What a perfect example of one application, that can be utilized in the classroom, of our "Web 2.0" world: Digital Storytelling. As this site outlines, digital storytelling can come in a variety of formats, and is a natural evolution to more traditional approaches to creating and sharing a story. What better way to get students involved in creating a story, when you can offer them such variety through New Media?
For example: you are an English 9 teacher whose class is studying Animal Farm by George Orwell. Not only can you offer your students a digital format of the book, as opposed to worrying about hard copies going missing, but the web also opens up a great deal of possibilities as far as assignments and projects are concerned.
Perhaps your students create an image mosaic of symbols/themes using Microsoft PowerPoint, or AndreaMosaic?
Maybe they create a video that takes place several years after the events of the story? Not only would students have to utilize video technology and software such as Windows Movie Maker, but they could go on to post their finished product to such video hosting websites as Flickr, Vimeo, or YouTube.
How about using StoryJumper to have students re-tell Orwell's story in the format of a children's book?
Those are only three suggestions of ways that digital storytelling could be utilized, using a concrete example. While they all fall under the term of digital storytelling, notice how different those three choices are? Each of those will produce a unique finished product that not only can be shared within the classroom, but all over the world. These kinds of assignments/projects are also not limited to just the language arts, but could be easily adapted to other subjects such as math and science.
Shifting my attention to StoryJumper specifically, I have to say this is a fantastic website for educators and students alike. I was blown away with all the options at my disposal to create a story from scratch, not to mention the many helpful templates included on the site. Don't understand how the site works? Watch one of their tutorial videos and learn how to make your own story in moments! Even without using any tutorials, I was able to figure how to use the site and create a biography with great ease; yet another classroom activity that could be employed by a teacher.
In closing, I thought I would include a "Bio-Poem" I created for an English education class during PSI. The project itself is great to use in class, message me if you would like a copy of the instructions, and it just happened that my finished product falls under the digital storytelling umbrella. Enjoy.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Ed. 4763 - Article Response
It is a bit ironic to be blogging my response to John Thompson's article Is Education 1.0 Ready for Web 2.0 Students?, considering this form of communication is one aspect of the web he addresses. Much like technology in general, the internet is yet another tool which has seen its share of changes over time that present a challenge within the realm of education. As he concludes the article, whether or not we as educators like it, we have to be prepared and flexible enough to utilize what the evolution of the internet brings.
Since I would consider myself a part of this "Net Generation", I have to agree with the conclusion he presents and think it is important as a future teacher to embrace the resources we have at our disposal. That said, it is critical that we use said resources in the most effective ways possible, otherwise they run the risk of becoming gimmicks with no true purpose in the classroom. For example, while I do think Smart Boards are a wonderful addition in schools, I do not think they are something essential; especially if teachers are not provided adequate time to learn how to use them efficiently.
Thompson highlights a few ways that institutions of higher learning have already begun to use Web 2.0 tools in the classroom, and these examples could be easily adapted to teaching K-12. A quick search on Google revealed a number of practical uses for Web 2.0 tools for educators of these grade levels, and this one for example, offered some great ideas for using Blogs/RSS feeds at the high school level. Another site I found, click here, offers some more background on Blogs, but also has some examples of school-based uses of the software in various contexts. It not only provides a few examples for teacher/student applications but also uses in the library, and it also has links to many articles concerning the use of Blogs in general.
What really stood out to me was the link and "teaser trailer" for a website called Students 2.0. This is a Collaborative Blog, also known as a Group Blog, that has contributions from students located all around the world. Check out the trailer below:
I am blessed to come from the "Net Generation",with quite a bit of previous background using various Web 2.0 applications, which is going to help me be more prepared for students in the future. The beautiful thing about where the internet has been heading is the fact that, even if you are not the most tech-savvy person on the planet, it has become so easy to find examples, ideas, etc. about utilizing the web, on the web itself. There are a plethora of great sites that can be utilized in the classroom setting, as various examples above point out, and there is no discernible limit to what can be done with such resources, provided the willingness of teachers to adopt and try new things.
In closing, one of the main challenges of Web 2.0 software, tools, etc. in the face of education is finding the time to figure out meaningful ways to use them in class. Going back to my previous Smart Board example, if a teacher does not have the motivation, time, or available resources to learn how to use it effectively, then what good is it in the classroom? If it becomes nothing more than a glorified whiteboard/projection screen, it is not going to do any good for student learning. However, with some exploration and know how, the Smart Board and its software can be a great tool for classroom use. The same is true for Web 2.0 applications; as a teacher you just need the time to realize and apply the potential they hold, and the internet today offers a whole lot of potential.
Since I would consider myself a part of this "Net Generation", I have to agree with the conclusion he presents and think it is important as a future teacher to embrace the resources we have at our disposal. That said, it is critical that we use said resources in the most effective ways possible, otherwise they run the risk of becoming gimmicks with no true purpose in the classroom. For example, while I do think Smart Boards are a wonderful addition in schools, I do not think they are something essential; especially if teachers are not provided adequate time to learn how to use them efficiently.
Thompson highlights a few ways that institutions of higher learning have already begun to use Web 2.0 tools in the classroom, and these examples could be easily adapted to teaching K-12. A quick search on Google revealed a number of practical uses for Web 2.0 tools for educators of these grade levels, and this one for example, offered some great ideas for using Blogs/RSS feeds at the high school level. Another site I found, click here, offers some more background on Blogs, but also has some examples of school-based uses of the software in various contexts. It not only provides a few examples for teacher/student applications but also uses in the library, and it also has links to many articles concerning the use of Blogs in general.
What really stood out to me was the link and "teaser trailer" for a website called Students 2.0. This is a Collaborative Blog, also known as a Group Blog, that has contributions from students located all around the world. Check out the trailer below:
I am blessed to come from the "Net Generation",with quite a bit of previous background using various Web 2.0 applications, which is going to help me be more prepared for students in the future. The beautiful thing about where the internet has been heading is the fact that, even if you are not the most tech-savvy person on the planet, it has become so easy to find examples, ideas, etc. about utilizing the web, on the web itself. There are a plethora of great sites that can be utilized in the classroom setting, as various examples above point out, and there is no discernible limit to what can be done with such resources, provided the willingness of teachers to adopt and try new things.
In closing, one of the main challenges of Web 2.0 software, tools, etc. in the face of education is finding the time to figure out meaningful ways to use them in class. Going back to my previous Smart Board example, if a teacher does not have the motivation, time, or available resources to learn how to use it effectively, then what good is it in the classroom? If it becomes nothing more than a glorified whiteboard/projection screen, it is not going to do any good for student learning. However, with some exploration and know how, the Smart Board and its software can be a great tool for classroom use. The same is true for Web 2.0 applications; as a teacher you just need the time to realize and apply the potential they hold, and the internet today offers a whole lot of potential.
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