Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tool #8- Video Resources
As the mother of a three year old- this one blessed my heart:
Andrea Boccelli Singing a Lullaby to Elmo
Tickle Me Emo
Imagine the sharp contrast when the video below was shown during a session with a consultant on the topic of cutting- this video is graphic but helped us to process the phenomena through a little dark humor:
Andrea Boccelli Singing a Lullaby to Elmo
Tickle Me Emo
Imagine the sharp contrast when the video below was shown during a session with a consultant on the topic of cutting- this video is graphic but helped us to process the phenomena through a little dark humor:
Tool #7- Digital Storytelling
O.K...this one was fun. It came to my attention just today that the mission statement for our school is not on the new website anywhere that was easy to find! It was a good reminder to get back to that new website and really focus in on making the content relevant and current. This inspired my digital storytelling project- I chose to search through the plentiful WAIS photos I have on Picasa to find pictures of our students living the mission statement of the school. I think a picture is worth a thousand words, and it personalizes the message as well. I chose to use Imovie for it's ease of use in the way it downloads the images onto the desktop--you can see the image without opening it. I also find the timing to be simple- and the taping and timing of voice was easy to use.
This leads me right into the classroom- student projects can be enhanced with the visual support of digital story telling, and also can be more personalized to the unique student perspective and interpretation. I think for visual learners this will pique their interest and ability to contribute actively to the group. I think that the use of expanded visual material can also be an equalizer for students who are ELL's, have learning differences, etc. Not to mention that these digital natives are very comfortable and motivated in multi-media environments. Bring on the storytelling!
This leads me right into the classroom- student projects can be enhanced with the visual support of digital story telling, and also can be more personalized to the unique student perspective and interpretation. I think for visual learners this will pique their interest and ability to contribute actively to the group. I think that the use of expanded visual material can also be an equalizer for students who are ELL's, have learning differences, etc. Not to mention that these digital natives are very comfortable and motivated in multi-media environments. Bring on the storytelling!
Tool #6- Wikis
I was exposed to the concept of Wikis for instructional use at the IB Diploma Program training last summer in New Mexico. The participant was so excited that she commandeered 15 minutes from the presenter, and was insistent about doing it. I sure am glad she did! She had discovered the hidden beauty of Wikis from a teacher's point of view- especially in a teaching environment with group projects. The power of the Wiki is that all students can contribute to a project "simultaneously"- not bad- but add to that the fact that he wiki can tell the teacher exactly what, when, and how much each member of the group contributed to the final product on the wiki. This allows for more accountability for students- more informative that a rubric between friends. I think we are going to really tap into the power or Wikis soon.
Tool #5
I used the tags IBO and IBCC to search for an article related to something I heard at today's conference. Below is the website I found.
http://www.ibo.org/mission/ibcareercertificate/
It is amazing that I can use diigo to highlight the parts I found important and share them with members of our campus team. I hope they will also highlight what they found to be significant and send it back.
I had also heard at today's conference that students in Florida who earn the IB Diploma get a college scholarship to state schools. I wanted to verify this information and share it with campus leadership...hoping that we can start some advocacy in Texas for our students. I searched using the following tags: IB Diploma Scholarships Florida
http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/bf/ftib.htm
http://www.ibo.org/mission/ibcareercertificate/
It is amazing that I can use diigo to highlight the parts I found important and share them with members of our campus team. I hope they will also highlight what they found to be significant and send it back.
I had also heard at today's conference that students in Florida who earn the IB Diploma get a college scholarship to state schools. I wanted to verify this information and share it with campus leadership...hoping that we can start some advocacy in Texas for our students. I searched using the following tags: IB Diploma Scholarships Florida
http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/bf/ftib.htm
Tool #4- Google Tools
I love computing in the clouds. Google docs is a "freeing" experience in that you can have multiple people (of your own choosing) contribute ideas to a project anywhere, anytime without tying up your mailbox. Multiple can offer changes without running into version issues. That is great.
I uploaded a document about Blooms Taxonomy which I received at a principals meeting. I like the way it summarizes the revisions- and want to share it with other staff members for their input. I will send the link to the leadership team.
I am excited to put Google Reader to work for me...I am reticent to chase sites, even of things I am interested in, and think that if I can add those journals, blogs, etc. in one place I will be more likely to keep up with the latest trends and ideas.
I think that as students enter into long-term research projects (such as the IB Extended Essay) the use of Google Reader can help them manage information by following a source over time. The use of Google Docs should support students ability to contribute equally to group projects despite geographic and financial disparities. Students don't need to have machines with large memory, and even if they can not travel to work with partners their contribution can be made without having to share versions, etc. of their work.
I uploaded a document about Blooms Taxonomy which I received at a principals meeting. I like the way it summarizes the revisions- and want to share it with other staff members for their input. I will send the link to the leadership team.
I am excited to put Google Reader to work for me...I am reticent to chase sites, even of things I am interested in, and think that if I can add those journals, blogs, etc. in one place I will be more likely to keep up with the latest trends and ideas.
I think that as students enter into long-term research projects (such as the IB Extended Essay) the use of Google Reader can help them manage information by following a source over time. The use of Google Docs should support students ability to contribute equally to group projects despite geographic and financial disparities. Students don't need to have machines with large memory, and even if they can not travel to work with partners their contribution can be made without having to share versions, etc. of their work.
Tool #3- Image Generators
As a scrapbooker- I really enjoyed manipulating the visual images on Spell with Flickr and Word it Out. I frankly could have spent a lot of time obsessing over the choices- maybe more appropriate for my scrapbook pages than progress on the 11 tools. I do think these tools can support less creative students in their ability to create more attractive products without intimidation. The world is always better when we have more beauty around us!
Tool #2- Professional Learning Networks
I find the experience (so far) of being a part of an online education community and participating in a PLN as demanding a higher level of reflection and thinking - and I feel a sense of responsibility to be thoughtful in the words I chose to express as they are enduring and have wide-access.
Since I plan to imbed my blog in my website, directed at parents, I liked the idea of both inviting comments and asking questions. This point stuck out to me from the commenting advice as a way to find out the things parents are wondering about to be able to answer them for a wider audience than the blogging world via other sources.
The five blogs that I selected for comments were:
http://bigpicturescrapbooking.typepad.com/
http://cwegs.blogspot.com/
http://waiskathyblog.blogspot.com/
http://steve-theblogofsteve.blogspot.com/
http://waisscience.blogspot.com/
Since I plan to imbed my blog in my website, directed at parents, I liked the idea of both inviting comments and asking questions. This point stuck out to me from the commenting advice as a way to find out the things parents are wondering about to be able to answer them for a wider audience than the blogging world via other sources.
The five blogs that I selected for comments were:
http://bigpicturescrapbooking.typepad.com/
http://cwegs.blogspot.com/
http://waiskathyblog.blogspot.com/
http://steve-theblogofsteve.blogspot.com/
http://waisscience.blogspot.com/
Tool #1- Getting Started
All's well that ends well...I like the look of my blog and found the process to be somewhat painless. Of course, I had the experience of others who were ahead of me to learn from. Never underestimate the power of a group! I had fun creating TWO avatars..she got better with trials...however neither version of my alter-ego "Nadine" has chosen to show up on the blog yet. Maybe if I had chosen a bigger mouth she would have decided to speak up??? I am convinced it's a website problem...it couldn't be user error, could it? I think the use of blogs in the classroom is already in full swing- the ability to have each student's voice heard is powerful- noone can hide and hope to not be called on. Each has to think and reflect at a higher level and make it public. The avatar use is just for fun and novelty at this point- however I do think some students may be willing to say more and take risks when it's spoken by an Avatar instead of themself?
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