Go Animate

GoAnimate.com: In the classroom by bshanaha

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun! Go Animate is not only a fun, but useful tool. The animations can be used in many ways, they can either stand alone, or be used in a regular video by downloading the animation and using the clip to add to a video production for a class. The animations are simple enough for even the younger student to be able to enjoy. It is unfortunate that it has a price for most of the options. Costs are what many teachers look at, as most of these costs cut out of their personal revenues. Of several animation programs I have tried, on line, this is one of the simplest. Having simple programs is important to entice novice computer users to use a program. The more complex a program is the less likely the novice will use them in their projects or classes. I have seen other educational videos made in similar programs, though I have not had a chance to find out the features of the other programs to compare them with the options of Go Animate. Go Animate could be a very fun way for teachers and student to enhance web based projects, and should not be overlooked as a possibility when a lesson plan is laid out for a certain subject.

Solomon Ch. 10

Power Point Link 
      must download due to size

Voki

Voki is a simple animatied avatar that could be very useful for teachers and student. I ws thinking that this might be a very creative enhancement for any blog or webquest. Voki is a very simple program that could be used for providing instructions for a given project or to Since most of the options of Voki are free many teachers would probably have an interest in using it somehow in their curriculum Since Voki is simple and has many options in the free mode students would probably find it entertaining enough to utilize it in their projects. The diverse applications of Voki could only be imagThis is very usefule when creativity should ined by the creativity of the user. Voki also has lesson plans that teachers can use to provide enhancement for their classes. A Voki is easily place in a blog or an e=mail and can be useful in getting attention simply by having an animation talking directly to the student. Dialogue has several options as to how it is uploaded in a Voki, it cam be either record end from the user or typed into a dialogue box.

Prensky Assessment

Villain vs. Hero Ning Profile

ning-link

Some ways of using social networking.

     Social networking is becoming an important part of education and can be vast in its use.  Social networking allows students and educators the ability to stay in touch and expand learning possibilities.  Social networking can allow students to work in conjunction with other students in a given class, school, region or even multinational projects.  It allows facilitators the ability to monitor the progress and achievements of the students as they work on projects and gives them flexibility in the curriculum.  Social networking also allows schools and facilitators exchange ideas and give updates on innovative ideas on uses of technology in the classroom.  Social networking has opened a whole new aspect of using technology in the classroom.  Innovations such as Skype have also allowed individuals and classes to do live interaction with other individuals and classes in real time.  This is a powerful and important tool in allowing co-educational experiences between different classes or individuals in different geographical regions.  Social networking allows the students to get out of a classroom and explore the world from their computers.

Deep Thoughts

Mehmet and Brian: What is Culture

Google Docs Link 

Google Docs is a very diversified on-line program that is fairly easy to use and in its simplest form is free. I have used Google Docs for other projects and have found some problems with some of the formatting issues. These are usually simple to work around and should not be a large enough reason to not use the program. Google Docs is similar to many office type programs already on the market. Google dock can be edited on, used for joint projects as we did, used for peer reviews and comments. Google Docs can be used on Google sites, or on Google's social website- Google +. Google Docs offers a lot of diversity in their product for classrooms to explore and they offer the option of how they are to be published. It is easy to set up a closed network that could only be accessed by a classroom to offer security to the students. Since online security is a major issue with younger students, Google Docs is a good choice for the classroom setting. Assignments can be created or uploaded for a classroom. Students can then log in and work on the project and the teacher can monitor the progress of the group, or individual progress.

voicethread-What is in my pocket.

     VoiceThread and other types of media presentation can be useful tools in the classroom for students as well as teachers.  This tool could be useful for reports, presentations as well as web based instruction for students. These presentations can include video, pictures and recorded audio.  The audio, video, pictures can either be created on the site or they can be uploaded from sites or a computer, phone or other digital media storage device.  With this particular site I was not impressed by the lack of editing options or the lack of a clock to time a production.  The options to download and use in other media was also limited unless a user is willing to pay for that option.  Not having an option to download decreases its functionality in that whatever mistakes or additions to a presentation may require redoing a complete track of audio.  This is not always as feasible as it may always seem, so it may be better to record audio on an editor then upload it to this site to use with a photo or video presentation.  

People, Passions ~ Classroom Rules of Engagement

     Every classroom, classroom environment, students and individuals are different.  The main rule is to be aware of as many variables in the classroom as possible and use it to the advantage of getting the students involved in their learning.  It is important to take note of what is working with a given group of students and what is not.  Learn the individual passions of each student then incorporate these passions into lessens and activities to motivate students, and groups of students.  Everyone has something they like to do when they are not required to do other  things for other reasons.  If an individual does not seem to be engaged in an activity try to have them take the scenario into their world and see how they could apply it there.
     Diversification is a integral part of modern education.  It requires facilitators, and individual students to be some what flexible in the educational process.  What works well for one class in the morning may not be effective in every class throughout the day.  This takes a certain amount of role-playing on the part of the facilitator to be able to change formats for different groups of individuals.  Some individuals may need more structure and direction than others.  Other individuals may need more visualization.  With the ever growing role of technology there is an ever growing network of possibilities as to incorporating different ideas and styles into a day of education.
     The challenge of today is to make education meaningful, engage the individuals, incorporate their passions and motivations.  If at all possible, make it enriching and fun for everyone.

An Ever Changing World Seeks New Solutions