Creativity in the Classroom!

Have you ever heard of Glogster? Thought about using in your classroom?

The purpose of this week’s blog post is to share how Glogster can be such an awesome tool to use with your students! Please check out the resources I’ve provided below to deepen your understanding and learn ways to incorporate Glogster with your class!

Glogster is such a great tool to incorporate for digital media project! Glogster is similar to a blog, instead it is one single page on a specific topic. Students can design their own page by adding text, videos, and images. Students can use all forms of text, and formatting to create an original piece.

Glogster can be used to create autobiographies, biographies, timelines, family tree, current event/history reports, how-to explanations, newsletter and more.

Students can create their Glog to present as a class project, they can also be printed if students want to later display their digital poster.

Glogster is not only student use, teachers can implement interactive instruction using this visual representation of a topic. Adding videos, images and color will engage students and present a lot of information in one organized space.

Overall, Glogster is such an interactive and fun way for students to learn 21 century digital media skills, including researching, typing, finding visual aids, and unleashing creativity. It’s an alternative way for students to display their information using digital media.

Explore the great uses of Glogster:

40+ ways to use Glogster

Brenda’a Blog- Glogster

90-Second Guide- Glogster

Glogster in Education!

Example Digital Story

As I previously explained in my last post, my 3rd grade students will be creating a digital story explaining the life accomplishments of a Woman in History. Students will be researching using traditional resources and digital resources on our Wikispace page that contains selected websites. Students will be using Animoto Video to present their story. Students will need to focus on the most important facts that reveal who they are, what did they did, and how they influenced history. 

Click the link to our Digital Story Wikispace Page and preview an example I've created to model my expectations to my students of the Digital Story Project. I decided to use Rosa Parks, a very common Woman in History, which none of my students were assigned to. Please let me know what you think, and what I can improve to make it better. 

Here are some questions that can guide your comments:

If you were a 3rd grade student would you understand my expectations? 

Does it seem inviting or engaging?

How do you feel about the length of the video?

  

Positive and/or Constructive Feedback is Welcome!

Digital Storytelling in Action!

As March is coming to an end, my third-grade class has been studying Women’s History month in our social studies curriculum. As a research-based project I will be having my students create their own digital storytelling presentation on their specific person. Students will be using Animoto video to create and present what information they have gathered and learned. The students should be able to answer the following questions through their presentation: What important details about the person contributes to American history? How has this person influenced others?

Retrieved from: https://vzaar.com/blog/2015/09/29/interview-with-animoto-video-is-seizing-the-day/

Using Animoto students will be able to type details and descriptions followed by images representing importance pieces to their person’s life. Students will need to include a photograph of their person and provide background information to introduce them. Students will also be able to customize their video and add background music that reflects the time studied.  

In addition to traditional resources such as books from the library, some of the web-resources students have been using and will continue to use are as following:

http://www.timeforkids.com/minisite/womens-history-month

http://myhero.com/directory/page.asp?dir=women

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/women/index.htm

http://myon.com 

In order to ensure understanding and guide my students with success in their digital storytelling presentations, I will provide an example Animoto video from a 5^th grade honor student. I will discuss the expectations and go over the rubric. I will review and model how to use Animoto and the basic steps in creating their video. 

As students finish their videos, they will present them to the class as part of their project grade. 

Stay tuned, I will be posting some of their creations soon!

Digital Storytelling in the Classroom!

Time Efficient or Time Consumer ?

This week I’ve decided to post a question and give my viewpoint and personal experiences on student response systems in the classroom.

First, for those who have never seen or heard of a response system, it is an interactive remote answering device. There are numerous different types and brands created and used in the classroom. A well-known response system is called, iClicker.

Picture retrieved from: https://octet.oberlin.edu/classroom-response-system-iclicker-now-available-through-blackboard/

Question: Do student response systems provide greater positive or negative effects?

I would have to say I am neutral on this topic. I have had both negative and positive experiences with the use of student response systems. There are several benefits that the response systems provide for the classroom teacher. For instance, the immediate feedback when students respond allows for the teacher to intervene with specific instruction or students. The response system can be used to complete a one question exit slip, or a formative assessment with multiple questions. Another great advantage is the decrease of paper usage. Teachers can depend on the response system to complete quick quizzes and answer questions during a whole group lesson without having to print and make daily copies. During my first experience using the student response system, it provided a sense of privacy for the students. The system automatically assigns the students numbers based on their device number, therefore when they respond students are not able to see who answered what.

On the other hand, I had some negative experiences using responses systems. One major downfall I experienced was the battery and connection issues. While using the devices, the connection of several students would begin to fail. This caused the process to take much longer then intended to, therefore a quick response turned into trouble shooting.  The battery also caused issues many times. Students would complain that their device “died”. It was very important to charge all devices properly before using. Although, it may seem like this shouldn’t be a problem, but with all the other devices, materials and work to organize in a day the student response systems were not on the priority list and tended to be forgotten.

Overall, I’ve had both positive and negative experiences with the use of student response systems. In the school, I am at now, we do not have the technological response systems, but I have incorporated a similar trend called Plickers. This is a similar tool used with a paper copy QR code indicating multiple choice answers. The students hold up the individual square sign with their correct answer facing up. All the teacher needs to do is scan the codes using their ipad/cell phone. Throughout this approach, I haven’t experienced the same effects. However, the major problem has been the time and issues caused when scanning the codes. Sometimes students are blocking the code with their hands, or the scanner isn’t taking up the student answer quickly.

Retrieved from: http://www.whiteboardblog.co.uk/2015/06/plickers-whole-class-assessment-with-a-single-device/

Although, I believe student response systems have helped to provide a new way to access quick responses and feedback, it still is a work in progress. What do you think? If you haven’t use it, would you consider?