7/27/09

There are a few programs that I am using this year. I am working on how to use them in the classroom. 
The first is Wikispaces. I used this program last year for the students to type in their homework onlne at home instead of writing it on paper and remembering to hand it in. It worked great. Students went right home to get their projects and assignments done. I could tell when they finished their assignments and they could have the piece of mind that they finished it and it was handed in. I have a few more ideas that will come up as I get them together.
The next is VoiceThread. This is a website that has video commenting oftware that students can comment on a document, a picture, an assignment, or a lecture that we had. They can ype, video, voiceover, and even write on the assignment. This will be the first year with this program. I am looking forward to see what I can do with this for the students to use on assignments.
The last one right now is PollDaddy. I use this one for the students to answer questions about thing we did in class, what they thought of assignments, assemblies, field trips, and guests that come to the class to speak. They take a short poll and I can see the results and I show the class in a graph. The students get to be part of graphs and they can see how tey can use graphing in thier lives.
These are a few of what I want to use this year.
There will be more I am sure.
I am getting ready for school. It starts in a week. I am putting down a few ideas that might help me organize how I put together my classroom and the curriculum. I do need to wait on a few things to work with my team on, but I can get my ideas together for presentation to them. We have a few changes this year with  us losing Mrs. Lords, but we will put everything in order and it will be great.