11.5: Thing 11.5

1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

I love these summer on-line quests! It's exhilarating to be able to explore new programs, especially when they are linked to instruction. My favorite programs were Screencast-o-matic and Glogster.

Check out this video of a group of 4th graders using Glogster in the classroom:



I particularly liked how they linked their Glogster poster to Google Earth.

2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

Before taking 23 Things, I thought I was pretty current with technolgy. Boy, was I wrong! Through 23 Things and 11.5 Things, I was exposed to many programs I didn't even know exsisted! It is obvious that a lot of time and effort went into creating these programs. Thank you to all of you who made them possible!

3. Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

I was surprised to find that I did not enjoy the virtual worlds. When I first read the post, I thought it was going to be one of my favorite items because I am a big SIMS fan. However, I found the navigation through Second Life to be tedious. I went through the tutorials and read the posts on how to use virtual worlds in education, but I just don't see how this would be used at the Elementary level.

4. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

Nothing really! The only thing I would change would to be add more tools!! It's a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest technolgy. I hope that SBISD will continue to offer more Library2Play sessions...I must admit, I'm totally addicted!!

11:5: Thing #11

I liked the article Digital Literacy (another teacher's reflection on digital literacy). Rhondda makes a good point. As educators, we must show kids how to safely and effectively use online tools and digital strategies. It is also important to model how to validate sources.

The link to the I-Safe facts sheet and Texas School Safety Center were helpful because it not only lists suggested lesson ideas, it also has many useful resources for families.

11:5: Thing #10

Although I am a big SIMS fan, I really did not enjoy SecondLife. It wasn't very user friendly. While I enjoyed flying, it was frustrating trying to figure out what to do and where to go. When I have more time, I may give it another try. I thought it was interesting reading about how it is being used in universities and can see the appeal it would have for teenagers. Since I teach elementary students, I do not think I would use this in the classroom; however, it's nice to know such programs are out there.

11:5: Thing #9

I had a little trouble on this one because I couldn't find the two links to Stephen's Lighthouse that were listed (Ignoring Social Software--Not and Slideshare). Did anyone else have this problem? If so, did you ever locate them--and if you did, please share! I spent about 20 minutes browsing through various posts before finally giving up.

I was able to play around with SlideShare and Authorstream. Both programs give students an authentic reason to create presentations. After creating their presentations, students could share them with family members and others, which would hopefully motivate students to do their best work. I think it would be neat for students to use 280 Slides to make virtual Power Points, which would also them easy access from home.

11:5: Thing #8

My favorite Screencast-o-matic is Screen-cast-omatic. It is very easy to use. When I teach students how to use a program, I will be able to record the lesson and post it for students to review if needed. Students can also use this site to record their own demonstrations. What an easy way to make technology accessible for all!

Below is a screencast created to show students how to create their own Photostory:

11:5: Thing #7

Students love working in inquiry groups and these sites will give them additional resources, besides Untied Streaming, to use! The video on copyrighting and fair use was helpful. It is important to teach students how to document correctly.

I used Blinkx to find the following Texas History video, which was created by 4th graders. This video is a good model to show students so that they can then create and produce their own videos. It would also be good for students to critique the writing and presentation (as it would be good to jazz this up a bit!)

11:5: Thing #6

I've owned an iPod Touch for a couple of years now. I use it many to listen to music and access an audio Bible. It's also good for staying in touch through facebook and twitter as well as checking e-mail. And I love using my Kindle application! It's not as good as the real thing, but it works. Had I not already purchased the iPod, I would have bought the iPad. Although the iPad is bigger (and bigger is better, right?), it doesn't make sense to own both, though.

I orginally bought the iPod so that students could easily make, edit, and listen to podcasts of their book club discussions.

From reading all of the posts, it seems that some of the biggest advantages the iPod include giving students easy access to the internet, podcasts and word processing apps. such as, Google Docs. One of my favorite apps. is Dragon Dictation, which turns speech into text (it is similar to DragonSpeak). For more information, check out: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2010-01-13-dragon-dictation-iphone_N.htm.
I am attending a staff development presentation on using the iPod in the classroom during TeacherU, so I am looking forward to gathering new ideas.