Digital Examples

Book Talk

If you have been wondering what a digital book recommendation or book talk sounds like here is an example for you. Te program used to record this was GarageBand. I recorded the voice on a PC, converted it to an MP3 and loaded it into garage band. I would actually recommend recording directly into GarageBand. As you can tell from the sound quality the importing of the voice file was not the best. I converted a file within Itunes to an MP3 and this worked very well. The newest version allow you to do this by right clicking on the file and choosing Convert to MP3. If you have an older version please go here. Follow the directions exactly. Happy recording!

Digital Stories

There are so many ways to tell a story. Ever tried it using digital media? Using Windows Movie Maker is a great way of doing this, but there are free programs that you can download. This example uses PhotoStory 3.

There are many ways you could use this media within your classroom. I do not have a release from parents for this blog, but we have begun a project that will set up classroom norms for next year's students using this media. I think it will be great and the students can leave a legacy of sorts for the class that will be coming up and taking their place.

VoiceThread

This is a form of internet media that I was unfamiliar with, but it has been a lot of fun to use. I have used this twice. The first was to communicate with a classroom in Spain to help them learn English. Some of the media has been removed because I was just learning school district politics and found out I had to have a release from parents, so if some images do not have audio please be patient. I am getting there! The next time I used this was in order to conduct student interviews regarding science education. There is a great tutorial on the main Voice Thread page and if you are an educator you will get a discount. However, its basic service is FREE.

Photos

We all want digital rights and our students need images for projects. There is a A LOT out there when you Google or Bing something. To be honest, much of it is not appropriate for young eyes. So here are my recommendations:

Flickr: You may need to create a classroom account for your students to access and possibly even to hold images that could be helpful when pulling together projects. The site is worth the hassle. My one gripe about teachers who use tis service is that they often do not give credit to the site or the photographer. Remember to teach your students to site their sources.

MorgueFile: Historical photos abound within this site! Just try it out by searching for Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks and you will see what I mean. Also use this for photography classes. Just click on classroom on the site! It is a wealth of photographic information. And as usual, please remember to site your sources.

The Pioneer Woman: Known mainly for her cooking blog (it is amazing, BTW), Ree Drummond also runs a portion of her site that is dedicated to photography lesson. Check it out with your class. Also, all images are safe for the classroom. Which is doubly nice!

Blogs and reputable web sites

As you can see from this site, there is a blog role. I recommend ANY of the sites you see, but I do have favorites:

DyDan is a site that I read EVERY Saturday morning while I drink my coffee. I am a happily married woman, but I promise you that if I was not I would make sure Mr. Meyer knew about me. His mind is amazing and his tips for teachers are universal. PLEASE read it!!!!! Did I mention that I love math and science education

Larry Ferlazzo has a lot to say and because of this his posts are lengthy. DO NOT let this scare you away. As an educator, his words are meant to inform and educate other educators. His forte is ELL students, but his posts address general education as well. Read this one on the bus on your way in to teach and be inspired!

PHanson is a first year teacher in the Seattle School district. I pronounce his blog name Fanson for fun. This teacher is in the throws of budget talks, a large classroom in a Title I school, making teaching relevant to a specific population, and so much more. His posts can often times be fun and informative all at once. Many of them are compelling and insightful. This is a definite must read for all teachers within his district and to all of you are aspiring teachers. Also, please comment. He WILL answer back and has some really wonderful advice. This is a Wednesday night read for me. Not sure why, but it just makes sense for my life and the for this blog in my life.

Ever tried to pick a "just right" book for a middle schooler? It's a difficult task. Also, young adult books roll off the presses now as frequently as bunnies have babies. My solution has been Reading Rants. The site is reputable, has been around for over ten years, and the best part is that teachers contribute to the site. If you are not a middle school teacher then use this site for a summer reading list. Put down Moby Dick and read something your students might read!

Need to find the level of that book your students is reading to make sure it is a "just right" book for them. Me too!! I have not read all of them! So I use one of two tools: Scholastic's Book Wizard is right on their front page or I go to the ALA site. You can also print a list of Caldecott and Newberry winners from the ALA site.

Me

Want to find out more about me and my life as a teacher? Take a look at my personal blog and I will see you all around the blogosphere!