Tool #9 Sharing Information through Jing & Skype

While I was completing the digital storytelling assignment I was thinking about the easiest way I could teach my students how to make one. I was pleasantly surprised when I learned about jing because it solved my problem. Jing would be an excellent tool to use to show my students how to make a digital storytelling project and so much more. Another way I could use Jing in my classroom is when I have students work on make problems. Jing gives me a way to see what they did to solve the problem. This will make it easier for me to identify what they are doing incorrectly in solving the problem. Students can use jing to help other students by sharing ways they solved the problem.

Skype is a great tool to use in the classroom. It brings the world into the classroom in only a few easy steps. Skype has enabled classrooms to take virtual field trips to places that they could never go by school bus like the white house and other places too far from reach. Also, it has created ways for classrooms in New York and Texas to connect in a way other than writing letters. This helps the students put faces to the people they are writing to each week. Skype can be used when a guest speaker for the class is unable to make an actual appearance. All the teacher has to do is to use the skype tool and the guest speaker can speak to the class from where they are. Skype will definitely be used in my classroom.

Tool #8 Video Resources

Videos relevant to the lesson can be very beneficial to the students. It is important that the teacher previews the video first to make sure that it is appropriate and that the students will gain something from watching it. I have used video clips of movies to introduce a fantasy writing unit for my students. I had my students write down different characteristics of what makes it fantasy and then after we discussed when they found. The discussion after viewing the video clips are key to making the lesson successful.

The first video is from the Discovery Channel about hurricane development. I could use this video as an introduction to Hurricane lesson. I have found that using a video to introduce a new unit is an excellent way to get the students excited about learning.

The second video I found was from the History Channel and is a 9/11 Timeline. This video goes into detail of what events happened and lead up to the 9/11 tragedy. I would use this clip as a way to teach the students about this important day in US History. The timeline shows the students some real footage of the day and shows how this day has impacted many people.

Tool #7 Digital Story Telling

Digital story telling will be great in my classroom. I enjoyed working with imovie because every time I use it, I become more comfortable with the program. My students will be doing digital story telling projects for all subjects in my classroom. In my classroom I could have them make a digital story on a book that they just read or in social studies I have have them make a biography of an important person in history. The possibilities are endless!

I chose to do my digital storytelling project on the three types of clouds. I encountered no problems with using iMovie on my macbook. I found the program very easy to use and think my students will not have a problem once I have modeled for them how to make a digital story telling project. I am thinking I will make a video on "how to make a digital story" and will show my class to introduce the project.

Tool #6- Wikis

During this tool kit, I have been able to discover new ways to organize and share information with my teammates and tools for students for projects and other assignments. After exploring the various wiki websites, I found that I enjoy working with wikispaces. I found this website easy to navigate around and I think the students will have no problems using it. A wiki is great way for students to collaborate on assignments and add on information as they work. Another way I found beneficial is that it gives a place for the students to comment on a reading passage they just read and get their questions answered by fellow classmates. In my classroom, I plan on using wikis when the students are writing a script together that we will then film. A wiki will let them access the script at home and will get to see what their classmates have done with the script. It makes the whole collaborative process easier. As for my team, I think wiki will be very beneficial when we have to plan an activity or when we have to compile data spreadsheets with our students data. This will give us a chance to edit and see the changes made by my other team mates. I have learned so much thus far about these new tools I am excited to see what else I can use in my classroom this year.

Tool #5 Tagging and Social Bookmarking

When I first started working with this tool I was confused as what it was about. I quickly realized how effective diigo and delicious are for teachers. Throughout this summer, I have been searching the internet for ideas for the new school year and the ideas I have found I have just compiled them into a word document. Diigo and Delicious will be great for organizing the information I have found on the web and will make it easier for me to access them again. I usually spend most of my time trying to go back and find what I was looking for. I found Diigo so rewarding because of the social groups that you can join to find new ideas and inspiration. This website if great for networking with people of similar interests.

The two new websites I found are Time Toast and Story Jumper. On diigo, I joined a group of 3rd grade teachers and was able to get an overwhelming response to cool websites that fellow teachers use in their classroom. Time toast is a website that allows students to easily create timelines and present them to the class. I think this a perfect tool to use for social studies assignments. Story jumper is a website that makes it easy for students to create their own children's book. I believe this tool will help make writing fun for the students and encourage them to write more. The tags I used were "interactive timelines" and "storybooks."

Tool #4 Google Doc & Reader

Google doc will be a great tool in my classroom to use with my students and also with my team members. In the classroom I can have my students collaborate with a partner or a group of students with writing a narrative or working on a research paper. This allows the students to go home and use google docs or complete the assignment in the classroom. The ease of the google docs will be beneficial in the classroom. My teammates and I will be able to edit new letters, project rubrics, and other documents on google doc. I am excited about google reader because I will know when the website is updated. Both of these tools will be used in my classroom.

Tool #3- Image Generators & Mashups

Tool #3 -

I really enjoyed exploring the Image generator and mashups. I had no idea how much is available online. My class will definitely be exploring and using the various websites throughout the year. There is so much that we can do with these websites in the curriculum. I decided to play around with glogster and wordle. I have never used either program and I found them very easy to use. I decided to use these programs as a get to know you activity, but these programs are not restrained to only this activity. I could have my students use the wordle program with vocabulary words, spelling words, writing activities such as poems, and so much more. Glogster would be great to use doing research projects. These programs are so easy and fast I could have the students create and present short presentations to the class.

Tool #2- PLN and Commenting

I believe that creating person learning networks are a great way for teachers to share ideas and a way to communicate with each other. A teacher is a life long learner and this would allow a perfect venue for a teacher to learn different tips and styles of teaching. A truly successful teacher needs to be open to other opinions and suggestions of fellow teachers. It is beneficial to everyone involved when a teacher has a community in which they can go to for different viewpoints being discussed. I have always looked for ways to find different ideas and suggestions for teaching and PLN is a perfect place for it!

I found that there were several points that stood out to me, but the one that I think is the most important to think about while commenting is to remember the power of words. I like how the Cool Cat teacher talked about the "Darth Commenter" and how people need to realize that when commenting to be kind. Words are very powerful and will stay with a person. PLN should be used to encourage, to provide positive feedback, and to give advice that will be helpful. They should not be used to tear down a person or an idea. As a teacher, I will make sure that my students understand that all comments will be kind and thoughtful of the blogger's feelings.

The 5 blogs that I have decided to follow are:

Live 2 Learn & Learn 2 Live

SuperThorn3

Classroom News and View

Thornwood Tigers

Norton Tigers

Tool #1- Blog setup and Registration

I setup my blog with no trouble and found it a simple process that my students could easily follow in the classroom. I think the students would be surprised at how easy it is to create a blog. I definitely was! The students would love the use of putting an Avator on their blog too! The use of a blog in the classroom could be a great way for the students to share ideas and opinions with each other whether it be about a book they just finished or the results of a science experiment. There are many areas in the classroom where I could incorporate blogging and I am looking forward to using blogging in my classroom this year.