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

Voki to Present Haiku!

I created a Voki to introduce students to a class lesson on writing haiku... it is sure to get their attention! After students write their own Haiku poem they can create their own voki to share their poem with the class.

Big Huge Labs

13 Original Colonies

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

Big Huge Labs is a useful application for the classroom. I used the map maker option to create this map highlighting the thirteen orginal colonies of the United States. It was very easy!

Rollyo

Rollyo is a great tool for teachers and librarians! Using Rollyo, I was able to create a search tool for an upcoming project for 5th grade students on important battles of the American Revolutionary War. I liked the way you can choose specific websites for students to search through when they are working on a topic such as the battles of the American Revolutionary War. This is especially helpful in the younger grades, where students are just learning to filter out what sites are junk and what sites are credible and also what sites are more focused on the specific topic they are researching. It also helps you guide students to sites that are appropriate and helpful for various learning styles

Flickr

DSC00746
Originally uploaded by dmael

I worked with the online application flickr this week.  A great tool for use in the classroom with unlimited posibilities. I particularly like the way it can appeal to visual learning.
This photograph, which was taken on a visit to Barcelona, Spain, is part of a photostream created on flickr. I found it easy to download and organize my photos. This photo stream is public but flickr has the ability to keep photos restricted to invited only, a nice option if needed when working with students  Being able to locate and label the exact location where the photo was taken on a map is an amazing learning option in flickr. I also like the ability to create thought and conversation with students by being able to post comments under photographs posted in flickr.
The ability to link flickr to a blog as done here certainly makes using this online application easier to access and organize for use in the classroom!
Click on the number under the photo to see the remainder of the photostream which depicts the distinctive architecture designed by Antoni Gaudi seen throughout the city of Barcelona.

Social Bookmarking

I had tried to use del.icio.us last year. I registered for an account and added a few bookmarks but did not continue to use the site.  So, I continued to save sites I need written on post- its stuck to my desk, in a notebook filled with a scribbled list of sites that I know I will need one day, even in a word document file saved on my pin drive that I copy and paste sites into that I think are interesting and helpful. This week of learning about social bookmarking has been enlightening and all of this is going to change!! I love to be organized and I see that del.icio.us will help me do that. I now have a better understanding of how to tag sites not only to save for myself but to share with a community of others interested in the same topic who have also tagged additional sites to share. I added the bookmark button to my browser tool bar and I am working to enter all my saved sites into del.icio.us and I have begun with the sites for this LBS 850 class!