Media Frenzy!



The newest assignment in the 30 Day Teacher Blog Challenge is adding different media to your blog. Although I am new to the blogging scene, I have often inserted different media types into my classroom website. Items ranging from student created VoiceThreads and Xtranormal Videos, homemade Youtube Videos and Animoto and PhotoPeach Slide Shows have become regular visitors to our classroom website. (By clicking on the links you will see how these sites have been used in a fourth grade class.)

I'm sure that many people have embedded the media mentioned above. So I decided I would try to find something different to embed. Recently I discovered Blabberize . I also decided that I would try it in combination with my Avatar assignment. The 'Welcome Message' at the beginning of my blog was created using Blabberize and Build Your Wild Self. (Sometimes it takes a while for Blabberize to load - I was having trouble replaying my creation - hope it works for you.)

Also, via the Techie Lab Teacher Blog Post I was introduced to this site and have decided I'd like to try this with my class as a way to get feedback on certain topics. So I thought before I use it with my students perhaps you could answer this question for me with Answer Garden : What is your favorite media type to embed in your blog?



What is your favorite media type to embed?... at AnswerGarden.ch.

Since posting this last night - I decided to try and find some different media...thinking about easy Web2.0 tools my students could use. I found this: Dvolver Moviemaker....its very simple and not real looking, but it's easy to use. I made this in about 3 minutes with some prompting.  (I have removed my Dvolver. I found that it would play as soon as the page was opened up.  There was no pause button or no way to stop it from playing.  I felt this conflicted with the embedded Blabber at the top).

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Digital Breakouts

Image
MedfieldDLD Promo A few weeks back I attended a conference in a neighboring district, #MedfieldDLD (Medfield Digital Learning Day!) It was a day filled with lots of great conversations & lots of learning.  Sessions I attended included: Hyperdocs; NEW Google Sites for Digital Portfolios; Homework: Shifting the Perspective and BreakoutEDU .  While I plan to incorporate ideas from all of these in my classroom somehow I was able to start immediately with the help of this  BreakoutEDU  slidedeck that Kerry Cowell presented. Kerry's Box BreakOuts are a game where "players use teamwork and critical thinking to solve a series of challenging puzzles in order to open a locked box." Literally, the box is locked with several different types of locks! (Number locks, key locks, word lock & direction locks)  Kerry's Breakout was related to the "Back to the Future" theme of the day and very challenging. As we worked through the clues, my team and I felt what it wo...
Read more

The Power of "I CAN"

Image
Over 30 years ago I was a student teacher in 1st grade.  It was frightening to me as I only pictured myself working with 4th grade students not being with 'little kids." I remember my cooperating teacher had me sit with a sign that said, "I CAN DO IT!"  As I recall, those first grade kids COULD do it and I did too!  Afterward I left that class and went on to become a grade 4 teacher.  I became good at figuring out what my fourth graders were and weren't capable of doing.  I often wonder if I held my students back believing they couldn't do something and not giving them the opportunity to try! Lately, as a Digital Learning Coach I have had the opportunity to spend time with kindergartners and 1st graders.  I forgot what it was like to be with 5 & 6 year olds. So, I am always pleasantly surprised and impressed by what they ARE able to 'do' when it comes learning.  Admittedly, I'm not familiar with the 'littles' and their abilities as I ...
Read more

Use of Thinking Blocks to Help Solve Math Problems

Image
More and more we are asking students to solve complex math problems.   Along the way we do a lot to help them become successful.  We incorporate the use of many tools during the math classroom. One of the tools we are using this year in the classroom is called, Thinking Blocks ".   This website (there is even a 'free' app for the thinking blocks) poses problems around different types of models.  As a warm up before the regular math lesson this week we practiced solving addition and subtraction word problems using the "part whole model with two parts" and the "part whole model with 3 parts". As a group we watch a quick 3 minute tutorial , practice several problems and then break off with a partner.  Using chrome books, students access the Thinking Blocks website and begin solving each new problem by first checking for understanding and then manipulating the blocks.  Working with a partner also gets the students used to 'talking' about mat...
Read more