BP12_2010043_One Minute Message #2

Glogster http://edu.glogster.com/?

BP11_2010043_Comment on Another's Blog

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Link to comment on Jennifer Scioscio's blog

BP10_2010043_Comment on Another's Blog

image taken from http://www.amap.org.uk/

Link to comment on Shannon Gillett's blog

BP9_2010043_Web2.0Tool3

Glogster http://edu.glogster.com/

As a teacher I often require my students to present their learning in a number of different formats and I am always looking for a new and engaging way for students to get excited about presentations. I have discovered a fun, creative and useful tool to add to my list of possible presentation formats called Glogster. Glogster is a Web 2.0 tool where users can create a multimedia digital poster to present their feelings, moods, and ideas and publish them to the Internet.

Even more exciting is the new Glogster EDU where teachers can incorporate the use of glogs in their classroom to create an interactive learning experience. The site offers two levels of access. The most basic access to Glogster’s web-building tools is free. “The EDU area of Glogster provides classes advertising-free glogs and easy teacher monitoring of student work” (TeachersFirst, 2010, para. 2). After signing up and choosing the number of students in your classroom (only a teacher email is required), Glogster sends the teacher a list of generic usernames and passwords that can be given to students to access the private class site. Both teachers and students can view and comment on classroom glogs. Students can create new or upload existing images, audio files, videos, or grab new from the computer’s webcam or microphone. While teachers might want to address appropriate documentation with students, “the “private” feature enables you to limit access to a glog to your class only, thereby allowing you to even use copyrighted materials under Fair Use” (TeachersFirst, 2010, para. 6).

Outside the EDU section of Glogster, glogs can be shared via a URL on social networking sites or embedded in a wiki or blog.

TeachersFirst article on Glogster EDU http://www.teachersfirst.com/single.cfm?id=4733

BP8_2010042_One Minute Message-#1

BP7_2010042_Link to Comment on Another's Blog

(Image taken from Jeff Gordon's blog)

Link to Comment on Jeff Gordon's Blog

BP6_2010042_Link to Comment on Another's Blog

(Image taken from Terrie Whitley's Blog)

Link to Comment on Terrie Whitley's Blog

BP5_2010042_Web2.0Tool2

Get a Voki now!

Voki – Safe and Engaging

There are lots of great Web 2.0 tools available for teachers to use in the classroom. The ability to access these tools through the school’s Internet filter determines whether the tools are used with students. My school corporation continues moving in a forward direction with access to technology for teachers and students, however, there are still hoops that have to be jumped through to use certain web tools.

Discovering Voki was a pleasant surprise. I am always mindful of student safety when my lesson requires them to use the Internet. Voki is a free service for users that doesn't require an application download. For the free service the final Voki presents with an advertisement, but with a paid upgrade advertisements are removed. Voki allows for the creation of a personalized avatar that teachers and students can use to communicate directions, greetings, and subject content in a safe and engaging format. Users can change the look, clothing and accessories of the avatar creating a personalized speaking image and users can add their own voice via phone, microphone or text. A fun background can be added from the provided choices or you can upload your own. After customizing the look of your Voki and adding a voice, users are able to email the Voki or get code to place Voki in personal websites, blogs, wikis, social networking sites. My plan is to allow students to create and use their personalized Voki to record their “I Am” poem on a Glog created to present their 8^th grade work.

In addition to creating a Voki, the site contains a link to an application gallery users can access to creatively express themselves with additional applications.

http://www.voki.com/

BP4_2010041_Web2.0Tools

Fatburgr Web 2.0 Tool

I would like to introduce you to a new Web 2.0 tool that I discovered called Fatburgr. This site is committed to providing the nutritional information of foods from popular restaurants (Fatburgr, 2010, p. 1). Fatburgr provides users with the opportunity to search by restaurant name or category of food, providing the calorie count along with the grams of fat, carbohydrates and fiber of the food, including specialty drinks. Fatburgr also provides an RSS feed to keep users up-dated on new restaurant additions to the Fatburgr site. For the mobile user, the site provides an iPhone link for iPhone users to conveniently search for nutritional content while perusing the menu of a listed restaurant.

Since using Fatburgr is a specialty Web 2.0 tool, using it in an everyday fashion in my curriculum is unrealistic. However, I am really excited about the possibility of using it in my 8^th grade curriculum in the personal finance unit. In this unit, students learn the skills of managing their money while relating these money management skills to real life situations. Throughout the class, students are constantly managing their personal finances based on a specific job, income and lifestyle addressing the real life issues of planning food for optimum health while eating out and considering their budget. This tool would be an easy tool for students to use to facilitate information gathering for this activity. An added benefit for students is that it is available on the Internet for them to access when they are not at school connecting student learning to their home environments.

Fatburgr. (2008). Retrieved from http://fatburgr.com/

BP3_2010041_RSSFeeds

I chose 5 feeds for information related to my profession as a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher. I chose the following:

1. ReadWriteWeb to keep me updated on Web 2.0 tools.
2. New World Notes for the latest info about Second Life.
3. Center for Creative Leadership for information on leadership for my 8th grade curriculum.
4. MarketWatch for financial updates for my 8th grade curriculum.
5. NPR Topics: Environment for updates on sustainable living for my 6th grade curriculum.

BP2_2010041_EduUses4Blogs

Image from Glencoe Online

Educational Uses for Blogs

In the 21^st century educational environment teachers need to “own their own learning first” (Richardson, 2010, para. 4) becoming connected teachers who foster student learning where “teaching is a team activity” (para. 2). An effective way to encourage a connected learning environment is through the use of educational blogs, connecting the student’s school learning environment to their home learning environment. Students can access the blog at school while also extending their learning environment to home access, encouraging a learning community that includes the student’s home environment.

Since a blog can accommodate information in various formats, such as, text, video, audio, and pictures, blogging assignments can address multiple intelligences while providing a relevant and enriched learning experience for all students. A blog, for a teacher, is very easy to set up and easy for the student to use, as long as, the student has access to the Internet through a computer, cell phone or iPod touch.

Teachers use educational blogs for classroom management, collaboration and to encourage discussion of a subject. Blogs can also be used as a reflection tool to encourage critical thinking, an important skill for the 21^st century student. Writing and reading practice are also uses for educational blogs, giving students an authentic voice in their writing. Additionally, encouraging students to blog supports their digital literacy skills.

While blogs can be used for student learning, they can also be used to connect school administrators, teachers and community members, fostering communication on educational issues relevant to all, making the exchange of information and creation of ideas a much more efficient way of communicating.

Glencoe Online. (2006). Education up close. Retrieved from http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47

Richardson, W. (2010, March 30). Connected teaching. Message posted to http://weblogg-ed.com/

BP1_2010041_iGoogleScreenShots

Below you will find my iGoogle tabs designed for my person learning environment. I wanted my iGoogle pages to be attractive and easy to use while I learn my way around them, so I added only the most basic and necessary gadgets. I am really excited about using my new learning environment to organize and process information efficiently.

1. ETC tab
2. AR/CBL tab
3. FSO tab
4. WGO tab