Blogs

Hi, everyone.  This week's blog post is about blogs. Makes sense.  Most of you have probably used a blog if you have taken any college courses online.  So, I'm not going to get in to too many of the details in terms of how to create a blog.  Rather, I would like to delve into the different sites available and some ideas on how to use blogs in the classroom.

Blogs (a portmanteau of web and logs) are extremely simple to use.  And, there are so many to choose from which are typically totally free.  The blog website that I use for this blog and for all of my Wilkes University blogs is called Blogger.  I'm not too aware of the history, but, like most things online, it is owned by Google.  I really like it because it is simple, has an accompanying smartphone app for those who are on-the-go, and keeps really good track of statistics (this blog just hit 200 pageviews, thank you very much).  Its definitely a good choice for anyone who is not familiar with blogs or has only a novice understanding of the tool.  Other popular choices for blogs include WordPress, Weebly, and Discovery Education.

Before I get in to any ideas regarding how to use blogs in the classroom, I will demonstrate how I currently use them.  In 8th grade Media Literacy, for the 2nd Marking Period, I had all of the students create a free, non-email verifiable account with EduBlogs.   The reason I went with EduBlogs is because it is fairly private and, of course, dedicated to students and teachers.  Really, any blog hosting website will do because access and commenting can be moderated quite heavily.  Of course, like in using any online tool, tell the students not to put their first and last name on the site. When all students created their own blog, I took the URLs of each and created a Symbaloo (a topic for another post on another day) and embedded it in my website.  Everyday (at least, most days), students come into the classroom, get their laptop and sign in, then go to Edmodo to find a prompt or question that I have
posted (remember that you can schedule posts for the future).   They then have to create a new blog post within their blog answering the prompt or question.  Finally, at the end of the period, they have to find a classmate's blog and comment on their post. For example, a question might be "What is your favorite feature of Microsoft Power Point?"  A student might answer, "I really like the fact that you can add animations to a presentation."  The tricky part is to get the students to post substantial comments more than "I agree."  So, in order to get credit, they have to do a little bit more with their comments.  Of course, I model acceptable responses.

The reason I wanted to use blogs with this class is because, due to the project-based, independent nature of the content, I never really had much in terms of a bellringer or summative activity.  That is why I started doing this in the second marking period. Also, of course, to incorporate more web 2.0.   The students for the most part seem to like doing it and I've seen some good results.  It does take some time for them to get used to blogging, but once they understand the logistics of it, it becomes fairly automatic.

So, how could you use it in your class.  Obviously, the first hindrance is access to computers or a least the Internet.  The beauty of Web 2.0 is that it can be accessed anywhere with an Internet connection. And, blogs are accessible via computer, tablet, ipod touch, or even smartphones.  Not sure which ones, but I've also heard of some blog sites that allow you to SMS (text) a blog.  So, having students keep a blog as a homework assignment is definitely an option.  But, in class, there are still many options.
Some quick examples:
Science (Secondary)- Keep a blog everyday during a science project (dissection, comes to mind).  Add pictures, too!  Have students share their observations.
Science (Elementary) - Keep a blog once a week about the weather.  Add pictures!  Even have students blog on a Monday about the weather predictions for the week and have them blog on Friday about weather :) the predictions were correct.
Social Studies - Keep a fictitious blog from the viewpoint of a famous historical figure (a la Anne Frank).  Or keep a blog recording the events of the day or week during a war.
Language Arts - Teacher can post a question about a text the students are reading and the students can comment on the post with their own reflections and/or observations.

Really, the opportunities to use blogs are innumerable.  What do you think?  Any ideas on how you could use a blog in your classroom?  Let me know.  BTW, I will be taking a couple of weeks off for the holiday break.  I hope you enjoy yourselves.  If you want to check out any of my other blogs for some of my Wilkes classes, click the course: EDIM 514, EDIM 513, and EDIM 508.

@jahocking #haven2point0


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Edmodo

Hi Everyone.  I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving break!  I took off a week due to the holiday and finishing up a grad class.  But, I'm back!

This week's blog is on Edmodo.  It is a great tool for communication and collaboration.  Many of you probably use it already, so the purpose of this post is to provide a more exhaustive look at the application.  I also want to give a shout out to Carla Cappella for first introducing this to me.

Registration
Signing up as a teacher is very simple.  On the splash page of Edmodo, simply click "I'm a Teacher" under "Sign Up Now."  Fill out the information, accept the terms of use, and sign up.

For a student account, the user must fill in first and last name as well as a preferred username and password and a group code.  I'll explain the group code in a moment.  I would highly suggest that you create both a teacher account and a student account so that you can through the lens of your students.

Creating Classes

On the left hand side of your teacher page, find the heading "Groups" and click the plus sign to the right.  Click create and then enter in all of the information that is required.  You will then have to distribute the code to your students.  It is highly advised that you "close" your class once all other students have joined so that no one unwanted joins.  I've never had that problem, but I figured I would pass that along.  Anyhow, make sure each class has a different name.  For example: I have 12 different groups and just labeled them by class title, grade, and marking period.

Now, with a group code, students can sign up to join that group.

Basic Uses

The basic uses for Edmodo can be found on the top of your main page.  You can post a note (a la Facebook), issue an alert (basically a high priority note), create and issue an assignment, create and issue a quiz, and create and issue a poll.

I think the Note and Alert are fairly self explanatory, so I'll focus on the assignment, quiz, and poll aspects of Edmodo.  Another side note, you can attach files, links, and even schedule notes.

Assignments are a really cool feature with Edmodo because it establishes due dates, gives the students a place to turn in assignments, and allows you to give feedback and a grade on an assignment.  Very simply, choose the assignment tab and give your assignment a name and due date.  Once you receive assignments from students you can assign them a grade and give them feedback.  Students can also resubmit assignments if need be.

Quizzes, just like assignments, can be assigned a grade.  Edmodo's create a quiz function is very simple to use.  You can create multiple choice, true or false, short answer, fill-in-the-blank, or even matching questions.  You can even assign a time limit.  Polls are great diagnostic tools and are exactly what you would expect them to be.  Simply, create a poll, offer choices, and post it to your class and watch the responses.


Another great feature of Edmodo is the "backpack" (if you are a student) or "library" (if you are a teacher).  Basically, the backpack/library is a place to store files (a la cloud).  If a student uploads a file to his/her backpack, it is not visible by the teacher and vice-versa.  Honestly, my favorite thing is that you can (as a teacher or student) connect with your Google Drive.  This is awesome because it adds another dimension to Edmodo.  For a quick example, let's say that students are studying geometry in nature.  A student may be walking home from school and sees a honeycomb on the ground and recognizes its hexagonal attributes.  He could snap a picture and upload directly to his Google Drive and then post it to Edmodo.

There are many other features of Edmodo that I will not cover for the sake of time.  But, feel free to explore them and let me know if you find anything else that is useful.  The importance of social media in our students' lives should be exploited for our academic purposes.  Edmodo brings a sense of familiarity with it for our students' sake.

@jahocking #haven2point0


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Prezi

Prezi is my favorite presentation tool.  It is dynamic and non-linear and gives users the ability to incorporate images and video as well as links, documents (pdf, .doc, etc.) and create an animation path for the presentation itself.  Most people have used Microsoft Power Point or even Google Slides, but what Prezi gives you is freedom.  Unlike Power Point, it is a web based program that allows for real-time collaboration.  Google Slides, via Google Drive, is web based and allows for collaboration.  Prezi, in my opinion, ultimately wins out over Slides, because of its non-linear, open canvas feel.

The first time I used Prezi was for a graduate class at Wilkes University in which I had to make one for content I was currently teaching.  I chose to develop a Prezi based upon the Peloponnesian War:

From there, I took my knowledge of the tool to my students.  I tasked them with creating a Prezi based upon the history of ancient Greece.  There was some hesitation by some students and there is a fairly large learning curve to overcome, but ultimately they took to it.  No Prezi is going to to look the same, which is awesome.

Really, the powerful thing about Prezi is the ability for students to collaborate in real-time.  For the aforementioned Greece project, the students shared the link with me so I could monitor their work.  I will say that I did have one rogue student who decided to delete another student's work (a student from the same group).  Why?  Its beyond me.  Other than that, there were no problems.  Most kids really seemed to like it.  How do I know they liked it?  This year in my Guidance A class I gave the students many, many options for creating a summative multimedia project.  Two groups chose to use Prezi.  Its one of the most rewarding feelings to know that they take what you are teaching to heart.

 There are so many possibilities with Prezi.  I will say, however, that the creation of a Prezi should be saved for students in 7th grade and up.  It does require that students create an account and, I believe, it is just a bit too difficult for students in grades lower than 7th.  Elementary teachers can still use it.  I think its fun just being able to stop a presentation, zoom in and out, and check out what's coming next.
Teachers in higher level grades can have their students document the scientific method in science, classify and define shapes in geometry, list events in history, storyboard in English, explain a bodily system in health, and so on and so forth.  If you can't tell, I really love Prezi.  Try it out.

Feel free to comment or email me for any advice or help with Prezi or any other web 2.0 tools.

@jahocking #haven2point0


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Voki

This week I present to you a tool for creating short projects.  Voki is a web 2.0 tool that allows students to present information in a very different way.

Voki is an animated and graphic way to present information in a fun and meaningful way.  This is a Voki:

You can customize the characters face, voice style, and backgrounds amongst other things.  You can even record your voice via microphone or even cell phone by calling the number that they provide you with.  Its hard to deny that it is fun to use.  The students that I have introduced it to really enjoyed it.

So, how have I used this in the classroom?  I have an example on my webpage.  In Guidance A, the 8th graders are studying the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey.  The first chapter basically establishes a general understanding of each of the habits with definitions.  What I did was create a Voki for each of the 7 Habits and call on a student to press play on the smart board.  After listening, students would raise their hand and the student who pressed play would choose a student to identify the habit that the Voki defined.  This would go on through the 7 different Vokis.  I could repeat the exercise over and over, but I feel at 8th grade, that they get it by that point and it would be overkill.  I also introduced this application to my 6th and 7th graders at the end of the marking period and they were tasked with creating senryus (non-nature haikus).

The only catches I notice with Voki are that they require registration and only allow for 30 seconds of content per Voki.  Voki's Terms of Service are child friendly, but, by registering, a user needs to access email to verify the registration.  This presents a logistical problem, especially for middle school and lower.  What I have done in the past is create a single account via gmail, registered for Voki, and gave out the username and password to the students.  This does present logistical problems of its own.  Students could potentially edit or delete other students' works.  Teacher moderation is definitely required for this.  You could possible create 5 gmail accounts/Voki registrations per class and parse the students that way, but that would become cumbersome if you teach many different classes per day.  The 30 second caveat is hard to overcome. A student could create 2 30 second Vokis to make up for 1 minute, but I feel that takes away from the effect of Voki.

I definitely see the potential of using Voki when reviewing vocabulary.  It adds another dimension to terms and definitions that are more graphic than flash cards.  When reviewing states and capitals, a teacher could create an individual Voki for each state and the students could respond by saying the capital.  Similarly, for science, students could identify elemental symbols.  One thing I think would be cool to see would be students creating short poems and putting them in Voki.  The possibilities are endless, but restrained to 30 seconds.

If you have any ideas or questions about Voki, feel free to comment or email me @ hockingj@haven.k12.pa.us or tweet me @jahocking . #haven2point0

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Word Clouds

This week's topic focuses primarily on the manipulation of the building blocks of communication: words.  Word clouds have been around for a while and most of you have probably used them or, at least, heard of them.  And, there are a variety of different websites that generate word clouds in an user-friendly environment.  Best yet, they are FREE! and do not require signup.

Three word cloud generators that I have used are Wordle, Tagxedo, and ABCya.  Each has a bit of a different layout, but the operations are essentially the same.  Simply type or paste text and create.  I personally like to use Tagxedo, but all three are worthwhile.  If you want to create multiple word terms like "Abraham Lincoln," simply insert a tilde ~ between the two words like "Abraham~Lincoln."  The only catch I have noticed while using Wordle and Tagxedo is that, for some reason, they won't work in the browser Google Chrome, so use Firefox.

Aside from been kitschy, neat things, they provide solid educational value.  Some people would think that they are only applicable to vocabulary, but they can do so much more.  If you are teaching your students about music, have them create a word cloud on Tagxedo as a diagnostic tool to see how much they know about it.  For example:

Even the alphabet looks pretty cool (kindergarten? kids could assemble the alphabet in order from the jumble):

For high school, a word cloud can act as an aid in discussing current events like the Affordable Care Act by inserting the www.healthcare.gov URL into the appropriate spot:

Even the media uses word clouds fairly often.

One that I've created for my Personal Law class for Chapter 3 is:

If you want to try out other free-but-registration-required word cloud generators, try Tagul or Image Chef.  They have many other image options, but again, requires students to sign up and check their email for verification.

Another lesson for this week runs in tandem with word clouds.  And, its something that I just discovered.  You may want to create a word cloud, but want to use it on your word wall.  But, 8 1/2 x 11 is not that large.  How do you generate poster-sized images?  Finally, I have a solution.  Its an application that you have to download from the Internet called PosteRazor.  I've tried it out and it works well.  You still have to tape or paste your papers together, but it does the job.

If you want any step-by-step instructions on how to do any of the things that I have shared with you today, feel free to comment or email me at hockingj@haven.k12.pa.us.  If you have a Twitter account, tweet how you've used technology in the classroom by using the hashtag #haven2point0 @jahocking.

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Hello

Hello all!

Welcome to my web log, or blog for short, on implementing and utilizing web-based digital tools to help you improve your digital skills and literacy, engage and motivate students, and generally embrace the Web 2.0 revolution to maximize learning in the 21st Century.  I am by no means an expert, but I am attending Wilkes University to attain a Master's Degree in Instruction Media and I have been learning so many new things that I would be selfish to keep them to myself.  I envision this blog as a forum, because, just like in schools, our own education is an ongoing dialogue that relies upon communication and the sharing of knowledge.  So, feel free to comment, ask questions, or even make suggestions as you wish.  I appreciate you taking your time to view my blog and hope that you will get some new ideas, and, hopefully, I will, too.

Thanks,
Mr. Hocking
@jahocking #haven2point0
hockingj@haven.k12.pa.us
sites.google.com/site/hurricanehocking