This blog is dedicated to assisting teachers in integrating Information Communication Technology, or eLearning tools into their classrooms. Here you will find sample lessons, uses for eLearning tools, bookmarks to different tools, video tutorials and classroom management tips.
Today we start on the Level 2 training for the Google Educator Certification. Each course is fairly long, and very comprehensive, so I am uncertain as to how long this will take.
Finally, following on from our two sessions on Google Basics you might want to take the Basics Exam. Upon completion your certificate will be emailed to your account. Therefore, you might want to log into your personal account to take the exam.
Basically, if your subject involves the world, then there is probably a way that Google Earth can enhance your teaching, and the tour feature would be fantastic for multimodal presentations.
How to get started
Google Earth is a desktop application, which you will need to install on your computer. You will need to download it form this site.
Once you have installed the program you will need to know how to use it. The playlist below has six videos which introduce you to Google Earth.
Resources
Now, armed with your new understanding of Google Earth, it's time to look at applying it to your classroom. I think the best place to start is the Google Earth Section of the Science Education Resource Center website. Beyond that there are countless other websites and resources, below I have collated a sample of some of them, but if you really want to explore, just search for Google Earth Lessons.
Welcome to the second session of the Google Educator Certification training. For those who were not here last week, the plan is for these to be support sessions where we, a a group, work towards becoming Google Educators. The idea is for use to work through the training offered at the Google for Education site.
Initially we are working through the basics videos on six Google tools. Last week, we covered Docs and Drive, Search, and Sites.
Don't forget, that as we work through these tools, we're trying to keep a record of ideas for their classroom application using this document, and links to all websites we discus will be kept on theTuesday Arvo Sessions Diigo group. There is a permanent link to both of these resources in the blog sidebar.
This is the first session of the Google Educator Certification training. These sessions are designed so, as a group, we can support each other as we work to become Google Educators. We will be working through the training provided by Google on their Google for Education site.
The first couple of sessions will be used to familiarise ourselves with various Google tools, and to discuss their us in the classroom.
Auphonic could be a useful tool for both teachers and students in any scenario where a voice is being recorded. It would be very useful when students are doing voice over presentations, videos, screen-casts or radio/podcasts.
The mobile apps, make the use so easy, and can also be used to record in the field.
The best thing is that it is very effective. I started using this tool in response to improve the audio of the Edvertisement, with excellent results.
Getting Started
Web Version
To access Auphonic just go to their website, and sign up using your email. The video below will show you how to use Auphonic.
The Web version of Auphonic doesn't record the voice straight from the computer. Rather it processes an audio file that you upload. If you are not sure how to record audio on your computer, then check out the links below:
You can also get it for the iPhones and iPads and for Android devices. For the most part these tools have the same features as the web version, with two differences.
The first is a plus. The tool records for the user, so there is no need to use another app to record. Although, there is the ability to process audio recorded by other apps.
The second difference is a negative, in that you cannot access the download the processed file onto you device for the use with other apps. You will need to use a PC for that.
These tools help users collate their references whilst writing and researching. When users have finished their work, the tools will generate a bibliography for the end of the document. Both tools allow for different styles of referencing, including APA, and allow for different types of sources.
There is one notable difference. The Word tool requires users to enter the source details. With the Google Docs tool, the user enters the source and the tool searches the web for the details. At the time of writing, the Google Doc tool has no way to manually enter details, although the developers have promised it soon.
Getting started
Microsoft Word
Word comes with a built in referencing tool, all you have to do is start using it. The video bleow show you how to use the referencing tool in 2013.
Google Docs
To use the referencing tool in Google Docs you first need to install the add-on from EasyBib. The video below show you how to install and use the EasyBib tool.
Both teachers and students can benefit from the Hemingway App.
Teachers can use it to ensure that their texts are clear and easy to understand. The readability score indicates the minimum reading level needed to understand the text. This can help teachers write at the correct level.
Students can use the Hemingway App to check the style of their work. Highlighting the hard to read sentences assists students in getting their message across. Encouraging boldness and clarity will enhance any persuasive text.
The Hemingway App is one of the easiest eLearning Tools to use. Go to www.hemingwayapp.com, delete the place-holder text, and paste in your own. The app will analyse and highlight your text.
Hovering over the highlights provides suggested remedies for passive voice, and complicated phrases.
The panel on the right provides a readability score, some simple analysis. There you will also find controls to turn different highlights on and off.
Tricider's three of features suggest different classroom activities.
The ideas posting allows for easy brain storming. Not only can students quickly add ideas, but there is ample space to write a detailed explanation of their ideas. Ideas can also contain pictures and URL links.
The pros and cons section allows students to argue the idea's merits. The students are required to designate their statement as a pro or a con, which eliminates fence sitting. Students can put forward a number of arguments.
Finally the voting section allows students to put their support behind an idea. The more popular ideas will move to the front.
In addition, Tricider allows you to ask multiple questions within one Tricision (yes, that's what they are called). Here is an example of a Tricision using multiple questions.
If you want to see a lesson which uses this tool, then check out this post.
Getting Started
To get started, go to the Tricider website. You can create an account using your Goolge login. You don't have to create an account, although having an account makes it easier to manage your different Tricisions.
The video below gives you a simple overview of how Tricider works.
It is around this time every term where you can see teachers disappear under piles of drafts. Over the years I have developed an approach which reduces the amount of time I spend of drafts.
The process aids students in correcting their own grammatical errors. This allows me to focus on the content of the documents. There are many ICT tools which can support this process, and I've included them below.
The Drafting Process
Step 1 - Spell and Grammar and style check
The student must spell and grammar check the document. If I get a document with red or blue lines under the words, I give it straight back to the. Students are also encouraged to use readability tools to check the style of their writing.
Step 2 - Text to Speech Recital
Using a text to speech tool (depends on the type of document), the student must listen to their entire document read back to them. In doing this they will hear what they have actually written, not what they think they have written.
Step 3 - Peer Review
They have to share their document with another student, who reads it and leaves comment. These comments are evidence that their peer has read the document.
Step 4 - Submit for draft check
After completing the three prior steps, the student can now submit their draft for checking.
The ICT Tools
There are many ICT tools which can support this process. Which tools you use will depend upon how the student created the document.
Below is the presentation that I show my students when I explain my draft process. I have slides for both Word and Google Docs. Feel free to copy this presentation and adjust it for your needs.
With PowerPoint you can record within the program. The video below shows you how.
Prezi
Prezi is a little more complicated. First you need to record the audio and get it onto your computer.
Here's a couple of ways you can do this:
Most phones come with a simple audio recording app, or you can add one. You can then email the recording from you phone to your computer.
All Windows computers have a sound recorded installed (just type "sound recorder" into the search box). You need to make sure that you have a microphone (most laptops have them built in).
The video below will show you how to add the voice over.
There are so many classroom applications for Diigo, mostly because it has so many features and these features can be used to create a myriad of classroom experiences.
Bookmarking
The core feature of Diigo is it's ability to bookmark websites and centralise these in the cloud. This means that your bookmarks are available from any device with Internet access. Put simply, Diigo is the best way to gather and organise your online resources. All the sites you have bookmarked are added to your Diigo Account, along with a description and any tags you add. The description and tags are used for searching in your account.
Diigo goes beyond merely bookmarking a site. Diigo, also enables you to highlight web pages, and comment on them. These highlights and comments are also collated into you account where you can view them. This way you can view all the notes you have collected from each website.
Groups
Groups are a powerful organising and collaboration tool. Groups can be private or public to allow for many users to collaboratively build a library of online resources. There are different levels of collaboration, allowing you to decide the level of participation for different group members.
Lists
Lists are Diigo's tool for displaying your bookmarks. You can send bookmarks to a list that you can then share to different platforms. Lists are only only for display purposes, but are a simple way to embed an up-datable sources of bookmarks.
Educators Account
Diigo also offers a free educator account. This account gives you access to a teacher console where you can create accounts for your students and allocated them to groups.
Mobile Apps
Finally Diigo has apps for both Android and iOS. This means that you, or students can use Diigo's features on your phones or tablets.
Getting Started
To get started with Diigo, go to the website an create an account. You can use Google, Facebook, Twitter or Yahoo accounts, or create an account using your email address. Once you have created your account, then it is time to start bookmarking.
The easiest way to bookmark in Diigo is to install either Diigolet, or the Diigo Extension in your browser. The tools can be found here. There is a tool available for every browser.
Feedly's ability to bring timely information to the user, and allowing them to save it, open a host of possible uses.
The most obvious use is professional development. With a range of news feeds it is easy to stay up-to-date, and with the capacity to add blogs from fellow educators, you can continue to develop your pedagogy.
In the classroom, Feedly can provide the latest information in your subject area. It can be a source of articles for your students to analyse. Encourage students to create their feeds.
Finding sources
Feedly already has connections to many great sources. Just click on add content.
If you're looking for education sources, TeachThough (itself a blog), has a list of 31 top education blogs. Check it out here.
If you are on a site with this symbol. It means that you can subscribe to updates from it. Just click on the symbol and copy the URL into Feedly's search and you should be able to add that feed.
Getting started
To start, go to http://feedly.com and sign in using your Google account.
You will want to find some sources, so subscribe to some things that might interest you. A word of warning from my personal experience, don't go overboard. Your feed should now populate.
Feedly has both Android, and iOS apps. There are also many other apps which can display your Feedly feeds, on a number of devices. The full list can be found here.
Finally, the video below will give you more of a detailed introduction.
Flash Cards are a tried and tested method to help remember things. Students have probably been using these since the days of papaya, so it is not surprise that there are digital options.
Cram is a simple site which allows the user to make flash cards. That is all it does, and it does it well.
The interface is nice, clean and easy to use. The cards can allow for inclusion of images, and the user can create three sided cards (the third side is for hints).
In addition to creating your own flash cards, there is a whole collection of card sets created and shared by other users.
The cards can be viewed on the web, or via iOS and Android apps. If you really want to be old school, you can print the cards out as well.
You can log in using Google, Facebook or Twitter accounts, or you can create you own account with email.
Video Ant's annotation can be used a number of ways in class. The teacher can identify important points in a video, or students can analyse a video an mark important findings.
The collaboration feature works on two levels. Firstly, it enables students to work together annotating the same video. In addition, it allows people to comment on others' annotations.
Video Ant works with Youtube, HTML 5 and Flash videos, which covers most videos found on the web.
Below is an example of a Video Ant which is analysing emotive language in a news report.
ThingLink has many uses in class. I have already written about it's use as an interactive infographic tool. If you, or your students analyse images in anyway, then ThingLink can be used. Below is a ThingLink where I have analysed a graphic design using the CARP principles.
This was the final lesson preparing students to write an article on their chosen hero. The students had been researching their chosen hero, and were aware that they would be role playing as their hero during the lesson.
Prior to the lesson, I had created four chat rooms. using Neat Chat!. Neat Chat is a simple website where you can make temporary Chat-rooms. Each chat-room was to be a virtual 'dinner-table' where the heroes would converse.
I used tab.bz in Chrome to packed these rooms and email them to the students (although you could use any LMS, or site, or blog for this). I had also prepared questions to ask my dinner guests.
The students entered, were allocated a chat-room, and then the conversations started. I've included some extract from the conversations below.
Initially the guests explained why they have been invited to the heroes dinner.
On Australian Indigenous health
On removing national parks protection
On raising children
Follow Up
The following lesson the students were writing about their hero's life. Hopeful, with a deeper insight into who they were.
For my colleagues, the College has a Google domain. If you're not sure of your account details, then speak to IT services.
For everyone else, or if you want a private account, Google accounts are free. Just go to Google and in the top right-hand corner is where you will find your Google account details, and / or sign-up.
Google accounts can also be used to access many more Google services and many third-party services.
Using Google Drive in class
I will be posting about the use of Google drive throughout this year, but if you want some ideas now, I would suggest checking out some of the thinks below:
