Here is the link to a presentation I created in Prezi: http://prezi.com/josmbvzkf-7r/speech-outlines/. The Prezi is about how to correctly format/outline a speech.
I've never used this program before and found it to be an interesting addition to the presentation software that I currently use. As the kind of person who prefers to just jump right in and get hands-on with a program, I didn't watch any of the basic lesson videos. However, I did follow the step-by-step written instructions to create my Prezi.
I found the program fairly easy to use. One issue I had, however, was figuring out how to change the size of the font. The dial tool - even after working with the program and completing the presentation - seemed difficult.
I could see myself using this with a class; I think the students would have fun with it. However (and this could be because I haven't fully explored the site or looked at other presentations), I feel that most of the presentations I or my students create are better suited to a PowerPoint. Even the Prezi I created was still organized in a linear fashion. So, all in all, I'll probably stick with PowerPoint.
Note: As of this point, I can't find any other Prezi projects from 17 Things participants, but I'll keep checking throughout the year.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Master Class Project 1 (Weebly)
For this project, all of my Creative Writing students created Weebly websites. Here is the link to the unit plan (which also includes links to some of the students' sites).
http://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1Sc1IMHi9xG9rmBJSWpD3s6LENPhvG2dbmmFD5KNCvF4&hl=en&authkey=COvRltAC
http://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1Sc1IMHi9xG9rmBJSWpD3s6LENPhvG2dbmmFD5KNCvF4&hl=en&authkey=COvRltAC
Master Class: Thing 1 (Email publishing)
First, here is the link to my Tumblr account: wilmot17things.tumblr.com.
When I first began working with this site, I didn't quite grasp the concept. I was just using the computer to post text, links, and photos. The experience left me underwhelmed. After exploring a bit more, however, I realized that I could email my post and even call in and record my post. The site suddenly became much more interesting and useful; in particular, I am amazed at how quickly the website updates posts.
I love traditional blogging and find it easy to do, so I'll probably stick with using blogspot when I want to write entries. However, if someone has a smart phone and/or doesn't have immediate access to a computer, this is an alternate option for posting. Personally, I could see myself frequently using the telephone feature for posting. Not many blogging sites have this ability, so this is a unique feature.
I could see myself using email blogging for speech assignments. I particularly like the idea of having students call in and leave their speeches on a blog. This would give them some practice, and it would record the speech if I wanted to go back and hear a version when grading.
I also like the idea of keeping this blog for classroom assignments. I could use the voice feature to explain difficult parts of an assignment in more detail, and I also could call in and provide some type of homework hotline.
When I first began working with this site, I didn't quite grasp the concept. I was just using the computer to post text, links, and photos. The experience left me underwhelmed. After exploring a bit more, however, I realized that I could email my post and even call in and record my post. The site suddenly became much more interesting and useful; in particular, I am amazed at how quickly the website updates posts.
I love traditional blogging and find it easy to do, so I'll probably stick with using blogspot when I want to write entries. However, if someone has a smart phone and/or doesn't have immediate access to a computer, this is an alternate option for posting. Personally, I could see myself frequently using the telephone feature for posting. Not many blogging sites have this ability, so this is a unique feature.
I could see myself using email blogging for speech assignments. I particularly like the idea of having students call in and leave their speeches on a blog. This would give them some practice, and it would record the speech if I wanted to go back and hear a version when grading.
I also like the idea of keeping this blog for classroom assignments. I could use the voice feature to explain difficult parts of an assignment in more detail, and I also could call in and provide some type of homework hotline.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Final Post
This experience has been one of the most positive things that has happened this year. I was introduced to multiple tools that I had never heard of, as well as ones that I had always wanted to explore.
These tools have affected my personal and professional life. For example, I use Google Reader every morning, I check Twitter every afternoon, and instead of writing down lists of websites that I want to check "someday," I've saved the URLs in my Delicious account. I also used Weebly to complete my Alternate Evaluation Project: I designed a website about how/where students can publish their creative writing.
The tools also have changed my teaching. In my Creative Writing classes, students used Weebly to design personal websites for their writing, and they then shared these with the class. This was a quick and easy way to make their writing feel more authentic and be more accessible. In my Journalism class, the students created their own Google Reader accounts. These accounts enable them to remain updated on current news events. I also plan to use Animoto in my classes, where students will create videos that reflect the content we have studied.
After completing the 17 Things program, I am inspired to find new ways to reach out to my students, and I am also interested in exploring some of the tools in the future (for example, I'd like to use Flickr to publish personalized photo albums, and I'd like to upload family interviews to Animoto). I feel more confident in using new technology, and I feel like I have a better grasp on what is available in such a vast pool of information.
I have recommended this program to all of my colleagues, and I would love to complete this program again, with new tools or the same ones (I feel like there is still much to explore). I appreciate all of the hard work that Alicia and my colleagues did as we completed this project. I learned so much. Thank you for the experience!
Finally, here are some of my words to describe this program: Cutting-edge; Stimulating; Inspiring; and Innovative.
These tools have affected my personal and professional life. For example, I use Google Reader every morning, I check Twitter every afternoon, and instead of writing down lists of websites that I want to check "someday," I've saved the URLs in my Delicious account. I also used Weebly to complete my Alternate Evaluation Project: I designed a website about how/where students can publish their creative writing.
The tools also have changed my teaching. In my Creative Writing classes, students used Weebly to design personal websites for their writing, and they then shared these with the class. This was a quick and easy way to make their writing feel more authentic and be more accessible. In my Journalism class, the students created their own Google Reader accounts. These accounts enable them to remain updated on current news events. I also plan to use Animoto in my classes, where students will create videos that reflect the content we have studied.
After completing the 17 Things program, I am inspired to find new ways to reach out to my students, and I am also interested in exploring some of the tools in the future (for example, I'd like to use Flickr to publish personalized photo albums, and I'd like to upload family interviews to Animoto). I feel more confident in using new technology, and I feel like I have a better grasp on what is available in such a vast pool of information.
I have recommended this program to all of my colleagues, and I would love to complete this program again, with new tools or the same ones (I feel like there is still much to explore). I appreciate all of the hard work that Alicia and my colleagues did as we completed this project. I learned so much. Thank you for the experience!
Finally, here are some of my words to describe this program: Cutting-edge; Stimulating; Inspiring; and Innovative.
Thing 17
I explored four different web 2.0 tools:
1. Evernote: This application allows you to take notes and download them to multiple browsers, platforms, etc. for universal access.
2. Present.ly: This is a micro-blog (similar to Twitter) that has been designed for businesses. It has more advanced features, such as the ability to attach files.
3. Pidgin: This feature allows you to communicate with anyone through IM, regardless of which service provider someone has.
And finally, I looked at Farecast in more depth. This is a travel website that predicts the best time to buy airline tickets. I chose this tool because I enjoy traveling and feel that I would go on even more adventures if I could find the perfect ticket price.
The site is set up through Bing, and it can be found at www.bing.com/travel. The interface is easy to use, as it is set up like most airfare websites (such as Travelocity and Orbitz). No log-in is required; I simply put in my departure/arrival dates and cities.
The results are easy to read. The site has simple graphics (arrows and colors) that indicate if a fare might go up or go down. The site also includes a confidence level about those predictions.
Other positive aspects about this site include the ability to simultaneously search multiple travel sites. For example, which I searched through Bing, another window popped up that searched the same airfares through Hotwire. The tool is also useful because it includes hotel and car prices (although these do not include the price prediction tool).
My one critique of the site is that it has multiple cities for which it can not/will not predict fares. While these are easily marked (the cities available for fare prediction are in bold), many international cities are excluded. Because these are often the most expensive tickets, I feel that this is a major issue for the application.
In the end, however, I have found another useful web 2.0 tool, especially for domestic flights.
1. Evernote: This application allows you to take notes and download them to multiple browsers, platforms, etc. for universal access.
2. Present.ly: This is a micro-blog (similar to Twitter) that has been designed for businesses. It has more advanced features, such as the ability to attach files.
3. Pidgin: This feature allows you to communicate with anyone through IM, regardless of which service provider someone has.
And finally, I looked at Farecast in more depth. This is a travel website that predicts the best time to buy airline tickets. I chose this tool because I enjoy traveling and feel that I would go on even more adventures if I could find the perfect ticket price.
The site is set up through Bing, and it can be found at www.bing.com/travel. The interface is easy to use, as it is set up like most airfare websites (such as Travelocity and Orbitz). No log-in is required; I simply put in my departure/arrival dates and cities.
The results are easy to read. The site has simple graphics (arrows and colors) that indicate if a fare might go up or go down. The site also includes a confidence level about those predictions.
Other positive aspects about this site include the ability to simultaneously search multiple travel sites. For example, which I searched through Bing, another window popped up that searched the same airfares through Hotwire. The tool is also useful because it includes hotel and car prices (although these do not include the price prediction tool).
My one critique of the site is that it has multiple cities for which it can not/will not predict fares. While these are easily marked (the cities available for fare prediction are in bold), many international cities are excluded. Because these are often the most expensive tickets, I feel that this is a major issue for the application.
In the end, however, I have found another useful web 2.0 tool, especially for domestic flights.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Thing 16
I did a screencast explaining Google Reader. Here is the link:
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stUEpUQUZLRFtZSFtcWV1aVlZU/b_wilmot_google_reader
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stUEpUQUZLRFtZSFtcWV1aVlZU/b_wilmot_google_reader
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Thing 15
Voicethread is an amazing tool. I continue to be inspired by the technology that is available. While I had a lot of fun working with the program, I don't think I will use it too often in my classroom (yet). Because I see my students every day, I feel like we can have these discussions in the classroom. I would be interested, though, in partnering with some other school(s) to do a project using Voicethread. I could see this being a fun way for my Debate students to argue with a wide variety of other students about important topics.
As a side note, I have taken numerous online courses. This tool would be so beneficial, especially with the annotation and hypertext features.
As a side note, I have taken numerous online courses. This tool would be so beneficial, especially with the annotation and hypertext features.
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