Classroom Tech Trends in 2.0 - Recently Updated Pages

AnneS' LD supports

stairsa — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:32:07 CDT

The Learning Disabled (LD) student experiences increased chances of success in the wall-less classroom. Right from the start s/he has multiple choices when it comes to demonstrating knowledge. Learners in web 2.0 can compensate for their disability by choosing a mode of representation that works around their individual learning styles.
With so many tools out here to showcase learning, learners who can't decode or spell can find a way to express their intelligence and communicate with the world which has heretofore been held under lock and key by the traditional school setting.
You will find 10 great ideas here to help you be a learning enabler.
Are you dyslexic?

POWER WORD PODCAST

stairsa — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 10:26:09 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Wikis in Math Class

Bridget160 — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:19:37 CDT

Wikis are a great way to engage students in collaborative creation of materials which can be shared and used by all. Using a wiki, all students can add, delete or edit the document. They can add photos, podcasts, diagrams, audio and video files...anything that they find interesting.

Interactive Demos

Bridget160 — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:04:38 CDT

Having difficulty understanding a concept? The following link has some great visuals in topics of numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, data analysis and probability.

Virtual Manipulatives

Bridget's Math Page

Bridget160 — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:01:25 CDT

The Team

Welcome to my math page. This page is geared towards high school math students who are looking for help and a little bit of fun. Enjoy the poem below as a way to put things in perspective. We've all been there at one point or another.

The Pledge of the Math Student in Trouble
by Donald Edge

Although I think I'm not good at math,
the only thing I can't do is nothing
However,
I am allowed to cry
whine
complain
be impatient
be frustrated
be bad tempered
think of quitting
but only if .....

I try my hardest.

Anie's math page

craiga2 — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:37:16 CDT

The main reason I chose this course this summer is that I am looking for new tools to integrate in my math classroom. The main problem is that I am teaching in French and there are only a few interesting interactive sites for students to use. In addition, I also teach computer science so I am very comfortable with creating web pages and using spreadsheets and usual softwares that are available in schools. I want to create something I will be able to use with my students. So I am still surfing the Internet in order to find the perfect solution(s).

So I have started by building a web page for my students to use next year. I have posted it on voila.fr but will be linking it to my school's web page in August. [I am using Dreamweaver] Here's the link to it... http://aniegse553.site.voila.fr/

I want to allow my students to access class notes and explanations [word or powerpoint posted in dreamweaver] as well as see examples (interactive if possible) [?looking for something interesting] as well as consult the homework pages, online exercises [possible links found on the Internet] and ask questions if necessary [I was thinking of a blog].

I believe that it will be hard to do everything all at once so I will start with a chapter only for now and see how it goes.

I have started with the chapter on "Les distances" using dreamweaver , Word and Paint so to put class notes online for that chapter. Also I have created an introduction to my web page using the spresent. What's neat about this software is that everything is online already and you just need to put the link in your web page to be able to see it!

In addition, I have found neat videos on www.youtube.com that gave me new ideas on how to present examples and course material. For course material, one example video was to use Flashand create animations that could be presented in class rather than using powerpoint for example. I created one example of content material (see démonstration) using Flash and linked it to my web page. Good thing I am good with Flash because it was long... For examples, one example video was simply to do an example on a white board and comment through all the steps while videotaping it. I also created another example (see example 5) with Flash that was much simpler quite like the one I just mentionned without a video camera!

Links to softwares

craiga2 — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:19:29 CDT

It is not always obvious to post material or exercises online for students to see. I am currently surfing the web searching for interesting softwares to post my course material online as well as examples for my students to look at when they are at home.

www.geogebra.org	Geogebra is a dynamic geometry software that is available in both French and English and it is FREE!
www.autograph-math.com	Autograph is also a very interesting dynamic geometry software. It is costly, but the student version is only 39,95$.
www.slideshare.net	Slideshare allows you to upload PowerPoint presentations on the Internet. you can then share the link with students or add the link on a web page. (The animations are not preserved!)
http://www.presentersoft.com/download.htm	PowerVideoMaker allows you to convert a PowerPoint presentation into a video file. The presentation remains intact with all the animations and plays like a video.
www.turbodemo.com	Turbodemo is a software that allows you to capture your computer screen. You can then add bubbles or sounds so than you create an interactive animation. (There exixts a free version of a similar software... I'll post it when I find it)

How To's of Podcasting

2020874 — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:24:08 CDT

Web 2.0 has opened up a new world to teachers. Teachers can integrate a wealth of collaborative and sharing strategies into their classrooms using tools such as Wikispaces, blogs and Virtual Learning Environments (VLE's). These new venues also allow teachers to reach a range of students. One of those new venues include Podcasting which allows students to espress themselves vebally using programs such as Garageband and Audacity. This tool opens doors to students who sometimes have difficulty espressing their thoughts in writing, whether or not it is due to a disability. Podcasting is a means for students to express themselves online. Podcasts can be exported as MP3's and then uploaded on webpages, wikispaces, or even be stored in iTunes and transferred into iPods.

View the following CNN report on Podcating:

What is Podcasting?

Podcasting is not only restricted to radio shows, it has stretched its wings into classrooms. Some teachers have already integrated podcasting in their daily or weekly routines in order to meet curriculum. You can read testimonials and teacher tips about podcasting in the classroom.

What do you need to create a Podcast?
1. A microphone and earphones (some computers come with integrated microphones).
2. You need a tool to record your audio. Mac users might try Garageband or join PC users and try Audacity.
3. Convert the audio file into an mp3 (you can do that through iTunes).
4. In order to post your mp3 file onto the internet you need to sign up with www.podcastpeople.com or www.podomatic.com (these are free!). These sites will convert your mp3 file into a podcast.

One of the great benefits of Podcasting is that - it's Cheap!

Why would you use Podcasting in your classroom?
Read about the benefits of using audio podcasts in the classroom.

The Pedagogy of Podcasting

Best Practices

Challenges and Concerns

Resources

Sample Podcasts

2020874 — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:19:00 CDT

The great thing about Podcasts is that they can be found or made in all subjects and even languages! You can find many Podcasts online that have been created by students. EPN web (The Education Podcast Network) displays a number of Podcasts that have been made by students and you can listen to them for free!
Most of the Podcasts on this site have RSS feeds, therefore, you can subscribe to their websites. It is truly exciting to see how these audio files can contribute to your classroom.

RadioPopcorn is a show created by students in Hong Kong. This is just one example of Podcasts created by children that is featured on EPN web.

Listen here to our very own Podcasting for Dummies!

Blogging in Math Class

Bridget160 — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 07:25:33 CDT

One of the best ways to understand what students are thinking is by having them record their ideas. By using a blog, students practice their writing skills and work at formulating ideas so that others can understand. There are two types of blogs which can be set up in classroom, a student blog and a classroom blog and although similar, they both serve different purposes.

For a very comprehensive guide to blogging in the classroom, I redirect you to the pages of Jamie Tubbs, also known as Mister Teacher.

Mister Teacher Math Blogs

Helpful Hints in a Web 2.0 World

sweetsuga17 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:49:58 CDT

Web 2.0 can be a wonderful place where life and learning can take place. However, unlike emails and searching for information, it is interactive and information can be viewed by almost anyone with a computer and Internet capabilities. Here is what you and your students can do to ensure that the experience is positive and safe for all.

1. Personal Information: Never give out any personal information such as last names, phone numbers, addresses, and your employer.

2. Photographs: Never have it focused on any one person, and never include full names with them. Also, try and have it so that there are no visible signs of where you are located, like a school name and address in the background. These are small things that are often overlooked.

3. “Surf first”: As the educator it is important that you search the site before you assign it to your students. Do this at school to ensure that the server allows it to be viewed, that the computers have all the needed updates, and it is not an outdated site. There is nothing worse for a student who wants to do a project than not being able to load the needed pages.

4. Ask you students: Find out who has already had some experience with the platform that you are using. This can enable you to use them as an assistant and help when students are having trouble. See if they have other sites that are easier to use or they find more meaningful. If you keep them included they will take ownership to the next level.

5. Ask your Colleagues: One person’s weaknesses are an others strength. Speak with the people around you who have already worked with what you are planning to do. This can help prevent loosing time on something that doesn’t work as well as you think it will.

6. Share your ideas: As you are learning and growing share your lessons and experiences with those who could benefit or would like to try it in the future. This will help you gain recognition for what you have done and create a network of people who you can teach and lear n from. (Don’t just talk; create a Wiki or a Blog of your own.)

7. PD, PD, and more PD: Professional Development is key to maintaining your high tech savvy ways. Take advantage of what your school or community offers to ensure that you will always be at your best and able to keep in step with your students…or be one step ahead.

8. Experiment: Sometimes you need to take a chance and try to create something out of something that isn’t quite there yet. Play around with the programs before you teach them and take something that is already there and add to it with different tools, you will be surprised with what you may come up with.

9. Read: Things change fast in the world of technology so reading is an easy way to keep up to date with what’s hip and what’s not. There are many articles and reviews online that anyone can view for free.

10. Keep things simple: Just because you can have a dozen blogs doesn’t mean you should. Keep passwords simple and usernames the same whenever possible. Stick to one email address for updates so you are not jumping all over the place for your information. Write the information you need down and bookmark sites for easy access.

Know of other helpful hints for Web 2.0? Add them to the comments!

MS Office

sweetsuga17 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:47:33 CDT

This is a standard software program that is commonly used for presentations, writing, and just about anything you can imagine. Since it is so widely used it is a good tool for creating things that can then be placed on line. There are other tools that can be used to accomplish the same type of things; this section only focuses on MS Office. This is not a program that is online but it can be used to help you and your students and here are some ideas how.

Word:
A word processing program, this has many features that can help with blogs, websites, and publishing work. The most important thing is editing. Many blogs and online tools do not offer spell check or grammar help. Complete the writing in MS Word and copy it to the selected blog using the commands needed.

PowerPoint: 1/2
Traditionally used for presentations, this can be used to create a slide show with music, recorded tracks or voice-overs, picture books, film clips and so much more. It is important to know that different editions of this have different features and the final product may have some changes made to it due to these differences. Remember to always review the final product after it is posted online to ensure it works and is presented as inteneded.

Excel:
A spreadsheet platform is used around the world for accounting to tracking marks. This is one program that an educator can use to maintain and organize marks, use to teach math, and help the students’ track and formulate information they can gather from a question they have asked on their Blog or Wiki.

MSN: 1/2
Instant messaging is also a possible way for students to collaborate online. While there are some concerns with how it is used this tool is available and most students do have it.

AMSN: This is a platform for users who hae problems with msn. This program is designed with Mac users in mind and troubleshoots all the issues that the PC version of MSN had with the Apple operating system.

Search Engines

sweetsuga17 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:43:42 CDT

Finding information on the net can be frustraiting if you don’t know where to go for the information or how to find it. Search engines are a great way to search for that great lesson or needed fact, but you have to know which one best suite your needed.

Different Types of Search Engines:

Crawler-based:
These automatically create their listings. The program uses their robots to “crawl” through the information on the web using you guidelines. Then you search the results to find you gold nugget. (Google)

Human-Powered:
Just like the name, this form depends on people for listings. A person would write and submit a synopsis of the entire site, in some cases it would be a review about a site that is submitted. Any changes that are done to the site to improve the listing have no impact of the listing directory. (Most kids search engines.)

Hybrid or Mixed:
Unlike today search engines were either one or the other. However, some search engines would combine the two and favor one of the two they would use. These are not in use as much because many search engines now have their own crawlers and do not rely on others.

Search Engines:

Your first stop when looking up information. This search engine can find sites, maps, imagines and so much more. Be sure to go through each section of Google to get use to the many features that it offers.
1/2
This site also uses crawlers and takes its top searched sites and manually adds sites believed to relevant to those searches.

:
Ask a question and it will find the information for you. Unlike the majority of search engines where key words are needed to find the information, a full question can be used instead.

The old man in the group, this site is more like Google than before but also some added human touches. While searching you will also be given some hand picked reviewed sites to explore.

Similar to the Yahoo search engine, however slightly more basic. One to think about when you need to gain more information.

AOL has its advantages for those of you who actually are with AOL. There are sites available only to those with accounts. It is similar to Google but you may find some different results if you are an AOL user.

Kid Search Engines

: Ask a question and get an answer. This is a kid friendly site that points students in the right direction. If it can’t help, it pulls up other sites that can.

KidsClick!: Used and supported by librarians all over the world.

Fact Monster: A homepage and search engine for children and what they are interested in.

Ages 7-12, this site is appropriate for elementary schools and younger High School students. This search engine will not bring back anything found on the web outside its parameters. Founded in March 1996, this is the oldest directory for children.

Others:

Daypop: Use keywords to search and find various news sites each day.
Ditto: A simple search engine.

Search Engine Help

Online Tools

sweetsuga17 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:39:10 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Online Collaboration

sweetsuga17 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:36:32 CDT

Online collaboration is a wonderful way to incorporate Web 2.0 and learning into your classroom. The wonderful thing about this concept is that it is a wonder opportunity for those involved to create networks and friendships based on interests, lessons, needs and these are with people all over the world.

There are different forms that online collaboration can take. Wikis are excellent and have many features that can make the learning experience that much more enjoyable. Skype can also be a useful tool as it allows people to speak through a online telephony service.

In the end, you have to choose the platform that you are most comfortable with, and a style that meets your needs.

Sites mathématiques en français

craiga2 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:38:35 CDT

Les sites de mathématiques pour le secondaire en français, que ce soit pour des exercices en ligne ou des explications interactives, sont très rares. Je me lance à la recherche de ceux-ci et vais les afficher ci-dessous au fur et à mesure que j'en trouve qui sont intéressants et pertinents.

www.vitamath.ca	Site très intéressants pour les mathématiques de secondaire 1. Beaucoup d'exercices en-ligne et les explications interactives sont excellentes.
http://mathmic.cyberakita.com/exercices.htm	Contient des exercices intéressante en-ligne pour les élèves de secondaire 2.
http://www.enseignement.be/geometre/index.asp	Site d’accompagnement et de téléchargement du logiciel Apprenti Géomètre interactif gratuit. Il permet de dessiner, découper, fusionner et mouvoir des figures géométriques.
http://zonemath.csmv.qc.ca/	La zone mathématiques est un site utile conçu par un enseignant qui offre théorie, exercices, jeux et liens mathématiques pour l’ensemble et pour chacun des niveaux du secondaire.
www.automaths.com	Site français avec beaucoup d'exercices interactifs. On y retrouve aussi des démonstrations et les notes de cours.
www.telelearning-pds.org/copains/math.html	Ici on retrouve beaucoup de situations d'apprentissage et de simulations en-ligne.

Blogging

sweetsuga17 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:16:06 CDT

What is Blogging?

Blogging is an online log, written in chronological order of events, of reviews, ideas, and personal rants. Blogs usually contain images, video streams, links to sites and other blogs that the owner is interested in or can link to his or her entry.

If someone responds to what was written it is known as a comment and can be seen by the writer and other people. This is very important to the concept of blogs and is a key idea due to the fact that blogging is interactive. Because of this blogging can lend itself very easily to education as an independent medium.

How to Apply Blogging in Education:

The two main things that you need to do when blogging is read and write. So, naturally this is an excellent idea for just about anything in school. Journals can be kept by students on a novel they are reading in class, about a project they are working on, science lab results, publish poems and stories, present artwork, and others. In turn other students can read and comment on their peers work.

Where to Look:

There are many sites that offer blogs for no or little cost. Some are very easy to use and others take some more work. The most popular is Blogger and Google owns it. (Big surprise there!) Technorati and Wordpress are also excellent choices. Squarespace is new but has some wonderful templates, as does Thoughts. There are so many free sites that offer blog hosting that you will just have to try them out and see which one works best for you.

A site that is setup just for educational blogging is 21 Classes. This site is idea for yonger grades because no email address is needed to create a personal space.

Pros:
There are not papers to hand in or loose in this medium. You can monitor your students’ progress and comment on their work much easier than with a paper. Peer editing and collaboration happen naturally in this format. It enables the students to have published works.

Cons:
Bloggs are mainly public sites so anyone can see if the writer does not set up restrictions. There is no control over the comments. A computer with an Internet connection is required and may not be available in all homes or classrooms.

Scott's Language Arts Page

scottikelso — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:08:06 CDT

This page will explore a variety of technology-based options for the Language Arts classroom. To keep things practical, I will relate these options to a Learning Environment for studying Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Introduction
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an epistolary novel centred around Charlie, a shy, gifted young boy starting high school. He writes to a stranger he has heard is a good person, and shares his fears and confusion about growing up.

Blogs
Web Logs, or Blogs, are online journals that people create to share with the world. They often deal with a particular interest like politics or sports, but can also be more personal in nature. To see a blog, visit mine:

Option Paralysis - A Blog

In Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, Douglas Coupland defines Option Paralysis as "the tendency, when given unlimited choices, to make none." This is my first attempt at blogging, so please be patient.

Blogs could, I think, redefine the way students discuss literature. Blogs could be the new Book Clubs, and would be useful for Literature Circles and Independent Reading Assignments.

Charlie's letters in the novel read very much like a diary, and one could easily adapt his "letters to an anonymous reader" format to a blog. It would be a good place for students to discuss issues they face in their lives as well as issues from the novel. They might even try writing back to Charlie.

Students might want to read along with Charlie as he explores such classics as The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Hamlet, Peter Pan, This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, The Fountainhead, The Stranger, A Separate Peace, and On the Road. Those interested could discuss the books, ask each other questions, and share other recommendations.

Students might include other tools in their blogs (YouTube clips, podcast links, etc.).

To start a blog, there are many places to go including: www.wordpress.com.

Podasts
Whether or not students choose to include them in their blogs, podcasts could be an effective way for them to communicate. Students could record audio journals for others to listen to, and could even include music. Just as Charlie's experiences in the novel are punctuated by music, students could create their own life soundtrack. Call it "Mix Tape 2.0!" Podcasts would be a creative way for students to start expressing themselves, even if they are not confident writers. It's a great way to start creating new narratives.

As an extension of this activity, students could also use this tool and their new skills to create fictional narrative podcasts.

Wikis
Wikis offer a collaborative space for students to work on projects together.
They also offer a discussion-space alternative to blogs, and are more private (you must be invited to the space and login each time you want to contribute).

Places to start: www.wikispace.com or www.wetpaint.com.

Wikis likewww.wikipedia.org give students the opportunity to share what they know with the world on this online collaborative encyclopedia. Though this is useful for quick and easy reference, it does not replace other forms of research, and because anyone can contribute, it is not always reliable. For information about Stephen Chbosky, look here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Chbosky.

Del.icio.us
Del.icio.us is an easy way for students to pool resources they may be using during their study of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Reviews, author information, and other resources could be tagged for easy access.

RSS
RSS in Plain English - A Video Demonstration
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is a great way to cut down on the amount of time you and your students spend surfing the web. Instead of looking for updates on all your favourite blogs, podcasts, news sites, and other frequently updated websites, subscribe to have these sites send the updates to you. It takes seconds to do. You can get started at google - just sign in and start subscribing. It's free! Unfortunately, not all sites are capable of this type of feed.

If the class is blogging, this is an easy way to watch for updates. Also, because the novel deals with a variety of issues (abortion, homophobia, child abuse, etc.) students could watch for discussion of these issues from a variety of news sources.

YouTube
YouTube has several applications for this project. Here are a few:

1. View music videos for songs from the novel.
e.g. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

Math and web 2.0 tools

craiga2 — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 06:39:43 CDT

Mathematics and computers... computers and mathematics. Both subjects are very related considering computers are mostly programmed with mathematics contepts!

Here are a few ways a teacher can integrate web 2.0 tools in a math class...

Creating a web page	On which course material can be posted as well as example and online links.
Using Powerpoint (and spresent or slideshare or Powervideomaker)	To create presentations which could be published on the web either on the web page, on transferred to video files to be viewed by students.
Creating a blog	To post assignments, comments, and so on so that students can look at and respond and participate as well.
Using instant messaging (msn messenger, yahoo messenger, skype or others)	To help students from home with their homework (like a recuperation online!)

Interesting videos

craiga2 — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 20:12:16 CDT

Here are videos I found on www.youtube.com:

This one I will use to try and create an animation on flash.

This one got me thinking on putting live examples online...called videocast I think?!

This one is moquing the reform... I find it very funny and somewhat realistic!!!!

This one is from the Simpsons. It somehow also makes fun of the reform.

This one is a joke... it shows an easy way to perform a square root using a pen and paper!