PLN+Eight

=PLN 8: Desi, Katie, Jane, Meg=

We enjoyed the [|BrainPOP ESL] site the most. All of the sites required a subscription, but BrianPOP ESL offered some free resources which is nice for teachers who can't afford the cost. The activities were varied and accommodates various levels of ELLs. The teacher resource page is amazing. They include a blog to give educators an idea of how to incorporate interactive games into daily lessons. There are tons and tons of resources, I suggest you check the site out yourself rather than listen to us talk about the site. It would be more efficient. :-)
 * Exploring Great Websites!**

=EdTech Integration Mind Maps (6/23/11)=


 * Mind Map 1: Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?**


 * Mind Map 2: Professional Development (Choose one of the 10 ideas presented in the "[|Getting Started]" article and diagram an action plan/flow chart, detailing how to build upon the idea chosen by the group.)**



=e-Room Investigations (6/23/11)=

[|Mrs. Sol's Class] This Weebly website has a lot of resources for current and new teachers. The website is both visually appealing and accessible. She encourages student interaction and includes a lot of hands-on activities. Mrs. Sol's frequently asked question page features questions from her students. We loved Mrs. Sol's Voki, and you can clearly tell that she is passionate about technology and uses it effectively in her classroom.

**Venn Diagram 6/30/11**

 * This is a Pro/Con Venn diagram that shows digital native issues.**

This is a pro/com venn diagram that shows digital native issues.
 * Venn Diagram 6/30/11 - Katie and Meg**

Objective One: Students will be able to read and demonstrate comprehension of the book //Charlotte's Web.//
Sherry Content: Reading a chapter every two to three days. Process: Partner or small group reading. Product: Drawings of things that the student learned from the chapter. Environment: Classroom, small groups, individual work

Jack Content: Field trip to a local animal farm. Process: Learning about different roles of the animals and the farmer. Product: Photo essay about the different roles on a farm. Environment: Farm, classroom, individual work

Phillip: Content: Reader's Theater Process: Produce a small scene from the book with a group of students. Product: The scene. Environment: Classroom, small group

=PBL 7/13/2011= 1. We chose "Conflict: Yellowstone Wolves" as our favorite PBL. We liked it because it was very well laid out and connected nicely to the state standards. Also provided is a grading rubric for others to use. One last thing was that students worked in groups as "experts" and reported back to their group to work collaboratively.

2. We thought the evaluation level of bloom's taxonomy best fit this PBL. Students spend time researching information on the wolves and have to eventually come up with a viewpoint or opinion and justify it based on the facts they learned.

3. All of the resources that are included are all web-based sources that require internet access. Students would need to be familiar with web browsers and reading information text. The different resources are varied to include text, audio and video so all learners can can actively learn about wolves in Yellowstone.

4. This project could be improved by making clear student roles rather than leaving that up to the individual groups to decide. Other than that, we thought this was a great PBL to use in our classrooms, if wolves and/or Yellowstone were incorporated into our curriculum.

=Web 2.0 7/15/11=

Name: Katie Hill Student Name: Jack Web 2.0 Tool: Scene Caster []

Nice ideas for Jack via the Scene Caster interface. ~Mrs. L.
 * 1) The web 2.0 tool I chose for Jack is Scene Caster. Scene Caster is a really neat website that is used to create 3-D scenes. Scene Caster offers up many templates to begin your design, but for the creative bunch, they can begin with a blank canvas. Once you know the scene you would like to create, the creator can click and drag 3-D objects into his or her scene and link them to eBay or amazon.com for viewers to access if they want more information on objects in your scene. When your scene is complete it can be uploaded to facebook or embedded into blogs, wikis, etc. The range of people who use this site really varies. Architectures use this as a demo for their clients but the average person can use it t recreate rooms in their home and have the public comment on their scene for ways to improve and the like. The one problem I encountered was that I couldn’t use this tool on my Mac, for now, although I was able to view the site to search for examples.
 * 2) I really like Scene Caster for Jack because it allows him to be hands on. Due to his low reading and writing skills, this visual representation would be a great way to demonstrate what he learned from reading //Charlotte’s Web//. My idea was that Jack could use this tool to create a scene from the book. Depending on his comfort level, Jack could use one of the templates provided or create his own. Then, using the 3-D objects via Scene Caster or google’s own 3-D image library, Jack can move in objects from a scene in //Charlotte’s Web//. When Jack’s project is complete he can share his scene from //Charlotte’s Web// to the class by posting it to a wiki or classroom website. If the teacher allows, the rest of the class can comment on Jack’s scene and offer up compliments or suggestions to make it better. I think Jack will thrive using Scene Caster and allow him to participate in class, using his strengths.

Name: Desi Dimock Student's Name: Jack The Web 2.0 tool name and link to the site: Voice Thread http://voicethread.com/

1. The Web 2.0 tool that I have chosen to use for Jack is called Voice Thread. Voice Thread is a website that will allow Jack to create a photo slide show and be able to add voice, text or doodles to the slide show. Jack will be able to add photos from the internet to make his slide show or he can make a short video. This website also allows you to share your work with anyone around the world. The students will also be able to share the videos among each other and with others in the school. When someone is watching the video they can also doodle or make comments on the actual video. This website seems easy to use and is very helpful. There are videos that have been posted on the website that will show you how to use the different things that are available for you to use. 2. This tool will differentiate Jack's process of the assignment. Jack will add the photos of the animals that learned about on his field trip to the local animal farm. After he has added the photos he will record his voice explaining what each picture means. He will be able to use his notes that he took on the field trip to make sure he is describing the animals correctly. This tool will differentiate his learning by creating what he learned about the roles of the animals and the farmer. For the final product of this assignment the students are going to create a photo essay which would help Jack with his Voice Thread. He will be able to use the same photos and then he will get to speak about it. The Voice Thread is nice for Jack to use because he likes to have hands on activities and has a hard time with reading writing. So he will be able to use his voice instead of having to write what he learned.

This is an excellent pairing, and a great use of the VoiceThread interface. ~Mrs. L.

Jane Sexton

Student: Sherry

Web 2.0 Tool: Fotobabble []

Fotobabble allows you to animate your photographs with human voice. You can record up to sixty seconds of audio over your image. Due to the time limit, it is necessary to rehearse what you want to say, especially if the tool is being used in the classroom. Fotobabble is a great tool for the classroom. It can be used as an excellent social networking tool, creating communication between students nation and worldwide. You can upload pictures from your computer, facebook, or the Internet. Then you can add an appropriate backdrop and record voice or music. I’ve found that the only downfall to Fotobabble is the time limit. Students may find it frustrating if they have to make several picture recordings. Our PLN was going to have Sherry read small sections of //Charlotte’s Web// throughout the week as well as discuss the book in a small group and illustrate lessons from the reading. I would have Sherry use Fotobabble to post her illustrations as well as answers to comprehension questions. It would be really conducive to using in a small group or with a partner. Sherry and a partner (or the teacher) could communicate their different ideas by using this tool. There could be weekly posting assignments that Sherry could share with the class. Another alternative would be to use Fotobabble to discuss the book with other third grade classrooms in the school. This could create school wide book clubs. Because Sherry is outgoing and eager to help the teacher, she could be a huge part of the project.



Great ideas for the use of Fotobabble as a means to differentiate the process and the product! ~Mrs. L.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Meg Chiappisi <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Student: Philip <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Web 2.0: Glogster

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">I started with a couple of different objectives. First, my PLN chose that students will show the ability to read and demonstrate comprehension of the book Charlotte’s Web. Second I wanted to engage Philip with his hyperactive behavior at the end of class. I know that he is above grade level and that I could talk to him about the website and then let him work independently as long as he felt engaged. I chose Glogster because of the multiple applications that are on the site. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">On Glogster you can put videos, which is where Philip could record his readers theatre of Charlotte’s Web. A video could be taken of the readers theatre that Philip directed of a specific scene in Charlotte’s Web. Glogster also has multiple options where he could post his written work, most of these are text posts that would include a summary of the story, statement of the main problem in the story, discussion of friendship and what friendship looks like in the story, and key plot points. I’m asking these specific questions to assess whether Philip has understood the book. There are multiple ways to include visual images on a Glog, which I think would add to its instructiveness and ability to keep Philip’s attention. Some can uploaded from the site, others from your own computer, and others from the internet. Philip could upload chosen images that I have provided to show 5-7 main plot points in the story. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">This is differentiating the product which is useful for Philip because he will stay engaged and can show his own personal flair on the Glog. I was attracted to this site because of the individual work that can be done and relative simplicity of having one page for Philip to work on. I have some concerns about the ability of a 2nd grader using the interface but I am assuming that I have shown him how to do this. Great ideas for the interface and weaving it into instruction to differentiate the process and the product. Please note you are missing a screen shot and a description of Glogster. ~Mrs. L.

=WORDLE! July 19, 2011=

Jane's Wordle

=Katie's Wordle=


 * Desi's Wordle**



7/25/11 __Resources and Support__ There are five different types of support that are needed for all staff involved. The three that we like the most are: Technology support, Community support and Administrative support. In order to start technology innovation in a school they need to have technology support. The schools need to know that they have help when the technology breaks down or has problems. For example, when the overhead light goes out the technology support people will come a change it for you. Community support needs to support the requests of the schools and vise versa for the schools. For example, Katie's Mom volunteers at the schools and is compensated for her time while encouraging the students to peruse the technology opportunities at Intel. Schools need to have administrative support, so they can feel comfortable taking risks using technology.

7/29/11 Magazines and Publication for Educational Technology Resources/ Jane Rethinking Schools http://www.rethinkingschools.org/index.shtml This website will be an incredible resource for us as we go into the field. You can search "technology" on the website and a myriad of interesting and effective articles will come up!

7/29/11 Online Teacher Tools / Katie [] This website has links for teachers to use as a resource in their classrooms. They offer lesson plans, games, bulletin boards, etc that teacher can pull from for inspiration.

7/29/11 Lesson Plans/Desi http://www.microsoft.com/Education/en-us/teachers/plans/Pages/index.aspx This website is from Microsoft and it provided a few lesson plans for teachers to use. The lessons plans are from all different subject areas. I thought that these would be very useful and effective and it shows you how you could add technology, but you might have to use Microsoft stuff.

7/29/11 Online Professional Organizations: Association for Educational Communications and Technology [] This was a good organization that focused on helping educators navigate technology uses and guides teachers towards structured use of technology.