Sunday, July 18, 2010
BP6_Comment on Tonneche's Blog
Here is the link to my comment on Schoology via Tonneche's Blog: 21st Century Learning. or
Click on the image below:
Click on the image below:
BP4_Google Wave
Google is probably the most useful and convenient web tool. Everyone knows google, uses google, but I don't think that many are fully embracing google. I am guilty of this. I have used many of the features that google has to offer and have always been very satisfied, however there are so many features that google has created that I have failed to use, which brings me to GOOGLE WAVE.
A Wave is a hosted conversation that anyone can contribute to. It is an online communication and collaboration tool where you can use photos, videos, gadgets, etc.
A few ways that I had in mind on how to use Google Wave is to improve homework completion and to help with brainstorming.
Homework:
In Google Wave I can have a prompt or a link to a brief article that I want the students to respond to. Often students have a hard time responding to things or saying, "I didn't know what to say." So one thing that can help with this is making homework more collaborative. Homework can be more of a discussion and they can build off each other's ideas. This can also get me involved in the discussion and help them elaborate more on things that they have said.
Brainstorming:
In English class when it comes to writing a lot of my kids struggle with the Brainstorming part. It takes them forever to think of what to write. Some ways that Google Wave can be used is to help the students generate ideas from one another. They can post their thoughts help each other come up with ideas, etc. Also any student that is struggling with what to write about can express it here and people can assist them. This is just another way for students to collaborate and communicate with each other online.
The thing that I like with google wave is that anyone can access it you don't have to have an special flash player or plug-ins, you can easily access it even through your phone. I plan on having the kids sign up with gmail accounts so this makes it more convenient for them as well.
A Wave is a hosted conversation that anyone can contribute to. It is an online communication and collaboration tool where you can use photos, videos, gadgets, etc.
A few ways that I had in mind on how to use Google Wave is to improve homework completion and to help with brainstorming.
Homework:
In Google Wave I can have a prompt or a link to a brief article that I want the students to respond to. Often students have a hard time responding to things or saying, "I didn't know what to say." So one thing that can help with this is making homework more collaborative. Homework can be more of a discussion and they can build off each other's ideas. This can also get me involved in the discussion and help them elaborate more on things that they have said.
Brainstorming:
In English class when it comes to writing a lot of my kids struggle with the Brainstorming part. It takes them forever to think of what to write. Some ways that Google Wave can be used is to help the students generate ideas from one another. They can post their thoughts help each other come up with ideas, etc. Also any student that is struggling with what to write about can express it here and people can assist them. This is just another way for students to collaborate and communicate with each other online.
The thing that I like with google wave is that anyone can access it you don't have to have an special flash player or plug-ins, you can easily access it even through your phone. I plan on having the kids sign up with gmail accounts so this makes it more convenient for them as well.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
BP3_VoiceThread
VoiceThread is a Web 2.0 Tool that I have been dying to use. It is a place where people can have group conversations about an image, video, documents, etc. You can embed it to other sites or export or even email. You can create a free account or there is also a school licensing subscription that is $60 a year. This allows you to keep it private and gives the teacher access to passwords, comment moderation, etc. I first heard about VoiceThread last year during a professional development seminar that I attended. I am starting a program within my school next year that is for under credited over age students. The number one thing that I want to focus on is keeping them motivated and engaged because this has been a problem for them throughout their schooling.
One way that I want to use VoiceThread in my Humanities class (English and History) is by having them use VoiceThread to create discussion. This would be very useful for homework assignments. For example, if I have some images that I want them to look at they can go to VoiceThread and view the images and then comment. This would be more appealing to them than giving them a packet of images and having them respond to them. This way if they are struggling with what to say they can comment on someone else's comment. They can do this by writing a comment or by using voice. It would also be useful for kids that are absent on a day where video clips or images were shown they can go to VoiceThread and still see the images.
There are many other ways that VoiceThread can be used to create dialogue. The examples above are just some ways in which I want to specifically dedicate time to in my classroom this year.
Here is a short clip of me uploading a picture and using voice to comment on that picture.
Hope this was useful to you!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
BP1_Google Reader
I am a High School teacher and have recently created a program within my school called the Accelerated Academic Program. This Program is designed to help overage under credited students get the credits that they need to graduate. A big core of the program is to incorporate innovative hands-on curriculum that will keep them engaged and renew that buy in towards their education. The following websites are crucial to the development of my curriculum as well as my own professional development.
COMPUTER USING EDUCATORS (CUE)
http://www.cue.org/
feed://www.cue.org/xml/rss.xml
This website, as you can tell from the name, is a corporation that is dedicated to enhancing learning through technology. They provide free webinars and latest news on how to use different forms of technology in the classroom including the latest tools and apps from apple. This helps me think of different strategies on how to use technology in the classroom.
VOICE THREAD FOR EDUCATORS
http://voicethread.ning.com/
Voice thread is a safe and controlled way to incorporate what the kids love to use, twitter and facebook, into the classroom. This particular website helps educators troubleshoot, get ideas and ask questions of other educators that are using, will use, have used voice thread in their classrooms. Last year I wanted to use voice thread in my classroom after hearing about it at a professional development seminar but never got around to it. This website helps me figure out many different ways to use voice thread and is a nice tool to have if I have any questions or concerns about using this with a particular unit or just in general.
PUBLICOLOR
http://publicolor.org/
The kids that are in my program for next year are currently participating in this Publicolor Summer program. This organization teaches kids the skill of painting by taking them around the city and painting schools, precincts, churches, etc. Through this program the kids are able to learn a skill and get credits towards the school that they attend. In the morning they take an environmental science class for two hours and then spend the rest of the day painting. This will help my kids have something productive to do over the summer, teach them a skill they can use in the future and motivate them to finish school. I am overseeing them at this program and checking in with them periodically. This website keeps me up to date with all of the new
and interesting programs Publicolor has to offer.
NOBLE DESKTOP
http://www.nobledesktop.com/index.html
I want to become proficient in using software such as Final Cut and Adobe Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Fireworks, etc. I would like to eventually incorporate this into my teaching. This website has free seminars online as well as information for classes that you can go to in person in NYC.
PBS
http://www.pbs.org/
http://www.youtube.com/user/PBS
http://www.pbs.org/podcasts/
PBS has great resources! Video clips, Audio clips, suggested curriculum for different issues. I don't use PBS enough because I often forget that it is such a great resource. I have added this to my reader so that I can push myself to use them more for when I am developing my curriculum. I added their podcasts, youtube page and the main site. The twitter pages are useful as well especially the twitter.com/pbsteachers page which is also a useful tool where teachers can communicate with each other about different resources and strategies.
COMPUTER USING EDUCATORS (CUE)
http://www.cue.org/
feed://www.cue.org/xml/rss.xml
This website, as you can tell from the name, is a corporation that is dedicated to enhancing learning through technology. They provide free webinars and latest news on how to use different forms of technology in the classroom including the latest tools and apps from apple. This helps me think of different strategies on how to use technology in the classroom.
VOICE THREAD FOR EDUCATORS
http://voicethread.ning.com/
Voice thread is a safe and controlled way to incorporate what the kids love to use, twitter and facebook, into the classroom. This particular website helps educators troubleshoot, get ideas and ask questions of other educators that are using, will use, have used voice thread in their classrooms. Last year I wanted to use voice thread in my classroom after hearing about it at a professional development seminar but never got around to it. This website helps me figure out many different ways to use voice thread and is a nice tool to have if I have any questions or concerns about using this with a particular unit or just in general.
PUBLICOLOR
http://publicolor.org/
The kids that are in my program for next year are currently participating in this Publicolor Summer program. This organization teaches kids the skill of painting by taking them around the city and painting schools, precincts, churches, etc. Through this program the kids are able to learn a skill and get credits towards the school that they attend. In the morning they take an environmental science class for two hours and then spend the rest of the day painting. This will help my kids have something productive to do over the summer, teach them a skill they can use in the future and motivate them to finish school. I am overseeing them at this program and checking in with them periodically. This website keeps me up to date with all of the newand interesting programs Publicolor has to offer.
NOBLE DESKTOP
http://www.nobledesktop.com/index.html
I want to become proficient in using software such as Final Cut and Adobe Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Fireworks, etc. I would like to eventually incorporate this into my teaching. This website has free seminars online as well as information for classes that you can go to in person in NYC.
PBS
http://www.pbs.org/
http://www.youtube.com/user/PBS
http://www.pbs.org/podcasts/
PBS has great resources! Video clips, Audio clips, suggested curriculum for different issues. I don't use PBS enough because I often forget that it is such a great resource. I have added this to my reader so that I can push myself to use them more for when I am developing my curriculum. I added their podcasts, youtube page and the main site. The twitter pages are useful as well especially the twitter.com/pbsteachers page which is also a useful tool where teachers can communicate with each other about different resources and strategies.
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