bp14_20091115_Media Asset_Weebly

Weebly!
Check it out at http://www.weebly.com

bp13_20091115_Web2.0Response to Kim Heumann

tuesday, november 10, 2009

bp6_2009112Web2.0

When looking through Web 2.0 tools, I find it challenging to find something that is educational and appropriate for my kindergartners. Since they come in all different ability levels it is sometimes difficult to find a site that can meet the needs of the lowest to the highest student abilities. Having readers, pre-readers and non-readers presents a challenge when finding an activity that all students can do.

Raylit.com is a fantastic site that addresses the educational needs of all levels of students. Raylit is geared for parents and children however would be great for a struggling student or ELL student. It offers over 750 games, videos and topics.

Topics include analytical skills involving matching, sequencing, colors, and shapes.
English language activities include upper and lower case letter recognition, sounds, blends, sight words, rhyming words, pre-reading skills, and comprehension.
Math activities include number recognition, counting skills, comparison of numbers, more and less, basic addition and subtraction, and writing numbers.
There is a section on general knowledge and science with video clips about animals and insects, marine life, plants and flowers, seasons. It covers places such as beaches, waterfalls, volcanoes, rivers and deserts. It has videos about professions such as firefighters, doctors, astronaut, and police officers.

As I think of the uses of this program in my classroom, I see the endless possibilities with students who have limited English. It uses the child’s name, and has a plethora of pre-reading and math activities. During my reading group time, it would be a great activity for an ELL student who is not quite ready for an actual reading lesson.
Posted by kimheumann at 9:05 AM


Shontalemarie said...
Kim,

This sounds like something I can use in my 2nd grade class as well. I have some students still in the primer and pre-primer stages that could really benefit. Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to try it out with them also during our reading group time : )
November 21, 2009 4:49 PM

bp12_20091115_Web2.0Response to Carrie Kleber

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009
BP9_2009112_Web 2.0 Xtranormal


Xtranormal

There are so many Web 2.0 tools and applications available, it can be overwhelming finding tools that will work in the classroom. However, after sifting through the numerous Web 2.0 choices, I discovered an application I am excited to use in my classroom.

Xtranormal is a text to video program that can help students think critically about writing. Basically, the program allows the user to type a script for one or two people, and then the site animates the text. When the program starts it allows the user to choose the number of characters in the movie (one or two), the way the characters will look, and the setting of the movie. After the basics have been chosen, the user can then go on to type the script, choose camera angles, change character voices, and determine different types of animation for the film.

The educational benefits of this program are far reaching. Xtranormal forces the user to think about the script they are writing. What is the purpose of the movie? Who will be viewing the final product? How will the users know they have accomplished their goal for the film? These are questions I would hope my students would think about when they are writing.

Other educational benefits of Xtranormal could extend beyond Language Arts. Social Studies teachers might use the program to have students explain a famous historical figure. Math teachers could have students create a film that explains how to solve a specific math problem. Science teachers could use the program to have students explain different types of rocks. The possibilities are endless.

Shontalemarie said...
Carrie,

What a neat Web. 20 tool. I think I could use this in my 2nd grade classroom with my higher level students. I really think this tool could be an awesome asset. Can't wait to try it out and share with my colleagues. Thank you for sharing!

November 21, 2009 4:38 PM

bp11_20091115_Web2.0Response to Dedra Thornton

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2009

BP14_2009113_Web 2.0 Tool_Comic Strip Creator
I have spent countless hours scouring the Internet for Web 2.0 tools.The Emergent Technologies in a Collaborative Culture (ETC) course requires researching and blogging about Web 2.0 tools but my motivation for locating excellent tools goes beyond the requirements of this course. My Action Research project draws upon Web 2.0 tools and the introduction of several of them to my students. Additionally, having extra tools in the teacher’s toolkit is a good thing. I have had a lot of fun researching, experimenting with and evaluating these tools.

I have always been intrigued by comic books. Growing up, my older brothers had quite the collection of Superman, Batman and the Archies. I wanted to find some type of a comic strip layout tool I could introduce to my classes. I teach Video Graphics and I am looking for small interesting projects that include a writing component. A short comic strip about school life just might be something the students are interested in.

In researching the Web I found several different comic strip tools. Most were not free so that caused me to move in another direction. I did find one that I think meets the needs of this particular project. It is called Comic Strip Creator. It is available as a free download but works only with Windows. Since there is only one Mac computer in my entire school (a loaner from Apple), this will not be a problem. After downloading the program I could not get it to work. I sent the company an email and they responded the next day saying I needed to “turn off” any anti virus software installed on the computer. It installed like a dream after I did this.

1 COMMENTS:

Shontalemarie said...
Hey Dedra,

This seems like a really cool Web 2.0 tool. I can't wait to try it with my second graders. I have some that find reading a little taxing. I think that changing the media from books to comics on their reading level could help encourage them in their reading and their attitude towads it. Thanks so much for sharing!

NOVEMBER 21, 2009 4:25 PM

Comic Strip Creator is great. I laid out this comic strip in about 3 minutes. In addition to downloading the program, there is also a download for clip art and backgrounds. I used both of them in this example. And finally, a word to the wise… be careful when searching for the site. The correct url is listed below. Changing the .org to .com may “strip” you of all rights as a teacher!

http://www.comicstripcreator.org/

bp10_20091115_Web2.0tools_Weebly

Weebly
http://www.weebly.com

Weebly is a Web 2.0 tool that allows you to create a FREE, yes I said FREE website! Weebly is fully equipped with common editing tools and options such as uploading pictures, videos, blogs, and more. You can choose from a host of eye-catching templates including business, educational, fun, colorful, and more. Weebly will host your website for free by allowing you to create an available name for your page and adding the suffix weebly.com OR you can create a personalized domain and register it through Weebly for a rate discounted from a leading online host site. Some other features available through this site include hosting with no restrictions, professional designs, variety of media content elements, blogging features, no advertising, and the option to convert your free account to a paid account where you can publish to your own domain.

Weebly is a powerful tool for classroom use because I could use it to create pages with curriculum material for my students to explore for practice at home or at school. The site could include links to other pages, games, videos, pictures, and more. The site could be used as a type of classroom newsletter. Instead of printing a newsletter, you could refer parents and others to the class website. It could be a way of keeping parents and administrators informed as well as displaying student work and activities going on in the classroom. Because the it is free to host your site, teachers everywhere could use this tool without using personal or school allotted funds. This would be exciting news to any teacher I know! The other great plus for educators, is that this free site doesn’t host advertising unless you choose it as an option. When working with children, this is a very important feature.

bp9_2009118_Media_Asset_Ekoloko

Let's GO EKOLOKO!!!

bp8_2009118_Web2.0tools_Ekoloko

What if there was a site where kids could go to learn about ecology and the environment on their own terms while hanging out with friends in a risk free virtual environment? Well, that place exists... it's called EKOLOKO! Go to this URL http://play.ekoloko.com/ekoloko/index.html to find immediately engaging music, characters, and information all geared toward social responsibility concerning Earth and people.

The first think you’ll need to do when you enter the site, is click the “English” button in the lower right hand corner. This will allow you to navigate the index screen. Fun music will be playing, but if you prefer, you can use the mute option. Selecting the “About” option will take you to a brief overview of the site including the YouTube video you see here. “News will give you real-life updated news concerning the Ekoloko community and organizations such as the Teva Organization and Disney Magazine. Through this site, families have a way of becoming part of an organization that encourages “green” responsibility and service/outreach support for kid-friendly causes around the world. Click the “Parents” tab to find helpful information such as the definition of a virtual world, methods of communication used on the site, info on what types of things kids will do and participate in, Internet safety, and more! As a safety measure, Ekoloko works to meet strict internet safety standards to keep kids safe by including features such as “live moderators” available for kids to call upon in the event that an inappropriate behavior should arise.

You’re almost ready! Select “Play”, “New User” and you’re teleported to a room where you can choose and personalize your avatar (on a simple and age-appropriate basis). Once your avatar is ready, you’re led through a sign-up process that includes basic information like first name, password, email address, and birth date. You cannot sign up on the site without a parent’s email address. Once your information has been submitted, an email is sent to your parent’s email address where the process can be confirmed and completed. Three cheers for Ekoloko! You are to be commended on your efforts toward ecological responsibility and your devotion to safety for kids on your Internet site! Check it out, everyone!

bp7_2009118_Web2.0tools_Storybird

Storybird Quick Tour from Storybird on Vimeo.

Hooray for Storybird!! With this collaborative platform, you create stories, build an archive of your work, share with others, and even invite friends to write the story with you. How awesome is that! Simply start by watching the short tutorial to the side. There, using a type of screenflow, a guide will show you how easy it is to create a work of art. You’ll need to create an account. Next choose the artwork you would like to write your story around. You can choose various pictures or you can use themed pics from one of their featured artists. Next, simply click, and start writing. Storybird organizes your pages for you OR you can rearrange to your liking. If you decide you’d like to change your picture, simply drag and drop a new one. Select new colors and backgrounds for your work with the click of a button. As you add your text, Storybird makes helpful intuitive actions such as creating a cover for you. Simply simply using your mouse can change any of these actions. After you’ve completed your story, you can choose to publish it, add it to your archive, or share. To share one of your stories with a friend, you’ll type their name and email address into the sharing form. A space is available for a parent or guardian’s email address if the person you’re sharing with is a young person. There is even room for you to write a note about what you’ve done. Invite someone to collaborate on the story with you and Storybird will save your unpublished story so that your collaborators can find it.

This tool can be used in so many ways. I love that the artwork has been provided. You can use this to create an e-book or even a printed book through shared writing in the classroom. Students can navigate the site independently at school or at home to create their own works. The best part is that you can share your stories with family or friends to read or collaborate with you. What a great tool for creative writing, publishing, collaborative writing, and simply staying in touch with friends and family. Thumbs up, Storybird! http://storybird.com

bp6_2009118_web2.0tools_e-learning4kids

eLearning4kids is a fun interactive site where kids ages 4-12 can find engaging lessons in a variety of subject areas. Children can choose from math, language arts, science, computer, health & life, as well as English language lessons. The lessons are organized introduced with a short interactive instructional unit followed by guided and interactive practice in a gaming format. Buttons are incorporated to allow the learner to navigate forward and go backward in the site if they’d like to practice or see something again. The site is composed of bright, colorful, and stimulating media including a variety of sounds and music.

This is a wonderful site to add to your primary e-learning toolkit. It allows students the freedom to choose something they are interested in. Directions are clear and friendly characters act as hosts to guide you through each learning and game activity. Each subject area has a wide variety of instructional games to choose from and cover age appropriate scope and sequence labeled by age level. You can practice everything from addition and subtraction, to place value, to putting words together using phonics or compound word parts. The computer section covers topics such as keyboarding lessons and Internet safety tips. You can find a wealth of information in the health and life section about topics such as the blood, brain, kidneys and more.

I would use this Web 2.0 tool as an additional option for practicing skills in and out of the classroom. Since the site is housed on the web, students and parents can access it for free at home or anywhere there is an Internet connection. Links within the site seem to be carefully connected and monitored to ensure the safety of young users while on the site. This site is a home run! It’s a great asset for teachers, students, and parents alike!

bp4_2009118_social_bookmarking

Social bookmarking is a remarkable movement that is becoming more widely used by users of the internet and Web 2.0 tools everyday. It allows the user to organize webpage bookmarks in a more efficient way that allows for easy convenient retrieval and social sharing. Wikipedia shares this insight: “In a social bookmarking system, users save links to web pages that they want to remember and/or share. These bookmarks are usually public, and can be saved privately, shared only with specified people or groups, shared only inside certain networks, or another combination of public and private domains. The allowed people can usually view these bookmarks chronologically, by category or tags, or via a search engine.” (Wikipedia, 2009). The world of education is benefitting from social bookmarking by tapping into a new resource for researching, archiving, and sharing websites and online media tools that one has found useful. In an article by Educause titled “7 things you should know about…Social Bookmarking” (7 Things, 2005), it is suggested that social bookmarking is headed toward a new idea and understanding of how information is retrieved and shared amongst educational communities. Social bookmarking networks such as Del.icio.us and Furl are noted by educational sites such as Education World as top notable resources for educators in their quest for information and useful tools on the topic. Social bookmarking is an organizational advancement that is much needed in the world of education. As more educators use and share this tool, media literacy amongst the educators of the digital generation will certainly make great advances.

Wikipedia. (2009, November 4). Social bookmarking. Retrieved November 8, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_bookmarking
Educause. (2005, May). 7 things you should know about social bookmarking. Retrieved November 8, 2009 from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7001.pdf
Jackson, L. (2009, June 5). Sites to see: Social bookmarking. Education world. Retrieved November 8, 2009 from http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/sites/sites080.shtml

bp5_2009118_flickr_lessonplan

I found a great lesson plan using Flickr on the web titled "Five Card Flickr Story". The idea is highlighted in Interface Magazine Online http://www.nz-interface.co.nz/. Using photos from Flickr, the creator of the host site Five Card Stories http://web.nmc.org/5cardstory/index.php allows you to choose one of five randomly selected photos. After your first choice, it displays 5 more random photos for you to choose from. You repeat this process until you've selected 5 photos. After you have 5 photos selected, the object is to create a story linking the photos together.

I think this is a great lesson plan to use in the classroom to integrate technology and writing through the use of Flickr. This could be used with students in primary grades to enhance their writing with visual images, teach about sequencing, and even work with the students to allow for choice and variety in the assignment. Writing projects could be done as shared writing, group projects, or to enrich an individual student. I would probably go with the option of choosing a group of pictures before showing to students to protect their safety while using an internet source with random images that could pop up. I do believe that the options are endless with this activity. What a neat idea!

bp1(addition)_2009111_igoogle_screenshots

This is a screen shot of my iGoogle ETC page. It was missing from the previous post titled bp1_2009111_igoogle_screenshots. On this page you will find the following gadgets: Blogger, Flickr, Google Bookmarks, My Listy, Google Reader, Box of Links, and Google Docs.

bp3_2009112_web20tools

http://sketchfu.com/home

Sketchfu is an awesome Web 2.0 application that I can use in my 2nd grade classroom to enrich the learning experiences of my students. Using this application, students will have a creative outlet for expression in a new media rich format. Sketchfu is a free application and can be used to promote learning communities and groups because you can connect and share with others on the network and amongst other networks such as MySpace, Facebook, Blogger, and others. Sketchfu allows the artist to use simple drawing tools such as color and line selectors to make simple or elaborate drawings. You can save your work, share with others, view other artist’s work, make comments, and receive feedback.

I would use this tool by having my students create a Sketchfu drawing to go with a creative writing assignment they've penned. Using Sketchfu, they could illustrate their work, publish, and share with classmates. One of the most exciting parts of this process for them is sure to be the fact that they can replay their brush strokes and watch their creation come to life over and over again. I would allow students to make comments on each other's work. Students could also publish their writing or story that goes along with the drawing as the first comment.

What a great and free Web 2.0 application tool! I can remember using computer programs similar to these in elementary school, but without the networking capabilities. One of the best features of this tool is truly the ability to share with others far and near. The possibilities are endless. From pen pals to classroom presentations, Sketchfu is an awesome tool

Now...I hope I can get to it from our school website...

bp2_2009112_Blog Uses

Blogs can be very helpful tools for getting your information out to share with others and to get feedback from readers. Blogs are a forum for informational, creative, or collaborative outlet. The use of blogs is becoming extremely widespread especially considering the capabilities available to subscribe to blogs. I look forward to the possiblities availble to me through the use of this web 2.0 tool.

bp1_2009111_igoogle_screenshots

Pics from my newly personalized iGoogle page!