Thing #4 You Tube, Teacher Tube, School Tube

I have previously searched, viewed, and enjoyed videos from Teacher and You Tube for professional and personal reasons, but had never uploaded a video. So here is one of a group my husband plays with. (He is the 4th one in the first row)


I really had not taken a good look at School Tube until now. I thought I would take a quick look to see an overview... wrong!... 2 hours later...I stopped because I had to go somewhere. There was so much I wanted to look at. I found several videos I could use at school right now with classes-- a program by a wildlife group with real birds of prey, a time lapse video of a monarch caterpillar pupating before your eyes, a great video to show my music teacher of kids doing a drum circle, and a cool project a student made on the 10 most dangerous animals-- a real boy pleaser! I also found this funny one posted below as I explored School Tube-- and I only made it through about 6 pages worth! I also loved a video in the technology section where a teacher taped himself leading kids through the processes of doing a lesson on computer-- he was absent and had a sub, but was still able to have his class go on with the instruction he would have normally done on that day! There was also a comment by another teacher that she was so happy to have School Tube because she was told there was not enough room on her district servers to store her student's work. I found this one in the technology section--need a giggle? Check it out!

Thing # 3 Like Skype

I first participated on Skype several weeks ago when my husband called me in to talk to a friend over his computer. He has since had 8 other friends and family members find him and ask to be on his contacts. It's a great thing for families and friends to be able to see and communicate free over the miles, and I just found out that is what my son has been using to talk to his friends while studying or playing computer games. He has been using something like skype for years--since he and his friends (I think in 2nd grade then) figured out how to hook up free on their own. Mostly for entertainment, but it has come in handy when a group of his friends studied together-- dividing up the review guides and teaching each other without having to be all together at someone's house at 11:00 at night. (Nice for parents who would have to go pick them up, too!)If I only had a nickel for every $30.00 headset he has gone through in the last 10 years or so.

I enjoyed Anne Mirtschin's advice, along with the blog of 50 ways to use skype in the classroom. I looked into WiZiQ because I saw free virtual classroom, but it turned out to be a free demo. That looked really cool. Using skype, I feel it would be most useful to elementary school for virtual field trips, experts and speakers for career days, author / illustrator talks, talking to classrooms in other locations and cultures, travels, and tutoring sessions.

If teachers would permit a camera in their classroom, it would be so great for students to be able to "tune in" to their classes when they are absent. My son missed 3 days of school out sick last week, and it would have been so good for him just to have listened and watched what went on-- so he would not have so much work to makeup and missed so much instruction. Maybe in the future...

Thing # 2 Image Generators

Wordle is so fun, quick, and easy-- I can see so many applications for even the youngest students. Create them as a class, group, or individually to describe attributes of a character, biographical person, place, concept, animal, or just about any topic of study. Details from a story could put into a wordle, showing the emphasis by size of the most important to the smallest details. I am going to use it to make some gifts for volunteers-- using words that descbribe them. As a team building activity, students could do an "about me" wordle at the beginning of school and print it out on a paper or label as an activity to get to know other students.
Wordle and Wordshift would be fun to do with the same words, and compare how they are the same and different--someone suggested pairing students to do this.

Bookr is the easiest for teachers and kids that I have ever seen --and has so many applications for even the little kids. I wish they did have more picture choices or let us upload our own photos. But that may be part of what makes it so easy to use. The class can make a book on the activeboard together-- introducing or reviewing a unit of study. Or individuals or groups can make books for any unit of study or interest. I will definitely use this one a lot to allow students to quickly record their research and knowledge. Students will have fun and learn from reading the books from each other. I will post the insect book I will make with 1st graders next week. I can't wait to try this one with kids.

Glogster was fun to play with-- it took a little time to learn all of the possibilities-- but I think students would navigate it faster than I originally did. I loved the fact that you could add text and pictures like a regular poster, but really make it more fun and interactive by adding animated objects and even vidoes or sound. Here is just a little example of some of my play in designing a base for a report on MLK-- one that kids have traditionally done in regular poster fashion at my school. I am definitely going to push this one for intermediate students-- especially those who have already experienced trading cards and magazine covers-- this will be a step up that can include more creativity and information-- and fun. It's a good way to include those students who enjoy computer and those who enjoy the art and design type of project-- this has it all. http://sbelibrary.edu.glogster.com/MLK/

I have done quite a few animotos in the past, but hadn't explored much with the new and improved features using video and adding exteded text. So I revisited it to play a bit. I have also checked into getting the subscription for educators so we can make longer free videos. This will be really fun and easy for students to use when we get our new flip cameras. (I had trouble getting their "embed in blog" button to work, so I just used the email feature-- I will explore that further later)

http://animoto.com/play/PKgMxiElgvk4HrytD1BVwg?

Get a Voki now!

Thing #1 Connectivism

I can see this really happening in some classes in education in the upper levels for high school and college, and in the future trickling down to more appropriate applications at the earlier grades-- certainly in GT or AP classes. Kids are already connecting with each other through online games, social networking, etc. This just takes it to the educational level by pulling in online resources as we have in the past, but connecting it with other students and experts without having to be face to face. To me, this includes the best of both worlds in research-- connecting students interactively with content and real people for support and information. I love the idea of students being able to tap into lectures by experts, authors, and other college professors...

Librarians have been pulling from different materials and resources for years-- this is just a little shift in the types of resources and the way they are accessed. Reminds me of a 21st century version of cooperative learning or independent study. I think librarians would be able to make this shift easier than the departmentalized teacher that has been teaching the same content or subject each year-- especially those who have relied heavily on textbooks. But parts of this way of learning could certainly start to be incorporated into teaching and learning now.

I like the idea of some days with a teacher for access instruction , modeling, guidance, etc., (because these skills will have to be taught and nurtured at various levels-- especially at schools where students do not often have access at home to updated computers with fast internet and have limited computer, reading, and life experiences outside of school.

I also like the flexibility of having other days for self motivated and capable students to not have class, but have group and individual work time using tools that does not have to include a face to face. This seems like a real time saver to me, that I think would foster independence and self-motivation in students. I think, though, there should also be the opportunity for any students to meet every day with the teacher or librarian if needed for extra support or guidance.
The possiblilities for this type of class or study really is limitless and everchanging.