text/javascript">AC_Voki_Embed(300;400,'bo3c33159000a60a471dc11f715ff4',2519472,1/script

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Tool # 11/DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

As I have taken 2 I-Safety courses through SBISD, I was very interested in this tool.

The first thing I would tell my students is to check that any site they are on is safe. Virsuses are rampant these days and it is important to get off the site immediately. As SBISD has blocked most inappropriate sites (one can not block all) this would apply mainly to computers students use outside of school. I would ask them to please let me know of any inappropriate sites they have found.

It is also very important for students to not give vital personal information over the internet such as where they live or where they go to school. One of the I-safe courses I took had a video that shows what can happen to a student who reveals too much about himself/herself. I would like to show my students that video. Many students use Facebook these days and it is so easy to be lured into a false sense of security.

I would talk to my students about cyberbullying. Most know that bullying in general is not acceptable. They may not realize that you can be a bully on the computer as well. I can see where this would lead to some interesting discussions.

I noticed that I-Safe had a site of rules of good citizenship just for students. Upon checking it out, I would recommend that all my students do so as well.

In short, I plan to discuss being a good "digital citizen" with all my classes before taking them into the computer lab this year.

Tool #10/ MOBILE TECHNOLOGY and APS

I really had fun with this tool!
The five free aps I checked out were
1. Free French tutoring
2. Free Spanish tutoring
3. Free German tutoring
4. The IQ test
5. iwash my cats - as the "mother" of a 9 week old kitten (Gaston Michel), this was my favorite!

I will definitely be using the French tutoring AP with my students. I plan to have them make some review lessons for each other. And I thought the Spanish and German APs were interesting too.

The way the kids like to text and use their phones to search the internet, this tool was very helpful. I understand the WAIS For. Lang Dept. is supposed to be getting I-Pads this coming year-can't wait to try them out!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Tool #9/ JING and Skype

I found this to be one of the most interesting tools so far.
Using Jing will be a great time saver. Many teachers teach the same lesson 2-3 times a day. By putting the lesson on Jing, you would only have to do it once. Plus, it would be easy to refer back to. By "recording" the lesson, it would also be easy to monitor and adjust as needed.
I am excited about using Skype with my Foreign Language students. What a great way to communicate with people who live in a French speaking country! I also think it would be a great way for my students to have a "video pal' and learn about the lives of teenagers in France and other francophone countries. Just like I can direct dial my friend in France, Skype lets students see how easily and quickly you can reach someone overseas.
I also plan to contact the Antwerp International school (where I used to teach) and see if I can get in touch with some of the people I used to teach with using Skype.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Tool 6/ Wikis

I have been using Wikis for my personal use for awhile. This tool taught me how I could use Wikis with my French students. For example:

Create an "art gallery" of French artists.
Gather French food recipies. (of course we would have to taste these!)
Summarize a day in the life of a French teenager.
Research careers in which knowing the French language would be beneficial.
Write an article about how learning a new culture can expand your horizons.

I am looking forward to using Wikis with my students and I think they'll really enjoy it.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Tool #5/ TAGGING

This tool was fairly easy for me and very interesting. I joined both Delicious and Diigo. Tagging was fairy easy as well. I simply followed the video instructions on how to tag a cloud and then bookmarked my sites. The two sites I was most interested in were The Very Angry Tea Party and Two weddings, a Divorce, and Glee. This tool is one I will use often and I know my students will too. It is a great time saver and fun.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Post 4 GOOGLE DOCS

I was very interested in this tool. I have used google earth many times and found it very helpful as well as interesting. I feel google docs will be helpful as well. Not only can we communicate with teachers and students in our own building and district, we can communicate world wide very quickly and easily. I created a document/questionaire about the WAIS International Fair and e-mailed it to Diane Nizza. What an easy way to organize an event! Google reader was a bit more challenging...will continue to work with this.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

TOOL 3 IMAGE GENERATORS

This trading card can be used to learn about French presidents. Trading cards can also be made of soccer stars, French designers, French regions, etc. This is something students will have fun with and won't realize they are learning! Kids in this day and age really "get into" projects such as this.

French words were also constructed on wordle and I attempted to make a glogster. I had technical difficulties trying to upload onto this blog.

I would use wordle to create word clouds to use with my students to introduce new vocabulary to my class.
Glogster would be a fun and innovative way for students to create posters instead of just cutting out pictures and pasting them to poster board.





Sunday, June 6, 2010

Comments on Tool 2

I thoroughly enjoyed Tool 2.
This is a very easy way to keep in touch with fellow teachers to see what they are feeling and thinking. Some of their ideas helped and inspired me and I hope I was able to do the same.And I, as the expert learner, must keep up with the technology my students are learning and implementing.
Two points stood out to me as I read other's blogs...we are not alone in learning to do this, and I could see how this could be used in an across the curriculum manner.
The blogs I commented on were:
vrh tech student
Being Patty Joyce
Amy's House
Anya's Annotations
Wegs Online