Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
BP9_2010013_Web2.0 T3- eyePlorer
The Web 2.0 tool I have researched this week is eyePlorer which according to its website is a “graphical knowledge engine”(Von Grafenstein & Hirsch). This site works similarly to a search engine but yields a different result. The users type a topic into the search bar and the results come in the form of bullets (called eyespots on this site) and phrases. Wikipedia seems to be the main source of the information found. The results are shown like a pie graph and are separated by categories, color and size. Each category is a specific color. The larger an eyespot is the more well known and relevant the information. The small eyespot is the information that is less familiar. Another great feature on eyePlorer is its notepad. As long as the user is logged in, any notes on the notepad will be saved and may be opened at a later date.
eyePlorer Home Page
Search Martin Luther King Results
Notepad with the Results
EyePlorer would be a great alternative to a Google search. A teacher could explore the search engine as a whole class activity to show how eyePlorer works. Then students could try and use the search engine for themselves. I think students would find this search engine very refreshing. It is very welcoming and colorful and a great place to start research. The eyespots are perfect starting points to then begin finding more information. I find that this site is helpful for finding general information about topics that are people, places, or things. I think this site in conjunction with Google would be an excellent way for students to research.
Von Grafenstein, R & Hirsch, M. (n.d.). eyePlorer. Retrieved January 13, 2010, from http://eyeplorer.com/show/
Monday, January 18, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
BP5_2010012_Web2.0 T2- PhotoPeach
Another cool Web 2.0 tool that I found is PhotoPeach (http://photopeach.com/). PhotoPeach is a website that allows people to make slide shows with photos of their choice. Photos can be uploaded from the computer or taken from other sites like Facebook or Picasa. (I was really hoping that photos could be taken off Flickr but that is not an option.) PhotoPeach is simple with a user-friendly interface that is great for young and old alike. The site asks users to upload and arrange photos. Next, PhotoPeach allows users to add music and comments to the slide show. Music can be chosen from the site, found on Youtube or uploaded from the computer. Sharing photos in a professional manner with friends, family, and colleagues can be as easy as four steps!
Home Page
Upload/Arrange
Add Music
Finished!
PhotoPeach can be used in the classroom to illustrate and write stories. Teacher and students can bring in pictures, search for pictures, upload pictures, or take pictures for their stories. The class would then upload the pictures to PhotoPeach. By using the comments, the class can then narrate their slide show to make a story complete with illustrations. This project could be done as a whole group, small groups or even individually depending on the grade of the students. Since I am working with second graders, I would definitely use this as a whole group activity. If the activity went well, I would allow the students to work in small groups to illustrate and write another story. This tool would also be great outside of the classroom for personal use as well. You can check out my slide show- http://photopeach.com/album/177bvdl. Enjoy!
Monday, January 11, 2010
BP3_2010011_Web2.0 T1-Spaaze
I was looking forward to finding Web 2.0 tools that I could use. I was specifically looking for a new and exciting way to organize myself. Spaaze is an online cork board to organize links, notes, and youtube videos. Sign up is free and you are given 1000 SpaazePoints. A note and bookmark are worth five points. Youtube videos are worth four points and labels are worth two points. While using the Beta version, users may charge 500 more points for free when their points supply falls beneath 500. When the Beta version has expired, users will subscribe to an amount of time and have unlimited points during that amount of time.
Screenshot of the Spaaze home page
It could be used in the classroom to benefit the teacher and/or the students. Teachers could use this site as a home page. They can post their most visited hyperlinks, post favorite youtube videos, and make lists/add text. Another way teachers could use Spaaze is as a guide for students. Teachers could set up a page for students to use. The username and password could be the school name or grade (something very generic, that teacher’s could use again and again.) Teachers could use the site to host a webquest or give information about a class/group project. Students could use the tool to organize their own work or work together on a class project. Though the tool is not collaborative, the group could use the same username and password to login and add information to their group’s cork board. Spaaze is a different yet familiar way to organize information on the Web that is worth checking out.
BP4_2010011_RSS Feeds
Picture Courtesy of Microsoft Office Clipart Gallery
As a teacher fresh out of college, I would like to stay up to date with current ideas and practices which is why I picked the following RSS feeds.
This covers all aspects of education from lesson planning to school environment to technology. I like that different people from different aspects of education post to give a more well rounded view of the topic.
About.com Elementary Education
This is Beth’s Elementary Education Blog that again covers a whole bunch of issues important to elementary school teachers. Though I am currently in second grade, I am interested in gather information that I would be able to implement in any grade that I would be teaching.
This feed has the latest technology news that will affect the world of education.
The Power of Educational Technology
A Director of Academic Technology writes this blog that can be found on Blogger. Her blog was nominated for the best educational tech and support blog and the most influential blog from Edublog. Though she did not win, her blog is definitely worth reading.
This blog contains lesson plans and for all different subjects and academic levels.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
BP2_2010011_EduUses4Blogs
I began my search for educational uses for blogs and I did not realize just how many ways blogs could be used. Blogs can be a part of education in kindergarten to 12th grade and also play a part in higher education as well.
As a recent college graduate, I actually don’t have much experience as a blogger. I was required to blog for my Educational Technology class but I do not think that we discussed the advantages for teaching. I could see teachers using blogs to engage students in online discussions but other than that, I was unclear just how educators could use blogs in their classroom.
During my search, I found that blogs could be very useful for writing. According to Dell (2008) blogs could be used as a student writing portfolio, to showcase their best writing, to collect story starters, to practice vocabulary words, and to respond to a teacher’s post. Dell (2008) included other educational uses for blogs that had never crossed my mind before this week. She proposed that blogs be used as a reading response journal, to form an online book club, for a classroom online newspaper, and to communicate with students from different places in the world.
I can remember when I was in third grade, our class had pen pals from Ohio. I am from New Jersey and although Ohio is not very far, it was amazing to think that we could communicate with students from another state. I can only imagine using a blog to communicate with classes all over the world. The students would be extremely motivated and engaged and learning about life in a different part of the world. I think it is important for students to learn about people from different cultures. The more people know the more they can understand and the more accepting they can be.
Dell, D. (2008) Educational Uses Of Blogs and Tags. Slideshow posted to http://www.slideshare.net/sqoolmaster/educational-uses-of-blogs-and-tags-234136
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
BP1_2010011_iGoogleScreenShots
