Dave's Tech Blog

As a 4th grade teacher one of the things that frustrated me the most was that the students wouldn’t be able to see the mistakes in their writing. If I was in the classroom now, I would use a program called Audacity to help the students edit their work. I found this out last year when I was working with a fourth grade ESL class. We were going to be videotaping the students reading a piece of their writing. Before I showed up, the teacher had had the students practice reading their stories and had them use an iPod to record themselves. I arrived to videotape the students and was informed that some students weren’t quite ready to be videotaped. After hearing themselves reading their stories, they decided that they still had some editing to do. The teacher was amazed at how many of the students found more mistakes in their writing. They had worked on the revision process of writing throughout the year, but some of the students still couldn’t find mistakes in their writing. Once they heard themselves reading their stories the mistakes suddenly came alive. Not everyone has iPods available to them, but we can all download Audacity. (It is already downloaded on NEISD computers.)

Audacity is a free program that in its simpliest form allows you to record your voice with just a couple of clicks. Once you have a recorded file you can save it and use it in Powerpoints, Web 2.0 programs, post it on a blog, download it to an iDevice or just listen to it on the computer. The great thing about Audacity is that you can do so much more with it. You can use it to edit a sound file, you can add intro music to a file that you have recorded, or you use some of the “Effects” that are included with the program. Once you have finished editing and jazzing up your sound file, Audacity allows you to export the file using several different audio formats including WAV files and  MP3 files. (The first time that you export a file as an MP3 there is an additional step of adding a lame encoder.) There are other programs that may offer more options, but I like Audacity because it is simple to use, I don’t have to rely on an internet connection and I can save it to my computer or a network drive.

Edmodo is quickly becoming a program of choice by many teachers in NEISD. It is a web based program that has a look similar to Facebook, which appeals to students. Many teachers are using it as a way for students to post replys to specific topics or readings that the teachers have assigned. In order to create accounts, all teachers need is the NEISD Campus code for their specific campus (Your campus ITS will be able to send you your campus code.). Then teachers can create their own groups to which students can join. The great thing is that the students have to have the code in order to join the group which allows the teacher to control who is part of the group. Some of the other features include:

• Creating subgroups within a group
• Uploading documents and files that students can have access to
• Accessing edmodo accounts from home
• Students can upload assignments
• Quizes can be assigned
• Teachers can be notified when students post to the group via text or email
• Students can send private messages to teachers

The possibilities for student interaction are almost limitless. This is a great tool for writing and a way to engage your students in the curriculum.

 I went to a training yesterday and was introduced to a website called Quizlet. Quizlet is an online site that allows you to enter information that can be studied in 4 different ways: Flashcards, Speller, Learn and Test. It also includes 2 different study games: Scatter and Space Race.

You do have to create an account to create your own activities, but you are able to search and use activities that have been created by other people without having an account. The free version allows you to add text and search a database for pictures that can be used. If you opt for the paid version, you can upload your own images.

The website incorporates 18 different languages and best of all, it can accessed and used on any device that has internet. If you have an iDevice, you can download the Flashcards* app and actually download sets of flashcards from Quizlet.

Below is a video that gives you a quick overview of the site. I have also included the link in case the video doesn’t want to open on your computer. http://youtu.be/n7QgCZAkIk8

“Art-inspired Storytelling”

Storybird reverses the process of visual storytelling by starting with the image and “unlocking” the story inside. Choose an artist or a theme, get inspired, and start writing. (Quoted from Storybook web site)

This is the whole idea behind the Web 2.0 program Storybird. The authors first decide what artwork that they want to use in their story and then they write their story around the artwork.

To create a story an author previews the ever growing database of artwork to choose the illustrator for their book. Then they begin creating their story using the very friendly interface. The story begins with a Cover page and 1 page to write on. To add another page all you have to do is click the “Add a Page” button. I was able to add 94 pages to my story.

On each page there is a text box in which you can type your story. To add pictures, all you have to do is drag the pictures to the page. One of the cool features that this site offers is the ability to read other stories that have been created. This is a great way for the students to get inspiration for their own stories. 

To fully utilize the site, you will need to create an account. The great part is that you can add students to your account. With the free version, the teacher has to enter each individual student manually and the program generates  generic password for the student. You can immediately edit the password, but if you don’t change the password for the students, they will be prompted to change it the first time they login. One of the cool features is that a student can share his/her story with another student from his/her class. This allows students collaborate on the story together.

Another reason that I like this site is that your stories are not public unless you publish them. Therefore my class could create  stories, share them with their classmates but not have to share them with the public. On the other hand, another class could publish their stories and gather feedback from readers who can comment on the stories.

Storybird is a great tool for that student who loves to write and that student that has a hard time getting started. To learn more about Storybird, watch the video below.

Storybird Quick Tour from Storybird on Vimeo.