BP14_2009123_PeerReviewSunny1Way

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2009

BP8_2009122_Web 2.0 Tool 3_Dabbleboard

Another web 2.0 tool that I enjoyed using is Dabbleboard. This site allows the user to have a digital whiteboard to draw ideas, plans or anything that whiteboards are traditionally used for. I liked this site because I like to do mind-maps and this site is great for doing just that. Dabbleboard allows the user to drag and drop existing photos onto the board and build around it by adding lines or shapes. The user is in control of how big or small the board is and how far images branch out.

I like this web tool for educational uses because mind mapping is a great tool used in classrooms to brainstorm for ideas no matter the subject matter. I recall having to create mind maps for essay writing. A site like this would make these mind maps easier because it is completely digital and allows for quick drawing and sharing of ideas. This site allows for the creation of spontaneous presentations by allowing users to easily add elements by dragging and dropping photos. I would incorporate Dabbleboard into my lesson plans by using it on a projector. Students can be given a particular subject and then be allowed to freely call out ideas that I would draw on the whiteboard. Ideas would then be connected through drawing and pictures and a small connection can then become broad. Students can see how many things are connected by a single word or element. Students learn that they are also a small part of a bigger picture.

Allowing students to learn using Dabbleboard gives them the ability to collaborate together using images, words, and drawing to make virtually anything that can come to mind. No matter the subject or curriculum lesson they need to do, they can use the whiteboard to group together ideas. Dabbleboard is easy to use by allowing photos and images from the user, shape and line recognition and freehand drawing. It is a versatile program that I would definitely continue to use.

BP13_2009123_PeerReviewLoraCervone

BP11_2009123_ExamBuilder2

Every teacher loves anything that will make their jobs easier! I found a Web 2.0 tool called Exam Builder. It does exactly what the name says...builds exams! You can use the exams you have on your browser and publish it. It is very user friendly. You can have your students take it online and the site provides information on the exam like how your students did as a whole. You can import your students into the program and group them however you would like. There are four group categories: classes, department, region, and vendor. This is a Web 2.0 tool that can help keep you organized and is an effective way of recording and keeping track of how your students are doing and how well they did on any exam.

BP12_2009123_Tool#4(Random Word Picker)

After viewing my first video, I decided to add a voice over in addition to my text cues and music in my video. I hope this one is more impacting.

BP9_2009122_FlickrLesson

A Flickr lesson I found on the web is available at http://www.scribd.com/doc/19387797/Lesson-Plan-With-Flickr. It is for elementary age students learning about verbs and what they can do. The lesson has the students using the search window on Flickr to input words form their verb list one at a time, to see pictures, and then predict the meaning of the word. After other mini lessons on verbs, the students draw their own pictures and upload them to Flickr as a form of assessment to show their understanding of the verbs.

I would modify this plan and use Flickr with my first graders by using the search window to find pictures of a spelling or vocabulary word and drag and drop the images to a word document, Pages doc, or powerpoint slide in order to create a picture splash or web of the new word. Through sharing these pictures with a partner or small group, I would have the students

predict the meaning of the word and make a Text to Self connection. Students would complete an assignment indicating their prediction of the meaning and what connection they made to their own life. After reading the story that includes the new word, I would have the students

revisit their prediction and make any changes as necessary. I would then post the definition and have them reflect on their definition choice.

http://www.pimpampum.net/bubblr/ to create slides and add speech bubbles to the student's verb pictures. I could use this site or comic life, to have students use the word in context to demonstrate meaning for an assessment. This program is very similar to Voicethread. I like this program for young students better for primary children because you can search flickr pics

easily by tags on the same screen as you can drag and drop pictures from flickr to the pimpampum doc. You can easily add bubbles and start a new slide without having to upload images and switch between screens. Using this program would be great for K-1-2 students before implementing Voicethread. This was a great find.

I also found pictures of Flickr that were posted by Smith Environmental Education Center that showed students on a 3 day in Montgomery County, Maryland where the students learned about predators and prey in their area and look for evidence of them in the woods. They took

pictures of their findings and how they used different tools while they stayed there. I could do an adaptation of this idea in my school's outside classroom containing a habitat of plants and animals relevant to Florida. Using the digital cameras we could take pictures of the different plants, insects, and animals on our campus and add labels or captions to them to inform others about 'Natural Florida'.

This information can be viewed on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/4121373286/ and there is a link to the center's site: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/outdoored/smith_center/smith.shtm

My pictures can be viewed at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/45264646@N08/

Images from personal screenshots at links posted above. (2009, December).

BP11_2009122_OneMinuteMessage1

One minute message video for web 2.0 tool pbwiki.

BP10_2009122_PeerReviewFlack

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

BP7_2009122_Tool#2wordsift

The second Web 2.0 tool I decided to explore washttp://www.wordsift.com. I enjoyed the tool thoroughly and can definitely use it in the classroom. During seatwork, the students have to visit centers and I would incorporate this as a website for them to use with their vocabulary intervention.

When you type in a word or words to the box and click on sift, the door is opened to the esl student. There are videos, pictures and the visual thesaurus is now on the screen with an abundance of examples on the sift.

As my lesson in the room, this site would help the students create flashcards and answer any questions they needed with more visual support. Any teacher could use this awesome Web2.0 tool in their room for every subject.

Img src=http://www.wordsift.com/visualize

BP8_2009122_Tool#3(pbwiki.com)

It is as easy as making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich....
pbwiki.com is a place where you can create your own wiki for classroom use. For educators, there is a choice that allows for classroom use, removing banners and advertisements from the sidebar of your screen. There are many options for using pbwiki in the classroom. PB wiki can be used as a storage place for students to store their best work as an electronic portfolio, and family, friends, and peers can leave comments on their work.

I have used pbwiki in my classroom in the past and was very pleased to see it made the list of web 2.0 tools I discovered. Let me share with you how I used it:

Similar to The FLat Stanley Project that many elementary educators are familiar with, students created a gingerbread man and mailed it to another state to a family or friend. Students would write a friendly letter asking the receiver to take care of their gingerbread man, document the visit in words or with pictures, and report back to the creator (the student). Instead of just receiving mail via the United States Postal Service, we gave hosts the option to communicate what the gingerbread friends did on our wiki. I created a page for each student's gingerbread man that the student could upload images and sentences to, telling about their gingerbread friend. Those hosting a gingerbread man could post comments on what city and state the gingerbread man was in, what they did, and where they are sending them off to next. It was a great project. We also had a page for each student to post and share their individual work. The students loved this because Gramma, Grandpa, and moms and dads and split families could go online to see their student's work. They could post comments of praise and encouragement. Students would rush home to read their comments, and post comments on their friends' pages. It have them a real reason to use phonetic spelling in their young emergent reader lives to communicate with their peers and family members. From this project and the integration of technology into Social Studies with kindergarten and first grade students, I was awarded Outstanding Teacher of The Year from the FLorida Council for Social Studies. It was a great experience. The project was a success, and I would have repeated it if our school decided to not allow us to use outside servers and providers for school related projects. Now we must use iWeb, and they are beginning to branch into Moodle - a personal learning community that is growing within our district.