Thursday, November 11, 2010

Evidence of Network Participation

Sheri Grech's PLN

Karen Redmond's Webquest

Technoducation Web 2.0 Research

Here are just a few links to evidence of my participation. I have also commented several times on our class discussion board for the video forum. During this semester I have also discussed the pieces we are learning in class with every colleague that I have come into contact with in order to get their ideas on how to incorporate this stuff into the classroom.

Webquest- Becoming a Word Doctor

Becoming a Word Doctor Webquest

Using a webquest in the classroom is fairly self-explanatory. I would have students work in pairs or groups to create a webquest on any subject. The advantage to this would be that students would need to research websites that will help them through the journey. This will give the students an opportunity to explore and learn that there are dozens of websites out there to help them learn nearly anything. They will also have to show their creativity by "hooking" other students with their gimmick.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Wiki Page- Creating an Online Book Review Library

Wiki- Creating an Online Book Review Library

To have students create a Wiki page would be a great way to collect many pieces of work at once. As an assignment, I would have students make a Wiki page as an online version book report. A checklist and rubric would be provided for all requirements to be met. The teacher and other students could then view all reports online and be able to add many pictures, videos, etc. to their project. This could then become a digital dossier of sorts with projects and reports from various subjects.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Screencast: Lattice Method Multiplication



Students can use screencastle.com and the Paint program on their computer to make a step-by-step explanation of nearly anything. I think this would be especially helpful in math when there are so many pieces and parts to the problems they will encounter. This can also be utilized for a student to explain a diagram or talk through the water cycle in science or even a time-line in social studies. The possibilities for this feature are endless and I think that it is a great way for students to have to explain what they are learning to others rather than just simply knowing it for themselves.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Ohio Inventors Google Earth Virtual Tour

Ohio Inventors Google Earth Tour

Having students do a Google Earth tour is a great way to integrate geography into nearly any subject. For example, students can take settings from various books they have read and connect them with important questions about the book as you go along the tour. Another idea would be to make connections between products made. Finding out about imports and exports of goods would be a great way to understand how trade and international business works. This could also be something as simple as taking a tour of historical figures that you might be learning about in social studies. Finding birthplaces, sites of famous happenings in their lives, or perhaps a memorial site for someone would be an interesting way to ask and answer questions, and search for interesting facts about the people that have been linked.

Google Docs: Personalizing a test


Click here for the sample spreadsheet

In order to make my test or worksheets more personalized toward my students, I would have them go on Google Docs and change their information for each category. By doing this, I will be able to create tests for the class using a mail merge so that every student has a personalized test. For example, they might read a question that says, "Cody and Ben are at Kohl's and they have $20.00. What two items can they buy from the catalog list shown? How much money would they have left after their purchases?" (A list of possible items would be shown as well).

Personal Learning Network



Students can use bubbl.us as a simple way for students to create flow charts for reading stories, character studies, and sequencing of ideas in order to enhance comprehension. Another concept that I would have students utilize this site by creating a classification system for science class. With animal classification, life cycles, and forms of weather as just a few examples. I would also suggest that they create their own version of a PLN so that way they can keep track of how they can learn and grow with technology.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Lauren P.- Junie B. Jones Podcast Review



One way that students can use podcasts for the classroom is to make a book recommendation voice library. After a student finishes a book, they can utilize their writing and critiquing skills to create a review that is ready for recording. We can then keep these files on the computer so whenever another student is looking for a good book to read, they can just listen to a quick review and hear if they might like it or not.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

How To Make an Alka-Seltzer Rocket Slideshow


Making an online slideshow is a simple task that any students with a digital camera can do. Since most students have cell phones with cameras on them they would be able to create many items with this assignment. Taking photographs of a science experiement, the scientific process, or elements in science such as the changing of the seasons, types of weather, or a cycle of a living thing are just some ideas. Another way to integrate this into the classroom would be to have students take still shots of a process in math written on paper. Steps of long division, multi-digit multiplication, or the pythagorean theorem are just a few suggestions.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Let me know about your favorite type of story to read for class.


I can use this online polling system to learn about student interests which will help in my classroom planning.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

My Studiyo Quiz- Geography (just a sample)

4th Grade Number Sense Quiz


Making an online quiz is a tremendous way for students to learn nearly any subject from its insides. I think this would be a great application for math especially. It's one thing for students to know how to simply do the mathematical process to figure out answers to problems, but if a student had to make a test they would have to think about other reasons on how to approach a problem. The students would not only have to think like a teacher by creating questions, but they would also have to know the common mistakes that students might make on their way and offer them as possible answer choices. This would push students to go beyond simple memorization and get them into a higher level of thinking by analyzing and interpreting information.

The Parts of a Sentence



In order for younger students to understand if they have written complete sentences, they can use this Google Docs integration to compare what they have written to several examples of sentences. The main way I would implement something like this into the classroom is to have students submit sample sentences and have other students label or edit them in order to create fuller, more complete sentences. Using the model as a guide and having other students be able to access their work to edit online would be very helpful in peer editing.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Web 2.0 Review

After looking through several items on Web 2.0's Cool Tools For Schools, I found a wonderful tool for voice recording. I think that this tool http://vocaroo.com/ is a great way to have students record their voices while reading and be able to listen to themselves back in order to gain fluency skills. By allowing them to hear their pace, tone, and pronunciations, students can then begin to correct their mistakes or improve in some way.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

My first blog attempt

Well, I do like the idea of blogging, but I did not like the idea of giving information to Google. I'm skeptical of their methods in sharing information. I know that might sound like a paranoid viewpoint, but it's just how I feel. Maybe my opinion will be swayed by the end of this course. Who knows?

-Jim