Exciting Your Students for the New School Year

I found this video via Twitter by accessing a blog. I thought I would share it with you. I am also leaving links for you to download the video to edit it for your own liking to reuse. Thanks to Yolan Lee for sharing this on his blog post: Welcome to a New School Year.

Download the .mov file here.

Download the Keynote file here.

 Would you consider making a video like this to introduce your students to the new school year? What did you think of the many messages Mr. Lee conveyed in this video? Note Mr. Lee invites others to use this video with students as well as to download it, edit it, and make a remix to one's liking.

Introducing Yourself to Your Students

While browsing around the Web today, I came across this blog post by Melissa Seideman about using Animoto to introduce yourself to your students. Check her post: Instead of Telling Your Students Who You Are, Show Them. She suggested using Animoto to do this.

Animoto is online tool for creating quick videos by uploading saved images and then adding a soundtrack. You can also add text slides to the presentation. I have included three examples of Animoto introductions that I found on Melissa's post. Below the Animotos, I included examples from others who used additional tools for creating introductions.

I thank Melissa for this excellent suggestion and encourage following her on Twitter, where her user name is @mseideman.

Mrs. Seidman, High School Social Studies Teacher



Here is Mrs. Jee’s Video



Here is Mrs. Lindinger’s video



Here is another created with Animoto, but then uploaded to YouTube.

Meet Mr. Lee:


Here is one that was created with VoiceThread. (Excuse the comments on the first slide, which still need to be deleted.) Just go through the full VoiceThread, using the arrows as needed, or just letting the show proceed on its own.

Introduction to Jamme Freitag, Elementary School Teacher


This one was created with PhotoStory but then uploaded to Google to be placed in a Google Site. You will need to access it from a Google Site web page: Introduction to Colin Murray

Now that you have seen how teachers are using Web 2.0 and multimedia to introduce themselves, what are your thoughts on the idea? Would you consider introducing yourself to your class in this way?

On another note, I found out that Melissa uses Animoto for her students to create projects for their  history course. Check this blog post, which has a link to the assignment directions and an example  of one student's response to the project. Animoto: Video Slideshows. The text slides in this student example were created with PowerPoint, and the PowerPoint was saved as a jpeg file, so the slides could be uploaded to Animoto similar to how images (or photos) would be.

How can you see yourself using a tool like Animoto for student projects? What kinds of projects might you integrate into your own teaching?

Learning a Little More About You

I came across a high school social studies teacher's blog, Sites and Apps for Students, in which she learned about her students by asking them about websites they use. Check her post and the student responses at: Learning a Bit More About You.

Leaving a Digital Legacy by Corey Dahl, via Flickr www.flickr.com/...

Basically, the assignment asked to select 3 or 4 websites or apps they use regularly and to think about what information an historian in 50 years might learn about them based on the kinds of site or apps they were using.

Because I liked the assignment, I have duplicated her questions below. Use the comment section to indicate your responses to these two questions:

1) What websites or apps do you use regularly?
2) What might an historian looking at your response learn about you?

As the teacher did the assignment herself, I thought I would do same by way of also introducing myself to you.

The websites and apps I use the most are Gmail, Google Apps (including Google Doc and Google Sites), Twitter, Facebook, Dropbox, Diigo, Pinterest, and Flickr.

The use of the Gmail and Google Apps speaks to my interest in keeping frequently used tools all in one place. I can access email through Gmail and immediately see toolbars to access Google Doc (Drive), Google Search, and other Google apps. An historian would see that I like convenience, sharing, and organization.

Twitter has been an excellent tool for professional development and finding information for my teaching. I follow enough educators and others to have available to me daily a wealth of information. I have connected my Twitter account to Buffer and Shareholic, but prefer Buffer because it allows me to repost others' tweets and add to the tweets and to tweet easily any information I find online including shortening the URL for the information. Once a URL is included in a tweet, another follower can click on it to access the information. My use of Twitter would show an historian I like to keep current of educational trends and to share information with others.

My use of Diigo and Pinterest helps me archive website and other information. An historian would see that I a good curator, who organizes and saves resources. Diigo is text based whereas as Pinterest is visually based. I enjoy having information in both a text and visual format.

Dropbox is used like Google Doc to archive files as backups and so I can access my files from any computer. I tend to use Google Doc more so for collaboration and Dropbox for storing my own files, including word processed documents, spreadsheets, and pictures. Flickr is another site I use to archive photos, but I also like to use this site to find pictures that people have stored there that others can freely use. This is convenient for finding free images that the user grants others permission to use.

As for Facebook, a historiam would see I like to keep in touch with friends, but would also see that I follow sites that have professional information and post photographs. I have a strong interest in photography and wonder where this art form will be in 50 years from now. I also wonder what an historian will need to do to access electronic files we created in 2012.

What about you? What are your favorite websites and apps that you use regularly? What will an historian looking back on what you list learn about you as a person.

101 Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers

image: http://www.goedonline.com/101-web-tools-for-teachers

This list with descriptions and links of 101 Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers will be worth looking through to familiarize yourself with some possible tools to use in the classroom. Some will be completely new to you, whereas others might ring a bell or be ones you have tried. Look through the list and see what sounds exciting to you. If you find ones of interest, let us know what you think of them and how you might use them in your teaching. Even if you can't find something of immediate interest to you now, bookmark or save the page some other way for future reference. There is a wealth of ideas offered for use now or in the future.

!0 Must-Reads for the New School Year

Photo from http://www.freedigitalphotos.com/

Ed Tech K-12, an online site, offers some excellent links to read up on ideas for implementing technology in the classroom. Access the web page, note the descriptions for each suggestion, and click on those suggestions that most interest you. Once you find what is most helpful to you, please be sure to share feedback with others by leaving a comment. Tell us why your selections will be most useful to you and why you think others should check the recommendations. Here is the link to access the information: 10 Must-Read for the New School Year.

You Have to See This

In my journeys online, I recently came across an extraordinary example of a teacher using wikis with her students. Not only is there a class wiki in which lots of class assignments are posted, but also every individual student in the class creates a wiki for posting work. Take a look at the main wiki and then explore at least one student’s work to see how this all works. It will take some time to explore around, but it is well worth it. Doing so will give you an excellent idea of how effective use of the technology creates an incredibly powerful, engaging learning and sharing environment for students. In fact, consider how public students’ accomplishments are by virtue of the wiki tool. In addition, the teacher has at her fingertips students’ work to assess their progress throughout the year. Here is the link to get to the main wiki. 

Main class wiki: Room 14 Wiki

You will find on the homepage, a movie the students created. It is a trailer for a longer movie they produced. I have embedded the trailer in hopes that once you see the work, you will be even more motivated to explore the class wiki and individual students’ wikis.

This movie will give you an idea of how inventive and expressive these students are.

Once you get to the main wiki and have explored it, take the time to explore individual students' wikis to see what they are writing and how they are inserting their own multimedia into their wikis. Note that that students are also building a blog off their wiki pages. Additionally, spend time to see how the teacher has placed on her wiki the following information: organizational schedules, tips for writing on a wiki, and assignment guidelines.

Be sure to leave some comments. Let us know what you discovered. Has exploring the teacher's wiki and the students' wikis given you a sense of the power of technology to engage students in learning and to promote their understanding of curricular objectives? What is your takeaway message after looking into what this one teacher is doing with her students?

Watch, Know, Learn

Screen Shot from Watch, Know, Learn

Watch, Know, Learn is a site for finding videos to use in school. All of the videos on the site have been reviewed by educators, and you can find out about the content of the videos through summaries. In addition, the site is organized by grade level and subject area, easing finding videos.

The collection of reviewed videos on Watch, Know, Learn is increasing. For instance, in looking today, I noticed close to 6,000 offerings are available for language arts. One of the best features of the site is that you can easily find out about the videos in advance and see their ratings. There are also resources for teachers and parents.

Although some of the videos listed are viewable through YouTube, which might be blocked in schools, other sites are also used to access the videos. Also, YouTube videos can be downloaded from the site to use off the site. So even if you find the video on YouTube, there are ways for you to show it in the class without using YouTube.

The About section of the site offers this background on Watch, Know, Learn:

"Free educational videos delivered over the Internet. Viewed any time, from anywhere.

We believe that everyone should have the same opportunity to learn. The best way to make this possible, we believe, is to organize into one, super directory the hundreds of thousands of good videos currently available on the Internet. To make this a reality, we invite teachers, instructors and educators to suggest videos for inclusion into our directory, and then to review, approve, and assign those videos into appropriate categories using a wiki framework and philosophy. The videos are the highest quality found on the World Wide Web, cover all major educational topics from elementary to secondary schools (or age range 1 – 18), and are Kid Safe!"

If you find a video of interest, let us know. Also, let us know of other video sites intended for school usage that you have heard or used. Overall, what do you think of the Watch, Know, Learn site?

Born to Learn

This video is a new one in the series Born to Learn. It focuses on creativity, brain development, and teens' reactions to learning.  Check it out, and leave a comment. The animation itself is worth looking at, but what do you think about its messages about the human brain and teens' reactions to school? What takeaway message do you get from the video?

Teenagers Online Behavior: Get Over It

Danah Boyd, a 34 year-old, senior researcher at Microsoft Research, Cambridge, MA, sees no point in limiting young people's access to what's online. She claims that teachers, parents, P.T.A.s, and school administrators need to defer to the social changes happening offline. Teens' online lives merely mirror what they do offline and their developmental stage.

Danah Boyd Image credit: Erik Jacobs for New York Times, 1-22-12

Boyd states, in a Jan. 22, 2012 New York Times article, "Cracking Teenagers' Online Codes of Behavior": Children's ability to roam has basically been destroyed. Letting our children out to bike around the neighborhood is seen as terrifying now, even though by all measures, life is safer for kids today."

Basically, Boyd argues we need to let kids explore online. She claims that online they find information that helps them cope with issues like bullying, depression, and suicide.

As for online sexual predators, Boyd reminds us that kids are more at risk offline. For in fact, most predators are ones the children know: "The vast majority of sex crimes against kids involve someone that the kid trusts, and it's overwhelming a family member." Perhaps, our energies need to be redirected there, and we need to allow children to find advice online from professional counselors--a point that Boyd makes in support of Internet access.

Boyd is a long-time scholar and researcher in the field of youth culture. She holds a degree in computer science from Brown, earned a master's from the Media Lab at M.I.T., and  earned at Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkley, from the School of Information. Boyd can be followed on Twitter. @Zephoria. She also has host of scholarly papers available, where else, but online.

Check the New York Times article. Do you agree with Boyd that we should give teens full access to the Internet? Do you agree it is time to stop blocking sites, some of which may be helpful to teens today? What points in the article ring true? With which do you disagree?

National Writing Project Posts High School Students' Videos

Looking for some examples of videos produced by students that tell us story. Some excellent ones are posted on the National Writing Project site via using Vimeo to post the student examples.

Here is one example.


NWP Resource-Poem from D Filipiak on Vimeo.

Check the site to hear other students tell their story. . Don't forget to return to this blog to post your response. What did you think of the student videos? What ideas did you get for implementing for video technology, movie making, or digital storytelling from watching the videos?

Here are some additional links to find the students' digital stories at the National Writing Project site:

Overcoming Devastation
Obstacles for Dreams
Research Interview (Graffiti)

Creating a Digital Story with Wix

Check this site that features the work of 12th grade students based on their reading of Elie Wiesel's Night. It is just another example of how Web 2.0 tools can be used to feature student work. This project was created with using Wix.

The Art of Witnessing is the name of the project. Here are some screen shots from the project, but use the link The Art of Witnessing to explore further on your own and to take the time to look at the students' work.

After looking through the parts of the online display, including the video about the project, let us know your thoughts about using this form of multimedia to showcase student work. Would you consider using a tool like Wix to create a website like this one? How do you think students will react to using such a tool, or to seeing their work displayed in this way?

Todays Meet

I have posted before on Todays Meet, but came across an interesting use of it today by a middle school teacher and wanted to share his experiences. Please check out his blog posting called Say Something.

The posting is long, but it introduces several critical ideas about teaching, learning from our mistakes, adjusting our strategies, and finally achieving success albeit with some questions.

Picture of Steve Fulton from his blog

Check Steve's comments about his own failings and successes with introducing a "backchannel" and "online chat" when he integrated them into literacy reading activities asking students to engage in online discussions about the book they were reading in class.

If you have some time, roam around further in Steve's blog Teaching with Technology in the Middle, in which he reflects on his classroom experiences. He also has a blog he uses with his students, Mr. Fulton's Language Arts. Here you will find examples of how one teacher uses blogging to keep students current of assignments and course projects.

Also, after reading Steve's blog post Say Something, write a comment to him in the comment box. He will probably appreciate hearing from you.

And don't forget to comment here. What was your response to learning about how Steve was trying to use TodaysMeet in the classroom? Would you consider the tool? If so, how might you use it? Would like to see other examples of its uses?

Do 2nd Graders Get Twitter?

Yes, they do. I was overwhelmed when I read this post and then heard the students themselves speak about how Twitter has helped them. They really understand Twitter and the value of posting comments. Students also speak about how Twitter is helping them to become a better writer. Listen to their reflections by accessing this post: They Really Get It! These students are convincing, and perhaps listening to them will help convince you to open a Twitter account and begin to use it in the classroom with your students. If you are on Twitter, follow @grade1.

When you go to the post, be sure to click on the play button in the Twitteracy area to hear the students speak. Also, note how the Livescribe pen works.

Image from Aviva's blog 

By the way, the teacher who maintains the blog you will visit is Aviva Dunsiger. As time permits, scroll through and read other posts on her blog: Grades 1 and 2 At Ancaster Meadow School to learn more about exciting tech projects that Aviva does with her students.

Please be sure to leave a comment. What did you learn from hearing the 2nd graders discuss Twitter? If you visited the Grades 1 and 2 At Ancaster Meadow School further, what interesting discoveries did you make about how tech is being used with the 1st and 2nd graders?

Cool Xtranormal Presentation Used to Reflect on Course Learning

This presentation was created by a student and faculty member at the University of Regina in Canada. I hope it motivates you to use digital storytelling tools such as Xtranormal and GoAnimate!

Social Media & Open Education - Interview with L. Bechard
by: bechardl

One-on-One Computing Classrooms are the Future According to School Administrators

image: http://ed1.comcastbiz.com/

If you are preparing to be a teacher ready for the future, you need to read this article,

Survey of School Administrators Explores Digital Classrooms, Major Challenges

 The article reports on a survey of a large number of school administrations (e.g., principals and superintendents) of whom more than a majority, 63%, asserted that 1:1 computing classrooms with teachers as coaches is the wave of the future. How prepared are teachers for this possible eventuality? What should schools of education be doing to ready teachers for effective technology integration? What should school systems do to prepare teachers through professional development activities? Read the article, and weigh in on the situation. Post a comment. Do you think it is an overstatement to say one-on-one computing, meaning every student to have a device (e.g. tablet, laptop), is an eventuality? If not, then why not?  Do you think school systems can afford to go 1:1? Do you think they should?

Using Technology Successfully in the Classroom is a Mindset

The 21st Century Classroom

View more presentations from Kim Cofino

Saw this slide show on Slide Share, and thought it was worth sharing with others. It makes several points about using technology in the classroom. We are reminded that the use of the technology is a mindset and not a technical skill. There are points made about problem-based learning, inquiry learning, and backwards design. The visuals help carry the message, so look through the entire presentation. Leave your comments. Did the presentation inspire you in any way? Did it deepen your appreciation for technology as supplementary to learning? What point was made about the use of technology as a mindset?

Teacher Tech Vids

Image from Teacher Tech Vid site

Just found this new site, Teacher Tech Vids, with videos for learning how to use a variety of Web 2.0 tools. What I like about the site is that the tutorials are arranged by comfort level: beginners, intermediate, and advanced. Tutorials are included for learning how to use such "beginner" (labeled "Newbies") tools as Animoto, Glogster, TodaysMeet, MS Photo Story, Timeline Creators, Google Earth, Wikis, and Word Clouds. Under the "intermediate" level (labeled "Developing"), there are tutorials for VoiceThread, Google Docs, Google Forms, SlideShare, Website Creators, and Skype. For "advanced" tools, there are tutorials for Twitter, Prezi, and UStream. The site is fairly new. Bookmark or save the site as favorite, or subscribe to it. You will want to check the resources on the site now and into the future. Take a look and let us know what you think of the site, and what tutorials you found useful for not only your own professional development, but also for use with students for them to learn the ins-and-outs of specific Web 2.0 tools. What Web 2.0 tools do you think still need to be included on the site? Suggestion: follow the developer of the site, Steve Johnson, on Twitter at @edtechsteve.

47 Alternatives to Using YouTube in the Classroom

Image from Bryne's blog 

As many of you know, I'm a fan of Richard Byrnes's blog, Free Technology for Teachers. He recently updated his information on alternatives to YouTube. Who can complain with 47 alternatives to YouTube? If your school does not allow YouTube or you are simply looking for a host of video resources for enriching classroom teaching or your own professional development, take some time to explore the wealth of resources offered in the Byrne's blog post 47 Alternatives to Using YouTube in the Classroom. Be sure to post back here what you find most valuable among the 47 resources. Some are probably ones you have already used, but others are likely to be new, especially with 47 choices offered.

By the way, if you have not already bookmarked or saved as a favorite Byrne's blog, now might be the time to do so. He often updates his blog with excellent resources for educators. Explore what he already has on the blog as well as follow the blog as he posts new information. If you are on Twitter, you can follow Byrnes at @rmbyrne.

Still Not Sure about Twitter for Professional Development

Check out this Prezi about Twitter for professional development and about social media in general. Let us know your thoughts after you view the presentation.

Social Media - Twitter as a tool for Education on Prezi

Resource for Finding and Creating Web Quests

Image from webquests.com

The site "Best Webquest. com" offers not only a directory for finding quests by subject area and grade level at its portal page, bestwebquests.com, but also provides a host of resources for finding out about webquests.  Take some time to explore the table of contents of web quests: bestwebquests.com. The About Web Quest page explains the origin and principles behind webquests.  You'll also find this page helpful: Criteria for Assessing Best Web Quests. The information on it will help you in creating your own webquests. However, also be forewarned that despite the merits of the Best Webquests.com site, there's also some commercialism on the site. For instance, if you want the website's designer, Tom March, and his employers to evaluate your webquest, in general or for possible inclusion on the site, there's a fee. Naturally, avoid that component, but explore around the site to deepen your understanding of what are the principles behind effective webquests. Check back here to let us know what you find and what you think of the site or other sites you explore through the links provided.