Words Their Way Meets Diigo!

Ever pondered how to incorporate netbooks into your "Words Their Way" center? Well, wonder no more because one innovative teacher did just that!

Credit for this ingenious idea goes to our Grade 3 teacher, Mr. Foote, who dedicated a substantial chunk of his evening to brainstorming and researching the use of Diigo, a social bookmarking tool, in his classroom. With his gracious permission, I'm excited to share his concept here.

Here's what Mr. Foote shared with me:

While one group delves into word patterns through "making and breaking" words, another engages in building word meanings by playing Pictionary with whiteboards. Simultaneously, the third group tackles a variety of sorting activities, leaving the fourth group free to explore words online using netbooks, perhaps by browsing sites like National Geographic for Kids. Not only do they read articles, but they also have the opportunity to highlight key words and phrases using the powerful collaborative tool known as "Diigo."

In the spirit of effective integration and thematic teaching, imagine students learning about animals. They could embark on a thrilling "word hunt" by reading an online article, identifying and highlighting relevant words, and even adding them to a virtual sticky note for others to respond to and comment on.

Article from National Geographic for Kids: (using Diigo)

Clifford Online: (using Diigo)

To enhance the learning experience, students could take it a step further by adding questions or responses to the article using the "comment" tool on Diigo or the sticky note feature.

This interactive approach can be applied to various virtual platforms. However, it's important to note that while Diigo works on most webpages, it may not be compatible with PDF files.

Here are some more examples to get you thinking about the possibilities:

International Public Library for Kids

Owl Kids Online

Time for Kids

National Geographic Explorer

Pop Magazine (Canada's Adventure Magazine for Kids)

So many possibilities! Thank-you Mr. Foote!

Need resources to learn about Diigo?

This should provide you with a good starting point.

Keep in mind that you can always use Google to search for more information on your question.

Why igoogle?

I recently had the chance to explore iGoogle. While I didn't pay much attention to it before, I must admit, after tinkering with it over the past few days, I'm quite impressed.

Several search engines offer personalized homepage features, allowing users to customize their page with local weather updates, quotes of the day, jokes, and various other gadgets. Google's version of this, formerly known as the "Personalized Homepage," has been rebranded as "iGoogle," and it truly elevates the homepage experience to a whole new level.

One of the standout features of iGoogle is its integration of various Google services and other cool gadgets, all conveniently accessible from a single page.

With iGoogle, you can:

• Check your email, Google Reader, and calendar without leaving the page
• Update your blog
• Monitor your Facebook and Twitter accounts
• Access your social bookmarks like Delicious
• Connect with others using the built-in chat feature
• Browse the web
• Create your own personalized theme using Theme Maker, where you can upload your favorite picture and customize the colors of your page to make it uniquely yours. (The only drawback is that you have to manually add your custom theme to iGoogle's theme gallery.)

Before incorporating iGoogle into my classroom, I need to consider ways to ensure that students won't encounter inappropriate themes and gadgets. I wonder if iGoogle will implement a filtering system in the future?

Who is controlling our information?

I penned a post some time back titled "How Does Google Really Work?" as I delved into the inner workings of this ubiquitous search engine. During my research, I stumbled upon information about Google bots and began to ponder whether they truly contribute to making searches more efficient. However, despite my efforts, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that these Google bots were more akin to "spy bots," tracking my online activities and preferences.

It dawned on me that I had been asking the wrong question all along. Instead of questioning whether Google bots make searches more efficient, I should have been asking why they seem to do so.

Why, for instance, did real estate sites for Rocky start appearing on my Facebook feed when I was house hunting in November? And why did advertisements for "Bench" clothing stores pop up after I returned from a shopping spree in Calgary? I've finally uncovered the answer.

While we often view the internet as a vast repository of knowledge and resources, I've come to realize that the information presented to us online is carefully tailored to match our interests and preferences. In essence, the web weaves a personalized experience based on our online behavior.

The Ted Talk below provides insight into how we are merely consumers:

QR Codes in the Classroom

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon QR Codes (Quick Response codes) and quickly discovered their widespread use. Intrigued by their potential, I shared my findings in a blog post titled "My Digital Footprint is a Barcode." Since then, I've been actively exploring ways to integrate them into the classroom. Here are some innovative ways you could leverage QR Codes in your educational setting:

1. Print to Audio:

2. Scavenger Hunt in the library

3. Adding QR Codes to an assignment so students can check their answers.

(40 interesting ways to use QR Codes in the classroom)

4. I find the concept of including a QR code at the back of books, linking to a website for additional information, quite appealing.

5. Mystery Picture

(http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/04/qr-codes-in-classroom.html)

6. Showcasing Student Work (vidcasts)

7. Design a print art project and incorporate animation into a specific area by integrating a QR code. Here's an example of how advertisers are implementing this technique in their "Print Campaigns."

What ideas would you add to this list?

Please include these educational videos in your playlist!

At Free Tech for Teachers, Richard Byrne has begun creating an educational youtube video playlist. He has listed seven great videos that are worth checking out. I would include these valuable videos to his playlist:

A Vision of K-12 Students Today (different one than Byrne has listed)

The Lost Generation

21st Century New Brunswick

Empowering Young Learners

Who is Depending on Your Dream

The Thrilling Potential of Sixth Sense Technology

Reimagine Learning in the 21st Century

The Power of Mutual Knowledge

Changing Education Paradigms

Sugata Mitra's New Experiment in Self-Teaching

I will add to these as I continue to think about some of my favorites!

My digital footprint is a bar code?

I stumbled upon the concept of individuals having their own "bar codes" some time ago, initially dismissing it with a chuckle. However, today, while perusing Cybraryman's webpage, I noticed a tiny barcode with the caption "QR Code for this page" underneath. This piqued my curiosity. Why would someone want their own barcode? Could it even be possible?

To satisfy my curiosity, I embarked on a journey of research. First stop: Wikipedia. There, I discovered that a QR Code stands for "Quick Response" code and was originally employed to track vehicles. It has since gained popularity in countries like Japan and South Korea, slowly making its mark in the Western world. Interestingly, QR Codes have the capacity to store various types of data, from text to URLs to contact information.

Next, I turned to Twitter, searching for #QRCodes, where I unearthed further insights. It appears that people are utilizing QR Codes for their resumes, business cards, and even creating stickers featuring their codes to adorn laptops, conference brochures, and more.

Intrigued, I decided to give it a try and see how I might incorporate it into my own endeavors, if at all. I experimented with two code generators, Qurify and Kaywa, primarily because they were the top hits in my Google search.

I inputted the URL for this blog: http://up2notches.blogspot.com/ and clicked "create."

Here is what I obtained from Kaywa:

 Code from Qurify:

Oddly enough, the codes appeared identical. Could it be that this was actually effective? Intrigued, I grabbed my iPhone and swiftly downloaded "QR Code Reader" (for free). With bated breath, I scanned the codes, and to my amazement, my blog popped up!

I'm thrilled! Without a doubt, I'll be adding my QR Code to my blog, definitely onto my business cards, and I'm even considering printing some stickers.

Testing, testing...can you hear me?

Yesterday, I decided to give "Ustream" a try, but I quickly ran into an audio snag. Despite successfully streaming the video, there was no accompanying audio. Determined to troubleshoot the issue, I turned to Google for a solution. After some searching, I stumbled upon other streaming platforms like "Justin.tv" and "Livestream."

Unfortunately, "Justin.tv" didn't meet my needs for embedding code onto my school site, and despite my efforts, I couldn't locate the embedding option. Seeking a more mainstream solution, I discovered "Livestream," which proved to be a perfect fit. Similar to "UStream" but with working audio, "Livestream" boasted user-friendliness and simplicity in creating a channel, along with effortless code embedding into my blog. If someone were to inquire about a streaming site recommendation, I'd confidently suggest "Livestream."

What did this experience teach me?

A. Ustream seemed to have an audio issue, inexplicably.

B. When Google doesn't yield answers, don't hesitate to explore other tools that might just work—there's a plethora of options out there!

Ustream it to the world!

A fascinating Web 2.0 tool that has caught my attention is Ustream. It serves as a platform for broadcasting a wide array of information. From NASA and PBS to the Rolling Stones, you can find broadcasts from diverse entities.

Launched in 2007, Ustream gained significant traction by 2008, with over 400,000 users streaming video content. Users can tune in to live-streamed athletic events or university lectures (Educause, 2008). Tomorrow morning, we're planning to give it a try at our school for our morning announcements.

This presents an excellent opportunity for our school community to stay informed about the week's events and even witness the recognition of individuals with a "Caught Being Green Award." While it's a trial run, I'm optimistic that it will be engaging for everyone involved.