This is...

This is...

Click on the link above <This is> to see the Animoto video that I made for an example of a class assignment.

Using Animoto for Class Introductions

About the Assignment
I don’t know about you, but student introductions (especially for online classes) are generally pretty boring. And if I’m bored, you know they are bored. Ever since I started having students make Animoto slide shows as a part of their course introduction, two things have happened:

• All of the students read and watch one another’s introductions, many of them responding to one another; and
• I’ve regained the “blink” moment the first day of class with each student.

Although some people would argue that having a student use a new technology, at the beginning of the class, with no intention of having them use the technology again is bad form, I have found that it is totally worth the effort. Most students do not have a problem with the technology, especially after I found the “how to use Animoto video” and made my own “how to embed Animoto in WebCT” video. Although I’ve never explicitly asked, I’m willing to be lots of students promptly embedded their video in their Facebook page and/or made another one to share with friends and family.

Animoto is great because it easily allows individuals to upload pictures and includes a large variety of music under the Creative Commons licensing structure, so students don’t break copyright. I used Jing (http://jingproject.com/) to make the video about embedding the Animoto video in WebCT. Jing is free software, so you can easily make your own video showing students how to embed in your school’s LMS.

Assignment Prompt

Purpose
Introduce yourself to your classmates and your instructor.

Instructions
Create an account at http://animoto.com

• Gather 5-12 digital photos of yourself, family, etc... (Use photos you've taken yourself; if you do not have photos, you can search for some at http://search.creativecommons.org/)
• Make a 30 second introduction video using Animoto (use their music, not your own. Do not break copyright!)

In Discussion Board, introduce yourself and include why you are in the class, and something interesting about yourself (you actually write this portion). Then, paste in your Animoto video. Finally, make sure you go check out your classmates introductions. Say "hi" to one another.

Rage against the Machine...Really?... Yes, Really!

Too many machines; not enough usage. ...Or so 'they' say. Well, the machines ARE being used! -as typewriters and word processors. Let's learn how to leverage those tools! Students know how to use them for sloppy seconds... ummm I mean; sloppy copy and paste... that many instructors don't bother to notice.... "it must be too much work"... or "it's not my job"...."I don't get paid enough to check for plagiarism".
So.... what else can be done with those fantastic machines hooked to the interwebs beyond check facebook, post to instagram and snapchat?
Check these ideas out.... get some new ideas, try them out and share in the ORG.  Be sure to share failures... because especially when things don't turn out all nice and neat and tidy.... that is when the most learning occurs.... Students need to observe how we handle stress -how do we correct a slip-up; how do persons with an Advanced Degree handle themselves when those thorns surface among that carefully planned lesson? -Of course.... we take a deep breath; we ask the students if they have any ideas for a work-around; ask how they might solve the problem; ask if any of them have experience with the particular program or know of a better one; rely on non-digital technology... or just sit down and hold your head in your hands, take a deep breath, and begin again. No shame in starting over, just as we would tell our students.
So, take a look; love them or leave them.
Lets begin a conversation.
Lets share ideas.
Let me know what worked and what did not and why.
Tell me what your students thought!
Keep your artifacts to share with another in-service!

QR Codes ~ Summer 2013 Class Projects

My summer Speaking and Listening II class completed research and each group composed a Blog to upload their learning artifacts to.
Please click through the pages, and leave any comments either for the students or for me.
They did initial research and completed a Formal Action Plan to determine who would be impacted, how much time the project should take, how much it should cost, and their plan of attack.  Although some groups initially projected a financial expenditure -especially if Ivy Tech decided to utilize their work to make stickers or actual business cards, the entire project took approximately three weeks; cost nothing, as the students used the existing technology in their smart phones, and they completed a Reflection at the end to ponder what they had actually learned by engaging in this project. Their metacognitive awareness impressed me, as I constantly challenged them to think about how they could utilize these skills 'in real life' and in their further studies.
Following then, find the url's to their work.
Alpha Group's Blog
TAKBR Blog
Mind Master's Group
Master Mind's Blog

It is time to Travel.... The Assignment

The Internet can be a very valuable source to all people, particularly when they need to get information quickly and successfully. Traveling on the Internet can be just as enjoyable for cyber surfers as it is for tourists. Not all people have the resources to travel, so the Internet offers an opportunity that they may not otherwise be given.

·        By completing this WebQuest, you will

o   cooperate  with your peers

o  gain knowledge

o   learn about your selected destination and 
-gain technological skills

o   create electronic products, and

·         -improve your persuasive writing skills

·        and incorporate collected material for an Oral Presentation

Digital Travel Brochure / Oral Presentation

You will complete the following WebQuest on the Internet at the following address: 

http://bit.ly/13b9Wuq

Evaluation

---

Each group member will be given an individual grade as well as a group grade (if working in a group).

Group members will be graded individually based on:

• the fulfillment of his/her job - Role
• the quality of material included in the brochure
• the content, organization, and mechanics of the persuasive writing
• the creativity executed to complete the work
• the neatness exhibited in the final product

Grades will be based on:

• the overall appearance of the final products
• the collaborative effort exhibited to complete each of the projects
• the fulfillment of the project criteria 

 Each Individual (or Your Group) will produce:

• One Digital Presentation -Choose one from the following: (all will be posted in IvyLearn)
• Power Point Presentation of 10 slides (5 words per slide) (Rubric provided)
• Animoto 
• Prezi
• Glogster (EDU.glogster.com) -be sure to use ONLY your school email address and password.
• One Wordle Poster (choose from this page: https://bit.ly/2J1ZEW3)
• One Oral Presentation of no more than 5 minutes (Rubric provided)
• Each person in your group must speak during the Oral Presentation
• You must submit a full References page in APA format that states where you got your information. Please break the information into sections and list the citations per section. An example will be I. Digital Resources II. Photos III. Print Resources -all references are listed by authors last name, and alphabetized by author's last name. Any resource that does not have a name attached, you will use the title as the name. Be sure to capture the date visited and the url. Check the APA format that is listed in the Student Resources in the course LMS (Ivy Learn).

8/365: Traveling the world...

8/365: Traveling the world..., a photo by kristina.yamamoto on Flickr.

Adventure

Passport

Passport, a photo by seantoyer on Flickr.

American Passport