W4 Reading

Mulllen, R. & Wedwick, L. (2008). Avoiding the digital abyss: Getting started in the classroom with YouTube, digital stories, and blogs. Clearing House, 82(2), 66-69. Retrieved from Educational Research Complete database.

FV Cyber Citizenship

Technology is with us, bringing with it both the good and the bad. I think we are living in a time like the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, where a lot of social changes are being brought on by new technology. Our new technology, however, has some special challenges. Some schools try to ban cell phones and certain web sites. It is understandable why they feel this way. I think, though, there has to be a better answer. My video expresses some of my thoughts about our responsibility as educators to help bring up this (and the next) generation to be good cyber citizens.

PE6_Googe SketchUp

Well, there is still a lot to do, but I did make some progress, and now my husband and son are hooked on Google SketchUp, too!

PE5 The SketchUp Odyssey Continues

 Well, I created some pretty interesting shapes, but I have very little control yet over how things turn out. I get unexpected results with the push-pull tool.  Here I made some cones. They look kind of cool.

 On the other hand, I have no idea how I made the cones. I was trying to make a component that was a rod and then try to duplicate it. Fail.

I accidentally turned a rod into a cone. Hmmm, how did I do that?  I tried with a second rod, and after a few tries I also turned that into a cone, but I couldn't do the same thing with the third rod.

 I practiced using subtraction. This produced some interesting results. I used the push-pull tool from one direction and was able to go all the way through. Apparently, though, I need to do each layer going the other way because I've created separate surfaces.

 Ah, the cones. How the heck did I do that?  I watched the tutorial about components, but I must be missing something.

 I tried using the push-pull tool to make holes in circles. Why does it sometimes work, and go all the way through, and other times extrude the shape out the other side?

My husband has a degree in CAD. I'm just going to make him sit down with me this weekend and see if he can tell me what I am missing. This is all very nice, but I want to be able to control what I am doing and do things on purpose!  Still, the experimenting has some value. When I finally understand what it is I am missing, I think I'll be able to do some cool things.

PE4 Google SkectchUp

PE_3 Google SketchUp Progress

Using simple rectangle tools, I created a simple house. I found that making a peaked roof was a little harder than I thought it would be. The Push/Pull tool was helpful, though, in getting some basic features on the building, like windows and doors.

 I wish I had more time for this third entry. What I did, though, was discover how to add textures and colors to my model.

Keeping track of things while using the free draw tool was a little trickier. As one who had not actually done anything with a 3-D application, I had the idea about what I was supposed to do, but lack experience in "seeing" where the planes are in the drawing.

 So, I have a rather odd roof on my first project. I was able to add blinds to the windows and a wooden texture to the doors, but I didn't have time to play with adding details, like door knobs and such.

It was cool, though, to find the metal textures, and those for asphalt and building coverings. There are also textures for vegetation, which I would like to try as I explore how the tools work.


I think that if a person such as myself with no drafting experience can, in a few hours, begin to create simple buildings, my students (especially the ones who like art) should be able to do even more. Many of them will be really excited about Google SketchUp and will put time in on their own to perfect their skills with this 3-D application.  I can see replicating an old western town, scenes from ancient Greece, historically significant locations and buildings (how about the Appomattox Court House?), and other sites. How about even creating a fantasy location? I wonder if these skills could help later in creating some sort of interactive game for use in one of my history classes?

I wish I had more time to explore Google SketchUp before sharing more about it. You can be sure I am going to figure out more about how to navigate this software, and brainstorm other ways I can use it in the classroom.

W3_Reading

 

 

PE_2 Google SketchUp Progress Report

We were asked to make three blog entries this week about the Web 2.0 tool we'd like to try to master. Obviously I won't be mastering Google SketchUp this week, but I did spend some time exploring the tools and figuring out a few things. In fact, if you look closely, you'll see me learning and figuring out things in the footage I made of my practice with Google SketchUp.

It is more fun to show you what I've learned so far than to just talk about it, so I made a video showing some of the tools and mentioning some of the cool things you can do with this program.  And for those of you who have decided to try SketchUp, happy sketching!



If my Viddler movie does not play, please come back later. I was surprised to find this empty! Maybe I'll stick with YouTube.

PE_1 Google SketchUp

   A tool I would like to know how to use better is Google SketchUp.  When I was looking at Google Lit Trips, I discovered links to people who have created replicas of famous places, like author's homes and places from famous novels.
  I was really impressed with this use for Google SketchUp, especially the part where the viewer can select 3-d and rotate the mode, or can click on a tab to see the location on a Google Earth map. Some even provide street shots of the buildings.

  I have some artistically inclined students who would really enjoy presenting some of their learning this way.

  This week I am going to try to learn more about how Google SketchUp works. My tech director is even getting licenses for our district!  I don't know how much I will be able to report over the next two blog entries about my progress with Google SketchUp, but I am certainly going to give it a try!

BP_12 Movie Maker

When I set out to make this week's one-minute-movie, I thought at first I would be highlighting the Ning site I created for last year's Digital Storytelling class. As I went through the site, looking at projects my students made last year, I realized it wasn't the Ning so much as the movie making that I wanted to highlight.
  In fact it was these efforts to bring digital storytelling into the classroom, and to learn it myself, that set me on a course that led me to FSO's EMDT program. I have been learning as I go, and I was seeking out others who could help me take the next step.
  I noticed there are others in this program who don't have Macs at school.  To them I'd like to say that this doesn't mean you can't still make some pretty cool digital stories. Moviemaker is not hard to use. My students also create soundtracks in Audacity, export them as MP3 files, then import them into Moviemaker. The results are not too bad for a bunch of people who are just getting started.

BP11_Comment to Kris Newton

Kris shared a Web 2.0 tool I haven't tried yet (and he shared it with a bit of humor). You can read my comment to Kris about Wiggio  at Comment

BP10_Comment to Kish

Kish had a nicely detailed description of Glogster that really motivated me to revisit the site. You can read my comment to Kish at  Comment

BP9_Google Earth: Lit. Trips

  Although Google Earth has been around for a while and it may seem passé, the people at Google Earth have continued to partner with teachers to find creative ways to use the application beyond the study of geography.
  Google Lit Trips is one example of this.  The object of the Lit Trips is to teach literature in unique ways. 
  Lit trips encourage teachers and students to take the major character and events in a novel and map out the travels of a protagonist as a way of reflecting in greater depth on the story. Each stop offers the opportunity to add articles and links that lead students to artifacts designed to deepen their understanding of the characters, setting, motivations, and history behind the story.
  I especially liked a recent video produced at Jonas Salk High-Tech Academy by San Juan Unified

  School District in Sacramento, California. The video  describes the process educators at this California school used, including lots of video of the kids working and talking about their Lit Trips. (It is the last video on the page). 

  Social studies teachers could use this equally well in following the story of an individual through the Civil War (or other wars, there are plenty to choose from). The possibilities are only limited by the imagination. A spin-off on Lit Trips could be autobiographies of family histories. You could also trace the story of cultural groups, political change during the 20th century, where our food comes from and how it gets from far away places to our community grocery stores, and countless other topics.

  Using Google Earth in this way takes a certain amount of practice. I worked on an autobiography of all the places I've lived until now, to refresh myself on the use of Google Earth. There is a learning curve, and teachers wishing to use Google Earth Lit Trips need to set aside ample time to be fluent with it before trying to guide their students through the process. 

  I'd also suggest looking at the wealth of teacher-made Lit Trips for ideas and inspiration. Google Earth provides tutorials, but there are a lot of unauthorized tutorials posted on YouTube that are also quite helpful. In fact, the Google Lit Trips video page includes a link to YouTube so that teachers can check out some of these tutorials.

  Check out Google Lit Trips   to see the wonderfully creative things teachers are doing with them. You must have Google Earth downloaded on your computer to see the Lit Trips. Google Earth Download

 

W2_Reading: Pedagogical Applications of Second Life

  Among the articles I've found that deal with using digital storytelling with teens, Second Life comes up every so often as one possible tool for working with this age group. Initially I steered away from the articles about Second Life (SL) because I felt the learning curve would be too great to use it with teens without giving up a lot of class time in the process. How could I justify using so much time in SL when there are so many things we are supposed to cover in the classroom?
  Reading the article by Joe Sanchez (2009) has made me rethink that point of view. Sanchez used SL to enable students to create experiences in a space instead of videos.  Key for me was the aspect of students sharing their stories with groups of people. SL provides a platform for role-playing and community engagement. Sanchez reported using Teen Second Life to help a group of fifty Austin, Texas high school girls examine gender equity in gaming.
  It was easy to recognize the stereotypes these students identified: the princess, the fantasy girl, and the overly muscular or powerful females of games like Mortal Kombat. They then held a fashion show using avatars to depict the stereotypes and then to demonstrate what they thought the women in these games should look like. Their "average girl" was much more realistic and quite a contrast to the fictional females usually found in games.
  It had not occurred to me that SL could be used to foster such deep reflective learning. I'm sure all of the young women who participated in the class came away with a much deeper experience than mere discussion could have provided.

Sanchez, J. (2009). Pedagogical Applications of Second Life. Library Technology Reports, 45(2), 21-28. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

BP8_OMM

I chose to focus on using Blogger for my one-minute-message because ever since learning about it, I have been able to make really good use of it in my classroom. Of course I use it in my Computer Related Technology class, but I also use it to present content for some of my other classes. Currently my CRT students have created iGoogle accounts, created a blog, embedded a Wordle and some sort of video, and should have three entries. Next they will choose a classmate's blog and leave a comment on one of their entries. I used Google docs to create a form on my CRT class blog to collect the URLs for everyone's blog pages. I have gone in and left comments, and when the URL was not right, I have used gmail to let the students know. Last year was my first year for using Blogger. I think each time we work with it I am building more skill and depth to the things I can do with it and the things I can teach my students.

BP7

I found Rachel Ullinskey's description of Storify intriguing. Unlike other digital storytelling applications, this one allows you to take actual social media to create your story.  I really need to spend time exploring this site. I wondered whose media students would be using and whether there would be any problem with people taking other people's Facebook, YouTube, Tweets, and other social media artifacts and using them. I plan to check this site out more fully as soon as I can.

Follow this link to see my coment on Rachel's blog  Comment to Rachael Ullinskey

BP6

Deborah Sanders shared a Web 2.0 storytelling app that looked as though it would lend its self very well to collaboration among my students.  Storyjumper differs from Storybird in that you can use your own art. This would be great for students who love to draw and create. Imagine the encouragement a student of any age would get from seeing their artwork made part of a collaborative storybook. My students are older, of course, and many of these sites are geared more toward teachers and parents with elementary school age children. But put the tool in their hands, and I'll bet some of my high schoolers would really enjoy Storyjumper, too. I'm glad Deborah chose to share this Web 2.0 tool with us.

Follow this link to my comments on Deborah's blog: Deborah reviews Storyjumper .

BP5

You can check out Tizmos for yourself at Tizmos.  I can also see having my high school students search for sources linked to one of our U.S. or world history, and using them to create a resource for the whole class.  I need to explore this Web 2.0 tool more. As it is, I am putting a link in one of the link boxes on my iGoogle pages that will take me to my tizmos of all the blogs I am trying to follow for this class. There are quite a few, but then, I originally made this blog for a previous Web 2.0 class offered through my school district's tech department.  I have kept on blogging, even though I am sure most of what I have written was never read. When I started the EMDT masters program, I decided to journal my experience on this blog. I know what it is like to make something like this and have no one reading it, so I am going to try to check out all of the blog links on my Tismos at least once a week and leave as many comments as I can.

BP4

They say sometimes you have to kiss a lot of frogs. I felt that way when I was looking for a new, exciting, creative Web 2.0 site to share with you. I couldn't use anything I already use, and I have to confess I wasted a fair amount of time looking at things that didn't pan out before I found this really cool site! Storybird is a wonderful place where students can collaborate in writing stories. Teachers can create class groups and keep the children's work private to the group. Finished stories can be emailed to friends.  As an example, one of the many helpful tutorials on this site suggested a teacher choose one of the pieces of art Storybird offers and write a story based on the photo. Each piece of artwork is part of a group, so that other illustrations of a similar style are available to choose from.  The book was very easy to make, and the artwork made it lots of fun. I made a Screenflow video so that I could share my Storybird experience with you. The poem is original by me. The artwork and format are by Storybird,

W1 Reading

My AR project is centered around using digital storytelling in the classroom. I was interested in an article published in a 2009 edition of Distance Learning that focused on using Photo Story 3 to create digital stories.  I began using Photo Story 3 last year in an initial attempt to try out digital storytelling with my students, so I was interested in what the author, Duysevi Karan-Miyar, had to say.

The concept map to the left outlines the main ideas of her article. 

The author shared four steps for creating and integrating digital stories; however, the four steps are really more like twenty steps as each item as several steps of its own. I tried to trace back the article Karan-Miyar used as a source for the four steps and found myself at a familiar site: University of Houston: The Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling . 

You can record narration directly into Photo Story 3, and recently they improved the application so you can also have background music with your narration. One plus is that the application allows students to create their own music, thus avoiding copyright concerns. There are also plenty of tutorials in place like YouTube if you need help figuring out the program.

Photo Story can be easily posted to sites like YouTube while other applications I have tried need to be converted because the files are not compatible. For example, students making Power Point presentations can't post them to YouTube, but those making similar presentations using Photo Story can.

Duysevi Karan-Miyar calls storytelling the original form of teaching and suggests that digital storytelling helps students make sense of their world.

You can download Photo Story 3 for free at Photo Story 3 download .

BP3_DiigoGroup

This is a screen shot of my Diigo group page. I have sent out invitations to most of my Action Research Critical Friends. In the long run I can see how this will be a valuable resource; however, at this point I am still very much a newbie!

BP2_iGoogleScreenShots

 These are screen shots of my tabs on my iGoogle site. The first screen shot is my home tab.

 This is my home tab on iGoogle.

 This is  my FSO tab.

 This is  my AR/CBL tab.

This is my ETC tab.








My tabs are a work in progress. As the Emergent Technologies in a Collaborative Culture (ETC) course progresses, I will be able to refine my understanding of how to effectively use some of the gadgets associated with each of these tabs.