Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, November 15, 2009
BP13_2009113_Researching and Blogging Web 2.0 Tools-Week 3-My Peer Comment #3
From Van's Blog
Sunday, November 8, 2009
BP14_2009113_ScreenToaster
For my Web 2.0 tool that we needed to research this week, I chose ScreenToaster.
The Tool Itself:
ScreenToaster, is an amazing Web 2.0 tool that allows its users to record their computers screens with one click of the mouse. This tool is reminiscent of the program we use in this program called, Screen Flow. Where this tool differs from Screen Flow is that it is completely mobile and housed online. All users need to do is sign up online for free and then they can access it on any computer PC or MAC: and record whatever they would like to from their screens.
ScreenToaster takes it a step further with its ability to easily share and stream their recorded videos to the ScreenToaster website. This is truly awesome, giving their users the ability to shoot, record, and upload videos in a quick and easy fashion. The site itself offers all of these screen captured videos for their users to also view. They have categories ranging from web, education, to design and gaming: just to name a few.
The biggest plus to this Web 2.0 tool is the fact that it is free, considering other screen recording programs cost well over a hundred dollars.
ScreenToaster, of course, can't rival professional tools like Camtasia or ScreenFlow, but if you are looking for an easy to use screencasting tool to record a quick demo or tutorial, ScreenToaster is definitely a contender for being one of the best and easiest to use tools available (Lardinois, 2009).
Assignment:
The assignment I would use to exercise this tool is in my opinion, very cool. I would ask the students to teach me anything they would like to, while using this tool. What I mean by this is; the students would need to come up with a presentation on anything that they can teach on their computers while recording it with this tool.
For example if a student would like to teach the class how to find a secret gem inside a video game, they can record themselves playing the video game while talking over the action. Throughout the presentation the student would explain to the class how and where to find the gem.
Once the presentation is over and recorded, I would then ask the students to upload their video to the website for viewing in class later. After this, I would then ask the students to search the database of videos on the website and find one video that is similar in nature to their own presentation.
Lastly, after all of these tasks have been completed, we as a class would watch all of the presentations and other videos in class. We would give creative feedback and comments to the presenter.
This might seem like a simple assignment, but sometimes a simple fun assignment like this is needed for the students, so they can breathe a little and have some fun. This is where I think this tool and assignment would be great.
Other Educational Benefits:
This Web 2.0 Tool and accompanying site offers many great benefits to a digital media class like my own.
1.) Screen Recording: - With this option all of the students can continue to make tutorials and presentations on anything they want outside of the classroom. They will now have the ability to use this in all of their other classes as well. Furthermore, other educators and faculty members can use this tool in the event the school cannot provide even better programs that do the same thing, due to budget constraints.
2.) Sharing and Streaming: - With this option all users have the constant option of mobility, housing, and view ability of their videos and others.
3.) Cross Platform: - With this option it does not matter what type of computer you have. This is huge in school systems that are all PC base or MAC base. With this tool it doesn’t matter and can be used on any computer.
These are just a few of the educational benefits that this one Web 2.0 Tool offers to a classroom of digital media students. As I said earlier, my assignment is not the most elaborate, but is still technologically inclined and lets the students be as creative and personable as possible. With this tool I feel a lot of educators and students alike would enjoy and benefit from having such a tool at their disposal.
1 comments:
- Christina Carboni said...
-
Van,
ScreenToaster sounds like a great tool. As a technology teacher and mentor, we are always looking for ways to instruct and assist others in learning different programs and tools to use. This site is the answer to those who do not own a program similar to Screenflow or Captivate, which is the one I currently use at my school that is PC based. Thank you for sharing!
BP12_2009113_Researching and Blogging Web 2.0 Tools-Week 3-My Peer Comment #2
from Karen's Blog
Sunday, November 8, 2009bp11_200911_This Weeks Blog Pod features Diigo
1 comments:
- Christina Carboni said...
-
Hey Karen,
Diigo sounds great and having another bookmarking site that allows students to make notations etc. right on the research is awesome! I will definitely need to check this one out. Our students are heavy into Science and History Fair in the coming months and this could be just what the research teacher ordered! Thank you for sharing! PS. Loved your visual!
BP11_2009113_Researching and Blogging about Web 2.0 Tools-Week 3-My Peer Comment # 1
from Kathy's Blog
Sunday, November 8, 2009
BP07_20091108_Researching Web 2.0 Tools
Voki is a program created by Oddcast that gives you a chance to create your own speaking avatar that can be added to profiles and other web environments. The avatar can be personalized using drag and drop interfaces. You can record your own voice by using the phone, a mic, or by using text to speech or text to sing. There are also built-in voice choices and effects. You have your choice of characters including people, animals, and even vehicles, along with different themes and accessories. I wanted an avatar to represent me to use in preparing media presentations to be used in my classroom as well as on my web page and this tool shows a lot of promise. I am going to create a music room mascot or maybe several for different grade levels just to add another layer of fun. Pay a visit to Voki.com and enjoy!
Quizlet is a tool that can be used to create flashcards that can be used for group study and review, to introduce new material through games of matching that are timed. There is a learning mode that will keep track of scores and a test mode that allows for different question and answer formats. I see a lot of valuable uses for this tool for the six different grade levels of music classes as well as my before and after school groups. I am in the process of creating my own sets to try out for next week’s lessons using some basic music fundamentals, and also some questions related to the recorder and piano. I will update this blog and let you know how it comes out. Stop by Quizlet.com and check out all of the sets that are already available.
DoInk.com provides a tool for creating and sharing animations and I thought my students might enjoy seeing them in various media assets as well as having the chance to create their own and share with others, maybe to add to a song they have created or a sound story. Being in a fine arts magnet school, we enjoy the artwork of our students among their many other talents and I think this would be another way of them being able to express themselves and still use it with a musical connection.
3 comments:
- RenaJ said...
-
Where are the tools, Kathy?
- November 10, 2009 7:27 AM
- ETC - Orr_Toni_Blog said...
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I loved the voki sight. I did check it out and want to try to create a recording of my voice with it. Anxious to see it I can get on it at school since so much is blocked. I can see downloading it to my iTouch if I can't get on at school and bringing my avatar into a lesson or Movie Maker movie to present to my students. What Rena was saying that you needed to create a link from your post to the voki site so you do not have to type in the url. You click on the word "link" on the header of where you post your blog to create the link. Hope this helps.
- November 14, 2009 7:17 PM
- Christina Carboni said...
-
Hey Kathy,
This was so funny because I was browsing in the Web 2.0 Page: http://www.go2web20.net/#tag:personalize and thought I found such a unique tool. I then clicked on your blog to post a comment and voila! You found the same tool. It was awesome and I loved downloading my voice to create my own personal avatar. We use avatars in our tech class often and this is just another tool to add to the toolbox! Thanks for sharing!
BP10_2009113_Researching and Blogging about Web 2.0 Tools-Week 3
Image 1. Video created using Voki.com on November 15, 2009. Original sound recorded on Garageband.
Voki
http://www.voki.com
The Web 2.0 tool that I want to elaborate on is Voki.com. The site is free and it allows you to create an avatar using specific details for features, background, etc. and also includes text to speech. You can download your voice, record or select a unique voice to read your lines. The interesting part of the tool is the fact that the lips move synchronized to your words and it looks realistic. We have used an avatar program with our webcams in class and the students create mini movies and photo sessions with the full or partial avatar features. They are pre-made and they have to select the one they want. There are many to choose from but on Voki, they get to create their talking avatar. They can alter the color of their skin, eyes, lips, hair, shape of their face, hairstyle, and background to match the seasons or their personality. I can see where my students would want to work on this which would promote their technology skills, as well as writing and inter and intrapersonal skills too.
Taking Voki a step further, if you click on play, http://www.voki.com/play.php, you come to an application gallery. There are other facets of the tool listed here, and the variations are very interesting. You can enter into a classical movie or become a Vulcan. It is quite interesting when you add your facial features to the character. One of the applications is “Baby Maker,” where you can add two photos and it supposedly gives you a visual of what your baby will look like. Again, great site to get kids involved with digital photography, avatars, writing, and uploading and downloading to different sites and formats. Check it out! King Kong awaits!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Discussion 2/Post 1/Media Literacy
Figure 1. Image taken from FACEinHOLE.com.Discussion 2/Post 1/Media Literacy
Media Literacy, a term needing educational intervention, is part of our world today. There is no doubt that if a person is not media literate, they are not able to comprehend the world around them. I often wondered, exactly what the term “media literacy” means? It seems I asked the same question as the article, “What is This Media Literacy Thing?” (Burton, 2005) The author defines media literacy as “the ability to ‘read’ and understand visual, aural and digital messages. It means having the skills to understand and interact with the media analytically, critically, and knowledgeably.” (2005) The article also goes on to state that “there are four inter-related dimensions of media literacy: cognitive, emotional, aesthetic and moral.” (2005) Media literacy is brain rich meaning all of your senses are engaged, and you are making connections via your visual and auditory stimulation. As Barish stated, “a language of screens.” (2002)
While researching the topic of media literacy, there was a group called the New Media Consortium who “convened a "summit" of thought leaders in visual, aural and digital literacy over April 26-28, 2005, to articulate broad-scale priorities for the areas where these spheres converge, and develop an action list of recommendations to meet those priorities.” (2005) It was an impressive site with many visuals of mapping projects the participants completed, and a wealth of informational contacts in media literacy. On a personal level, as a student attending Full Sail, our love of media has drawn us to this program, and we seek to enhance our literacy skills in this area. As a former language arts teacher, my research validated my curriculum choices and the relevance of including rich media opportunities for my students. As a middle school technology teacher, my purpose is justified and my curriculum is moving forward in the proper direction. Even though we teach computer mastery of the hardware and software, we use the computer as our tool to discover and understand the world.
Assisting students to understand the world around them is so important to a population that hasn’t been far from their homes, except through the Internet or other media, thus, the importance of media literacy. We support all curriculum in our technology program, but I find that due to Social Studies’ increased exposure, due to continuous cuts, our technology program places a greater emphasis including curriculum support. Plus, to help students understand the world around them, they need to understand the basic principles that social studies offers. Controversies, religious beliefs, economics, conflicts, racial tensions, etc., all fall under this umbrella, and media literacy is key to understanding and deciphering the bias and propaganda. In the article titled, “Social Education,” (2009) it states “that media literary influences young people's thinking about citizenship and social responsibility.”
With all the discussion of Challenge Based Learning, we can see how important social studies curriculum promote social changes for a better world. If students are not media literate, the message is not comprehended. Thus, they are illiterate in “proper citizenship and social responsibilities,” which is the opposite outcome of our educational purpose. Also, knowing that the exposure continues, even after the “Call to Action” supported during the 21St Century Literacy Summit (2005) and the article, “What is This Media Literacy Thing?” which provided a deeper understanding of the importance of media literacy, it is hopeful that the voices and supporters of media literacy continue to sound its relevancy in education for the 21st Century Learner.
References
Burton, L. (2005). What is This Media Literacy Thing?. Screen Education, (38), 93-98. Retrieved from Film & Television Literature Index with Full Text database.
New Media Consortium. (n.d.). NMC: Events 21st Century Literacy Summit. Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://archive.nmc.org/summit/
(2009). Media Literacy. Social Education, 73(4), 187-189. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
Discussion 2/Post 2/Media Literacy
@Darla
“specify technical learning objectives or ensure successful integration of technology to enhance students’ digital and visual literacy.”
So true Darla, and we all know that education reform needs to include facilities too. Our schools are old, at least the ones in my district that we not destroyed due to Hurricane Charley. Even though the 7 new schools are technology rich, we still limit access to Web 2.0 tools, which we have come to value during our coursework at Full Sail. My colleagues and I need to meet off site to be able to access all Web 2.0 tools to complete our media literate curriculums. Ironic, isn’t it?
@Timothy
“I have spent many hours with my students explaining how to upload podcasts to the Internet because some of them barely used a computer for more than an email.”
Timothy, I read your statement and thought how lucky my students were because they did know these things. Then as I read further, I realized you are talking about another generation, not my 8th graders, but their teachers! Media literacy affects all ages, and there are many teachers who are technology illiterate and continue in their ignorance due to fear. We are trying to change this in our county and are providing teams of teachers at our school sites that offer continuous training for all staff. We are piloting this program and it is working wonderfully. Teachers are beginning to request equipment and learning to use the devices effectively-step 1 on their technology conquests.
@Carrie
“Basically, we need to teach students to think critically about not only reading and writing, but also film, sound, etcetera.”
Well stated Carrie and once educators realize how important media literacy is, they will not hesitate to include it for the best interest of the student. We also need to make sure we evaluate the appropriateness of the media for the age group, which is a whole other topic for media literacy discussion groups! Thank you for sharing!
BP9_2009112_Reflective Media Asset-Week 2
WHAT A GREAT TOOL!
Check it out now!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
BP8_2009112_Activity-Social Bookmarking-Week 2
The art of social bookmarking can be used so one can access their prized sites anywhere, anytime and anyplace Internet ready. I find myself trying to remember the site I found and which computer the bookmark was on to search for the link. Well Delicious has taken that chore away and now I can have my bookmarks at my fingertips. The best feature, I can share them with family, friends and colleagues, plus students! It is great and I am very excited to see all the bookmarks of others. As I researched the topic of social bookmarking, I came across some interesting information. In the article titled, “Integrating Social Media Into Existing Work Environments: The Case of Delicious,” (Stolley, 2009) they discussed how “Rich Site Syndication feeds” are extremely useful in the workplace so teams can follow and collaborate on specific contexts. For instance, you can work collaboratively on a project by documenting your online information with bookmarks, and then each person can subscribe to your RSS feed to get up to date information on your progress. I can envision students in my class using the social bookmarking site in this same way, sharing website addresses and information on their class projects.
The other article I perused was titled, “Distribution of news information through social bookmarking: an examination of shared stories in the Delicious Website” Chung (2009) The premise of the study was to test news worthy information of the prevalent websites on Delicious. For instance, it was a case study whereby the researchers documented the “most frequently consulted news information sources and news topics.” (2009) They wanted to see the hits on the fact-based sites as opposed to the sensationalized news stories. For educational purposes, this is a big task because students have a hard time deciphering fact from fiction. We have been working with our media specialist to create a “gotcha” lesson in which he created a list of “hoax” sites to be used.
Speaking of the media specialist, I was reading the information on Delicious in the article, “Tutorial: Adding Delicious Data to Your Library Website.” (Darby, Gilmour, 2009) I really liked how they wanted to use the social bookmarking site to create a list of useable research sites. I could see how our teachers could use a list like that, created by the media specialist, our professional in the area of research. We could have a webpage specific to the core curriculum of the school ready for teachers and students to access. It would really give the students a focus for their research and provide the teachers with the assistance they desire.
I did find many articles pertaining to social bookmarking and I want to share one more. The article titled, “Folksonomy, Tagging and Taxonomy for Effective Learning: Perspectives of Learning 2.0 in the XXI Century,” (Cannata, 2009) was of particular interest due to my new fascination with the skill of tagging. It is difficult to select the proper tags and to organize your bookmarks. I need to do more research to find out the best method that suits the needs of my students and myself.
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. doi:10.3991/ijet.v4i2.657.
Chung, D., & Yi, K. (2009). Distribution of news information through social bookmarking: an examination of shared stories in the Delicious Website. Information Research, 14(3), 1-24. Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database.
Darby, A., & Gilmour, R. (2009). Tutorial: Adding Delicious Data to Your Library Website. Information Technology & Libraries, 28(2), 100-103. Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database.
Stolley, K. (2009). Integrating Social Media Into Existing Work Environments: The Case of Delicious. Journal of Business & Technical Communication, 23(3), 350-371. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.
BP7_2009112_Flickr-Week 2
The lesson that I found was titled, “Tagging with Flickr: a Learning Session for Librarians.” I really liked the lesson set up and how it was presented. It was streamlined and a good example of a lesson plan format. With that said, the lesson included two skills, one of using Flickr and the other tagging. I did not realize tagging was considered a skill, but I am glad to have found a lesson plan specific to teach this. The website included an “introduction, lesson plan, handout, exercise, evaluation, final report, capping paper and an external link to Flickr.” As I viewed the information and lesson plan, I thought of how appropriate a lesson on tagging would be to my students. Also, using Flickr to share photos would be beneficial because we do talk about copyrighting and how they cannot pull photos off the web at their leisure. We also use lots of graphics in our class activities. Again, the only problem I forsee is we cannot access these tools at school, so I would have to put together a Screenflow type tutorial and walk them through it, then post the lesson to the website so they could practice at home. The only problem is time, thus it would have been nice to create a media asset to be able to introduce Flickr to my kids with my time in this class. I will keep that in mind for the future.
Polkinghorne, S. (2006). Tagging with Flick: Lesson Plan. Retrieved November 8, 2009 from http://capping.slis.ualberta.ca/cap07/SarahPolkinghorne/lessonplan.html
BP6_2009112_Researching and Blogging about Web 2.0 Tools-Week 2-Peer Post #1
from Toni's Blog
BP6_2009112_Researching and Blogging about Web 2.0 Tools
Saturday, November 7, 2009
BL5_2009112_Flickr
Here is another specific site: http://www.interfacemagazine.co.nz/downloads/INTERFACE%20Lesson%20Plan%2042%20-%20Five%20Card%20Flickr%20Story.pdf
I enjoyed looking at the photos beginning on the ETC flickr page. There are some interesting pictures!!
1 comments:
- Christina Carboni said...
- Dear Toni, I just love the idea of using Flickr for the science erosion and weathering unit. It did make me think of how I could implement a Google Earth with using Flickr pictures too. Thanks for sharing!
- November 8, 2009 3:42 PM
BP5_2009112_Researching and Blogging about 2.0 Tools-Week 2
GOOGLE WAVE
Google Wave
http://wave.google.com/help/wave/closed.html
With Google Wave, students and teachers alike can communicate and work together in real time. The possibilities are endless in that collaboration and communication, two basic skills one needs to be successful in life, are realized using the application. Unfortunately, only a limited number of people are able to try it out. One must wait for their invite. I did apply but have not heard as of yet, so I a still waiting. A new toy to a technology geek is always best when it is free! I was not able to use the tool but there is a very long video, which speaks about the application. As far as educational use, students could work together no matter their location on campus and collaborate across the curriculum. They would not lose the visual communication element that many Web 2.0 and online educational environments do not promote. I would love to be able to have students in my lab communicate with their peers in their history class while working on the newspaper in Publisher. We could work together and when they were able to be in Tech, then those students would be working on the computer and the roles would change. I could collaborate with the instructor who is well versed in the subject he teaches and who has requested the project. We can collaborate while I use my expertise on the computer, and his in history. The best of both worlds and the students can see this communication happen. They could use the same model and work with professionals in areas of interest. If they want to become a pro ball player, then let them see the hard work they put in before making it to the big leagues. They see the glamour, but do not get to see the behind the scenes. With Google Wave, students can call up an icon and see for themselves, even though it
FACE IN THE HOLE.COM
Face in Hole.com
http://www.faceinhole.com/us/
This application was so much fun! I just wish I could use a live feed to position my profile to fit the image better. I spent way too much time playing with this application. I also realized my students would have an absolute blast. They love to role-play and manipulate their pictures. With Face in the Hole, they put their photos into the proper spot and they can become a superhero, or a cartoon character. I remember my brother sent my mom a photo of Indianna Jones, just like the photo they have on this application. His face implanted where Harrison Fords was supposed to go. We did not see it at first because the image was seamless but once we did, it was hysterical! Again, to be able to position your image live would work best so you could actually get the correct facial expression for the shot. As far as educational purposes, students can take on the persona of a character in a story. There is a feature for you to download your own character and/or scene, so they could make their own. Especially for their history class, they could become George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. We could also get the art classes involved to work on some graphics that the kids can use for their Language Arts projects. Some of the teachers have the students rewrite fairytales and they could create their own scene and then super impose their face in the image or use the ones already on the website. For instance, I have always wanted to be a Jedi!
PB WORKS
PB Wiki
http://pbworks.com/
PB Wiki, currently PB Works is a site that you can create a personal or class page, and it is a great place to begin to learn the ways of wikis. We used PB Wiki to start a middle school class site, but we never implemented it full scale. I did create a class set of passwords so that the students can see their work, but we again, have not implemented it at the level we would like. Our district is going to host a regulated Wiki site so PB Works will not be used on the full scale we were initially thinking. All in all, the site is a great place to offer participants a forum to discuss and share ideas. PB Works, a basic wiki site, the one we used to start during our first week at Full Sail. Some classmates were asking questions and felt a wiki would help so we could all have a place to post and share ideas. I created the Full Sail wiki site since I had an already established account. I just needed to add names and email addresses. Even though the site is not as active as at the onset of our MS program, it was there to network and get our classmates over the initial butterflies of taking on such a rigorous program. I have plans to use PB Wiki in my classroom to post students work and share ideas with them. A teacher used her wiki to give out bonus material for students to earn points in class, plus other extra-curricular activities. The kids could not wait to see what was waiting online. It is a great tool, and a user friendly one for those teachers new to wikis.
Monday, November 2, 2009
BP4_2009112_Researching and Blogging About Web 2.0 Tools
The Web 2.0 tool I used is called Storybird. (Storybird, 2009) I was attracted to the site because of the storytelling element, which tied into my technology curriculum. We complete different digital storytelling project throughout the year and Storybird (2009) offers a creation element that students can use. They are provided with a group of pictures and they create a story using the photos in a unique way. I saw the photo of the killer whale and immediately thought of a student in my class named Alex. His dream job is to work at Seaworld and train the killer whales. He is obsessed with them, and I wanted to write a story about his love of sea creatures. The pictures were limiting, and my creativity was eventually stifled. Basically, the pictures dictated my story, not me.
As far as the educational benefits the tool provides, it is a way for students to have varying exposure to writing using graphics as the generator of the story. We could not use the tool during class, but I could offer it as an at home opportunity. We do not have access to this tool, as I tried it already and the site is unfortunately blocked. The graphics were very artistic and expressive. My students would have enjoyed looking at the pictures and trying to figure out a theme. It would have been a great project to select the photos or graphics and then ask them to create a story to tie them all in, like a story thread. We could pass the slides around and they could add their own pages to create a whole. Again, the photos were limiting and if you had a special need, I did not see a way to upload your own images to complete your unique story. Also, manipulation of the graphics and text is cumbersome and controlling.
I did get an idea to use this basic tool to teach students how to write their own children?s book digitally, whereby they would create their own graphics. Students have become very creative with tools like Paint and using their Microsoft Office graphics.
Storybird-Alex the Boy Who Loved All the Creatures of the Sea. (2009). Storybird. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from http://storybird.com/books/alex-the-boy-who-loved-all-the-creatures-of-the-se/
Sunday, November 1, 2009
BP3_2009111_Setting Up Your Google Reader
5 RSS Feeds
Literacy Is Priceless-Digital Storytelling in a Nutshell
http://literacyispriceless.wordpress.com/
Why I chose this RSS feed? I work with digital stories in my class and am always researching ways to implement them to their greatest potential. We need to be aware of best practices and also the delivery of them for use on the web.
How will this RSS feed benefit teachers? Teachers will benefit due to having the knowledge of how to implement digital stories via the web and this is a valuable resource.
This RSS feed has different resources. The most recent one talks about copyrighting and also introduces Creative Commons. There is a quiz that follows. I know I can use this in my classroom today! The resources on this website are definitely “priceless.” The format is also user-friendly.
Free Technology for Teacher
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/
Why I chose this RSS feed? I selected this feed due to the rich media elements and information based resources for classroom application.
How will this RSS feed benefit teachers? Teachers can immediately use the media elements to enhance their lessons.
This RSS feed provides a variety of media rich elements to use in the classroom. The first video explains daylight savings time. The links are information based. There are a variety of slideshows; Twenty Ways to Use Audio and Comics in Your Classroom.”
Twitter4teachers
http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com/
Why I chose this RSS feed? I have been looking to network with other 8th grade technology teachers.
How will this RSS feed benefit teachers? Teachers will benefit by networking and sharing ideas about their specific grade level and subject area.
This RSS feed allows you to link to other educators in your field to share resources and follow each other on Twitter.
Qataracademy-it
http://qataracademy-it.wikispaces.com/Grade+8
Why I chose this RSS feed? I have been searching for examples of using wikis for classroom portfolios and this site has a plethora of examples plus other valuable information.
How will this RSS feed benefit teachers? The site has examples of portfolios and students’ work for their entire course.
Student portfolios from grade 8 posted on a classroom wiki. The entire plan is listed by Unit and gives an excellent example of how to use wikis to share student work.
Journal of Online Education-Innovate: Uses and Potentials of Wikis in the Classroom
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=issue
Why I chose this RSS feed? Again, my AR Project centers around using wikis in the class, thus any information I can gather, I am on it! This site has many resources to gather and springboard research. How will this RSS feed benefit teachers? The resources and information is excellent for teachers seeking added research on wikis. The RSS feed links to various journal articles on the topic of wikis in the classroom. The links direct you to the website and the actual online article for the represented topic.
BP2_2009111_Getting Started With Blogger
Ideas on how to use blogs in a class to reinforce literacy can be to jigsaw reading assignments, whereby students are assigned a specific chapter or block of reading and they give the main idea and details while summarizing. In the article titled, “Blogs and Wikis as Instructional Tools,” (Higdon, Topaz, 2009) it is discussed that blogs are used as pre-reading questioning activities. Before students attend their class, they are to read their assignments and answer the questions on a blog. This pre-reading, and post-reading activity can be useful in any classroom setting using blogs to convey the responses for all to see.
During our technology class, we have used current articles for open discussion. Students type them in Microsoft Word, store them in their network folder, and only two people see them. In a blogging format, students could post directly on the web for others to see and engage in an active conversation. I have used articles that discuss the use of digital textbooks, or Web 2.0 technology. They type, get stuck, ponder, and don’t get excited. As a former Language Arts teacher, students loved the activity of building on each other’s stories. Blogging offers this activity electronically. What a way to get them writing and thinking! Students would pay more attention to their grammar and word choice knowing all their peers and teachers would read it.
Another use of blogging is in the images and projects that can be uploaded. Students continuously create images and projects using a variety of tools like Grafitti Maker, Paint, and all of the Microsoft Office Products. They could upload their images to share with other students, and showcase their work. Portfolio building using blogs would be most beneficial and a technology must for the 21st Century Learner. Students thrive on having an example so they can springboard their own ideas, plus, each project gets better!
The next article of interest was titled, “Hot Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking.” (Zawilinski, 2009) The article included the use of blogging starting with elementary school students. The article uses a teacher’s blogging dilemma to illustrate the pros and cons. The important issue was to keep the students interested. One way is to make the blog their personal sounding board for the interests they want to share. For instance, one student wanted to post her poem, and another wanted to talk about his own book instead of the one assigned. In this example, we can understand that to maintain the level of interest in a classroom blog, teachers need to offer variety and voice.
Another important facet of the article was the listing of the four common types of classroom blogs. They were “News Blogs to have classroom news and information with parents and students, Mirror Blogs to reflect on your own thinking, Showcase Blogs to post student generated work, and Literature Response Blogs to use as online literary response journals.” (2009, p.652) We can see how all of these types of blogs can apply to any classroom use.
The article continues with addressing Higher Order Thinking skills or “HOT.” (2009, p.655) There are four steps included which are “bolster background, prime the pump, continue conversation and make multiplicity explicit.” (2009, p.655) In the “bolster background stage,” (2009, p.656) teachers use posts for literacy enhancement, reading selections, and communication of their ideas for open discussion. The “prime the pump stage” (2009, p.657) is when students seek clarifications, summarize, and post their own thoughts on the reading, making connections to their life. The “continue conversation stage,” (2009, p.657) students look at the big picture of the blog posts, the reading, the assignments, student contributions and synthesizes the information to make connections and elaborations. The final stage, “make multiplicity explicit” (2009, p.657) students are encouraged to think about their classmates and their own thinking, and the persuasive qualities their writing possesses to validate their points. This is the metacognitive stage, an important stage in literacy development and higher order thinking.
To conclude, blogs have relevancy in an educational setting and can be used for a variety of purposes, as long as the blogger’s voice is validated.
References
Higdon, J., & Topaz, C. (2009). Blogs and Wikis as Instructional Tools: A Social Software Adaptation of Just-in-Time Teaching. College Teaching, 57(2), 105-110. http://search.ebscohost.com
Zawilinski, L. (2009). HOT Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking. Reading Teacher, 62(8), 650-661. http://search.ebscohost.com
BP1_2009111_ETC iGoogle Screenshots
ETC Screen Shots of iGoogle Pages
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Blog Creation
