2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

This is so up my alley. I love to read, and currently, young adult books fit my lifestyle. I can pick one up and finish it without spending hours and hours on it. So I am in for the Super Size Challenge, which is a lot of books. Happy reading!

On a techie note, I have personally been so challenged trying to add podcasts to the blog. I won't give up, but if I fail this class, I will personally be really outrageously upset with myself.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinevan/ / CC BY 2.0

AutoMotivator

This is my first blog after my class has ended. :( While I am enjoying lots of sleep, I want to get in the habit of continuing to evaluate websites that I might be able to use. This one is very simple, and I a huge fan of simplicity.

AutoMotivator is a site that allows users to choose or upload a photo and add motivating text. Users can choose the text color and either download it to their computer, or save it to Flickr, or even order a poster size of the image.

On a scale of 1 to 5 for ease of use in a Deaf Ed room, I would have to rate this a 5. Very easy. Very effective.

BP#14_2009124_Tool#5_Timerime

Timerime is a web 2.0 tool that allows students to build a timeline for their personal use. Texts, images, and links can all be placed in one location that will allow a student to see how everything relates to each other. Implementing text on a map can show a student where an event took place in relation to where they are, and also in relation to where they are studying. Images, either taken by the student on a camera or phone, or uploaded from Flickr or another photosharing site, can allow the student to visualize what certain events were like. Students can do further research and add links to a timeline. All of these abilities make for an excellent study aid or project for students in lieu of the traditional research paper. An excellent extension would be for a student to overlay two sets of information on one timeline, for example, Texas History and American History, or two different sets of legislation on a single timeline.

The student can make their own line, and either make it private for their own study, or invite others to add to the line. This would be a different way of looking at a family tree project in elementary school, or for an economics group project in high school.

Timerime is an excellent tool with few drawbacks. I do not like the fact that students would have to register, or the fact that it may be blocked by a school’s filter. On a scale of 1 to 5, for ease of use in a Deaf Ed room, I would give it a 4.

BP#13_2009123_PeerReviewSmith

Here is a comment added to my friend Karen's blog. She found a wonderful typing site that will allow a little or a lot of practice without registering or an account. My middle school students need this. So do I!

BP#12_2009123_PeerReviewWest

Here is a copy of the comment I left on Mark West's site. He has a great link to an art web 2.0 tool, and the cool thing is that it a great way to teach higher order thinking skills, as well as copyright info.

BP#15_2009124_Tool#5_Wordsift

Wordsift is one of the greatest finds that I have seen this month. It is an essential tool in a classroom full of English Language Learners (ELL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) students, or even Deaf Education students. Students that struggle with reading will find this as comparable as an interpreter in a room of gibberish. From the site itself:

" . . . think of a word much like a soccer ball or hackeysack. Think of a classroom as kind of playground in which words can be kicked around for fun and for learning - not drill and kill, nor list and define. WordSift enables teachers to create an environment where language is "talked about" as richly as possible. Much of language cannot be taught directly, but much of language is learned through active talk, so why not have a way of talking about language? Try pasting some text into WordSift, display it to your class, and talk about what you see. Be spontaneous and generative -- that is the stuff that forms the basis of strong language acquisition."

Students can use an online textbook and cut and paste the chapter into the text box. Then, after pressing sift, the words are placed in a cloud with the most often occurring word receiving the largest text. Also, Visual Thesaurus is place on the page, with the words already highlighted for easy lookup. On the left of the screen is a gallery of pictures that changes with the click of a word. For example, "valley" will bring up multiple images of different valleys. What better way to teach a word than to show many examples of it?

I vividly remember my undergrad teacher, Dr. Bird expressing his dismay at my class and the ideas of how to teach a simple vocabulary word like "bowl." The best way, he exclaimed, was to just bring about 25 or 30 different bowls to class and let the kids see them. Variety and simplicity. The spice of life.

A third and most excellent element in this site is that under the Visual Thesaurus, there is a list of sentences with the highlighted word shown. So not only are the words separated, defined, and illustrated, they are also placed back in context for the student to understand.

On a scale of 1 to 5 for ease of use in a Deaf Ed classroom, this rates a 5 about a million times.

BP#11_2009123_Tool#4_MovieClips

Movie Clips is an exciting website that I found while looking for something totally different. I love the way I can sort through the movies by the following categories:

1. movies
2. action
3. actors
4. mood (this is my fave! Oh, the uses--let me count the ways)
5. character
6. setting
7. prop

This tool will be most useful when I am teaching mood and setting for a poetry unit, or a short story unit, or just about anything literary. The easy visualization will enable my students to understand what we are discussing, and will from there they will be responsible for creating their own movie clip or story scene. A next step in planning would be for the students to identify new vocabulary related to mood and locate clips that support that text.

Two drawbacks that might affect the ability to use this in the classroom is the filter the school uses, and the lack of captions on the movies. I did not notice an option for that, so I would have to either interpret (less desirable), add subtitles myself (time intensive) or find the button that turns on the captions (most desirable).

On a scale of 1 to 5 for use in the Deaf Ed classroom, I would rate this a 3.

BP#10_2009122_OneMinuteMessage1_360cities.net

Here is a podcast about my newest fave web 2.0 tool. It is awesome! Click here to hear the podcast.

BP#9_2009122_PeerReviewMartinez

This is a copy of a comment I posted on a friend's blog. She has great ideas for science and Flickr.

BP#8_2009122_Web2.0_Tools:_Wordle

In the never-ending quest to make vocabulary something fun, Wordle is the most basic fun thing students can do on their own.

A positive thing about this tool for teachers is that can be filtered for classrooms, so it should make it through network filters.

One way I can envision students using this in the room is in Room 228 all students are working on lists of high frequency words as an IEP goal until they are on grade level, along with content vocabulary words.  Sometimes it seems tedious to the students, so the more choices that are available, the better chance of completion. Students self-study their words on the computer, and make a master list of words to study every week or two weeks.  The students could use Wordle to make a fun list to study or post in their notebooks. The freedom and creativity in font and color choices is something they will play with.

For more advanced fun, a second tool is Tagul.  Tagul also creates a word cloud, and it will allow shapes to be chosen. This site requires sign up. The word clouds are clickable with the words linked with a URL.

On a scale of 1 to 5 for use in a Deaf Ed classroom, this rates a solid 5.

BP#7_2009122_Web2.0_Tools:_Google_Squared

In the study “Where Is It?  How Deaf Adolescents Complete Fact-Based Internet Search Tasks,” by Chad Smith in 2006, “The results show an inability on the part of deaf students to accurately use Internet search engines as a research tool.” Also, “Deaf students may be more apt to glean a better understanding of search engine results if those results are presented in a format that does not mandate the level of reading that current search engines require. (Smith, 2007)”

      Web 2.0 tools are looking for me! One that found me today was something that was under my nose all the time.  It was within the Google tools, and it something that I will be able to put into use immediately in the classroom.

-Student A is looking for information on vice-presidents for World History.

-The first thing the student does is Google “European cities,” and it returns a long list of sites.  This student will use a lot of time searching and going from one site to the other with little to show in the end.

-Student B is looking for the same information.

-The student types “Google Squared” into the Google search bar, and then types "European cities,"  and is presented with this information:

A list of European cities, including different comparison aspects will be populated into a table, with the option for the student to add, delete, or edit the columns and topics within the search.

     Sometimes the students I work with take so much time finding the information that the project is rushed in the end, with little time for processing the information.  I would prefer for the student to find the information first, then manipulate and compare the information in a paper or another type of end product. 

     On a scale of 1 to 5 for usefulness in a deaf education classroom, I would rate “Google Squared” a solid 5.

Smith, Chad. (2007). Where is It? how deaf adolescents complete fact-based internet search tasks. American Annals of _the Deaf, 151(5), 519-529.

BP#6_2009122_Flickr

 Flickr is an amazing tool that immediately captivates the attention of the students sometimes slumbering between pages in my room.  During one of my searches for lesson plans using Flickr, I found a clear website from this NYC teacher. that gave a very clear example of using Flickr while teaching about Soviet propaganda techniques. Pamela AuCoin very succinctly explains how to register for an account, and have the students register and invite also.  There was also evidence of the students using higher-order thinking skills as they embedded and commented on each of the photos. 

            I was thinking about the different things I could do in my room with Flickr.  A basic idea that could be used for English would be to have students locate 7 to 10 famous landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Trump d’Arc, and other places world-wide.  Students could create a photostream with the photos labeled correctly with capitalization, as well as a second photostream showing how not to label them.  Capitalization is a tested item on our TAKS test in Texas, and it a skill_s students have seem to become less proficient in during the last few years. This could lead into a further discussion of contexts in which proper capitalization would be important, i.e., the time for formal language and the language used with peers and texting.

globe clipart  from personal collection

BP#5_2009121_Anti-Teaching

     How are the schools of today doing?  The schools of today do not work for the 
majority of the students I teach.  Students leave my classroom after being with me
for a year or two, and still lack many necessary skills, as well as most of the time just counting down the days until graduation.

     As most of them are visual learners, the lecture method does not keep their
attention or actually allow the information to be taken in and reorganized, and added to the student’s  brain for the long term.

     Virtual learning environments do definitely engage my students more, but they do not always make the connection between what they experienced or talked about on with their class topics.  The web 2.0 tools that I have introduced into the classroom do excite the students, and they look forward to experiencing the new.  The changes in content and delivery have been miniscule compared to what I believe it should be, but I can see a difference.  Just the 360cities.net was enough to encourage the students to explore different countries in South America.  Now when a map is placed on the projection screen, there is immediate discussion about where a country is and the living conditions.

     A strong point about Personal Learning Environments it that it gives the students a place to tie the websites and blogs and Flickr and Facebook into one place.  Do I think that just PLEs or Web 2.0 technologies are enough?  No.  I think these technologies are an essential tool to thriving in life.  Students still need to be taught, and only a teacher can do that. Teachers teach, but students choose to learn or not.   The choices offered can be broad and deep, or narrow and stifling. The topics may differ . . . instead of three weeks on the Civil War, students can understand the important points of the war, and demonstrate what they know about it by incorporating different technologies.  I have seen teachers have students create a fictitious Facebook account for someone on both sides of the Civil War.  A map of their travels, a photostream of what they each may have seen.  And instead of projects just pasted together, if students are posting on the internet, a chance to develop personal pride in their work and peer reviews, just like in the real world.

       Back to my students.  In a perfect school, students would have access to media daily, in a variety of formats.  Big screens with open captions for viewing historic films, skype available at different stations around the school for students to chat via phone to anyone, deaf or hearing, signing or oral.  A designated space and time on a computer with internet access that is unfiltered.  Content specialists to assist in the creation of media that the student is interested in and creating.  Less testing and teaching to the test, and more books and computers that lend themselves to student exploration.  A community of learners with a vested interest in protecting their school materials and their future.  Students learning about themselves and their world, but not learning alone.  A community to support, encourage, and create the future they are interested in together.

photos from personal collection

BP#4_2009121_Web_2.0_ Tools_Cities360

Today's assignment was to pick one web 2.0 tool and play with it. There were so many choices.  So many tools, so little time!!!  I picked a few that were very exciting, but to my dismay, the new filtering program at my school blocks most of them.  I did find two or three, however, that were very beneficial.  One of the most interesting and that also can successfully make it through the small opening in our filter is  360cities.net

Currently I am the inclusion teacher for a group of 9^th grade students taking World Geography.  We have been through the first half of the textbook, and have completely covered North and South America.  As we review for the mid-terms, this tool will allow the students to virtually tour the countries they have studied.  The panoramic view and the fact that the pictures are actual photos give the students a clear idea of places in the world tht they have studied.
  The students will develop a five location presentation using the projector, and tie in places from the review and talk about one fact that was covered and will be tested on.  Students will have a rubric and a model to follow.  Presentations will be given in a small group of no more than 5 students.  Students will see 25 places that they have studied. It may inspire the travel bug, and at the very least it will open eyes of the some students. Students can:

• Plan a journey over a holiday break and journal about what they will see.
• Research colleges overseas and take a virtual tour.
• Compare climate/living conditions/economies etc.  on cities in the same country.
• Search for a specific word such as “school” or “church” and compare/contract the findings.
• Explain the different points of view in one scene.

These are just a few of the activities students would be able to do using this application. I particularly like that it is compatible with Google Earth, but I do not have to wait for an opening on the training schedule.  My students love this application, and it is amazing to see the fun they have with it.

Bryce Canyon in USA

BP#3_2009121_iGoogle_Screen_Shots

BP#2_2009121_Google Reader

Using Google Reader is addicting.  My assignment was to subsribe to five  relative to my profession.  The last count I had was 50 before I made myself stop.  Just crazy!   So I went back and just focused on the most beneficial.  Just like old Letterman style, I will do it in a top 10 format:

Number 10:  DeafNation--  This site is great for my receptive skills, and it just makes me laugh!  Several deaf adult vlogs, and a comic series staring SuperDeafy.

Number 9:  Stone Deaf Pilots-- is a deaf-techie blog that has interesting articles.  Also podcasting.  Think about that for a minute.

Number 8:  DeafAcademics --This group allows me to see what is going on internationally with deaf academics.  Most people in this group are deaf  scientists, researchers, instructors, professors, or lecturers.  I just like to see what they are doing.

Number 7:  Gallaudet Research homepage.  What is the leading Deaf university studying?

Number 6:  Florida School for the Deaf and Blind-- my neighbors to the east have excellent ideas that I sometimes use in the classroom.

Number 5:  Pennsylvania School for the Deaf--they have a great preschool program that combines ASL and hearing children and do it well.

Number 4:  American Annals of the Deaf--the oldest research, peer-reviewed journal focusing on students with hearing-impairments.  I mentioned an article in this once during an interview . . . and when I got the job the supervisor told me she was shocked anyone even knew what the journal was anymore.

Number 3:  Texas School for the Deaf-- my students link to this site daily for vocabulary and math practice.  I like to keep up with local events and teacher opportunities.

Number 2:  Teacher Tube--this has been a great resource for specific topics and videos loaded by other teachers.  Our class favorite is idiom videos created by other deaf students.

Number 1:  School Library Journal--I love hearing about new books and the author point of view.  Many times I will order the book and place it in our school library.  Or . . . place it on the wish list.






photo credits~ personal collection

BP#1_2009121_Educational_Uses_for_Blogs

     The many uses of blogs can be quite overwhelming.  I would eventually like to see that in my classroom, anything that can be written with a pen and paper can also be completed with a blog. A blog can help foster ownership and also teach techie skills that students crave.  A blog adds others by creating a two- or more- way conversation if there are comments and answers, and most importantly, it is almost always fun.    

     My research led  to a website where the author, Scott Leslie,  developed a matrix showing the uses for blogs, separated into the categories of reading and writing, and students and professionals.  Scott Leslie's site

     The visual organization just knocked me over, so a screenshot was necessary for me.  This will help me stay fresh and make sure that I remember to use blogs in ways that are sometimes out of my comfort zone.  

     Other uses of blogs can include:

 s
• Gathering student opinions and reactions to a common book or books on a common theme
• Sharing research on topics of interest to students, that the students researched themselves
• Creating a sense of ownership for the students and giving purpose for their writing and reading
• Engaging all learners at their level of readiness, ie—differentiated learning.

  I am especially looking forward to creating the sense of ownership and pride in student work when I use blogging.  A goal is to begin to use it after the Christmas break, and to tie it into their World Geo and/or Health classes.  For my students, that are d/Deaf, a really interesting benefit will to see how much their grammar skills improve if they know someone other than just the “teacher” is reading their writing.

photo credits:
pen and paper, reading a book ~ personal collection

blogging matrix screenshot ~  Scott Leslie site

Next blog topic:

Deaf Characters in Children's Literature