Tool #7: Reaching Outside Your Classroom

There are so many possibilities when it comes to opening up your classroom.  At this point, you've left the clouds and have journeyed into the infinitas of space.  With the new tools the district is providing, the only thing that can hold a teacher back is him/herself.  While I don't have a classroom, I have a plan I'd like to try out this year; one with teachers.

Plan with Matt Glover

• Content objective: Plan a Unit of Study via Skype with Matt Glover
• When you plan to implement: October 2011
• What tool(s) you plan to use: Skype, TodaysMeet, Google Docs.
• A brief description of the project: Matt Glover spent a day in person last year with our First Grade Team. We had made plans for him to come back this year to plan a Unit of Study with us. However, due to funding and budget cuts that is not going to be possible. I am hoping that he may be willing to donate some of his time, maybe an hour, which I think he will or perhaps for a nominal fee that we would meet with us via Skype to get us started in planning a unit of study chosen by the First Grade Team. We would continue the planning on our own and then meet back with him via Skype to share our final product with him.

Blasting onward to #8...

Tool #6: Using Web Tools to Promote Discussion...

There are many ways to use technology to promote discussion.    Wallwisher is one of many tools for this.  All you have to do is post a topic and then anyone, without having to register, can post a "sticky note" on it.  It's really simple to use but quite inventive.  What's more, you can add links, video's or pictures to your sticky note for anyone to view.  What a great station idea.  After reading a book or article, you could create a wall for students to respond to.  It's especially great for students that are shy or not much into writing.  They can read other responses to help them respond.  As a presenter, it is also a novel way to have people respond to your presentation.  This is something I will definitely use. Below is the wallwisher I created.  Please feel free to post a note.


 I had heard about Today's meet from my principal so I took the opportunity to explore.  This is truly a great tool for meetings.  As the presenter is talking, attendees can type in questions and comments anonymously.  Again, this is a site that no registration is required.  The presenter can answer and taylor the presentation based on this immediate feedback.  You can also print out transcripts from it.  What's even better is that this can be done from cell phones or any device with an internet connection.

  You gotta love skype!  I have a webcam on my personal computer and have skyped with my nieces and nephews in another state.  It's wonderful!  There are many uses for this in education.  Discussing this tool with a colleague, he shared how his class got to watch baby eagles hatching from a site that had placed a webcam on a nest.  My librarian often has authors visit our school but not all classes get to participate due to space.  With skype, classes could tune in and watch from their classrooms if they were unable to attend.  

Following the rainbow onto #7

Tool #5: Producing with Web 2.0

Web 2.0 really is wonderful.  It makes so much possible for the layman or woman or kid.  It changes the classroom through projects students can create easily.  Classrooms become active and engaging.  It is a fantastic option to the typical writing responses to learning.  While it may seem scarier for some, honestly I've found that if you show students what they can create, they are able to do it with very little technical help from the teacher.  Below are several sites and projects I have used either with kids or created myself.

It revolutionizes the slide show and has the added ability to add text. The following slide show is one created by a group of Bilingual/ESL students I worked with. We had read an article about "Making Maple Syrup". Instead of having each student write a summary of their individual learning, I chose to have them make an animoto to show learning. While the final product may seem simple, the advanced learning that took place was not! Student's used the comprehension strategies I preach to teach.:) They monitored comprehension, determined importance, inferred, and synthesized. The oral and academic language used in their collaborative efforts is immeasurable!!!!!  


Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

This I created because my nieces and nephews are just too cute!!


Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

It's kind of a scrapbook blog.  Below is a Glog, several of my students created through research they were doing on the Anti-Slavery Movement.  Instead of power point, they captured the essentials here to show as they made their presentation.  







 xtranormal is a movie making site.  As the site, testifies to, "if you can type, you can make movies."  Below is a quick movie I made as an example to show a blogging class how to make a movie.
  

Journeying forth to Tool # 6... 

Tool #4: Moving Up To The Clouds-Part 2

Ah, google docs, google apps, moving up the clouds, fun, fun fun! No sarcasm this time. :) I have used google docs before. As part of a class I took this past year, I had to write summaries on books read. I used google docs to share with the instructor who then was able to critique immediately. I also used google docs at the beginning of the school year with the faculty for a district training. Teachers went in and wrote goals by grade level on the same spreadsheet. They then had to read other grade level goals and respond to them. This was all done in real time. It was a wonderful tool especially as a presenter. I could easily look on my computer and see what every group was writing. It made it easy to know which groups to go and talk to or help without having to hover over people.

Google forms was new for me. The potential here is endless. What I love most is the ability to share with colleagues and/or students so easily.

I spent quite a bit of time working on google site. Through google site, I have created a website for Language Arts at Housman. I'm really, really excited about it. One thing that sets it a part is that I have set it so educators in Spring Branch can also go and edit or add to the site, much like a wiki.  Therefore, I am not the loan operator.  This features continues the theme of "promoting communication, collaboration, and creativity among  fellow colleagues, and students" (Summers Blog Tool 4) . It is still under construction and will take a while to complete. But I'm going to showcase it here anyway because I would love some feedback. So, without further ado...Introducing The LA HOUZ!  If you have time, I really would love some opinions, feedback, suggestions on the site.  Or feel free, to add anything to it yourself.  :)  You will have to either be signed into or sign into your Spring Branch Google Account.  

Moving up up and away to Tool #5...

Tool #4: Moving Up To The Clouds-Part 1

Please watch the short video and then respond to the 2 questions below. Enjoy!

Tool #3 Video and Image Resources

I discovered "Discovery Education" this year and used it quite a bit. I am a huge fan!!! I had not thought about using the videos on an itouch or ipad as a center for students to watch and respond. This is an excellent idea! It will go along well with Comprehension Toolkit. Students can watch a video and respond with an FQR sheet or other thinksheet. Another use for the itouches, yeah!

It is a shame that our district blocks so many sites that educators can use. I will say that I have been able to use youtube this year on campus. The embedded video was one I used while presenting a faculty Words Their Way training. While maybe not specifically for kids, it's pretty funny for adults. Yes, it's clean. :)

Tool #2 Devolping Professional Networks

Interesting, Interesting. Breaking 15 year old habits with something more efficent is much easier said than done. I had created a google reader under 23 things. It wasn't until I clicked the link to learn more about google reader and set one up, that I realized that. All the sites,I have bookmarked on my computer and visit frequantly were right there in one place. My goal this time is too remember that and try to use it.

I did enjoy learning about Diigo. It would have come in very handy this past year as I was researching with a 5th grade class. Again, it's remembering I learned this when it comes to that time.

I am having problems being able to leave comments on anyone's blog. Sorry, Housmanites, I've really tried. Everytime I try, it takes me to my google sign in. I sign in, and go back to the comment, and type in the word verification, it then takes me back to google sign in, I sign in and back to word verification. Round and round, back and forth, until I get tired of trying and close out. So, I can't really build any networks until, google decides to let me log in on comments.

I did find one site, I subscribed to. The Goddess of YA Literature , reviews both ya literature and pictures books. This site will be quite helpful when looking for a new book to use with a class.

That's all for now. Let the "journey" continue...