Tech Play 3: Creative Tools

Creative Tools was a very interesting Tech play assignment for me.  I was able to play with several creative tools because of the assignment.  I played around with PollDaddy, iRubric, YouTube, ComicBook, HootSuite, Toontastic, iMovie, and Protagonize.  Each tool was fun and interesting to get some hands on experience with using it.  Polldaddy is a site to take polls on various topics of your choosing.  YouTube is a wonderful sight to find informational videos and content.  It can also be used for students to produce their own short film or snippet.  Protagonize is a sight were students can write and publish original pieces of work.  iRubric is a wonderful sight to create rubrics to grade assignments.  Toontastic is used by students to create their own cartoon.  They can even add their voices to the cartoon.

Protagonize was one of the tools that really stood out to me as a teacher.  This goes with the TPACK model because it is an example of how technology can be flawlessly integrated into teaching and learning.  TPACK is understanding how to integrate technology into a well planned lesson.  We can contstuctivley teach students through the writing process while integrating Protagonize. As a teacher this models wants you to emerge as an expert in understanding the content you are teaching, knowing what's best for the learning, and integrating technology appropriately.  You could teach students the writing process and the importance of feedback and drafts in order to create a final writing piece for publication.  Students could also use Protagonize as a way to create group stories by having students add on to the story once its been published.  This creates a very fun and interactive way to writing. It is important to know about creative tool because they can be used to enhance our lessons.  It is important for students to have exposure to all types of technology.  These tools allow more of an interaction with technology and the learning and teaching process than regular drill and skill assignments.



Poll Daddy- A website where teachers and students can poll other students on various topics. iRubric- Wonderful website where you can create your own rubrics for grading. They also have an online gallery with rubrics submitted from other teachers.


Protagonize- http://www.protagonize.com/story/gretel-and-hansel
Site where students can write and publish their very own students for the world to see. They can choose the genre and the plot.  It's really fun to read the stories and see students of all ages getting in on the fun.

Toontastic
Students can use this tool to creat their very own cartoon complete with their own voice as well.

Tech Play 2-E-Portfolio: Evidence Based Learning

Eportfolio Fun

This week I had the opportunity to play with several electronic digital tools to see which would work best for me.  Each of the websites was free to use and create.  They all had templates and easy backgrounds to choose from.  You can customize the layout as well.  Although all the sites seemed to be user friendly, I found the google website to be the most user friendly.  I am pretty used to google sites as I published my classroom website through google.  I almost selected Weebly but changing formats was not as easy.  In google you have a view button that easily allows you to see what others will see.  Weebly has this option as well but it took me longer to find.  I loved how Weebly already had pictures for the website headers that were already the appropriate size.  This is one thing that Google sites were able to provide.  They both allowed you to upload a custom picture if you wanted to add one.  Google seemed very user friendly.  The templates are easy to use and you can edit them to your liking.  I would use google if I wanted my students to use an electronic portfolio.   Blogger would also be really be easy for them to use and it can still function as their website.  Blogger could be easier for them to use as it doesn't have so many options to take their focus away from what we are doing.


 The link to my eportfolio is listed below.  You may click on the link or open the url in another tab.
https://sites.google.com/site/jessicarjacksoneportfolio/home

Tech Play 1: Blogs

To Blog or Not to Blog?

Blogs

A blog is a web page that is written from the point of view of an individual or small group and focuses on a certain topic or idea.  I came up with this definition by thinking of all the "bloggers" or authors of  blogs that I follow.  Each of the bloggers have their own outlook on fashion, food, travel, or whatever their specialty consist of.  Blogs are updated regularly with up-to-date content and most recent trends.  The topics discussed on blogs can be anything from family and fun to cooking and fashion. Many "bloggers"can now influence millions while sitting behind a computer and sharing their insight.     Blogs are targeted to a particular grouping of people.  You can find blogs based on your interest as well.  Some of the blog sites that played with consists of were WordPress.org,  Tumblr.com, Wix.com, Joomla.com, blog.com, and blogger.com.  I finally chose blogger as the source of my blog.  I found that it was user friendly and loved that it's an app that's easily accessible through my gmail account.  They all were pretty user friendly and made the process of customizing your page really easy.  Each site had easy to start templates that came along with color schemes and themes of your liking.  All of the blog sites are free to use as well.  Some have premium options that you can purchase as well.  Two of my favorite blogs that I currently read can be seen below.

alwayzfashionablylate.blogspot.com

Glog

A glog is a web tool that students can use to mix several media tools into one web page.  Students can add images, video files, texts, hyperlinks, and sound files to create a virtual poster for learning.  Glogs can be used as a "teaching tool" in the classroom. 

Vlog

A vlog is a video blog.  In a blog, the author is giving a virtual presentation of the information that is discussed on their blog.  A vlog gives the reader a personal connection with the author as they are able to see what they look like and hear their voice.  The author of a vlog creates videos of the content to share with their followers.  Many "vloggers"have a YouTube channel where they share their videos.  They can also share their videos on Instagram and Twitter.  Vlogs can be about any topic of your choice as well.  YouTube has several categories for their vlogs to fall under.  

Using Blogs in the classroom!

I could use a blog to strengthen my technology use in reading.  I would love to use a blog in the classroom as a discussion board for novel studies.  Students could show their comprehension of the text by responding to discussion post on a blog. Students will be given higher order thinking questions that have them apply what they are reading to a situation that occurs outside the classroom.  One skill that I would work on through the use of blogs would be making inferences and predictions.  This will be a great skill for students to use what they know from the story and what they personally know about a topic to make an inference about the novel.  This is a skill that is often hard for third grade students in general.    After students read each chapter, they will make a prediction about what will occur in the next chapter based on their reading.  The use of a blog will be great because students can read their peers responses as well.  They will have the opportunity to see if they're thinking the same as someone else in their class.  This will also help them see how others think and can help bring about ideas that they didn't think about the first time.  I have used blogs before with my students as a virtual group discussion and they really enjoyed it.  The blog gave them the opportunity to work from home which was also great for both the teacher and students.  Students were able to refresh and come back to the blog with a clear head.  This time gave them the opportunity to internalize what we were reading before giving a response.  Parents were also able to see what we were discussing and it often became a conversation piece for home as well.  Students were held accountable for making sure they posted sometime throughout the day and they even began to encourage each other to post if someone had not posted.  This gave students a chance to practice their writing abilities as well.  Students were reminded and taught how to fix errors and to make sure their grammar and punctuation skills were correct as well.  

A blog can also be used as  a classroom website to share important information and dates about what is happening in the classroom.  Students could also post pictures and activities so parents could get a sneak peek of the learning that is taking place in the classroom.  Students can also blog to share reflections of topics that were discussed.  This tool could also be a great program to use when we study informational text.  Students could write articles that must include the text features and structures of informational text.  

The only obstacles I can see students having using a blog would be the use of adding pictures, texts, etc.  I am confident that students will be able to master using a blog with the correct guidance.  

Welcome to the World of ETEC!

Welcome!

Below you will discover my reflections as I begin to deepen my understanding of technology.  I look forward to sharing my journey with you.

Jessica