About Me
After working for eight years at Acwsalcta
First Nations School in Bella Coola, B.C., I relocated to the Comox Valley
area. Employment wise, the transition has not been easy, and though I am a modestly experienced teacher (six years in the classroom and two years as teacher librarian) with three specialties (elementary music, teacher
librarian, First Nations), I did not even get on the TOC lists in Parksville,
Courtenay or Campbell River districts, the major employers for teachers in the
area.
Fortunately, I am working in Gold River as a TOC and as the First Nations program facilitator at Ray Watkins Elementary (RWE), and hoping for something more permanent in the fall.
Fortunately, I am working in Gold River as a TOC and as the First Nations program facilitator at Ray Watkins Elementary (RWE), and hoping for something more permanent in the fall.
My Technology Skills
I don’t know how I would rate my skill level
as far as technology goes. I would say I am familiar with using what the
internet has to offer, though probably not an expert. Online, I have used
several Web 2.0 tools, created blogs, wikis, animoto, and websites using
weebly.com. I have taken many courses online, so am very familiar with learning
through online environments. I have used an online music notation program to chart
my original music and share with musician friends.
I have used computer technology to make
movies, record original music, as a writing tool (Word), and I store and
manipulate my digital photos. Using iMovie, I have created videos and
slideshows with soundtracks and posted them to YouTube. I did a presentation
for one online course by filming several short videos at various locations
around my school to present the different parts of my paper. I then posted the
video series to YouTube.
I am also familiar with teaching myself how
to use everything online. This is one major area where I have not seen any
discussion. When I can’t figure something out I find some sort of tutorial or
online help to figure it out. It
seems that kids these days are naturally able to figure out a lot of things on
their own. Is this something we can assume? What are the basic skills we can
give them so that they can figure out how to use online learning and production
technologies? Or do we need to learn the applications ourselves, then teach the
students? Hmmm, maybe learning is mostly about teaching yourself, with some
guidance?
Technology at Ray Watkins Elementary School
RWE has a computer lab with about 25
computers. The internet connection is slow because it’s satellite, though I
hear they’re supposed to be getting cable internet through Telus in Gold River.
The Grade 6 class is part of a technology pilot program, and they all have
iPads. There is support for the program from the district principal.
Interestingly, the teacher participating in this program has very few
technology skills, though she is learning. I have subbed in the class, and
found the iPads very useful, but what was difficult was to get the kids to stop
using them when asked. As well, if the students were supposed to be doing
something particular, I would often see them looking at other websites when
they could get away with it.
I have always used a computer or laptop, and
am not familiar with the touch screen technology, apps, smart phones, etc. so I
would need an introduction to learn how these technologies function. I was
interested in doing something with GarageBand on the iPads with the Grade 6
students, but though I am familiar with using GB on my laptop and have done
several recording projects, the application on the iPad seemed to be somewhat
different. The students could show me how to play simulated instruments, but as
they are not musicians, they don’t really know what they are doing. I would
need a little bit of an introduction to the app and how to use it before I
could work further with the students to create music.
Web 2.0 Articles and Info
Do a Google search for “Web 2.0 tools” and
you get 1,020,000,000 hits. I chose to use the first website that came up (does
anyone ever use the last hit to come up?), which happened to be relevant and useful.
The site is called Edudemic and the relevant page entitled, “The 35 Best Web 2.0
Tools Chosen By You”. This site was quick and easy to navigate and got right to
the point: a list of 35 Web 2.0 tools, a one-line description of each, and a
link to the page. Perfect!
Wikipedia, the second site to come up on my search, provided a good description of what Web 2.0 is:
I find Wikipedia particularly useful for technology type information. For example, you can look up most Web 2.0 tools, find out what they are and their history.
The “Teaching History with Technology” (THWT) website is truly excellent.
The site has a very useful way of categorizing Web 2.0 tools. There were three menus that were
particularly relevant:
(1) Presentation and Multimedia
(2) Discussion and Collaboration
(3) Research and Writing
Under each menu are numerous types of Web
2.0 tools, descriptions of the tools, and how to use them for educational
purposes. This provided a particularly useful framework for understanding how
to use the various Web 2.0 tools, and to choose tools in each of the categories.
Exploring Web 2.0 Tools and Choosing My Top Ten
For this assignment, I wanted to expand
my repertoire of Web 2.0 tools. I started by taking a brief look at each of the
35 recommended tools on the Edudemic site and making some rough notes before
deciding which ones I wanted to explore further. I then cross-referenced these
35 tools with how these ten tools were classified
on the THWT website so that I could choose
my top ten based on application as well. I also looked on the THWT site to find
out more information on each of the top 35, and regularly consulted Wikipedia.
My criteria for choosing the ten
applications to explore further were:
(1) The site had to be relatively easy to use and
immediately obvious as to what was the purpose of what I was doing or creating.
(2) There had to be some sort of easy
introduction, either video or text, so that I could easily figure out the how to use the application.
(3) I did not want to have to create an
identity first in order to look at what the site had to offer.
(4) Had to be free.
(5) I have to be able to see examples of
the application.
(6) Being a primary teacher, I wanted some
tools I could use with younger students.
To read about my initial exploration of the Web 2.0 tools from the Edudemic Top 35, go to the other posting on this blog.
To read about my initial exploration of the Web 2.0 tools from the Edudemic Top 35, go to the other posting on this blog.
Ten Web 2.0 Tools:
Classification and Application Types According to
Teaching History With Technology
Classification
|
Application Type
·
Specific Tool
|
Discussion
& Collaboration
|
1) Blogs
·
Blogger
2) Collaborative Writing
·
Primary Pad
|
Presentations
& Multimedia
|
3) Podcasts
·
AudioBoo
4) Speaking Avatars
·
Voki
5) Digital Storytelling
·
Storybird
6) Websites
·
Wix
7) Comics
·
Bitstrips
8) Timelines
·
Timetoast
|
Research &
Writing
|
9) Social Bookmarking
·
Diigo
10) Mindmapping
·
Bubbl.us
|
1) Blogs
About Blogs
What is a blog? The Blogger website defines
and describes a blog as follows:
A blog is a personal diary. A daily
pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A
collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.
Your blog is whatever you want it to
be. There are millions of them, in all shapes and sizes, and there are no real
rules.
In simple terms, a blog is a web
site, where you write stuff on an ongoing basis. New stuff shows up at the top,
so your visitors can read what's new. Then they comment on it or link to it or
email you. Or not.
Image retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhimler/2013/02/12/blogger-vine/
As the Blogger website says,
Since Blogger was launched in 1999, blogs have reshaped the web, impacted politics, shaken up journalism, and enabled millions of people to have a voice and connect with others.
Amazing! Wikipedia has an excellent discussion of Blogger:
Since Blogger was launched in 1999, blogs have reshaped the web, impacted politics, shaken up journalism, and enabled millions of people to have a voice and connect with others.
Amazing! Wikipedia has an excellent discussion of Blogger:
I have created many blogs. My longest lasting blog chronicled my life in Bella Coola for several years and can be seen at:
http://bellacoolachronicles.blogspot.com
When I traveled in India for a year, I used
getjealous.com, a blog site for travelers. It was great, as I could tell my
family and friends where I was and what I was doing, and internet cafes have
become ubiquitous in India so updating was quick and easy. It included a map
feature so readers could see where I was.
Since I first started using Blogger in 2005, it has undergone several upgrades and changes. I haven't used it in a while, and it seems like it has just gone through some more changes. I have been trying to figure out some things, such as how to imbed code in the blog so that some of the applications I created can be seen. So far, I haven't been able to figure that out. It is now very easy to link images from the web, and I have included many images, as the understanding of concepts is often enhanced with a visual representation.
Since I first started using Blogger in 2005, it has undergone several upgrades and changes. I haven't used it in a while, and it seems like it has just gone through some more changes. I have been trying to figure out some things, such as how to imbed code in the blog so that some of the applications I created can be seen. So far, I haven't been able to figure that out. It is now very easy to link images from the web, and I have included many images, as the understanding of concepts is often enhanced with a visual representation.
Using Blogs in the Classroom
I have used Blogger for class blogs for
Grade 6 and 7 library classes, as a sort of class journal and communication tool. Unfortunately, the students weren’t really that interested in the process. There was a stumbling
block in that the students didn’t all have email so they weren’t able to
comment on their blog, and during computer class, they generally played games,
and were not that interested in checking out their class blog. I would have had
to rethink how I was using the blogs and how to get the students more motivated to be co-users.
There are many possible applications for
using blogs in the classroom. Blogs are an easy way to publish student work.
These days, many things can be linked to your blog, including videos, photos,
websites, etc., and of course students can make comments on class-generated
blogs. There could be a class blog, and once students are more familiar and
able with using technology, they could have their own blogs, though this means
they all need to have an email. In the case of Blogger, they all have to have a
Google account and/or gmail, as everything is linked.
It seems like microblogging is really popular these days, and lots of kids seem to be on Tumblr, or at least following microblogs on Tumblr.
http://www.tumblr.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumblr
It seems like microblogging is really popular these days, and lots of kids seem to be on Tumblr, or at least following microblogs on Tumblr.
http://www.tumblr.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumblr
Check online to find many ways to use blogs
as an educator. One particularly good site is “The Ultimate Guide to Using
Blogs in Teaching” at:
2) Collaborative Writing:
About Collaborative Writing
Collaborative writing, as the name suggests,
is when a number of people contribute to a single, written document. Using an
online application means that students can contribute, edit, revise, and any
other necessary actions to create their shared document, but online. Students
can work from school or work from home. Changes can be tracked. The final copy
can be published and shared online or printed as a handout.
Wikipedia has a detailed article on collaborative
writing:
Exploring PrimaryPad
Image retrieved from: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/05/primary-pad-etherpad-alternative.html
The Primary Pad website homepage describes its function as follows:
PrimaryPad
is a web-based word processor designed for schools that allows pupils and
teachers to work together in real-time.
The homepage is simple and uncluttered, and
features a 6-minute tutorial for how to use the program. The “pad” looks like
the page of a word processing program or a blog page. Still, I am not really
sure what to do with it. I have to invite some other “writers” to the project
and choose a theme to write about. OK, the theme is going to be “Spring Break:
Love It or Hate It” and the writers can come up with their own themes and
topics for discussion.
I created a “pad” and started typing. Right
off, the font is really small and I can’t figure out how to make it bigger. Now, how do I invite the other authors? Guess it’s time to go back and watch
the tutorial again. OK, I’ll create an account. The next glitch is that it
won’t let me enter the name of my school. It gives me a menu to choose from,
and all the choices are in the US. Tried to find an email contact but you have
to be a registered user to email a question. OK, I’ll just choose one of the
schools on the list. Created my account and logged in. OK, now I have to create
a document, then email people I want to collaborate in the document. I emailed
it to myself on my school account and will see how it looks. OK, can’t do that
cause my other account is also under Beth. I’ll have to wait and see if anyone
adds to my project. Otherwise, I’m going to find another program to try. This
took a lot of time and I wouldn’t be too eager to use this kind of application.
Plus, all the students have to have email accounts and it also assumes they all
have computers and internet at home.
This site proved to be very difficult for
other users to log into and write. If I wanted to use collaborative writing, I would need to find a more user-friendly
tool. There are several other options listed on THWT, including Google Docs.
See more at: http://www.thwt.org/index.php/discussion-collaboration/collaborative-writing
See more at: http://www.thwt.org/index.php/discussion-collaboration/collaborative-writing
Using Collaborative Writing in the Classroom
I think that writing collaboratively would
really encourage students to write, and they would enjoy “editing” their peer’s
writing. Perhaps that would be more motivating than editing their own! We all
know how students love to edit! Writing collaboratively would mean more creativity,
more writing (because everyone would want to have their say), and more creative ideas. Using
the online tool would mean students could contribute anywhere, anytime. It’s
easy to see who is doing their share of the work and who is not by using the
playback feature.
Teachers and students could write collaboratively, with the teacher making suggestions for the student, and the student making corrections.
Teachers and students could write collaboratively, with the teacher making suggestions for the student, and the student making corrections.
Presentations & Multimedia
3) Podcasts
About Podcasts
Wikipedia has a great article on podcasts:
Following is a summary of some of the basic
concepts. The word “podcast” is a combination of the words “iPod”, the digital
music player, and “broadcast” as in radio broadcast. Podcasts are generally a
series of audio files accessible online. They can be downloaded onto mobile
listening devices or played on a computer.
One good example of a podcast host is CBC
radio, where radio broadcasts are archived and can be listened to online:
The iTunes store has a large selection of
podcasts:
Exploring AudioBoo
http://audioboo.fm/
Image retrieved from: http://www.harding.edu/hulearn/Resources2/Audio%20Recorder%20and%20Editor.html
The homepage is simple. There is a video
tutorial, and I always find these helpful. This tool is used as a social audio
broadcast tool for smart phones, and audio can be saved with a photo and sent
to friends. You can follow other people’s “boos”, do searches for “boos” in
your area, and search for “boos” on particular subjects. I guess you could call this a
“social audio tool”. This tool can also be used on the computer, which is what
I am doing. The audio files you create can be integrated with other social
networks, including Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. This site is free. “Sounding
Social” is how the tutorial describes it.
So, I cannot seem to record a boo. Is it because I
have a Mac? The wrong browser? I switched from Safari to Firefox and still
couldn’t record. Is it because my privacy settings for Flash Player aren’t
right? I went to my Flashplayer application and audioboo seems to be in there so I should have
access. Hmm, I don’t know what to do here. Oh, I received a confirmation email
with a link, which I had to click on to confirm my account. Did that. I downloaded the most recent version of Flash Player. Still not working.
You can upload sound files from your computer. I was able to upload an audio file of one of
my songs. Here is the link:
http://audioboo.fm/boos/1289867-song-for-the-new-year
http://audioboo.fm/boos/1289867-song-for-the-new-year
Another disadvantage: the free account will
only let you upload 3 minutes of audio material. My song was more than 3
minutes and the ending was cut off. For a teacher to record a lecture would
require paying for an upgraded subscription.
A few days later. Somehow, magically, I am now able to record directly into AudioBoo!
Today my computer did one of its updates, and perhaps that update was for Flash
Player. Regardless, I was able to record! OK, now how do I post my boo to the
blog? Have to listen to a tutorial. Embed the code into your blog. I’ll try it.
<div class="ab-player"
data-boourl="http://audioboo.fm/boos/1297142-growing-carrots/embed"><a
href="http://audioboo.fm/boos/1297142-growing-carrots">listen to
‘Growing Carrots’ on Audioboo</a></div><script
type="text/javascript">(function() { var po =
document.createElement("script"); po.type =
"text/javascript"; po.async = true; po.src =
"http://d15mj6e6qmt1na.cloudfront.net/assets/embed.js"; var s =
document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po,
s); })();</script>
Still can't figure out how to embed these codes.
Here is the weblink to my boo about growing carrots:
Here is the weblink to my boo about growing carrots:
Do I need an audio player on Blogger to be
able to do this??
From what I can figure out, these online recording tools just let you record short (or longer if you subscribe) audio files. If you want to create an actual radio show or longer piece with multiple audio files such as narration and music or sound effects, I think you would have to use some sort of recording program like Garage Band or perhaps the audio part of a movie making program to integrate the various audio files into a continuous production, then upload…somehow. There is probably an online tool to do this....somewhere.
From what I can figure out, these online recording tools just let you record short (or longer if you subscribe) audio files. If you want to create an actual radio show or longer piece with multiple audio files such as narration and music or sound effects, I think you would have to use some sort of recording program like Garage Band or perhaps the audio part of a movie making program to integrate the various audio files into a continuous production, then upload…somehow. There is probably an online tool to do this....somewhere.
Using Podcasts in the Classroom
There could be many ways to use podcasts in
the classroom. Students could collect oral histories from elders, interview
“experts” for a research project, create radio shows, record oral
presentations, pretend they are newspaper reporters and record mock interviews
for news stories. These various activities could be recorded with a smart phone
or digital recorder, then uploaded onto the podcast server, or embedded in a
class blog or website.
Teachers could record lessons and have them
on a class website for students to listen to at home. I have taken other
courses where instructors have included audio files of lecture notes.
4) Speaking Avatars
About Speaking Avatars
Wikipedia has an entry entitled “Avatar
(computing)” but not a specific entry on speaking avatars:
Wikipedia defines an avatar as: “In
computing, an avatar
is the graphical
representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character.”
A speaking avatar takes the concept one step further, and you add a
voice to your alter ego.
The homepage is visually quite busy and
complicated. On the right, side of the page, it does give a succinct
description of what Voki is and does:
What is Voki?
Voki is a FREE service that lets you:
Create customized avatars.
Add
voice to your Voki avatars.
Post your Voki to any
blog, website, or profile.
Take
advantage
of Voki's learning resources.
There is also a classroom version of Voki,
described on the homepage as follows:
What is Voki
Classroom?
A classroom management system for Voki
Students
do not need to sign up!
Add
and manage your Classes & Students!
Lesson
pages
automatically created! Customized appearance & instructions!
Get
unlimited email support!
To start, I will use the basic Voki. You have to create an account. Gee, this one asks you
for your birth date! I’ve never seen that before. Probably for advertising
purposes.
First step is to start creating your avatar.
You choose a character type, then customize the facial features. This was relatively easy
to figure out. Kids would love doing this! Then you choose clothes and a
background. Then it’s time to record the audio. OK, now I’m having the same
Flash Player issue. Oh, I think I figured it out…..let’s see. No, still not
recording. Oh, I think I have to change the audio input in my preferences! No,
still doesn’t work, but I tried the "text to voice" option instead. Now
I can’t publish my avatar. Why not?? Hmmm, seems like there are limitations in
the basic Voki avatar and that most of the options are available on the
educational version.
I was able to link my first Avatar directly to my Facebook page. There is a way to link directly to this blog, but you have to enter your username and password. I can't remember them because when I go into my Blogger account, it is linked to my Google account and it automatically logs me in. Hmmm, how to recover my username and password? Here is the link to my Avatar:
http://www.voki.com/mywebsite.php
http://www.voki.com/mywebsite.php
Using Speaking Avatars in the Classroom
First, I think that students would really
enjoy creating their avatar. It’s fun! When they type in text for what their
avatar is going to say, they would be able to hear when they make spelling
mistakes because their avatar would pronounce (or attempt to pronounce) exactly
what the text says.
You can embed your speaking avatar in many
places, including your Facebook page (let’s admit it, almost everyone has one
these days, and they are truly multipurpose), or your blog. Students could
create their “character” and have ongoing conversations, either with others or
with their own avatars. Students could create a blog and their entries could
be spoken, using their speaking avatars as the voice or narrator.
You can also use avatars when you don’t want
to use your real picture on a blog. I wonder if you could somehow import
various speaking avatars into a movie making program and make a video
animation? Not really sure how far you can go with this.
5) Digital Storytelling
About Digital Storytelling
Digital storytelling, as the name implies,
is a way for people to tell stories using various media technologies, including
video, animation, still photos and audio.
Wikipedia has a good article on digital
storytelling at, including a discussion of applications for educators, at:
Digital storytelling can use a variety of
formats. For example, Power Point could be used to tell a story, or a simple
video made with a phone could be uploaded to YouTube. Animoto is also classified as a digital storytelling
platform.
Exploring Story Bird
Image retrieved from: http://room405sblog.blogspot.ca/2012/04/my-family-grows.html
Story Bird has a simple homepage in a blog format. The page scrolls down to show lots and lots of examples of stories. I started creating a story about cats. Right away there are some things I can’t figure out. I looked for an online tutorial and there are many. Here’s the one I used:
You choose a theme, and you get a selection
of artwork based on that theme. You choose the pictures, drag them into your
project and write your text. The illustration and text locations on the page
can be changed, but otherwise, there is not a lot of manipulating, for example,
font and text size seems to be fixed. There is also the limitation that the
illustrations can’t be changed. It would be good for students to first choose a
sequence of illustrations, then create their storyline.
I wrote a short little story in verse. It is
fairly straight forward to use. The only thing is you are restricted to using
the images that come in the themed set that you choose. As well, some of the
illustrations are for paying subscriptions only.
Using Digital Storytelling in the Classroom
I think students would love to create these
stories. Once they became familiar with how the tool works and the various
themes they can choose, they could start by writing a story on paper (!), edit
and correct so there are no errors in the text, then create their online story
and add their text. They could also learn how to create a storyboard and
sequence their story properly (hmmm, do people still create storyboards on
paper these days?). I think that the fact that their final
product would be created on the computer would motivate students to persevere
with all the writing activities and learning which would take place before they
create their online project.
Students could use this tool collaboratively, and they can even order and print a hard copy of their book once they’ve written it! The books can be projected onto a Smart Board for class reading and viewing.
Students could use this tool collaboratively, and they can even order and print a hard copy of their book once they’ve written it! The books can be projected onto a Smart Board for class reading and viewing.
6) Websites
About Websites
Of course, everyone who uses the internet
knows what a website is. With online tools, anyone (relatively speaking) can
now design and create their own website and include whatever content they need
on multiple pages.
Wikipedia has a great article on websites:
In the past, I have created two websites
using weebly.com but wanted to try another webpage creation tool to compare.
Exploring Wix
Image retrieved from: http://www.prweb.com/releases/new-wix-archive-of-best/flash-websites/prweb3930634.htm
First you have to create a profile. Then you select a category and a template for your website. The categories seemed somewhat limiting, and mainly for business type applications, but there were some personal options to choose. I will create a hypothetical website for my new career as a travel photographer.
Once I got the basic idea for how to
manipulate the various controls in this tool, it was easy to create a basic
website. I was able to upload photos, edit text (though controlling the font
size wasn’t user friendly, and there didn’t seem to be a choice of fonts), and
add pages. I tried to upload a web link, but for some reason it didn’t seem to
work. It took me about an hour to explore and create my basic website. Note: photos
are all my own originals.
See my website at: http://ebethjay.wix.com/photography
See my website at: http://ebethjay.wix.com/photography
Using Webpages in the Classroom
THWT gives a
very useful discussion for how to differentiate between blogs, wikis, and
websites, because sometimes it is hard to differentiate these various online writing platforms. As they suggest,
Websites are
slightly different than blogs and wikis as once content is added to a website
it typically stays static over an extended period of time. Websites can be
collaborative like a wiki but do not have the commenting function associated
with blogs. A website is a great fit for a student or class project that once
created, will require little adjustment over time.
So, in the classroom, creating a website
would be a great platform for students to document a finished project or portfolio. The teacher could
create a website, and each student could have their own page on the site. For
younger students, the teacher would have to control the student input.
With older students, they could do everything themselves. This type of project
would encourage good writing skills, and lots of technology skills. Older
students could use a website for an online resume, or students doing digital
photography could create an online portfolio.
7) Comics
About Comics
Comics are a well-known visual media form.
Read them in the newspaper, read traditional comic books, read e-comics online,
or read the new graphic novels, these are all versions of comics. Now, comics
can easily be created online with a whole variety of tools.
Exploring Bitstrips
http://www.bitstrips.com/
Image retrieved from: http://www.marsdd.com/news-insights/meet-the-entrepreneurs/bitstrips-comics-classroom/
http://www.bitstrips.com/
Image retrieved from: http://www.marsdd.com/news-insights/meet-the-entrepreneurs/bitstrips-comics-classroom/
When I pressed the “create your own avatar”
button, I was redirected to Facebook! That’s not what I wanted to do. Back to
the homepage, and I clicked on “Bitstrips for Schools”. On this page you find
out that eventually you have to pay, but there is a 30-day free trial. This
page has some videos of kids talking about using Bitstrips, and there is a good discussion about the range of skills students can learn by creating comics.
There is a video tutorial for teachers to get you started, and you can click on
the “activities” tab and find a whole menu of activities for students.
Creating the actual comic is quite easy. You
choose your characters, background, props, outfits, etc. Then put in the
dialogue bubbles. There is a very useful “help” tutorial for each function,
which explains and shows everything you need to know if you can’t figure
something out. Once you’ve created your comic, you save it as a .jpeg or .pdf,
then print or download onto your computer. I then uploaded my comic to this blog. Easy and fun!
Using comics in the classroom would help teach and build a variety of skills, including writing, dialogue, and sequencing, and of course cartoonists need to be good storytellers. The “activities” tab has a whole variety of interesting activities covering a wide variety of subject areas. Each activity includes a description plus suitable age range, and the teacher can assign the chosen activity to their class. For example, there were several activities for Remembrance Day.
I think kids would LOVE creating these comics! It might even encourage some kids to start creating and drawing their own comic characters.
8) Timelines
About Timelines
We all know what a timeline is: a linear representation of a sequential series of events. Now, you can create them online, and insert all sorts of media, such as text, photos and video to make them more interesting. Share, collaborate, imbed. It’s all possible.
Exploring Dipity
http://www.dipity.com/
The homepage is easy to navigate, and there are good descriptions of what Dipity can do and why you would use it. There are also some sample timelines to look at. First, you have to create an account. Go to the “create timeline” tab. I set up my subject, then started adding events and uploading some photos. Hmmmm, why can’t I see what I’m doing? Nothing seems to be coming up on the timeline. When I try to add an event, I keep getting an error and can’t add the event to the timeline. OK, I’ll try another browser: Firefox. I’ve now tried three times to create a timeline, and that is the limit on the free account. I have to upgrade my account to create another one! I deleted two of the timelines so I can continue to work for free. This is a really easy site, but for some reason, I can’t seem to add events to my timeline. There’s a glitch somewhere. I’m trying another timeline tool because this has already taken way too much time.
The homepage is easy to navigate, and there are good descriptions of what Dipity can do and why you would use it. There are also some sample timelines to look at. First, you have to create an account. Go to the “create timeline” tab. I set up my subject, then started adding events and uploading some photos. Hmmmm, why can’t I see what I’m doing? Nothing seems to be coming up on the timeline. When I try to add an event, I keep getting an error and can’t add the event to the timeline. OK, I’ll try another browser: Firefox. I’ve now tried three times to create a timeline, and that is the limit on the free account. I have to upgrade my account to create another one! I deleted two of the timelines so I can continue to work for free. This is a really easy site, but for some reason, I can’t seem to add events to my timeline. There’s a glitch somewhere. I’m trying another timeline tool because this has already taken way too much time.
Exploring timetoast
http://www.timetoast.com/
Image retrieved from: http://thestellarlibrary.blogspot.ca/2012/10/timeline-on-timetoast.html
OK, this one worked right away. Not as visually appealing, and more limited features than Dipity, but if something doesn’t work after thirty minutes of trying, i.e. Dipity, then it’s time to move on. You can upload text and photos onto this timeline. This site is rather annoying because there is advertising. I’m not exactly sure how to save my timeline, but hopefully it’s at this link:
Image retrieved from: http://thestellarlibrary.blogspot.ca/2012/10/timeline-on-timetoast.html
OK, this one worked right away. Not as visually appealing, and more limited features than Dipity, but if something doesn’t work after thirty minutes of trying, i.e. Dipity, then it’s time to move on. You can upload text and photos onto this timeline. This site is rather annoying because there is advertising. I’m not exactly sure how to save my timeline, but hopefully it’s at this link:
Using Timelines in the Classroom
This would be an extremely useful tool to use with students. With some of the more versatile sites, you could add all sorts of content to the timeline. They are visually appealing, and students could create all kinds of projects: animal life cycles, personal life stories, they could chronicle their day or their summer holiday, or create a timeline for a history project. A great tool!
Research & Writing
9) Social Bookmarking
About Social Bookmarking
We all do so much on the internet, we come
across great websites that we want to save and remember, but how to do that? I
for one, am terrible at saving websites, and currently just do it with
bookmarks on my browser, or not at all! Social bookmarking lets you save and
organize all that online stuff that you really need! Once you’ve saved and
tagged and organized, you can share your site with others. I’ve tried
Delicious.com in the past, but only for courses, not for personal use. It just
seems like one more thing to do, sitting at the computer…….
Wikipedia has an excellent entry on social
bookmarking at:
Exploring Diigo
Image retrieved from: http://www.blog.martinspriggs.com/tag/diigo/
The homepage is simple. To create an account, this time I just clicked on the Google symbol and it linked into my Google account. I could have also linked through my Facebook account. Hmmmm, somehow I don’t really like all this linking stuff, but I guess “big advertiser” is really watching us all the time now. OK, for some reason, it didn’t link so I’ll go back and create my account the old fashioned (!) way.
I watched a short video to get started. This
was available in the help section. This was great because it explained what
highlighting and sticky notes are, which I didn’t know.
I dragged the Diigo “Digolet” link to my
bookmark toolbar. Now what do I do? Oh, I can’t use the Diigo toolbar with
Safari, so now I have to log into another browser. I’ll try Firefox. Doing this gives me a totally different
page view of my account. I want to import bookmarks, but all my bookmarks are
on my Safari browser, not Firefox. Well that won’t work. Back to Safari and
using the Digolet tool. How do you import the bookmarks? Oh, click on the
website, then click on “bookmark”. Finally I figured this out. Nice that they
give you suggestions for tagging. Easy once you figure it out. I’m importing
all my bookmarks. Once you import your bookmarks, you create “lists” to further
organize your bookmarks. For now, highlighting and sticky notes are in the
advanced skill category for me. I’ll try that another time.
Using Social Bookmarking in the Classroom
This would be a very useful tool for older
students who are doing a lot of their work and research online. It is
invaluable for saving and organizing websites, and I’m sure the sticky notes
and highlighting are useful as well. It is also great that you can share your
website library with others.
This might be an interesting way for
teachers to look at the sites that students are using for doing their research, i.e. part of the
assessment for a research project could involve looking at the student’s Diigo
site to assess their online research skills, and see if the websites they are using are credible and recent.
For teachers, you could organize
your lists for all the websites you use in your class, and share your favorites
easily with colleagues. I will definitely be using this tool to better organize
my websites. As a librarian, you could be sharing all your great websites with all your teaching colleagues!
10) Mindmapping
About Mindmaps
As teachers, we all know about mindmaps.
They help students brainstorm, create categories and subcategories, organize
their thoughts, all in a visual format. Since the concept is familiar, creating
mindmaps through a Web 2.0 tool should be a relatively easy transfer of
knowledge PLUS you can do so much more!
Wikipedia, as always, has an interesting entry on mind maps. I learned a lot from this article!
Read it at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindmapping
Image retrieved from: https://mattfreeman2010.wikispaces.com/bubble.us
THWT describes Bubbl.us as a beginners mindmapping site. First step, create an account. It is relatively easy to figure out, and how to manipulate the various features to create the mindmaps. This is great! All the icons are explained when you hover over them, and instructions come up. It took me only a few minutes to figure out the basics. Easy to create the various bubbles, add features such as text size and bubble colour, add layers of bubbles to parent bubbles, etc. It is easy to drag the bubbles around, resize the view, and move the whole mind map. Nice to be able to colour code the different areas of the mind map for additional visual clarity. You can also change font size to further define the hierarchical structure of your mind map.
You can directly print your mind map, save it as a .jpeg file to your computer, or share with other users who you invite. I saved the .jpeg file as a .pdf. Hopefully I can upload this mind map to my blog. Some features require upgrading your account. The initial account is free.
Here is my mind map:
Using Mind Mapping in the Classroom
For a primary (or any) teacher, this would be a great
tool! This tool is easy to use, relatively intuitive, and very visually
appealing. I think students would be really motivated to do brainstorming
activities using this tool. It would be great if you could import photos or
videos and add to the various bubbles. There is probably a more advanced type
of mind mapping tool which does this. Students could work collaboratively to
create mind maps for group projects. Older students could easily use this tool as
well, though maybe a more advanced tool would be more useful for them.
Concluding Thoughts & Comments
There are so many Web 2.0 tools out there that it is overwhelming. The “Teaching History With Technology” website was invaluable for figuring out all the different types of applications, classifying them and explaining how they can be used in the classroom. A truly excellent website!
I have created complicated Web 2.0
applications in the past, but generally only one at a time. Having to create
ten all at once was a mountainous learning curve. Right away I started having
some technical issues, and that really slowed things down. Some sites I just
couldn’t get to work, so had to switch to another tool. After a while, I could
only spend so much time trying to trouble-shoot a tool before I had to move on.
Some of the tools were just too complicated. However, the process of looking at many
different types of applications and trying to figure them out was in itself the
most valuable part of this project.
All of the tools that I explored would certainly require more time for exploration!
All of the tools that I explored would certainly require more time for exploration!
Using Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom
An interesting way to start integrating these tools into the classroom would be to review the THWT website every month or two and find applications that would work with what's going on in your class. Of course, it also depends on the age of your students. Obviously a Grade 12 English teacher would be able to find more uses for the tools as compared to a Grade 1 teacher. It also depends on the teacher, and how comfortable they are with exploring and using technology.
With older students, a great
course would be to spend a year exploring all these Web 2.0 tools and create,
create, create! Kids would find uses for all this stuff, and the
exploration, creativity, and learning would be amazing! Students could have “gallery
days” once a month to show their creations. Assessment could be based on creation and
application of a defined number of end products. Start easy, with a blog. The
content would be totally student determined, with writing as the teachable
skill. Grammar, punctuation, etc. would be graded. Work up to some of the more
complicated applications, such as the social networking applications. Use the
THWT classification site to organize the different types of applications. Students love doing things on the computer, and for many students maybe it would be the technology that would get them hooked and keep them motivated to work.
Other Thoughts on Using Web 2.0 Tools
1) Students need to learn basic computer
skills before attempting to use any of these tools.
2) The teacher needs to know the tools well
before using with the students.
3) The teacher should be prepared to learn
from the students.
4) All students need to have an email
account and be familiar with using it so they can create accounts.
5) Students need to have basic typing and
word processing skills.
6) Many of the tools give you a free
sampler, but for more features or continued use, you have to subscribe. It
could get expensive.
7) Some of these tools require a lot of time
and perseverance to figure out, and some are just too complicated.
8) Find a way to record and organize the various passwords and usernames for all your tools!
8) Find a way to record and organize the various passwords and usernames for all your tools!
I think the best thing for teachers who are
not necessarily techies but who are interested in technology is to network with
all those techie teachers out there and find out which are the best tools to
use. Collaborate and share, share, share!
My last comment is that there seems to be
another whole tech world opening up: the various tablets (iPad) and their world
of apps. I don’t know if all tools can be apps and used on these devices or if
all apps can be used on the computer. But that's a project for another day!
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