The Student Webquest (Required Reading #3)

I had the opportunity to create a couple webquest in a technology course while I was at Samford University. At first, it was difficult to learn the components of a webquest and how to make one using Dream Weaver. When I saw my finish product on the web and had my students complete one of my webquest it was very rewarding. Students love working on the web to do a project rather than using a pencil and paper. I often use webquest for advanced students when they finish a project or an assignment early.

This article would have been very helpful to read before I made my first webquest. It gives details and steps for making a webquest. Webquest do take time and energy to make, but I'm hoping to build a library of webquest over the next several years.

Youtube Comes to the Classroom (Required Reading #2)

This was an insightful article. I use Youtube frequently to look for videos, but I am also aware there is inappropriate context within Youtube. This article altered my view for the importance of students using Youtube. Youtube can be a powerfully engaging tool with our students, but our school block the content. I may use links to Youtube videos on my blog for my students or try and make a secure group.

A Future Fiction (Required Reading #1)

I really enjoyed reading David Warlick's article on a hopeful future of technology in the classroom. He mentioned that he did not call his article science-fiction because the technology he spoke of will readily be available,but the obstacle will be whether educators embrace the change. Children need to be prepared for the world and be exposed to technology at an early age.

This article mentioned that children will wear chips in the school that will manage absences, tardies, and whereabouts of students. Teachers will have all student work on tablets that will indicate if each student has finished, revised, or checked their assignments. Teachers will also have access to students work in previous years to look for trends, patterns, and help teacher individualize student work.

This article was realistic about the technology that will be offered. I hope schools will see this as a need and a new way of doing things rather than another expense.

Final Project

Johnna, Lindsey, and I are going to create a three hour professional development session on using technology with language arts in the K-6 classroom. We are going to focus on integrating technology using Voice Thread, Youblisher, and blogging (site to be decided). Each of us will become an expert on one application, create a sample of how to use it in the classroom, and use PowerPoint to support each application.

Our final will include an outline of our day's schedule, a PowerPoint presentation, a sample product for each application, and a proposed task for the teacher to practice creating.

Ecomp 6008 Links

2nd Weekend Schedule

Web Quest

Johnna, Lindsey, and I did our Web Quest on animal biomes. Check out our Web Quest by clicking on the image above!

Butterflies are a unique specimen. They change, grow, and explore during their lifetime. Imagine where you would go and what you would do if you were a butterly. What type of butterfly would you like to be and where would you live? Give me a schedule of you day as a butterfly.

How to Make a Voicethread

This is a youtube tutorial on how to setup a voicethread account.

Voice Thread: Web 2.0 Presentation

Body: For part of our midterm grade, we had to partner up and present a Web 2.0 app. Cassie, Lindsey, and I chose Voice Thread. We will share various examples for grade levels, demonstrate how to upload a ppt file to VT, name it, and do a sample recording. We will show everyone how to browse for the created VT, register, and record responses. We will also play the class VT.

A VoiceThread is an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways - using voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam) - and share them with anyone they wish. A VoiceThread allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place, from anywhere in the world. The possibilities for educators are endless!!!

These are some step-by-step directions for creating identities, setting up a class, and commenting on slides.

Web Site Evaluation

I visited Kathy Schrock's website and completed a critical evaluation on an elementary website. Schrock has multiple listings of bogus websites. I evaluated the website, Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. This site is interesting and may appear professional, but not very believable. It has information, facts, sighting, activities, and media about the Tree Octopus. The wording seemed intellectual, but the pictures where unrealistic and the stories were bizarre. I researched the school that was accredited at the bottom of the page and it brought me to a site that explained more about this Tree Octopus. A professor made up this site for an experiment with his students. Over 90% of his students thought this Tree Octopus was real and the site was credible. This helped the students research for more credible sites in the future. Kathy Schrock's evaluation is a great tool to help students and teachers find out if the website they are researching is credible