This summer, several Van Buskirk teachers met in our make-shift computer lab in the multipurpose room to learn about some cool technological tools and how to integrate them into our teaching. One of the first things we tried were Wordles. Check out this example made by Mr. R as a demo. Those wordles were just to get our feet wet. Afterwards, we dove right into blogs.
Most chose to set up accounts with Blogger. Look how far Mr. C's blog has come in just three short days!! He's written three posts, added a photo and a link to his screencast, as well as started a list of useful links for students.
Not content with simply adding text to the blogs, we have been trying out different tools and gadgets to make our blogs more interesting. Mrs. C created her avatar called "Frogstillo" at the BuildYourWildSelf website. Mr. R learned how to make a customized header using a picture of our school. Mrs. R is working on a voki (animated audio) to introduce visitors to her blog. I figured out how to embed a video I made (using Screencast-o-Matic) and uploaded to YouTube.
We're not only exploring online tools, but also becoming familiar with some of the hardware we have available at our school. Mr. B used the Mac's camera and Photo Booth program to take a picture of himself and upload it to his blog. See how closely his avatar matches his photo? :) Our current adventure centers around discovering innovative uses for the SMARTBoard in our classrooms.
Stay tuned to see and read more about the products we create to share with colleagues and students.
I appreciate all comments on this posting, but would especially like to invite the participants in this summer's PD to comment on your experience thus far. What did you enjoy most? What's frustrating you? What would you like to learn more about?
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