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bp11_2010023_comment2

My comment to Erica's post can be viewed by pressing here.

http://ericacfullsail.blogspot.com/2010/02/bp82010022web20tool2.html?showComment=1266884625472_AIe9_BEWzn5eROEH5oPt7mGfFdqWxegzwLUVdpUSD4H1fp3kvEjur-lguS-b4GtqGx0pT0teE1qYFRzITfsb0RROK5e5xrm607tA7OIm4M-uGJAwA60ggkHHjmpN_S9YAzid3il2qob2vbmS0anC3siqOba8qkAib2o800nvV0bjGuulchydrr0Ai__EHJqFIJi-a-jgSV9-z3FITMwDu3nSMNwI6JdnHomQWKvrx3VuzGiGAEO7sWk#c6729475758746641672

bp10_2010023_comment1

View my post to Tim's blog by pressing here

http://timothyedinger.blogspot.com/2010/02/bp92010023web20tool3-instructables.html?showComment=1266882992844_AIe9_BGENkPe7JfRLeI0MRF5y_oZeh9e4PXJx2GeTvM3M7FBGoejt09omra9MYGpCTaeDT53jJn_JzxkuDEfVxOLZ4jppBnLF4j4J0XcIYnlZGFhzM9vDWPHp7g8ejhllz1g6VpJ08ymXYkAuSB_NCeyyLKYwGJJv_XxZ4LfJMXhCK4VbIg6oMRefav3WQneUXr8RLu0-V_eMJDm1bWuRU0bdqjwHlk8luUDFLNw7RoP7DnHNdf1j7amLMNEggbYRApN6DNWDMbG#c4468157978681217643

bp9_2010023_StorySomething.com

One of my goals as an educator is to improve parent involvement in the lives of their children. In today's busy world finding time to spend together is difficult; spending quality time is even more difficult. Authorities recommend parents read to their children to promote language development and vocabulary growth. There were two Web2.0 tools I explored , the first was StoryJumper.com. This allows you or your child to be the author. They have templates you can use or you may want to create your own book using their characters, scenes, or even your own photographs to write your book. Story Jumper will even publish your book and for $25.00 you may purchase a hardcopy of the book. This would be a great site for parents or grandparents with the urge to be an author and the time to do it.

The second Web2.0 tool I investigated was Story Something.com. Story Something will deliver to your email personalized stories once a week on Fridays or you can select an option to select when you want a new story. The stories are personalized with information you provide, such as your children's names, name for their father, mother, and grandparents. They even include the pets. There are several stories available,from adventure, fantasy, magic, family, science, animals, etc. I chose The Jungle in the Attic using my grandchildren for the information. Surprisingly, the conflict between the boy in the book and his sister are very realistic and something they would both have done. The story is very interesting and I can't wait to share it with my grandchildren.

To encourage family time, I would suggest parents select to have a new book delivered each week on Friday so they will have a new book each week. The parents are then free to look at their weekly schedule, select a night that isn't rushed and set aside twenty minutes of time to share the book with their children. This time should be blocked out each week on the same day and time if possible so that the children know it is coming. The children and parents will look forward to this time together. Thus parents snuggling with their children and reading a book in which the children star, are providing quality learning time with minimal effort.

The children will love the stories since they are the main characters. The books once printed off can be saved in a report folder or a notebook with page protectors for the children to read over and over again.

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This is the link to my comment for timothy.

http://timothyedinger.blogspot.com/2010/02/bp52010022web20-sliderocket.html?showComment=1266258927544_AIe9_BHRzQ1O-OFHMUZXIHbVCaFNgpSNJh6c6KXGayLRpjIXxCP1lWHKFfvXjRJXXsDuLdE6tgo5hR_LL2U5DHteGFzN3u-H4qMx8Ol9sjySpSDuG1UXLZtCxLfpEwkPuIJiX7dl5t5_eFdJRkXwJKn8eU30pghC9SrSDDfLacQ99EozD7kOjVRVK-MEkh5BmPKZ7jofVZIFGk3sVVoozQl9l5vuR5WG7IH-cksBXm6Et5TM7QuQPsw#c4893491248983712981

bp6_2010022_comment1

link to my comment for Dana
http://dkohlsgradblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/bp42010021web20tools.html?showComment=1266258061453_AIe9_BHpiphI6HoXge6WT16pkzRaxNt9T4zA2yD_BkpPC56URY78DSQhZN1-4APJ4XxNRTENIlzzxllQOBdjJH8estmGeuIrjptPK-IrN1MB0A0pKGigSukykddqh1CH2C0MeAT547_Wj7UVRtDgQWxYHfZYTGBv0TVaqhIMKQJiz86bQGmC9QdA2FoP3qnk7sVDIg6SyQQJfzKAgzxmQD3RtU16W-24hznUIHSc4EpjgLWX5Wj9GWM#c7637661594262684165

bp3-20100270googlereader

bp3-20100270googlereader

I subscribed to Suite 101 Language Study Articles because I am currently working with seventeen ESL students. The article on ESL vocabulary and terminology was a place to start learning what was in the reports I am using to assess what these students need to succeed at school.
The strategies for teaching reading skills to elementary school I chose because I am looking for strategies to teach reading to my students. I am looking for something other than the same stuff they have already been exposed to. I was very disappointed when I arrived at the site and there is nothing there yet.
Teaching Reading to ESL Students was selected because I am looking for information on how to teach reading to my ESL students. I hope to find some useful information and possible strategies to work with these students.
Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing was selected once again to help me understand my ESL students and how to help them learn to read and write in English.
YouTube- Whole Brain Teaching:4th Grade: The Crazy Professor was selected because I have a master?s degree in Brain Research Teaching and Learning, I have completed a course with Full Sail that taught Brain Based Learning. I am interested in incorporating this brain based teaching into my work with students and wanted to see what Chris Biffle was doing to teach Whole Brained.
The PBS Teachers/ Resources for the Classroom and Teaching Resource Center were selected for possible resources to use in my teaching and my research.

Kelly Wilson is a writer for the Teacher’s resource Center. She offers ideas and suggestions for organizing and managing your classroom. She also has suggestions for themed lessons. http://www.trcabc.com/resources/kellyscorner/organizing-literacy-task-card-materials/

Whole Brain Teaching is a series of videos by Chris Biffle that shows teachers how to involve the students’ whole brain in learning activities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xFcUPQ_z_8&feature=related

suite101.com is a website for teachers of ESL or other lanhuahses. It offers ideas on how to help learn a second language http://languagestyle.suite101.com/article.cfm/code-switching-in-conversation

Steps for Teaching Reading to ESL Students is a website to give teachers strategies for helping ESL students and assessing their needs http://languagestyle.suite101.com/article.cfm/code-switching-in-conversation

PBS Teachers Reading and Language Arts using PBS programs to enhance learning http://www.pbs.org/teachers/

Routekdgelanguages.com is a publisher of books to help teachers of ESL http://www.routledgelanguages.com/books/A-Frequency-Dictionary-of-Contemporary-American-English-isbn9780415

DEL

bp5_2010022_Web2.0Tool2

This week I am reviewing a web2.0 tool called XtrNormal. This site is an animation site. I enjoyed watching the short movie clips they had made and displayed. This site turns your typing into a movie, in just a short period of time. This claim may be true if you are able to download it onto your computer, however this program is like a lot of the program I have encountered that it is not set up to run on MAC when downloaded. I have contacted the owners to see if there is a MAC version available. I was able to use the program on the site. My first attempt was okay, but took about forty minutes to work. The clip was 2.25 minutes long. This seemed like a long time until I explored further. To develop the same length of movie it would take a month or more to write the script, draw and paint the characters, record the voices and put it all together. I am looking forward to trying it a second time.
The first movie I put together was an attempt at a tutorial on how to add three digit numbers. The characters are two friends; one is down because of a test. The other walks the first friend through the steps of solving the problem. For this to work, the student would need to be working the problem and following the movie since there is no way to demonstrate. So this concept would not work well for math without further knowledge.
As a classroom project, this site would encourage students to write stories to see them acted out by different characters. They have nine different settings for your story to develop in from robots to teddy bears to people in offices. The site seems to lend itself more towards communications such as stories or presentations than to tutorials. I know from experience working with upper elementary and middle school students they would soon have the expertise to make movies using this site.
XtrNormal.com is a free site for the basics, but has more characters and sites to use with the purchase of the premium program.

bp5-2010-2-12-flickrlesson

Exploring the Internet and Flickr, I found a lesson plan using Flickr to work with ESL students. The lesson involves using Flickr Commons to find pairs of pictures depicting different activities, feelings, etc. Place these into your favorites file. They can then be downloaded and used in your classroom as long as you document who the author was and where you obtained it. The pictures can be either embedded into a word document with the questions written down or for a large group the pictures can be projected onto a screen or white board. Depending on the size of your group, they are broken into small groups. Each view either picture a or b and describe what they see. They need to use their English to tell what is happening in the pictures, what the people in the pictures are feeling or experiencing. They then exchange pictures and repeat the exercise for that picture. When they have finished describing the pictures, the groups discuss the differences between the two pictures. This activity was designed for students of intermediate English fluency to prepare them for FCE or CAE Proficiency testing (Beard).
The students I work with are in first through fifth grade and many speak some English, but many do not understand English so lesson are processed through a translator. I would like to use the idea from this lesson plan but adapt it as follows for my students. I would take pairs of pictures, i.e. I chose one of a boy playing in the rain or sprinkler and the other of a girl playing in the water at the sea. The students explain what they can identify in each picture. They will use the English they have to discuss the pictures. As the lesson progresses, each student will compare the two pictures, how are they alike? How are they different? Next the students will write a sentence telling something about each picture. These will be graded and placed in the student’s portfolio.
As I continue to work with the students, I will once a month repeat this activity using different pairs of pictures. The written sentences will show the student’s progress in using the English language. On a regular basis, once a week, we will use different pictures to help develop their English vocabulary. Immersion in the English language is the best way for them to learn, just as we did as infants and young children.


Beard, K., Using Flickr for English Language Classes. About.com: English as 2nd Language http://esl.about.com/od/conversationlessonplans/a/l_flickr.htm

bp4-20100208-web2.0tools

I found a really great site that would be excellent for teaching students about finances and the way banks work. The site is designed for parents and children to keep track of their allowances and the child's spending. It utilizes the parent as the bank and offers direct deposit of the child's allowance into their account. It is all done with virtual money so no real money changes hands. The student then withdraws money from their account when they need to purchase something and it even has a feature that allows the child to write a check, but will not allow them to overdraw the account. It is Zefty Simpler Allowances for Kids (and Parents) at http://zefty.com
Many of today's economic problems are created because people do not know how to manage their money. There are all kinds of debt solution advertisements on the television, bankruptcy ads and credit solutions on the web. Many students graduate high school and do not even know how to write a check or balance a checkbook. With this in mind, Zefty gave me the idea to plan a unit using it for the hands on experience students do not get.
What I envisioned as a unit lesson on finance would be to have the students begin by playing a game of LIFE. This would set their education, profession or job, marriage, and number of children. They would get an idea of what types of bills they would be expected to pay, where extra money might come in and unexpected crisis they would encounter. The next step would be to set up a Zefty account for them.
Students would then use the Internet to access a site http://www.electronicpayments.org/individuals/in.direct-deposit.php to find out what direct deposit is and how it works. After reading the introduction, students will follow the link Learn how it works to watch a tutorial on direct deposit. After watching the video, students will fill out a direct deposit form for their Zefty account. Their wages from their job will be deposited into their account on a weekly basis.
Students will also have regular payments they must make, i.e. utility bills, mortgage or rent, insurance, car payments, etc. The students would investigate different ways to make these payments, direct payment, check, or cash. They can use the electronicpayments.org site to find the benefits and how direct payment works. They can then arrange to have the amounts either withdrawn manually in cash, by writing a check or by setting up direct payment. They would need to determine which payments could be made using each method. Students will also need to keep track of their deposits and withdrawals since Zefty will not allow the account to be overdrawn.
Students will need to learn how to budget their money to save for purchasing of things they want. Zefty will help them determine how much and how long they need to save for their purchases.
This unit will help the students learn about finances and how the banking system works. Using the Internet for information will entice some students into doing the required work. Working with Zefty will give the students hands on experience to help understand what they are learning by doing. When students search for the answers to a problem then put their information to work so they can experience it, the learning is retained better. Therefore, this exercise will help students learn about personal finances, how the banking system works and how they can manage their money better. This information will help the students through out school and the rest of their lives.
This lesson could be adapted for grades from upper elementary through high school by adjusting the amount of liberty given in searching out the information, the information the students are expected to learn and use. It could also be set up to be a parent student project with the parent being the banker and making the deposits and withdrawals the student needs to make. They could explore the different areas of banking and learn together.

bp2-2010027-EducUses 4Blogs

Blogging has become very popular as more and more people become technology literate. The classroom is no exception. Several teachers have jumped on the blog idea and put it to use quite successfully in their classrooms. While others are slower to embrace this new technology because they feel it is not safe for children to use the Internet in this manor. There are still to many who do not approve of the new technology and refuse to use it in their classrooms.
One teacher who has jumped in and begun using the blog as part of their classroom instruction is Molly Cries. She feels there are many reasons for using blogging in the classroom. One of these reasons is it motivates students who otherwise do not participate in the classroom to participate. It provides opportunities for students to read, write, and share their works. Sets up forums for collaboration and discussion. Blogging is a tool that enables scaffold learning or mentoring to occur (Cries, 2006).
Blogging is an Internet activity so it is available 24/7. It can help with classroom management by providing a place where students can be informed of requirements, handouts, notices and homework assignments or for posting questions and answers. Collaboration allows teachers and peers to review and comment on student writings. Discussions, students can express their opinions and comment on others. Student portfolios are another way to use blogs. The archives will provide a pathway from the beginning writing to the improvements obvious in current work (Cries, 20)
Teachers connect their students to real world problems and encourage collaboration with classmates and others through blogging. One teacher has a book club where hers students reads a book and then puts there report on a blog. The blog is read by an older group of students 100 miles away who then comment on their report. This encourages the students to talk about the book through blogging. Another teacher in the same school has students write poetry and then read their poetry into a microphone to record it. The recording is then sent to another teacher, who operates a radio station where the student?s poetry is then read on the air (Boling, Castek, Zawilinski Barton, & Nierlich,).
These teachers shared a common problem, they were excited about trying to use blogging in their classrooms, but the school?s filters would not allow them access to the sites. They talked with administrators after some convincing were able to have the filters removed from these sites. Many schools have these same types of filters in place and present a problem for teachers wishing to use blogging for education in their classrooms.
I have never used a blog before starting this program. I had heard of them, and often thought I would like to try one if I could find out how to do it. Now that I have learned a little about blogging, I can see it has many uses. As an educator interested in passing onthe information I have learned this would be a great way to put the information out there without shoving it at coworkers and colleagues. Finding new information to help solve problems I am encountering, communicating with parents and other interested parties. The opportunities for using blogger is only limited by your imagination.

. References
Boling, E., Castek, J., Zawilinski, L., Barton, K., & Nierlich,T. March 2008. Collaborative Literacy: Blogs and Internet Projects, Reading Teacher; Mar2008, Vol. 61 Issue 6, p504-506, 3p retrieved 02/05/2010 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=11&hid=104&sid=8e363d55-552d-438f-b8dd-8f7f86b9570a%40sessionmgr114

Crie, M., (October, 2006). Using blogs to integrate technology in the classroom, Teaching Today. Retrieved 02/05/2010 from http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47