Memories That Won't Last

We created a video using Photo Story 3 for Windows. It is a free download. I really liked the program. I have purchased other programs, but they are too complicated and frustrating. This I can handle. My children really like to see themselves in these kinds of videos as it celebrates specific aspects of their lives. The tool is free -- and I am positive that students will love this software as well!

Wiki Walk-Through

Wikis kinda confuse me... so in an effort to dispel the mysteries of the work of wikis, I've done a little bit of research:

• WWW.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/ - a site that lets any visitor become a participant, it is continuously under revision and is a collaboration of many people sharing in the creative process. The word "wiki" means 'quick' or 'fast'. Wikis are used mainly by educators to conduct or follow-up after professional development workshops, communication tool with parents or students participating in their development.

Ways a wiki can be used in the classroom (information taken from www.teachersfirst.com):

• travelogue from a field trip -- or a NON field trip the class would like to take (Our non-trip to the zoo and what we wish we had seen)
• "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Mrs. Eyring's Class" -- students can contribute to an ongoing list of how education spills over into the real world
• What I think will be on the test -- others can contribute
• FAQ or NSFAQ (Not So Frequently Asked Questions) about a unit of study
• On-going vocabulary lists and examples of words -- contributed by students
• Study guides made up by students for students
• Students write about how they used math to solve a real world problem
• Groups explain the steps to a mathematical procedure, such as factoring a polynomia or converting a decimal to a fraction
• Students demonstrate numbers as many ways as possible
• Student made glossary of scientific terms with illustrations and definitions
• Observations from field sites, such as water testing in local water streams
• A collection of propaganda examples during a propaganda unit
• Detailed and illustrated descriptions of government processes -- how to bill becomes a law
• A "fan club" of your favorite president
• A continuing story in which your class adds a sentence using a new vocabulary word

Sample Wikis:

• http://aristotle-experiment.wikispaces.com - High School English
• http://terrythetennisball.wikispaces.com - Elementary school
• http://room4-wiki.wikispaces.com - learning to write in 1st grade
• http://westwood.wikispaces.com - grades 8, 9, 10 integrated with class blog

Here are some Tutorials and Guides for creating a wiki:

• www.teachersfirst.com
• http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com
• www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english
• http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/page/How+we+use+wikis+in+class?t=anon

The information out there is limitless..... I think I now have a better understanding of how I can use wikis in my classroom.... Thanks, google.com, for your nifty search engine!

E-Portfolio

What is an E-Portfolio? An ELECTRONIC Portfolio is organized around standards and contains artifacts that reflect your growth and best professional work. The uniqueness about an e-portfolio is that your artifacts (i.e.: research papers, letters of recommendation, lesson plans etc) can be accompanied by a video clip of you teaching, power-point presentation, or audio clips.

Benefits of the E Portfolio include:

• Demonstrate technology knowledge and skills-showcase your best work as a professional and demonstrate your knowledge and skill with technology.
• Facilitate distribution-- e-portfolio's web address can be given or a CD-ROM can be mailed mailed to a prospective principal or superintendent.
• Store many documents--presentation portfolio allows a reviewer to click and point to artifacts that interest them.
• Increase Accessibility--allows the reviewer to access the portfolio wherever there is a computer i.e.: on a plane, in the office, conference room or before the interview.

Creation of an Electronic Portfolio:

• Save artifacts electronically
• Document experiences electronically

Examples of Pre-service E-Portfolios can be found at:

• www.durak.org/kathy/portfolio/
• www.portfolio.rimestimes.net/
• www.kzoo.edu/pfolio/example/totten/

Examples of In-service Teacher Portfolios can be found at:

• www.mandia.com/kelly/portfolio.htm
• www.wizzlewolf.com/ep.html

CITATION: Campbell, D.M., Cignetti, P.B., Melenyzer, B.J., Nettles, D.H., & Wyman, R.M. (4th Ed). (2007). How to Develop a Professional Portfolio - A Manual for Teachers. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

WebQuest

Ahhhh... the wonderful world of Web Quests. Although they seem like a lot of work at the beginning (this being spoken by a person who has yet to create one and feeling overwhelmed at the process its creation) yet I am excited to conquer the task at hand!



Please note that the information contained below is taken from Ann Howden from UEN Professional Development at http://www.uen.org/.



A "real" web quest facilitates the transition from knowledge to understanding of a subject in the mind of a student. Tom March says this of a "real" web quest, "A WebQuest is a scaffolded learning structure that uses links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students' investigation of a central, open-ended question, development of individual expertise and participation in a final group process that attempts to transform newly acquired information into a more sophisticated understanding. The best WebQuests do this in a way that inspires students to see richer thematic relationships, facilitates a contribution to the real world or learning and reflect on their own metacognitive processess."



Okay, that was a HUGE mouthful. Here are 6 components of a webquest and sites on the web to hopefully break this process down into smaller bites:

1. Introduction - Dangle a carrot in front of the student to "hook" their interest.


2. Task - focus the learner and clearly describes essential questions & learning objectives


3. Process-lays out individual action steps the student will take, the resources to be used and how the student should organize their data.


4. Evaluation- Provide students with the rubric so they are aware of their responsibilities


5. Conclusion- Bring closure to the webquest, encourages student reflection, assignments to complete and provides an extension activity as homework (optional)


6. Teacher's Page- provides optional addition to a webquest, gives directions and guidelines to assist other teachers with wequest implementation and includes information about targeted learners, core standards, essential questions, lesson objectives and student work.

• http://www.QuestGarden.com -- build a quest in the "quest garden"


• http://webquest.sdsu.edu/ -- Example


• http://www.bestwequests.com/ -- Example


• http://www.teachersfirst.com/ -- Keyword search: webquest

The "Best" Web resources to use in your webquest:

• http://www.uen.org/k12educator/ -- Link Center / Curriculum Resources --Themepark, multimedia presentation resources for educators, Marco Polo, Pioneer Online Library and PBS teacher Source


• http://loc.gov/ - the Library of Congress


• Keep in mind: the webquest must link to resources that foster learning, analysis and evaluation. The best websites for student use are interactive, media-rich and "exciting"

Okay -- we are armed with knowledge --- let us go forth and conquer this Quest!

The Wonderful World of Wikis, Google Docs

The Wonderful World of WIKIS:

• What is a WIKI? Web pages that can be edited by anyone, or by only a select group. They can also be used to support all areas of the curriculum you are teaching. Go here: www.primaryweb2.wikispaces.com/wikis to get a overview of what a wiki is, the different types and how to use them.
• EXAMPLE 1- Here is an example of Mrs. Cassidy's classroom wiki on dinosaurs: www.room2-wikis6.wikispaces.com
• EXAMPLE 2- Another example of how a wiki can be used in a classroom: www.planetproject.wetpaint.com/page/Growing+Wheat

Googly Eyed for GOOGLE DOCS:

• What are GOOGLE DOCs? They just make life easier. Instead of having several copies of one document, in varying degrees of editing floating around in the great abyss of cyberspace, you can place THE document on google docs and have various people go here to download or edit or view your document. Here is a link to a youtube video -- "Google Docs in Plain English": www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUe6IHTEA
• Google Docs Tutorial for Teachers: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY
• Power point presentations can also be created by several different authors using the google docs.
• www.uen.org also has a link to create google docs

Your imagination is the limit on applications to the classroom using the Wikis and Google Docs.... have fun creating!

FSS Feeds R Us

Who knew the world of RSS feeds even existed? What a teasure chest of fun information for my future class! Take a gander at the fun stuff I found. Useful sites that are good for children to puruse and use for reports, stories, current events etc. But wait! It is not for the children alone, look again and you will find RSS feeds for teachers -- I am the world's best copy-cat when it comes to creativity. So grateful others are willing to share their knowledge and ideas with the right-brained people out there, like myself!

I posted a PODCAST today and changed up the template layout. We'll see if it is more user friendly. I'm loving learning more about technology.... I just hope I can keep up with all the assignments due in my classes, weddings, girls camp, drill team camp, youth conferences..... the list is never ending..............