Professional Development

I created an interactive professional development on the topic of web 2.0 tools in the classroom. The target audience is teachers with limited knowledge and experience with web 2.0 in the classroom.   The professional development is created on a wiki.  The teachers can “get their feet wet” during the scheduled professional development session and then use the wiki as a reference as they begin to become more familiar with the tools and integrate them into their own classroom curriculum.

Here is the introduction Voki on the first page of my professional development wiki:

My Top Five

    Here are my top five tools:
      Wikis and Blogs are the Web 2.0 tools that all classrooms need to provide a space for students to collaborate. Both are easy to create, use and edit.
     The social bookmarking site Delicious where you can bookmark any web page for further reference and find it when you need it by using tags. Best of all the bookmarks can be retrieved from any where not just the computer where you bookmarked it.   It is simple keeps things organized and eliminates all those sticky notes, scraps of paper with URL’s written on them!

      The audio and visual aspect of Animoto and Voki are very appealing in the classroom.  Animoto can be used to create photo and video slide shows with text and music.  The tool is a good way to get students actively interested in learning.  Voki can be used to create a speaking avatar, it is fun, stimulating and engaging for students when used integrated into classroom lessons.  

Both tools allow students to work and be creative. Both tools are a natural fit for project based learning. Both tools also have the ability to be embedded in a wiki or blog (and other social network tools) to be shared.

     Bubbl.Us, the mind mapping/,brain storming and organizing tool that can be used in the classroom individually or collaboratively by students and teachers. As a tool, it creates colorful maps that can be shared or embedded in a blog or wiki, the maps can also be printed out. The collaborative piece allows students to work together and network.

eReader

     I do not own an ereader but I was able to play with a co-worker’s kindle for a day. I am the one who has always resisted ereaders… “ I like the feel of a book in my hands”, “I like shelves filled with all kinds of books ”, “ I like to be able to recommend and share my copy of a book with a friend that I have read and loved”, etc. etc. 

     Well, I still feel all those things after playing with a kindle. But, my exposure has brought to light some of the positive attributes of the ereader and I realize that there is a place for ereaders in addition to books!

     There are many convience features of the ereader such as increasing the font size, and lighting the page that are quite nice. The battery life of the reader is quite long too, unlike a laptop or smart phone so the user is not always frantically looking for a power source.

     I can see the advantages of ereaders in education.  Textbooks downloaded to them saves
money for districts and heavy backpacks loaded with textbooks for students.  Using the
technology may also get some students excited about reading.

    Personally, I will continue to read books but, I do believe that there will continue to be a
gradual shift toward ereaders and I will more than likely be part of that shift.

Social Networking

I actually signed up for facebook for the first time this week. As I began to play around with it I realized that there is much more to facebook than my original thought of it being a place to find and keep up with friends and family. Yet I have come to learn that it is much more than that. Among other things, it is a way to advocate for and learn about issues of interest and a way for businesses to market themselves. I do have to say there is one negative side however, it can consume a lot of your time if you let it. 

ipod

I was able to borrow and play with an ipod touch last week. It was fun! I can see why students love them. I think it is time to take them out of the lockers and use them in the classroom! The many apps can help personalize instruction for students and address a variety of learning styles not to mention create a more engaging learning environment.

Book Review with Animoto

I was able to create a book review using animoto using images downloaded from the internet instead of my own personal photos. Because animoto limits the amount of text allowed on each slide, I really had to think about what I wanted to write to get my point across.

I can see using animoto with students to create a presentation about many topics. Because animoto allows you to use personal photographs and pictures downloaded from the internet the possibilities are limitless.



Click on the green link below to see my book review created with Animoto.


The Murder of King Tut