While we do seem have an unusual year with an amplified number of natural disasters occurring, I wonder if it is just a cycle that the Earth goes through every once in a while. Because we have such a wide range of technology at our fingertips every moment, we are able to view pictures and stories of the natural disasters more easily, so it may seem worse than before.
In an effort to help the victims, especially of Joplin, Missouri, I would like to have my students collect funds to send to the American Red Cross. News Anchor Brian Williams said that money to the Red Cross is the best thing for them right now because they have no place to store, wash or sort clothes and blankets. It is also much harder to ship and sort the materials. They are able to use the money more effectively right away.
Once we have sent money to the American Red Cross, I would like the students to investigate what items the American Cross buys to help the victims so that they can see how they directly helped.
In closing, we have also been hit by this raging storms of tornadoes as we are right behind Missouri. My students have a lot of questions and concerns about tornadoes right now. I would also like to take this time to inform our community of how to prepare for a tornado by practicing evacuation plans and preparing emergency kits.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Web 2.0 Tools
The following are the Web 2.0 tools that I have been practicing with my students this year. It is always scary when I allow the students to navigate a tool that I don’t have all of the answers to. However, I feel that the students had a blast exploring the ins and outs of each tool and showing me how to properly use it. They loved being the “teacher”. The point is, do not feel like you have to know everything in order to present it. Do not be afraid of technology. It is wonderful. Let your students help you for a change!
Prezi-
After my students and I navigated everything we could think of about Prezi, they all created a final “canvas” to present their class projects. Prezi is like Power Point, only fresher. All of the information is on one large canvas that pans from one topic to the next in whatever order you create. It looks amazing! My students easily added pictures, video, and sounds to their Prezis. Many students even used Prezi to create personal presentations on topics like pets, hobbies, and friends! They did this completely on their own because they enjoyed creating Prezi so much! I love it!
ToonDoo-
My students and I really enjoyed playing with ToonDoo. The students really got into it! They could create their own cartoon using any of the tools provided. This took much creativity; however, it is not adequate enough to fulfill any scientific presentation needs.
Glogster-
The students also enjoyed Glogster. This tool allows the students to create a virtual poster, rather than using glue, scissors, and paper. Many students enjoyed decorating their science portfolios using Glogster. They especially loved the tool that allowed them to tap into the school’s laptop webcams. They were able to take pictures of each other this way and continued to make Glogster posters that included their friends for other classes as well. This is a great tool; however, it would only be best to present a small amount of information with not a lot of descriptive details. It also does not allow you to implement videos, which makes most presentations more effective.
Mixbook-
I was very excited about my students creating their presentations using mixbook; however, the district blocked this website and would not allow access through the web filter. This tool would have been nice because it is like creating a photobook with written descriptions. When digitally viewing the book online, the students cold just flip the page (like a real book) to input and view more information. It was free to sign up for mixbook and create a photobook, but the students/parents did have the option to purchase the book if they wanted to.
WikiSpaces-
I had many issues with the wikispace website. My school also blocked this site. I thought this would be a great way to implement findings or research that my students had about their labs; however, there were just too many barriers for this site to be successful for my needs.
Prezi-
After my students and I navigated everything we could think of about Prezi, they all created a final “canvas” to present their class projects. Prezi is like Power Point, only fresher. All of the information is on one large canvas that pans from one topic to the next in whatever order you create. It looks amazing! My students easily added pictures, video, and sounds to their Prezis. Many students even used Prezi to create personal presentations on topics like pets, hobbies, and friends! They did this completely on their own because they enjoyed creating Prezi so much! I love it!
ToonDoo-
My students and I really enjoyed playing with ToonDoo. The students really got into it! They could create their own cartoon using any of the tools provided. This took much creativity; however, it is not adequate enough to fulfill any scientific presentation needs.
Glogster-
The students also enjoyed Glogster. This tool allows the students to create a virtual poster, rather than using glue, scissors, and paper. Many students enjoyed decorating their science portfolios using Glogster. They especially loved the tool that allowed them to tap into the school’s laptop webcams. They were able to take pictures of each other this way and continued to make Glogster posters that included their friends for other classes as well. This is a great tool; however, it would only be best to present a small amount of information with not a lot of descriptive details. It also does not allow you to implement videos, which makes most presentations more effective.
Mixbook-
I was very excited about my students creating their presentations using mixbook; however, the district blocked this website and would not allow access through the web filter. This tool would have been nice because it is like creating a photobook with written descriptions. When digitally viewing the book online, the students cold just flip the page (like a real book) to input and view more information. It was free to sign up for mixbook and create a photobook, but the students/parents did have the option to purchase the book if they wanted to.
WikiSpaces-
I had many issues with the wikispace website. My school also blocked this site. I thought this would be a great way to implement findings or research that my students had about their labs; however, there were just too many barriers for this site to be successful for my needs.
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