This is an example of an animoto slideshow to introduce myself to the students the first day of school. I used Animoto and embedded it into my blog.
Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.
The second tool I used was Wordle and I created an example I could use when introducing Multiple Intelligences next week It is shown on this blog.
Animoto could be used for various uses. I used it to introduce myself to the class. Students could use Animoto for the same thing to replace "bring 5 items in a brown lunchbag to share about yourself" that we have done in the past.
It could be used in a small group to introduce the student's working style, strengths they are bringing to the group, etc.
A Wordle can be used as a cover to a slideshow or as an example of character traits to share with a book club. It can also be used for a math unit where the wordle is created of words or synonyms to describe a math concept, i.e. the student could make a list of geometric terms that we have explored to share
what they have learned or to be used as a review document.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Tool # 4
Google Apps was new to us last year. I attended clsses with our ActiveBoard
trainer in the spring to orient myself with the GoogleDocs for Educators.
My instructional team can develop an assessment, or a set of directions for a workstation, a letter draft, etc. and we can edit/delete/ or add to the draft without having to send emails back and forth having to keep up with the latest version, etc. This is a much better flow than ForeThought as only one at a time from the instructional team can be online drafting or creating.
The Google Tools will be great for the students to create products or projects.
trainer in the spring to orient myself with the GoogleDocs for Educators.
My instructional team can develop an assessment, or a set of directions for a workstation, a letter draft, etc. and we can edit/delete/ or add to the draft without having to send emails back and forth having to keep up with the latest version, etc. This is a much better flow than ForeThought as only one at a time from the instructional team can be online drafting or creating.
The Google Tools will be great for the students to create products or projects.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Tool Number 3
Tool Three has been challenging in trying to get the logistics to work. I found Blinkx to be a very useful website to locate videos. It was the actual step of getting the video embedded or linked that proved challenging. I found a great video about how to create a cloud that was originally on youtube. It was quite easy to clean it up to only the basics using Purify and just clicking on the Purify button once it was on your toolbar. However, having it work on the blog was another skill entirely.
Even with help we ended up embedding the videos straight from youtube in order to get them to work on the blog. So I'll come back to doing it with the Purify version at a later date.
Another topic that we use regularly is Singapore math problem solving. The following video demonstrates a choice that the students can use in problems that can be challenging for fourth graders.
Another site that I use frequently is the Discovery Education site from our Library Resource page. The video segments are user friendly and we view them on our Activeboard. The videos also are congruent with our science curriculum.
Copyright and Fair Use Law
I have had training and professional development on this topic with our librarian, Karen Harrell. She has also shared links and slideshows on her RCE resource page that my students have used in the lab and classroom to make them aware of copyright issues when they are creating projects or means of communication.
The paragraph and video on the 11 Tools Instruction page seem to widen the parameters more than I was aware of before. I knew we could use segments or a few pages for instructional purposes. So the new part to me was the wider parameters.
The Picasa Web album is user-friendly. The filters help you narrow the choice and parameters to meet your specific needs. This can be used in several ways as an educator in the classroom. When the students are working on a project or a group assignment, the teacher could introduce the terms and parameters in a "fishbowl" style and then the group could use those parameters when doing their search for visuals to use for their communication of their project objectives.
The teacher could set up a folder of images that he/she could use for instruction especially for the pickup folder for the students or for ActiveBoard flipcharts.
This Web Album could also be used for sharing with parents. You could download photos or small videos of the students and save them in an album that parents could access.
Even with help we ended up embedding the videos straight from youtube in order to get them to work on the blog. So I'll come back to doing it with the Purify version at a later date.
Another topic that we use regularly is Singapore math problem solving. The following video demonstrates a choice that the students can use in problems that can be challenging for fourth graders.
Another site that I use frequently is the Discovery Education site from our Library Resource page. The video segments are user friendly and we view them on our Activeboard. The videos also are congruent with our science curriculum.
Copyright and Fair Use Law
I have had training and professional development on this topic with our librarian, Karen Harrell. She has also shared links and slideshows on her RCE resource page that my students have used in the lab and classroom to make them aware of copyright issues when they are creating projects or means of communication.
The paragraph and video on the 11 Tools Instruction page seem to widen the parameters more than I was aware of before. I knew we could use segments or a few pages for instructional purposes. So the new part to me was the wider parameters.
The Picasa Web album is user-friendly. The filters help you narrow the choice and parameters to meet your specific needs. This can be used in several ways as an educator in the classroom. When the students are working on a project or a group assignment, the teacher could introduce the terms and parameters in a "fishbowl" style and then the group could use those parameters when doing their search for visuals to use for their communication of their project objectives.
The teacher could set up a folder of images that he/she could use for instruction especially for the pickup folder for the students or for ActiveBoard flipcharts.
This Web Album could also be used for sharing with parents. You could download photos or small videos of the students and save them in an album that parents could access.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Task Number Two
Hi Fellow Eleven Tools Bloggers,
I have read and viewed the videos associated with the first two tasks. The idea of a PLN is a new one to me. I have been aware of the concept but didn't know it had an official title and was so well formed.
I have been busy using tools with my fourth graders but have not kept up to date on what is out there
professionally. I am behind in that regard, so this class will help close that learning gap. Our students will take to this PLN concept like "ducks to water." It is a high learning curve for some of us.
I read Vicki Davis's blog about PLN and posting comments. I posted several comments of fellow RCE blogs today and became the "first follower" of several. I viewed Karen's Music Box and added a comment about how appropriate her Voki was since it matches her two two new kittens. I viewed Kat's blog design but couldn't post my ideas till Kat gets a chance to write a post. I checked out Meg's blog and wanted to ask her advice about adding to my blog design since I overheard her helping Courtney B. the other day but couldn't post my questions yet so will try to do that by email.
Maybe other teachers can help me with that. How do I find gadgets or things to add to my blog to make it more appealing? I don't know where to look. I just used the basic info from the district website. I looked under "design" on the blog choices at blogger but didn't have a lot of luck there either.
I commented on Courtney B's blog as I think the cowgirl is a perfect Voki for her as she did barrel riding in her past. It is very appropro.
I visited Jennifer's blog first as we are on the same grade level and was glad to see her Buckeye
loyalty included.
I think the PLN we need to start with is from our own RCE blog community and especially since we are all doing the 11 tools this summer and have a common basis to discuss. Our PLN should be how we are doing on this trek of the 11 tools. That may be a bit stale for those people who have done this already, but they can be our resident experts. We are lucky to have them. Once we practice the PLN
concept this summer then we hopefully will be ready to jump in to develop one with our new class in August. (September was a Freudian slip as I remember starting school after Labor Day so I had to change my mistake.)
What stood out in Vicki Davis's advice was to be careful of criticism and not being like Darth Vader!
Since many of us are "newbies" at this, we really need encouragement in our efforts. This is outside the comfort zone for people at many different levels. So we need to be patient with each other! We need to be positive! We need to build a community, but a "safe" one and one that is "inclusive".
The social network I intend to visit once I have more time is the one listed in the directions of Task Number Two-Technology Integration in Education as that is something we are all trying to do
and I would like to see what others have done and how they use it in their schools or classrooms.
Today I was just trying to get the basics, view the videos and respond to the second task with this post.
Another side comment, but I really liked the musical video that the students/kids did that was on the instruction page. Very clever!
More later, RCE bloggers!
I have read and viewed the videos associated with the first two tasks. The idea of a PLN is a new one to me. I have been aware of the concept but didn't know it had an official title and was so well formed.
I have been busy using tools with my fourth graders but have not kept up to date on what is out there
professionally. I am behind in that regard, so this class will help close that learning gap. Our students will take to this PLN concept like "ducks to water." It is a high learning curve for some of us.
I read Vicki Davis's blog about PLN and posting comments. I posted several comments of fellow RCE blogs today and became the "first follower" of several. I viewed Karen's Music Box and added a comment about how appropriate her Voki was since it matches her two two new kittens. I viewed Kat's blog design but couldn't post my ideas till Kat gets a chance to write a post. I checked out Meg's blog and wanted to ask her advice about adding to my blog design since I overheard her helping Courtney B. the other day but couldn't post my questions yet so will try to do that by email.
Maybe other teachers can help me with that. How do I find gadgets or things to add to my blog to make it more appealing? I don't know where to look. I just used the basic info from the district website. I looked under "design" on the blog choices at blogger but didn't have a lot of luck there either.
I commented on Courtney B's blog as I think the cowgirl is a perfect Voki for her as she did barrel riding in her past. It is very appropro.
I visited Jennifer's blog first as we are on the same grade level and was glad to see her Buckeye
loyalty included.
I think the PLN we need to start with is from our own RCE blog community and especially since we are all doing the 11 tools this summer and have a common basis to discuss. Our PLN should be how we are doing on this trek of the 11 tools. That may be a bit stale for those people who have done this already, but they can be our resident experts. We are lucky to have them. Once we practice the PLN
concept this summer then we hopefully will be ready to jump in to develop one with our new class in August. (September was a Freudian slip as I remember starting school after Labor Day so I had to change my mistake.)
What stood out in Vicki Davis's advice was to be careful of criticism and not being like Darth Vader!
Since many of us are "newbies" at this, we really need encouragement in our efforts. This is outside the comfort zone for people at many different levels. So we need to be patient with each other! We need to be positive! We need to build a community, but a "safe" one and one that is "inclusive".
The social network I intend to visit once I have more time is the one listed in the directions of Task Number Two-Technology Integration in Education as that is something we are all trying to do
and I would like to see what others have done and how they use it in their schools or classrooms.
Today I was just trying to get the basics, view the videos and respond to the second task with this post.
Another side comment, but I really liked the musical video that the students/kids did that was on the instruction page. Very clever!
More later, RCE bloggers!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Eleven Tools Attempted
This is a little confusing! I hope it gets easier. Thank goodness we have help!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)