Voicethread - Jane Lofton

Comments
This was a terrific session and really inspired me. I've already used voicethread in an assignment with my 7th grade Social Studies class, and several students have asked to use it for other assignments as well. I posted a picture of a medieval scene with the assignment prompt. I adapted an assignment from the text book in which the students, as serfs, composed a request to the lord for better living and working conditions. The students recorded their responses. Students either created their own accounts on voicethread (if they were 13 years old), used an account their parents created, or recorded on another student's account. Each identified him/herself by first name. Serf's Appeal to a Noble
Another option for student internet identity that Jane uses is to create a screen name. That would probably be a good idea for the school, or even the district; have students develop a screen name at the beginning of their internet use that travels with them through their schooling years. That would definitely save repeated set-up time in the long run.

Notes
To learn more about using voicethread read Joyce Valenza’s blog.
Voice thread is a tool for having conversations around media

Media
one part, audio comments and conversations a second piece
upload image, video or documents then record or type comments

Recording; mic or webcam, call on phone, type, upload recorded sound

Create
can use 1 screen or multiple slides
can have just outgoing or can allow comments (options, EDIT, publishing options)
blue backgrounds on ‘BROWSE’ are tutorials
portfolios – can or photograph work then record comments
can embed in blog and keep out of voicethread browse
doodle feature to focus on what you’re saying in the image
can cut off comments at a certain time OR start by not showing for first round of entries then allow to view others

Accounts
student must have an account – use set screen name?
set up your account then they are an ‘identity’ on your account – limited to one computer
parents set up family account and give the students an identity – still get permission
ed.voicethread option which is more secure – limited to ed.voicethread subscriber ($10 for educator but $1 per student)


Examples
read poem over chose image, 7th haiku, preamble, soliloquy from literature, book review, book talk, announcement / ad (can upload / link to webpage) (can see picture with eye contact but read a script – can upload video)
post an assignment and students record response
test review: If you were to write 3 test questions what would they be? What are the answers?
political cartoons – students respond to cartoon and to each other Many Voices on Darfur
cartoon - start of school year
post family photo and comment

Moodle - Colin Matheson

Comments:
This was a great session with an overview of the use of moodle and some helpful examples. These are the notes I have from the session. I have used our district moodle with students as a threaded discussion in which students each posted a response to a writing prompt then commented (addressing specific criteria) and responded to comments. However, I plan to explore our district’s moodle more over the coming year for some of these other tools. One of the questions I haven’t resolved is which type of tool is best for the various applications. There needs to be a balance between the most effective tool and the convenience of having everything on one place.

Notes:
Moodle is useful for wiki, forum, blog, survey, social networking, and user generated content.
You can use your moodle as a teacher webpage with a weekly schedule, documents, and rss feeds. You can insert images in textboxes.

Forums:
discussion board w.cytochromec.net/moodle2/mod/resource/view.php?id=41
uses: co-write story
attach video or create multimedia gallery
upload documents + ppt – turning into class rather than just teacher

rating system – stars, numbers etc or words thorough, well researched, etc

viewing depends on the initial type of forum set up

Choice/ Feedback:
create a poll, group selection – limit the number of people who can choose (closes group)
students vote
feedback activity will be in moodle 2.0

Quizzes:
Multiple choice, fill-in, matching, cloze, t/f, numeric
essay available for teacher grading
adaptive mode allows revision with a pre-determined penalty
upload questions from exam view or formatted word document, create random grab of textbook questions (examview 4 export webct3.0 download module to upload with blackboard 6 – examview blackboard upload)
read chapter, take quiz before the discussion (80% comprehension to participate or else do something else during discussion) – 2.0 will have conditional activities
can export to excel
integrated gradebook tabulates and emails responses

Glossary/Database: Creating shared knowledge banks
go to Terms to Define to add to our Web Terms glossary
artist portfolio database
country reports
book review
autolinking options to link words in moodle to glossary definitions

Webfile locker
create through adding a new assignment
‘advanced uploading of files’
for student’s own work, ungraded storage place, to keep there before submitting work

Staff development
build teacher use by just doing ONE THING

Open Source
apache runs 70% all internet, runs on open source

Chat/IM/Web presentation
online chat room: test review, chat logs can be viewed later by students who missed
use @person’sname to direct answer
can give extra credit to students who answer questions
can be student run – share responsibility
can chat if people are logged in
make school site the social go-to site
get teacher web page to be interactive with students
monitoring students: reports, read a log report, search for key words
closed environment

CUE 2010 Keynote Speaker

CUE Keynote Speaker Mary Cullinane – Microsoft

What an enthusiastic speaker – really engaged and definitely with children’s learning at heart. Thank you so much for embracing our need to:
1 – Stop debating the need to integrate digital learning. The idea that just because it’s worked in the past we should continue to use it unexamined and unimproved is paleolithic.
2 – Embrace errors and learn from them.
3 – Reject the ‘accountability’ focus on defense.