YouTube Video about Youblisher

If you are wondering, "What is Youblisher?", check out this short YouTube video on how to use the site. It is very easy and fun to use. Students will love it!

Final Project- Problem Solved!

I figured everything out so I am going to be able to use Youblisher for the final project! I emailed the support people and they were very friendly and responded quickly to my many questions! I did some research on Scribd (when I was waiting on Youblisher) and found that it was very similar, but I think eventually you have to pay for an account (I'm not 100% sure though). I found some other neat publishing sites and signed up for one of them. They are: Yudu and Issuu (this is the one I signed up for an account). These sites are so neat! I am so happy everything worked out with Youblisher. It is so cool!

Final Project Woes

I began working on our final project early last week. I am becoming an expert on the Web 2.0 application, Youblisher. I signed up for a free account and when I logged in the site it told me they are in the middle of an infrastructure update and it would be a little while before I could completely access the site. So, I logged in today to see if the update was complete and it is still not!! I am kind of frustrated because they keep saying they will give a timeline on how long the update will take, but they still have not posted it! Technology is so wonderful, but at times it can be so frustrating!! So I have hit a little bump in the road, but it is okay. I am going to give it a few more days and if nothing has changed I am going to research the Web 2.0 app, Scribd, which is similar to Youblisher. Stay tuned to see if I become an expert on Youblisher or Scribd!

Required Reading # 3: The Student WebQuest

WebQuests are wonderful learning tools for students. I read Yoder’s article, The Student WebQuest, before completing our group WebQuest in class. This article takes you through a step-by-step process of how to create one as well as gives you links to finished WebQuests you can use in the classroom. At first this article did not make complete sense to me since I had never designed or interacted with WebQuests. After designing our group WebQuest on Biomes and animal adaptations, I realized this article was a tremendous help and resource. In my opinion WebQuests are effective and engaging activities for students. They have parameters but at the same time they allow students to be original. I like how each WebQuest has a real world problem or essential question to be answered. It shows students the purpose of the activity, which I think is important. Using WebQuests can generate higher level thinking which may not be achieved by simply giving students a group project to complete by conducting their own research. Overall, I am very interested in using WebQuests in my classroom and am glad I had the opportunity to create a WebQuest in this course.

Required Reading # 2: Blogging and RSS – The “What’s It?” and “How To” of Powerful New Web Tools for Educators

I have thoroughly enjoyed blogging for this class. Blogging gives you a sense of self-expression that I believe cannot be achieved by simply keeping a journal of class activities. This article gives many great ideas of how to use blogs in the classroom. I believe blogs are a highly engaging activity (speaking from personal experience!). For example, instead of students keeping a daily journal on a class novel, they could keep a blog on the novel where not only could their teacher interact with it at anytime, but peers could also comment and interact with the blog as well. Will Richardson’s example of the class that blogged about a book and the author joined the discussion is remarkable and one of a kind. This experience for the students is like none other that could not have been achieved without the use of blogs and current technology. I also believe using Weblogs as digital portfolios is an outstanding idea especially since many colleges require students to submit applications and portfolios online. Of course Richardson made a great point when he said teachers should respect students’ work when posting it on the Internet. It is nice to know that there are software programs out there that address these concerns. RSS is also a neat application. I enjoyed setting up my own Google Reader in class. Richardson also had some great ideas of how to implement RSS feeds in the classroom. His idea of using Weblogs to keep tabs on students by simply adding students to your own RSS is great. I am completely convinced that these are two important tools that can and should be used in the classroom.

Required Reading # 1: YouTube Comes to the Classroom

Before I took this course, I was not a big fan of YouTube. I had never explored YouTube personally and had listened to other's negative opinions of the site. From these opinions, I formed my own that the majority of YouTube content was offensive and should not be allowed in the school environment. However, after reading this article and experiencing YouTube first hand in this course, I have learned that it can be used in a positive manner to enrich students’ learning. Of course teachers need to make sure they place boundaries while using it so students do not take advantage of the site. I do not believe students should be allowed to go out and search for their own YouTube videos, but if teachers locate educational videos for student viewing this is okay. I completely agree with the point that Anna Adam and Helen Mowers made in this article about kids wanting a voice and that this site gives them one. I also agree that YouTube can motivate and engage students in learning. The system I work for currently has YouTube blocked, but if I do use YouTube as a resource in the classroom, I will use the site KeepVID to upload a video and play for my students in the classroom. I enjoyed this article and found it very informative. It has absolutely changed my opinion on YouTube’s place in the classroom.

Skype

Cassie, Johnna, and I had a Skype conference call this morning. At first we were having difficulty getting everybody on the line, but after a few minutes we were talking. Skype is very neat! I liked how it showed the images of who you are talking with and when a certain person would talk it would highlight them. I also liked how you can type while you are having a discussion and upload files. We talked about the components of our final project, what the slideshow would look like, and what we all have done so far. We are planning to have another conference call July 5 to discuss our final project again. I really like this Web 2.0 tool and I plan to use it. It is user-friendly and I like it a lot!

Final Project Proposal

Cassie, Johnna, and I are going to create a three hour professional development session on using technology with language arts in the K-6 classroom. We are going to focus on integrating technology using Voice Thread, Youblisher, and blogging (site to be determined). Each of us will become an expert on one application, create a sample of how to use it in the classroom, and use PowerPoint to support each application.

Our final will include an outline of our day's schedule, a PowerPoint presentation, a sample product for each application, and a proposed task for the teacher to practice creating.

ECOMP 6008 Schedule

Second Weekend Schedule

Social Networking Presentation

Johnna and I presented a PowerPoint on the strengths and weaknesses of Social Networking in the school environment. Check out the PowerPoint below!

Social Networking

View more presentations from lplottyoung.

Webquest

Click the picture above to view our WebQuest on Animal Biomes.

Cassie, Johnna, and I did our WebQuest on Animal Biomes. We used Google Sites to create our WebQuest. We had a difficult time working with this site. Johnna created a glog using Edu.Glogster. It turned out really cute! The next day, we went in and added picture collages created by Picnik. This was a nice touch to our WebQuest. We also added a talking, kid-friendly Voki to the introduction of the WebQuest. Overall, the WebQuest came together nicely. Check out our finished product!

Flickr Activity- Classroom Assignment

Photo From:

wally g's photostream

Introuduction to a September 11, 2001 History Lesson:

Today is Tuesday, September 11, 2001. You are just waking up and getting ready for a typical school day. When you go downstairs for breakfast, the TV is on and you see the image above.

You will have fifteen minutes to type your thoughts. Take your time and write all of your feelings you have about this photograph.

Voice Thread: Web 2.0 Presentation

For part of our midterm grade, we had to partner up and present a Web 2.0 app. Cassie, Lindsey, and I chose Voice Thread. We will share various examples for grade levels, demonstrate how to upload a ppt file to VT, name it, and do a sample recording. We will show everyone how to browse for the created VT, register, and record responses. We will also play the class VT.

A VoiceThread is an online media album that can hold essentially any type of media (images, documents and videos) and allows people to make comments in 5 different ways - using voice (with a microphone or telephone), text, audio file, or video (with a webcam) - and share them with anyone they wish. A VoiceThread allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place, from anywhere in the world. The possibilities for educators are endless!!!

These are some step-by-step directions for creating identities, setting up a class, and commenting on slides.