Edmodo

Edmodo is very similar to micro blogging programs such as facebook however it is made for student and teacher communication. Teachers can send out reminders, newsletters or notes, homework. Files can be attached so students can access documents at home and show their parents. I would definitely use this innovation within my classroom as it aids communication, is relevant to students, it is safe and can be monitored by the teacher, it is easily integrated within all learning areas and is user friendly and best of all free, making it perfect for use in a primary classroom.

Voice Thread

Voice Thread is an interactive, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos. Voice Thread allows users to leave comments in various ways such as using voice, text, audio file, or video. I found Voice Thread easy to use however it has limitations such as only being able to store three voice threads at a time. I would use Voice Thread in my classroom as means of communication amongst the class, for self assessment and perhaps as a tool for developing speaking and listening skills. I would definitely consider using Voice Thread in my classroom however I think over innovations such as Jing may be just as good however both programs have their limitations so it is worth knowing about this alternative.

Game Maker

Game Maker is an innovation which allows users to create their own games.
I had difficulty creating my own game and I think considering my own experience with computers that primary school children would have the same difficulties. However once the skills are mastered I believe that Game Maker may be helpful in engaging students. Game Maker is free to download from http://www.yoyogames.com/make. I’m unsure whether I would use this in my classroom as its educational benefits are limited however I think once students have mastered the skills required they would love using it and it would be great for reward or free time and therefore a fabulous motivation for good behaviour.

Second Life

Second life is an innovation which is a 3D virtual online world where people can create an avatar and interact with other users avatars. Although there are educational benefits from using second life, I am not convinced that it would be appropriate to use in primary classrooms due to its access to mature level content. It has benefits for students who lack social skills as they are able to interact in a way that is comfortable to them as they are controlling the avatar.

Second life is not something I will be incorporating in my classroom just yet as it needs to be modified to suit younger children and to allow teachers to monitors student use. It is also quite difficult to master and for this reason may be quite time consuming just training students in the basic functions of this innovation, let alone giving them tasks to carry out.

Glogster

Glogster is a website that enables users to create free virtual online posters that can be viewed by others and changed by the creater or the monitor (teacher) when ever they like. Glogster.com/edu is a tool for teachers to use with their students without the fear of students being exposed to inappropriate material. Glogster saves on resources such as paper, glue and pens and pencils. The features of glogster allow students to decorate their glog with a wide range of symbols and other graphics, making each students glog an expression of their individuality. They can add music, videos, photos and other images as well as text. I would definitely use this innovation within my own classroom as it is easy and fun to use and would engage children easily. It is actually easier to use glogster and therefore more time efficient than making a poster by hand. Teachers are able to monitor students use of their glogs and edit any inappropriate material. The main thing about Glogster that I love is that it is fun and children would want to use it. Below is a glog that I made myself.

Jing

Jing is a screen capture program that you can download from www.jingproject.com
For a more info please refer to the class wiki page below.
http://curtineducation2009.wetpaint.com/page/JING

Twitter

Twitter is a popular web site designed to allow people to send updates about themselves to 'followers'. These status updates can be about anything however it is important to remember that many people are able to access your 'tweets' so some things may be inappropriate to include in your status updates. Twitter has the ability to be a great discussion tool, although for teachers to regulate student use of twitter would be almost impossible so students would need to understand the rules and consequences when using twitter. I would only use twitter in my classroom as a communication tool between teacher and parents, perhaps instead of newsletters.

Scratch

Scratch is an interesting innovation which has the potential to be used in the classroom however the difficulty in creating your own animation limits how scratch is used by teachers. It is a program which allows users to create their own animations and upload to the scratch website. By setting up your own account you can view other peoples projects. For teachers this is where you can find educational activities for students. I feel that allowing students to create their own projects may be a little to difficult and time consuming for them to benefit from the programming. I would use scratch in my classroom with mathematically gifted students or those who have advanced computer skills who need challenging. I would use ready made scratch projects in my classroom but make sure students can only access appropriate content while they are on the website.

Learn more about this project

Google Docs

Google Docs is an interesting program which allows people to save their own documents on the web. A link to these documents can be sent to anyone to access at any time. This means that documents can be edited and viewed by multiple people at the same time. This is similar to how wiki's work. I think that google docs has great potential for use in the classroom if used appropriately. Limits may need to be set as to who can access and edit students work depending on the a specific documents intended use. For example if you want a whole class to contribute to one document, then all students would be allowed, however if a student is posting their own work, you would want to control who can edit the document. This technology is great for sharing documents and has features that could be very useful to teachers, such as the shared timetable. I would use this in my classroom although rules would need to be in place about the appropriate use of google docs.

Bitstrips

Bitstrips is a website that is similar to facebook in the way you create an account and can add your friends. This site allows us to easily make our own comics and your own characters. It also has features that would allow teachers to use it with their students. By limiting access to various 'child friendly' parts of the site, students are able to make comics and share with their peers. The comic builder library contains objects, characters and backgrounds, this takes the emphasis off of the drawing/artistic skills and instead focuses on the creativeness and meaning of the comic. This means that students who are not comfortable with their drawing skills are still able to contribute. I think it would be a great site to use with children who are experienced with computers as some of the features can be a little difficult to master. If this innovation were to be used in schools, teachers would first need to become familiar with each aspect of the site and how the site works. Security settings would need to be set so that students cannot access inappropriate material and those outside the classroom cannot access the students accounts. Below is my own comic strip I made.

Wiki's are similar to blogs as they provide a space for people to share their opinions and ideas and communicate these to the rest of the world. Blogs however are limited in regards to who can add or edit the content. Wiki's on the other hand enable anyone to add, edit or delete content on the site which is why wiki's are perfect for use in the classroom. Teachers should introduce rules about how students use the class wiki and also set privacy settings so that only those involved with the wiki can access the content. Wiki's could be used for group work, discussions/debates about a particular topic or just a free writing space. I feel that wikis are a great way to get students writing and a very interesting way to publish student work. It is also a great way to integrate computer use into the curriculum.

Hi everyone. This is my first time blogging and Im interested to see how it all turns out. What I like about blogs is that they are your own space to share your individual opinions and a chance to interact with others with similar interests. Blogs allow everyone to share their own ideas or views and can be more informative than newspaper/journal articles as people with differing ideas are able to comment and produce a resource that is compiled from various points of view. Hopefully you will agree with my opinions about the technologies we will be discussing in the following weeks however I welcome any constructive feedback.