Education's Metamorphosis is a call to action for educators to change the way we teach our students in order to adapt to the students using Web 2.0 technology integration.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Virtusphere
Hey,
Do any of you watch Shark Tank? It is a great show about being an entrepreneur. On the season finale of the show there was a demonstration on Virtusphere, Inc., which develops and markets a locomotion platform that allows users to be completely immersed into their interactive virtual experience. It did not get a deal, but it was extremely cool and state of the art technology for the future...Maybe one day we will have them in schools and not just in arcades.
Check it out...
Sunday, October 18, 2009
BP15_2009103_ReflectiveMediaAsset - Netvibes.com
In this 1-minute movie you will see the educational benefits of the site netvibes.com.
BP14_2009103_Web Tools 2.0 Reflective Peer Comment
Deb,
This site looks like a great substitute for PC users who don't have access to GarageBand. I look forward to using this with my students to help them jazz up their presentations for science. I am sure that the music instructor would also like to use this site. I really like the tutorial and how it stops and starts to allow for students to try what the tutorial is demonstrating (I never thought to do that in my own tutorial creations).
Nice Work! ~RobynP13_2009103_Web_20_Tools_Jamglue.com
Another music mixer site is www.Jamglue.com. This site looks to be completely free, has a lot of riffs and tracks to use, and students could upload their own tracks. Full Sail University uses this site for advertisement, too, so it must be good!
The tutorial is very user friendly. As soon as the first mixing page opens, a guided tutorial starts. It's good because it instructs learners to stop and restart the tutorial in order for the learner to do what was being demonstrated or explained. I was successfully creating tracks through the tutorial, and that usually requires a Digital Native to help me navigate through the jargon! The site is also intuitive; but, with the tutorial, the stress is completely managed to easy use. I like the array of sounds available for use and that users can add to the library.
I don't see the collaborative use just like Indabamusic.com, but tracks can be created, shared and used by others.
I think this could be a useful tool as a first step into the world of creating music online. Then, for the more savvy users, Indabamusic could be their next step.
BP13_2009103_Web Tools 2.0 - xtranormal.com
http://www.xtranormal.com/This site allows users to create videos from text and publish them on YouTube for free. Users can choose 1-2 actors from 8 free settings. The site does have more complex video capabilities for an upgrade fee. Users can then type the conversation they want the characters to read. Users can also choose animations, camera perspectives, expressions, points, sound and background noises.
In science class I would use this as a fun way to give directions individually or to the entire class. For individuals who struggle with attention or directions, they could pause the movie and then restart it when they are ready. This would be helpful during web quests or lab activities, where it is difficult for me as a teacher to repeat or clarify directions.
I would also like to have the students create videos. I think that having students research individual topics to present to the class using xtranormal would be a lot of fun. Student could research the topic and identify key points. They could then write a dialogue between two people that allows one character to share the information with the other character that asks questions. Students could then post their videos to a website or blog. Rather than reading assignments for homework or class work, students would be required to watch and comment on other student’s videos.
I could also have students write their responses to questions or a writing prompt. For students who don’t like to write and only write the minimum, this may be motivational. I know a lot of my students count the number of lines or paragraphs, but this may stop them from thinking about the length and more about the content and the technology. Then in class the next day, instead of having students read their paragraphs, they can just play their video. For students whoBP12_2009103_Web Tools 2.0 - Google Earth
In the beginning of the school year I taught a lesson on the earth-moon and sun system by having my students track the sunrise and sunset on the following website.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php
Students then choose a location on Earth and then record the data. The students loved that they could navigate through their neighborhood and even find their house. The students were really excited, but this made it very difficult to keep them on track to the goal, which was exploring the earth-moon-sun system. The students were engaged, enjoyed the lesson and learned, but the lesson took twice as long as was expected. Now that I know about Google Earth this problem will be solved for next year!
Google Earth is a free download that allows users to explore the Earth and its atmosphere using satellite images. The download allows users to tour the earth and record tours for future use. As an educator it would be extremely helpful if I could go to the site, record what I would like students to focus on, and then play it back to them during class as a video.
To teach speed, distance and time I could use Google Earth to help students see the real-world application by having them choose coordinates, calculate distance using measurement tools provided through the download and then calculate speed. or create problems for others.
In teaching Earth Science like plate tectonics or water biomes, Google Earth would be hands-on. I would allow students to identify the biomes or plates locations as well as learn about their culture using outreach or national connections provided in Google Earth. Students could also use this download to explore how these locations changed over time using the Historical Imagery button. Students could then compare and contrast the location between the present and the past as well as hypothesize what natural hazards may have caused the land changes.
When learning about Simple Machines and Human Impact students could use 3D models button to explore buildings, bridges and other architecture and use the Google Earth marks button to identify styles, uses, locations, etc. Students could then create a tour and share it with their peers.
These are just a few of the ideas I have created, and I know there will be many more once I explore Google Earth even further! Give it a try...Download it now!
BP11_2009103_Web Tools 2.0 - blogmeister.com
Blogging is both individual and collaborative. It allows for students’ self-expression and stimulates peer discussion in and out of class. My students struggle with writing and limit the amount of writing they create to the minimum required. I think that blogging will be motivating and students will be more likely to write longer and maybe even more often.
Classblogmeister.com is designed for education. It allows users to search by location or by grade level in order to locate a teacher’s blog. A teacher can organize blogs so that you can track students’ blogs and is password protected from public access, so only students in that class can read the blog. It also allows users or authors to read comments posted to the blog.
I would use this site for a variety of uses. First, I would use the site as a way for students to search other schools and comment and learn about how it is being used on other classes. I think this would help students to understand the impact of their own writing on the web. Then, I would set up student blogs and I would use blogging as a way to continue class discussion. As students become familiar with blogging I would use it to provide students with open-ended science prompts. Then I would use it to provide and share resources that further class topics.
David Warlick, the creator of blogmeister and author of several web 2.0 books, has several tutorials available on YouTube, an instructional pdf, and his own website and class blog available online. He makes learning classblogmeister easy, however accessing blogmeister does require school registration and approval.
Helpful tools:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAHPXHLDZlc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al9aBUTx4_g&feature=related
http://classblogmeister.com/blogmeister_instructions.pdf
http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/
Books:
Classroom Blogging: 2nd Edition
Redefining Literacy 2.0: Second Edition
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