Researching the 21st Century Way

A research project is in order. Back in the day, we would go to the library and gather information from the encyclopedia. We may copy pages and then highlight important information or write notes in the margin. Boy have times changed. Now the young researchers will go to the computer and look up information. The challenging part is that while they are trying to refine their skills of locating the important information, the pages are sprinkled with various distractions. Yet this is a task that today’s students need to learn.

Notable Capture allows you to capture a page, select areas and write notes. This will prove to be a valuable resource on many levels. As children begin research on the internet, they need to know how to read a webpage while ignoring the extra items peppering it. The screen shot below shows a webpage where the different areas have been selected. As they are selected, a comment area is available where you can add a description. (The areas inside the yellow boxes are selected. The gray box below Bald Eagle is the comment box.) This would be great for a whole group assignment when teaching students how to read a webpage and locate the information or buttons on it.

The free portion of the site allows you to save up to ten pages in your account. The teacher would locate the resources and add the URL. This would create the screenshot. Once the students log in to your account, they would select the webpage of their group and begin working. If you were to group your students in no more than 4 people per group, you could give them items to look for on a webpage and they could add comments to sections that answer the teacher-directed questions. This would teach them how to read a webpage as well as locate information on it. Until your students are old enough to handle this task on their own, it is highly suggested this is done with adult supervision. Enlist the help of the parent volunteers that offer to assist in the classroom.

One of the best features of the site, as you are learning how to use it, is the chat feature in the lower left hand corner of the screen. Clicking on the tab automatically connects you with someone who can answer all of your questions and will lead you around the site.

How can you use this in the classroom:

collaborative research
evidence of locating information on a webpage
shows proof of claiming if a site valid or relevant to a given topic
beginning steps of a research project
locating main idea/details in an article

Category: interactive white boards, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Uncategorized | LEAVE A COMMENT

January 18

Word Up!

Wordle is a neat way to display a student’s writing in a different way. It may not be a paragraph or have any punctuation, in fact it may not even have a sentence. It will be filled with many, many words.

What it will be is text presented in an artistic way. The text can be adjusted by color pallete, layout and font. Once the words are placed in the window, they can be adjusted as many times as you want. The size of the word depends on the use of it. Looking at the Declaration of Independence below, government is the largest word because it has been used the most. The smaller words are used less frequently. If you were to type the words in yourself, you would type one word several more times than other words to make sure it was larger.

Another example that is similar to Wordle is Tagxedo. Tagxedo offers the same features as Wordle. It also allows the creator to select from various shapes, which will enhance the presentation of the text. Once created, if you roll over the words they become hyperlinks. Clicking on them will take you to a website where you will find more information. (This feature is only available while in the site. Once it is saved as an image, you cannot click on the words.) Below is the same text as above, The Declaration of Independence, but presented in a shape.

How can you use this in the classroom:

create list of traits about a character
description of vocabulary word
words used in a Science or Social Studies unit
synonyms or antonyms
historical documents
back to school activity
book reviews

Category: interactive white boards, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies | LEAVE A COMMENT

January 4

I’m the same size as what???

Get out the rulers, it’s time to measure! The class can measure their books, desks and pencils. They can measure the length of their body or their fingers. What if they measure their ears and feet then take that information and find out which animals are equal to that length? Now your measurement lesson has just connected to the animal unit you are teaching in Science class.

Measure Yourself gives you the ability to do just that! The website has three fields to fill in; one for the ear, the height and the foot. After measuring the body and its parts, enter the data into the field. In seconds, the bottom of the page is filled with various animals that are the same or close to that measurement. There is a catch-the site asks for the measurements in centimeters only. You have two options-first, have the students find the measurements in centimeters, or Second, use a converter to change it from inches to centimeters.

To extend the activity, have the students select an animal and complete research on it. Create a list of criteria such as environment, behavioral and physical adaptations, diet, etc and write a report about it. Another idea is to have the students find all of the information and then compare it to that person. Although they are the same size, do they eat the same amount of food? Do they require the same shelter needs?

Category: interactive white boards, Science | LEAVE A COMMENT

December 31

Wishing for a Great Conversation

You are involved in an engaging conversation. The majority of the students are offering their thoughts, but there are those few that – for one reason or another – prefer not to speak up. You have included them by directing comments and questions to them, yet they prefer not to talk. However when they write they are incredibly expressive and persuasive. Why not tap into their writing abilities so that they can be part of the discussion.

Wall Wisher now offers the students a way to speak their minds in a way they are comfortable doing. Once the wall is created, you can use the title section to pose a question. The subtitle can add some more thought provoking ideas to aide the written conversation. The students will access the “Wall” by typing in a specific URL. There is no log in necessary for them. Once on the site, they will double click the wall to add any thoughts they may have. There is also a section where they can add a hyperlink to their “sticky note”. Each note has field for a name and you have the option to approve all notes before they are posted.

This site can be used solely as the main form of conversation, but what if you are in the middle of a conversation? What if you posed a question and discussed it for a few minutes and then gave the class three minutes of silent time where they only way they could express themselves is through the sites “sticky notes”? This would allow all members of the class to add to the conversation. Once the time is over, display the Wall on a screen or interactive white board and discuss what the students have written.

Other ideas for the site: make this wall an extension for a unit you are teaching by adding hyperlinks on the sticky notes; create a wall for extra credit/extension activities; develop a wall for a homework assignment where the topic is related to your current studies and the students must agree/disagree with a historical decision; or what if you used this as a ‘get-to-know-you’ wall before you begin the school year. It’s uses are only limited to what you can come up with. Click here for more ideas by Tom Barrett.

To set it up is simple. Go to the main page of Wall Wisher. Click on Login/Register in the upper right hand corner of the window. Complete the requested fields and click Done in the lower right hand corner of the window.

Category: interactive white boards, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies | LEAVE A COMMENT