goal is to meet the instructional needs of most children in the general education classroom. Teachers match a student’s instructional needs to a research intervention based program and collect weekly progress monitoring data. While the teachers, for the most part, have been great providing the interventions and collecting the data, they are terrible at transferring the data collected into the required graph format. This year bound and determine to not sit at my desk for hours on end transferring their data for them I set out in search of a great Web 2.0 that would be easy enough to use and satisfy even the most rigid of school psychologist. My discovery Create a Graph,http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/ The website is actually intended to teach students about graphing, but it works well for adults lacking in the skill as well. Users simply go in and follow the tabs presented to set up a their criteria, once they have set up the basic information and saved it all they have to do is enter the date they progress monitored and the score a student earns each week. Another click of the mouse onto the preview tab and like magic there is their graph. Last they simply press the save and print tab and their job is done. For those more challenged, there is even a tutorial that walks them through step by step how to set up and enter their data. My teachers will be using the Create a Graph tool to create a line graph, but the tool is even more powerful than that because it offers the user the opportunity to create line, bar, pie, XY, and area graphs.

Carrie Kleber said...

My school is also in the process of implementing RTI, and graphs often prove to be a sticky point for teachers to complete. I think this site will be a good place to get our teachers started on graphs. I also think this will be a great site to share with my math department.

Thanks for sharing.

BP12_2009113_Web 2.0 JayCut

JayCut

The focus of my Action Research Project is Digital Storytelling, and so as I browsed through the various Web 2.0 tools and applications, I was on the lookout for tools I could use for my Action Research. Although there were several different sites I visited, none of them fit what I was looking for until I came across JayCut.

JayCut is a video-editing program similar to iMovie or Moviemaker, and it is free. However, there are several features this site offers that I found to be beneficial for educational purposes. First of all, you can work on videos collaboratively through JayCut. If you began the video, and you want others to work on it with you, all you have to do is sent those people an invitation (email) to collaborate on the video with you. The other aspect of this site that I found advantageous is that all of the videos you upload are saved on the site, once there you do not have to continue saving them on your hard drive. I know having the hard drive space for videos is a problem at my school, so JayCut could be a decent solution for the problem.

I know there a numerous uses for video editing tools, but I am going to focus on a few ideas I would have for my classroom, which is 7^th grade Language Arts. There are several projects I complete with my students that could profit from video storytelling. One of those projects is a Science Fiction movie that the kids write, edit, record and produce. In the past, only one or two students could be involved in the editing process because of the number of students who could access the video at one time. Also, the videos had to be very short because of the hard drive space. JayCut should allow for longer movies and more student involvement in the editing process. The second project is a historical fiction research project. The project itself is extensive, but currently culminates in presentation of different historical eras. I think it would be great to add a video reflective piece to the end of this project. I could film the students during their presentation, then upload the video to JayCut and make it available to the students, who could then create a video reflection of what they learned.

BP11_2009112_Reflective Media Asset

BP10_2009112_Peer Review of Tim Bemiller's Web 2.0 Tool

Woopid is a web 2.0 tool that allows you to watch free technology training videos. Students can get help and answers for their computer and gadget questions with thousands of video tutorials for PCs, Macs, and tons of different applications. This service sort of reminds me of Lynda.com, but with one big difference. It’s free.

There are multiple uses for the classroom in this web 2.0 tool. I think that students need a site like this one to help them when a teacher is not around. If a student can go online and in minutes find a free tutorial to help them finish a project, I say that is invaluable. With “bundles” the site groups up related videos for the user to easily access. If I wanted to learn about a program all I need to do is find the bundle associated with that file and presto, I have 10 or so videos thoroughly explaining aspects of the program.

Another very interesting feature is custom tutorials. You can have tutorials created for you by Woopid. When you click on the "Request Tutorial" button, you can describe what you're looking to have explained to you. The tutorials are in the same video format as every other tutorial on the Woopid site. Once requested, a Woopid representative will communicate with the user to iron out all of the details.

I have been looking for a site like this one for a while now and I am glad to have found this one. I recommend this site for anyone looking for a free alternative to high priced tutorial sites.

POSTED BY TIM BEMILLER AT 5:22 PM
1 COMMENTS:

Carrie Kleber said...
Tim,
Woopid sounds like an excellent site for getting technology training tutorials. Sometimes as an educator I feel like I have to know how to do everything and then on top of understanding, I have to be able to explain how to do those tasks. I end up feeling overwhelmed, especial when it comes to technology.

It is great to have access to a site that gives free technology tutorials. I love that I can show my students where to find the answers, and then let them discover the answers for themselves. Allowing them to find the answers themselves is an excellent critical thinking skill that goes along perfectly with 21st century skills.

I found it amazing that the site offers to create tutorials for a member if that specific tutorial is not available. It makes the site seem almost to good to be true.

I am definitely going to sign up for Woopid, and I will be sharing this site with the teachers in my district.

NOVEMBER 8, 2009 1:22 AM

BP9_2009112_Web 2.0 Xtranormal

Xtranormal

There are so many Web 2.0 tools and applications available, it can be overwhelming finding tools that will work in the classroom. However, after sifting through the numerous Web 2.0 choices, I discovered an application I am excited to use in my classroom.

Xtranormal is a text to video program that can help students think critically about writing. Basically, the program allows the user to type a script for one or two people, and then the site animates the text. When the program starts it allows the user to choose the number of characters in the movie (one or two), the way the characters will look, and the setting of the movie. After the basics have been chosen, the user can then go on to type the script, choose camera angles, change character voices, and determine different types of animation for the film.

The educational benefits of this program are far reaching. Xtranormal forces the user to think about the script they are writing. What is the purpose of the movie? Who will be viewing the final product? How will the users know they have accomplished their goal for the film? These are questions I would hope my students would think about when they are writing.

Other educational benefits of Xtranormal could extend beyond Language Arts. Social Studies teachers might use the program to have students explain a famous historical figure. Math teachers could have students create a film that explains how to solve a specific math problem. Science teachers could use the program to have students explain different types of rocks. The possibilities are endless.

BP8_2009112_Web 2.0 Shelfari

Shelfari

As I was browsing through different Web 2.0 tools, I found one that fits perfectly with my Language Arts curriculum. The program is called Shelfari, and it is a way for people to share information and thoughts about books they have read, and to get feedback on books they are thinking about reading.

The Shelfari website consists of two main activities. One of the primary tasks you can complete on the site is book reviews. As a member, you find books you have read, and then you fill out a questionnaire on the book. The information you write is saved on your profile. Additionally, all of the books you have read, are currently reading, or plan on reading are saved on your virtual bookshelf which is located on your home page. The second purpose of the site is book discussions. There are numerous groups you can join to discuss whatever topic is the focus of that group. This is a great place to discover new books you might like to read, or get involved in discussions about favorite books.

The educational benefits of Shelfari on a Language Arts classroom are far-reaching. The site allows you to create a friends list once you are a member. Friends can see what other friends are reading or have read. If you had a class sign up for this site and then add each other as friends, you would have an extensive network of books the students could use to find novels to read for class. As a teacher, you could start a group about a novel you are reading in class, and have the students respond. The great part about using the Shelfari is that other people could also comment, not just the students in your class. What an excellent way to extend the walls of the classroom.

BP7_2009112_Web 2.0 Tools Pikikids

Pikikids

Sometimes it feels as though my curriculum gets monotonous, and at those moments I need an activity or a lesson that can spice up the day. Being able to turn to a Web 2.0 tool at this moment is invaluable. Knowing that I have these days, I took time to ensure I found at least one Web 2.0 tool which would give my students and I break, but at the same time, still have educational benefits. What I found was Pikikids.

Pikikids allows the user to create comics online. It is similar to ComicLife, except its target audience is kids and it is free. After you have registered for the site (all you need is a user name, password, and email address) you can begin creating a comic. There are several layouts you can choose from for the comic. Once you choose the layout, you begin to add pictures and thought bubbles to the comic. Pikikids allows you to search for pictures from Flickr directly from its site. When you are pleased with your comic, you can save and publish.

Obviously comics can be a fun, laid-back activity for the students, but what are the educational benefits of a comic? A comic can be used to get the students to synthesize information. After students have read a passage from any book, either a novel or a textbook, they can show they understood the material by turning it into a comic. Students could also use the comic format to create a storyboard for a paper they are writing.

Sometime you just have to step back and allow the students to breath.

BP6_2009112_Flickr

Flickr

As an educator, I am always on the lookout for creative ways to teach different concepts, units or lessons. As a Language Arts teacher, I am constantly on the lookout for lessons, ideas or activities that will inspire, or at the very least interest, my students in writing.

Flickr offers numerous opportunities to help get writing lessons underway, but I am going to focus on one lesson in particular that caught my attention. The lesson I am interested in came from Interface Magazine (2009). The lesson is called Five Card Flickr Story.

The template for Five Card Flickr Story is found at http://web.nmc.org/5cardstory/flickr.php. When you arrive at this site, the site will deal you five random pictures. Either the teacher or the students select one of those pictures. The process is then repeated four more times until there is a total of five pictures. Once the pictures are selected, the students create a story that links the five pictures together.

What I like about this lesson is that it:

1. Requires the students to infer meaning from the pictures.
2. Entails critical thinking because the students must figure out how to link the photos together.
3. Engages the students through images and choice.
4. Allows for differentiation. Depending on the writing level of the students, the story could be set up like a children’s book, the story could be several paragraphs, or the story could be written in chapters.

This activity works best if you have a projector hooked up to a computer in the classroom or an interactive whiteboard. I cannot wait to try this with my students.

References

Five Card Story. (2009). Five Card Flickr. Retrieved November 6, 2009, from http://web.nmc.org/5cardstory/index.php

Interface. (2009). Lesson plan 42: Five card Flickr story. Interfaceonline. Retrieved November 6, 2009, from http://www.interfacemagazine.co.nz/downloads/INTERFACE%20Lesson%20Plan%2042%20-%20Five%20Card%20Flickr%20Story.pdf

BP5_2009112_Social Bookmarks

Social Bookmarking

Although bookmarking has been around for sometime on the Internet, it has been more of an individual pursuit rather than a way to share information with others. However, with the creation of social bookmarking sites like Del.icio.us, bookmarking has transcended from an individual activity to a shared knowledge base. With this ability to create social bookmarks comes an opportunity for social bookmarking to be put to educational uses.

What are some educational prospects associated with social bookmarking?
Cannata (2009) believed social bookmarking can help students learn to organize and categorize information. Social bookmarking includes tagging, which encourages students to think critically about what tags are appropriate for different sites. Additionally, finding and evaluating information that will be saved to the social bookmark can improve students study skills.

According to Hastings (2009), social bookmarking assists with research and collaborative work. Any team, whether it is students or teachers, can research useful and informative websites for their project. When a member of the team discovers a worthwhile site, he or she can save it to their social bookmark. This bookmark then becomes available for all other members of the team to view.

In addition to research, librarians or teachers may use social bookmarks to create reference links pages that support students during research projects or papers (Library Technology Reports, 2007). The great aspect of these social bookmark reference pages is that they are available to anyone with Internet access and they invite participation because of their social dynamic.

Not only is social bookmarking beneficial for students, it can be helpful for teachers as well. According to Eastment (2008) social bookmarking sites are excellent places for teachers to find websites and resources for units or lessons. Eastment recommends two social bookmarking sites: StumbleUpon and Del.icio.us.

Teachers and students can profit from using social bookmarking. Hopefully educators around the world will consider social bookmarking for their classrooms.

References

Cannata, C. (2009). Folksonomy, tagging and taxonomy for effective learning: Perspectives of learning 2.0 in the XXI century. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 4(2), 26-32. Retrieved November 5, 2009 from Education Research Complete.

Eastment, D. (2008). Social bookmarking. ELT Journal: English Language Teachers Journal, 62(2), 217-219. Retrieved November 5, 2009, from Academic Search Premier.

Hastings, R.(2009). Collaboration tools, 2.0 style. Library Technology Reports, 45(4), 19-27. Retrieved November 5, 2009, from Academic Search Premier.

Library Technology Reports. (2007). Tagging & social bookmarking. Library Technology Reports, 43(5), 58-61. Retrieved November 5, 2009, from Academic Search Premier.

BP4_2009112_Web 2.0 On the Road

On the Road

There are so many amazing Web 2.0 tools available, with so many possibilities for educational purposes. As a Language Arts teacher, I am always on the lookout for tools that can enhance lessons or units. While I was browsing through a list of Web 2.0 tools, I came across one titled On the Road. A brief description of On the Road stated that the site permits the user to create travel books. Just those words alone sparked my interest and had me thinking of ways I might use a tool like this with my class.

Of course I decided to visit On the Road and while there discover it would fit perfectly with one of my Language Arts units. On the Road allows you to document trips like vacations. It has an interactive map where dots can be placed to show where you have been, for example cities or landmarks. Then you can add text and multimedia to go with each location.

The On the Road site made me think of one specific way I could use this site for educational purposes. My class works on a unit that focuses on the Dust Bowl. This is a research project that involves tracking the migration of people who moved west, finding images that represent different aspects of the dust bowl, and creating a diary written from the perspective of someone who had been in the Dust Bowl. Even though the On the Road site was created for current trips, it could be used to create an interactive map/journal of Dust Bowl research. The students could use the map to track the movement of Dust Bowl refugees. On each dot stop, students could use the text feature to write their journal entry. Each stop allows you to set the date, so the students could choose a date that would reflect the Dust Bowl. Then with the multimedia function, students could upload the images they had found that coincided with the journal entry.

Students already enjoy the Dust Bowl project, but I believe I will get even more buy-in from students by adding the Web 2.0 aspect to the project. Not only does On the Road allow them to use the Internet for their project, but it also has a comment section, so I, the teacher, can give feedback. Not only could I give feedback, but other classmates could also add comments.

I am already looking forward to the Dust Bowl project and cannot wait to add On the Road to the unit.

Image Reference

On the Road. (2007-2009). Retrieved November 2, 2009, from http://www.ontheroad.to/

BP3_2009111_RSS Feeds for Educational Purposes

RSS Feeds for Educational Purposes

There are so many great article and blogs on the Internet that are perfect for educational purposes. It is helpful to find sites that provide beneficial information for you as an educator, and then subscribe to those sites so you can stay up to date with the information those sites are providing.

I am a 7th Grade Language Arts teacher, and I have discovered several sites that I feel are beneficial for my subject area and grade level.

Educational Technology
As a teacher in the 21st century, I believe it is important for me to stay up to date with the current trends in technology. However, because I am busy, I felt it would be best to subscribe to a technology site that focuses on education. The Educational Technology site provides me with up to date articles about new advances in technology that are pertinent to education.

About.com Fiction Writing
Part of the Language Arts curriculum is writing fictional stories. I have found students love the chance to have their work entered into a writing contest. About.com Fiction Writing supplies information about monthly competitions focusing on fiction writing.

Poetry Daily
One of the large units the 7th grade focuses on is poetry. Poetry is also an area my students tend to score low on during the state testing. My Language Arts team decided to read and discuss poems all year long. This site provides a poem a day, which is a perfect resource for me to use for our poem discussions.

Greek Mythology Blog
Another large unit I teach is Greek Mythology. I am always on the lookout for resources about this topic. This site has links to numerous quizzes about Greek Mythology, as well as great books and movies created about Greek Mythology.

Suite101: Teen Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction is the final unit I teach during the 7th grade year. The unit begins with students reading Historical Fiction novels. However, it is always a challenge finding enough novels for the students to read. This site offers the titles of numerous Historical Fiction Novels. I can begin collecting them now, so by the time this unit arrives, I will be ready to go.

BP2_2009111_Educational Uses of Blogs

How can Blogs be used for Educational Purposes?

Although blogs have been described as online journals, they are much more than simply a journal. If used appropriately, blogs can have a significant impact on education.

According to Mullen and Wedwick (2008) blogs can become authentic writing experiences. “In our technological world, blogs can be used to create limitless, unique, and meaningful writing opportunities for students worldwide” (p. 69). How is this possible? Students can blog about book recommendations, discuss current events, or give feedback on lessons. Teachers can use blogs to post homework, provide the classroom calendar, and provide feedback.

Skiba (2005) gives four possible educational uses for blogs. Students can become subject matter experts through blogging. Blogging increases interest in learning and gives students chances to contribute. Blogging also provides opportunities to view and interact with divers perspectives.

Additionally, blogs can be used to allow students use their voice and expand their world. Blogs provide the opportunity to communicate with people from other places (Sqoolmaster, 2007). Students can express opinions on class topics or create an online book club.

Blogging addresses 21st century skills. Writing and reading can be integrated through a response blog (Zawilinski, 2009). Not only are writing and reading integrated, but also new literacy’s of the Internet are tackled by blogging. “As online readers gather information to solve a problem, they frequently analyze information, critically evaluate, synthesize across multiple texts and communicate with others using instant messaging, e-mail, blogs, wikis, or other communication vehicles” (p. 652).

It is obvious that blogs have the potential to create meaningful discussions, which can be used for educational purposes. The possible uses for blogs are endless, and this post just scratches the surface. How exciting that we live in an age where learners can share their thoughts and receive feedback from people all over the world. Why wouldn’t we want to share this experience with our students?



References

Mullen, R., & Wedwick, L. (2008). Avoiding the Digital Abyss: Getting Started in the Classroom with YouTube, Digital Stories, and Blogs. Clearing House, 82(2), 66-69. Retrieved October 29, 2009, from Academic Search Premier.

Skiba, D. (2005). People of the Year: Bloggers. Nursing Education Perspectives, 26(1), 52-53. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from Academic Search Premier.

Sqoolmaster. (2007). Educational Uses of Blogs and Tags. Slideshow posted to slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/sqoolmaster/educational-uses-of-blogs-and-tags-234136

Zawilinski, L. (2009). HOT Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking. Reading Teacher, 62(8), 650-661. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from Academic Search Premier.