Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Exploring Zoho Notebook
Describe your experience as a user of the application. What functions did you like and what functions did you find frustrating? Why?
Wow, I really like Zoho Notebook at first glance! The Zoho flash page is neat and clear, so it was easy to find the application for which I was looking. I like that you can make different notebooks, but they each stay open in a tab at the top. Students could have a different tab for each class, and then they can make page tabs (along the right hand side) for each topic in that class. You could also have one page for text, and one page for pictures. You can rearrange text and photos very easily, so it would be easy to regroup information after a lecture is over.
I did find it frustrating that you had to click on the "edit" icon before you could edit each box of text, because I kept just clicking on the text when I wanted to edit.
It is also frustrating that you do not get prompted with "are you sure you want to delete this page?" if you accidentally click the "x" button on a page!
What knowledge or skills would students need to use the software?
Students would have to have basic keyboarding and mouse skills to use this application. It would be helpful if they were familiar with word processing applications so they would already know how to save, edit, delete, hyperlink, bold, bullet, etc. Students would also have to understand that what they write/create is going to be shared with others, so they need to be careful of the content.
How can you share the products you create with this application?
You can create "shared" books, meaning that more then one person can view and edit the same notebook. You could then have each person have a different page tab within the same notebook if you wanted.
How could you see the application being used to teach a particular subject matter?
Zoho notebook would be really neat to use right now in my 6th grade science class, who are studying ecology. Each day, they have a short lecture about the life of a honey bee, and they are also creating food webs. Students could type their notes as the teacher lectures, and then also add pictures and move them around to create their food web.
What are some things a teacher could do to help students collaborate using this application?
Teachers could assign everyone to take notes during biology class, and then group one person from each period of the day together, and they could compare notes.
What sort of organization or managerial considerations will a teacher have to take into account?
Teachers would of course have to monitor the content of the notebooks students are creating. Teachers would have to ensure that an acceptable use policy was signed by all students, reminding them not to post anything mean about someone else. Students would need a computer and internet access to use this application, and some students may not have this access at home.
Wow, I really like Zoho Notebook at first glance! The Zoho flash page is neat and clear, so it was easy to find the application for which I was looking. I like that you can make different notebooks, but they each stay open in a tab at the top. Students could have a different tab for each class, and then they can make page tabs (along the right hand side) for each topic in that class. You could also have one page for text, and one page for pictures. You can rearrange text and photos very easily, so it would be easy to regroup information after a lecture is over.
I did find it frustrating that you had to click on the "edit" icon before you could edit each box of text, because I kept just clicking on the text when I wanted to edit.
It is also frustrating that you do not get prompted with "are you sure you want to delete this page?" if you accidentally click the "x" button on a page!
What knowledge or skills would students need to use the software?
Students would have to have basic keyboarding and mouse skills to use this application. It would be helpful if they were familiar with word processing applications so they would already know how to save, edit, delete, hyperlink, bold, bullet, etc. Students would also have to understand that what they write/create is going to be shared with others, so they need to be careful of the content.
How can you share the products you create with this application?
You can create "shared" books, meaning that more then one person can view and edit the same notebook. You could then have each person have a different page tab within the same notebook if you wanted.
How could you see the application being used to teach a particular subject matter?
Zoho notebook would be really neat to use right now in my 6th grade science class, who are studying ecology. Each day, they have a short lecture about the life of a honey bee, and they are also creating food webs. Students could type their notes as the teacher lectures, and then also add pictures and move them around to create their food web.
What are some things a teacher could do to help students collaborate using this application?
Teachers could assign everyone to take notes during biology class, and then group one person from each period of the day together, and they could compare notes.
What sort of organization or managerial considerations will a teacher have to take into account?
Teachers would of course have to monitor the content of the notebooks students are creating. Teachers would have to ensure that an acceptable use policy was signed by all students, reminding them not to post anything mean about someone else. Students would need a computer and internet access to use this application, and some students may not have this access at home.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Integrating Web 2.0 in the Classroom
* What instructional strategies would fit well with using blogs in the classroom? Why?
1. Blogs can work well for some types of scaffolding. For example, a Blog could read "Write a summary of last night's reading," or a scaffolded question could read "Write a summary of last night's reading. Answer these questions: What game did Joe and Tim go play? Why was Tim's mom mad at him? What did they do after they played the game? Why couldn't Alex go with them?"
2. Blogs can allow students to read and respond to the work of other students. This will give struggling or reluctant students a chance to see some examples of what is expected, and more advanced students can synthesize other students' ideas and respond to them.
* What instructional strategies would not fit well with using blogs in the classroom? Why?
1. Blogs would not work very well for introducing a new math concept. There is no way for students to have guided practice with teacher interaction while they practice the skill.
2. Blogs would not work very well for a final evaluation of a skill because students may not be working independently."
* How could you see Blogs being used in your classroom with your subject matter?
1. I can use blogs in my classroom for weekly reading response journals. For example, every Monday I can post a question such as "Why do you think the people of Shine felt 'empty' after the moths left?"
2. I can use blogs for short daily writing activities. For example, each day I can post a writing prompt such as "Tell about a time you felt successful," or "Tell about a fun time you had with a relative," or "Tell about what you do at recess."
3. I can use blogs for math review, such as "write a story problem for 14 + 27."
How could you adapt a Web 2.0 technology to support an instructional strategy that you feel it doesn't easily support?
YouTube could be used to teach strategies to learn and remember math facts. I could have students watch video postings of others showing strategies to learn math facts. I could have students create and post their own videos showing strategies to learn and remember math facts.
1. Blogs can work well for some types of scaffolding. For example, a Blog could read "Write a summary of last night's reading," or a scaffolded question could read "Write a summary of last night's reading. Answer these questions: What game did Joe and Tim go play? Why was Tim's mom mad at him? What did they do after they played the game? Why couldn't Alex go with them?"
2. Blogs can allow students to read and respond to the work of other students. This will give struggling or reluctant students a chance to see some examples of what is expected, and more advanced students can synthesize other students' ideas and respond to them.
* What instructional strategies would not fit well with using blogs in the classroom? Why?
1. Blogs would not work very well for introducing a new math concept. There is no way for students to have guided practice with teacher interaction while they practice the skill.
2. Blogs would not work very well for a final evaluation of a skill because students may not be working independently."
* How could you see Blogs being used in your classroom with your subject matter?
1. I can use blogs in my classroom for weekly reading response journals. For example, every Monday I can post a question such as "Why do you think the people of Shine felt 'empty' after the moths left?"
2. I can use blogs for short daily writing activities. For example, each day I can post a writing prompt such as "Tell about a time you felt successful," or "Tell about a fun time you had with a relative," or "Tell about what you do at recess."
3. I can use blogs for math review, such as "write a story problem for 14 + 27."
How could you adapt a Web 2.0 technology to support an instructional strategy that you feel it doesn't easily support?
YouTube could be used to teach strategies to learn and remember math facts. I could have students watch video postings of others showing strategies to learn math facts. I could have students create and post their own videos showing strategies to learn and remember math facts.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Wiki Creation
On Wikipedia, I created a page for my school, Glencairn Elementary.
Here is a link to my own wiki, Kidzshare, that I created for my classroom to use.
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