BP11_20091102_Prezi.com_Web_2.0_#2

Prezi.com is a great tool for creating exciting and impressive presentations. I have traditionally used PowerPoint to create my presentations for my students during note taking and for parents during parent teacher conferences. Since I have discovered Prezi.com, I am hooked on creating something more.

There are three membership options. The one I chose was free of charge. For what I need the site for, the free version is all that I need.

The prezi web 2.0 tool allows you to create moving presentations that will impress anyone. You are able to choose from several background designs and templates. Almost similar to PowerPoint, but the animation is cleverer.

There is a tutorial available, which helps you, construct your first presentation, the tutorial is strongly recommended. There are tutorials for learning the prezi interface, a tutorial which gives ideas for creating a good prezi, and there is even a full prezi manual available for those who prefer to read through and learn how to use the site. There are also several prezi examples to help give you ideas towards creating your own presentation.

Once you learn the basics through the tutorials, you are then prompted on to the creation section. Creating the prezi is half of the fun. It can become time consuming and I suggest that you have all of your information at hand to help creating your presentation. There is even a GREAT web 2.0 presentation as an example: Web 2.0 in the Classroom.

Once you have completed your presentation, you have several more options. You make keep your presentation private or you can make your presentation public. I believe there are more options that these two but with paid memberships. There is another good presentation listed under the examples: How can we measure Teaching. I was at first a little intimidated by this web 2.0 tool but now I want to use it for every thing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Prezi.com. (2009). Prezi-the zooming presentation editor. Retrieved on November 3, 2009 from http://prezi.com/

BP10_20091102_Thinkifinty_Web_2.0_tool_#1

Thinkfinity.org is a site that I just learned this past week. I have not had the chance to use this web tool as of yet. I am looking forward to utilizing it for many many lessons. I have had the chance however to do some exploring on the site. I think this is one of the best tools available to educators.

This site is provided free of charge by the Verizon foundation. The site is user friendly to educators, students and parents. I have only explored the site as an educator.

Entering as an educator allows you access to hundreds of lessons that have been verified through the foundation and helps provide activities and interactives as lesson plan supplements.

Once I entered the site as an educator, I had the option of choosing the discipline I needed, I also had the option of narrowing my search for lessons that provided printables, gave an activity or was an interactive. I chose to search through all. The site also gives you an option to choose the lesson provider via several educational partners. Again, I chose to search through all.

The site not only gave me complete lessons on my topic, it also gave me the tool to choose my states appropriate teaching standards. Very helpful!

I plan on visiting this site for each new section to help supplement interactive lessons and include activities for sections that need something to help grab a little more attention towards the content.

I have already told teachers that I work with about this web 2.0 tool. It will definitely become an asset, I will use it to help build onto the activities that I already have. It is nice to mix things up here and there and having access to this site affords me several options.

Thinkfinity. (2009). Free lesson plans and educational resources. Retrieved on November 4, 2009 from http://www.thinkfinity.org/

BP9_20091102_Social_Bookmarking

Social Bookmarking, never heard of it before which is very sad, considering I wanted to integrate technology into my classroom-immediately. Not utilizing social bookmarking while trying to add technology today is like having a bookstore without a catalog of your store. You know there are books there for different needs but finding the information you needed in a timely fashion is almost impossible.

Bookmarking allows information that has been researched to be readily available. Using web 2.0 tools to incorporate specific topic searches or referenced material is brilliant. If your class is completing a project on a specific topic, the teacher may have a compiled list of sights that the students need to visit or the students themselves compile of list of sites giving addition information on their subject. “So not only are they collecting sites for themselves, they are collaboratively building a classroom resource” (Richardson, 2007).

Social bookmarking can go beyond the uses of the classroom and can be used by department (social studies / science / honors math), school (university / high school / elementary etc.), club (senior class / student government / the debate team), or even per school district.

In a social bookmarking system, users save links to web pages that they want to remember and/or share. These bookmarks are usually public, and can be saved privately, shared only with specified people or groups, shared only inside certain networks, or another combination of public and private domains. The allowed people can usually view these bookmarks chronologically, by category or tags, or via a search engine.” (Newschoolnetworkmarketing, 2009).

I now plan on using social bookmarking with all of my classes. I know now that I will be able to connect subjects and topics by tagging the links too identify what is being learned. I can use social bookmarking as a tool for my students to gain additional information outside of the classroom, which will make them more connected to the learning process.

It is not all as perfect as it sounds. The only drawback I can tell would be trying to get all of your students on the same page with tagging information. “There are no specifications made for creating tags. The user can create them however he/she wants. Which poses a problem for someone searching for that topic, but who doesn't have the correct tag, or may be spelling the tag incorrectly” (Molson, 2009). Perhaps a brief overview of what is expected when using social bookmarking is best. The guidelines for tagging information can be included in this overview and that should be the start of a beautiful relationship with social bookmarking in your lessons.

Delicious.com (2009). Del.icio.us. Retrieved on November 1, 2009 from
http://delicious.com/

Diigo.com. (2009). Diigo. Retrieved on November 8, 2009 from http://www.diigo.com/

Library.thinkquest.org. (n/d). Endangered Bees Gallery. Retrieved on October 30, 2009
from http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/02034/gallery.html

Molson. (2009). Social bookmarking and beyond. Retrieved November 6, 2009 from
http://molson.glogster.com/Social-Bookmarking/

Newschoolmarketing.com. (2009). Blogging and social bookmarking. Retrieved on
November 7, 2009 from http://newschoolnetworkmarketingblog.com/blogging/blogging-and-social-bookmarking/

Richardson, William. (2007). Taming the beast: Social bookmarking. Retrieved on
November 4, 2009 from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/
CA6420397.html

BP8_2009112_Peer_Blog_Review-Chuck_Social_Bookmarking

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009

BP6_2009112_Social Bookmarking
Several years ago my school librarian asked me if I knew anyone that could use the card catalog cabinet that housed the index cards of all
the books in the library and their location. They were going high tech putting all that information on the computer! I thought it would make a nifty hardware cabinet for nuts, bolts, washers and screws (ex Metal Shop teacher mentality).

One article I found in the publication Library Journal discussed the need of librarians to take the computerized index card scenario to the next level by incorporating social bookmarking and tagging as a means of helping librarians bridge the gap between the library's need to offer authoritative, well-organized information and their patrons' web experience (Rethlefsen, September 2007). Librarians found that patrons regularly preferred the user-friendly search features of Google compared to the typically rigid research methodologies employed by libraries across the nation. In order to meet the needs of their patrons and still provide valid, viable sources, they have turned to social bookmarking products such as Deli.cio.us creating links on their websites so patrons can find information on any number of topics just by clicking on a tag. These tags are replacing or supplementing traditional subject guides and pathfinders.

Rethlefsen, M. (2007, September 15). Social Bookmarking and tagging boost participation. Library Journal. Retrieved November 6, 2009, from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6476403.html

With millions of websites available at the click of a mouse, the capability of social bookmarking provides educators a time saving advantage by narrowing down useful sites for their programs. Though helpful, the site lists generated through the tagging process may provide information that is either too divergent or overwhelming (information overload).

Will Richardson (2008, August 1), “Learner in Chief” at Connective Learning and the author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms gave some insight that may be useful to educators. He notes “Where I have had more success, at least in managing the flow, is in subscribing to trusted sources…” In doing so he limits the number of additional sources added as a result of the tagging process. This may be a useful concept as newcomers to social bookmarking.

Richardson, W. (2008, August 1), Tags vs. trusted sources. Weblogg-ed. Retrieved November 7, 2009 from
http://weblogg-ed.com/2005/08/02/

The role of Delicious in Education
Creating Significant Learning Experiences



I found an extremely detailed and thorough lecture/paper written by Gabriela Grosseck, Ph.D., a senior lecturer with the University of West Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania. This paper approaches Delicious as a social bookmarking Web 2.0 tool from an educator’s perspective. It begins with setting up an account, continues with advantages and disadvantages of Delicious, and gives viable reasons why Delicious can support both teaching and learning. Check it out.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2413801/The-Role-of-Delicious-in-Education
POSTED BY CMILLS AT 7:40 AM
1 COMMENTS:

Toni McBride said...
@ Chuck, I have to admit, I am one of those who would rather use a google search on-line over the libraries search system. Tagging makes it much easier to find information you are looking for. The school I work at does not have social bookmarking although they are changing their system to be available on-line for students to utilize anywhere. I do know that they have added electronic books to their catalog...

When I first heard of social bookmarking, I didn't have an opinion either way, it was just another thing on the web. Boy do I feel like such a typical dinosaur.

Now, of course I am an advocate for social bookmarking. I have been speaking to my department supervisor about incorporating something for our department and helping me to allow the powers that be to open up the bookmarking site's URL for student access. (it's blocked currently because it is a form of social networking-like Facebook).

Thank you for the information on the use of social bookmarking in the libraries, I will be having a discussion or tow with our media specialists about the updates that could be added to the system when they go online.

I feel so popular since I have started courses at Full Sail, I can see it in everyone's eyes that they can't wait to hear what we should be doing next to bring our school into the 21st Century for educating our future. ;p



NOVEMBER 8, 2009 2:57 PM

BP7_20091102_Media_Asset_Video

BP6_2009112_Flickr_Lesson

I am learning so many things this class that I feel my head may spin straight off. The newest tool is Flickr. I have played around with the web tool (that is Flickr), and I need more play time to figure it all out. I am not sure if I like the idea of having my personal photos published for anyone to view. Maybe I am still thinking the old school way. I know that people these days do not have that same sense of wary when posting their photos or videos. I work in a high school I see the students taking photos or videos of everything, then you hear how almost instantly these records have been posted for anyone to see. It blows my mind to think about how technology has changed and that my attitude towards this "voyeurism" way of life is so antiquated.

As a dinosaur, I still understand the need to reach students at their level, so I look at Flickr as a tool to help me with that. I want technology integrated in my classroom to the point of using the Web 2.0 tools as second nature (for me and for them). With that said, I researched lessons using Flickr and located something that I can integrate into my lessons; Snapshots in Time. Although the lesson information found is a lesson for maritime documentation, it can easily be integrated for historical reference and documentation.

The lesson's rationale states "Primary sources are invaluable to the work of researchers and historians. Examining primary sources from multiple perspectives is critical to better understanding the events and people of the past" (Smithsonian, June 2009).

I would take the components of this lesson and change its focus to the JIm Crow era and segregation. The instructions are divided into three sections. Section one is for the students to do a review. I would assign students to review de facto and de jour segregation during the Jim Crow south. Also the students will be instructed to compare different stories about a historical figure (ex: Billie Holiday) or an event.

Part two would instruct the students to identify examples of either forms of segregation within the student's community (ex. de facto segregation in the cafeteria or local neighborhoods). Then, the students will use technology to record examples of either segregation within the student's community.

Step three would be for students to describe segregation activities across the country. Once that is completed the the students will compare segregation activities to those of the past.

The students will learn how to identify the source of historical documents or narratives, will be able to identify central questions that the historical narratives address, formulate questions to focus their inquiry or analysis, compare and contrast differing sets of ideas / values / behaviors, will be able to compare historical events to current events, will be able to consider multiple perspectives, and hypothesize influences of the past. Also, the students will understand the ethical, cultural and societal issues related through technology (Smithsonian, June 2009).

With this lesson, the students will be able to post their photos for a comparison and class discussion. Using Flickr as a tool for sharing the students findings can then later be compared to other historical events when learning about the Civil Rights Movement and desegregation. A similar lesson can be conducted to show examples of how society has changed and how the communities have become more diverse over time, showing examples again for class discussion.

Flickr can be used as a powerful tool in the classroom, that the students can utilize anywhere.


Library.thinkquest.org. (n/d). Endangered Bees Gallery. Retrieved on October 30, 2009 from http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/02034/gallery.html

Smithsonian National Museum of natural History. (2009). Snapshots in time. Retrieved on November 4, 2009 fromhttp://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater/pdf/OTW_educators_guide.pdf

BP5_20091101_Web_2.0_Researching_&_Blogging

For today’s challenge / assignment, I decided to look at the web tool option for life skill development for my students. I am a resource teacher and life skills fall into play. I am also a History teacher and of course my choice is based on that fact first. I have decided to utilize the Cee Vee application and created an assignment, which will allow some of my students their first experience with seeing a resume.

I have designed a lesson featuring WWII leaders. The assignment will be for each student to sign up for one world leader during WWII. The choices will be Stalin, General Tojo, Roosevelt, Churchill, Mussolini, and of course Hitler. Once the students have their world leader, they will research their person’s background and what lead them to the world leader position. Once researched, the students will begin to create a resume based on the information gathered. The main objective of the resume would be to apply for the position of world leader representing their country. The resumes will include education if any, qualifications, previous jobs and experiences, what they have to offer if accepted into the position, and personal references. Example: Hitler’s personal reference would be President Hindenburg.

The teaching point would be to give the students an understanding as to how each person came into the position of power. What they said that they could offer their countries, and experiences did they have that lead them to believe that they were the right persons for the job.

Initially I thought that assignment could be a project that the students would be able to do on their own. After evaluating the assignments components however, I have changed that into being an in class assignment which will allow proper guidance and support. I also decided to add a mini lesson discussing resumes and allowing the students to fully understand what a resume is and what it is suppose to do for a person. I am even considering adding on a role-play section where the student takes on the role of the person they researched and they get “interviewed” for the position. Maybe the class can take a vote on whether or not they earned the desired position based on the resume and interview performance.

I live the Cee Vee web tool because it is a site that has the resume template in place, the students simply need to fill in the required information. This is helpful practice, which will give them practice at a life skill they can take with them when they are applying for a job. Creating the lesson with the add on activities gives another life skill, interviewing. Using the web tool as a template allows students to understand what goes on a resume and provides information that is readily available as so not to leave anything out.

The Cee Vee web tool could be used in English class. Perhaps an assignment could be created where students would need to complete a resume for specific characters in a piece of literature that is being studied. This web tool could be used in other classes as well with similar lessons in mind. The career services department to help students develop resume skills can use the Cee Vee web tool. The web tool can be used in an after school curricular activity as well. For example, the Model UN or student government club can include resume projects for current world leaders. I believe the web tool here is not limited to just allowing people to create a personal resume, but to create a skill that can be adapted into part of their education.

Reference:
CeeVee. (2009). Cee Vee Profile. Retrieved on November 1, 2009 from
http://ceevee.com/edit/cv/

Library.thinkquest.org. (n/d). Endangered Bees Gallery. Retrieved on October 30, 2009 from http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/02034/gallery.html