Tools Reviews 2 - Storytelling Tools - Storybird

Tool Reviews # 2 - Storytelling Tools - Story bird

I reviewed the storytelling tool Storybird. It is a program that uses art to inspire writing.

The website prompts new users to create an account. You can login as an individual or as an educator. I chose educator - this option allows you to share your account with your students. You are prompted to put in your class information and then your class list. There are several options that you can chose for putting in a class list. I skipped this since I wasn't actually using associating a class with this project.

You can use Storybird to create assignments for students.  It is a simple format of naming and describing the activity. You can upload media to describe the activity. You set the parameters and the due date and the activity is ready to go.

The website doesn't really come with a tutorial or directions but is easy to navigate all the same. I first read a few stories under the read tab to see what was out there. Then I decided to write my own story. It takes you to the artwork page where you can choose to scroll through or pick different tags to look at the art. When you find a picture you like, you can choose that piece of artwork. You have three options for writing - long form, which is multi chapters, picture which is shorter, or poem. I did a picture book first and then a poem second.

<iframe width="400" height="400" src="//storybird.com/poetry/poem/ayg8a5r678/embed/" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen seamless scrolling="no"></iframe>

<iframe width="436" height="272" src="//storybird.com/books/a-magical-night-16/embed/?token=tafrdwrucv" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen seamless scrolling="no"></iframe>

These are not free for all writing activities. The picture book provided you the pictures available from the artist that you originally chose and you craft a story around it. The poem provided a set of pre-selected words for the art chosen. If you do not like the words you can request new words or select new art.

This is a fun site that is very simple to use, I could definitely see myself using this with younger children. The words and even the punctuation are available in the poem option. Younger children would be able to navigate this site with minimal help. Storybird would be a great site to use to incorporate digital media into the writing process.


There is also a very nice You Tube tutorial that explains Story bird, as well.

Using Voice Thread - PLN # 3

Using Voice Thread
Below is my Voice Thread project.

<iframe width="480" height="270" src="https://voicethread.com/app/player/?threadId=6905819" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I had never used Voice Thread and found the video tutorials to be very helpful. I do not have any type of media saved on my computer that was appropriate for the project we were asked to complete so I decided to make my Voice Thread using Power Point. I'm familiar with Power Point so using this technology was an easy way to make my first Voice Thread. I googled some pictures for illustrations and found the words to my story from a book I had on hand from Reading A-Z entitled How Frogs Grow.  Once I had my Power Point set up it was easy to make a Voice Thread account and make my first project. So, for this project, I needed to be familiar with google, how to save pictures to my computer, how to use Power Point, and how to use Voice Thread.

I can  see where this technology would be useful in a classroom. I really liked how easy it was to record audio and leave comments. This would be great for group projects especially since students can use and edit the program at the same time. You could use Voice Thread to create and share projects and learning experiences from classrooms around the globe. If you were using this to discuss current events you could get first hand accounts from students who are living in the part of the world where the event is taking place. I could also see this being used for make up snow day projects by districts.

I googled how to use Voice Thread with k-3 graders and the K-3 Teachers Resources that asks users to comment on how they use different types of technology in the classroom.  http://www.k-3teacherresources.com/technology-in-the-classroom.html#.VY-DxulREcA

If you scroll down to the first comment about Voice Thread (11-10-2012 posted by Donn) it links you a Voice Thread that was done by Mrs. Jones' first grade class in 2009. They created their own story page to the prompt If you give a __ a __.  The children narrated the story and what looks like parents made comments on the pages. It's one way to use this type of technology with younger students that I would definitely try in my classroom.

Transliteracy Tool Review #1

ePub Bud
http://www.epubbud.com/

This is a website used to create and read ebooks.

When you first go to the website it looks cluttered and unpolished. If I hadn't gotten this site from the list I would have thought I had wandered into something spam like and would have closed my browser.

You have to register to use the site - name and email address. When you log in it takes you the home page where you can browse, create, convert and sell ebooks. I would be hesitant to send a young child to this page with out an adult providing guidance. There are several links on this page that navigate you away from the home page.

I decided to look at some of the free kids books offered first. These appear to be books authored by children for children. I tried out two books. The first wouldn't format correctly - you were supposed be able to click on the arrows to go through the book. Instead it came out as one long scroll down page that was jumbled and hard to read. The next book formatted correctly but not all of the pictures would load and it had a very long lag time between pages. There are also advertisements on the pages to click on. The ones I saw were from Scholastic.

I decided to make a book. I clicked on the link and it took me to a page with boxes to put in information. I could put in the title. It filled in the author and illustrator information from what I provided when I signed up. It fills in a publish date and you can choose the language and age range. You can pick your book type - picture or chapter, put in a story summary, and choose a cover image. You then have to put in a code from a box (like you would for a security measure).

After this it takes you to a page that looks like a typical word document. You can type in the box and add video, image, or audio files from your computer. I clicked on the image icon to see what happens and it popped up a box with a paragraph in it that was not in English so I have no idea what it said. I tried to close the box and nothing happened so I had to hit my back button which took me back to the create your ebook page. I had to reenter all of my information to try again. I got back to where I could enter text typed in a website. I clicked on the button to make it hypertext and a box popped up. Cue the last problem I had with the same results.

I was pretty frustrated with the whole thing by this point. I went back in to make some pages for my book. I wanted to upload some pictures but I could only choose files from my computer. I don't have pictures or videos or audio files on my computer and I didn't want to go through the trouble of finding something on the web to save to my computer to upload to this book I was trying to make.


STUCK!!

So I went in and typed some gibberish into the slides. You save changes when you are done and you are given the option of publishing publicly or not. If you don't the book is only viewable if you know the URL. I clicked through the book and then went back to the home page. I thought the book would be saved to may account. That was an erroneous assumption. I didn't write down the URL and because I didn't publish publicly I couldn't look it up. Perhaps it saved somewhere but I wasn't able to find it again.

I really would NOT recommend this book publishing site to anyone. It was frustrating and hard to use. I can't see children being able to navigate this site effectively.

Writing and illustrating my own story is one of my fondest memories of grade school. I still have all of the books I authored. I think doing so using an online tool would be an excellent way to incorporate technology into the classroom (although I loved sewing my book together and having the hard copy all these years later). We used the website Little Bird Tales last semester and it was everything this website was not. I would recommend trying out that website if you are interested in epublishing with your students. https://www.littlebirdtales.com/

Personal Learning Networks

I hadn't heard of a personal learning network before this class. Since I've been learning about PLN's and what they encompass I've been reflecting back on the years I've spent learning and networking and how that has impacted my work as a teacher.

Learning came in two forms. I was sent to a conference - that I didn't get to choose - or I had an "in house" training on a topic - that I didn't get to choose. Networking came from talking shop with the same work colleagues that I saw every day or exchanging business cards with strangers around the punch table while awkwardly making small talk. Personal didn't factor into the equation; my hope was that something would be discussed that was relevant to what I teach and that I could actually utilize in my day to day work. This usually didn't pan out.

So for me a PLN is a customized experience of my own choosing. It's personal because I've made the choice to participate, I've chosen the manner in which I participate, and I interact with others at my own comfort level. The learning that takes place is designed by me on the topics that I feel would be most beneficial for myself and my classroom. Networking is done on a global scale across many types of platforms. This really lets me stay as up to date as possible on any given topic.

The best thing, for me, is that a PLN is available 24/7. I don't have to worry about cost, travel, or rearranging my schedule to fit in time to learn. Also, PLN's are populated by a wide variety of professionals. This means I can join groups and discussions with teachers, principals, professors, and other experts of the field and utilize perspectives from across the board. This website tells a little bit about just what a PLN is and includes some really nice videos http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/pln-challenge-1-what-the-heck-is-a-pln/

In doing my research on PLN I've come to conclude that the main definition of PLN is sharing, collaborating, and learning also know as connectivism or learning from diverse social webs. This article describes the concept of connectivism in a little more detail
http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm

This website http://gettingsmart.com/2013/01/20-tips-for-creating-a-professional-learning-network/ is a general site for tips to set up a PLN and the general etiquette surrounding responsible use. I liked the distinction made between personal and professional information and the tips for keeping the two separate. It also has many different ways to network through the use of technological tools that I've never heard of. If I want to be transliterate then I have to keep up with the different options available for use. I have to keep learning so that I can keep teaching!

I think these 10 tips for someone just starting a PLN were very useful http://gettingsmart.com/2012/01/personal-learning-networks-for-educators-10-tips/
I'm the type of person to get easily frustrated with technology especially if I don't feel the reward is justifiable to the amount of effort put forth. These tips address this issue and encourage a bit of patience while you establish your network.

Overall, a PLN will help me grow as a teacher both in and out of the classroom. I have a professional obligation to myself to continue to learn and grow in my field and PLN's seem like a great way to stay in touch with what is going on now in education all over the world. I can ask questions, debate topics, or tell about all the great things I'm doing in my classroom. I can then use that knowledge to enhance my teaching. I can also use PLN's to create virtual learning scenarios with other teachers and classrooms anywhere in the world. The uses and advantages of a PLN grow every day and are only a click away!

First Blog - introduction and response to A Teenager's View on Social Media

Hi, I’m Melody Johnson.  I live in Orrville and graduated from Ashland University with my BA in ECE in 2007. After I graduated I wasn’t able to find a permanent teaching position and took a position working for the ELI program at Childtime, Inc. That led to an administrative ELI position with Wayne/Medina Co. Community Action in early 2008. Unfortunately for me, later that year the state budget needed to be balanced a little more effectively and what the government gives, the government can take away, and the ELI program was no more.  I was lucky in the fact that I was able to be shuffled to the Head Start Department. I ended up liking the position and have stayed with it since then.

I am a Family Visitor with Early Head Start. I work with pregnant moms through the birth of their children and children up to the age of 3. I conduct weekly lessons in the home of the pregnant mom or child. I follow a curriculum and create individual lessons based on the educational needs of the family and child. Much of my work is focused on educating the parents on best practices for their specific child, providing social service intervention, and wrap around work with other agencies that the family might be involved with.

While I enjoy what I do and feel very positive about the impact of my work with the families I serve, my original objective was to work in an elementary classroom and so I decided to revisit that goal. It had been a while since I had graduated and I decided to make myself more marketable and brush up on current teaching methodologies, and so here I am.

I currently use Facebook and Goodreads as my preferred social media. I have a Pintrest account but never use it. I consider myself to be more of an observer. I have one person on Facebook that I occasionally chat with and I think this is more of a holdover from the days when we used to Instant Message each other. I do not post pictures of myself (I’ve never taken a selfie), I rarely post status updates (maybe once a month), and I don’t request friends unless I know the person in more than a casual manner (although I usually can’t resist adding a friend if someone else requests it first).  I don’t join groups and I don’t play games.

I’m a bit more active on Goodreads due to the fact that it is less personal and about the books – if you make it that way. I enjoy reading book reviews and I occasionally review books myself. I have “friended” people on Goodreads that I do not know because I have similar tastes in books or enjoy reading the reviews they post. I was familiar with most of the other types of social media described by the author – Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr – but have never felt compelled to try them out.  I had never heard of Yik Yak or Medium.

The most interesting part the author’s article, to me, wasn’t his take on the types of technology kids his age are using but the overarching idea that everyone was using something. It’s pretty obvious that as a means to social interaction I couldn’t care less about technology. I respect its purpose and power, and am eager to try out new methods of teaching using technology, but it isn’t an ingrained necessity. To me, it’s just another tool.

I have a 17 year old nephew and sometimes I think if you took away his smartphone, laptop(s), desktop(s), tablet(s), and gaming systems he might keel over on the spot from the sudden lack of electromagnetic radiation in his personal space. (He’s also studying for a future in web/computer design, lest you think him horribly spoiled).  These objects that he uses to interact with the world aren’t just a means to an end or another tool to him. They’re part of his social consciousness and are inextricably intertwined with his daily life. That has huge implications, especially for me as a teacher that will be gathering 25 children of a certain age into a classroom that all have my nephew’s mindset. I have to teach to the society they are growing up in, not in the one I did.

I’d really like to say thanks if you actually managed to stick with this and read all the way through. I’ve never written a blog before and this turned out more like a paper I had to turn in for a class than personal thoughts or reflections. Hopefully I’ll be able to loosen up a bit as I do this more!