Holistech2008 Resources – Summer 2008
Agnes Szpala
I would like to share two online resources that I found helpful. The first one is geared towards young children in kindergarten or grade one and the second technology tip is a great website to use when you are looking to go on vacation.
I used this website when I was teaching my junior and senior kindergarten students. This website is a create tool to use when teaching students their alphabet and letter sounds (phonics). The website is www.starfall.com. Here you will find interactive games, reading with Zac the Rat, learn new songs, and even have a chance to explore different genres while reading plays, nonfiction, comics etc. There are interactive games that incorporate different themes like winter and reading. For example, if you click on the snowman, it teaches the student the sounds that "ow" make, then how to write snowman, and then the student gets to build a snowman on the computer. I used this website with my grade K students and they loved going to the computer and listening to the letters and the sounds that letters make and also seeing the different objects that begin with that letter. I would recommand this website to anyone who is teaching a grade K class or even grade one. I would also use this site for ESL students in the primary grades as well. The site is very colourful, has lots of pictures, and it has someone talking too, so that ESL students would also benefit from using such a website. I had a lot of success with this website when I used it and the students really loved learning phonics, reading, and letter recognition.
This website is a great tool for anyone who is planning a vacation.
I've used this website many times to book my resorts when I was going the
Carribean. This site has information on the resort you want to stay,
how the resort is rated by others who've stayed there, and the best part
is that it actually has real pictures and video clips by those who've stayed
at the resort. Therefore, you can view all the pictures of the resort
and see how it actually looks before booking your trip. I recommand
this website to anyone planning a vacation.
4Teachers.org Teach with Technology is definitely a resource worth visiting - http://www.4teachers.org/. As described on the homepage “4Teachers.org works to help you integrate technology into your classroom by offering online tools and resources.” The site provides users with links to many instructional resources and professional development opportunities. There are also reflections by teachers and students “Success Stories” that highlight the use of technology in the classroom. One article for example describes how kindergarten students were introduced to a computer mouse – “Using Technology with Kindergarten Students” and another article focuses on two ninth graders – “Student project inspires an entire school.”
The site is created by ALTEC the Advanced Learning Technologies project at the University of Kansas (http://www.altec.org/). You can also take a look at ALTEC-created resources through short video clips on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZPAbflFwAg.
I've been thinking about wikis and I how can use one in my department
next year - it's a large department, and it would be a useful tool to share
and store resources. I'm just wondering if anyone knows of safe online
resources/carriers to create wikis? I've come across http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers100K
If you're interested in cooperative learning then this website is a must: http://www.jigsaw.org
The website provided an introduction to using the cooperative learning strategy in your classroom. There is an overview plus "Jigsaw in 10 Easy Steps." Threre are tips on how to implement jigsaw in your classroom, as well as a variety of information resources to support implementing jigsaw in your classroom. If you have been wanting to try new cooperative learning strategies in your classroom then this website will help you to implement jigsaw. Have Fun!
ps. Another great website for cooperative learning is http://www.co-operation.org/
pps. The above link will help you to get started in cooperative
learning and see what it's all about!
So, as I am immersing myself into the course content, I felt alittle overwhelmed because I do not have any background in holistic education (or truthfully, what it actually is). So, after searching onlne, I came across the following website. It gives great examples and helped me to better understand what holistic education is.
http://www.holistic-education.net/
I wanted to share
http://library.albany.edu/imc/pdf/html-xhtml_tag_sheet.pdf with you all.
In my first on-line course I found that I would write something in word and it would lose formatting in the WebKF. This started me on a journey to learn a little more about HTML coding. It was surprisingly not too difficult. At any rate, if you are new to the on-line course or have never ventured down the HTML road, this site is a nice beginning.
Remember, when the sheet says <b></b>, you need to write the word(s) you want bolded between -- so for Hello you would write <b>Hello</b>. Cut and past the code, I find it easiest.
The one I find most useful is to make a website “linkable”, you would type <a href="http://www.google.com">http://www.google.com</a> The first http://www.google.com (in quotations) is the text that would appear with the blue underline, and the second http://www.google.com would be the actual link to the page you are referencing.
I found this neat site (very much in line wth our course really)
As the site suggests it is a "social networking site for those interested
in Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies in education".
I am building a WIKI with Professor James Hewitt for one of my other courses. I am a contributing member to this wiki and did not put the site together. However, I find that if one has to learn about the topic one is pursing to improve ones understanding, DEEPER-LEARNING (Higher order thinking) takes place.
The link is http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=11264
I believe that all web enabled tools can be customized so that the user should be able to create a product that is navigable, readable and easily understood. This resource is on "web design" and even though the slant is on Library systems, there is general information on the relevance of wikis and how they can be used to build learning communities.
This invitation just came to my attention. It is from a compant called Desire2Learn (a Canadian Company) that facilitates conferences totally online using LMS platforms. Since this is the main topic of the Metal Team, it is timely and I am sharing my invitation to all who can avail themselves. Peruse the link and see if it interests you.
The event will take place entirely over the Internet on October 8 and 9, 2008. A special pre-conference workshop, hosted by Fielding Graduate University, will be held on October 7, 2008. Register now and get early-bird registration savings AND a special discount coupon just for LearningTimes members.
For more information visit: HYPERLINK http://www.onlineteachingandlearning.com
Michael Menheere
Web creation is definitely the weakest part of my skill set for this course. In searching for some resources for my individual project, I came upon this site that is a built-up collection of design ideas, resources and help tutorials.
HYPERLINK http://www.webdesignerwall.com
I thought I would share two interesting web resources that I have used
recently.
http://www.travelblog.org
You could use this in multiple settings and document pictures and journals
on your travels. You can then share it with family and friends, etc.
I had used this website for documenting a number of my trips and found
it very useful. You can document as much as you want and upload as
many pictures as you like.
http://webopedia.com
This is a great resource if you are looking for Internet or computer
definitions. Great for when you come across a techy word and you
want to find out more information about it. It is also great for
techy acronyms. I used to use it all the time for defining terms
when I was building courses on technology.
I wanted to share this lin with you. On the website you can sign-up for a great newsletter sent once a week. the newsletter provides some great information on online learning and also design methods for curriculum designers.
http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/
This is a version of a page of fun things to do I originally created for students for study week - you may find a few of these work for you as well. http://astralsite.com/learn/learningfun.html
Resources from the 2007 class for Holistech2008 - http://www.astralsite.com/1799/1799-07resources.html
Resources from 2008 Spring class for Holistech 2008 -
Resrouces from 2008 Spring class for WebKF notes -
Tracey Germa
Here is a link to a wiki I've been using with my dramatic arts class (grade 9 Integrated Arts group - ie. they are part of an auditioned program). The wiki was set up because a student was going to be out of the country and we wanted to keep her collaborating with us, but the whole thing got bigger and better. I actually ended up using my development of the wiki as part of my research for my last course on Knowledge Building and was please with how well the wiki worked as part of the creative process.
The site is at http://integratedartsdrama.pbwiki.com/
I will leave the wiki with the following "invite key" for now - Integrated
After the end of the class I will change the invite key. Please remember that this is a private, classrom-based wiki, so I'd ask that you not respond to or post on the wiki. I ALSO ASK/REQUIRE THAT YOU "DESELECT" THE "NOTIFY ME OF CHANGES" OPTION WHEN YOU ARE LOGGING IN... AS YOU DON'T WANT YOUR EMAIL ADDY SHARED WITH OTHERS AND YOU DON'T WANT STUDENT EMAILS SHARED WITH YOU.
In doing some research for my post about what the Wood team is asking this week I found the following catch-all site that looks to be quite valuable and very comprehensive.
Here are two great sites for connecting students around the world: really creating a global community
http://www.globalschoolnet.org/index.cfm
Global school net is new to me, but iEarn is one I've worked with in the past and they are an incredible opportunity for students and staff to connect.
I've used pbwiki before and am using it again for this classes' project. It's free, easy, accessible and they always email me interesing "tips" and helpful workshop links. This week they're offering a free 6-week online class on how to start using a wiki in your classroom and have it ready for September use.
The site is http://www.pbwiki.com
The PB stands for peanut butter - as in it's as easy as making a peanut butter sandwhich.
an INCREDIBLE resource of what the true innovators of our time are doing.
In particular, do a search for "bottle robots" and see what you get!!! (or, here's the direct link - http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/theo_jansen_creates_new_creatures.html )
Truly an example of what holistic thought can create.
Nancy Sotiropoulos
I would like to share with you a resource that provides news stories and headlines from around the world all on one site. This site lists all the newspapers, newsletters and magazines for hundreds of countries and it provides headlines and articles so that you and your students can get a global perspective on the issues occurring on a daily basis. You can search for stories by region and compare how the same story is explored by different journalists and different countries (great for teaching media literacy). It also provides a profile of every country that includes a map, the flag and demographic information (great for geography of world issues class). There is even a link specifically for students and educators. These are just a few of the features on this site. Check it out.
The site is World Press.org and the link is: http://worldpress.org/index.htm
Patti Thomas
My head is spinning with all the new resources, information and possibilities for learning and teaching. WHEW!
I am currently working through Understanding By Design by Wiggins and McTighe which approaches curriculum design and unit planning "backwards." In other words, you start with the desired results, the goals both of the Ministry and course, proceed to assessment evidence which is to be authentic and relevant and then to the teaching strategies and learning activities. I will be leading my staff through this course when our teachers return to school in the next few days.
A very helpful website has been http://www.ubd.org
which includes a data bank of courses that have been developed by teachers
using Understanding By Design . To access these courses, you must
subscribe, however, if convinced that this approach to curriculum
development produces units that cause students to grow in their thinking,
in problem solving, in transferable skills authentically and relevantly
using differentiated instruction, then it is worth pursuing a greater understanding
of how it works.