Study Tools

I decided to try Tagxedo to start. I really liked this site. I appreciated not having anything that I had to sign up for. The one problem with web 2.0 is that one becomes over-saturated with user IDs and passwords to remember. Not needing a login makes it really easy to access and use in the classroom with students. Parents seem to be much more weary of web based programs that their child has to create an account for.

I decided to create a character web cloud that I will use with my students as a discussion piece during one of our afternoon meetings early on in the year. The cloud was inspired by a book I read last week called, How Children Succeed, by Paul Tough. It was a really fascinating book about how traits like grit, perseverance and character are more reliable indicators of success than more traditional academic measures such as IQ or achievement test scores.

The second study tool I decided to try out for myself was Quizlet. I have had some of my science olympiad students use Quizlet to help prepare for events, but I have never made anything on Quizlet myself. I must be completely honest and say that this Quizlet I posted is not my creation, but it is one that I am looking forward to using with my students right away next year. The beauty of Web 2.0 is that if there is something already created that fits the need you are looking to fill, you can borrow from others. I look forward to using Quizlet with my language arts and math classes as we have our different vocabulary units throughout the year. I like Quizlet for its ease of use, both on the setup side of things as well as on the studying side. There are just a few simple options the students have to choose from that will get them engaged and using the material right away. I am going to make a Quizlet using the math vocabulary flashcards we purchased as a grade level last fall. I will post it here when it is finished.

Introducing the MVMrLundberg YouTube channel

Creating a YouTube channel has been something I have been wanting to do for quite some time, but just haven't made it a priority. I was excited to finally be forced to sit down and get it set up. I found it very easy to do. But even if I hadn't, I wouldn't admit it, because it seems every 13 year old in America can figure out how to set up a YouTube channel.

I am hoping to make more tutorial types of videos this year using the screen casting tools we have been learning about. As I ask my students to do more and more of their work online, I need to make sure that I provide the appropriate instruction on how to use the tools.  It will be great to have one centralized location I can post and store my videos. I still have a lot to learn about YouTube regarding privacy settings and those types of things. I have only used YouTube as a consumer thus far, so I am looking forward to learning more about being producer!

 

Screencasting

I must say that while trying to complete this assignment, I had a strong urge to embrace my luddite roots and resist the advance in technology. This assignment, which probably should have taken a few minutes, took hours due to countless technical problems with smart software, screen-o-matic, and the beloved java. I think the Java and screen-o-matic issues were mac/user errors, but the smart recorder thing is still driving me crazy. Whenever I would press the record button, it would just close. I couldn't find anything online that could help me trouble shoot what was going on. If anyone has any ideas, I would gladly take advice on what I was doing wrong.

I was finally able to get Screenr to work. I thought this application was very user friendly, and created a fairly high quality video. The idea of screen casting is a very valuable tool. I really wish I would have been using this for the last couple of years. It could have saved me from many a frustrated parent or students who couldn't find what they were looking for, or were unable to perform a task online. I plan on using this a lot this year. As we continue to ask the students (and parents) to embrace new forms of  technology as learning tools, it is important to be able to make these quick tutorials to make sure they are equipped to be successful using the technology.