Group items tagged

- Authors: Reglio, Saal, Costello, Stroh - Group #5 - Tool Name: Smarttutor - Tool URL: http://smarttutor.com - Category: Educational site - Tags: Education, reading, math - Grade level use: k- 5th grade - Topic/Discipline: Can be used to supplement a phonics based reading program - Tutorial information: Provides tabs for appropriate reading grade level. Also provide both visual and auditory cues for where to place the cursor. - Possible uses: to supplement a reading program, provide remediation, home-school use - Basics: The first step is to click on an appropriate grade level, choose a skill set, follow both the verbal/visual cues to proceed through reading tasks. - Positives: This tool is both visually and auditorally engaging. It provides immediate feedback for both correct response and error correction. Its use is child friendly. -Negatives: To the side of the homepage are options for information on purchasing a reading software program.

Costello, Regilio, Saal, Stroh; Group 5 Tool name: Book Builder http://bookbuilder.cast.org/ Category: digital books Tags: diverse learners, individual needs, Universal Design for Learning UDL, digital books Grade level use: All Grade Levels Topic/discipline: Literacy, special education Tutorial information: On the home page there is a button labeled "Learn About Universal Design for Learning." After clicking on this link you have the choice to watch videos or read about the site. Possible uses for students, teachers, and/or administrators: Teachers can use this tool to create books for their students to read and listen to online. They also have a large library of "model" books for students to view and read. Basics: This website provides tools for teachers to create books their students can listen to and read. Teachers are able to attach images, text and sound to create their book. Teacher can also search the model books for topics that are relevant to the class. Positives: Struggling reads can use the listening option to help them with unfamiliar words when the teacher is unavailable. Because the teacher can create books they can be on any topic and at whatever level students need. You can also access books created by other who are willing to share them. Negatives: Some of the books already on the site where being read word by word. It was very choppy reading and could have a negative effect for a student who struggles with fluency.

Group Members' Names (Group Number 4: Belcher, Kaufman, Knowles, Duffy) Category- Online Story Telling, Games, Grade level- PreK-1 Topic/discipline - Reading, Writing, Literacy Tutorial information - Instructions and information on how to operate the activities can be found on the main webpage. When children click to play an activity directions are given orally. Possible uses- Young children can use the tools on this website during reading workshop to build their reading skills. Teachers can use the tools in a small group to reinforce difficult concepts. Basics - There are several activities available in this site related to reading. There are word study games, e-books, poetry, printable worksheets, ESL activities and pre-reading activities. All the activities are broken down by discipline and level. Positives - The wealth of activities and tools available is wonderful. There are activities that can meet the needs of almost all the young readers. Negatives - The site is free but you have to create and account to use it. Therefore, if you want young children to use it independently you will have to log on ahead of time or teach them how to log on. Another downfall is that the site cannot track the progress of each student. So the teacher cannot see how well they have done on their activities nor can it keep track of where they left off.

Authors: Group 2 (Hafermann, Getchius, Wenzel, McKane) Category: Social network for book lovers Grade level use: All levels Topic/discipline: Language Arts, Literature and Composition Tutorial Information: "Help and Questions" link located at the bottom of the page once you log into your account. Help page has a drop down box that provides several different features for the user. In addition, you can ask the "shelfari community" questions. Possible uses: Journaling, book reviews, independent reading, reader's workshop, literature circles, social networking Basic explanation: Shelfari has the same concept of facebook, where as you are social networking with friends, however, you are able to keep track of books you have read, books you want to read and books you are currently reading. Another feature is that you are able to send e-mails, or look at your friends' bookshelf to see what they are currently reading or written reviews on. Positives: User friendly, provides a visual of all book covers, appeals to the younger crowd. Negatives: Users are able to post on other user's shelves, which could present a problem if the messages are inappropriate.

Group Members: (Group 4 Belcher, Kaufman, Knowles, Duffy) Category: Social networking site for book lovers Grade level: All levels Topic/discipline: Language Arts focus with cross-curricular potential Tutorial information: There are tabs on the homepage for Shelfari discussion groups which include FAQ's and a forum for asking questions. Possible uses: Teachers and students can create virtual bookshelves, join groups and invite friends. Book suggestions can be made, discussions, and networking. Basics: Users are able to create virtual bookshelves by searching for books or get ideas on what to read next through automatic suggestions or by joining a group. Positives: Ease of navigation, free, blog, media widget for both Facebook and MySpace Negatives: interaction with strangers, potential for misuse

Group 2: Wenzel, Getchius, McKane, & Hafermann Tool Name: MeeGenius URL: http://www.go2web20.net/site/?a=MeeGenius Category: Online Library for kids Tags: Reading Grade Level Use: K-5 Topic/discipline: Reading Tutorial Information: There is a section to contact the authors of the website. There is also an About Us link to find out more about the website. Possible Uses: Using the web to interest students in reading. Also, allows personalization of the stories so students can become part of the book. Basics: The site allows children to access books online and they can either read them on their own or have a narrator. The site also allows you to personalize the book. Positives: Being able to personalize the book allows the reader to really become part of the story. Negatives: The selection of books is very small and limited to younger grade levels.

Authors: Group 2 (Hafermann, Getchius, Wenzel, McKane) Category: Electronic books/Writing tools Grade level use: Grades 9+ Topic/discipline: social sciences, reading/language arts, science, technology Tutorial Information: Tutorial video on home page Possible uses: group reading, summation of books, book discussion tool - teachers can post questions about the book and students can respond, upload personal written material and have other review it, Basic explanation: This tool allows you to read books online and chat with others who are reading the same book. Positives: comments about book can be left by paragraph or page, allows for teacher to student interaction as well as student to student interaction about books, provides book discussion prompts to get started, if the book you want is not offered you can request it or you could find an electronic copy online and upload it, some books are free! Negatives: not geared towards younger age groups, you have to pay for some books, limited number of books - may not have classroom books listed in database, must create account to log in.

Group Members' Names (Group Number 4: Belcher, Kaufman, Knowles, Duffy) Category- Online Story Telling Grade level- PreK-8 Topic/discipline - Reading, Listening, ESL Tutorial information - At the bottom of the screen users may click on TumbleTour to learn more about the website. Possible uses- Students could listen to books independently during reading workshop, or free time. Teachers can also project the stories for children to watch. Basics - Students across all grades can use this as a way to read books online, listen to audio books or watch video of their favorite story books set to animation. Positives - The website is full of popular texts and extremely engaging. Negatives - The site is not free. However, most local libraries purchase the license and allow public access. To get to Tumblebooks you will have to go through your local libraries webpage.

Group 2-Tera Hafermann, Ruth Getchius, April Wenzel, Trish McKane Category: online educational games Grade Level Use: K-8 Topic/Discipline: reading, math, science Tutorial Information: Since this is a site of online educational games, the tutorials come when you select a game. Possible Uses: This site could be used as a way to review math facts. It can also be used to engage students in science projects. Used in correlation with other sites, students can read the online books or comics and respond to them using Prezi or Capzles. Basic Explanation: Funbrain is a site that has games students can play to practice reading and math skills. It also has a blog for students. Positives: The site is engaging for students who like to play video and online games. Negatives: The site itself is rather busy and may make it difficult for students to find what they are looking for. It is also just limited to blogging and game playing.

Group 2: Wenzel, Getchius, McKane, & Hafermann Tool Name: Discovery Education URL: http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ Category: classroom resources, assessments, lesson plans Tags: English, science, math, reading, writing, social studies Grade Level Use: K-12 Topic/discipline: English, math, science, reading, writing, social studies, and technology Tutorial Information: There is a help section in the upper right hand corner of the page as well as a contact us link at the bottom of the page Possible Uses: Teachers can use to create or edit lessons. Teachers can learn how to use media in the classroom as well as use some of the site's media information in creating lessons. Basics: Discovery Education allows teachers to utilize lessons and ideas to create new and improved lessons in the classroom. The site also has games available for classroom use. Positives: The site is easy to navigate and has a lot of useful information. The site also has a parent corner for parents to stay informed. Negatives: The school or teacher using the website must have an access log-in

- Authors: Reglio, Saal, Costello, Stroh - Group #5 - Tool Name: Starfall - Tool URL: http://starfall.com - Category: educational reading site -Tags: education, reading, phonics - Grade level use: pre-school - 3rd grade - Topics/Discipline: pre-literacy through early literacy practice, supplement - Tutorial information: none found, user learns through practice - Possible uses: small group, individual phonics practice - Basics: The user accesses a range of phonics skills on the homepage. After selecting a skill, the user selects an activity to practice the skill. -Positives: This site is visually appealing, easy for young children to navigate, provides auditory cues for sounds/symbols, is not too busy to the eye. -Negatives: The songs/rhymes do not change often enough. For a frequent user, this may become monotonous and steer them away from the phonics lessons or activities.

Group 2: Tera Hafermann, Ruth Getchius, April Wenzel, Trish McKane Category: online poster maker Grade Level Use: all levels Topic/Discipline: reading, language arts, social studies, science, math Tutorial Information: On the homepage of the website you can choose to create a glog for free. This allows the user to play with the different features of making a glog without committing to signing up for an account. Possible Uses: Students can use this to create posters for any subject as the culminating project for a unit. Basic Explanation: Glogster is a site that allows teachers and students to create posters and lessons online. Posters contain photos, videos, links to other sites, and audio explanations. It is an interactive way to get students more involved and engaged in learning. Positives: Glogster is engaging. It is beneficial to students who struggle with reading and writing because it allows them to show what they have learned through a multimedia presentation with less writing required. Negatives: Does require an account, however a basic educator account is free.

Group 3: Sarah Vaughn & Sara Reich Category: interactive poster Grade level use: junior high, secondary Topic/discipline: any Tutorial Information: Very intuitive- a little bit of playing around and students can figure out most everything you can do with a glog Possible uses: posters for presentations, summative assignments Basic Explanation: Glogster takes the idea of the old posterboard assignment and allows students the opportunity to "paste" in pictures, add information, add video and music, include podcasts Positives: Easy to use, students enjoy presenting this "posters" Negatives: Some difficulty saving and finding glogs, students may need to convert files to add to glog

-Authors: Regilio, Saal, Costello, Stroh - Group #5 -Tool Name: Congoo -Tool URL: www.congoo.com -Category: Information Portal -Tags: -Authors: Regilio, Saal, Costello, Stroh - Group #5 -Tool Name: Congoo -Tool URL: www.congoo.com -Category: Information Portal -Tags: Comprehensive, Real-Time News And Information, Including Access To Top Subscription Sites, Congoo News -Grade level use: All levels -Topic/Discipline: US, World, Business, Finance, Industry, Technology, Science, Media & Advertising, Politics/Law, Entertainment, Internet, Health, Sports, Culture -Tutorial Information: Need Help? Button is located at the bottom of the home page. There was not a formal tutorial to teach someone how to use the website. -Possible Use: Keeping up on latest news, build your own new portal, able to comment on stories, social networking -Basic Explanation: Website is broken down into categories listed above and there are related news stories in each category to read and comment on. There are news clips in each category to watch as well. -Positives: Website is easy to navigate, wide range of information on website that can appeal to a wide range of ages -Negatives: Advertising is sold on this website, encourages you to download netpass which gives you access to other websites -Grade level use: All levels -Topic/Discipline: US, World, Business, Finance, Industry, Technology, Science, Media & Advertising, Politics/Law, Entertainment, Internet, Health, Sports, Culture -Tutorial Information: Need Help? Button is located at the bottom of the home page. There was not a formal tutorial to teach someone how to use the website. -Possible Use: Keeping up on latest news, build your own new portal, able to comment on stories, social networking -Basic Explanation: Website is broken down into categories listed above and there are related news stories in each category to read and comment on. There are news clips in each category to watch as well. -Positives: Website is easy to navi

Group 2-Tera Hafermann, Ruth Getchius, April Wenzel, Trish McKane Category: online presentation maker Grade Level Use: all levels Topic/Discipline: all topics and disciplines can use this tool Tutorial Information: On the Prezi homepage click on the Learn tab at the top of the page. This will direct you to a variety of how-to topics. Click on the Prezi in 3 Minutes lesson to read about creating a Prezi and to see an embedded YouTube video on creating a Prezi. Possible Uses: A Prezi can be used by the teacher to introduce and then guide students through a unit of study. Students can create a Prezi as a culminating project for a topic of study. Basic Explanation: A Prezi is an online presentation tool. Unlike a PowerPoint presentation, which is linear in nature, a Prezi allows the presenter to go wherever they need to in the presentation quickly and easily. A Prezi allows the presenter to zoom in on a topic to highlight an important point. It is a more dynamic way to present information. Positives: This is a very dynamic way to present information and keeps the audience engaged. It allows for zooming in and out, layering of information, and grouping of information. Negatives: Presentations can cause motion sickness and feel chaotic if not done well. Time would need to be spent on teaching students how to make their presentations less chaotic. There is a tutorial on the Prezi site that addresses this issue.

Group Members' Names (Group Number 4: Belcher, Kaufman, Knowles, Duffy) Category- Presentation Grade level- All Topic/discipline -All Tutorial information - Users may click on "Learn" to read about the basics of Empressr. For additional support, users may click on "Support" to find answers to frequently asked questions. Possible uses- Empressr may be used as a way for students to share their PowerPoint presentations with others. Teachers and students may view other Empressr presentations. Basics - Empressr is an online storytelling database. Users can easily create presentations on Empressr or upload a PowerPoint. These can easily be shared through email or social networking sites. Positives - Empressr does all the animations for your presentation so you do not have to spend a lot of time doing that on your own. It also allows others to view your presentation easily online so file sharing is a cinch. Negatives - Teachers should be careful using this in the classroom, since it is open to the public. It might not be a good idea to let students use the sight independently.

Group Name: Group 2-Tera Hafermann, Ruth Getchius, April Wenzel, Trish McKane Tool Name: Capzles Category: online timeline creator Grade Level Use: 2nd grade+ (with guidance for the younger children) Topic/Discipline: social studies, reading, science, math, language arts, just about anything where timelines or how tos can benefit someone. Tutorial Information: The site allows you to view public capzles, or photo/video timelines. In order to create a capzle, you must join the site-this is free. Once in the site, choose to create a capzle and the site walks you through the process step by step. Possible Uses: create timelines of historical events in social studies, create personal timelines of events in language arts, create a timeline of a story or novel, create a how-to timeline in science or math. Basic Explanation: This tool allows the user to upload photos, music, and videos to the site to include in a timeline. It also allows you to upload voice recordings about the photos and to blog on the photo. The user can embed a capzle on their Facebook wall. It also has an app for your iPhone. Positives: Easy to use and explain to children. Engaging. This allows students who are fearful of writing long essays to show what they know in a format that encourages creativity. Negatives: Does require you to sign up for an account, but it is free. Younger students will need a lot of help with this at first.

Group Members: (Group 4) Belcher, Kaufman, Knowles, Duffy Category: Web-based timeline creator Grade level: All levels Topic/discipline: Social studies, language arts Tutorial information: Description of how to use the timeline creator is provided on the homepage. FAQ link provided. Members have access to tutorial link. Possible uses: Creating timelines that are available to all members of a group Basics: Users are able to create and edit interactive timelines that can be manipulated with a simple drag of the mouse. Positives: Templates, easy to use drop boxes to enter data, can export timelines to a PDF file, can insert images, teacher support services, customizable privacy. Negatives: There is a one-time joiner fee of $19. Could be difficult for younger users due to required reading.

Group Members: (Group 4) Belcher, Kaufman, Knowles, Duffy Category: Evaluation of student writing samples Grade level: Middle school, high school Topic/discipline: Language arts, social studies, science Tutorial information: A "project overview" link is provided on the homepage that outlines the three main phases of the evaluation process along with important details. Possible uses: Online objective-based evaluation of student writing samples provided by other educators. Basics: Teachers submit student writing samples. Other teachers, students, and professionals read and evaluate the work. EdSteps then will publish continuums ("emerging" to "accomplished" work samples) in different skill areas.The continuums are available online for teachers, students and families to view. Positives: Provides objective-based evaluation and feedback of students' writing. Evaluations provided by a variety of individuals of various ages, specializations, and affiliations. Results are made available online to students and families. Negatives: Time - the evaluation process takes time to provide feedback.

Group 1 (Bulfer, Sennett, Gourley, Carl) Category: Presentation Grade level use: 9-12 Topic/discipline: Could be used in multiple disciplines. Tutorial Information: Watch a tutorial and a solutions section. Possible uses: Create a dynamic presentation that can be shared and commented online. Basic explanation: Offers creative tools to make unique presentations that can then be sent out to be viewed and reviewed. There is a free 30-day trial, but I did read that it is free for teachers. Positives: Offers more creative ways to present information. Negatives: It costs money. It is geared more towards teachers.

Group 1 (Bulfer, Sennett, Gourley, Carl) Category: Creative Art Grade level use: 3-8 Topic/discipline: Art, English, Reading, Spelling Tutorial Information: Click on "How to Play" Walks you through making a movie and picture. Tutorials, Top 10 Questions, Tips and Tricks, Kids FAQ, Teacher FAQ, Contact Us. There are also YouTube videos available. Possible uses: Create a storybook, spell a picture, make a picture, make a movie, make a card, make a story, doodle pad, make a drawing. Basic explanation: Kerpoof Studio lets a student create the above mentioned. They can also save their creations, share their creations, vote on shared scenes, create an avatar, and earn Kerpoof Koins. The Koins can be used to buy more features to use when creating things. There are more benefits if you buy a membership (1 month is $4.39, 6 months is $24.79, and 1 year is $44.79) the benefits are that you can chat with friends, create with friends, and share Kerpoof Koins. Positives: Has a separate section for teachers with lesson plans and other ideas. The website offers many creative channels for students. The registration goes through the parents email. Negatives: A solid program, but I wish it had more for older students.

Authors: Group 1 (Bulfer, Sennett, Gourley, Carl) Category: Debate Grade level use: 7-12 Topic/discipline: Health, social sciences, language arts, science Tutorial information: FAQ section Possible uses: debates, find out about issues Basic explanation: Website where people can look at different debates in progress, join into the argument or start a new debate. Positives: Easy to read format with yes and no points Negatives: accuracy?