Tool #6 Web Tools That Promote Discussion

With the time demands to research numerous sites, I've left Rose to do what roses do and I, the earth-based teacher, am responding.

In my investigation of tools to encourage expanded dialogues, I researched what "back-channeling" meant. I also spent a great deal of time learning about Edmodo. I found a very helpful YouTube video that offered a number of ideas for Edmodo: 20 Ways to Use Edmodo / I'd like to use the voice feature to have students take dictation in order to check their punctuation and spelling. It would be cool to use a Voki with my own voice. I also think parents would like seeing my homework posted on Edmodo because I have several students who don't write legibly or who forget to write their homework. When I tried to set up the Edmodo account, I saw that I needed a special password from the district. So I emailed a request for that and moved on.

Next I researched Diigo as a replacement for Edmodo, and I watched two YouTube videos. When registering, I couldn't seem to drag a diigolet up to my Favorites bar. So, I abandoned that effort thinking that I would register with Edmodo later anyway and that's the one I really wanted.

Still intending to complete this tool this weekend, I moved on to Wallwisher. That site was cool! I made a bulletin board with a question supporting our science content. Weathering, Erosion, Deposition Bulletin Board / I uploaded a picture and a video to see how to do that. There's plenty of room for more notes. I'm eager to make another bulletin board to support math content. I'll write, "If the answer is 24, what is the question?" That should spark a flow of responses. Once the extra technology comes to my classroom, I'll make Wallwisher a regular workstation, simply changing the question periodically.

Lastly, I set up a Skype account. I was thinking that I could link up with an author I know in Jakarta, Indonesia and have my students learn about her writing. I also know someone in the Patagonia mountains in Chile. I thought that my students could ask questions about that biome because we will be studying the topic soon.

Tool #5 Producing with 2.0 Tools

This is Miss K. posting for Rose while the Prince waters and cares for soil around her on their asteroid.

On earth, I found the 2.0 offerings interesting and exciting to consider in connection with teaching. I made a comic at Make Beliefs Comix, but am not totally happy with the site. I found that you can only put one of any type of item into a frame. So I could not make two characters holding cell phones in one frame. I also did not see any "go back and edit" button after I went to the print screen. So I used the back button and lost the whole thing. I wanted to go back and see if it would come out larger when printed in landscape layout. Fortunately, I did get it printed, but I had to scan it to save it to the computer. I also forgot to title it.

When I watched the YouTube about Make Beliefs Comix I saw other videos for Toondoo, which I learned about at Teacher Summer U. I watched a video for that and think that site would be more satisfying to use. I'd like to have students make cartoons to explain earth science concepts and steps in math operations.

The other thing I did was make a poster in Big Huge Labs. The poster shows many things that have measurement scales and the purpose is to make students notice that not all scales advance with the same number pattern. I'm going to use it when we study measurement in math, but it is also useful as a reminder to students when we read beakers, thermometers and other tools in science.

I'm not sure how to get the pdf of my comic into this post. When I upload the message says my image is corrupt or in an unrecognizable format.

Tool #4 Moving Up to the Clouds

Oh joy! Technology is getting closer to Asteroid B-612 as it moves up to the clouds. I used my four thorns to type out a little poem in Google Documents and shared it with friends thinking they might find it a useful example of free-verse. Hopfully, they will comment on how to punctuate it or improve it.

Before I attempted to make a document form, I thought there would be a lot of possibilities for various form styles. It would have been nice to make a form to show the sixty-four times the sun rises and sets on our asteroid. Miss K. would have liked to create a form with the names and times for her parent conferences. But I discovered that the form is only for various test or survey questions. I created a survey question for my teacher friends back on earth. As a single bloom, I have only one small head that can manage just a single question at a time. Thank goodness the Little Prince waters me and keeps me in full and beautiful health or I might lose many petals over even that much!

Sadly, I do see a few petals on the ground. Perhaps they fell during my frustration with how to use the documents and forms as I could find no instructions or button that offered an uninformed rose some help.

Miss K. likes the instant feedback from ACTIVote surveys with her flipchart, but she mentioned that she would use the Google Document forms to make a test or ask for feedback from students and parents on issues that allow time for responses to flow in at a slower pace. I am excited to share the results of my survey question with her. Then, maybe she will be more enthusiastic about writing a survey question of her own.

Tool #3 - Videos and Images by flower and friend

Can you hear it? That's the sound of a flower wilting on Asteroid B-612. And I am the only flower here. I have learned much during this venture into videos and images. I loved looking at the images in Picasa in an album labeled "By Giles REVEMONT." I am not sure if that is a first and last name or a first name and a title for the album. There were lovely flower photos and a scientifically useful one of a bee. I even figured out how to download photos to my computer. One is now displayed under my blog profile in hopes that it will make you think of me up on Asteroid B-612. As I am in my fourth hour at this, I must stop and absorb some energy from the sun. So, I have reached out electronically to a friend I met while on earth. Miss K can attest to the usefulness of videos and images for her needs.

Thank you Rose. I am very excited to see the close-up photo of the bee with loads of pollen on its legs. I will definitely use that in my science class. Another photo in that Picasa album will serve as a perfect dandelion illustration for a poem my students recently wrote. I know that I can use these photos based on Fair Use because I will repurpose and add value to them with poetry and science notes.

Also, my sweet smelling pal, I went video hunting. At Blinkx, in a search of the water cycle, the website turned up 19,000 videos. That's nineteen THOUSAND!!! I searched at Khan Academy but could not figure out how to embed from there, so I found two videos on YouTube (see below). The parents of my students will appreciate these when I embed them on my classroom blog. With different methods to multiply and divide, my students quickly learned new math skills, but their parents remain confused. Your venture into videos and images has enlightened but exhausted me as well. It would have been nice to absorb some energy from the sun, but now the moon is out.

Love, Miss K.

Tool#3 - Embedded Videos

TOOL #2 - BUILDING A LEARNING COMMUNITY

Our intercosmos server on planet B-612 makes it possible for me to communicate with others who are learning new things on earth. Since I began my computer adventures several years ago, after the Little Prince had returned from visiting earth, I am adapting to my new situation. Of course, a rose knows that adaptation is key to survival. I think the Little Prince could have adapted easily to life on earth. I'm so grateful he came back to take care of me.

So what I did was log into the SBISD Google account in order to view and comment on the blogs of teachers at Valley Oaks. I looked at many, but just commented on two. Sometimes, I can be a blushing rose among bushes of blooming beauties. I also commented on the Technology Tidbits and Fischbowl blogs. Perhaps later, I will revisit the piq website, which I arrived at through a link on Technology Tidbits. It is pixel drawing, and I do fancy myself an artistic rose. I saw such lovely, bright pinks and purples there.

Finally, I commented on the blog at the Steve Spangler website. It was also exciting to sign up for weekly science experiments to be emailed to me. Perhaps I will invent a scientific treatment to eliminate baobab trees. Won't the Little Prince like that! I hope you will visit Steve Spangler's website and get some great ideas for yourselves. http://www.stevespangler.com/

Now, in order to post a comment on my blog, I've logged out of my SBISD Google account and into the Google account I previously set up for Unfold Gently.

Tool #1 - CONTINUED UNFOLDMENT with a Voki

Oh joy! After three years, we have returned to Asteroid B-612. We left the sheep back on earth as that seemed the most reasonable place for him (seeing as he ate flowers and all). In our absence from our home the volcanoes filled with dust and intergalactic debris. They looked in great need of cleaning, and the many baobabs that sprang up looked in great need of pulling. Since the Little Prince could not uproot them when they first sprouted, he has toiled many days to clear them down to their deepest roots. It requires constant diligence as they continue to sprout again and again. While the Little Prince works long hours tending to our asteroid, I have taken to entertaining myself with an image of him to keep me company. The steps at http://voki.com/ felt fairly straight-forward and easy to follow. I found an image of my dear companion quickly. Fortunately, a wise librarian on earth typed the instructions for transporting my Little Prince to the blog site or I would not have know what in the universe a rose should do. Now, whenever I feel a bit lonely or ignored (for you know a rose like myself requires a lot of attention), I can click on the arrow with one of my thorns. Then, I listen to the Little Prince wisely admonishing all to keep their volcanoes clean.