Lesson ideas for Podcasts

Lesson Title: What podcasts interest you?

Type of Web 2.0 Tool: podcasts, blogging

SOL and Secondary Objectives Related to the Lesson: Students will show their ability to research, evaluate and determine accurate sources. Students will review, evaluate and post their ideas to their blog for the rest of their classmates to review. Using concise statements each student will also post a reply to two other students podcast choices and reviews.

Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Students will find on the Internet two podcasts from two different sources. One will be from a scientific source, (ie. online journal or newsource) and another from a non-scientific source. The student will review each podcast, noting similarities and differences. Student will attach a link to both podcast from their blog's and post the review of each blog with no more than 100 words per blog review. Students will also be asked to pick two other student podcast blog reviews, review each student's choice of blogs, read each review and post a reply to each blog commentary and podcast. Students will be evaluated for the quality of the podcasts chosen and the appropriateness of their responses to their fellow student podcast selections.

Lesson Title: Create you own podcast

Type of Web 2.0 Tool: Podcast creation

SOL and Secondary Objectives Related to the Lesson: Students will research the assigned topic and create a podcast. The podcast will enable the student to show their public speaking skills, editing and composing skills.

Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Students will write down a topic of choice for a podcast on piece of paper. The teacher will then collect the papers and put them in a bag. Students will then randomly draw out papers and pick the topic of the podcast to create. Students will utilize the skills that they have accumulated throughout the year to research and create their podcast. Students will create a 3 minute podcast. Students will be evaluated for creativity, conciseness and thorough research of the podcast.

General thoughts on Podcasts

Here's my assignment:

Part 4: Podcasts
It is easy to see how to incorporate podcasts into classrooms. We can incorporate others’ podcasts and produce our own. You’ll need Media Player, RealPlayer, or other audio software to run podcasts. Check out the podcasts below and then post your reflections in your blog: What did you find? What did you think? So what? Now what?

• Who would expect Grammar Girl to be a popular podcast site?! While you’re there, check out Mighty Mommy, Legal Lad, and Mr. Manners while you're there: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
• Many universities have put lecture podcasts online. Check out one of these at Stanford University. You will need to download iTunes (free) first:http://itunes.stanford.edu/
• Check out these Virginia Minutes history podcasts, created by fourth graders in Tori Meleski’s class:http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/colvinrunes/crescasts.htm
• Check out a news broadcast about media on the PBS podcast site: http://www.podcastingnews.com/details/www.onthemedia.org/index.xml/view.htm
• Find a podcast on a topic of your choice. You might find something here, but feel free to look elsewhere:http://www.podcastingnews.com/forum/links_tophits.htm

Here on my general thoughts. I like podcasts and definitely see their addition to any school curriculum. Podcasts were also part of the curriculum for some of my first MAIS-ZAL classes. I find them to be easy to use and very helpful. I did not use them on the go, but actually accessed them through the public library because I didn't have a computer at the time. The preceding lists of podcasts vary in their effectiveness.

The first podcast example was very helpful especially if a student has questions on a subject out of classroom. There is a wide variety of topics that also could serve as refreshers courses for students returning from a long break.

The second podcast example also has a wide range of topics but I was distracted by the embedded advertising in the script. I also read faster than I listen and was way ahead of the lecture than what the lecturer was actually saying. I didn't enjoy these podcasts as much.

The podcasts from Standford were okay, again it seemed like advertising. They were well put together and had good picture quality, but not really inspiring. I didn't learn a lot. Overall not impressed.

Unfortunately the last examples of podcasts, links not working. No comment.

So after all that what podcasts to a I subscribe to...only one. It's from ITunes and it is weekly tips for my Mac, very useful and suits my needs. There is a lot of potential for podcasts and they offer a lot of flexibility for teaching and learning. One problem still lurking, not everyone has the technology or even understands how to use it, students included.

Lesson ideas for image blogs

Lesson Title: What's in your backyard?

Type of Web 2.0 Tool: Image blog

SOL and Secondary Objectives Related to the Lesson: Students will utilize skills in observation, by picking interesting aspects of their backyard to photograph. Students will use their creativity, imagination and editing skills, by choosing only 3 photographs to upload and post. Student will compose short in length text describing each photograph and why it was chosen. This will also also students to express theirs views clearly and concisely.

Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Students will take a series of photographs of things in their backyard. They will pick three to post to a class set on Flickr, (teacher will have created a group account to which they all can post to). The students will add text to describe pictures and why they chose them. Students will be limited to 25 word to describe the picture and why.

Lesson Title: What's in other people's backyards?

Type of Web 2.0 Tool: Image blogs

SOL and Secondary Objectives Related to the Lesson: Study other students pictures and look for details. Students will utilize the software available through Flickr and add comments to pictures. Students will use editing, creativity skills to add comments to five other students pictures. Students will use a culmination of computer based skills to complete this assignment. Students will also vote via an email to the teacher who had the best backyard picture.

Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Students will log into the group classroom account on Flickr. Students will then scroll through each of the other students pictures and add a comment to five other student's backyard pictures. Students will use creativity and possibly a little research on other student's pictures to find out or label what items may be in a picture. After posting comments to pictures, including a roll over comment as well, students will email the teacher with one vote as to the best student backyard picture.

Image blogs

What did I find? What did I think? So what? Now what?

First things first this image is what I found after searching for awhile. It is part of an image blog entitles, "its a zoo out there". I first began searching just by "animal" or "zoo", but that was a little too broad. Then I tried searched by animal names like, "giraffe", "monkey", "lion" and "warthog", it didn't lead to much. Although when I searched for "lemur" it was full of pictures of Ring tail lemurs, but not enough of the other kinds of lemur I was looking for, so I picked this one. Why? Because it reminded of way back when I first started out as a keeper and was groomed by a monkey. I didn't solicit it but the monkey had timing and seemed to know exactly where I was most vulnerable when cleaning and in a compromising position. Needless to say it wasn't bad, I didn't have any stray hairs or dirt for the monkey to groom out, but he still tried.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/truus_en_zoo/3889003673/in/pool-its_a_zoo_out_there

So what what else I did find was pretty interesting. I am not a good photographer, I do have some interesting pictures, but not in to comparison with what is of Flickr. There are an almost overwhelming variety of images and image blogs and groups to review, but searching it incredibly easy. This site would definitely be easy and great asset to teachers to find images to use to help illustrate what may be hard to define in words. It is also a great tool to explore student creativity.

Lesson ideas for wikis

Lesson Title: Check the Facts

Type of Web 2.o Tool: Internet navigation

SOL and Secondary Objectives Related to the Lesson: Students will use critical thinking skills, examination and organizational skills to critique two wikis that have been assigned. This exercise will be an indicator of student's judgement to evaluate information and make a critical judgement.

Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Students will be assigned two wikis relating to subjects they are currently working on. Some students may be assigned the same wiki. Each student will write a summary about the wiki and then pick at least two of the references cited in each wiki and examine each reference. Students will look up two of the references and judge how relative the are to the corresponding wiki. The students will then summarize their critiques and post them on the classroom blog website.

Lesson Title: Create a fictional wiki

Type of Web 2.0 tool: Wiki

SOL and Secondary objectives Related to the Lesson: Creativity, Imagination and utilizing skills like organization and logic from previous lessons.

Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Students will be asked to create a ficitional wiki about either a place or an animal. Students will use their own creativity to create at least four sections of information about their chosen fictional animal or place. Students will be evaluated on original thought, content, creativity and organization. Students will follow a wiki format from pbworks. Students will link their wiki from their individual blogs.

Uses for Wikis in classrooms

Wikis have a lot of potential for classroom use. They are already in use when students use them as research tools. What they can also be used for is in the reference section. If it is complete it can serve as another useful to to gain more information about the topic of interest or even help refine the search.

Wikis can also serve as a test of what students know, how to organize their thoughts, information, research and show how well a student can deliver information in an organized well understood manner.

Wikis can also teach collaboration and team work for students. Multiple students working together on creating or even editing a wiki can help students learn to work together.

Wiki topic of choice

Well the next part of module 2 for EDIT 564 asks to find a wiki on a topic of my choice. I picked animal enrichment. THere isn't a whole lost available to search through, more examples of what facilities do for animal enrichment programs. Unfortunately the only thing I can suggest for the few wikis available are that they need more content, more editing and just plain more. The few available are okay, but are very dry and science based. I have found better content and information overall on several zoo websites.

Reflections on some Wikis

• The Holocaust Wiki Project leads you through a disturbing simulation: http://www.ahistoryteacher.com/~ahistory/apwhreview/index.php?title=Holocaust_Wiki_Project
• PlanetMath is produced by a virtual community that collaborates to create a mathematics encyclopedia as well as books, papers, and forums about mathematical knowledge: http://planetmath.org/
• The ITSopedia wiki was created by GMU graduate students/teachers as part of their efforts to learn about integrating technology into their K-12 classes: ITSopedia.pbwiki.com

The above listed link are to actual wikis that have educational uses. What I found about each of them is that they were informative and to the point with clear and informative choices. Each had a unique perspective and way of informing/teaching the learner or seeker.

The Holocaust Wiki Project is a hypermedia project that allow the user to assume an identity and make choice that can lead to more choices or to an untimely end during Nazi occupied Greece. If reminds a lot of a "choose your own ending" storybook. This wiki is user friendly and straightforward. It was hard to not always the "escape" choice knowing what I know about the Holocaust and surrounding historical events.

PlanetMath, although not at first visually appealing, is helpful to math students and enthusiasts. It has a quick turn around for for those who post questions about a variety of math topics. If I was taking a math course, I would find this wiki to be helpful, not pretty, but useable.

The ITSopedia wiki is a cliff note version of the ITSOLC website, (www.itsolc.gmu.edu). My only criticism is that most of links haven't been edited for two years. I found it to be be a clear and concise source about ITSOLC and several of its concepts. I personally think it should be accessible by all ITSOLC students.

That's my two cents.

Practice Activities Mod 1

Well unfortunately I have been procrastinating and that has been put to a stop. I have been spending more time on the Internet, mostly looking for jobs and posting resumes, where I have stumbled upon more and more blogs. I have checked a few of them out and a question comes to mind what is the difference between an article and a blog? Both are a recipe of viewpoints, opinions, facts, research, and ideas. Both are published. Both can be responded to by its readers.

Is a blog just a electronic article? I don't know.

Well on with the assignment.

Lesson title: What's your favorite animal and Why?

Type of Web 2.0 Tool: blog

SOL and Secondary Objectives related to the Lesson: Students will utilize their evaluation skills while researching about their favorite animal online. Students will use reasoning, critical and logical thinking to organize the information found into a different order. Students will also edit the information they gather to produce a simple straightforward blog entry. Students will also use previously learned computer skills to navigate the Internet, upload photos and cite online information.

Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Students will conduct research online to find out facts and natural history about their favorite animal. Students will organize their research into a logical format based on who, what, where, when, why and how. Students will upload an image of their favorite animal into their blog entry. All information gathered online will be cited from each resources used. Blog entries will be restricted to 300 words. Each student blog entry will be be reviewed by the instructor for any grammatical or factual errors and that each student adhered to the guidelines. All approved student blog entries will be posted online to a common classroom blog webpage.

Lesson Title: So Who Knows Their Animal's?

Type of Web 2.0 Tool: blog

SOL and Secondary Objectives Related to Lesson: Students will use critical thinking and research skills to evaluate other student's blog entries. Students will gain hands on experience on how to evaluate information gathered online and determine its validity and accuracy. Students will also learn how to employ constructive criticism. Students will be limited to 100 words for each critique.

Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Students will select two other student blog entries and evaluate their content. Students will check their online sources cited for accuracy and critique overall content and wording of two student blog entries. Student critique of other student's entries will be evaluated by the teacher for accuracy, thought, constructive input and originality.

EDIT 564 Research Activity part 1

Well, I have to admit I am not a fan of blogs. I don't really use them, except for a few which usually end up being reviews for items I may be researching. So this is a new forum for me. I understand why and how they are useful, and I am ready to learn. On with the show!

I researched a few educational blogs as provided from Module one for Research Activities. Here are the blogs and my thoughts:

http://www,weblogg-ed.com

This is by Will Richardson. I found it easy to read his enthusiasm about Web 2.0 tools and integration into the classroom. He seem to really want to get more teachers on board and connect them with free technology. His site appears to be the oldest and the most in depth. I would suggest his blog to my friends who are teachers.

http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/a

This is by David Warlick. He is also very passionate about Web 2.0 and its classroom uses. His blog appeared to be a little more informal than Richardson's and I liked it better. I could understand what he was talking about a little better and it was less technical. I would also recommend this blog to some of my teacher friend.

http://itshambrick.blogspot.com

Hosted by Scott Hambrick. I will be honest didn't like it. Just had baby pictures on it and not recently updated. I did not investigate it further.

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/eduholic/

Emmet Rosenfield's blog is hosted by an interesting site for Teacher Magazine. His blogs was okay but the content of the Teacher Magazine a little more informative, with lots of interesting topics. His blogs just seem to rattle of times of upcoming events. It was okay.

http://techedandweb2tools.blogspot.com

This was my second to last favorite blog. The author Colleen McNeil is also passionate about Web 2.o tools but I found a little too idealistic. The one comment that stuck with me is "giving students control over their learning". Call me old fashioned but that is a bad idea. Students should have some say, but to give them control undermines the entire educational system and the purpose of teachers.

One blog that I have found is zoonewsdiest.blogspot.com. The moderator has hosted a listserv that I have subscribed to for almost ten years now. He recently also added a blog feature. I still get the listserv and I like that format. It comes out about once a week and since he travels a lot it helps me know what is going on in zoos outside the US. He recently added a separate vacancy email and/or blog. I recommend his listserv to those in the industry who haven't heard of it.