My experience with digital storytelling has been limited to trying out Glogster. I would love to use more tools like this because even though students focus on the images, they tend to go deeper with their research and content as well.
I would like to use the cool tool that Roberta and Kelly were using when I have my students create graphic novels. What was that site?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Glogster
I am trying Glogster with two of my classes. They are doing research associate with Grapes of Wrath. I am finding that their products are a lot more creative and in-depth than if you were doing a PowerPoint or paper.
However, we have had some issues with saving. Sometimes the computers freeze or the pages don't save. The site also can be very slow, which may have to do with how many students were using it. They are in groups, so that helps. Links with video and songs were tricky too. I don't think Websense helps.
Overall, they were good guinea pigs on a cool program. However, there were a few kinks. Despite that, I would use it again.
However, we have had some issues with saving. Sometimes the computers freeze or the pages don't save. The site also can be very slow, which may have to do with how many students were using it. They are in groups, so that helps. Links with video and songs were tricky too. I don't think Websense helps.
Overall, they were good guinea pigs on a cool program. However, there were a few kinks. Despite that, I would use it again.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
I have not tried it yet. I'm thinking about it, but there was an interesting article in the paper today. It talked about celebrities that use Twitter to connect with their fans. The sad thing is, a number of them have never actually used Twitter. They hire someone to tweet for them. The moral was that you never know who you are actually talking to. You might think it's a celebrity, but it might just be their publicist instead. It was a good reminder that the Internet is not always what it seems and people need to be careful about its use.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Screencasting
I love it!! My second video isn't quite as good as the first, but the computer I was on hated me and I lost it. But, I captured the steps to log on to moodle for the next time I set up accounts with my kids. It's awsome because I can show them how as I walk them through it rather than repeating the directions a thousand times to every student. It might be a lifesaver and a sanity saver!!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Wikis
My 2nd and 4th blocks are currently working on wikis. It is a good way to keep all my energetic boys focused!! The only kink using Moodle is if students don't have an e-mail account. He just created one in Yahoo. I'm guessing you have to have an e-mail for most programs. The really nice thing is the student accounts are already set up in moodle, and their name goes on everything they do so they can't have weird screen names that I can't identify.
It doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but it works!
It doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but it works!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Thing 9
The lesson on creative commons was a really great reminder for me. While I try to follow copyright, I know I have been guilty of stretching the rules. It is ironic, because I beat citations into my students (practically, not really) but I am not good about citing pictures when I use them. It was also great to learn that there are musicians allowing their songs to be used. It is nice because it is so easy to just grab a song, yet we are so against pirating music so we really shouldn't just use it in our presentations either.
The hard part is reminding myself because it is still easier to just grab something when you are scrambling at the last minute than to follow the rules.
The hard part is reminding myself because it is still easier to just grab something when you are scrambling at the last minute than to follow the rules.
Learning Facebook
When I first joined Facebook, I thought it was just a social networking tool. As Karen blogged, it definitely is a powerful one. I have also learned that you can do so much more. I'm involved in daily pillow fights, and I just added good reads to my profile. You need to go to www.goodreads.com to sign up, and then you can link it to your facebook and your friends can join. It is a place to list and rank books you have read, are reading or will read. Your friends can comment on your evaluations of the books and vice versa. As all tools these days, there is more it can do that I have yet to discover but it has been fun enough so far.
I was talking to a student the other day about how glad I am that I joined facebook. This is how they communicate, and now I am aware of what is available to them. Student council and DECA both have groups to get information to students. I feel that it is an important tool for teachers and one that we need to understand because our students have mastered it and use it every day.
PS-I'm up to 32 friends:)
I was talking to a student the other day about how glad I am that I joined facebook. This is how they communicate, and now I am aware of what is available to them. Student council and DECA both have groups to get information to students. I feel that it is an important tool for teachers and one that we need to understand because our students have mastered it and use it every day.
PS-I'm up to 32 friends:)
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