Today we are going to explore some exciting tools that you can use to enhance your lesson plans. Before we begin we would like to gather some information on the kinds of web 2.0 tools that you have already heard about or are currently using.
Click here to take a brief technology survey.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Google Forms
A Google Form is such a useful tool. Listed below are all the different ways a Google Form can be used by the classroom teacher.
1. Use a Google Form to collect parent and student information such as email addresses, phone numbers, and other general information. The hardest part is deciding what information you want to collect. After that it just takes a few minutes to create the form. Once created, copy the link to the form and post it on your website. Keep in mind how parents and students might respond to each of your questions. For example, when you request a name, you might want to do two separate questions, one for the first name and one for the last name. Otherwise, you might not be able to easily sort alphabetically later.
2. Use a Google Form to collect links from student of projects they have done online. This makes it so easy for grading later. I have used a google form to collect the URLs for student created animotos, glogs, toondoos, and prezi presentations. This cuts down on printing and organizes all of my student work in one spreadsheet. I simply have to click through the spreadsheet for class presentations or for grading.
3. Use a Google Form to survey your students. Perhaps you would like to know who they would like to work with when you are about to change groups. Maybe you want their opinion on a certain activity.
4. Use a Google Form to give a quiz. Write a few questions, post the link to your website and ask students to take a quiz. Be sure to take the quiz first so that the first line of your spreadsheet contains the answers. If your quiz is multiple choice, make it self grading. Click here to see a screencast on how to create a quiz that is self grading. For more information on self grading quizzes, check out Wes Fryer's blog Moving at the Speed of Creativity.
5. Use a Google Form as a sign up sheet for various things. For example, my daughter's band director asks students what kind of sandwich they want before the game via a google form.
1. Use a Google Form to collect parent and student information such as email addresses, phone numbers, and other general information. The hardest part is deciding what information you want to collect. After that it just takes a few minutes to create the form. Once created, copy the link to the form and post it on your website. Keep in mind how parents and students might respond to each of your questions. For example, when you request a name, you might want to do two separate questions, one for the first name and one for the last name. Otherwise, you might not be able to easily sort alphabetically later.
2. Use a Google Form to collect links from student of projects they have done online. This makes it so easy for grading later. I have used a google form to collect the URLs for student created animotos, glogs, toondoos, and prezi presentations. This cuts down on printing and organizes all of my student work in one spreadsheet. I simply have to click through the spreadsheet for class presentations or for grading.
3. Use a Google Form to survey your students. Perhaps you would like to know who they would like to work with when you are about to change groups. Maybe you want their opinion on a certain activity.
4. Use a Google Form to give a quiz. Write a few questions, post the link to your website and ask students to take a quiz. Be sure to take the quiz first so that the first line of your spreadsheet contains the answers. If your quiz is multiple choice, make it self grading. Click here to see a screencast on how to create a quiz that is self grading. For more information on self grading quizzes, check out Wes Fryer's blog Moving at the Speed of Creativity.
5. Use a Google Form as a sign up sheet for various things. For example, my daughter's band director asks students what kind of sandwich they want before the game via a google form.
Google Docs
Here is a great slide presentation on using Google Docs that is just for educators - click here!
Need even more ideas - check out the slide presentation embedded below.
ToonDoo
http://www.toondoo.com/ToonDoo is an open source cartoon / comic strip maker. Students enjoy creating characters and developing a storyline for their cartoons.
Classroom uses - all subjects can use ToonDoo to define vocabulary words through humor, foreign language can target placement of verbs and prepositions within the language or create characters that converse in the language of the class, safety cartoons in science classes, identifying main themes in the literature in language arts, and in math, physics, and chemistry classes students can create a cartoon for multi-step problems, for history classes students could create their own political cartoons, timelines, or viewpoints/snapshots of specific dates in history
Getting Started with ToonDoo
Go to the website http://www.toondoo.com/
In the upper right-hand corner click 'Register'
Complete the username, password, & email ID
You will immediately receive validation on the screen.
Once you have become a 'ToonDude', login.
You will want your students to have the 'Safe Search" on because ToonDoo can have inappropriate content within its gallery.
This is found in the upper right-hand corner of the screen once you are logged in.To create a cartoon Click the 'ToonDoo Maker' Link.
ToonDoo will then load.
Choose your format (various sized single panes or multiple panes are available)
Begin by selecting options from the tool bar at the top including characters, props, backgrounds & text.
Additional Options are shown below - you can shrink, enlarge, flip, duplicate image, change the emotion and posture of the people
Examples
Math Vocabulary Term
Science Vocabulary Term
Safety Rule
Quizlet
Quizlet is a flashcard application. It is the best one I have seen so far. It allows the user to enter words and their corresponding definition or fact associated with the word. Once the flashcards are created, students may learn them the old fashioned way by flipping the card electronically. They can also respond by typing in the corresponding word when given the definition. The features that I like are the quizzes that it automatically generates. The student is presented with several different modes of answering questions. The quizzes can be fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, matching, or true/false or all of these. Please click on the link http://quizlet.com/demo/ to see how easy it is to create a flashcard set.Students or teachers can create the flashcards for a private or public audience. If they are totally private, then only the creator can see them. They can also be associated with a group in which the creator provides members of the group with a password to access the cards. Finally, they can be totally public for anyone on the web to use. Instead of creating a set, I chose a public set of geometry flash cards to use. If you choose this method, be sure to check that all of the definitions are correct.
I see this as a great way to learn vocabulary words or a foreign language. Quizlet includes a couple of games to play with the flashcard set. I like the scatter game the best in which the student drags the definition on top of the associated word or vice versa to make both of them disappear. The game stops when the board is cleared. The student is told how much time elapsed and is asked if they want to play again to beat their time.
Click here to try a set of geometry flash cards.
Click here for a link to a set of SAT Vocabulary words.
Wallwisher
Description - On-line notice board maker (bulletin board) where people can post sticky notes of their ideas on a certain topic or issue.
Classroom Uses - new form of book report, collaboration on student project, brainstorming, student discussions, debates / viewpoints, grammar, vocabulary words, study aid, review sheet, post assignments
How to...
Go to http://www.wallwisher.com/In the upper right-hand corner select login/register
Enter your email, password and nickname on the left side of the screen to register (make sure students use an appropriate username)
Once you have registered and are logged in
Click on 'Build a New Wall '. The following screen comes up. (Follow the Call-outs on the image)
Please pay attention to your choices as to who can view and post sticky notes.
When you click 'Done' your wall is ready. Now you are ready to post sticky notes on the wall.
Post a comment on a wall by double clicking on the wall. Here you can add images, audio, or video links.
General Information - Posts are limited to 160 characters. If your wall is not private anyone can place a note on your wall. Posts can include pictures, video, and links. Walls can be embedded in blogs, wikis, and websites. *You may want your students to sign their entries by using their initials. Students will need a working email account to register; however, they can post on a wall without an email address.
Examples
For more ideas on how to use Wallwisher see the slideshow embedded below.
WallWisher Link - http://wallwisher.com/
Classroom Uses - new form of book report, collaboration on student project, brainstorming, student discussions, debates / viewpoints, grammar, vocabulary words, study aid, review sheet, post assignments
How to...
Go to http://www.wallwisher.com/In the upper right-hand corner select login/register
Enter your email, password and nickname on the left side of the screen to register (make sure students use an appropriate username)
Once you have registered and are logged in
Click on 'Build a New Wall '. The following screen comes up. (Follow the Call-outs on the image)
Please pay attention to your choices as to who can view and post sticky notes.
When you click 'Done' your wall is ready. Now you are ready to post sticky notes on the wall.
Post a comment on a wall by double clicking on the wall. Here you can add images, audio, or video links.
General Information - Posts are limited to 160 characters. If your wall is not private anyone can place a note on your wall. Posts can include pictures, video, and links. Walls can be embedded in blogs, wikis, and websites. *You may want your students to sign their entries by using their initials. Students will need a working email account to register; however, they can post on a wall without an email address.
Examples
For more ideas on how to use Wallwisher see the slideshow embedded below.
WallWisher Link - http://wallwisher.com/
Wordle
Wordle is a Web 2.0 tool that allows the user to create "word clouds" of text . This application emphasizes repeated terms by making them larger in size.
Classroom uses: poetry into pictures, vocabulary lists, identifying key points, main ideas or areas of interest within text
Getting Started
Go to http://www.wordle.net/
In the upper tool bar select 'Create'
Paste the text into the box and Click 'Go'
Once your word cloud is created you have options
Hints:
Have Text typed in another electronic file to copy and paste because you cannot go back once you click 'Go'.
Repeat words you want to be larger
Connect a phrase by using the tilde '~' key to link the phrase. For example Web~2.0~Tools
Right click on an unwanted word to delete it.
ImageChef has a program that is similar called Word Mosaic.
http://www.imagechef.com/ic/word_mosaic/
Word Mosaic is better for fewer words.
You can shape your text into shapes provided.
Glogster
http://glogster.com/edu
Glogster is a presentation Web 2.0 tool that allows teachers and students to create posters that include images, video, sound and links providing an interactive product.
Teachers can create up to 200 student accounts that are considered private - the teacher and students within the virtual classroom will have access to the class Glogs.
You can edit your Glog after it has been published.
You can embed your Glog into your Wiki or Blog.
Using the 'Grab' tool you can record audio, video, and images directly into the application using a webcam, camera, and microphone.
Glogster is a presentation Web 2.0 tool that allows teachers and students to create posters that include images, video, sound and links providing an interactive product.
Teachers can create up to 200 student accounts that are considered private - the teacher and students within the virtual classroom will have access to the class Glogs.
You can edit your Glog after it has been published.
You can embed your Glog into your Wiki or Blog.
Using the 'Grab' tool you can record audio, video, and images directly into the application using a webcam, camera, and microphone.
Glogster
View more presentations from kadair26.
Animoto
Turn pictures into a video with music.
Use it to:
•define vocabulary with both text and pictures
•tell a story
•demonstrate the solution to an equation
•illustrate a science experiment
•give a visual reference to historical events
•introduce a concept
•celebrate accomplishments
•provide excitement and energy to any lesson
Sign up for an account at http://animoto.com/education
Wait for confirmational email (this could take a week or so, be patient)
Make sure you register on the education site and use your school email account to register. This will allow you to create full length videos.
Gather photos, text, and other images to be used (files must be JPEG format)
Save everything as a jpeg (picture file)
Upload photos to animoto
Select music
Wait for animoto to create video
Student Accounts can be created with your class code that you receive with your confirmation email. The students must login using an email account (their FirstClass Account will work even though they cannot receive emails at that location) and your class code.
Examples embedded below:
Use it to:
•define vocabulary with both text and pictures
•tell a story
•demonstrate the solution to an equation
•illustrate a science experiment
•give a visual reference to historical events
•introduce a concept
•celebrate accomplishments
•provide excitement and energy to any lesson
Sign up for an account at http://animoto.com/education
Wait for confirmational email (this could take a week or so, be patient)
Make sure you register on the education site and use your school email account to register. This will allow you to create full length videos.
Gather photos, text, and other images to be used (files must be JPEG format)
Save everything as a jpeg (picture file)
Upload photos to animoto
Select music
Wait for animoto to create video
Student Accounts can be created with your class code that you receive with your confirmation email. The students must login using an email account (their FirstClass Account will work even though they cannot receive emails at that location) and your class code.
Examples embedded below:
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