Posting on the Padlet (Get a Video)

For this activity, I used Padlet to post ideas on how to use a video from YouTube if there was no internet access.  The class Padlet wall had some ideas posted already and I was easily able to click anywhere on the wall and add my own comment.  I appreciate not having to download anything on my computer to use this application and can think of many ideas for using it in the classroom.

One thing that comes to mind for classroom use is literature groups.  Being able to access the Padlet wall at home means Padlet can also be integrated into homework assignments.

Here is an interesting website to get additional ideas for using Padlet in the classroom.

NETS:
3b: Padlet is the perfect digital tool for collaboration among students, peers and other groups.
2d: Padlet could be used as a digital portfolio for alternate forms of assessment.

Wordle - American Revolution

As a current substitute I move through various topics each day.  This afternoon the forth graders happened to be studying the American Revolution.  I created the following American Revolution Wordle from their study guide and the terms we were discussing.

The visual representation would be helpful for students who are visual learners and would benefit from seeing information summed up in a graphical way.

Wordle Word Clouds

I love the Wordle word clouds.  Wordle is a wonderfully visual way to draw attention to important pieces of information that might otherwise get burried. I have seen Wordle used in schools often.  Recently students created a personal Wordle by entering characteristics that applied only to them.

As for using Wordle myself... I had some difficulty getting the Java plug in to work on my computer.  I am using a Mac OS with Google Chrome and according to my friendly error message, Chrome does not support Java 7 on a Mac OS.  So... I had to do all Wordle creating in Safari instead.  No biggie - just something to remember for the future.

NETS T 2000 Standards Wordle:

NETS T 2000 Wordle

NETS T 2008 Standards Wordle:

NETS T 2008 Wordle

Visually, it seems there is a focus shift from teacher-focused in 2000 to student-focused in 2008.
Also, learning seems to be a bigger focus in 2008, although it was important in 2000, and 2008 standards are worded more in 'digital' terms than in 'technology' terms.

NETS:
1c - Wordle could be used as a tool to clarify a student's conceptual understanding of a topic.
3d - Wordle would be helpful, digital tool in analyzing important information from a vast amount of text.

Self Portrait

The self portrait assignment on Picasso was quite entertaining.  I didn't really have any issues getting it to work or creating the portrait.  I found the directions very user-friendly.  Each facial feature had it's own category for the most part and it was easy to delete, move, rotate, etc.

I played with the tool quite a while before saying enough and saving this image. It doesn't look a think like me :)

I think students would have a ball doing this in class.  It is a perfect exercise for learning descriptive words.  One option would be for the teacher to provide the description and have the students create the portrait.  Another option might be for the students to create a portrait and then write a story about the character.

NETS:
1a - This activity would promote creative an innovative thinking.

Jing Image

The Jing image capture and annotation application is a very useful and user-friendly tool.  It was quite easy to understand the tools and use them in various ways.  The Sunshine menu on the corner of the computer screen is clever and is a constant reminder of the image capture capability just hanging out, waiting to be used.

I can imagine using this in the classroom often.  Perhaps to point out specific facts about an item or even create a graphic organizer by leaving the text boxes blank and having the students fill them in.  I appreciated the ease of use because students would be able to pick this up quickly and would enjoy using it for assignments.  Jing is certainly a benefit to visual learners like myself.

I used Jing to create the math study image shown below.  I find using visual tools to break apart information is extremely helpful in the learning process.

NETS used:
2a: Design lesson plans using Jing to promote student learning and creativity.
3d: Model use of current tools like Jing to locate and evaluate information.

Zoom Videoconference Tool

I was able to download the Zoom tool without any problem.  I hosted a video chat and invited Dr. Pierce but then my son called and I had to run.  Later I was able to host another chat and invite a classmate.  We investigated how to share our desktop with each other and how to move around in Zoom a little bit.

Zoom seems like it would be a useful tool in the classroom to video chat with people in different parts of the country or the world.  Having the capability to show items on your computer while discussing them in 'person' is a plus.  I would have to consider pros and cons for using Zoom with something like parent/teacher conferences.  While video conferencing is a useful tool, being face to face with a person and reading body language is also important.

NETS:
3b - Zoom can be used to collaborate with students, peers, parents, etc. in the classroom for lessons.
3c - Zoom could be used for meetings to communicate important information to parents or other teachers.

Organizing with Diigo

I have used Diigo in the past to bookmark articles for a paper.  I had not organized lists or tags so I took time to play around in Diigo today.  In my library I created a list to hold the articles I used in the past, a new list for another paper I will be writing this semester, and a list for classroom technology ideas.  The highlighting feature is extremely helpful.  I can imagine using it frequently.  Diigo is the perfect place to bookmark all the articles I'm interested and with the highlighted text there won't be a need to reread quite as much.

I am using Google Chrome on a Mac computer and didn't have any issues with the Diigolet.  The only other add on I've used is Pinterest. However, during my digging in the Diigo information I found information on Awesome Screenshot: Capture & Annotate.  It is an add on which can be used to capture an image of a webpage and annotate it - like this...

It is possible to capture all or a piece of a web page and then add circles, arrows, smudge outs, etc.

Using Diigo to organize websites and Awesome Screenshot to capture images from the sites could come in very handy in the classroom.  Students could be directed to specific sites from the Diigo library and then could use the capture zoom in and share pertinent information.

I am looking forward to using the collaboration and groups feature in Diigo in the classroom.

NETS addressed:
1c - Use collaborative tools to promote critical thinking and creativity.
Also - NETS 4 - Modeling good digital citizenship and responsibility - when collaborating.

Millennial Survey

I scored a 71 on the Millennial Survey I was actually surprised it wasn't higher considering I am pretty techno savvy and like to have fun gadgets.  I suppose the score isn't all about technology considering the questions regarding political views and religion.  For example, I wonder if leading a 'religious life' reduces your millennial score for some reason, or if you must be ‘liberal’ to be Millennial - just questions to ponder.

My thoughts on the Frand article:  The article was written in the year 2000 and already seems out of date.

1.     Computers aren’t technology:  Unfortunately, I supposed my age in this case dictates my response.  I do consider computers technology.  I remember the days when buying a computer was a huge investment and there were six thousand wires needed to connect the Internet, speakers, a monitor, etc.  I also worked for many years in the IT department of a large company and technology meant you were dealing with computers and necessary software. 

2.    Internet better than TV:  Huh….  Tough question.  I don’t think I have to decide between the two anymore.  I regularly have my laptop open, looking at Pinterest or reading email while half-watching TV.  The article suggests that finding specific information is difficult on the Internet and that it is necessary to determine the reliably of the information once it’s found.  I think we’ve become smarter in that regard.  It is no secret that and information found on the Internet in unreliable and should be crosschecked.  I don’t believe anyone takes information from the Internet as gospel.  Perhaps crosschecking and digging deeper is actually improving critical thinking skills in students. 

3.    Reality no longer real:  The word ‘reality’ is so overused these days.  With all the reality TV shows as well as our knowledge of media photos being photo-shopped and staged, I rarely believe things are as they look.  If anything, I am skeptical until I verify. 

4.    Doing rather than knowing:  I do think skills are becoming more important than knowledge alone.  I’m not saying that knowledge isn’t important, but it is critical to be able to apply the knowledge and to do it quickly.  New technologies are being discovered, produced and released at such a quick pace; there is no time to spend on a long learning curve. 

5.    Nintendo over logic:  I have a ‘Nintendo’ attitude about most things.  Quite honestly, the manuals are just too long to read through.  I spend time following directions when I’m assembling something but when it comes to technology, I am a ‘jump in an try’ person.  Honestly, YouTube is a great teacher when trial-and-error isn’t working.

6.    Multitasking way of life: This is certainly the cause of many arguments in my household.  My teenage children are convinced they can do three things and still do them at 100%.  I don’t believe they can, and know for sure that I can’t.  I certainly multitask things that don’t require much brain power but when it comes to school work or driving, the multitasking ends.

7.    Typing rather than handwriting:  For me, typing is a lifesaver.  I consider myself a horrible speller so typing (with spell check) is a wonderful, wonderful thing.  I would also say, I’m no the best writer so having the ability to cut and paste and move things around is powerful.  I would have a very difficult time going back to handwriting.

8.    Staying connected:  Does anyone use beepers anymore?  Funny.  I am probably not the norm on this topic.  I am not active on Facebook or any other social media sites and am not the best at keeping in touch with friends and family.  I would say I like the ability to connect but don’t want to be connected – if that makes any sense.   In my opinion, text messages are the best!!  You can reach out and say a quick hello anytime.

9.    Zero tolerance for delays:  I wouldn’t say I have zero tolerance for delays until I need the information right away!  Haha.  Perhaps that is the rub, the information is out there and accessible so we should have immediate feedback.  However, I am sure many emails and text messages have gone horribly wrong when someone responded without taking time to think things through.

 

10.  Consumer / creator blurring: I agree with this completely.  I worked in IT for years in customer support.  Support basically meant receiving information about a problem the customer was having and either providing the steps to solve the ‘known’ problem, or create a new piece of code for them to install and fix the ‘unknown’ problem.  Customers found bugs all over the code that needed to be fixed and this was huge, expensive, world-wide software.  It is extremely difficult to test every detail of large software system before release.

Some ISTE NETS addressed in this article are:

4a – model and teach safe and ethical use of digital information – especially when verifying the validity of information.

4c – promote digital social responsibility – certainly when using social media.

5c – evaluate current technologies and stay up to date with new possibilities.