Web 2.0 Tools

This class has been arduous to say the least. I'm not sure if I should compare this course to giving birth....




or to developing from a seed to a full grown plant.

Here is a summary of my learning the various Web 2.0 Tools plus Oops! - forgot to put in vimeo.







At the beginning, I learned to blog. Then I tried embedding a YouTube video. In the blog, Explosion of New Literacies, the video, "Not the Old Chalkboard," relates the change taking place in the schools and the importance that schools must get on board using technology to help students.

The next step in this class entailed making an animoto. I made two; one about the moon phases and another about the Wampanoag.

Then, I explored a voki, which was fun. I can see using this frequently in the classroom. I read in Taina's Blog that she used vokis as a way for students to record facts about topics.


                                                  




After that, I played with embedding Pixton which is a cartoon. I think cartoons can explain thinking in a concise, but succinct manner.  A creative way to summarize student learning is through a Wordle although mine came out too small. Here is one related to the Common Core Standards.

 
Learning how to use Diigo will definitely pay off with all the initiatives taking place in education today. New Technology Standards are being implemented for teachers and students.




In the final phases of this class, I contributed to a page in the group wiki about folktales. Then my students created their own wiki pages about the planets.



                      


Last, but not least, was the digital story telling project.  My students starred in a movie which will be shown in class on Tuesday and they were recognized at an all school assembly for performing this play.


                         

I'm sure this is how my computer felt about me.  What was your experience like?

Why Does Learning about Space Matter?

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."  
Nelson Mandela                                 


My students are creating a WIKI for their literacy project. Kids love learning about space! When my class  recently studied the moon, they asked if they were going to study the planets too? Since the planets are not part of the third grade curriculum, I hesitated.  How could I refuse these enthusiastic, eager, little cherubs, who displayed a thirst for knowledge! I thought about Ann Thibodeau's blog and her thoughts about the realities of teaching students a set curriculum. Should I allow my students the opportunity to expand on their thinking to areas where they want to learn more?

                                  

I decided I would encourage my students to undertake learning facts about their favorite planet and entitle it enrichment. Why?  After reading Free Technology for Teachers, I came across this YouTube Video from a scientist at NASA and his belief in the importance of man continuing to explore space. 

This scientist raised some important questions that can apply to students who are interested in space.

Why does space matter?
Why is it important to explore the inner solar system?
Where will man venture next?

                

Obviously, there have been cuts to the NASA program and my understanding is space exploration will become more privatized in the future.  However, is it not important for students to wonder about things like the planets and outer space?  Of course, this is crucial to raising critical and creative thinkers. 
                                                        

My thinking was further confirmed when I found the site Wonderopolis.  This is a parent/child site where students can ask questions they wonder about and it allows them to search for their answers. Here is a short video about the site and the importance of children being allowed to explore their interests.

Mrs. Morris and Miss Jordan's class have access to laptops and interactive whiteboards.  Students use the Internet daily.  Shouldn't this be a standard in every classroom in America?  How else can we inspire our students to be creative and critical thinkers? How do you feel about students exploring their interests? 

My students asked, "Why Pluto was no longer considered a planet?" Here is a vimeo that explains the answer to this.

ABRACADABRA ... DIIGO

     

As a fairly organized individual, I enjoy keeping track of what I read and learn.  I always have the best intentions to use what I find as a resource in my classroom.  However, I have a tendency to write things down and forget where I wrote it or put it.  Abracadabra – Diigo entered my life! Now I have a great tool to help me keep track of all those ideas and resources, which will increase my competence as an educator.

As I am reading through people’s blogs, like Mary Ellen's, who teaches fourth grade, and investigating sites for my wiki, digital storytelling project, literacy project, etc., I feel I have just grazed the tip of an iceberg of knowledge and resources. The wealth of information is infinite.

 
                                              
 
 I have found information about the moon, explorers, readers theater,  reader's workshop (Rockin Reading Workshop blog), and folktales, which are all units I teach in third grade. Diigo will work for me and I am overjoyed to use it.  I can view how others are approaching the various content areas I am teaching and gain not only a different, but broader perspective about topics. This opportunity can only enrich my student’s learning experiences as well as make me a better teacher.

           



What would you do without Diigo?
 

KICK BOXING VS. THE INTERNET

 

When I went to the gym this morning to do kickboxing, I started thinking about blogging and using the various web tools available on the Internet.  Since I hadn’t been to the gym for a while, I was lagging behind my peers.  Some of the kickboxing routines had changed and my endurance wasn’t as good as a few weeks ago. Although I have been diligent about this grad course, I feel like I'm running a marathon to keep up with the rest of the students. This led me to draw a comparison between kickboxing and the Educational Technology class.  I realized that students today must have instruction to become computer literate. Knowing how to use the Internet and web tools is critical to becoming tech savvy.  As an educator, I have so much to learn to become competent in this field.

       

 

In order to kick box, the participant needs some background knowledge about choreography. Moreover, the participant must follow directions and use both auditory and visual features to accomplish this exercise. When using the Internet, whether it is a blog, a wiki, or any web tools, the user must be knowledgeable about these features.  Computer literacy is needed  to navigate the Internet.


      

The kick boxer must have coordination and agility to participate in this physically exerting exercise. Likewise, the Internet user needs stamina and intellectual capacity to comprehend and navigate the Internet to attain a particular objective.

In kickboxing there are various terms the participant must know. There is a roundhouse kick, hitch, backward kick, upper cuts, and hooks. 

                                      

There are so many web tools on the Internet that the user must be familiar with, like, blog, wiki, voki, bookmarking, Diigo, search engines, RSS, etc.  In order to accomplish a task, prior knowledge of terms is needed to be successful.   

 Practice and experience play a critical role in both kickboxing and using the Internet.  To become skilled in a particular area, one must adopt new ways of learning. Series of quotes about gaining knowledge

<iframe src="http://www.pixton.com/embed/j4rpqpbh" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="384" allowfullscreen></iframe>

That Poor Ugly Duckling

                                                          


The kids were so excited to do the readers theater. They practiced before they were filmed.  Everyone was encouraged to speak slowly, distinctly and loudly. The Common Core Standards states the students should be able to present knowledge of a story by speaking clearly and at an understandable pace. The actors did a phenomenal job and all the students were well-behaved.  The timing and the rhythm of the story was superb considering these students are only eight and nine years old. The class demonstrated "fluid reading and added visual displays when appropriate.  Students comprehended the problem and solution to the story as well as the author's message. Taina's Blog

                   


Since I explained to parents I would only have my grad class view this movie, I am not able to embed it in this blog. Below is a YouTube video explaining the benefits students gain when they participate in a play.

 

 

                       
 As I viewed the movie I was able to start thinking about adding a title page and using different visual features. I decided to add pictures to enhance the storyline and introduce the characters since it might not be obvious to the viewer who the characters were because they were not wearing costumes.  Students did wear signs when they did the play for a live audience to indicate their role. Below is a wordle that demonstrates all the components of putting on this readers theater.

                          Behind the Eight Ball


              

                           Not Your Old School Chalkboard

                                                      


21st century literacies framework is necessary for our students. Students will not be prepared for the global job market without this type of education. The school systems are behind the eight ball because they are not providing the training for teachers nor are they investing in technology for the schools. 

     
              
 

Students must be computer literate and integrate technology with reading and writing. Integrating technology with content areas provides authentic learning. When students use blogging for literacy responses, book talks,or create their own website to demonstrate their literacies, students will be accomplishing 21st century educational outcomes. Mr. Seyfert's class

             

Students can participate in conducting a research report like the circulatory system by viewing multiple online sites like Wikijunior. Additionally students can work collaboratively on a project within their school or with students in another location. Deb Norton celebrates digital learning with other schools throughout the country. This will indoctrinate students to accept other's thinking and respect the cultural differences that exist in the world.


                                                 


As students read online, they will become more adept at critical thinking skills as part of Common Core Standards because they will need to analyze multiple sources of the same information and make judgements as to the legitimacy of those sources.  Only through these experiences can students becomes competent to live in the twenty-first century.

In order to use technology, students must learn the responsibilities to access information.  Students must be alerted to the safety and legal uses of the tools of the Internet. NETS

                                       

What is your opinion about our 21st century responsibilities as educators? What role should parents play?

No Age Limits

                                              

                         David Vitter, U.S. senator
"I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!"

                             

There are no age limits to integrating digital activities for children today.  Babies are playing with iPads and are able to navigate it easily.

                                     




As soon as students enter school, they should have opportunities to work on technology. Kelly's Blog mentions the importance of digital storytelling in kindergarten.  There are many sites available to help preschoolers and young readers develop literacy skills.              
    
                  
 
The adage, "Practice Makes Perfect," is relevant when it comes to digital technology. This venture  is worth attaining.  As Elena's Blog explains, there are 22 digital skills every 21st century teacher must have.
                                                              
                     

Starfall has a great site for literacy. What caught my eye was the section on fables, folktales, fairy tales, and myths.  Starfall offers a simpler version of the stories. These stories can be exemplars before students actually start reading fairy tales, folktales, and fables. http://www.diigo.com/user/lead28407?domain=www.starfall.com
                                           

Students can access e-books to expose them to literacy skills. Read/Write/Think provides educators resources to integrate technology when teach reading and writing to students.


         
            

                         

Little Actors

                                             


My students recently completed a unit on folktales, fairy tales, fables and Native American legends. The performance assessment for this unit involves students participating in a reader's theater.  The Common Core Standards expect students to recount stories using not only reading and writing skills but oral presentation skills. I think this is a great opportunity to reach all learners and give students an opportunity to practice speaking in front of an audience. NCTE Framework for 21st Century Curriculum and Assessment




Students practice a play.

                      
Readers theatre  "is a style of theatre in which the actors do not have to memorize their lines. In Readers Theatre, actors use vocal expression to help the audience understand the story."  It is different from a play because a play has more visual features, such as sets and costumes. Readers Theatre became popular during and following the second World War when resources to produce plays were scarce. A common Readers Theatre uses only the scripts and stools or chairs. Wikipedia

Having my students perform their reader's theater of "The Ugly Duckling" would fit with my digital story telling project.

                                            

What is your opinion of this project? How do you think it will impact my students? Is it a worthwhile venture? Why or why not?

 

                                  

Class Project - Animoto

The class was so excited when I showed them the animoto about the phases of the moon.  I thought it would be fun for them to produce an animoto about Native Americans since they recently studied the Wampanoag.  The students choose pictures from Google Images related to the different subtopics they studied.  They selected pictures related to their way of living, homes, clothing and food.  Then students annotated the pictures. There was some discussion regarding the background for the Animoto.  They decided on an earth tone background because they had learned the Wampanoag depended on nature for their survival.  Finally, the accompanying music was selected.  Then, we produced our first animoto.  Needless to say, the students were thrilled!

GOOGLY EYED READER

After reading all these resources, I have developed googly eyes!

 

Using my Google Reader, I have subscribed to several educators’ blogs.  It is exciting and inspiring to learn new things about concepts I am teaching.  Implementing these ideas encourage my students to be more motivated about learning.

                                               

I watched a video on Mr. Avery’s blog that showed student’s role playing ways to overcome peer pressure.  When I teach the health unit on drugs and alcohol, video recording students as they practice ways to prevent getting involved with the wrong crowd could be a great demonstration for the class.   Mr. Avery, a sixth grade teacher, has many other interesting ideas on his blog as well.  So check it out!

                                     

Mr. Salsich is a third grade teacher and he participates in quad blogging.  Since I teach the same grade, there are multiple opportunities to compare curriculum ideas.  Presently, he is teaching an informational writing unit on topic sentences with supporting details. This is a requirement for third grade as part of the new Common Core State Standards. I taught an informational unit in October. In February, my co-workers and I are writing an informational reading and writing unit on explorers. Mr. Salsich used a picture of a taco with the meat, lettuce, and cheese to represent the topic sentence and supporting details.

                                    

Mrs. Lareau, a third grade teacher, videotapes her students when they do book talks. This gave me the idea, which I mentioned in a previous blog.  She teaches in Massachusetts and her class studies the Wampanoag Native Americans.  On her blog there is a game for students about the Wampanoag Native Americans.

 

                                        

These are just a few of the resources I have found using Google Reader. What a wonderful resource!

                        

 

Virtual Bookmarking

                                                    
                                                  

In order to effectively organize information on the Internet, Diigo is a tool for exploring the Internet and utilizing it for classroom instruction.  I have tagged various sites based on curriculum requirements for teaching third grade.  As I surf the net for this tech class looking for information about blogs, wikis, and digital storytelling, I found web sites related to reader's workshop, Native Americans, and rocks and minerals that I tagged and bookmarked

Wampanoag Native Americans

                                 

I noticed some sites for my next social studies' unit on explorers. I found an excellent example of a student report on Christopher Columbus. I bookmarked the site and tagged it with explorers.  Upon further perusal, I Posted a sticky note to the student's report on Christopher Columbus so that it could be used as an exemplar for my students.
                                     
         

After I bookmarked a web page with multiple sites on rocks and minerals, I highlighted a link on rocks and minerals.  I can refer to this link when I teach this unit next month. My students will learn about the formation of the three different types of rocks.

                                  


When I was looking for information on my animoto for the phases of the moon, I came across Mrs. Donald's web page. After bookmarking her page, I also took  a picture of her web page because she had used Oreo cookies to display the phases of the moon.
                                         

These are the various ways I am managing Diigo as a resource.

IN THE MOMENT

In the Moment

Looking through sites to get a handle on  Flicker regarding Richard’s references about its uses, I am looking for ways to apply what I find to my teaching.  I discovered photographs a teacher had taken of students in their classrooms collaborating on a math lesson.
                                          

This reminded me of the Concepts For Learning Unit. The students independently demonstrated their mathematical reasoning with a partner. They developed strategies to figure out ways to solve a multiplication problem using repeated addition, grouping, distributive properties and commutative properties without direct instruction. Students were encouraged to explore independently and collaborate with other students for problem solving strategies. This inspired me to use the pictures I had just taken of my students illustrating their understanding of the phases of the moon.

                                                                                                                                                                                             

Richardson refers to a class project on Jane Goodall’s camp by a teacher. Jane Goodall's CampThe way the teacher annotated the page made me think I could use a picture of the human body when my class studies the body systems.  If I embedded a picture of a human body with the organs exposed, students could click on various organs to illustrate not only the name of the organ but its function in the body. Studying the body systems is a third grade science outcome.
                     
 
                                
I liked Mr. Crosby’ class photstream. http://www.flickr.com/photos/36362146@N02/ I would like to try doing a slide show.  The next science unit for my class is rocks and minerals.  I could make a slideshow of the three types of rocks and show how they are formed using various graphics.
Slide show of igneous rock formation. ; Slide show of metamorphic rock formation; Slide show of sedimentary rock formation.  .All these sites came from Ms. Kuperberg's web page.