TGIF Tip- Wordle

Ok, so I have been posting for a while and I can't believe I haven't shared this website. It's an excellent resource to have in any classroom. It's called Wordle and it's a cloud word generator, it was created by Jonathan Feinberg. He didn't really create it with educators in mind but I think (as do many others) that it is perfect for the classroom.

To use it you need a list of words or phrases to create your cloud, I suggest typing this list in Word before typing it in Wordle so that you can make sure the words are spelled correctly and so you can easily recreate your list if you want to change it after it's created (this great advice will make sense after you've created a Wordle or two). So, to create your first Wordle you will need a topic to create your word cloud about...maybe you want to create one about Blogging, like this one?

Or maybe you want to create one about the different story elements of narrative text like one of my TRC (Technology Rich Classroom) teachers did with his students. The lesson plan for that activity will be posted soon on my TRC site. My advice is to have your students create their first Wordle about themselves, I mean that's a topic they know plenty about and usually don't mind sharing.

To do this, start off by having the students get into Microsoft Word and typing a list of character traits about themselves along with their first name. If their list involves descriptors that are more than 1 world long, say a phrase maybe, they will need to use the tilde ~ located above the Tab key on most keyboards between the words in their list. If they don't the words will be separated throughout the word cloud.  After they are done with their list of descriptors, let them know that they are going to want their names to stand out in the word cloud since it's the topic. To make one word larger than another all you have to do is type that word in several times more than any other word. Students could then decided which words describe them better than others and put that word in their list multiple times in comparison to other words that might not describe them as well. Here is a sample:

Next, have the students highlight their list in Word and copy it by holding down Ctrl + C then opening up the internet and going to http://wordle.net/create and pasting the list into the form. Next, hit Go and you now have created your first Wordle. Students can adjust the look of the Wordle in several ways. Click the Randomize button and the web tool will choose the background color, font, font color and arrangement of the text for them. Or they can continue to click Randomize until a combination they are happy with is found. The student can also use the menu bar and select those items themselves.

After your Wordle is perfect you can save it by hitting the Print Screen button on the keyboard or using a screen capture tool (I recommend MW Snap). Then putting the Wordle into PowerPoint or Word to use in a variety of ways. Speaking of using Wordle in a variety of ways, check out my delicious account for TONS of ways to use Wordle in your classroom.

So the question is, how will you use Wordle with your students or teachers?

Cool Web Tool: Wall Wisher

 photo provided by dkuropatwa's Flickr account

Today I wanted to share a cool web tool that several of my TRC (Technology Rich Classroom) teachers have been using and loving. It's called Wall Wisher. Wall Wisher is a site that allows the user to basically post information (limited to 160 characters) virtually. It's awesome because it's easy to use and so many ways you can use it. You have several options to choose from when you create a wall. You need to decide on an address or URL for the site, an image to display, a title and any information that the end user would need to know as well as the wall's color of course. You will also need to decided who can view and post on your wall, this depends on how you are going to use it.

You don't have to register to create a wall nor do you have to register to use the wall, which is great for students under 13. You do have to give the site your name and an email address but that is only because they create a temporary account so you can come back and edit the wall you created if needed. I say just register for an account because you will be back and use it again. If you have a Google account you can just use that, if you don't join the 21st century and get one DUH. LOL!!! I mean that in the sweetest way possible.

Moving on...to create a wall you need to click on the Build a wall link on the top right. From there you will need to fill out your name and an email address, the URL to your wall, as well as all the other options we discussed above. Pretty cool, huh?

So, lets get to the good stuff...how you can use it with students or teachers you work with:

• Use it as a reflective tool or students or staff
• Use it was a way for students to share questions while doing a picture walk
• Use it to identify different elements of a story (characters, setting, plot, problem/solution)
• Use it when collaborating with another classroom
• Use it as a "parking lot" for questions during a training
• Use it as a "to do" list for yourself
• Use it when working with an expert in your classroom so they don't have to come in to the classroom (when it's not possible)
• Use it for your blog to gather feedback (embedded)
  
• Use it as a way to survey people to gather data
• Use it with parents during conference or any time of year
• Use it as a "back channel" during a presentation to get a feel for what your audience is thinking

There is a draw back to having the site public, anyone can post on it. That means that you could possibly end up with content that isn't appropriate for students. So be on your toes with it and teach your students what to do when they run across stuff like that. Please share on my wall ways you think you might use it in your classroom or with teachers. To do that click on the Post a Sticky link below.

State Testing Online

Image provided by Colemama

 Ok, so as many of you know Kansas is asking that all students take the state assessments online which is a great step in my mind. With that, many people in my district are nervous to say the least about students being "forced" to assess online when they are being taught this way! I am hearing some people say that their students aren't going to do well on this assessment because it's online and they don't know how to read text online. I ask the teachers why their students can't read comfortably online? The response is honestly because they haven't been given the opportunity, and then I wait before I respond. I wait and then the teachers usually do one of two things; they blush and say "I know, I should be teaching them those skills" or "So, anyway...they aren't going to do well and we are in trouble." I am writing about this to share with the first group of teachers, I wanted to share some ideas for how to prepare students to take the online assessment.

The easiest way to get students comfortable with any state assessment online is to go through the tutorial first. In Kansas, here is the link for the KCA tutoral, I would begin there and set the purpose for your students so when they are doing different activities they will understand why they are practicing these skills for math and reading. It is also beneficial to model when you use those different tools as you are learning content, it's just those things that good readers do. You can also use this site KCA testbuilder. Sorry any out-of-state readers, I don't know your state specific site....ask around :). There are several tools that you can use in other applications to help students to become more comfortable with the tools available during the KCA.

Here are some of the reading activities that teachers can do to help students to become more literate with reading online text and using tools available to them on the assessment:

• Use Microsoft Word and any Time For Kids article to teach students how to use the highlight tool to identify the main idea and details of the article as well as the comprehension questions provided by the site or make up your own. You could even have the students make up comprehension questions as they become familiar with this strategy. You can also use the strike through option when in Word.
  
  
• Students can better understand how to retell a story by creating one "best" retelling and 3 "close but not correct" retelling options using their favorite picture book. Here is a student sample created by students in Mrs. Martinez's class at Pleasant Valley Elementary in Wichita, KS as well as the lesson plan (scroll down to Retelling) to follow if you are interested in using it with your students.

Here are some of the math activities that teachers can do to help students to become more literate with reading online text, and using tools available to them on the assessment:

•  Most students have had little practice on a calculator so getting them to use it is the first step. A calculator is only as good as the operator, it can't think for you it only process what you tell it. Here is a basic calculator online to help the students practice.
  
  
• If possible give the students practice with reading word problems online. One site many teachers in our district use is the Everyday Math SMART Board Lessons  . I suggest using the math message activity while the students use it at their computer in groups of two to work the problem out with you. That way they would be able to practice reading online and working out the problem instead of on paper only.
  
  
• Another site that would help students practice reading math problems online is Math Playground. It is an excellent site to get students familiar with reading text online without the repetition of practice assessment. 

I hope that you have found some of these ideas helpful, I will continue to post helpful math and reading sites and activities to help students prepare to take the assessment online in my delicious account. To access it go to www.delicious.com/jgridley .

Mobile Learning Institute-Ideas about 21st-century education

 Alan November

While reading eSchool News, Oct. 09 I ran across an article about a film series that profiles visionaries in 21st-century education. Nokia and the Pearson Foundation have put together a series of videos that explore how technology is transforming educational experiences, how school leaders are testing project-based and student-centered models of learning and how student-centered learning impacts poor and disadvantaged students.

So, I went to the link provided where the videos are showcased and clicked on a familiar name to me Alan November.  In this video Alan discusses the Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom. This video isn't like most educational videos, you know where it feels stale and a little boring. This video is more like a documentary, where you feel like your being spoken to instead of at...know what I mean?

Anyway, while watching this film I began to think about what he was really saying. For example, he brings up that teaching someone how to use a piece of technology is fairly easy to do in a day workshop or even an afternoon; but what can't be done "in an afternoon is teaching people to be comfortable shifting control to the students, that can take years." I paused the video and thought about that for a moment letting it sink in. My role as a grant facilitator and instructional technology specialist is to help teachers expand on what they are currently doing in their classrooms. It's to help them see that technology does not only provide information but opportunity. Opportunity to teach their students how to be life long learners is my hope for them.

Alan goes on to discuss some myths about technology. He brought up that many people believe that technology is helping to create a better society but he thinks it provides people with their "version of the truth".  I can see his point, anyone can create a website to profess their beliefs, passions, etc. Another myth he brings up is that technology "makes kids smarter". He points that students are copying and pasting or plagiarizing more because it's easier to just copy and paste from the web than it is to think critically.

Then Alan goes into roles that every classroom should have, they are:

• Researcher
• Reflector 
• Scribe 

 He goes into a little detail about each of the roles but the main theme of each is that students have control over what and how they learn the content in that classroom and that the teacher just guides them through that learning. It reminded me of a post from last week about being a tour guide, it's a total shift in teaching for some teachers.

I hope that you will check out this video and all the other videos in the set. I also hope that it helps you to make a change in your current delivery of content in your classroom, I know it has impacted mine!

TGIF Blogging about a Blogger

 Today I want to share a great find with you. I ran across this blog and fell in love with this post. It reiterates what I should be doing in my job every day as well as what all teachers should do. We as educators of all types should be Guides. The post by Doug Johnson on his blog, The Blue Skunk Blog is about how his trip to the Grand Canyon was enhanced by guides. He discusses 5 things good guides do, they are as follows:

1. A good guide pushes you to do things you might not have done alone.
   
2. A good guide models things to do that you might not have done.
3. A good guide shows you things you might not have found.
4. A good guide demonstrates"best practices".
5. A good guide smooths the way.

As I reflected on what I was reading, I tried to think about myself in both situations...as the guided and the guide. I think we have all been in both of these roles at one time or another. I began to think about each item and how I felt when I was "being pushed" as well as "pushing", how I model as well as what I learned when someone modeled things in my classroom and on down the line. I guess the reason I wanted to share this blog post is two fold; to be reflective about how you are guiding your "students" as well as a great resource for "guidance" on your path in education.

So, my question for you to think about is...how do you guide your "students" whether their 10 or 110 in their learning hike?