Global Read Aloud Voice Thread

Web-Based Technologies

Here is a list of various web-based technologies to utilize during the Global Read Aloud:

1. Glogster
2. KidBlog
3. Twitter (To connect with other teachers)
4. Google Tools (To collaborate and connect)
5. Google Hangouts (Through Gmail) or Skype (To connect with other classrooms)
6. Animoto (Check this overview of the GRA with Animoto)or Videolicious 
7. Voice Thread or Audioboo
8. Vimeo, SchoolTube, or YouTube (upload videos)

What did I miss?  What web-based technologies should we use during the Global Read Aloud?  Add to this Voice Thread to voice your opinion.

Global Read Aloud (created by @pernilleripp)

Connection and Collaboration

Connecting students over networks and promoting collaborative efforts is an essential life skill for students.  These skills should be introduced in elementary school and developed throughout the rest of their educational experience.  Whenever I read someone's list of required "21st Century Skills," there is always push for facilitating student connections and collaboration.  Two sources for 21st century skills are listed below, but it seems like many experts are compiling similar lists associated with learning for today and tomorrow.  

At the same time, teachers must engage in teachers must explore a variety of instructional strategies that utilize the skills presented below.  Professional development opportunities must cause teachers to become 21st century learners themselves.  Practice these skills with a "safety net."  Ask a co-worker to practice using collaborative tools and attempt to perform the same tasks you expect from your students.  Engage in 21st century practices and become a digital learner yourself.  

Global Read Aloud

With that said, one connected and collaborative endeavor that teachers should know about is The Global Read Aloud (GRA).   This project is calling for teachers to participate in four weeks of activities associated with one of two books.   Collaboration will be hosted through Edmodo, Twitter, Skype, Wikis, KidBlogs, and Google Tools.  Of course not every web-based learning tool needs to be utilized, but it would not be too difficult to collaborate with these tools for learning.  

So, there are two books.  Participants can choose to read Charlotte's Web or The One and Only Ivan.  Then, choose what digital tools you will use for collaboration.  For general information about the GRA project and instructional ideas please visit the following sites:

1. Edmodo 
• Ivan's Group Code: njco4k
• Charlotte's Group Code: 93pop0
2. Skype
3. Wiki
4. GRA Blog (general info)
5. Twitter Hashtag: #glread12

Additional Web-Based Technologies to Utilize:

1. Glogster
2. KidBlog
3. Animoto (Check this overview of the GRA with Animoto)or Videolicious 
4. Voice Thread or Audioboo
5. Vimeo, SchoolTube, or YouTube (upload videos)

The dates are set for October 1st to October 26th.  That gives us a little time to plan, to connect, and to acquire the books.  What do you think?  Is this something you would like to involve your students in?  If so, who will you connect with?  Will you work with a colleagues classroom or a classroom across the country?  

Back to School

Everyone and their grandmother are posting back-to-school activities.  So, I wanted to share what I have been locating on Twitter and elsewhere.

• Mrs. White's QR Code Meet and Greet (iPad classrooms)
• Mrs. White's Twitter Door idea
• Cybraryman's Back to School page
• Three interesting facts Snowball Fight
• Facebook Bulletin Board via Pinterest
• Personality Compass for group work
• First Days of School Activities from ProTeacher
• Assign students to create name tags through Wordle or Tagxedo
• Getting to Know you activities from Teachers First

These are just a few resources that my Personal Learning Network (PLN) shared with me through my Twitter account.  If you don't know what a Personal Learning Network is, please ask, click the PLN link above, or perform a Google search.  I would like to provide training on this subject in the future.  What do you do with your students at the beginning of the year?  Share your ideas in the comments section below.  How can we shift our ideas to leverage our digital tools for learning?

Web 2.0: Kidblog

Okay, so I made a movie.  It won't been receiving an Academy award, but I plan on showing at least 30 students getting ready to use the Kidblog website.  This instructional video was created to introduce students to the concept of blogging.

I created a few scenes, screencasts, and wandering journals to engage students.  The video is a little longer than normal because their is a parallel story to the screencast.  In general, students are introduced to:

1. Navigating through the Kidblog control panel, 
2. Creating a Post,
3. Uploading Media (Pictures and Video),
4. Creating Hyperlinks,
5. Publishing Posts, and
6. Making Comments on other posts.

Before filming, I started with a plan.  I created a storyboard and then a script.  The storyboard was created with a Power Point template, and the script was written in the comments section.

Zombie blog storyboard

View more PowerPoint from Dan Gibson

I also created a brief teacher's guide for using the video and working with blogs in the classroom. You can view this document below.

Open publication - Free publishing - More kidblog

Attack of the Zombie Journal

This is the whole video with acting.  It's in black and white to give that old-Zombie-Movie feel.  Additionally, it shows the separation between the two mediums for writing.  Then, the screencasts are in color, which makes the instructional portions standout.  Take a peek and tell me what you think.

Zombie Journal Screencasts

Now, this one is the same movie as the one above.  However, the "fat" have been trimmed, and students could use this one to re-watch the instructional video.  Just in case they forgot how-to complete a basic blogging task.  Again, let me know what you think with the  comments section.  Would you use this for your students using Kidblogs?

Web 2.0: Pollcode

Well, I did it.  I got into writing questions for polls.  I've been told that polls are a gateway research tool, which leads to harder stuff--like surveys.  But, it won't happen to me.  I will just write a couple of polls and quit.  Surveys aren't for me.  Check out PoLLCODE, but don't tell anyone how you got this link.  

Question 1

Which LMS did you use?
	Lore
	Moodle
	Black Board
pollcode.com free polls

Question 2

Do you have a professional Twitter account?
	Yes
	No
pollcode.com free polls

Question 3 

Do you have an active blog?
	Yes
	No
pollcode.com free polls

Question 4 

Do you have a social bookmarking account?
	Yes
	No
pollcode.com free polls

Question 5 

Do you use any edu-social networking sites?
	Edmodo
	My Big Campus
	Classroom20
	Edupln
	Other
pollcode.com free polls