Get a Voki now!


Check out our classes Vokis! Can you guess who is who? Check them out on our website. We created them at voki.com. How could you use Vokis with your students? Do you want to make a Voki?

Ms. Taylor's Classroom Website

cross-posted on the Global Learners Blog

My classroom website is now active on the web! Please check it out and let me know what you think. My goal in creating this website for my classroom was to have it serve as a tool for communication and collaboration. I also see it being a space to share our classroom's educational experiences with the world, and a place for my students to access learning resources and activities. The website features:

• pages for each academic area with related website links
• links to google calendars for Alsup IB school, each academic area, and homework
• a clustr map to track visitors
• a page where Global Learner lesson plans will be posted
• photo gallery that utilizes embedded Picasa slide shows
• and more!

I used ideas from Jeff's website and many great links that Andrew has posted on Central's website. Thank you both! And thanks to Dave for helping me edit Html on my site to allow me to embed the clustr map and Picasa slide show!

Any ideas on how I could improve the site?

21st Century Learning Tools

I am a second language learner. I am not studying a spoken language of the world, but the fascinating world of technology. This summer I have been becoming familiar with new vocabulary words and concepts. Web 3.o, voki, technorati, wikis, blogs, clustrmaps, and more! What is more, I have been joining in and participating in this technologically minded world. Three months ago I didn't know what a wiki or blog was and now I have both! My classroom website will be up and running within the month! Then the journey with my students will begin! I am excited to start the next school year with so many new 21st century learning tools at my disposal. What will happen? Will my teaching improve? Will student participation, motivation and achievement improve? I think so... What do you think?

Website Development

I am currently creating a website for my classroom. This has been both a challenging and delightful experience. It has also been very useful, acting as a tool to help me share my vision of teaching with a potentially global audience. I plan to use my website for many purposes: a source of information for students and parents, a place to share students work, a place to post lesson plans I create so that they can be utilized by other educators, a place to post links to other online educational resources, and a way to communicate with people connected to our classroom community. Developing this website has started first with a framework which details are being added to. I am excited about what will happen in the near future when my website is launched and hopefully useful!

More Digital Stories!

Here are the two last films from Summer Learning Camp's youngest filmmakers at Alsup IB World School. The first is about family. The second is about the playground. Our last film is our best one yet! Check them out! What do you think?

Our Families!

The Playground!

Thoughts about younger students and digital storytelling

During Summer Learning Camp here at Alsup IB World School I have been pushed to work outside my comfort zone, teaching Kindergarten through fifth graders. I am used to teaching third and fourth graders. When I was designing my lessons for the three weeks of filmmaking workshop I struggled with what I should do in order to make films with the youngest students. I knew the second-fifth graders who had more advanced reading and writing skills would be more prepared to tell their stories digitally. But how could I make digital storytelling engaging for the youngest students? Would they enjoy the process or be bored? How much could they do on their own, and what would I have to help them with?

The Kindergarten/first grade group has made two films so far and has started a third. Each film has been posted to youtube.com. Their second film was about animals. For each part of the digital storytelling process I have guided the group in an interactive way using the Smartboard. Each student selected pictures that we downloaded from Microsoft Office Clipart online. After importing the photos into Photo Story 3 for Windows the students each edited their two photos, typed the names of the animals on them, and recorded their voice on their photos. We selected music as a group, built our story and then watched it on "the big screen." I have been happy with how this group has been able to focus on the digital storytelling process when guided through each part, one step at a time. Another thing that has helped is only working on our film for a short ammount of time each day before doing other activities. The students have a lot of fun making films together and then watching them! Any ideas how to improve this process of digital storytelling with younger students?

Using a Smartboard for Group Filmmaking

I have found that using a Smartboard is a wonderful way to teach elementary aged students digital story telling. I've been working with students in Kindergarten through sixth grade, teaching them how to take digital photos and tell a story using them. We are using Photo Story 3 for Windows, a software program that allows you to make films with digital photos. Using the Smartboard, all students are allowed to be an integral part of the process. They can see and learn how to use the features of the program while participating in making a group film. You can watch one of their films here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3FGoDj_hqw I see using the Smartboard is a way for my students to interact more while they are learning something new. Keeping them actively engaged helps them enjoy the learning process and stay focused on what they are learning. Have you tried using a Smartboard to engage your students? How have you used it?