Google Docs

Click here to see my sample student grade book created with Google Docs. Fun tool. Just wish it had more formatting features!

Inspiration, Final

It's done! I found some great sound files on Writer's Almanac; taught myself how to lock portions of the file and leave other portions open to edit; and I finished it off with some embedded instructions for students and links to Dictionary.com. The result is an interactive guide to poetic elements using one poem as the main example and two additional poems as supporting examples. Audio and video links allow students to hear the poems being read so that they can dissect them aurally. I also want students to chose an image to correspond with the examples of poetic element they provide after listening to the secondary poems.

Of course, the image above is just a jpeg. But if you have Inspiration and want to interact with this assignment, let me know. I'll hook you up with the file.

Cheers (in an assignment well worth the extra effort),

Beth

Inspiration, Part 2

This is where I'm at with the project now. You can see I reorganized the poetic elements according to the effect they are supposed to have on the reader. From here, I'd like to link to some audio clips that will allow the students to experience HOW the poem affects what the reader "sees" and "hears" when you read it.

I welcome your feedback!

Inspiration

The Inspiration module is a bit more involved. Fun. Useful. But definitely more time consuming. Here's where I'm at so far. The idea is to interact directly with a specific poem to learn about poetic elements and their definitions.

Newsletter Assignment

I promised that I would publish my assignments for the class to see. I'm always true to my word. Here, for your reading pleasure (or displeasure) is my newsletter.

Pageflakes Assignment

I thought it would be fun to include links to some of my assignments here on this page. That way--assuming someone other than my instructor actually reads this page--you can see exactly what it is I'm talking about when I refer to Pageflakes or my newsletter creations.

Here's my "classroom" pagecast on Pageflakes. There's a lot that can be done with Pageflakes. I highly recommend you check it out.

According to their web site, Pageflakes, the social personalized homepage, is revolutionizing how we how we start with and use the Internet. You can easily customize the Internet and make it yours using ‘”Flakes” – small, movable versions of all of your web favorites that you can arrange on your personal homepage. You can also participate in the Pageflakes community, sharing your page as a “Pagecast” with a private group or with the world, and connecting with other users across the globe. Over 235,000 Flakes and 140,000 Pagecasts are available for thousands of uses and interests, including Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, news, sports, e-mail, local events, search, photos, music, videos – even interactive tools like a calendar and a to-do list – and just about anything else you do on the web at school, work and at home. The Pageflakes user community creates and helps each other discover more new Flakes and Pagecasts every day.

Pageflakes has thousands of Flakes (widgets or modules) including Facebook, a universal News Search, YouTube, Twitter, message board, blog, and hundreds of RSS feeds to choose from. Design and create a page that you can have for yourself or share with anyone you choose.

Cheers (to the flakes),
Beth

Teaching to the Techno Beat

I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!

I know. I know. Enough with the Pointer Sisters. But let me at least tell you why I'm so excited.

It's this class! From the Pageflakes assignment to this blog assignment, I'm experimenting with fun ways to bring technology to and use technology in the classroom. The resources available to teachers on the Internet is seemingly endless. (Though you do have to exercise discretion and web savvy when looking for resources, or risk accidentally including some less-than-appropriate content into your materials.) I've really enjoyed scoping out blogs by other teachers, surfing Teacher Tube, and learning how I can create a web portal designed specifically to fit my students' needs. I've played with Toonlet in order to present a "fun" look at semicolons in my newsletter. I've found lesson plan resources from highly credible sources. All in all, this learning experience has been a blast. And, it's one in which the real-world application is obvious. Maybe that's the most exciting prospect of all.

Cheers (to technology),
Beth