The following information, links, and videos were compiled after attending the Indiana Computer Educators (ICE) conference. Take a look at what is written below. Investigate what makes you want to advance as a professional and leave the rest for later.
Blogging and Podcasts
In my first 60 minutes at the ICE conference for 2011, we created a teacher blog using Google Blogger and a brief podcast using Photo Story 3 software. It was extremely easy and I can see these skills being especially useful in the classroom. Utilizing Blogger through the Gmail service, people within the ICE workshop were engaged in creating an easy to construct and manage Blog. It doesn’t hold much information, but the ease of use would allow more teachers to access the site’s functions. The trainers Tim Wilhelmus and Jerrad Gleim and Playground Advocate Blog.
If you want to engage your students in responded on a blog, students can first watch Tim and Moby’s BrainPOP video explaining blogs. Before, during, or after the video, ask your students to engage in this graphic organizer provided by BrainPOP. There are several suggestions on using blogs within the classroom. It is a way to extend teaching writing skills after school hours.
As for the podcast, attendees were asked to engage in pre-production techniques. Because of the lack of time, pre-production involved compiling various pictures from the web for a story. Then, we narrated a slideshow of photos that were supposed to tell a story (digital storytelling). Again, we used Photo Story 3 software, which was extremely easy to use. The software is free and guides the user through the production process.
I have been actively researching digital storytelling. With a podcast, pictures, and video clips students can create Ken Burns-like storytelling. If you have ever seen Ken Burn’s Civil War PBS special, then you have watched a digital story. Of course, Ken Burns is a professional filmmaker, but with free video software students can create basic published stories. Check out Bernajean’s Digitale website.
This is an ABC Digital Story or report on mammals. It sounds like an older student’s project, but a project like this could become a class production (elementary level). The next was completed by an adult; nevertheless, it is an excellent example. Her video was completed as a tribute to her father, Calvin.
Digital projects facilitate higher order thinking processes in classroom instruction. I encourage you to research this highly engaging publishing technique. Students are able to present to a larger audience than their teacher.
