Thursday, May 14, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Ways to Connect
Connecting in the Classroom with Online Surveys:
Survey Monkey - www.surveymonkey.com
-survey tool
-ask up to 10 questions for free
-can collate all questions
-can see surveys received from multiple schools
Zoomerang Basic
-ask up to 30 questions and receive up to 100 responses
Google Docs - Spreadsheets
- questions asked and exported to excel
-google survey
- text survey??
Example in classroom:
- collect surveys at beginning survey
- collate
- play family feud!
Survey Monkey - www.surveymonkey.com
-survey tool
-ask up to 10 questions for free
-can collate all questions
-can see surveys received from multiple schools
Zoomerang Basic
-ask up to 30 questions and receive up to 100 responses
Google Docs - Spreadsheets
- questions asked and exported to excel
-google survey
- text survey??
Example in classroom:
- collect surveys at beginning survey
- collate
- play family feud!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
My Thoughts on Web 2.0
My knowledge of Web 2.0 Tools has increased at an exponential pace these past few months. Before learning about Web 2.0, the students in my classroom were communicating and creating, but only with each other. Within the past few months, I have been able to view 1st hand, the effects of Web 2.0, and I am only in the beginning stages of introducing these tools into my classroom. I can only imagine the effects that Web 2.0 will have on students and classrooms in the near future.
As a teacher, I feel that it is important to implement these tools gradually in your classroom. If implemented all at once, I think the teacher, students, and parents will all be a bit overwhelmed and confused about what tool does what job and where it is found. If I had to do it all again, I would start with a class wiki. A class wiki is a common space that can be shared by both you and your students. You could use your class wiki to create an online textbook or a list of helpful websites or links that relate to what you are learning.
Next, I would create a class blog to post assignments and articles. Students can then respond to your posts and articles and to each others comments as well. Now, not only are students finding and posting links, but they are also beginning a conversation that has an infinite amount of viewers. Students will now be writing for an audience outside of class. The students in my classes did not initially think about writing for a larger audience until I added a "Cluster Map" to our blog (which I would recommend). Every time a new dot was added from a new location, students would be sure to tell me that "someone new was looking at our blog." As you get more comfortable with these tools, implementing podcasts, vodcasts, and screencasts only seems natural.
While I was an undergraduate student at Washington & Jefferson College, the education department had a motto, "Docendo Discimus" which means "we learn by teaching." In my classroom, Web 2.0 is allowing my students to do just this, learn by teaching. Students are now creating wikis, podcasts, and vodcasts on the topics that we have learned in class in order to teach or reteach the concept to students who do not understand. I can only imagine their responses when people from "the outside world" begin leaving comments on their creations!
Again this is only the beginning and Web 2.0 has already had a lasting impact on how my students are learning and how they now expect to be taught. Web 2.0 is changing the methods that we use to learn, teach, share, and communicate. From wikis to screencasts, classrooms and schools are beginning to take on a new look. Time can only tell the full effect that Web 2.0 will have on teaching and learning.
As a teacher, I feel that it is important to implement these tools gradually in your classroom. If implemented all at once, I think the teacher, students, and parents will all be a bit overwhelmed and confused about what tool does what job and where it is found. If I had to do it all again, I would start with a class wiki. A class wiki is a common space that can be shared by both you and your students. You could use your class wiki to create an online textbook or a list of helpful websites or links that relate to what you are learning.
Next, I would create a class blog to post assignments and articles. Students can then respond to your posts and articles and to each others comments as well. Now, not only are students finding and posting links, but they are also beginning a conversation that has an infinite amount of viewers. Students will now be writing for an audience outside of class. The students in my classes did not initially think about writing for a larger audience until I added a "Cluster Map" to our blog (which I would recommend). Every time a new dot was added from a new location, students would be sure to tell me that "someone new was looking at our blog." As you get more comfortable with these tools, implementing podcasts, vodcasts, and screencasts only seems natural.
While I was an undergraduate student at Washington & Jefferson College, the education department had a motto, "Docendo Discimus" which means "we learn by teaching." In my classroom, Web 2.0 is allowing my students to do just this, learn by teaching. Students are now creating wikis, podcasts, and vodcasts on the topics that we have learned in class in order to teach or reteach the concept to students who do not understand. I can only imagine their responses when people from "the outside world" begin leaving comments on their creations!
Again this is only the beginning and Web 2.0 has already had a lasting impact on how my students are learning and how they now expect to be taught. Web 2.0 is changing the methods that we use to learn, teach, share, and communicate. From wikis to screencasts, classrooms and schools are beginning to take on a new look. Time can only tell the full effect that Web 2.0 will have on teaching and learning.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Wiki How-To!
Did you start a Wiki in your classroom, but the students are having trouble adding links to it? This screencast is your solution! I created a screencast using Jing on how to edit and add sites to a wikispaces page. Jing was incredibly easy to use and I will be using it more in the future with my interactive whiteboard! Also, if you are having trouble using Jing there is a blog page with frequent question and answers that I found very helpful.
Check out Jing!
Check out my Wiki to see how the students are using it so far!
Check out Jing!
Check out my Wiki to see how the students are using it so far!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Podcast: Top 5 Smartboard Misuses
SMARTBoard Lessons Podcast
This week I subscribed to the "SMARTBoard Lessons Podcast." This podcast show shares information, stories, how-to, links, etc. about using SMARTBoards in the classroom. One of my favorite podcasts was the "Top 5 Smartboard Misuses" which gave the misuse and what you can do instead to be a better SMARTBoard educator.
The top 5 misuses of SMARTBoards are:
5. Using the SMARTBoard as a whiteboard (actually writing on it with markers!).
4. Using the SMARTBoard as a screen (just like a permanent pull down screen).
3. Using it as a PowerPoint display device (clicking through the pages, no interaction).
2. Using it as a teacher only tool (no student interaction).
1. Using the SMARTBoard as a worksheet display device (no higher level thinking skills involved).
I truly enjoyed this podcast because I have an interactive whiteboard and I am always looking for new ways to use it in the classroom. I would encourage anyone who has an interactive board to subscribe to this podcast!
In addition to this misuses of SMARTBoards, this podcast also included two great sites to use in the classroom. The first one is called "Big Universe." This site provides online children's books that you can project to your interactive board. Educators can use this site to share picture books instead of using big books. Teachers can also create a "bookshelf" of all of their favorite books. Use it or lose it, at least check it out!
The second site that was shared in this podcast was www.jogtheweb.com. This site allows educators to set up a web quest and add comments to the websites that students are visiting. I absolutely love this site for two reasons. First, students are easily directed to the next site in the quest so teachers do not have to worry about students searching aimlessly through the net. Second, you can comment on the site that they are viewing. Here are some ideas that I think the comments could be used for:
1. If it is an informative website, give your students questions to answer while reading.
2. If it is an interactive site, give your students specific or extra directions to help them complete the activity.
3. If you only want them to read a specific part of the site, you can use the comments to tell your students which section(s) to read.
Check out the podcast and sites provided and let me know what you think!
This week I subscribed to the "SMARTBoard Lessons Podcast." This podcast show shares information, stories, how-to, links, etc. about using SMARTBoards in the classroom. One of my favorite podcasts was the "Top 5 Smartboard Misuses" which gave the misuse and what you can do instead to be a better SMARTBoard educator.
The top 5 misuses of SMARTBoards are:
5. Using the SMARTBoard as a whiteboard (actually writing on it with markers!).
4. Using the SMARTBoard as a screen (just like a permanent pull down screen).
3. Using it as a PowerPoint display device (clicking through the pages, no interaction).
2. Using it as a teacher only tool (no student interaction).
1. Using the SMARTBoard as a worksheet display device (no higher level thinking skills involved).
I truly enjoyed this podcast because I have an interactive whiteboard and I am always looking for new ways to use it in the classroom. I would encourage anyone who has an interactive board to subscribe to this podcast!
In addition to this misuses of SMARTBoards, this podcast also included two great sites to use in the classroom. The first one is called "Big Universe." This site provides online children's books that you can project to your interactive board. Educators can use this site to share picture books instead of using big books. Teachers can also create a "bookshelf" of all of their favorite books. Use it or lose it, at least check it out!
The second site that was shared in this podcast was www.jogtheweb.com. This site allows educators to set up a web quest and add comments to the websites that students are visiting. I absolutely love this site for two reasons. First, students are easily directed to the next site in the quest so teachers do not have to worry about students searching aimlessly through the net. Second, you can comment on the site that they are viewing. Here are some ideas that I think the comments could be used for:
1. If it is an informative website, give your students questions to answer while reading.
2. If it is an interactive site, give your students specific or extra directions to help them complete the activity.
3. If you only want them to read a specific part of the site, you can use the comments to tell your students which section(s) to read.
Check out the podcast and sites provided and let me know what you think!
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