BP6 - Jim Farmer

Please find my comments for Jim Farmer here.

BP5 - Quizlet

Quizlet:

Quizlet is a really cool flashcard app which, in its basic mode, completely eliminates the need for paper flashcards. But it is actually so much more than that. It is an unbelievable catalog of user created flashcards in its database -- over 2 million!!

Quizlet starts by asking you to create a set of terms along with definitions. You can easily tweak Quizlet to work with math by inputting a number sentence and an answer. Once your list is created, a stack of flashcards appears. You can choose to have your flashcards appear in order or at random. With this mode, you simply flip through the digital cards as if the were paper. You can also choose to have the word and definition appear together or one after another (like front and back).

Scores are kept within Quizlet so you can keep track of your progress. Areas where more attention is needed is very noticeable because struggles are red and everything else is green. You can choose to have Quizlet display flashcards of trouble terms more often than the easier terms until you master all terms.

In addition to keeping your own score, you can share your score and test with your classmates and offer a “challenge” to them. This way, competition breeds desire to study more and more. Not only that, but a group of overachievers might even form a group to create cards for each subject. I envision a group of 10 students sharing the flashcard-making responsibilities so nobody has to create all the lessons.

Quizlet also has a test feature which creates multiple guess tests based on your terms and definitions. Again, scores can be shared and competition can ensue.

Finally, the makers of Quizlet realize the importance of fun and games. So they created a “game mode” for Quizlet. The games are very basic, yet very addictive. One forces you to quickly type the word or definition before it zips across the screen. Another is matching game that records the time it takes you to match all your words and definitions.

Quizlet is definitely a site worth checking out! Here’s a video about Quizlet:

Tour of Quizlet.com from Phil Freo on Vimeo.

BP4 - GoogleWave

Google Wave is an amazing web 2.0 application that allows an unlimited number of participants to contribute to a threaded discussion. What is so neat about Google Wave is that its threads happen in “real-time”. In fact, each member can type and view each other’s comments within the thread as if it were an actual conversation. Moreover, Google Wave acts as a file sharing tool. With the ability to embed videos, photos, and presentations, files can be dropped and downloaded instantly and with ease.Students and teachers can collaborate quickly and efficiently with Google Wave. When students finish reading a book, they can use this platform as a “chatroom” of sorts, in which to discuss the book. This recorded dialogue can then be used as an assessment piece. Students are very familiar with the way threads and texting work, so Google Wave provides a comfortable territory in which students can express themselves and display their knowledge.
I have already found great value in Google wave as a collaboration piece as a student. My FSO group, Team Logic, use the wave to bounce ideas off of each other and give critical advice to one another.

Teachers can also use Google Wave as a tool to collaborate amongst themselves. When issues need to be resolved in a school, this application can serve as a mind map of ideas and solutions. The wave can be read by administrators and then ideas deliberated upon.

As part of the technology integration team at my school, I find Google Wave very helpful in sharing tips and expertise. Whenever one of us finds a link to share, we can post it to the Wave and everybody has instant access.

Once you try google wave with a good number of devoted users, I think it’s easy to see the usefulness of the application.

W1 Reading

BP2_iGoogleScreenShots

BP_Diigo Group

Here’s my screenshot and my URL is http://drewclausing.blogspot.com/ if you want to join :)

BP1_Google Reader

GoogleReader is a great tool for aggregating RSS feeds to one location. I actually prefer Apple Mail for handling my RSS feeds, but GoogleReader is particularly good for blogger.com RSS feeds. For that reason, and its seamless integration with iGoogle, I am starting to like GoogleReader a little more. Here are the 5 RSS feeds I have subscribed to:

www.ted.com

As many of you know by now, ted.com is an amazing source of talks given by some of the brightest minds in the world. The speakers touch on everything from education to world issues offering ideas that matter. I have been subscribed to this blog for a few years now and each time they send out a new video, I’m blown away.

www.teachertube.com

TeacherTube is obviously a rip-off of YouTube. This site offers some great examples of student work, tutorials, and other ideas that teacher can use in the classroom. Most of the videos posted on TeacherTube are appropriate for a wide range of audience and are generally classroom safe.

www.squidoo.com/

Squidoo is a really neat place to create a website. For me, it’s a great place to learn new things. I’ve subscribed to the “How-To” feed which describes how to do all sorts of little things. Many of these “how-tos” can be used in the classroom.

www.edutopia.org

Edutopia is a massive database of educational bogs, videos, enrichment ideas and so forth. There are a number of different topics within education in which to subscribe. I like “Education Innovation”, by Milton Chen.

http://www.techintheclassroom.com/

Tech in the Classroom is a blog that gives short and sweet examples of how to use technology in the classroom. The blog consists of many videos and is also very entertaining.