bp14_2009113_Researching and Blogging of Web 2.0

My Media Asset of my new Web 2.0 resource. I found this tool to be interesting and useful. I hope others also find this tool as useful as I did.

bp13_2009113_Web2.0 Tool

CyberSleuth Kids – Search The Internet

An Internet search guide for the k-12 student

http://cybersleuth-kids.com/

This resource provides a variety of topics of interest. The teacher, students and parents will find this resource enriched with a wealth of information for the different academic areas. This resource has clipart and games available to be used for reports, to enhance bulletin boards, and other projects.

This resource tool can be used and is geared toward elementary, middle, high school and college. It can be used by anyone.

As an educator, I found this resource to be very helpful. I can use it as a class resource lesson; assign partners or a group activity as well as an individual assignment.

This resource allows students the opportunity to surf and learn the Internet in a safe environment.

Ebooks are also available. Students have the opportunity to view videos to enhance the lesson you are teaching such as in Language Arts. I chose Fables and a Story. I wanted to see what the lesson entailed as well as to see if the information would be useful with what I was teaching on theme. It was interesting, however I could not use it this week. I did find that it could be used in the future.

For teachers, it offers resources in classroom management, resources for the classroom, teaching tips and tools and professional development ideas. It can be very useful, however it requires patience and researching. Some of the links are not working.

The only problem I may have with CyberSleuth as a teacher would be the links. I would have to go and make sure the links I want to use are working. I would also go to the topic and choose a variety of areas I would want my students to go or set the links for my students to follow to ensure they, the students, focus and go where I need them to go.

CyberSleuth is a good site as with any web tool they have their faults we must check them out to ensure safety; they are working as well as is what we want to use them for in our classroom.

bp12_2009113_ comment on Clara Rogers

BP9_2009112_Web 2.o tools post THREE

http://www.e-learningforkids.org/

This is a fabulous site and if you have or teach young children (ages 4-12) you too will love this site! The founder, Nick van Dam, created this site in 2004 for the sole purpose of educating children. He wanted to share great courseware for free to children around the world. The site is free. There are many group and individual sponsors. One is welcome to donate through Paypal.

The site has some very good games to play and you can choose according to age. All the games have good graphics and sound. It is all very kid-friendly. There are also learning clips, which are similar to Brain Pop. The themes for the clips vary from how one hears and how a hearing test is given, to explaining HIV/Aids. There are some topics that are obviously important for children especially who might be living with and dealing with these issues first hand.

I am going to make sure this site is not blocked the school I teach. If it is, I will write the webmaster. This is wonderful site and it should be utilized in the classroom.

BP11_2009113_ comment on YacaPaca

bp14_review3_20091115_YacaPaca and Course Management Tools

There are quite a few Web 2.0 tools that deal with course management. Yaca Paca does a really good job and has an easy to use interface. As I was reading some of my classmates blogs, this is the post that brought me to the Yaca Paca site.

originally posted on:RESEARCHING AND BLOGGING ABOUT WEB 2.0 TOOLS

So I decided to research the Web 2.0 tool "Yaca Paca!" This is basically a course management system. It is entirely free, and allows you to form your own lessons and quizzes.

Here is the marketing copy from their website.

"Create quizzes, surveys, tests, eportfolios and more

Discover modify and share assessments

Set work for the whole class with a few mouseclicks

Mark automatically

Analyse with tools that improve your teaching"

http://yacapaca.com/

I was very impressed at the ease of use for this site. I was able to create a quiz in mere moments as well as build a lesson for my class. I am very excited to see what my students think of the site and the lessons/quizzes.

POSTED BY BENWALTHER AT 5:03 PM

Pamela Rivers said...

I was interested in this tool when I began to research what it offered to the teachers. I thought it would be helpful to those who were teaching the various subjects. I found some of the tools to be useful to me which I may try to use in the future.

bp10_2009113_Comment on Chris Carboni's BP

BP10_2009113_Researching and Blogging about Web 2.0 Tools-Week 3

VOKI

POSTED BY CHRISTINA CARBONI AT 1:29 PM

1 COMMENTS:

Pamela Rivers said...

That was neat. I like that Chris. It could be used to send students a message when you are not there or to enhance an assignment. I plan on checking that out and using it.

NOVEMBER 15, 2009 4:57 PM

BP9_2009112_Rivers_Media Asset Message

bp8_2009112_Comment on Chris Carboni's BP4

BP4_2009112_Researching and Blogging About Web 2.0 Tools

The Web 2.0 tool I used is called Storybird. (Storybird, 2009) I was attracted to the site because of the storytelling element, which tied into my technology curriculum. We complete different digital storytelling project throughout the year and Storybird (2009) offers a creation element that students can use. They are provided with a group of pictures and they create a story using the photos in a unique way. I saw the photo of the killer whale and immediately thought of a student in my class named Alex. His dream job is to work at Seaworld and train the killer whales. He is obsessed with them, and I wanted to write a story about his love of sea creatures. The pictures were limiting, and my creativity was eventually stifled. Basically, the pictures dictated my story, not me.

As far as the educational benefits the tool provides, it is a way for students to have varying exposure to writing using graphics as the generator of the story. We could not use the tool during class, but I could offer it as an at home opportunity. We do not have access to this tool, as I tried it already and the site is unfortunately blocked. The graphics were very artistic and expressive. My students would have enjoyed looking at the pictures and trying to figure out a theme. It would have been a great project to select the photos or graphics and then ask them to create a story to tie them all in, like a story thread. We could pass the slides around and they could add their own pages to create a whole. Again, the photos were limiting and if you had a special need, I did not see a way to upload your own images to complete your unique story. Also, manipulation of the graphics and text is cumbersome and controlling.

I did get an idea to use this basic tool to teach students how to write their own children?s book digitally, whereby they would create their own graphics. Students have become very creative with tools like Paint and using their Microsoft Office graphics.

Storybird-Alex the Boy Who Loved All the Creatures of the Sea. (2009). Storybird. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from http://storybird.com/books/alex-the-boy-who-loved-all-the-creatures-of-the-se/

POSTED BY CHRISTINA CARBONI AT 11:13 PM

1 COMMENTS:

Pamela Rivers said...

I liked this idea. It is another to get students to write on their own. Students will be having a good time writing without knowing it is work. This is the kind of lesson that I am looking for to incorporate with the writing process. The idea of passing the slides and having the students add their own idea to enhance the story was and is a great idea. Thanks for the idea and I hope you don't mind me using it.

NOVEMBER 8, 2009 9:29 PM

BP7_2009112_Three Web 2.0 Tools

I have chose three Web 2.0 tools that will be very beneficial for my students in my classroom. They are struggling in some areas that I feel with practice can help them not only in the fourth grade but in future grades to come.

Time has progressed form learning how to type from an instructor walking around the class telling you to keep your eyes on the book and stop looking at the k

eys, and the use of a typewriter to learning how to type on a computer.

1. My first Web 2.0 resource I found was TypingWeb-Learn to Type Online.

I chose this tool because students are having a hard time typing their reports, finding particular letters or numbers because they do not know the keys on a keyboard or fall behind their peers because they can’t compete when it comes to maneuvering the keys.

This resource can be accessed from any place there is an Internet connection. Parents are able to sit down, provide assistance with their child and even practice themselves.

There are seven different levels that you have the opportunity to complete: beginners,

intermediate, advanced, specialty, for certificate purposes, News Headline examples and the lesson which entails your problem keys.

After completing a test of your skills you will be told how many words per minute, you

r gross words per minute, your percentage status and your problem keys.

The lessons will be customized to figure out what you are having problems with and target that lesson.

This lesson also comes with various tests as I have mentioned, certification status, games, statistics, preferences and skins or the look of the typing keys.

I had a lot of fun testing my typing skills and I think the students will also have a good time.

This resource again can help the students to become proficient in their typing skills. I would use this tool to help students practice how to type more fluently and quickly than they kno

w how to now.

2. I chose eLearning4Kids-Opening Doors to Education Worldwide.

This is a very familiar web tool because I have used it before. It has many lessons that can enhance and extend the lessons taught in the classroom. The purpose is to help improve the students’ basic skills

for students 5 to 12 years of age.

Teachers are able to choose from the subject area they are focused on and narrow the lesson down to a single lesson. This a good resource to use as an After-school activity or as a tutorial for lessons you want to introduce to the class used individually or as an extension for a lesson already taught (a reinforcement).

It can be accessed where there is an Internet connection. It can be used for students that are out for a long period of time helping them to stay abreast of the kinds of activities that is going on in the classroom. The teacher could use the lessons as a grade if the students are doing well.

3. The third Web 2.0 resource I chose was a YacaPaca a Management for Teachers and

Students. I found this tool to be very interesting and one that I will be using in the future. I will be able to create quizzes, surveys, tests, portfolios and more that will help in enhancing my job as a teacher more effectively as well as any teacher that is looking for enhancing their curriculum. It has assessments available

that I will be able to modify and even share with others. The lessons can be individualized or used for a whole class.

In researching more on this site…it is free. In using this site you must be professional, be truthful and honest (Professional Code of Conduct).

In using this site, I chose the country of the US, whereas the subject areas were limited compared to other countries. Next to the subject name in parenthesis was the number of lessons associated with that subject area. You can add to the lessons or use one of that is already provided. This tool is only useful to you if you use it and know the goal for the purpose of the lesson.

Images:

FTW Innovations, Inc. (2009). Typingweb. retrieved from: http://www.typingweb.com/

Chalkface Project (n.d.) Yacapaca Retrieved from http://yacapaca.com/

van Dam, N. (2008). eLearning for kids-opening the doors to education worldwide. retrieved from: http://www.e-learningforkids.org/

BP6_2009112_Flickr Lesson Plan

I chose the lesson plan with the content or focus on verbs.

Objective: Students will learn main verbs that show actions.

Teacher will introduce various verbs. Students will use Flickr to look for the word by typing it in the box and pictures will appear. Students will try to guess the meaning of the word by choosing the best picture.

The lesson plan gave an example of how Flickr was used in the process. www.flicker.com/search?q=run.

The lesson continued as a whole class and in cooperative learning groups.

The students will be involved in many activities enhancing the focus of the lesson, which are verbs. The purpose would be for students to learn verbs and be able to use them in sentences correctly.

I am currently working on this task. This would be an extension and reinforcement of the lesson.

Another Lesson dealing with Math:

Flickr can be used with any subject that you can use pictures to enhance the curriculum. Flicker can be used in math especially with Geometry. Students can locate pictures or take pictures of different objects that illustrate shapes and angles that are used in geometry. Teacher can create a class group in Flickr, upload the pictures for the students to access and identify the shapes and angles of the objects

BP5_2009112_Rivers_Social Bookmarking

Social Bookmarking can be very beneficial within education. Both educators and the learners can use this resource as a network tool with others within the classroom, school and worldwide.

Educators or the teacher can set up accounts for their class to be used to enhance the curriculum.

Teachers can have students to complete specific reading and projects. The teacher can create a list of homework help sites that can be accessed from both home and school. The students can use this resource to save links to websites used for research purposes, as a networking tool to share information with their peers on similar topics or projects allowing cooperative learning to take place online.

Tags can be made by the media specialist that is relevant to the school’s curriculum to enhance the education of the students; as well as teachers can tag safe websites that the students can use.

As a professional networking resource, educators will be able to connect with other educators around the world with similar interest and teaching knowledge. Teachers can create a database of web resources that would benefit the school and its curriculum.

As an educator, it would benefit me by setting up a website database for the students to access to help with various subjects in the classroom and extra practice with particular skills. It would also give the parents the resources needed to help with their students as well as inform them of the available resources their students can use on and for their projects.

AS a student myself, I can use it to help with my ARP to find resources to help define, refine, and provide resource tools to help me do a good job on my project.

This a very interesting and resourceful Web 2.0 tool.

Department of Education 2009. CMIS resourcing the curriculum. retrieved from

www.det.wa.edu.au

Tangient LLC.2009.CR2.0. Link to classroom 2.0, Social network discussions. retrieved from

wiki.classroom20.com/Social-Bookmarking

Educational Technology Network.2009, Social bookmarking. Retrieved from

www.edutechnetwork.com/social_bookmarking.html

BP4_2009112_Web 2.O Blog

Rivers_Pamela_Web 2.O Assignment

I chose ELearning4Kids-Opening Doors to Education Worldwide

Lesson: Body Health : Body Hygiene

www.e-learningforkids.org/Courses/Liquid_Animation/Keeping_Healthy/Body_Health/Index.html

Objective: To help students understand the importance of having a healthy body, with emphasis on Body Hygiene.

Procedures: Students will read the various topics concerning
Body Hygiene with emphasis on

*Tips on Keeping Clean

*Skin

*Mouth and Teeth

*Toilet Hygiene

Students will answer the exercise questions to check for understanding.

Evaluation: Students will have the opportunity to choose to make a PowerPoint Presentation, Comic or a Movie to demonstrate their understanding of the concept.

This will make a good Health lesson to do as a class assignment or for an individual assignment. It can be used at the beginning of the year or as needed to help students understand that body hygiene is very important in staying healthy and as a prevention from spreading diseases to others.

I would use this particular web tool to help with enhancing the lessons in my classroom. It can be used as an extension to a lesson I have taught or it can be used as a precursor to what I am going to teach as a lesson.

ELearning4Kids not only offers lessons for health but it is a resource for all academic subject areas. This web tool provides interactive lessons that students can be involved with again as a whole class or as an individual lesson. It also has exercises or questions that teachers can use as an assessment, to use the information to extend a lesson if students do not understand the skills or have students demonstrate they understand the concept by having the opportunity to create a PowerPoint Presentation, Comic strip or any other tool they feel comfortable in using.

This particular web tool can also be accessed at home. It can be used as a homework assignment whereas students can practice the skills used in the classroom preparing them for an assessment. Parents also have the ability to interact with their child as they are working on the particular skills within this web tool. This can also open up more tools such as emails or blogs to discuss how they feel about the lesson or discuss their child’s progress.

I have referenced this web tool in a previous class and will definitely use it in the future. It is a good web tool to use and I will share with others.

Reference

van Dam, N. (2008). E-learning for kids. Retrieved from http://www.e-learningforkids.org/

BP1_2009101_Rivers_iGoogle Assignment

This is my iGoogle Screenshots of my Tabs.

BP2_2009101_Educational Uses of Blogs

Blogging can be very useful in any setting. For educational uses, it can be very beneficial for collaboration, class management, discussions and student work.

Collaboration: It can be used for those to work together developing writing or other skills with the advantage of an instant audience. Teachers can offer instructional tips to students and they can practice and benefit from peer review. Students can participate in cooperative learning activities that require them to relay research findings, ideas or suggestions; providing immediate feedback from any where in the world.

Class Management: It can foster a community of learners; it can inform students of class requirements, post important information and act as a question and answer board.

Discussions: It can open the opportunity for students to discuss topics outside of the classroom; share thoughts and opinions equally, and be reactive to one another as well as reflective.

Student Work: It can help with forming student portfolios, conferencing on developing work with an individual student and peer mentoring can be kept for future references; also expert or teachers can mentor a student.

If we think about it Blogging can be a very useful tool in Education providing the opportunity to communicate between teachers to teacher, teacher to student, student to student, and teacher to parents any where in the world associated with technology.

BP3_2009101_RSS Feed

I chose my RSS Feeds to help give me insight to what information can help me in the classroom with ideas, of what works and not work, as well as suggestions.

The feeds are from various subject areas especially Math and Technology which will also help me with my research for my ARP.

I enjoyed reading some of the information and it is interesting to see other articles are being added from the sites I chose.