Week 7: Wikis, Websites and Words

The WWW has transformed the educational world.  Many educators have experienced the full potential of the resources and tools on the web for classroom and professional use.  These next things can take you from the dark ages to the 21^st Century in a few clicks!  Let’s explore the world of Wikis and Websites and other tools we can use with these.

Thing 15: Reflection-taking it all in...

Okay Junkies, take a moment and reflect on the tools shared so far during week 6.  Post a 2-3 sentence reflection here as a comment.  Feel free to respond to others.

Thing 14: Edmodo: Social networks for PLN's and in the classroom

Social networks are all the rage in the web world.  It is a way for instant communication and sharing in real time.  Not only are people using social networks for following family and friends, but a big development in business related groups and communities has changed the way professional development is delivered and received. 

In the educational world, PLN or Professional Learning Communities, have formed putting no limits on sharing ideas and learning new educational practices.

Watch this video on PLN’s (Note some of the PLN websites):

Tech-tivity Week 6 Thing 14:

Let’s get you into the Junkie Group's PLN!

Part A: Registration

Directions for teacher registration:


***UPDATE: Volusia County has a domain for edmodo.  You can access this at http://volusia.edmodo.com  In order to log in you have to have a school code.  If you would like your school code please email me.  OR If you would just like to move ahead you can log in using the method below.  You can also access volusia.edmodo.com by clicking on the app on myvolusiaschools.org ***

1)   Log on to the website at http://www.edmodo.com

2)   Sign in with your existing account or click on “I’m a teacher” and create a username and password (I suggest your VCS username).

3)   Once you have a username the first thing you need to do is “SPECIFY YOUR SCHOOL”.  Find out who is using edmodo from your school community.  Simply search your school name.

4)   Next, play around with the SETTINGS and select or upload an avatar (how about the one you created from dopp.le me) and manage your information.

5)   Now, you are ready to JOIN groups on the left side of your screen.  Enter the GROUP CODE of our Junkie Group edmodo PLN

(CODE: ql0z5r).

6)   Okay, reply to the post: “Welcome Learning Web 2.0 junkies! Please post a reply here about how you feel social networking can help you as a classroom teacher.”

7)   Finally, BROWSE the COMMUNITIES edmodo offers you will find PLNs on every subject.  I recommend: Brain Pop, Discovery EDU, Computer Technology, Volusia County Schools and your school.  (If you do not have your school listed as a community when your select your school, email me and I will send you your school’s GROUP CODE.)

Okay, now you have created an account and have made your first reply.  Continue to check back to the Technology Junkie edmodo group for continued collaboration.  Feel free to post ideas, share projects, links, documents for the library, etc.

If you are feeling savvy take this to the next level-  How does your school communicate?  How do you share ideas and best practices?  Do you have time to do so?  Try this, set up your own PLN for your team or for your whole school.  Click on CREATE to form your own PLN today!

Part B:  Social Networking in the classroom

Now you are ready to create a group for your classroom.  Simply click on create and you can create a group for your students (i.e. Ms. McGinn’s Marvelous Math Masters).

In order for students to register they will need a username, password and a group code.  NO EMAIL IS REQUIRED!

When accessing www.volusia.edmodo.com new students click on “I’m a student” and register.  I would recommend making a specific format for the username (i.e. ALPHA CODE) and a password easy to remember (i.e. orange).  Then all they need is your class GROUP CODE.  They will be automatically signed into your class and registered to your school.

You are able to monitor and delete posts.  This is why it is a safe environment.  You may want student to fill out a separate usage agreement.  You can find one shared with me in your edmodo LIBRARY (located at the top of your edmodo screen.)

Edmodo in the classroom can be used in many different ways.  You can post assignments, grade, share documents and virtually go paperless with this tool.
 

Classroom applications:  Use to host reading and responding; post student writing and allow creative editing collaboration; share projects created and allow for comments; post links; videos; mp3s; Glogs; assignments; polls. 

Possibilities are endless.


Download the app for the iPhone and now available in Android Market!

If you would like to have school training on using edmodo in the classroom, email me and I would love to come and show you how my teachers are using it.

Thing 13: Wallwisher- Message boards in the virtual classroom

This next thing will have your brain turning in circles!  That is, if you are not already just overwhelmed with excitement learning about ALL these cool tools.  It is called Wallwisher.  I have been using this feature for about four years now and the possibilities are endless.  It is a virtual post-it note wall you can embed in your blog, wiki, website, etc.  It allows viewers to leave a post it on the wall and collaborate with each other about a topic.  It even allows users to embed a video clip or link to share with the group on the wall.  It is a really neat way to host a question and answer forum or just a message of the day/week. 

Tech-titvity Week 6 Thing 13:

1.  Go to http://www.wallwisher.com/ and explore how to create a wall.  You do not need to register, but if you do you can manage all your walls.
2. Create a wall and embed into your blog labeled Week 6 Thing 13.  (This should take less than 3 minutes and is just practice.)
3. Then, select "add a sticky" below and it will redirect you to my wall's page (in a separate window).  Then double click on the wall to respond to the Junkie Group with an idea of how we can use Wallwisher in the classroom.  Feel free to post links or video if you find one (optional).
4. Next, exit the wall page and refresh the Junkie Blog and you will see your sticky note!  ENJOY!

HINT:  You can move the sticky's around on the wall... :)

Week 6: What’s all the fuss about collaboration?

Collaboration has become the theme of education within the past decade.  If you search “collaboration in the classroom” in the advanced feature of Google only in .edu domains, you will see a reoccurring theme-Multimedia and its direct effect on collaboration in the classroom.

We know the research says this is what we must have this student-centered talking in the classroom.  How can we as teachers facilitate collaboration in the 21^st Century Classroom where the delivery has changed?

If you have a chance read an interesting study* on the connection of PLNs and Student Achievement here http://tinyurl.com/3mrnclm .

Post a comment on the Junkie Blog-discuss why you think collaboration begins with the teacher and planning?
*

Article: Teaming up: Linking Collaboration Networks, Collective Efficacy, and Student Achievement Authors: Nienke M. Moolenaar, Peter J.C. Sleegers, & Alan J. Daly  Retrieved, April 2011

Hate those long URL's? Fun Tip:

Go to http://www.tinyurl.com/ and paste the BIG BAD URL and the generator will provide a shorter address for you to use in emails and for students to access.

This is an example from Tiny URL retrived April 1, 2011:

Turn this URL:

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Globa lly/dp/B003FSUDM4/ref=amb_link_353259562_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIK X0DER&pf_rd_s=center-10&pf_rd_r=11EYKTN682A79T370AM3&pf_rd_ t=201&pf_rd_p=1270985982&pf_rd_i=B002Y27P3M

into this TinyURL:

http://tinyurl.com/KindleWireless

Extra Credit: Library Thing

Library Thing is a free online cataloging tool for your personal library.  I used this tool in my classroom so students could search my classroom library for a resource.  Go to http://www.librarything.com/, register and catalog a few books.  You can do this by ISBN, use Amazon, Library of Congress, really there are so many ways to retrieve information about your title.  Then you can create a widget in a few clicks like the one above and post it on your classroom Wiki or blog so your students can search your library.  It is also a great way to keep track of your inventory!  Happy cataloging!

Post a comment below about Library Thing.

Thing 12: Choices!!! Google Reader or Google Searches

For thing 12 you can choose which Google tool you would like to explore.  Google Reader-Choice A or Google Searches-Choice B.  No harm in playing with more than one, though.

Choice A-Google Reader and RSS feeds:

What is Google Reader?

How do I use it?

 

What is an RSS feed?

RSS or Really Simply Syndication allows you to receive instant updates to websites, blogs or other web sources.  Putting your favorite sites together in a reader like Google Reader allows you to manage and read only what you are interested in.  This is great for professional and personal reading interests.  As an web savvy educator you have probably noticed each educational web 2.0 tool we have explored has a educator blog posting new information about the tool.  You could subscribe to all of these and new posts will be organized in one place on your reader.  No need to travel to each URL.  Think of it as the news reader in Facebook.

*Make any website a RSS feed at http://www.feedity.com/

Tech-tivity A:

1.       Go to reader.google.com

2.    Log in with your Google Account information.

3.    Add a subscription to the Junkie Blog (http://technologyjunkiegroup.blogspot.com/) You can also go to Junkie’s Unite and use the URLs to subscribe to other Junkie's blogs.

4.    Post a comment on the Junkie Blog about Google Reader.

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Choice B- Advanced Google Searches and Custom Searches

Watch this tutorial on how to use the Advanced Search feature of Google.

Tech-tivity B:

1.       Play around with the advanced features of Google.

2.    Try this: Search “Spiders” as a basic search.

3.    Now go to the advanced search and find reading level.

4.    Select “show only basic reading level”.

5.    Post a reflection on your blog labeled Week 5 Thing 12 about how you can use the advanced features in your classroom.

Extra credit:

Did you know you can make a custom search engine using Google?  Do you find it frustrating to see students using unreliable sources when reporting information?  Do you have specific websites you would like your students to use when searching?

Look no further, Google Custom Search is the answer! 

Watch this tutorial to see how you can use it in the classroom:

Post any comments about Custom Search here on the Junkie Blog.

Thing 11: Google tools for the Savvy Educator

Google has been involved in the education world since the beginning.  Many of you probably view Google a just a search engine, but it is so much more!

Let me introduce you to Google Docs:

That’s right! No flash drive needed! You can compose your writing in Google Docs and then access the same writing from home or on any computer that has Internet access. Better yet, you can create spreadsheets or even presentations and edit them in real-time!




Watch  Google Docs presentation for Educators here if embedded player above does not work.


Tech-tivity 11:
1. Go to my Google Doc and explore.
2. Leave a comment on my Junkie Doc.
3.  Follow the link to access the document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RbNajBgp-PETzDXBJ9uN6IGMTDW-Cwkd4Yuh7m1BXN0/edit?hl=en&authkey=CISP4sQJ

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When you go to the document- note some of the features: you can see who is online with you editing the document.  When you leave comments you are allowing for discussion on each individual post.  If you are the creator of the document you can monitor and resolve comments.

No student emails needed and guess what??!!! You already have a Google Account so you will be able to access all the Google tools your tech-savvy self desires at this very moment!!  Watch this tutorial on how to share a document with students without having to create student emails.

Google Docs Drawingtool : An instant Thinking Map creator and a way for collaboration within the maps.  CENTERS PEOPLE!   Post ideas...

Week 5: Play Week- Google this and that…

I hope you are getting hungry for more!   Believe me, when I first starting exploring the tools on the web I could not stop exploring and trying new things.  Do not get discouraged if you do not get the tool the first time.  Feel free to ask questions and pose comments to the Junkie Group.

Take some time to play more with the tools introduced so far and in your spare time take a look at the web-opoloy known as Google and how it has changed the web with these simple features which can easily be used in your classroom/personal life on a daily basis.

Let’s explore Google Docs, Google Reader, and Google Searches.

Google really is out of control- you need to explore what Google can do for you! 

 Really, it's amazing!

Thing 10: Voicethread- Watch, Listen, Collaborate!!

Podcasting/vodcasting is a great way to focus on the areas of listening and viewing in the five essentials of reading.  It is also essential to collaborate and to encourage higher level thinking when responding using reading strategies.  After all, “Reading is thinking” –that's what I always say… 

What if you could encourage collaboration in many forms, for many different types of media, in one place at one time?  Sounds like a mouthful, but in a word this is VoiceThread.  Watch the brief overview below:

That’s right you can put up to 15 different types of media in a presentation for your students to comment on and modify in numerious ways!  I love options, don’t you?

Just think-how could you use this for a center all week? 

You can also use this as a tool for students to collaborate on a class project.  All VoiceThreads are embeddable and can be put in a blog, wiki, Glog, edmodo or any other web 2.0 interface.

What else can Voicethread do?

I registered for this service over two years ago when it was free, so I already have a premium account.  It is no longer free, unless you are the first educator at your school to sign up!  Ed.VoiceThread is an awesome and affordable service your school can purchase.   It provides a safe and secure community.  It is around a $1 a student/educator if you sign up for a school subscription.   Beg and plead people!  District subscription anyone? 

Here is a Voicethread I made after the 2009 FAME Conference:

Post a 2-3 sentence reflection on the Junkie Blog about this type of collaboration for the classroom.