BP12_2010023_One Minute Message #2

BP11_2010023_Comment Link

I really enjoyed the Web 2.o tool John posted called YouTego. Here is a link to my thoughts about his tool of the week, click here.

BP10_2010023_Comment Link

I have really enjoyed the opportunity to explore my classmate's blogs. I have learned so much from everyone. I found Sharon's blog post on Quizlet to be a tool that I could be using in my classroom. My comment on her post can be found at the following link:

Click here

BP9_2010023_Web 2.0 T3-Voki

I have chosen Voki as the Web 2.0 tool of the week. This tool is extremely easy to get up and going in a short amount of time. The Voki.com site describes Voki as "a free service that allows you to create personalized speaking avatars and use them on your blog, profile, and in email messages".

With a quick google search, I discover a teacher blog by J. Picardo. She had an excellent idea for using Voki in her classroom. She had her beginning Spanish students create a writing using new vocabulary. The students then had to deliver their writing verbally using Voki. Her goal was to encourage the quieter students in class to have an opportunity to speak. Students were able to prepare their work ahead of time, but still had to practice the pronunciation.

I particularly like that students have the freedom to create their own avatars. This brings out a student's individuality and creative expression. In my health class, many of our topics are somewhat controversial. Some of these topics include drug use, bullying, teen pregnancy, and obesity. Students are frequently hesitant to contribute to these types of discussions with their peers. In my classroom, I would use Voki as a way for students to have a sense of anonymity with their avatars, yet participate in discussions that may be very beneficial to their peers.

I also like that Voki gives a simple introduction into the world of avatar use. My students are not too computer savvy, so most all Web 2.0 tools are new to them. Because the world of education continues to grow into virtual spaces, I think it is important to expose students to these environments. My students would be overwhelmed with Second Life, so Voki is an excellent starting point for avatar creation. It is easy to use and lots of fun too.

Picardo, J. (2008, June 25). Using Voki and a blog in a sequence of three lessons. Message posted to http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=104

BP5_2010022_Web 2.0 T2 Phrasr

I am so excited about Phrasr! There are so many good things to say about this Web 2.0 tool. Phrasr uses pictures from Flickr to match up with the words you type in a phrase. Any age student can use this tool, so long as they have the ability to type a phrase. After you have selected the pictures to go with your phrase, you publish it to the web. You may then email the link to your creation, or share it with a huge selection of web sources such as Blogger. Additionally, once you have finished your project, you can click on the individual photos. These are linked to Flickr where the student has an opportunity to comment on the photos if they wish. To access simple directions for Phrasr go to http://www.pimpampum.net/en/content/phrasr.

I found a great idea for using this tool on a blog by Christina. She used Phrasr to illustrate the different terms associated with cooking, like broil, scramble, bake, etc.... She also used it to illustrate the different types of vegetables. Her uses for Phrasr gave me the idea that I can have students illustrate the different food groups found in the food pyramid. This will give students an opportunity to learn about foods they may not already be familiar with. Because Phrasr selects the images for you to choose from, students will get to see a variety of images related to the words they type in their phrase. Once they have completed their Phrasr, they can post the link to their project on the class blog. I like that this tool gives students an opportunity to show their creativity. I also like that it is such a simple tool to use.

Cabal, C. (2009, September 24). Food and cooking. Working with Flickr. Message posted to http://www.cristinacabal.com/?cat=16

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BP8_2010021_OneMinuteMessage

Flickr

I found a great lesson plan using Flickr called "Five Card Stories".  The lesson plan offered several variations to the plan that were all very interesting.   To begin the lesson, a teacher would either have prepared five photos that complemented the current class topic of discussion, or allowed students to choose their own photos.  Students would use the five photos to create a story.   The teacher could choose to set the order of the photos, or allow the students to designate their order.

The lesson plan gave a link to a site called 5 Card Flickr.  The computer could automatically choose five photos for you, or you could upload photos of your choice.  The link to this site is http://web.nmc.org/5cardstory/index.php.  Unfortunately, the site was not working properly when I visited, but was under repair.  Nevertheless, the general idea was great for implementing in my classroom.

I like the idea of this lesson, but I would need to tweak it a bit to fit my Health/P.E. classroom.  I would prefer to select specific vocabulary or a list of strategies that students would use in their story with the five photos.  For example, in our lesson on stress, students could develop a story from photos they selected that illustrate coping strategies.  I would prefer to allow students to choose their own photos.  Because I teach high school students, the more freedom I give them the better the quality of their work.

Please use the following link to access the original lesson plan.
 http://interfacemagazine.co.nz/downloads/INTERFACE%20Lesson%20Plan%2042%20-%20Five%20Card%20Flickr%20Story.pdf

BP3_2010021_Web 2.0 T1 VoiceThread

One of my EMDT teammate's that I have worked with on several projects, introduced me to VoiceThread. I had seen some examples of VoiceThreads she had created for her classes, and was very excited to try it out in my classroom.

I teach a class called H.O.P.E, which stands for Health Opportunities through Physical Education. This class is mainly composed of ninth graders, and is mandatory for graduation. The school district has done away with Health and Personal Fitness classes and combined it into a single class that also ties in the actual physical education. I have two days in the classroom a week to teach the curriculum, and the other three days are spent doing physical activities. I have struggled to tie in the "inside" and "outside" components of the class.

VoiceThread gives me the ability to have a discussion, based on our physical activities, that can be done at home or in the media center. This doesn't take away from my limited class time, but gives recognition to the important aspects of the class done while students are playing. Additionally, students are able to participate with their voices or with their typed comments. Although it is preferred to have students voice record, it allows students without a microphone to participate in the lesson. VoiceThread allows student to personalize their identity which gives them some creative freedom. It is always interesting to see what images students will choose to represent themselves.

My high school has recently opened an exergaming room where students can participate in fitness opportunities that can be done through gaming. The teachers in my department have been eager to find out what students think, so I have used VoiceThread to get some feedback. The VoiceThread can be seen below.



VoiceThread is an excellent tool because it is very easy to use, and easy to teach students how to use. Kids like the idea of an alternative assessment as well. A student's personality and individuality can be detected through their voice. A lot can be learned about the student versus reading a generic paragraph they may have written in response to a prompt. This will be the first experience any of my students have had with VoiceThread or anything like it. I will be using this Web 2.0 tool in my classroom for many years to come.

BP2_2010011_Educational Uses for Blogs

My experiences with blogging are limited to what I have learned in our ETC class. Fortunately, this web 2.0 tool has been relatively easy to set up compared to some of the other tools I have been introduced to. The learning curve has not been too steep, so to speak, thanks to sites such as http://edublogs.org/. This being said, blogging is an excellent web 2.0 tool to use in the educational setting. Even teachers that do not have a lot of experience with blogging can easily access resources to get them up and running with a classroom blog. Blogs are a good tool to introduce students that may not have much experience with technology into the web 2.0 world.

Besides being easy to set up a class blog, blogs can be used by both a single user or as a collective group or class (Huffaker, 2005). Blogs give students who may not be willing to share their thoughts and ideas in the classroom setting an opportunity for their voice to be heard. Students can learn from one another, and build relationships that may not have occurred otherwise. Blogs expose students to new ideas that my change how the act in their "reality" settings. Students of all ages can participate in blogging in all forms of curriculum, whether it is a physical education class or a science class (Huffaker, 2005). Students may blog about photos pertaining to a specific project, or post their poems for a literature assignment. Huffaker writes that there are multiple advantages to blogs in terms of literacy. Blogs not only allow for the traditional literacy learning, but also encourage digital fluency (Huffaker, 2005).

Another good educational reason to use blogs in education is the fact that students are able to access their blogs from an location where they have internet access. This increases the amount of learning time, by removing the time constraints of the class period (Huffaker, 2005).

Teachers are able to collaborate with other teachers within their school or even across the globe. Students are able to make connections with students they may never have known existed. Blogging gives students an opportunity to bridge the gap with other learners and their cultures.

It is obvious that blogging is an excellent tool for teachers to implement in their classrooms. The uses for blogs in the educational setting are only limited by the educators imagination.


Huffaker, D. (2005). The Educated Blogger: Using Weblogs to Promote Literacy in the Classroom. AACE Journal, 13(2), 91-98. Norfolk, VA: AACE. Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/p/5680.

BP4_2010021_RSSFeeds

RSS feeds are not something I am too familiar with, or something I have used in the past.  I spent a bit of time researching the many options to choose from.  I selected many different feeds that I found interesting, but quickly figured out that I would need to narrow down my choices due to the volume of reading coming in.  I followed the big list for several days, and then selected the feeds I was consistently reading.  I have included five of them below.

http://edtechlife.com
This feed provides a quick resource to any technical concerns I may have in setting up and implementing Web 2.0 tools in my classroom.

http://divergentlearner.com
The Divergent Learner feed provides excellent information on Web 2.0 assets.  Because I am so new to the technical capabilities for education, I enjoy the information found in the feed.

http://info.pecentral.org/
I am a health and physical education teacher, so naturally this site is directly related to my every day curriculum.  This feed is one that I will use for continuing research on my AR project.

http://theedublogger.com/
The Edublogger is my favorite discovery!  This site provides step by step directions for creating classroom blogs and takes you to very advanced features.  The entries are extremely helpful and extensive.  No question about blogging goes unanswered on this site.

http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/
This feed was created by a teacher who then took the idea of blogging to the next level.  She has since won the best teacher blog award.  The feed offers excellent reading on advances in education using technology, and updates me on how other teachers are using technology to enhance their students' learning experiences.

Image is courtesy of roopak330.wikidot.com

BP1_2010021_iGoogleScreenShots

I have only just begun to discover what iGoogle has to offer.  So far, I have only created the tabs required for my ETC class.  I have added many links, and will be adding many more in the coming days.  iGoogle has already begun to simplify my life and keep me organized.  The greatest benefit has been the time saved by having all my links at the touch of a button.

Here you will see my WGO tab:

  

The FSO tab:

The AR/CBL tab:

And finally the ETC tab:

I really liked that I was able to personalize each tab.  I am looking forward to making these pages even more useful.  Maybe my tabs will give you some ideas for your own iGoogle