0 Classroom Uses for Wordle and Skype

I presented a staff development to one of my schools (Sem Elementary Rocks) on Using Wordle and Skype in the Classroom. They came up with some WONDERFUL ideas. Below you may find a wordle (What else would I use?) on their collaborative effort.

0 What is all the Hype about Skype?

Webcamming and Skype are not new to the video conferencing world. Skype (as well as dimdim, iChat, oovoo, uStream) allow the user to make calls via the web to just about anyone. All that is really needed is a webcam, setting up an account and possibly downloading the program. Our district just recently unblocked Skype allowing us to move forward and spread the word to our teachers!

So…What exactly is Skype?

Skype is a free application that allows users to make free audio and video calls through their internet connection. Skype allows you to use your dial-up or broadband connection to make free calls over the internet. You can use Skype to connect with one person or a group. Additionally, the “free features” include instant messaging and group IMs, and conferences and video calls.

Why Use Skype in the Classroom?
Teachers are using Skype to connect their students with classrooms on the other side of the world or maybe just down the road, to collaborate on projects and to share materials.

“Skype opens the door to a wide range of activities that can improve student engagement and comprehension. Interacting with people from other states, countries, and continents helps students understand cultural differences, learn about history and social norms, and fine-tune foreign language skills.

Learning becomes increasingly authentic as it expands beyond the walls of the classroom, and being able to have a phone call or a video chat with someone on the other side of the world can make learning come alive. An inexpensive, widely accessible tool like Skype also encourages faculty and students to experiment with new techniques to facilitate engagement……” http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7032.pdf

Check out this post by Silvia Tolisano. She outlines not only how she has used Skype but why Skype is such a great resource for teachers.

Possible Ideas to Use Skype in the Classroom
The possibilities are endless on ways to use Skype in the Classroom. Here are just a few:

• During Read Across America – Share reading to another class in another county or state.
• Connect to pen pals (epals)
• Learn about geography from students living in an area you are studying
• Learn about another culture by connecting students to a classroom from that culture
• Collaborate with another class on a joint research project
• Help students hear native speakers when learning a foreign language
• Connect with a teacher buddy in another state or town
• Connect with student’s grandparents during Grandparent’s Day
• Connect with a student in your class who may be out for an extended period of time.
• Conduct interviews (Q&A’s with authors, artists, meteorologists, veterans, mathematicians, scientists, etc).
• Connect with lower or higher grade levels and have students present mini-teaches.

Please visit my delicious bookmark for more resources about Skype.

0 Tagal - Interactive Word/Tag Cloud

I came across Tagul in my Google Reader and decided to give it a try. It was created by "Alex", 27 years old entrepreneur and tech geek from Moscow, Russia. It is a web based program designed to be used on blogs, web pages or any kind of sites as a replacement of ordinary tag clouds. Each tag in the Tagul cloud is linked with an URL and is “clickable” that enables visitors to use it for navigation. I created one for my Dovewhisper Computer Centers and had the "tag links" point to my Dovewhisper site instead of Google search. Pretty cool...huh?

0 Fall Technology Staff Developments

GoAnimate.com: Fall Technology Professional Development by Dovewhisper


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

0 TerraClues: The ULTIMATE Google Maps Scavenger hunt game!

TerraClues - the ULTIMATE Google Maps scavenger hunt game!


"TerraClues for Schools is an easy to use tool where teachers can create interactive “scavenger hunts” with Google maps. Teachers can access hundreds of already made TerraClues to use in conjunction with curriculum or create their own TerraClues to fit their classroom needs. Teachers can also create private classrooms where they assign students to specific hunts.
TerraClues hunts can also be shared with other teachers in your school, district, or anywhere in the world. This is a fun way to learn about using maps, curriculum content, and how to navigate the Internet. This site encourages students to learn and implement problem solving skills and learn about different cultures around the world." source

1 Custom Handwriting Template Creator

I came across this site from one of the blogs I am following. The site, IDEAS has created an easy to use application designed especially for students who are working on their penmanship skills.

This online program allows you to create customized print, cursive, D’Nealian print, or D’Nealian cursive worksheets. All you do is type in the text you want your students to practice, click on the generate button and view the practice sheet in a pdf.

~Customized to your specifications~ How cool is that!