Homeroom Reform Essays Blog Jog

Homeroom Reform Essays

Last week, my students wrote essays to submit to KNSD’s Homeroom Reform Essay Contest. The main prompt asked the students to explain what they would do to improve their education with a $5,000 grant. Instead answering the prompt following a full writing process, the students collaboratively wrote and revised with partners and minimal adult interventions. Reading over their completed papers, I find it rather interesting that many of their requests ask for support of their basic needs instead of developing innovative reforms.

If you have time, please comment on at least one of the blog posts. I also welcome comments to this post.

"Yo, Teach!"

I'm looking for a few words to describe the role of teachers in the future.  Ideas?

Help Students Embed Link Rolls of Classmates’ Blogs

I want all of my students to keep links to all of their classmates’ blogs on their blog. But, it’s been a challenge; manually adding thirty students to a link list sidebar is very time consuming, and it’s annoying to have everyone stop to add new students’ URLs to their lists. Well, I finally fixed the problem today.

In Delicious, I created an embed code for each class. I distributed the embed code to my students. Then, each student created a new page on their blog and entered the code. Now, whenever I add a new student’s blog to my Delicious account, it will automatically appear in each student’s list.

How To:

1. Create a class list in Delicious. (I use my students’ graduation year to tag each group of kids. For example, my freshmen are tagged “2014” and my sophomores are tagged “2013.”)

2. In Delicious, create a link roll: Delicious>Settings>Link Rolls.

3. On the Link Rolls page, title the list, add the desired tag, and adjust other options.

4. From the top of the page, copy the embed code.

5. Using email or an embedded text section from Google Docs, distribute the embed code to students.

6. In Blogger, have students create a new page and paste the code into the page.

Virtual Reality: SketchUp, PhotoSynth, Google Earth, & Google Lit Trips

When I was little, I loved watching movies with special effects that took me into worlds I could never really visit, such as a man’s blood vessel in Innerspace or a bowl of Cheerios in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.  Now, I can explore infinite locations through virtual reality while just playing around on my laptop. 

In a classroom, virtual reality enables students to virtually visit and explore locations from the past, present, and future; examine all parts of large and small items; understand processes; and participate in imaginary worlds.  Though it may seem simple to just explore Quick Time’s virtual reality cubes, there are many more virtual reality resources available outside of “the cube.”  By using free virtual reality resources and tools in classrooms, the challenge of economic access are decreased.   Additionally, students are able to create, share, and view projects using common technology tools, free downloads, and user-friendly interfaces.        

Free Virtual Reality Web 2.0 Tools
Tool	Description	Links	English Classroom Use
SketchUp by Google	A 3D modeling program which allows users to easily create and share models.	Download: http://sketchup.google.com ·         Educator Resource: http://sitescontent.google.com/google-sketchup-for-educators/	Construct a model of a setting to express a particular mood.
PhotoSynth by Microsoft	A photo program which allows users to create 3D models and modelpoint clouds from digital photographs.	Download: http://photosynth.net/create.aspx Educator Resource: http://www.microsoft.com/education/products/student/photosynth/default.aspx#overview	Write a detailed description of a location, person, animal, or item.
Google Earth by Google	A 3D globe which allows users to zoom in to specific locations and create customized trips.	Download: http://www.google.com/earth/ Educator Resource: http://sitescontent.google.com/google-earth-for-educators/	Take a “lit trip” to visit real places locations referenced in literature.

In my classroom, I have used virtual reality in Google Earth to create Google Lit Trips.  I learned to create these trips through a training facilitated by Google Certified Teacher Jerome Burg a few years ago.  While creating a Google Lit Trip, the teacher identifies a series of locations relevant to a piece of literature, such as cities a character traveled through.  Then, the teacher adds relevant details to each location: descriptions, photos, videos, and links.  After saving the Lit Trip, the teacher can take students on a virtual exploratory journey which flies through a predetermined path in Google Earth.  Constructing the trips is time-consuming, but a collection of teacher-made trips is available at Jerome Burg’s Google Lit Trips website (http://www.googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit). 

Use JogtheWeb to Jog Through Student Blogs

SPA Theme Songs Jog

I just figured out an easy way to distribute a set of my students' blog posts!  In JogtheWeb I created a "jog," or web tour, by labeling and pasting URLs into a list. Now, a viewer can flip through my students blogs by just opening one page.  I distributed the web tour by emailing a link to the "jog" to campus adults, many of whom are novice technology users.

Google Docs Templates

I use Google Docs templates to distribute customizable copies of documents to my students and share with coworkers.  I discovered this feature while trying to figure out how to create online vocabulary cards to correspond with a year-round, district-wide vocabulary program.  Now, all of my freshmen keep their vocabulary cards on their blogs instead of clinging to a metal ring in their backpacks.  My JCCS Academic Vocabulary Card template is available at: http://bit.ly/jccsvocabslides.  

	How to Use a Google Docs Presentation Template with Students
	Step	Tips
1.	Teacher builds blank template Google Docs.	·         Add a place for the student to insert his/her name. ·         Add instructions of how to duplicate additional blank slides.
2.	Teacher publishes template to Google Docs Template Gallery.	·         Place template in Students and Teachers category. ·         Write a purpose and/or instructions in the description. ·         Use identifying words in the title and description.
3.	Teacher shares link to template with students.	·         Post a link on the classroom blog or wiki. ·         Use a URL shortener, such as http://bit.ly/.
4.	Student downloads and customizes the template.	·         Remind students to rename the document with an appropriate title.
5.	Student adds content during lessons.	·         Teach students to add images, use spell check, and adjust font sizes.
6.	Student publishes personalized presentation with embed code.	·         If the presentation will be added to over time, place it in stagnant location on his/her blog or website.

How to Integrate a Wiki into a Training - Just an Idea

I created this for an assignment, but I figure it could be useful to someone considering incorporate a wiki into a training.  If I ever get a chance to facilitate a training, I'll try it out myself. :) 

How to Integrate a Wiki into a Training

Before:
1.    Use a wiki with the staff planning the training.  After briefly helping the team to understand the concept of a wiki, help each person create an account.  Then, plan the agenda for the training on a wiki.

During:
2.    On an overhead projector, share the agenda page of the wiki with the attendees.  Provide the web address of the wiki to all attendees and encourage them to access it through laptops and smartphones throughout the training. 
3.    As content is being presented and discussed, have at least two members of the training team record notes on the wiki.  By viewing this on the screen, the participants will be able to observe the editing process.
4.    Later in the training, distribute laptops.  Quickly teach participants to create a wiki account and join the training wiki as editors; use training team as roaming tutors.
5.    Break the participants into small groups.  Assign each group to collaboratively edit a pre-scaffolded wiki page focused on a topic relevant to the training, such as plans, ideas, goals, resources, etc. 
6.    When all pages are complete, allow all participants to explore and contribute to the entire wiki.
7.    Encourage participants to continue using the wiki after the training.

After
8.    In a week, send an email to all participants encouraging them to visit and edit the wiki.
9.    At later trainings, provide time to edit old content and repeat the same collaborative contribution routine as new ideas are discussed.

Students:  How could you use a wiki for a club or team meeting?

Adults: Have you ever used a wiki with a training?  Do participants really use it outside of the meeting?