Week Five: Educational Technology

This week in class, we focused on learning about Visual Literacy as well as how to implement online communication sources in the classroom.

As we explored in the article entitled "2009 Horizon Report: The K12 Edition," there are various ways to communicate via technology and to use this concept in the classroom.  I learned through the sites that we explored that there are two types of communication styles - synchronous and asynchronous.

Synchronous is when individuals communicate at the same time and have "live" conversation with one another. This can take place through face to face communication, telephone, and through programs like Google Chat and Skype. This type of communication can be implemented in the classsroom through having students use Skype to talk to peers in other countries. Google Chat could also be useful for teachers to talk to other teachers in their school or district as a means to bounce ideas off of one another.

Asynchronous communication is when individuals communicate on their own time. The most common example of this type of communication is email or text message.  Other types of educational technology that use asychronous communication is Edmodo, which I will discuss more about later.  Email in particular is a great way to communicate with parents, as it allows both teacher and parent to communicate with one another on their own schedules.

Visual Literacy was the largest component of our lesson this week.  We explored some examples of Visual Literacy and how using it can be beneficial for students. One of the items that we explored was an interview with famous filmmaker Martin Scorsese.  In the video of him, he speaks candidly about how being exposed to Visual Literacy as a child greatly impacted his life.  In the video, he mentioned that he grew up without many books and without reading much. Instead, he spent much of his time watching television and going to movies.  These visual mediums impacted him and became the primary way in which he learned, ultimately becoming his passion and career. 

I learned this week that it is important not to focus only on specific types of learners.  I have always been an avid reader and lover of books, and so sometimes I am guilty of focusing on that too much and not realizing that other people have other learning styles and interests. I think that using Visual Literacy in my classroom will help me reach the students, like Scorsese, who are more visual learners, and give them a chance to become engaged and interested in class. 

There are many ways in which Visual Literacy can be used in the classroom. Students can create posters or Glogs, which I will explore in the Technology Exploration section below. As instructor, I can assign projects that allow students to watch videos or create their own videos. They can create presentations using different types of Visual Literacy technologies to present to the classroom.  There are also numerous online games and puzzles that students can use to enhance their learning about specific subjects.  I also think that using visuals on a classroom website or Wikispace would be helpful as a means of Visual Literacy for the class as a whole.

 

Prezi

1.

After exploring www.prezi.com, I found that this resource is a new and great way to create presentations. PowerPoint, as we discussed in our Lesson Four lecture, can definitely become boring and stale when used too often or when used the wrong way. Too often, teachers just create standard, text-heavy slides and read them aloud to the class. This is not an effective way to teach. However, after learning about Prezi, I feel that this program takes presentations up a notch.  Though this resource could be used for almost anything, the website had a whole tab for “Prezi for Education.” Once I clicked this, I came to a screen that explains how it can be used in the classroom. I learned the most, however, when I looked at the Prezi “If You Put It That Way” by Leticia Cavagnaro that is listed on the education page. This Prezi showed me how they really look and was a great example to explore.

2.

Prezis could be used in various ways in the classroom.  The example that I mentioned above, “If You Put It That Way,” shows how easily Prezis are manipulated, and how much more exciting they are to view than PowerPoint slides.  I like that the presentation said we should stop thinking so “laterally” and start thinking in a different more “whole” way.  The Prezi was interesting and captivating, and the zooming and images were fun and drew the audience in.   They could be used in the classroom primarily for presentations. I think that students are so bored and tired of PowerPoint slides that this resource would be like a breath of fresh air for them.  It would be a fun way to present information rather than just reading off of slides.    I also think that Prezis could be used by students when they are to create a presentation for the class. Oftentimes, students get bored creating PowerPoints, as we discussed in class.  This would give them the opportunity to have more creativity and autonomy with what they want to do with their presentation.   I also noticed on the Education page that students are able to create “Prezumes” and Portfolios using this resource. I love this idea! I think the Portfolio idea would be a really neat way to display students’ work such as a book of poetry with accompanying drawings or a presentation about an author with appropriate images. It would also be  a neat idea to have students create a “Prezume” along with a paper resume at the end of their senior year. That way, they are prepared for applying for college and/or jobs after graduation. It is an interesting way to get them excited about such a mundane task.

3.

The educators’ version of Prezi is free which creates even more of a reason that I would recommend Prezi to other educators. I am excited about this one. I feel slightly intimidated, as the example I looked at was impressive, but I feel that with enough practice and tinkering, I would be able to grasp this resource and use it effectively in my classroom.  The price tag is also a large positive for me, as I mentioned above.  I also like that it has a whole section on Education, which shows how useful it can be in the classroom.  I look forward to having an official school email address so I can register for this resource!

Spicy Nodes

1.

At first, I had no idea what www.spicynodes.org was going to be.  After exploring it, however, I feel that it could be a very useful tool to know about.  The website explains that “spicy nodes” are organizers that are used on websites to help with organizational purposes.  For example, a website administrator could use Spicy Nodes to organize their website’s information.  The Spicy Nodes can be organized by shapes such as a bubble map or a tree. Their primary purpose is to make users or viewers more capable of finding information.

2.

This could definitely be used in a school setting. I browsed some examples, and one that I found to be relevant and interesting was the example “Exploring Calendars through the Ages.” This was located on an educational website, and the user was able to click through the Spicy Node resource to discover more about calendars. It was a fun and interactive way to engage the viewer.    Another example I liked was the Clinical Placement Q&A. I liked instead of just listing the questions and answers, they were placed in a bubble map format and the user could click on the question that they are wondering about. This is just a more interesting and engaging way to answer these questions. I think that this would be a neat idea to implement on my classroom website or Wikispace. I could potentially use Spicy Nodes to create my own Q&A bubble map that answers questions students might have such as my email address, office hours, and more. I could also make them for specific assignments that explain the assignment and list the due date so that students have access to this information easily.  I think that using Spicy Nodes in a presentation would also be useful. As instructor, I could incorporate them into a presentation on whatever topic I am presenting on at the time. These would be fun for students to see since they are interactive.

3.

I would recommend Spicy Nodes to other educators. I think that they are interesting since they are interactive and easily customizable. They could also be implemented into the classroom in various ways, which is a plus. I also like that the single person use is free of charge. If I were to use it for more than only me, however, I don’t believe I would pay the $24 per month fee. I did also feel that they would be somewhat of a challenge to create, so if I were going to make one, I would want it to be one that I could use for more than just one quick lesson.

Edmodo

1.

Wow – I really, really like the idea of Edmodo! I think that this resource could be extremely valuable in a classroom and school environment. After exploring the website www.edmodo.com, it seems to me that Edmodo is sort of a combination of Facebook and Twitter, but with only students, teachers, administrators, and parents. The teacher can organize their Edmodo by class, and each student can sign up and have access to the class at all times.  I think that this is a genius product that is sure to become more popular in schools as time passes. In my opinion, it is a great way to keep students engaged, especially since they can access Edmodo on their phones or tablets. I think it would be useful, as the teacher, to be able to post things on Edmodo to enhance instruction.

2.

Edmodo could definitely be used in a school setting. It could primarily be used by creating an Edmodo account for your particular classroom, and have your students join and engage in the conversations and assignments you post. After watching the “about” video, I can tell that Edmodo feels “current” and that students would be excited about something that they are familiar with that is a form of social media. As a teacher, I would use this in my classroom in the ways that were shown on the video. For example, it would be a great way to take classroom “polls” about subjects and gauge student understanding about the particular lesson. It would also be a fun place to post the games and applications available that would help enhance student learning. I also think that the idea of posting reminders and inviting parents to join and see what is happening in the class would be very useful and effective.    I really think that Edmodo would serve to create a great classroom environment where the students feel closely knit to one another. It would be such a positive think to provide for my class, since I could post positive feedback, images, and photos from great projects done by students. In short, I can’t wait to use this in my class!

3.

I would absolutely use Edmodo as well as recommend it to other teachers. It would be helpful to see other teachers’ classroom Edmodos to help enhance my own. Since the resource is seemingly free, this is even more of a reason to use it. I think that it is such a great resource- not only for organizational purposes, but for creating a comfortable and fun classroom environment. I love that as a teacher, I could post things from my phone or home computer and my students could do the same. This is current and accessible for students.

Math Dictionary for Kids

1.

At first site, this resource is a great way to implement math games and activities into the classroom. At second glance, however, this site also concentrates on vocabulary. At the top of each game, they define the word so that the student doesn’t just mindlessly click and play. I learned that this was a fun and engaging way to help students either become introduced to these mathematics ideas or for them to review and test their understanding of these concepts. I liked that the website was extremely simple to use and the bright colors would be engaging for young students.

2.

This resource could definitely be applied in almost any math classroom. The concepts that are listed on the site range from simple math to algebra to geometry. These could be implemented, therefore, in elementary to middle to high school math classes. I think that a math teacher could use these as a review for their students before upcoming tests or as an activity to ensure that the students are learning what they have been studying. It would also be a fun homework assignment (if all students had access to the internet).  I think it is especially useful since the site incorporates both math and vocabulary.

3.

I would definitely recommend this to math teachers, since there are tons of free games for students to play to enhance their learning of a subject. The site is extremely simple to use, and with some guidance, even elementary aged students could operate it successfully. I think that the fact that the resource is free is also a positive. I think that the games that are included on the site are fun visuals that would help students to grasp a subject since they can personally engage in the activities.

Glogster

 

1.

I honestly had no idea what to expect from the Glog website, and it took me a bit to actually understand what a Glog was. Once I explored the site, though, I saw how useful this resource could be for me in the future.  The part of the website that I found the most informative was the blog section that was entitled “40 + Ways to Innovate Teaching Using Glogster EDU.” This section listed all of the different ways that Glogs can be used in the classroom, and it used extremely specific examples.  I was unaware that a technology like this existed, but I think using Glogs would be a great idea.

2.

Glogs can definitely be incorporated into a classroom seamlessly.  Like the Blog post on their website mentioned, this resource could be a very valuable resource in my classroom.  I think that one of the best ways that Glogs could be used would be as an introductory tool from me, as the teacher, to my students and their parents. It would be a nice and fun way to post and/or email my information out to the upcoming class.  It could also be posted on my class’s website or Wikispace, so that students and parents have immediate access easily.   Another way that I would use Glogs in my classoom would be to have my students make Glogs for certain lessons. As we have been discussing this week, typical PowerPoint presentations can often be overused and unsuccessful.  That being said, having students make a Glog for a presentation on a certain subject would be much more engaging and exciting for them than a standard PowerPoint. Since Glogs are able to be posted and shared on almost all types of social media, it would be fun to post them on a WikiSpace or on your class’s Edmodo.

3.

I would definitely recommend Glogs to other educators. I thought that the website was helpful in explaining how useful Glogs could be in the classroom.  It would be helpful to have that resource to help you come up with ideas for how to implement Glogs successfully in the classroom.  I also feel that the price isn’t unreasonable. The price is $39 for one year for one secondary teacher with 125 students. This is definitely affordable, especially if Glogs became something that you used in your classroom on a regular basis.

Jing

1.

The TechSmith website mentions Jing, which is a tool that allows its user to take a screenshot of their screen or a recording on their screen and display it to a classroom or on a website or through email. I actually have a tool similar to this that I use at work in order to copy information and maps for reports that I enter data into. I definitely get a lot of use out of this tool, but I have not seen a resource that allows the user to copy a video as well as an image. I also think it is useful that this tool is compatible with both a PC and a Mac.  That way, it is compatible with any computer that you have at work or at home or that your students have at school or at home.

2.

Jing could potentially be very useful in the classroom.  The example video on the website showed that this resource could be used very successfully when the teacher has to be out of the classroom.  The example listed showed a teacher that, when called for jury duty, used Jing to record himself speaking to the students so that they were able to watch and listen to him present the new material for the week. The teacher mentioned that instead of taking a risk with a substitute and not knowing if the lesson would go over in his absence, he just recorded himself teaching and had the students watch it in his absence. I think this would be the most useful way to use this resource in the classroom. I also think that it could be used simply as a way of copying information that you need to have ready for a presentation or to email it or post it to a website or Wiki.  Similar to the way that our instructor recorded a class session during the Memorial Day holiday, this resource would be best used as a means of communicating to students when you as the teacher are absent or when students are absent.

3.

I would recommend Jing to other educators, but mainly for the reason that I discussed above of using it when you or your students are absent. It, in my opinion, would be best used for make up work or in situations like these.  Since Jing is provided by TechSmith free of charge, it would be a good resource to remember in these situations. I am not sure that I would pay a fee for this resource, but since it is free, it makes sense to use it when applicable in your classroom.

YouTube for Education

1.

Before exploring this resource, I was unaware that there was a section of YouTube exclusively for educators and students.  I often use YouTube in my everyday life at this point, as do most people.  With that being said, YouTube seems like a logical method of teaching enhancement, since most people are familiar with how to access and view YouTube videos.    On the teaching tab of the education section of the website, there are many specific examples listed that explain how to use YouTube to help with instruction.  There are examples listed like “get struggling students up to speed, and push strong students ahead,” “review for upcoming exams,” and “create quizzes to accompany videos for instant feedback.”   I like that not only does the website explain in specific steps how to incorporate videos and make videos for your classroom, it also gives you, as the teacher, specific examples of how to use this resource in the classroom.

2.

The website listed various ways that YouTube for Education can be used in the classroom.  I think that the best way that this resource can be used is by creating a YouTube channel specifically for the classroom and then implementing it throughout the year.  As a teacher, I would create a YouTube channel for my class that I private and only seen by my class (unless we decide otherwise at that time).  I like the idea of occasionally having students watch the upcoming lesson outside of class and then coming to class prepared to have a quick review and start applying what they learned in concrete practice situations.  I also think a YouTube channel would be a good place to post a video of important lectures for students who are absent or may need extra review.  I also like the idea of using YouTube for Education as a way to review for exams. It would be useful to post it on the classroom’s channel so that students can look over it for practice before an exam. The options with this resource are really endless.

3.

I would recommend YouTube for Education to other educators. Not only is it helpful to have a channel for your own classroom, but it is nice to have access to tons of educational videos about various different subjects that you can use in your instruction. It reminds me of www.ted.com, except with more instructional videos than speeches.  I also like that this resource is free and easy to use, with easy to understand instructions that guide you through creating both channels and videos.

School Tube

1.

School Tube is a resource similar to YouTube, except that it is made specifically for students and teachers to have a space to safely share videos.  I think that this site is a good idea for a classroom, especially since it weeds out all of the irrelevant videos found on YouTube. Students could easily get distracted on YouTube, but with School Tube, most of the videos would be school or education-related, which would decrease distraction.  School Tube also offers fun ideas like competitions between school channels and videos and the ability to share with others on the site.

2.

The uses of School Tube in a classroom would be similar to the YouTube for Education uses.  For example, teachers and/or schools are able to create their own channels to feature relevant videos for your classroom or school.  This could be used as a school-wide effort to post videos with daily or weekly “school news” which could consist of records of different students in the school reporting on the school’s current events. This could also be used similarly to YouTube for Education by creating and uploading videos that enhance a presentation or lecture or fill in students in the case of absence.  It could also be used as a means of asynchronous conversation between other schools or students so that classrooms can communicate with other students and learn from them. It would be an interesting idea to have something similar to pen pals except in a virtual format using this resource.

3.

Since the resource appears to be free, I would recommend it to other educators. It is definitely suited to schools and students since it is made for them and helps with the problem that YouTube has of distractions and privacy. I like that School Tube allows for only classroom-centric videos instead of having everything. I also feel that the site is easy to use.

Teacher Tube

1.

From exploring this resource, I initially learned that Teacher Tube is sort of a play on YouTube, except meant especially for teachers. The site is divided into different tabs at the top, such as videos, doc,s audios, photos, groups, classrooms, and collections.  The premise of the site is to provide teachers with a place to create their own videos or documents and upload them so that other teachers can critique them or use them. It is almost like a teacher “sounding board,” where other teachers are able to discuss what does and does not work for them.  I also learned from this resource that there are tons of videos that are uploaded to this site that are made specifically for certain classroom lessons. This could potentially be a great resource to use in my classroom. From the “about” tab, I learned that this site was created for teachers by teachers, and that the content is monitored, so it is nice to know that the atmosphere is going to be decent and not full of any type of video the way regular YouTube is.

2.

Teacher Tube could be implemented into my classroom by using the videos and documents uploaded to enhance my instruction. For example, if I were needing a video to add to my instruction about persuasive writing, I could search Teacher Tube under the language arts section and find an appropriate video that would potentially help my students understand the concept. Since all of the videos are education related, it is easier to weed through the information uploaded and find something that is appropriate.   Teacher Tube could also be used as a place to upload videos that I create to help my instruction. That way, I can get feedback from other teachers and bounce idea off of them. It could definitely be useful when trying to find exciting new ideas for teaching.

3.

I believe I would recommend Teacher Tube to others, but I am unsure how much I will actually use it. I think that the YouTube for Education site is more practical for me since I would want to create my own channel and allow students to access what I create. YouTube for Education allows the user to set video to private, so if I didn’t want to students to see it, I could do that rather than managing an account on Teacher Tube. I do think that it is a good place to know about, though, since it is free and there are many videos uploaded that could potentially be used in classrooms.

Educational Technology: Week Four

This week, we spent our time learning about how to affectively use PowerPoint presentations in the classroom.  I learned this week that PowerPoints are extremely useful for instructional purposes and lectures, but you have to be somewhat careful when using them.  The websites we explored, such as

http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/powerpoint/ 

explain how this type of technology can be used in the modern-day classroom.  Teachers can use this resource to create lectures about almost any topic. PowerPoints can be useful since they are able to be made ahead of time and can include many types of graphics such as photos, images, graphs, and even sound and animation.  Obviously, this is more fun and interactive to look at than a dry erase board or a chalk board.

PowerPoints can also be beneficial as a way to assist students with note-taking.  In my college classes, many of my professors used PowerPoint as the main way in which they conducted class.  They would create slideshows and then post them online for our class to access.  This was extremely helpful, as I could print out the slides, bring them to class, and use them for taking notes. This was obviously helpful to keep me on track, but it was also nice to be able to have a built-in study guide that we created throughout the semester.  I like this idea for secondary students, as well, especially Juniors and Seniors in High School. It would be beneficial for them to use this to start to learn about how to manage courses in college.

PowerPoints are definitely beneficial when it comes to simply lecturing, as well.  An example I read this week mentioned a teacher who, when using PowerPoint, instead of having to draw an image of a cell on the chalkboard, was able to create a slide that had real photographs and better images of cells for the students to see.  This is definitely beneficial for students, as they are seeing real-world examples rather than rough sketches.

With all that being said, teachers do need to take some precautions when using PowerPoint, though.  PowerPoint can definitely be a crutch for their presenters.  Many people use them by simply creating some bullet points and reading them to the class. This is not an affective way to teach.  The PowerPoint, as we learned this week, should be used more as a guide and a way to show specific examples of the lesson that you are teaching.  It should not be the entire lesson in and of itself.  Also, since PowerPoints are so easily made and manipulated, a savvy user can create great graphics and images and animations in their PowerPoint. The use of this, though a great concept, should be monitored so that the actual lesson and point that you are trying to get across does not get lost in the glitter and glamour of the PowerPoint itself.

After learning a lot about PowerPoints, I feel that I will most definitely use them in my future classroom.  I know that I will use them for certain lessons that I create, especially for topics that need a visual image or ones that I feel students will need assistance with note-taking.  I also think that PowerPoint would be very useful for students to use when they are assigned class presentations.  In the classroom that I observed for one of my classes this week, the students were assigned a PowerPoint presentation that was on Genocide.  They were made to write a research paper on the topic and then present a PowerPoint presentation to their class on the topic.  The lesson combined the subjects that they were studying in English (research papers) as well as what they were studying in Global Studies (Genocide).  I think that this was a great use of PowerPoint in the classroom, as students were able to have the autonomy to be creative and create their own presentation.

The other main part of our studies this week was an exploration of www.ted.com.

I think that this website is an absolutely invaluable source for a classroom. I love the idea that I can search for a topic and find a video for it almost instantly.  There are many different speeches listed, so I feel that whenever I needed one for a certain topic, I would almost certainly be able to locate one.  This source could be used as an instructional tool in any size, type, or level of classroom.  The specific videos I watched were Birke Baehr's "What's Wrong With Our Food System" and Jamie Oliver's "Teach Every Child About Food." 

One of my strong personal beliefs is that every student in our country should be educated about nutrition.  I believe that this lack of knowledge is one of the key parts of the terrible obesity epidemic that our country is currently suffering and dying from.  If we educate students about this at a young age and continue to do so as they grow older, they are more likely to choose better food options and be aware of the damage that unhealthy food can do to their bodies.  That being said, I plan to show these two videos to my future classroom to at least start a conversation about this topic. 

I also feel that these videos could be used as a means of curriculum instruction.  For example, these videos are great examples of persuasive speeches.  It would be a great enhancement to a lesson on persuasive writing and speaking to show these two videos as examples.  A fun idea in correlation with that would be to have students, after watching these speeches, come up with a topic to write a persuasive paper on. They could use www.ted.com for inspiration to find a topic that they are passionate about enough to write about.  The students could then prepare a persuasive paper along with a persuasive PowerPoint presentation and present it, along with the video where they found their inspiration, to the class. I am already looking forward to using www.ted.com in my classroom.

As a quick side note, I also watched Ken Robinson's "Schools Kill Creativity" speech and found that I absolutely agree with what he spoke about.  I definitely agree with him on the fact that instead of encouraging students who have different learning styles, we (sadly) often medicate them or think they are disruptive or "bad" students.  This is oftentimes simply not the case. I hope as a teaching professional, I am able to recognize the wonderful differences in all of my individual students and help them grow in their own ways.  Instead of thinking that children all have to sit quietly and "behave," why not allow them to express themselves creatively and encourage them to find what they are passionate about?

For this week's comprehensive project and after watching the two videos from www.ted.com, I created a PowerPoint about Clean Eating. 

1. Since I do not have a classroom yet, I presented this topic to my cousin who is a Junior in High School. 

2. I feel that I was most proud of the fact that instead of using the method of simply writing bullet points and not expanding on them, I left this PowerPoint much more "cut and dry" than those I have made in the past. I found that instead of using the PowerPoint as a crutch and simply reading from it, it was much more useful as a guide and a way to enhance the actual bulk of my lesson. 

3. If I could do the presentation again, I would probably add more visuals. I felt a little nervous about using clip art and images from the internet, since I need to become more clear on sourcing information for PowerPoints. I felt that I could have spent more time on the graphics and created my own charts to enhance the lesson. I also could have taken my own pictures to add to certain parts of it.

4. Though I don't yet have students, my cousin responded well to my presentation. She found it interesting, since it is somewhat of a "hot topic" now. She also found the facts I presented alarming, which made the presentation successful since it was attention-grabbing.

This week's Technology Explorations encompassed some of my favorite ones so far.  Here they are:

Comic Life

1.

I learned from this website that this resource is basically for the user to be able to create a comic strip about any subject that they please. You are even able, as the user, to make a personalized comic using photos of yourself. It is available for Windows, for a Mac, and for an iPad. There is a whole section on the Comic Life website that refers to how Comic Life is beneficial for a classroom. The software is relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and allows for lots of creativity from the user.

2.

Comic Life could be used in classrooms of really any grade and almost any subject. I think it would be most suited for an English class, since the gist of it is story-telling. The software is probably a little more suited to younger students – maybe upper elementary through middle school – since this age is usually more interested in comic books.   In my class, I could potentially use it in a unit to have students make their own comics to tell a story. It would be a fun way to assess comprehension of story lines and plot. For example, when studying Greek Mythology, since many of those stories are confusing, it might be fun to allow students to choose a certain one we are studying and create their own version of it using the Comic Life software. They could use images of themselves as the main “hero” or even draw the images they wish to use and scan and upload them to the computer to download them into the software. The students could then create the stories in their own words and make their own comic strip about the tale. It would be fun to have a day at the end of the segment where students would be allowed to present their comics to the class. It would be a great way to break down the complicated stories into fun ones that they can understand. It is also a great way to assess their knowledge of the subject at hand.   Comic Life could be fun in many other ways, as well. It might be fun for just a general creative-writing project where the students could have free-reign to make a comic about anything they wanted. It would be a good way to give them a short break from taxing curriculum by allowing them to do something that still allows them to learn and be creative. It might also be a fun way to end the school year – to have students write a “Adventures of Summer” comic where they make up a story about what they plan to do that summer.   I also believe the software would be fun for students to do on their iPads, since it is compatible with them. They could use it in class and at home in this way. In short, Comic Life provides lots of possibilities to students and teachers.

3.

I believe I would recommend Comic Life to other educators. Though it inexpensive, I don’t believe I would necessarily purchase it myself unless I needed it for a specific assignment. If it were provided to me as a teacher, though, I would definitely take advantage of it occasionally. It has the potential to break up the monotony of certain assignments and allow students to create something creative that they could keep. It also has the potential to help students understand some computer basics like uploading images, typing, and arranging their text the way they want.   After watching the tutorial video, I believe that Comic Life is definitely simple to use after you play with it for a while. It would probably be intuitive for students who are often exposed to technology like this. I felt that the fee was not unreasonable, but again, I don’t believe I would purchase it on my own, as I don’t feel I would use it very often.

iSpeech

1.

I really enjoyed exploring the iSpeech website. I feel that it is one of the most useful ones that we have looked at, especially in regards to the classroom. There are many different types of apps that are mentioned on this website. There are also many ways in which these can be used both in life in general as well as in the classroom. Some of the uses that stood out to me are the Drive Safely app, the Caller ID app, and the Speech Translator. The Drive Safely app reads your text messages to you and allows you to dictate what you want to say in a message you plan to send. The Caller ID app notifies you by saying the name of who is calling you, so you don’t have to look down at your phone. The Speech Translator, which would probably be most useful for the classroom, allows you to hear the translation of any words or phrases that you email or text. There is even an app to Podcast your Blog, which would be useful for students with seeing problems. There is also a Text to Speech Online segment that allows you to convert basically anything on your computer to speech, including websites and documents.

2.

This software could be used in the classroom in countless ways. One of the ones that stood out to me the most was the potential benefit of using the Speech Translator in a foreign language classroom. How amazing would it be for students in class to be able to plug in a word through their text messages and immediately have it translated?  It would need to be regulated in classroom use since they would need to make sure to learn the words on their own, but it could be very useful and helpful when used in moderation. It would be nice for when they are writing long papers and need to quickly know the translation of a word. It would also be nice for when they are completing homework. This is fun way for students to get involved with their studies since they are so used to texting. Not only is it convenient, but it makes the content relatable to them.   Since this would be useful for foreign language classes, it would also be highly useful for ESL students. As they learn new phrases and words they are unfamiliar with, they could simply type them into their phones and instantly know the translation. This could be paired with the Perfect Pronunciation component so that they could not only hear the translation, but they could also hear how they are pronounced (which can be tweaked based on location, etc.).   I also believe that this resource could be helpful in the classroom for students with sight disabilities. For those unable to see well, this could be useful since it converts basically anything to speech. If the student was tasked with writing a paper and couldn’t see well, they could use the software to read what they had typed to them to check for typos and cohesiveness. Teachers could also install it for presentations so that these students could more easily follow along in class. It could also be downloaded onto their cell phones so that they are able to see emails and other important information. In short, I think this this software is very useful.

3.

I do feel that I would recommend this software to other educators. There are so many different components to it, which means there are so many possibilities of how to use it in the classroom. Like I mentioned above, it could be used for the average student to assist with homework or it could be used by ESL students or even students with disabilities. I think that the ease of use is great and the app nature is appealing to students with smart phones. Since many of the apps are free, the price is not an issue. I think it is important, also, to mention that the apps that assist with young people not texting and driving are important. It would be good, as an educator, to mention this to all of the students that you come across to help with this.

Voice Thread

1.

VoiceThread is a really interesting and useful application. I like the fact that there is no software to install and that it works off the cloud. On the “about” section, the VoiceThread website says that the user is able to “upload, share, and discuss documents, presentations, images, and audio files and videos.” The only thing I can think of that would be similar to this would be the iLearn portal that we use for our class. Just like iLearn, users are able to log on and literally leave comments and documents for one another. I have never heard of this resource, but I think it could be so useful in many ways, especially in a classroom setting.

2.

This resource could definitely be used in a school setting. It would obviously be very useful in an online classroom setting similar to ours, since the users are able to log on and off and leave comments and other documents for each other. It would be a great way to organize an online class. It would also be very beneficial for college courses. Since they don’t meet occasionally or a few times a week, this could be extremely beneficial for group projects. It could make group projects flow much more seamlessly since different individuals in the group could easily contribute and comment on the work being done.   I think the best way to use this program in my classroom would also be through group projects. It could be a really valuable resource in terms of holding each student accountable for completing the work they have been assigned. As the teacher, I could log on and see all the documents uploaded, work being done, and comments made. This would hold students accountable and make the work be evenly dispersed, but it would also help me to see what progress is made and how the group is doing on the assignment in order to help guide them in the right direction. I like, also, that this is compatible with iPhones, iPads, and other smart phones.   I believe this could be a beneficial part of my classroom simply as a portal, too. It could be something that students use to get in contact with me or other students quickly if they have an urgent question about an assignment. It could also be where they turn in their assignments or classwork so that I am notified right away when it was turned in. I think that VoiceThread could be used this way and a classroom could really get a good amount of use out of it.

3.

I would recommend this software to other educators, especially for college level or high school classes. I think that for students to use this correctly, there would need to be a certain maturity level in place so that the comments and work stay on topic. The webinars that are provided on the website explain how beneficial VoiceThread can be for online classes and also large lecture classes. I like the idea of using this in my classroom for group projects and even as a portal for students to use. I took a look at the fees associated, and for a single educator, it runs at around $15.00 per month. I think that if you used this in your classroom regularly, this fee would be worth it. According to the webinars and instructions, I don’t believe this would be difficult to learn how to use, especially since there is no software installation required.

Voice Thread WikiSpace

1.

After exploring the VoiceThread website, I checked out the VoiceThread Wikispace. I felt that this resource was even more valuable than the website, because it provided real life examples of how VoiceThread is being used in different classrooms. Though I feel the website gave me a good general understanding of it, the Wikispace page made it much clearer since I was able to see true examples of what a VoiceThread looks like.

2.

I felt that the VoiceThread Wikispace could definitely be used in conjunction with VoiceThread in the classroom. If I end up using VoiceThread, it would be such a great place for me to go to get ideas on how to work it into my lessons.   On the VoiceThread Wikispace, I clicked on the 9-12 link to see how teachers of older students put this resource to use. After watching some of the examples, one that stood out to me was the VoiceThread called “Many Voices for Darfur.” The teacher created a VoiceThread made up of different political cartoons about Darfur. Then, the students went through these and commented on them. Each student’s picture was listed on the sides, and you could click to see what each one had said. I think this is such a neat idea. It’s a simple homework assignment that could be done at home, in class, or on a phone or tablet. The fact that it shows each student’s image and name beside their comment is great and makes it easier to grade or check for participation. I also like that the class as a whole is able to read what each other think about the cartoons to get a conversation going about the subject.   An idea of something similar that I could do in my English classroom would be to post different examples of irony, symbolism, and other literary devices and have students discuss or explain how these devices are working in the samples I choose. It would a nice way to have students share ideas and get a conversation rolling rather than simply being quizzed on it.   I definitely think that the VoiceThread Wikispace is a beneficial classroom tool and know that it would be a nice place to revert back to when you need some fresh ideas.

3.

I would recommend VoiceThread and the VoiceThread Wikispace to other educators. The Wikispace really explains in a more thorough way how VoiceThread works and it gives specific examples of how teachers are using it in classrooms. The Wikispace is broken down into grade levels, which makes for easy navigation. Even if you don’t find an idea that fits your lesson exactly, at least you will feel inspired and able to brainstorm some fresh ideas. If you have the VoiceThread technology, this Wikispace would definitely be a great resource. It is also free and easy to use.

Storybird

1.

I love Storybird! It is one of my favorite Technology Explorations that we have discussed to date. It is one of the ones that allows the most creativity, and you can really get lost just browsing the site and exploring what others have created. The website is similar to a social media platform similar to Pinterest, where you can “heart” and comment on others’ work. The website allows you to browse others’ work but also create your own. I think this is one of the most interesting and inventive resources out there, especially for an English classroom.   To create a story, the process is pretty simple and intuitive. There is also a step by step list on the FAQ section of the website. As a user, I just clicked the “Create” button and then browsed until I found artwork that I liked. One you decide on the art you want to use, you can just drag them onto the page of your story that you want them. Then, you can add your text and finish it by clicking “Publish.”   There are lots of other possibilities for Storybird, too. You can create and upload artwork that can be used for your book or for others’ books. You can comment or like others’ images and books. You can also purchase books that you particularly like. There are so many possibilities with this website, and it is free!

2.

Storybird could be used in so many ways in a classroom. I love the idea of incorporating it into my future English class. I think it is intuitive and easy to use, and it gives students guidelines while also allowing for immense creativity. Storybird could be used as a way to assess a student’s understanding of a story in a few ways. First, they could make their own “version” of a story by using them same general plot and ideas but changing the characters and details. Another way, which I think would be really neat, would be to have students create a prequel or a sequel to a story that would might be studying at the time. For example, it would be neat to have a class read something as a whole and then have the students create a story about what they think would happen next or what they think happened before. It would be such a fun way to make sure that they understand the story but also allow them to have some creativity in a writing assignment.   I also think that Storybird could be just a nice, general project for an end of year project on writing. It would be really awesome to collaborate with an art class and have students create artwork in their class that could go along with their story. Then at the end, you could give parents the option to purchase their child’s book. This would be such a great thing!   On the teacher section of the website, there are other great ideas mentioned on how to use Storybird in the classroom. It can be used to create and solve puzzles in different stories. It can be used on a private setting so that the class can have access only to each other’s work. It can also be public, which is nice too, for more ideas. It can easily be downloaded and emailed to parents or uploaded to class websites, etc. The possibilities with this are endless.

3.

I am definitely going to use this in my class, and I am also definitely going to recommend it to other educators.  For a basic membership, Storybird is free. For a premium membership, it runs at about $9.00 per month. I don’t think this is unreasonable since the resource is so great. If you planned to use it only for one month and have your students create and finish their project in that amount of time, it is definitely affordable. If not, the free version is great, too.   I think the site is easy to use and intuitive enough for younger kids. I think older ones would grasp it easily and love that they can comment and “like” each other’s work. Since it’s usage is similar to social media, it is relatable to students. I can’t wait to use this in my class!

Scribblar

1.

From exploring the Scribblar website, I learned that Scribblar is a virtual “room” in which students and/or teachers can log on and conduct a “class” of sorts. The software allows the user to create a “room” and invite other users into it. In it is a virtual white board that all users have access to, so that this software is very beneficial when used for collaborative projects. The program provides a whiteboard what contains many tools like shapes, colors, text, and more. It also allows for images to be uploaded into it and for its users to be able to talk to one another through it. There is also an option to sync your account with your Skype account, so that you are able to see and be seen by the other users while you are in the “room” together.

2.

This resource could be invaluable for online teachers and also for teachers who are assigning large group projects in their classes. I think that the most valuable way that this could be used, as mentioned in many of the testimonials on the website, is for it to serve as a meeting place for online classes. I feel that it would especially be useful for an online mathematics class, since the user is able to type and work directly with the whiteboard. As a teacher of this class, you could have students work out problems that you write on the board. You could also have them collaborate together to solve a problem. I think that the fact that anyone can use the whiteboard would be very beneficial for this.   Scribblar would also be useful for classes that are working on an in-depth group project. It would be helpful for students to be able to log on after school hours and use Scribblar to formulate their project. Not only would they be able to see the others’ ideas, they would be able to hear their fellow students and speak directly to them. It would be especially beneficial, again, for a class that uses many images – like a Geometry class or an art class.

3.

I believe I would recommend this project only to certain teachers who might get the most use out of it, like math teachers and online teachers. Otherwise, I’m not sure that I would necessarily recommend it. It seems like using it would require a bit of a  learning curve, and this seems to be a little too much trouble for what it’s worth in an English class. I don’t think that there would be a time that I would need this software for my future class, especially since there are other free online portals that would also serve as something similar to this, like a classroom Wiki. I feel, also, that the fee is a little too expensive for what I could use it for. The basic fee, which starts at $9.00 per month, doesn’t seem unreasonable to me if you use the software often for an online class.

Xtranormal

1.

Xtranormal is a really neat software. I never knew that it could be this simple to create your own movie. It is similar to Storybird in that it allows users to create a piece of art by giving them lots of autonomy but also some guidelines such as limited characters and settings, etc. I think that this program could be a great addition to a classroom or lesson plan. The website is clear and concise and has plenty of tutorials that helped me understand exactly how it works. I watched both the “For Teachers” tutorial as well as the “For Students” tutorial, and the program really seems pretty self-explanatory.

2.

I think that as a teacher, this resource would only need to be used in class occasionally. There is a definite potential for students to get side tracked here, but on the other hand, it allows for lots of creativity and the end result would be a creation that a student would be proud of.   A great way to use this in an English class would be to have students write a story – they could even use the Storybird program for this part – and then have them bring it to life using the Xtranormal software. The Xtranormal program would let them have the ability to choose what the characters look like (and if they had drawn or chosen them for their Storybird books, they could make them look as similar as possible to them). I like the fact that the teacher is able to log on and view the students’ progress on each separate video.   It would also be a good idea to have students work together on this project, since it is a large undertaking. For example, if the lesson is on literary devices, I could have the students create a video and they could have complete free reign on its content – except they would need to include the literary devices that I assign like irony or symbolism. This would be a great way to assess their understanding of these devices since they would be in charge of creating a scenario using them. At the end, you could project the videos on screen and have the class watch each other’s work to get even more review on literary devices as well as show students the great job they did in making videos.

3.

I would recommend this to other educators and will keep it in mind for myself. Since lots of students these days enjoy playing video games and games on their phones or tablets, this would definitely be relatable to them. I’m sure they would like creating their own project like this, and it is definitely different than the standard old notebook and book learning style. The educator plan runs at around $10 per month, so I feel that is a fine price, especially since you would probably only need to subscribe to it for about a month while your class works on their videos.

Virtual Manipulatives

1.

I think that the Virtual Manipulatives resource would be a really great tool, especially for mathematics teachers.  The site is broken down into content areas such as Numbers and Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, and Data Analysis and Probability. It is also broken down by grade levels into Pre-K through 2, 3 through 5, 6 through 8, and 9 through 12. The site contains all types of different math games and interactive problems where students can work on honing in on their math skills.

2.

Obviously this site could be used in generally any math class in any grade. Since there are numerous options for teachers to choose from, they could assign students to work on these games as a group or as an individual. I think a great way that this could be used in instruction would be to set up stations where students rotate and each have a turn at each “gaming spot.” This could be great for a review for a test, especially if you chose only games that are relevant to the exam material. It would also be a nice way to differentiate instruction. For example, if certain students are struggling with a concept, they could play some of these games to enhance their understanding. Since so many students have access to tablets and smart phones, it would be nice to assign some of these as “homework” for them to play on their phones or tablets.

3.

I would definitely recommend this site to mathematics teachers. I feel it would be invaluable to them, especially for reviews and ensuring their students understand a topic. It is also a fun way to have students do math rather than simply sitting at their desk with their textbooks and paper. I also think that the website is broken down into clear categories, which is helpful. It is also free, so that is a huge positive.

That's all for this week!