VoiceThread in The Interactive Classroom

       In education, teachers and students have incorporated the extensive use of technology for their own purposes. Likewise, many learners and instructors are satisfied with their learning process after applying technology in the classroom. There are many web tools that we find interesting and helpful for teaching a class. One example is VoiceThread, a resourceful web tool that allows students to create videos using pictures, home videos from their laptops, and audio tracks. Therefore, I will be explaining about this incredible web tool, VoiceThread, including my reflections on this tool as well.

     To begin, educators use VoiceThread for many different reasons, from extending and documenting classroom conversations, online tutoring, virtual class spaces, professional development training, and a thousand things in between. In fact, they might be described as interactive media albums. They are essentially online slide shows of images, documents, or videos that enable viewers to comment on any slide, or at any point in the video by typing, recording an audio or video comment, or drawing on the image itself. 

         Firstly, tutorials on the site help newbies get started or explain more advanced features, such as video doodling, pausing a video, and drawing on the frozen image like a sportscaster commenting on a play. For educators like me that are new to VoiceThread, it is a good idea to experiment a bit before starting with students. This web tool offers free educator accounts on its public site. Teachers can begin there, commenting on others' threads and creating their own practice threads. For my first video, I decided to share an important topic that teachers need to know perfectly clear in order to understand students' behavior in a classroom. I decided to discuss about Asperger Syndrome and its importance in the educational setting.

        Secondly, students are intrinsically drawn to interesting conversations with peers, so structuring opportunities for collaborative dialogue around classroom content is a logical decision. To make the most of our VoiceThread experiences, we must allow students to draft comments in groups of two or three. Likewise, it is always helpful to give students time to work in small groups to brainstorm and draft initial comments together. This ensures that the first comments added to your discussions will be well thought out and aligned with the directions you have given for the assignment. This ensures that all students will have a comment in your conversation to follow, increasing their interest. From my first experience, I decided to let people give their opinion on my first video about Asperger Syndrome and they were completely interested in it. Therefore, I allowed my classmates to post their comments on my video.

     Thirdly, in the early stages of your work with VoiceThread, it is important to join in the conversations with your students because you will be able to create the kinds of comments that are productive and valuable. Be sure to use proper grammar and spelling as well as to elaborate on your thinking. Also, be sure to find ways to respond to other students and to ask lots of questions. Those are the skills that make for high quality VoiceThread presentations. Nevertheless, seeing examples from you will help your classes to learn more about quality additions to digital conversations. As a student, I engaged with my classmates' comments and replied to them appropriately so that the conversation flows effectively. Most importantly, my discussion was very helpful and meaningful for the teacher and students.

     Lastly, after starting a VoiceThread presentation, it is important to revisit the conversation occasionally in class in order to keep the project at the forefront of your students’ minds. Browsing and selecting “Spotlight Comments” a few times a week will provide students with examples of high quality work to model their own contributions after. Be sure to spotlight different kinds of comments to your students, especially those where students are reading and responding to one another. By having students interact with one another, you will begin to see more cross-conversations in your digital presentations. One last thing, be sure to spotlight comments that do not add any real value to your conversation. It is important for classes to begin to recognize that useless comments only serve as distractions in meaningful discussions.

       In conclusion, VoiceThread is a helpful tool that enables learning, creativity, and originality. Students can use it to make videos of any topic they would like to discuss. Likewise, they can invite an audience to post their comments on them in different ways such as texting, voicing or through a video response. Moreover, it allows students to start using this tool for their digital presentations in the classroom. Honestly, this web tool has given me the gift of doing better every day using a wide variety of tools that will improve my creativity, grammar, spelling, and speaking skills. Commenting on videos is another thing that I mostly like because it makes you learn more about a certain topic that you might want to research about.

Let Ignite the Spirit of Christmas

Hello everyone:

This is the first time I used PowToon. I decided to speak about my favorite holiday, Christmas. This year, let's celebrate a wonderful Christmas with our families and friends.

My Reflections and Experience on Using Zunal and ReadWriteThink

       It has been a good way for me to explore new web tools that will enhance my computer skills and improve my vocabulary on the go. Every day, I use new tools and start incorporating them into my ongoing learning process and my family since they have to start using digital tools as their own aid. These days, I used two web tools that my teacher introduced them to the class. They are Zunal and ReadWriteThink. Therefore, my essay aims to summarize my experience on using both tools during the class as well as highlighting the most important aspects and benefits of using these two web tools that are quite unique and helpful for educational technology.
   
        To begin, educational technology allows teachers and students to incorporate a wide series of tools to enhance creativity, motivation, and personal criteria as well. The first web tool I used during the class was Zunal, a web site where students and teachers can create their own WebQuest and start posting important topics of their interest on the Internet. For the class, I decided to create my own WebQuest about Asperger Syndrome, a very interesting topic that is highly important for future educators as well as students and families. Likewise, I added a video to make people think how Aspies behave in a real-life environment and how they would react to people. Thus, Zunal is a helpful website for students and educators to share their ideas on a topic they want to discuss.

   
      In a WebQuest, learners search for information based on the "quest" of the course content objective. For example, the quest or question for Technology in Education is, "How do I infuse technology into the teaching and learning process?" WebQuests require students to approach their task with advanced thinking, specifically in terms of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. A learner analyzes a body of knowledge deeply, transforms it in some way, and demonstrates an understanding of the material by creating something that others can respond to, online or offline. In our case, students analyzed current uses of technology, and transformed this information into how technology is used in teaching and learning today. From there, they created instructional material for training public school teachers in the use of technology in an educational setting (Dodge, 1995).

        On the other hand, when I started using ReadWriteThink, an interactive and helpful web page that provides a whole series of activities, lesson plans, and warmups already prepared to incorporate with our 21st century learners. With these activities, educators can see themselves as writers for life and leaders in teaching writing to learners who really need it to improve their grammar and vocabulary. Likewise, students can also feel highly motivated by creating comic strips with the comic creator. This digital tool allows students to create their own short stories by selecting their characters they want to add to their comic strip, and then start thinking about what each character wants to say. In that way, their grammar and vocabulary increase effectively. Furthermore, students can also design conceptual maps by highlighting important aspects and key words of an interesting topic or a story. Additionally, students who enjoy writing poems, they can do it using different activities that will enhance their creativity as well. Other activities that I found useful were crossword puzzles, acrostic words, and so on. There are a bunch of activities to explore anyway.

         Technology has become part of the learning process in our knowledge. When educators incorporate web tools where students of all ages can keep practicing their English, reinforcing their math skills, or any other subject they want to work on, they become more confident, proficient, and thoughtful teachers of writing. At the same time, they are also seeking for grammar improvements of their students so they can keep creating stories that are interesting, thoughtful, and sometimes magical using correct grammar,  punctuation, and spelling. However, if a new student uses a web tool to write a story using comic strips, the teacher should only focus on his or her creativity and originality so he can provide positive feedback on the student.

          Using ReadWriteThink has made me look forward to doing more activities on this web page. As a future instructor, it becomes a part of a diverse professional network devoted to the continuous improvement and support of the practices of writing, teaching, and professional growth as well. In addition, teachers aim to help students across grade levels and disciplines to use writing as a tool for learning, reflection, expression, and communication.

          In conclusion, Zunal and ReadWriteThink are two useful and helpful websites for teachers and students to keep track of new activities to implement in a classroom. Likewise, these web tools enhance student creativity and motivation by providing a wide variety of tasks where students can practice their writing and reading skills to be creative. Furthermore, instructors can teach writing and reading with these tools to their students so they can start thinking about what to write. It can be a story, an interesting topic, or their personal opinion. In that way, both teachers and students are contributing to create a good learning environment with the use of technology. Moreover, teachers become members of school and classroom writing communities.

References

Dodge, B. (1995). Some thoughts about WebQuests. San Diego: Educational Technology Department, San Diego State University. Retrieved January 16, 1998, from San Diego State University, Educational Technology. 

Educational Technology: Online Learning in the Classroom

          In today's education, many teachers and instructors have changed their teaching styles in their classrooms by incorporating online learning with students of different ages whether they are children, teenagers, or adults. This essay aims to describe the importance of online learning in education as well as its benefits and enrichment for students and the community to improve their English every day.

          To begin, we must know and understand the main concept of what online learning means. It is defined as learning that takes place partially or entirely over the Internet. This definition excludes purely print-based correspondence education, broadcast television or radio, videoconferencing, videocassettes, and stand-alone educational software programs that do not have a significant Internet-based instructional component.

       Firstly, online learning offerings are being designed to enhance the quality of learning experiences and outcomes. One common conjecture is that learning a complex body of knowledge effectively requires a community of learners (Bransford, Brown and Cocking 1999; Riel and Polin 2004; Schwen and Hara 2004; Vrasidas and Glass 2004) and that online technologies can be used to expand and support such communities. Another conjecture is that asynchronous discourse is inherently self-reflective and therefore more conducive to deep learning than is synchronous discourse (Harlen and Doubler 2004; Hiltz and Goldman 2005; Jaffee et al. 2006).

         Secondly, online learning can accommodate different learning styles. An instructor can also present these materials in many formats to adjust different types of learning styles. For example, if an instructor puts both lecture notes and slides online, both visual and auditory learners benefit. Additionally, students who prefer to focus on "listening" and "watching" during lecture do not have to worry that they are missing important concepts while scrambling to take copious notes. They can focus on understanding the material and concepts as they are presented. Likewise, students with attention difficulties or those who get overwhelmed by organizational tasks also benefit, because materials provided show how the instructor has grouped and prepared materials in the handouts, and indicate what items are most important.

      According to researchers from Cornell University, “the web provides significant new functionality in transmitting information to the student and providing forums for exchange. The web is revolutionizing some areas of study through increased opportunities for learning and alternative formats for information.” (Dwyer, Barbieri, and Doerr, 1995). Therefore, the advantages of online education make a significant impact in higher education today and, as technology evolves, promise to deliver even greater benefits in the future.

         Thirdly, online learning can facilitate accessibility to students to complete their assignments without hurrying. For instance, Courseware can be accessible for students when they need it. Students can review lectures, discussions, explanations, and comments, and then reply them to their classmates. Likewise, individuals can also share notes with each other to help facilitate community learning.

    Fourthly, online learning saves money for students and encourages to perform online communication with their teachers. Educational instructors can be more approachable in the online setting. In addition, students may feel more comfortable talking openly with their teachers through online chats, emails, and newsgroup discussions rather than face-to-face. Hence, online correspondence also cuts out having to wait for office hours that may not be convenient for either party. Students may be able to save money by not having to physically attend classes. Therefore, online courses may help individuals cut down  costs of transportation, babysitting, and other expenses incurred by attending classes in a traditional setting.

        Lastly, online learning offers a wide variety of online courses that fits in the learner's educational background. They could help to increase student interaction by allowing everyone to have a voice, share their ideas, and grow diverse as well. Students can also think longer about what they want to say and add their comments when ready. In a traditional classroom, the conversation could have moved past the point where the student may be willing to comment.

        In conclusion, online learning allows students to strengthen their knowledge as they increase their motivation and interest on what they learn. Likewise, the advantages of online education make a significant impact in higher education today and, as technology evolves, promise to deliver even greater benefits in the future.

References

Dwyer, D., Barbieri, K., and Doerr, H. (1995). Creating a Virtual Classroom for Interactive Education on the Web. The Third International World Wide Web Conference. 

Riel, M., and Polin, J. (2004). Online communities: Common ground and critical differences in designing technical environments. In Designing for virtual communities in the service of learning, ed. S. A. Barab, R. Kling, and J. H. Gray, 16–50. Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge University Press.

Bransford, J., Brown, A., and Cocking, R. (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Schwen, T. M., and Hara, N. (2004). Community of practice: A metaphor for online design. In Designing for virtual communities in the service of learning, ed. S. A. Barab, R. Kling, and J. H. Gray, 154–78. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.

Vrasidas, C., and Glass, G. (2004). Teacher professional development: Issues and trends. In Online professional development for teachers, ed. C. Vrasidas and G. V. Glass, 1–12). Greenwich, Conn.: Information Age.

Note: If the video does not open, please click on the link below to see it completely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhzIYo2e5kY 

The Importance of Blogging in the Classroom

        As future teachers, we used to have our students write their own reflections on a piece of paper and share them with the classroom as well. Today, twenty-first century educators have the chance of incorporating blogging into our classes since it is a good way to change our activities in order to make them more interesting, insightful, funny, engaging, and dynamic so students can easily share their thoughts, reflections, and opinions with others as well as the teacher. Therefore, in this essay, I will be emphasizing on the benefits of using blogs or blogging in the classroom with twenty-first century learners.

         To begin, we must know that the Internet in these days is constantly updating its web sources to provide a better service with the community around the world. Many families and friends are now using blogs to write their personal experiences, stories, or anecdotes to share them with their beloved ones. It is the same thing that educators are trying to do. They want students to start using this collaborative web tool that will enhance their writing skills and will improve their vocabulary as well. Obviously, you will not expect students to write perfectly crystal clear with no grammar mistakes, misspellings, or punctuation. In fact, you must let them be creative using this tool for their special needs.

        Firstly, student writing is improving by leaps and bounds. When a teacher read their blogs, he does not find himself pulling his hair out over the careless mistakes that they make in formal papers. As I said before, not every post is perfect, but the majority are well written and free of grammar and usage issues that I am so familiar with seeing in their other work. If they become sloppy, all you need to do is politely comment about it on their blog in order to give appropriate feedback and suggestions. Additionally, their improved skills transfer to formal work. Integrating quotations in literary papers has become simple now that we have so much practice with smoothly embedding hyperlinks. Additionally, student response to texts has improved. Some of the posts they must write are based on stimulus texts of their choice. 

        Secondly, students have the opportunity to practice writing and analytical skills in their own blogs that will transfer into essays and other writing endeavors. Likewise, they are able to see their own writing as something “real” with a practical application. Indeed, creating a blog can be a bridge for students between the familiar digital world and what is being asked of them in academic essays, projects and other assignments. Thus, blogging can be seen as a gateway experience for students who will be using digital technologies and media in their future endeavors despite their discipline.

           Thirdly, blogs can serve for collaborative participation between students and the teacher.  They provide a space where teachers and students can work to further develop writing or other skills with the advantage of an instant audience. Furthermore, teachers can offer instructional tips, and students can practice and benefit from peer review. They also make online mentoring possible. For example, a class of older students can help a class of younger students develop more confidence in their writing skills. At the same time, students can also participate in cooperative learning activities that require them to relay research findings, ideas, or suggestions. Creating a class blog requires teamwork and collaboration. Students and teachers learn and share together. A real sense of classroom community can be developed through blogging and establishing a class identity.

          Lastly, blogging can used as students portfolios so that they can write their own reflections after learning new stuff or having the experience to create a story, an anecdote, or even a short article about their favorite topic they would like to discuss. Blogs present, organize, and protect student work as digital portfolios. Additionally, as students realize their efforts will be published, they are typically more motivated to produce better writing. 

        In conclusion, blogging can improve students’ writing skills and build their confidence as writers. By blogging, students can take ownership of their writing, become better observers of others’ writing, and develop a more immediate and powerful understanding of audience. Blogs encourage experimenting and risk-taking, seriousness and play, and they foster an increased awareness of private and public writing. Therefore, a class blog can help foster a feeling of community among the members of a class, especially if learners are sharing information about themselves and their interests, and are responding to what other learners are writing. In that way, they will contribute to a better educational environment that is completely modern and updated to the latest technology that anyone can use it for good purposes.

Implementing Storybird with a Student

         Every day, new digital tools, programs, and learning softwares are introduced to us to change our teaching style and make it more dynamic and entertaining. Likewise, by just incorporating any of these tools, we will encourage students to become more creative and original with their projects such as story writing, poem writing, and tongue twisters as well. For my first assignment, I decided to choose Story Bird as the main web tool to implement it with my little brother, David. He is an early high school student with a high beginning English level.

           To begin, I asked my brother his favorite topics in order to come up with a simple activity that would require the extensive and appropriate use of Story Bird. First, I encouraged him to write his own original story by choosing his favorite pictures to make it very interesting. Second, I provided additional support by helping him with some vocabulary he did not understand by providing the English translation for each word. Third, he finished writing the story and presented to me appropriately. At the end of activity, he stated that using Story Bird was very appealing and suitable for his ongoing learning process. Likewise, he used his previous knowledge and strong inspiration to create an original story written by himself.

         Using Story Bird for tutoring and with a group of learners is an excellent collaborative web tool for many writing assignments. In addition, it is an engaging site that will help bring even the most hesitant writers out of their shell. Furthermore, it can be used as a way to collaborate between parent and child. It is the best way to bridge home and school. You could then have a Book Share day where parents come in and read the story with their child to the rest of the class.

          On the other hand, you could also find another class from another state or country to work with. Pair up students from the two classes and have them write a story together. Each child will bring their own style to the story while working together. Similarly, each class can work on them when they have an opportunity so the stories do not have to be worked on at the exact same time. Once the stories are finished, the teacher can use Skype to communicate with the other class and have students take turns reading stories. Each pair could read the pages they wrote from the book. Last but not least, a story can also just be used to have students write on their own. The fact that the work can stay unpublished until it is finished allows it to be worked on over several class periods.

      In conclusion, Story Bird is a collaborative tool for storytelling. Once the art is chosen, students are able to build there story by dragging and dropping pictures and creating a story to match. It’s great for teachers because they are able to easily create student accounts and assignments for students. It is also simple to collaborate with others whether it’s another student in class or someone from another country. Therefore, Story Bird is an extremely engaging site that allows students to focus more on the content of their writing rather than drawing pictures because they are already available for them to be creative in choosing the appropriate pictures for a story.