Podcast pt. 6: Skype & Google Earth

Hey everyone! Sorry we're a day late again; state testing is so draining! This is our final "episode" to our Podcast blog "series". This week we are talking about Skype and Google Earth.

What Steph has to say:
So my last topic for our Podcast series is Skype. I really like the idea of using Skype in the classroom to connect students with others outside our class. You could take pen pals to the next level with Skype by having your students "meet" and talk to their pal on Skype. Collaborative projects with other students/classes/schools would be a great opportunity as well. I also like the idea of using it to interview people. For instance, maybe you've done a huge author study and love the idea of being able to have your students meet the author. Well let's face it, authors travel and work all over the place...so see if the author would be willing to set up a Skype meeting with the class! Like I also said, this could be a great tool to communicate with families outside of school. Have a student who can't come to school, but the family wants to help the student stay caught up on work. If you were to use Skype, you could talk with the student and help them if they needed instruction in order to complete it at home. These are just some of the ways I can think of to use Skype in the classroom. Have you ever used Skype in your class? What other ways can it be used?


What Manda has to say:

My last topic for our Podcast series is Google Earth. I have loved using Google Earth in the classroom. I have used it several times to take my students on a virtual field trip. When teaching a pre-k class about their city, I tagged several important places in our town. We then "visited" and discussed the different things in our town. I also used it to show them the difference in their town, state, and country. I have also used it to show students places that we are discussing in history. I like being able to give the students a visual of things that we would never be able to show them otherwise. It is so cool to be able to let students "visit" so many places we would never be able to actually take them to. Have you used Google Earth in class? If so What have you done with it? 

FYI: On our Facebook page, we are about 7 likes from doing our 3 giveaways! If you haven't 'liked' our page yet be sure to and feel free to share with friends and colleagues!

~Steph & Manda

Podcast pt.5 Glogster

Hey everyone it is time for Tech Wiz Wednesday and that means it is also time for Part 5 of our Podcast series. This week we are both going to talk about Glogster.

What Steph has to say:

I talked about Glogster in my podcast…if you haven’t ever used it you should really check it out! I LOVE it! I mentioned that I would use it as a different medium for my students to present work. I also love the idea of using for a information source for my students or as a WebQuest, an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. Here’s a look at a couple of Glogs that I created for some of my college classes (some of the links/info may be broken or outdated).

Social Studies: Juan Ponce de Leon

This was more designed with teachers in mind. It was a resource of a variety of information on the topic.

Science: Sound

This was a WebQuest for 4^th grade students. Includes: essential question, vocabulary, discussion/notes (powerpoint), video, and short review quiz

What Manda has to say:
In my podcast I focused on how Glogster could be used as a virtual science fair. It is hard for some students to be able to make a science fair project and even harder for teachers to plan a science fair. With Glogster your students can research a topic and make a Glogster with their research. They can have links to informative websites, pictures, or even videos. Then the students could present their Glogsters for a virtual Science Fair. It is a great way for students to explore science topics as well as work with technology.
Have you ever used Glogster in your classroom? Would you use Glogster for a virtual science fair? What types of things have you used Glogster for?

Here is a Glogster page that I did for a college course that would be an example of a virtual science project.  Light Project

It could also be used for a Social Studies project. Give each of your students an important person to research and have them create a glogster about them. Here is a Glogster I made about Elizabeth Stanton.

~Manda

Podcasts pt.4: Blogs & Wiki

What Steph has to say:
I love blogs! I have always enjoyed posting to and reading blogs, even the old Myspace and Live Journal kind when I was younger in school. Blogs in the classroom sound like an amazing opportunity to have your students write (about anything, whether it's a teacher given topic or individually chosen topic). It gives those students who "hate" writing but LOVE being on the computer a new medium to write on.

Yes, blogs are more informal and should not be your only medium for writing in the classroom, but it opens so many doors. Students could comment on classmate's blog posts and so can the teacher. Depending on the nature of the post it could be discussions with thoughts and feelings about the post or it could be constructive criticism for a piece that is to be published in another medium.

I love having this blog. I hope to someday have my students write blogs, like writing journals. I would also like to have a blog "writing journal" with my students. I even love the idea of having a blog to share things we do in our classroom and communicate with the students' family at home.

What Manda has to say:
In my podcast I discussed Wiki Spaces and the ways they could be used in a classroom. As a teacher I would love to have a space for students and their parents to access info about my class from home. I would love to have that available for parents to stay involved in what their kids are doing. I would use it to communicate with parents as well as post reminders of upcoming school events. I would also love for my students to make their own wiki and use it for assignments and communication with classmates. I think it is important to give students the chances to work with technology since it is such a huge part of our world.

Do you use wikispaces in your classroom? Do you use a website or blog to communicate with parents?


~Steph & Manda

Podcast pt.3: Digital/Video Cameras & Computers

Here's our Thursday edition of Tech Wiz Wednesday. Sorry it's a day late, life caught up with us. Trying to transition back into routine has proved to make for a tough routine! 

Our Tech Wiz Wednesday this week is part 3 of our Podcast series. This week we're going to focus digital and video cameras and computers. If you missed the first week's post head on over to read about (and hear) our Podcasts.

What Steph has to say...
Cameras have so many great uses in the classroom. Students can use digital cameras to collect data, evidence, and material for research projects. Teachers can use digital cameras to document student progress. Of course it's always fun to have lots of pictures of your kiddos too! Video cameras are great for filming skits, commercials, and other presentations. This is another great medium for student presentations.

What Manda has to say...
On my podcast I start off by talking about Computers and their importance in a classroom. As teachers we all know how beneficial computers can be. They are a great way to get students exploring their own questions and I want students to be able to tell their classmates about what they find. It is important to have computers for students in a classroom. Computers have become such a part of everyday life I think it is important for students to have access to them at school. Teachers can use computers in so many ways. Whether students are researching, typing, or even taking assessments the computers are a great technology to have in a classroom. What is your favorite things to use computers for in your classroom?

Thanks for bearing with us!

 ~Steph & Manda 

Podcasts pt.2: Tablets, iPads, and Smartphones

It's Wednesday!! We're super excited it's already Wednesday because tomorrow we leave for Pensacola, FL to see our beautiful niece Cadence (Cady-bug) who was born March 5th!

Meet Cady-bug!

Steph also started her long term subbing today!! It's a very exciting week around here! 

On to what you came for...Our Tech Wiz Wednesday this week is part 2 of our Podcast series. This week we're going to focus on tablets, iPads, and smartphones (in the classroom, of course). If you missed last week's post head on over to read about (and hear) our Podcasts.

What Steph has to say...

As I mentioned in my podcast, I feel like we could turn the whole ban against cell phones around and use them to our advantage. We used Poll Everywhere in college classes, and I think it could be very useful and engaging for students. Poll Everywhere doesn't need a smartphone just a plain cell phone with text capability. When it comes to smartphones, there are so many free apps out there for all platforms.

But like I said not all your students will have cell phones/smartphones. So for portable connectivity tablets are great!

Now of course while having a 1:1 ratio of tablets to students would be a dream come true it's just not likely. The school where I'm subbing has purchased iPads for the classrooms. In the younger grades there's one per class (for the teacher mostly) and in the older grades there's 4-5 per class. Another dream would be to have 3G/4G connectivity (with the 1:1 ratio), so that like some school districts who pass out laptops like text books, schools could pass out tablets/iPads and students could have connectivity everywhere they go. This would mean all students would have access to the internet at home! An expensive dream...

Our school district is actually allowing students to bring technology devices from home (with a contract signed by teacher, parent, and student). Having any access to tablets/iPads is great in the classroom for so many reasons though. There are so many free apps you can use. These devices open so many doors in the classroom!

What Manda has to say...

In my podcast I talked about iPads and how useful they could be in a Science class. I also want to discuss how they can be used in any content area. iPads are a great classroom tool for students at any age. The greatest thing is their portability. Students can use them at their desk, in the floor, or even outside the classroom. If you were able to have one for each student you would not be confined to a classroom. I also discussed how great it would be to have a classroom blog. This would be great to have discussions with other people. A classroom blog could help with your students working together or it could allow them to work with people that are far away. I think that these would be an excellent technology advancement in any classroom. 

~Steph & Manda

Podcasts

For our first edition of Tech Wiz Wednesday, we've decided to share something we created in one of our classes our last summer in college. For our online technology class we were assigned to create a "TechCast". It just had to be a podcast (audio), but we both decided to add video to ours. The assignment asked us to discuss 5 top technology resources we could use in our future classrooms. Not only did we enjoy researching the technology to talk about, but we really enjoyed making the podcasts in general. We both could see using podcasts in our classroom as well! Think about those students who just can't stand having to get up there and present in front of the class...let them record a podcast! Or you could stick with the true meaning from which podcast was derived and have "episodes" for different subjects/assignments.

This week we're going to share just our podcasts. Over the next 5 weeks we're going to discuss each of our technology tools a little more.

Here's Steph's TechCast:

Here's Manda's TechCast:

 

 Did you enjoy our podcasts? Could you see using podcasts in your class, either by you or your students? Would you like to know how to make a podcast (with and without video)?

~Steph & Manda