Tool #3

This would be a great tool for having the students work with synonyms. The students could create a list of words to use in place of commonly used words. For example, I listed words that could replace the word “happy” in a writing prompt. Or the students could create lists of words that deal with a certain topic. For example, the students could make a wordle about “cycles”.

Where Miss Parker has visited

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

The Big Huge Labs map maker would be a great way to introduce the 50 states unites each grade works on. The students could make a map about the different states they have studied in the past or the states they have visited as a method to jog their memory from previous years.

Tool #2

1. What are your thoughts about building an online education community and participating in a PNL?
I think it's a great idea! There are so many great resources out there for educators to share with each other, but are typically limited to only sharing them with those close to them physically. This would allow educators to have more options when it comes to preparing for the classroom.
I also liked how the PNL video talked about teaching students how to use a PNL not only for school, but in regards to interactions with strangers online. Students are using online sites, but are not being taught what information is safe to give out or in what format it is okay to talk to someone they do not know outside of the online world. We teach students about fire safety and strangers on the street. In this day and age I think we also need to teach them about strangers online.

2. What point stood out to you from the commenting advice?
There were two points that stood out to me. The first being to comment meaningfully. I think back to what people right on facebook "cool" "yeah" "agreed". If these friends
added more depth to the comments I could understand why they like something I have posted or what specifically they agree with me about on a comment.
The second thing that stood out to me what teaching the students how to responded in a meaningful way that not only led insight into their mind, but generated a conversation online. I would like to use bloggs in my classroom to have the students write about the book they are currently reading. If a student just responded to another student with "I like that book to." I would have no idea why the second student liked to the book. However, if that second student responded with "I enjoyed the character of ...", then there could be an online discussion about the different characters and their traits. A conversation would be much more enjoyable and meaningful than a comment.

3. What five blogs did you select for your comments?
I have chosen to respond to bloggs from Sherwood. I have chosen Kindertracs, Thinking thoughts, The Tech-Teacher Experiment, Savcic's Savants, and Fatigued Teacher.

Tool #1

Hello! After several hours and many questions, my blog is now set up!!!! This first tool required me to set up a blog and an avatar. The latter of these I did not even know existed till an hour ago.

Now that I know how to make and use this tool I feel confident in being able to use it with my students. I think this would be a great activity to use in our computer lab time. The students could use their blogs to post reviews of books they have recently read. This would allow the students a new outlet to writing and a way for them to hear about books they might now have heard about prior to reading their friends blog.

The creating of an avatar would be an insight into the students personalities at the beginning of the school year. Seeing what details and changes they made to the basic structure of the characters would let me see who is conservative or outgoing.