Group items tagged

This article is a PDF, and for some reason Diigo wouldn't let me highlight as I read. So here I am posting some of the main points: -Web 2.0 technology can be seen as "an ongoing transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of static websites to a full-fledged computing platform serving Web applications to end users. This includes applications such as wikis, blogs, podcasts, and social networking. -Example: A wiki is a Web 2.0 application that can be defined as a collaborative Web space where users can add and edit content to be published on the Internet. -Students do not have to be passive recipients of information but can become equal partners in the learning process as they collaborate and create knowledge in a social manner -mention of TPCK - content, pedagogy, and technology. There are also concrete examples of TPCK being implemented with students! Good to read (starting on Pg 228)! The examples revolve around the students creating their own Digital Flexbook, which are free, nonlinear, highly customizable and easy-to-use nature of open source textbooks. -Creation process happened along five distinct phases: awareness, analysis, collection, design, and reflection. Each of these phases was unique to the process but did not occur in isolation.

Video: The machine is using us. This video is a visual timeline that explains how the use of technology has changed since 1996. It demonstrates the difference between HTML which was designed to define the structure of a web document. When people were first creating websites, they had to understand and imput the computer code that supported the website, you had to be knowledgeable beyond what everyday users (such as myself) saw on the screen. Form and content were dependent on each other. Today, xml or digital text is used so the data can be formatted without having to know complicated code. It lets users create blogs and websites and edit wikipedia without having to understand the process behind their creations. This has made information much more accessible and changes the way people use and interact with "facts" and stories and any type of information we can think of. In other words, Web 2.0, which is really what this video is about, has redefined how we use our machines and it has become inextricably linked with the sharing of information in our world.

This is a very interesting article from a notable publication, (Teaching Exceptional Children) highlighting the benefits of VoiceThread technology. Within the first paragraph the following should resonate: "educators often make herculean efforts to engage students, motivate them, and differentiate instruction for students who struggle." (Pg. 28) As an interactive multimedia slide show tool, VoiceThread portends to be the answer to these challenges. The article notes that "its interface and feature set are well-suited for promoting student engagement ... as well as for helping students develop as independent learners." (Pg. 30) This Web 2.0 tool was created to promote a collaborative learning environment. Something similar to, but more powerful than simple PowerPoint presentations; the creation of an individual VoiceThread allows a combination of images, documents and video clips. VoiceThread is web based and runs on numerous browsers. Microphones are an added bonus if voice-recorded comments are desired. Otherwise students may doodle on slides, type comments or participate in learning activities "within the VoiceThread environment." (Pg. 31) The basic account is free, but a more classroom oriented format has a nominal yearly fee. This arrangement allows for unlimited VoiceThreads that can be shared with their peers, but not made public. This latter feature is an added security feature of this web tool. The article contains a number of student profiles, where VoiceThread has been put into practice. All of these highlight the opportunity of VoiceThread to assist those shy students or those who require a bit more time to formulate a response. What a great way to 'show their learning' and allow these students to participate within the classroom. A good article with a firm base of information and numerous professional references for future study.

Great multi-language children's web-site.

Looking forward to using this one. Does is have any books in Urdu?

I will share this with other teachers at school, this is great!

While slightly outdated, the article provides many crucial thinking points for educators who are interested in initiating a blog in their classroom(s). Educational Blogging is meant to be a "virtual extension of the classroom", but is most effective when students are allowed to read and write about what interests them. This article argues that when students are assigned a topic to discuss, with a main audience (the teacher), that they become disengaged, and their blogging becomes less authentic. Questions worth considering about blogging include: "What happens when a free-flowing medium such as blogging interacts with the more restrictive domains of the educational system? What happens when the necessary rules and boundaries of the system are imposed on students who are writing blogs, when grades are assigned in order to get students to write at all, and when posts are monitored to ensure that they don't say the wrong things?" Some suggestions for blogging software/tools are made in this article, but might not be relevant anymore. However, the point that blogging can develop critical thinking, writing, and reading skills, remains pertinent.

Crazy that it could be outdated but that's how fast things change! Stephen Downes is one of the first ever bloggers!! and he is from Moncton NB and the National Research Council of Canada. He and George Siemens created the concept of Connectivism and created the first MOOC ever! (Massively Open Online Course) He is one famous Canadian dude in the tech world!

This is the policy relating to third party websites that you might be using with your students. Essentially, you should let the board which websites you are using with your class. You will need to complete a form with login and passwords, duration, a short description and the web address.

Here is a 9 minute tutorial that shows you how to resize your photos using Fotoflexer - the same tool that some of us used for our 6 word stories! Sometimes you need make your photos smaller to fit on a web page a little better.

One of the easiest ways to learn more about VoiceThread is to view the introductory VoiceThread created by the developers of this interactive, multimedia slide show tool.

Thank you for posting this site. There are some great web resources with descriptions. I will definitely be going back to this site and checking out some of their recommendations. *Note they listed some French resources in their list too! KKM