10-Rep Learning ~ Teague's Tech Treks

Learning Technology & Tech Observations by Dr. Helen Teague

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Digital Nation–Appointment Watching

A truly insightful program you can watch online–> Digital Nation

 

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Please Meet My New Friend Voki

vokis 
Click here to comment on this Voki.
Get a Voki now!

Voki is a free Web 2.0 tool that allows you to create personalized speaking avatars and use them on your blog, profile, and in email messages.

Voki is a combination of the Latin word “vox” meaning voice and “Loki” the mischievous god of Norse mythology. Now, there is an across the curriculum application! With Voki you create a customizable speaking avatar that accepts text, as well as recordings using your built-in computer microphone and/or audio files. Voki provides several HTML code options for your finished avatar that can be embedded into most wikis or blogs.

Here is a YouTube tutorial video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssGHaNX3O4g and a slideshow from slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/markmodra/voki-activities-presentation

 As stated in The Edublogger, “educators use them to add a human element to their sites or to engage students.” They are also great as attention getters and warm-up/bellringers.

Suggestions for use in ESL classrooms may be found at this link:
http://instructify.com/2009/09/17/voki-trailfire-mashup-special-needs-education/

So give Voki a whirl and let me know how it goes and how you put it to use in your classroom.

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Webquests 2.0

webquest.JPG   In my workshops with educators this week, I was asked to revisit a cognitive strategy from the creative mind of Bernie Dodge.

Webquests are the inquiry-oriented activity that transfer learning from teacher and textbook to students. My updated Handouts and Powerpoint retained the information, discarded old links, and included examples for customization.

One educator asked, “How do we make this available for students?” Her question required a better answer than, “make photocopies.” Her question implied online accessibility.

What better way than to integrate Web 2.0 interactivity into the Webquest strategy.
Read More

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Tech BFF: Rebus 2.0

BFF is an acronym for “Best Friend Forever.” These websites and tips are so good that they will become your technology BFFs!

I love Rebus stories! I love the layers of meaning that pictures convey. Phrasr is a free, Flickr-based photo-word-slideshow maker that allows users to input sentences, phrases or even entire paragraphs and then chose from a group of suggested Flickr images to illustrate.

Here is a sample of a Phrasr I made using the first line of the book “Tuck, Everlasting”    The Archive also has other samples.
Phrasr Slideshows can be:
~published to an online database
~emailed to friends
~used for units on idioms
~used to teach inference
~used to illustrate quotes from literature, first lines of books, political slogans
~~~~~etc.., etc.., etc…  !!!

Give Phrasr a beta-test and leave a comment how you used it.

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TCEA Teachers Soar as Squids!

“Squid” is the affectionate name for authors of Squidoo pages and that is just what Linda, Pam, Jennifer, Stephanie, Angie, Melissa, Ruth, Pam, Liu, and Barbara became in our “Squidoo for You” session at TCEA. See their great work and leave them an encouraging comment in the Guestbook: http://www.squidoo.com/tcea

😉

P.S. Kicking yourself for missing out on the TCEA session? See 2-7-08’s post below and/and this link: http://www.squidoo.com/building-squidoo

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Tech BFF: Squidoo for You? YES!

BFF is an acronym for “Best Friend Forever.” These websites and tips are so good that they will become your technology BFFs!

The The 5 W’s of Squidoo:

What is Squidoo? an interactive web-editor portal interface with lots of cool modules!

Where can you Squidoo? anywhere on any computer connected to the Internet

Who can Squidoo? You, me, another can become a “Squid.”

When can you Squidoo? Anytime and Anyplace because the Internet doesn’t close!

Why Squidoo? Because it reflects the interactivity and dynamic interplay with content that meets students cyberly where they like to learn best…and…it’s fun!

More on Why Squidoo???

Blogs are fun, but

May be blocked by school filters

Squidoos are fun and

Often not blocked
More interactive features
More options for cool add-ins

Check out these sample Squidoo’s:

Fall Leaves Squidoo (Example of a Virtual Field Trip): http://www.squidoo.com/leaves
Teaching Squidoo (Example of an Occupational Squidoo): http://www.squidoo.com/teacher
Reading (Example of a Course of Subject Squidoo): http://www.squidoo.com/reader
Summer Resources Squidoo (Example of an Extra-Curricular Squidoo): http://www.squidoo.com/summer
Mid-Summer Night’s Dream Squidoo (Example of a Unit Topic Squidoo): http://www.squidoo.com/msnd
Travel Squidoo (Example of a Hobby Squidoo): http://www.squidoo.com/helenteague

The Main Squidoo Page: http://www.squidoo.com/

What are some learning scenarios to consider? How can we use this in the classroom? With our students?

Here is the link to the powerpoint from our session. Great work, today!  🙂
http://www.oops.bizland.com/tceasquidoo.ppt

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Blogging 101 Motivates Students

Here is a great, short article on a teacher, Kathy Cassidy’s  experience with classroom blogging in her first grade classroom.

Nope, that’s not a typo: in her 1st grade classroom!!!  Read and be inspired!

http://www.canada.com/technology/story.html?id=2c88fd03-ddb2-4d86-a807-67ddc882aef7&k=46679

What are some of your best blogging tips?

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