Voki

Do your students enjoy working with technology and hate giving oral presentations?  Do you need an interesting way to introduce something?  How about a way to spice up a website or e-newsletter?  If so, a Voki might be a useful tool for you and your students.  A Voki is a talking avatar that can be emailed, pasted onto a website, or linked to a website, blog, etc.   

Voki ideas . . .

• Oral Presentations: Students can use a Voki as a way to introduce their topics.  Backgrounds can be changed to reflect location; and, in some cases, an avatar can be made to look like a famous person from history.
• Websites, Blogs, Etc.: Embed or link a Voki to spice up one of these online creations.
• Teaching Tool: Want to grab their attention?  Use a Voki in a lesson.  Or . . . A teacher can use various Vokis on a website in order to help students with a research project.  The Vokis can become part of a WebQuest that would otherwise be missing vital pieces of information in a student-friendly format.
• “Pen Pals”: This is a great way to add a little vocal interaction to a pen pal email.

Notes on implementation . . .

• Ground Rules: As with any online work, you may need to give students some guidelines for what is appropriate and what is not appropriate.
• Remember to get parental and administrative permission before allowing students to post anything online.

Getting Started . . .

• Voki (homepage link)  It's free!
• This site has a good “getting started” section:  http://www.voki.com/voki_faq.php#4 

Equipment/software needed . . .

• computer with Internet connection

• Standard Example
• Cartoon Example
• Animal Example
• Guess who?

I would encourage you to read the post entitled “Getting started . . .” before diving in.

If you have had success with a way to use Voki, please share your pearls of wisdom through a comment to this post!

Angela CMG

NoodleTools

Do your students complete research projects?  . . . write papers?  Do they have trouble citing correctly or finding a time to work on a collaborative project together outside of class?  If you said “yes” to any of these questions, your students need a NoodleTools account. 

NoodleTools guides students step-by-step through citations in either MLA or APA.  It allows students to take notes, cite, and write a paper all in one online location that can be accessed from any computer.  NoodleTools links to Google docs for easy online storage and sharing.  It is also easier for students to work in groups and collaborate on projects through NoodleTools, and teachers can set up their accounts so that students turn in their work with all collaborators’ names attached at the touch of a button!  

A 3-month subscription is just $4, and a year is only $8.  There are licenses for schools and districts as well, so check with your administration to see if this can be offered as part of your technology services for students. 

The best way to learn about NoodleTools is to mess with it for a while.

“But I don’t want to pay for it before I know if it’s useful for me.” 

I don’t blame you.  Here are a few screencast demonstrations to help you get a feel for NoodleTools to see if it would help your students:

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/channels/c66f2QViJ

Equipment/software needed . . .

• computer with Internet connection
• a brain that is ready for research!

Benefits . . .

• You won’t hear:  “But I lost all my research because my computer crashed!”
• You won’t hear:  “But we can’t find the time to work together!”
• Students like it a lot more than paper note cards.
• The subscription is cheap enough that they could afford to continue it in college.
• Students can submit projects electronically (if you are “going green”).

I would encourage you to read the post entitled “Getting started . . .” before diving in.

If you have had success with NoodleTools, please share your pearls of wisdom through a comment to this post!

Angela CMG

Wiki

Do your students work on collaborative projects?  If so, wikis are useful tools for you and your students.  A wiki is a website created by a group of people.  Wikis make it easier for people to work together on a project--even if they are in different locations or can’t all get together at the same time outside of class.

Wiki ideas . . .

• Vocabulary Building: Students can design a website as a class that defines important terms used in science or social studies.  They can scan and include their own illustrations or link to relevant websites such as http://www.nasa.gov/, http://www.mnh.si.edu/, http://earthtrends.wri.org/index.php, and https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ to enrich their interactive vocabulary site. 
• Debate: Do your students need practice supporting their ideas with evidence from their reading or research? They can convince each other of their positionss using data, words, pictures, and sound!  You can have a page for each side of the debate on your wiki, and students can add evidence to their side.
• Writing: Collaborative storytelling can be a fun way to bring in reluctant writers.  Sometimes the blank page seems less daunting if the whole story isn’t one person’s responsibility.  Alleviate writer’s block with this mind-stretching activity.  Still stuck?  Give them a first sentence or paragraph to get them going.
• Study Time: “I can’t find my study guide.”  It’s now on a wiki accessible from any computer--and the students create it together!  As one last formative assessment before the summative assessment, let students create the study guide.  Divide students into groups and give each group a section to cover and a wiki page on which to record.  As the teacher, you can screen the posts, and incorrect posts can be sent back to the drawing board through a discussion with the authoring group.  If a group seems lost, reteaching can be done, and that group can try their post after a little more reviewing.
• Timelines: Each student can be responsible for a chunk of the timeline for the time period being studied. 
• Fundraisers and Events: Yes--that’s what I said.  Do you sponsor a club or sport?  Is planning the event/fundraiser always a hassle?  Let students help brainstorm ideas with you on a wiki.  (Just make sure they know that you get the final veto ahead of time!)
• “Pen Pals”: Do you communicate with another school that is far away?  If not, maybe now is a good time to start such a project!  It’s never been easier for students across town, the country, or even the world to work together on a project.  The possibilities are endless!  Want to start small before you think big?  Have students in different classes but in the same school collaborate first.  (Just make sure that you have “talked” in some manner with the adult on the other end so expectations for the project are mutual ahead of time.)

Notes on implementation . . .

• Collaboration: As with any collaborative work, you may need to give students some guidelines for working together--especially on the Web.  Remind them not to post anything they wouldn’t say in person.
• Backup: “But I posted it there last night!”  Avoid this by having students compose in a word processing program (such as Microsoft Word or Pages).  They can save their post as a document that they also email to you after they post.  If all goes well, those emails are easily deleted.  If all does not go well, then there is a backup plan with no excuses. 
• Remember to get parental and administrative permission before starting a wiki!
• Management Tip: Wikispaces keeps a record automatically of who altered a page.  This is helpful if something inappropriate (or incorrect) is posted.  It is also helpful if students know this from the beginning.

Useful tools . . .

• Wikispaces
• Wetpaint
• PBwiki

(This is not an exhaustive list. If you know someone who uses a different tool, you might want to use the same one so that you have a local “go to” person.)

Equipment/software needed . . .

• computer with Internet connection

I would encourage you to read the post entitled “Getting started . . .” before diving in.

If you have had success with a lesson involving a wiki, please share your pearls of wisdom through a comment to this post!

Angela CMG

Vodcasts

What is a vodcast? It's a podcast with video.

Do your students give presentations? do experiments? write reports? perform dramatizations? If so, vodcasting is a fun and easy way to motivate your students.

Vodcasting ideas . . .

• Presentations: Do your students research a famous person or historical figure? Now they can pretend to be that person in an interview! Of course, there will need to be an interviewer and an interviewee, so this is a perfect opportunity for collaborative script writing as well as historical research. If the projects need to be individual, the student could pretend to be his or her historical figure and act out something he or she would have likely done. If you want to get really creative, get the whole class involved in a news broadcast from a different time in history.
• Debate: Do your students need practice supporting their ideas with evidence from their reading or research? They can convince you of their position using data, words, pictures, and sound!
• Writing: Act out a creative writing assignment like a play or turn a personal narrative into a digital story with photos and sound effects.
• Demonstrations: Have students demonstrate a solution to a problem on a vodcast . . . like how they will help their school "go green."
• Experiments: Do you want your students to ask why in science more often? Help motivate them to understand at a deeper level by having them do the experiment demonstration. They have to be prepared to not only do the experiment but also to explain the whys and hows along the way!
• Reports: Have students spice up written reports by requiring a short video that summarizes the theme of the report--after all, a picture is worth 1,000 words!
• Photostories: For a creative twist at the end of a unit on a specific time period, artist, or (you fill in the blank), have students pick the most defining images of that time, event, etc. They can select music appropriate to the theme and play it as a vodcast.
• Sharing work: Share your vodcasts by giving out the Web address for viewing.

Notes on implementation . . .

• Script writing and storyboarding: It is a good idea to have students write a script and do some storyboarding before they start looking for sound effects or working with the images or video. After they have an idea of what they are going to say and do, they can do the fun video effects. It is tempting to get carried away by effects, so make them have the content first.
• Remember to get parental and administrative permission before uploading student work to the Web!
• Fair Use and Copyright: An Internet search for “free sound effects” or “free clip art” will turn up a good deal of information that is in the public domain. It’s a good idea to remind students what they can and cannot use before beginning vodcasts. Have them ask themselves: Do I own this? To whom will I distribute it? Is giving credit (citing) enough in this case? (Try using this tool to help you: http://copyrightwebsite.com/Info/FairUse/Visualizer/Visualizer.aspx)

Useful tools . . .

• YouTube.com or TeacherTube.com
• Audacity (free audio editor)

(This is not an exhaustive list. If you know someone who uses a different tool, you might want to use the same one so that you have a local “go to” person.)

Equipment/software needed . . .

• computer with Internet connection
• digital video camera (I recommend the Flip. It's cheap and easy to use with students.)
• Windows Movie Maker (PC/Windows) or iMovie (Apple/Mac)--These should already be on your computer.
• MP3 player program (like iTunes) with music in the public domain OR Garageband to create your own music (if you have a Mac)
• microphone attachment/built in microphone for computer (if recording audio separately from video) and sound recording/editing software (If none comes free with your computer, try Audacity.)

I would encourage you to read the post entitled “Getting started . . .” before diving in.

If you have had success with a lesson involving vodcasting, please share your pearls of wisdom through a comment to this post!

Angela CMG

Podcasts

Do your students need to work on their speaking skills? Do you have any auditory learners or learners with a high level of musical intelligence? Then podcasting is for you! Any assignment that involves speaking skills and many assignments that involve writing can be turned into podcasts. Allowing your students to create podcasts is another great way to broaden the audience for their work.

Podcasting ideas . . .

• Biography research: Do your students research a famous person or historical figure? Now they can pretend to be that person in an interview! Of course, there will need to be an interviewer and an interviewee, so this is a perfect opportunity for collaborative script writing as well as historical research.
• Debate: Do your students need practice supporting their ideas with evidence from their reading or research? They can prepare for a debate that will be recorded for a podcast. This debate could be about characters from a novel, about an event in history, or about a current event. The possibilities are endless!
• Creative writing: Now your students can practice oral storytelling as well as writing skills.
• Who said this had to be for students only? . . . Teachers and librarians can use podcasting, too! Booktalking via podcast allows the booktalk to be saved for students to peruse later or to peruse from home on a school Web site. Do you have any ELLs in your class? Record yourself reading a few key books so that they can listen as they learn to read English. Getting information through two senses may provide needed scaffolding.
• Sharing work: Share your podcasts by giving out the Web address for listening or allow your podcasts to be aggregated with an RSS or Atom feed.

Notes on implementation . . .

• Script writing and storyboarding: It is a good idea to have students write a script before they start looking for sound effects or working with the podcasting tools. After they have an idea of what they are going to say, they can create a “storyboard” that matches their words with any sound effects or background music.
• Remember to get parental and administrative permission before allowing students to post their work to the Web.
• Sound effects and background music: An Internet search for “free sound effects” or “free music” will turn up a good deal of audio information that is in the public domain. It’s a good idea to remind students what they can and cannot use before beginning podcasts.

Useful tools . . .

• PodBean.com
• GoogleReader (for listening to aggregated content)

(This is not an exhaustive list. If you know someone who uses a different tool, you might want to use the same one so that you have a local “go to” person.)

Equipment/software needed . . .

• computer with Internet connection
• microphone attachment/built in microphone for computer
• sound recording/editing software (If none comes free with your computer, try Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/.)

I would encourage you to read the post entitled “Getting started . . .” before diving in.


If you have had success with a lesson involving podcasting, please share your pearls of wisdom through a comment to this post!

Angela CMG

Blogging

Blogging in the classroom is versatile and easy to implement. Almost any assignment that involves writing can be transformed into a blog. Although blogs may seem technical at first glance, they are simply writing online for as big or as small an audience as the writer wishes to have.

Blogging ideas . . .

• Reflective writing: Do your students write reflections on what they’ve read? Do they reflect on their research? Instead of turning in a paper, have them post a blog.
• Creative writing: Now their stories can have a wider audience.
• Promote discussion: Do you have students partner up and share ideas? Are your students ever asked to comment on at least one other student’s work? Then have your students submit that work as a blog. The commenter can post his or her ideas below the original work.
• Who said this had to be for students only? . . . How many newsletters have you sent home only to find that they never made it there? The backpack wasn't zipped. The dog threw up on it, etc. Now newsletters can be easily accessed in one location . . . your blog!
• Share work: Do you need a more authentic audience for student work? Do you need a better way to share work with families? Share your blog by giving out the Web address and password for viewing or by allowing your blog to be aggregated with an RSS or Atom feed. (What is that?) Watch this helpful YouTube video from The Common Craft Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU&

Useful tools . . .

• Blogger
• Edublogs
• GoogleReader (for reading aggregated content)

Equipment/Software needed . . .

• computer with Internet connection

(This is not an exhaustive list. If you know someone who uses a different

tool, you might want to use the same one so that you have a local “go to” person.)

I would encourage you to read the post entitled “Getting started” before diving in, and remember to get parental and administrative permission before beginning any endeavor that places student work on the Web.

If you have had success with a lesson involving blogging, please share your pearls of wisdom through a comment to this post!

Angela CMG

Getting started . . .

For those of us who didn’t grow up in the world of Web 2.0, incorporating technology into our lessons can seem daunting if not impossible. Do any of these thoughts seem familiar? . . .

"Where will I find the time?”

“The students know more about it than I do!”

"What if I get stuck?”

"I just don’t know where to start.”

“I have too many other things to teach!”

There’s good news! The small time commitment on the front end is worth it. While the students may know more about technology in general (which may mean they can help you if you get stuck!), they don’t know how to use it properly without guidance (which is where you come in). Technology does not have to be “one more thing,” and it may even make some of those “one more things” seem a little simpler. Use the lessons you already have, and start small! Rome wasn’t built in a day, and this doesn’t have to be an overnight transition.

Tips for the beginner . . .

• Make sure you have permission from parents and administrators.
• Make sure your students and their parents have read and signed a technology use agreement. (These can be found online, and your district or school may already have one that you can use.)
• Explain online etiquette to students. (Respect other people’s opinions. Don’t use all caps. Use appropriate language. Etc.)
• Explain copyright law/fair use to students. (If you are uncomfortable with this, get your librarian to help you. Also, a good rule of thumb is, “If you didn’t create it and you can’t easily find a Creative Commons license on it, don’t use it.” To see what the Creative Commons license symbols mean, follow this link: http://creativecommons.org/about/licenses/.)
• Make sure any accounts that you set up online allow you to monitor and approve posts/uploads before they go public. (There will be a setting for this that you can see.)
• Make sure any accounts that you set up online allow you to password protect access so that you have the option of sharing student work only with families and school personnel. (There will be a setting for this that you can see.)
• Check with your technology coordinator to make sure the Web 2.0 sites you wish to use are not blocked in your school. (Keep in mind that many sites have educational versions that are free and “school safe.”)
• Set up an account and commit an hour to playing with the new Web 2.0 tool. There’s nothing like using it to learn it; and once you know it, you’ll have that tool forever!

Here are two books that I found helpful when getting started with Web 2.0. Click on them to find them on Amazon.com:

• Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom by Beverley E. Crane (published in 2009 by Neal-Schuman Publishers)
• Grown Up Digital: How the net generation is changing your world by Don Tapscott (published in 2009 by McGraw-Hill)

If you’ve had success with a tool or technique for using a tool, please comment so that others can benefit from your expertise! I am by no means the guru, and I welcome any comments on this blog that may help others.

Angela CMG