After doing this Thing, I'm fighting myself from going out and buying an I Touch. The $75 dollar monthly fee for an I Phone discourages me enough, but the I Touch is a one time buy, I think.
I think I'm interpreting the question correctly. It sounds like students will be able to use an I Touch in the library and I'm supposed to think of a list of things they could use it for, yes? I hope...
1. I saw the app that looks up books in libraries. Don't know if SBISD libraries are on there, but it would help students find books without having to walk back and forth to the computers.
2. Study Flashcards: Teachers could make these online and students could practice on the I Touch.
3. Open Culture: This app is for the Open Culture website. FREE educational videos and podcasts from all over the educational world, mostly universities. I looked at the site and it's good stuff.
4. Instant Interactive Math: This app is a tutorial for math. It tracks progress, has tests, and provides helpful hints for the one being tuted.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thing #3: Skype
How might Skype be used in the Library or classroom?
I love the idea of Skype. I say that because I haven't been able to use it yet. Skype, and I'm sure it works, would be great for talking to authors or connecting with other classrooms around the world. I remember participating in a group discussion with our state rep a couple of years ago. It was a disaster. One kid had to sit by the mic/phone thing and push the talk button when you wanted to say something. I couldn't here any of the other questions from the other classes. And I could't see who I was talking to.
Now with Skype not only can we see who were talking to, if you have the camera, you can talk to just about anyone in the world, if they have an internet connection.
One thing I did notice is that on my PC, whenever I look up a business, Skype makes it peculiarly easy to call them through my computer. If they're answering the call mobily (is that a word? If so, did I spell it correctly?) or with a land line, I get charged for it. Other than the non computer-to-computer calls, it's a great idea.
I love the idea of Skype. I say that because I haven't been able to use it yet. Skype, and I'm sure it works, would be great for talking to authors or connecting with other classrooms around the world. I remember participating in a group discussion with our state rep a couple of years ago. It was a disaster. One kid had to sit by the mic/phone thing and push the talk button when you wanted to say something. I couldn't here any of the other questions from the other classes. And I could't see who I was talking to.
Now with Skype not only can we see who were talking to, if you have the camera, you can talk to just about anyone in the world, if they have an internet connection.
One thing I did notice is that on my PC, whenever I look up a business, Skype makes it peculiarly easy to call them through my computer. If they're answering the call mobily (is that a word? If so, did I spell it correctly?) or with a land line, I get charged for it. Other than the non computer-to-computer calls, it's a great idea.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Thing #5 Micrblogging
Or the thing that keeps people up all night. At first I liked facebook, still do, but it became very old very quickly. I use it to keep in touch with long lost and distant friends. I check it about once a day for messages. I just don't want to know what someone is doing every second of the day. Yes, sometimes it's amusing, but most of the time it's just TMI. I do like getting to see what others are reading and listening to. I also like the way it mobilizes large groups of people, I just don't want to be one of those people so wrapped up in their phone they don't notice the scenery or the other, what are those things called...human beings around them.
This thing called back channeling...it used to be called "raising your hand and asking a question", right? Maybe I'm old fashioned, but if I'm presenting something, I would really appreciate the audience listening, and not tapping away on their phones or laptops. Maybe if they pay attention, their questions will be answered. Gee, I'm just a little sarcastic, but it's just plain rude to not give someone presenting your attention. I would like to think a presenter would take the time to field some questions and offer clarification if needed. I just think back channeling on Twitter could becomes a high tech game of telephone where the message gets lost in all the translations and interpretations. I guess it could be used to see if the correct message was delivered to an audience by following the tweet stream and seeing what it being said. As long as the message is being received the way it was meant to, I can see the power of twitter.
This thing called back channeling...it used to be called "raising your hand and asking a question", right? Maybe I'm old fashioned, but if I'm presenting something, I would really appreciate the audience listening, and not tapping away on their phones or laptops. Maybe if they pay attention, their questions will be answered. Gee, I'm just a little sarcastic, but it's just plain rude to not give someone presenting your attention. I would like to think a presenter would take the time to field some questions and offer clarification if needed. I just think back channeling on Twitter could becomes a high tech game of telephone where the message gets lost in all the translations and interpretations. I guess it could be used to see if the correct message was delivered to an audience by following the tweet stream and seeing what it being said. As long as the message is being received the way it was meant to, I can see the power of twitter.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thing #4 Uploading Videos
I didn't have any diet coke and mentos to make fountains so I chose my little guys as the topic of of my animoto vid for Youtube. If you've never seen the mentos/diet coke thing, it's entertaining, creative, and kind of scary that people digest stuff that reacts that way when mixed.
So I made an animoto vid of the boys, just don't look too closely at their faces... they have some lunch on them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFqlhUqK5-E
Uploading movies was pretty easy once I registered everywhere I had to register.
So I made an animoto vid of the boys, just don't look too closely at their faces... they have some lunch on them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFqlhUqK5-E
Uploading movies was pretty easy once I registered everywhere I had to register.
What would be some advantages of having teaching/learning videos available on online at sites like these? These access to these sites is what makes this valuable. Imagine being able to observe science labs, taking guitar lessons, which I've done, seeing art techniques or anything that someone can learn by watching. It's all possible as long as students have access to high speed internet, which should be free. As for student work, the simplicity would help students create amazing videos. They would be able to see other students' work, maybe even collaborate with students and swap videos and tips and culture while they're at it.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Thing #2: Glogster, Word Thread, and Bookr
Loved all three of these, and they have great promise in the classroom.
At first I wasn't crazy about Glogster because it just looked like an online way of making the traditional movie poster book report. Ack! Then I realized I can use that application to have kids focus on themes in their books with links to other books with similar themes. Use it for mood or setting, all sorts of ideas. I used my Friday classes to do nonfiction, but we can work in some technology on those days and have the kids work on these projects.
Word Thread would be awesome for social studies, especially if the teacher is using History Alive. Students could be turned loose to scour the web for pictures of cultural elements, geographic features, every day life in whatever place they're studying, then they can post their comments proving that they understand the concept. Then, they can send them to people around the world and get their comments. It's a very easy way to get lots of feedback on one thought. Great stuff. For reading, I could use images to get students to see inferences in pictures or explain the mood of scene.
Bookr would be fun if the students have the time to re-inact books. I think they would love staging shots and doing costumes. I could just see them doing Bluford Bookr books.
At first I wasn't crazy about Glogster because it just looked like an online way of making the traditional movie poster book report. Ack! Then I realized I can use that application to have kids focus on themes in their books with links to other books with similar themes. Use it for mood or setting, all sorts of ideas. I used my Friday classes to do nonfiction, but we can work in some technology on those days and have the kids work on these projects.
Word Thread would be awesome for social studies, especially if the teacher is using History Alive. Students could be turned loose to scour the web for pictures of cultural elements, geographic features, every day life in whatever place they're studying, then they can post their comments proving that they understand the concept. Then, they can send them to people around the world and get their comments. It's a very easy way to get lots of feedback on one thought. Great stuff. For reading, I could use images to get students to see inferences in pictures or explain the mood of scene.
Bookr would be fun if the students have the time to re-inact books. I think they would love staging shots and doing costumes. I could just see them doing Bluford Bookr books.
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