Kerpoof

Kerpoof is a fun 2.0 website, that would definitely be more entertaining, with a splash of educational.  I would use this website as a reward for students after finishing classwork.  I could allow them to play certain games, like "Spell a Picture," in which you type in words, and clip art versions of that word pop up, you choose one, and drag it onto a chosen background.  See my example of a farm, below.

I could use this game as a way for students to use their spelling words in a fun way.  It will give them practice spelling, in addition to adding a visual element to helping them remember how to spell the words.  

The best part about this website was that I didn't have to create a log-in before playing any of the games.  So it would be super easy for my students to just click on the link and go for it!  

Or, students could play on Make a Drawing, which was a very kid-friendly drawing page.  As you can see on the left of the image, there are plenty of ways to share their art, whether they email it to themselves, their parents, or friends, print it out at school, or save it to see later - their work will not go unnoticed!  On the right, there are several colors, which change the shade by clicking on the color.  You can change the thickness of the pen, and the straightness of your lines.  Super fun.

Or for those who aren't as confident with the pen, can create a picture on Make a Picture, in which you choose a background, and they give several options for clip art you can add to the background.  You can also add text!  I think this would be a great way for students to make their own cartoons, which can definitely have educational creative value.  

Overall, I think this is a fun website for kids to explore when they earn the free time.  There are also several options for some educational value as well.  Super user friendly and kid centered.  I like it...you can tell by the examples I included, which were made by myself! :)

AUDIENCE: Elementary aged students who are good with computers.

PURPOSE:  Work on digital creations, like pictures, drawings, videos, and cards.  

USABILITY:  Great for kids, they'll love the colorful images and fun clip art.

Glogster

Glogster describes itself as a "platform for the creative expression of knowledge and skills in the classroom and beyond.  We empower educators and students with the technology to create GLOGS - online multimedia posters - with text, photos, videos, graphics, sounds, drawings, data attachments and more."  To me, that sounds awesome.  A digital poster?  So 21st century.  The coolest part is that there are so many great ways to use them.

On their blog, an "Ambassador" user describes 40 Ways to Innovative Teaching Using Glogster EDU. This is a phenomenal list of creative ways to use the digital posters in the classroom.  As a newsletter, a getting-to-know-you tool, flipped classroom, graphic organizers, assessments... the list goes on and on! The website says that it is the #1 Online Learning Tool in the US.  Woah, that's a big deal.  I get how this tool has so much potential.

I think the best part is how user-friendly this tool is.  (I think that this is starting to be a common theme in my Web 2.0 reviews.  Not user friendly?  No review.)  Anyway, the whole process of creating a glog is super easy.  It has a drag and drop interface, and you can choose from several images/text boxes/backgrounds in their gallery.  Once you have your account set up, you can use one of the templates, or you can create one from scratch. It's pretty fun to click around on the page and find creative ways to display information and pictures.

PURPOSE:  To create a digital poster is the most basic purpose of this tool.  You can use use Glogster to create a plethora of resources for your classroom.
AUDIENCE: Students AND teachers!  Students for projects, homework, etc.  Teachers for presentations, graphic organizers, timelines, etc.
USABILITY:  Takes some practice to figure out what everything does.  But they have video tutorials, and plenty of examples to learn about the possibilities.  

Zunal for WebQuests

After creating my first WebQuest, I appreciate the website Zunal, which is a great 2.0 tool that can help teachers create online WebQuests for their classes.  With its ready-to-create page layout, a teacher can jump right into the process of WebQuest creation.  Because I was new to this, I really appreciated that each step of the quest was explained before I wrote in the text box.  For example, when writing the Introduction, it explained that I needed to write in kid-friendly second person terms so that the website speaks to the students.  It also outlined the purpose of each section, so you didn't put the wrong information in the wrong section.  I think that was very helpful.

The layout is pretty straightforward.  All steps of a WebQuest have a pre-made section (Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation, Conclusion, Teacher Page).  With these sections, you simply update the text box with what you want to say, upload a picture, and "ta-da!" you're done.  Easy peasy.  And it's in these sections were they describe what is expected.  There is also the possibility of adding to your site with games, quizzes and tests, photo gallery, FAQ, and additional pages.  In the Teacher Page, you have the option to add recommendations, differentiations, additional links, credits, and standards.  I used this page only for standards, and liked that it had that option.

Another great feature is that it is simple to include links, documents, and videos.  This is important for WebQuests, as students will be browsing additional resources, so this is a convenient way to add those in.

Overall, I'm so happy that I chose this website to create my WebQuest.  I know that there are many different options for website creation, but I am a basic tech girl who needs a little guidance.  With the type-and-go features, I created a successful WebQuest that I believe would be appropriate for first graders with adult assistance.

AUDIENCE: Teachers who want to create a WebQuest and need tech support.
PURPOSE:  Create an online exploratory opportunity for students.
USABILITY:  Great for those who need help with website creation.

Butterfly Web Quest

Click here to view my Butterfly Exploration First Grade WebQuest.

Little Bird Tales

Little Bird Tales is a tool that children can use (with an adult, most likely) to create online books with pictures, illustrations, text, and voice.  I think that this would be an EXCELLENT tool for my upcoming 1st grade class.  First graders are at the stage where fluency is progressing and imagination is flourishing.  With this website, they can create their own stories, draw illustrations, and read their stories out loud for others (and themselves) to listen!  How neat is that?

With my experience in 4th grade last semester, I can see how they would love to do this also.  They come up with the wildest stories, and when they have a creative short story assignment, turning in a plain piece of paper can be boring.  How cool would it be to assign them to transform their stories into neat visual representations that they and their friends can view over and over?  I'm a huge fan of this idea.

Not only does it challenge students as writers to think out of the box and write creative stories worth sharing, it also expands on the fluency piece of literacy in which students are constantly improving their reading abilities.  To practice reading out loud, knowing that it will be recorded online, is a great incentive to "do your best work."

Watch the video above, which was posted by the creators of the website, to get a better understanding of how this website works.

AUDIENCE: Elementary age students who are writing stories, drawing pictures, and want to record themselves reading their work out loud.
PURPOSE:  See above!  Writing, drawing, and reading your own stories!  So cool.
USABILITY: So simple!  Very user friendly and easy to follow directions.

Slide Share

Here is a presentation made by Slide Share explaining it's purpose... Click through to see how it works!

I stumbled upon Slide Share when browsing the list of Web 2.0 Resources provided by Don.  At first, I didn't really see it's purpose for a classroom, as students or teachers who create PowerPoints have so many avenues to share them so they're accessible to present.  I was thinking solely on ways to store the PowerPoint so that they're easily able to pull them up on the computer to present - email, flashdrive, CD, etc.  However, I didn't think about the power of sharing the information for others to explore.  This could have great benefit in the classroom.

The main benefit would be to learn from the presentations made by others - not to publish your own or to view those by your classmates.  Although, of course, that would be doable on this site.  I found though, that I could learn so much by reading the presentations made by others - and my students could do the same.  I began reading the presentation on the homepage - the one seen above about the plane crash at SFO.  It was so fascinating - information that I've never heard about!  It was about the power of social media in moments of crises.  It explored the timelines of posts made on the internet - from the first pictures posted by a lady in the airport who saw it happen to the SFO airport's tweets and the lack of information from Asiana Airlines.  This information was so interesting, and would be difficult to explain in a basic online article.  The presentation, with its charts, and screen shots of online posts really added to the validity of the information, and created a visual that helped the reader grasp the message.  Of course, this is the power of visual presentations like PowerPoint.  But when shared online, for the public to view, it becomes a sufficient tool for information gathering.  And that is how it can be used by students!

Like online encyclopedias, news sources, or youtube videos, my students could use this website as a way to gather research and understand a concept more fully.  It may not have the same validity as the news - like we find with Wikipedia - but it would be a great way for students to see information presented in a more visual fashion.  Say my 5th grade class is learning about presidential elections.  In this day and age, social media plays a huge role in the success of a campaign.  I search "Obama" and several PowerPoint presentations provide me with the resources about how Obama's online campaign changed the way we experience presidential elections.  My students could browse these presentations and gain a new perspective not found in many textbooks.

AUDIENCE: Students for research and internet information seeking.  Teachers for creative ways to present information (made by someone else).  Students and teachers to share their own PowerPoint creations.

PURPOSE:  Share PowerPoint presentations.  Browse PowerPoints created by other people.

USABILITY:  Easy as a click of a button.  Watch the presentations like you would your own.  Search for topics like you would on any search engine.  Pretty sweet.

PowToon

Check out the PowToon video I created to teach fourth graders how to add fractions with like denominators.  How many times have you had to remind students to "keep the bottoms the same?"  For me, it was too many.  I made this with the hope that the visualization could help them remember.

Reflection:

PowToon is a great 2.0 resource that anyone can use to create a presentation.  It definitely has its pros and cons though.  For one, I was a little intimidated to use a web video creator, since I have no experience making videos.  So...this is good news for anyone with a similar lack of experience.  Because, I did it!  So it became fairly easy to figure out.  The main hurdle was figuring out the timing of the slides, and intros and exits of the images and words.  When I started the process, I was using a template, but because the template already had the timing established, it was difficult for me to make it individual for my needs.  So, I began to make a video with a blank template.  This was easier for me to start from scratch.  

I feel like the purpose of a PowToon is different than that of a Prezi or PowerPoint presentation.  With a Prezi or PowerPoint, the presenter can manually control when the images/slides/text appear and have the ability to speak in front of the audience simultaneously.  With PowToon, I feel like it's more of a "Press play and go for it" type of presentation.  It's easier to watch as a complete presentation.  I believe that there's a way to insert your own voice recording so that would be a good way to present your own thoughts, but it would be different than a live presentation.  So, it would depend on what you want and what it expected from the presentation.  

I found that the way in which I used PowToon would be a successful tool in the classroom.  For a short tutorial, or reminder, or fact presenter, PowToon would be sufficient, and an exciting element to add to your normal routine.  I think that adding videos to a lesson is enticing to a child audience. Often, students are more likely to pay attention to a video than to a teacher saying this information without a visual.  For that reason, I created this math reminder video.

AUDIENCE: This tool is equally useful for a teacher, as it is to the student creating a presentation.  However, I think the age range is higher for this tool - probably more middle school/high school usability.
PURPOSE: Create video presentations with iconic graphics and streamlined visuals.
USABILITY:  Takes practice, but eventually it will come together.  Like I said before, age usability is probably higher, depending on the experience of the individual with video editing technology. 

  

Gliffy Diagram Creator

Venn Diagram text from the book Strategies for Differentiating Instruction by Julia L. Roberts, Ed.D. (page 91) Digital Venn Diagram created by myself on www.gliffy.com

Gliffy is a really handy tool to use in any classroom - for both the teacher and the student.  I choose to create a Venn Diagram as an example of what a student could create as an in-class or homework assignment.  I think students would have greater motivation and engagement while creating a diagram online, rather than filling in a boring worksheet handed out by their teacher.  Another way to use this diagram creator would be to create your own worksheet - if you decide to do the "boring" paper and pencil method after all.  You could also create a diagram as a class.  You could lead/scaffold the creation of a Venn Diagram with your students.  

There are several great image tools to drag onto the document, allowing you to create any type of diagram you please.  You can also use your own images that you can upload if you'd like.  It is easy to add text, change the font size, change the size of the images, etc.  It is a very user friendly interface.

AUDIENCE:  Teachers and students.  Students could create independently by fourth grade.

PURPOSE:  Create diagrams for educational or informative purpose.

USABILITY:  Takes some practice, but with trial and error is very user-friendly.

Teaching Portfolio

Click here to check out my digital teaching portfolio I created using Google Sites.

Sweet Search

Sweet Search is the perfect tool for students to use when searching the Internet.  It's so great to give students the opportunity to do their own research for school assignments, but often their searches result in inappropriate and unreliable sources.  With Sweet Search, students are directed to the types of websites that are worth exploring, especially for their age level.  

When I was student teaching in a 4th grade class, I taught a unit on Inventions.  My students used the Internet a lot when they were learning about cool inventions and researching information for their Inventor Biographies.  I did a quick search on Sweet Search for "inventions" and there were wonderful, informative, and reliable websites that I could explore. 

I did some more exploring on the Sweet Search homepage and found great resources for teaching social studies.  I could specify what type of subject I wanted to read about, so to test it out, I chose "The 50 States."  There were plenty of resources available for multiple grade levels.  There is also a Sweet Search page on Biographies, which could have been extra helpful during my biography writing unit.  Students can filter their searches for different type of people and find well written biographies that they could use for research.  

There is also a Daily web round-up page called SweetSearch2Day in which several fun links are posted daily, which include facts about the day, birthdays, then links like comics or articles.  This would be a great tool to direct students to when they "don't know what to do."  It could be like an anchor activity, in which students find a website to write a reflection on. 

TARGET: All ages, any grade level.

PURPOSE:  Provide a safe and reliable search engine for students to find websites that are learner friendly.

USABILITY:  Very!  The colorful interface makes the webpage inviting, and the links are very self-explanatory.  This will be a great go-to for student research and lesson planning for myself.

   

How to Embed Code for Jing Videos

Jing for Video Tutorials

Jing is a Web 2.0 tool that allows you to create and save screen shots and create video tutorials for online tasks.  I've seen step by step tutorials from a computer before, I had never thought of creating one myself.  It is definitely a great classroom tool to use when technology is an important component in your school and classroom.  With my student teaching experience, the school I'm working at is very gifted in the technology department.  All students at the elementary school have access to laptops, and in 4th grade, they all get Gmail accounts, and they use technology every day.

So for my Jing experiment, I made a video tutorial of how to create a Google Doc and share it.  My students would share documents almost everyday, so this would be a great way to introduce the "how-to" nature of the task using a tech medium.  Of course, I could verbalize these steps, but from what I've learned in telling students what to do on a computer, all students are never listening at the same time.  When they are watching a video, all eyes are on the screen and all attention is focused.  So I could show this video at the beginning of the year, and in around a minute, the students would understand what to do.  

So... the PURPOSE of JING:  Create and share screen shots and video web tutorials using a simplified and user friendly tool.  

IDEAL TARGET AUDIENCE:  All ages and grade levels!  Teachers could create Jing files/videos to share with any age student who has access to computers.  Students, with the help of teacher support for downloading, can use Jing to save images found on the web, and create video tutorials.  

USABILITY:  One glitch of Jing is that you have to download the application to your computer.  School computers might not allow this, so keep that in mind.  The application tool box that appears at the top or corner of your screen is easy to use and very clearly labeled.  It takes some tinkering to figure out where exactly the video goes and how to share it... but check out my next post to see how to embed a Jing video!  

Wordle

In class today, Dr. B pointed out that two of us used Wordles on our new websites.  I knew what he was talking about, but didn't know it had a name!  I didn't make the Web 2.0 "Wordle" that I used in the last post, but was interested in making my own.  He also discussed that many teachers use Wordle as an educational tool and a great form of Web 2.0 technology in the classroom.    

So I began to investigate.  I searched "education uses for Wordle" and came across several interesting online posts.  I was really surprised to learn that there are so many ways to use this website in everyday learning.  Read 108 Ways to Use Word Clouds in the Classroom for an extensive list of subject area ideas and strategies for all ages.  Check out the Top 20 Uses for Wordle for an additional list, in addition to examples.  

I messed around with the site and came up with an idea that I could have incorporated into my Inventor Biography workshop I did with the 4th graders last term.  Above, is a Wordle I made using one of my student's biographies they wrote in the spring.  She had emailed her writing to me, so I had it in digital form.  I copied and pasted the contents into Wordle, and out popped a word cloud!  I edited the colors and layout, and then found that I could delete words that I didn't want in the cloud.  I deleted words such as "say, like, the" etc.  I could have used this activity as a way to present their writing around the classroom, for students to see which words they use the most, or as a way to turn their biographies into spelling lists.

This application is usable for students of all ages.  I believe children as young as 2nd or 3rd grade would be able to generate their own word clouds with modeled instruction.  And for the younger elementary level, they could be used as a printable visual for spelling words, poems, or a way to search and find certain words.  Read the links above for great ideas for different purposes of Wordle as well as clickable examples.  

  

  

First Day of Class

Hello!

Welcome to my blog.  This is where I will upload all assignments for my Instruction and Technology course this summer.  This class is designed to teach new teachers about the increased use of technology in today's elementary and secondary level classrooms.  We will learn how to apply several interesting and effective forms of technology in our classrooms to keep students engaged and learning.  Our first assignment is to write reflections about ten Web 2.0 applications, so look out for those soon!