What do I say about Web 2.0 Tools…. Well, some are amazing and some are junk!! I think that there are some amazing sites out there that are catered to student and teacher usage. Conversely, there are many out there that are ridiculous and are very hard to use. To begin my rant, I did not like using Ever Note. For one, I don’t really see how I could use it inside the classroom. Maybe, I have not expanded my mind enough to understand its capabilities, but I do not see how I could use it in my 5th grade classroom. If I would have been working with Ever Note for a personal reason, I would have given up on it long before I figured out how to make it public.
Ok, moving on. I didn’t realize the amount of Web 2.0 Tools that are free or relativity inexpensive that are available to use inside the classroom. Through this process I also realized that some sites that I am currently using are considered Web 2.0 Tools. I really like the Friendly Letter Generator tool that can be found at ReadWriteThink! It is a great resource to help my students understand letter formatting, which is an important skill for the MAP Test.
Finally, another great Web 2.0 Tool that I have in my Communication Arts toolbox is called Into the Book. This site is amazing for teaching Reading Strategies and I usually work this into my teaching at the very beginning of the year. This is a very important tool for students to use because they can work interactively online and they can also print off any created or preexisting story.
For the most part, I enjoyed my experience with Web 2.0 Tools and will definitely incorporate many of them into my every day teaching. Unfortunately, I will never use Ever Note again and loathed every moment that I had to work with the software.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Bitstrips and Jing!
Wow!! Well I always seem to start off really strong when working with these new programs, but then I get to the part where I need to embed and it all goes downhill. Oh well.
I really enjoyed working with this program and it was really easy! The hardest part of the program was sending it to ScreenCast and embedding.
Some other great Web 2.0 programs that I found are:
Wordle: Fun way to work with Vocab!
Google Sites: That is the program that I used to create my classroom website.
Glogster: Great way to do character studies in Reading!
I will be using this program again!
P.S.- I changed the size of the video to fit onto the white space, but then you couldn't see it! Sorry that it runs off the page.
I really enjoyed working with this program and it was really easy! The hardest part of the program was sending it to ScreenCast and embedding.
Some other great Web 2.0 programs that I found are:
Wordle: Fun way to work with Vocab!
Google Sites: That is the program that I used to create my classroom website.
Glogster: Great way to do character studies in Reading!
I will be using this program again!
P.S.- I changed the size of the video to fit onto the white space, but then you couldn't see it! Sorry that it runs off the page.
Pulling Information From Thin Air!!!
Ok... What is Cloud Computing? Here is the quick and dirty explaination.
-Idea that not everyone will need specific software to engage in networking
-Mega-platform for all computing
-Independent from all other platforms or physical hardware other than a P.C.
-Ability to retreive information from a remote server and not worry about where it is coming from or who owns it
-Movement where all computers will be online all the time and connected through the cloud
-Area in which desktop/laptops and mobile devices connect and retrieve infomation.
Beyond this information, I'll still very confused. I guess that I already see our systems as retrieving information from random places and we don't know where it came from. I already thought that I shoot a command to through my computer and BAM! there is my information.
I guess my limited understanding could be explained in this senario...
Four people are having an online meeting, one person is using Logitech online chat, one is using Skype, ect. but they are all able to view each other through remote server systems without having the same software.
Comments??? Am I on the right track!??? Please explain this infinate space, zero platform, hunky dorey, everyone share everything cloud computing system!
Ashley
-Idea that not everyone will need specific software to engage in networking
-Mega-platform for all computing
-Independent from all other platforms or physical hardware other than a P.C.
-Ability to retreive information from a remote server and not worry about where it is coming from or who owns it
-Movement where all computers will be online all the time and connected through the cloud
-Area in which desktop/laptops and mobile devices connect and retrieve infomation.
Beyond this information, I'll still very confused. I guess that I already see our systems as retrieving information from random places and we don't know where it came from. I already thought that I shoot a command to through my computer and BAM! there is my information.
I guess my limited understanding could be explained in this senario...
Four people are having an online meeting, one person is using Logitech online chat, one is using Skype, ect. but they are all able to view each other through remote server systems without having the same software.
Comments??? Am I on the right track!??? Please explain this infinate space, zero platform, hunky dorey, everyone share everything cloud computing system!
Ashley
Sunday, February 13, 2011
PhotoStory and Animoto
Animoto: I really liked working with this program. But, it took 30 minutes for my pictures to load. Then, I had to create the show five different times because it would cut off my end slides. I finally figured out that your slides can not exceed the length of the song. I'm also not a fan of the words having to be on a separate page than the pictures. There was a lot more explaining that I could have done if I could have put text on the picture. Other than that, I love the result!
PhotoStory: This program was really simple to download and easy to follow. Many of the commands are the same as Microsoft Word which made it really easy to navigate. I didn't like the simplicity of this software. It needs some spice!!! I think that my end result was rather boring! But, I loved the fact that I could put text on the pictures.
All in all, I'd use Animoto over PhotoStory any day. I have also already recommended Animoto to a colleague!
PhotoStory: This program was really simple to download and easy to follow. Many of the commands are the same as Microsoft Word which made it really easy to navigate. I didn't like the simplicity of this software. It needs some spice!!! I think that my end result was rather boring! But, I loved the fact that I could put text on the pictures.
All in all, I'd use Animoto over PhotoStory any day. I have also already recommended Animoto to a colleague!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Literary News...the Podcast Version!
My first experience with podcasting was exciting and frustrating! I hope I injected just a little humor into your day. Enjoy!
P.S. Thanks to Jason Shaw @ www.audionautix.com for the awesome FREE music!
To Use or Not to Use?...That is the Copyright Question!
We have all heard the terms copyright and fair use before, but Creative Commons was new. Here is a brief overview of these three terms and their definitions.
According to WorldNetWeb copyright is "a document granting exclusive rights to publish and sell literary, musical, or artistic works." (2011) To tell if something is copyrighted we will normally see a small letter c enclosed by a circle after the name of the company or title.
WorldNetWeb also states that fair use is "the conditions under which you can use material that is copyrighted by someone else without paying royalties." (2011)
Lastly, Creative Commons is a company, established in 2002, that "develops, supports, and stewards legal and technical infrastructure that maximizes digital creativity, sharing, and innovation." In simpler terms, it offers people more freedoms that traditional copyright. Creative Commons licenses are noted by CC after company names or titles.
The world of copyright, fair use, and Creative Commons can be very tricky. Most of the time, you can find information on a company's use policy under the "Terms of Use" tab usually located at the bottom of a website. To give an example, the Creative Commons website offers 19 areas of information under their terms of use section, as with most other websites. If you can weave your way through the jargon, you can usually find what you are looking for as in if you can use information.
IF there are any doubts or you do not know where to find copyright information just ask!!! Companies want to get their names and products out into the world and people are the gateway. If you would like to use someone's music that they have posted just email them and ask. Most of the time there is a "Contact Us" tab located right next to the terms of use tab. They wouldn't put it there if they didn't want you to use it! Example... Disney movies say that you can not show any movies to a public audience. Email Disney and tell them why you want to use the video. Such as.. I want to show Fantasia to my students because we are studying the Fantasy genre. 9 times out of 10 people will let you use their material especially for educational purposed.
Copyright can be down right scary, but if you do your research and as the proprietor (and get it in writing) then there are no worries!
Ashley
According to WorldNetWeb copyright is "a document granting exclusive rights to publish and sell literary, musical, or artistic works." (2011) To tell if something is copyrighted we will normally see a small letter c enclosed by a circle after the name of the company or title.
WorldNetWeb also states that fair use is "the conditions under which you can use material that is copyrighted by someone else without paying royalties." (2011)
Lastly, Creative Commons is a company, established in 2002, that "develops, supports, and stewards legal and technical infrastructure that maximizes digital creativity, sharing, and innovation." In simpler terms, it offers people more freedoms that traditional copyright. Creative Commons licenses are noted by CC after company names or titles.
The world of copyright, fair use, and Creative Commons can be very tricky. Most of the time, you can find information on a company's use policy under the "Terms of Use" tab usually located at the bottom of a website. To give an example, the Creative Commons website offers 19 areas of information under their terms of use section, as with most other websites. If you can weave your way through the jargon, you can usually find what you are looking for as in if you can use information.
IF there are any doubts or you do not know where to find copyright information just ask!!! Companies want to get their names and products out into the world and people are the gateway. If you would like to use someone's music that they have posted just email them and ask. Most of the time there is a "Contact Us" tab located right next to the terms of use tab. They wouldn't put it there if they didn't want you to use it! Example... Disney movies say that you can not show any movies to a public audience. Email Disney and tell them why you want to use the video. Such as.. I want to show Fantasia to my students because we are studying the Fantasy genre. 9 times out of 10 people will let you use their material especially for educational purposed.
Copyright can be down right scary, but if you do your research and as the proprietor (and get it in writing) then there are no worries!
Ashley
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