Lesson+Activities

__**Using Blogs in the Classroom**__

One way to use blogs would be to find one on a topic being taught, and use it to open up a class discussion. Students could have a debate based on their own opinions of what was in the blog. Another use would be for the students to actually create their own blog for writing assignments, reading reflections, comic strip presentations, clarification of assignments, peer editing, pre- and post discussions, etc.

While working through this unit, I have looked at many blog sites. I like EduBlog for collaborating with other teachers and sharing ideas. For the students, I would use the Yahoo Blog Directory if they were conducting a search. It provides categories to choose from and seems more student friendly.

Currently, my students have been provided with the identity of an immigrant. They are to use the information about their person and what they have learned about immigration to write an autobiography about their trip to America. We are working on this in small pieces. So far, the students have written a "Portrait Paragraph" describing themselves and another paragraph about their reasons for leaving their homeland. It would be awesome to have the students write these short pieces in a blog and then they would have everything all together as they were working. Additionally, they could share ideas with their peers. I will definitely look into that for next year.

__**Using Wikis in the Classroom**__

I teach 6th grade learning support and I co-teach inclusion classes for science and social studies. 6th grade seems to be the year when students are expected to begin working on group projects outside of school. This year my students participated in a science lab called "The Naked Bear". They had to use a coffee can and find a way to insulate it so that it would keep water warmer than a can without any insulation. They worked in a group to create the "bear" and to complete the data, graphs, and final lab report. There were many issues for the children trying to get together outside of class. Some of the groups divided up the work and agreed to have their parts on the due date. Problems arose when some students did not complete their part of the project. Imagine if they would have been working on a wiki. All students in the group could have seen what each person was doing and if a piece was missing. It would also eliminate the need for the students to get together in person.


 * __Google Apps in the Classroom__**

In Language Arts class this year, my students wrote narrative pieces where the main character had the ability to fly. The students loved writing this story. Each day we would share what each person had added the day before, and then they would get feedback from their peers about where they might go with their story next. With the use of **blogs and Google docs** the students could write these stories on Google docs and link them to their blog. The rest of the class could see the Google doc and they could respond with their ideas in the blog.

I work with an instructional assistant in my classroom. I often have lists of things for her to do. Using a **Google doc** for this, would allow me to constantly add things, see what she has completed, and take things off if I did them myself.

Many research projects are assigned throughout the course of the sixth grade year, in all classes. The use of the **Custom Search Engine** will be great for these assignments, especially for my learning support students who have difficulty weeding out the unnecessary information. I have created a Custom Search Engine about Immigration. The students will only search through the websites that I have chosen for them.

http://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=005970163922745495958:nouu_krlacq&hl=en

The **Google Calendar** feature would be great for setting up IEP meetings. I need several people to attend each one, and it is always a struggle to find a day that works for everyone. It could also be used to share assignment dates with students and parents, or just for everyday management of my schedule. I created a Google Calendar for this class.

https://www.google.com/calendar/render?tab=mc

I would have never guessed how many different things you can do with **Google maps**. If a student goes on vacation during the school year, you could have them track their trip on Google maps and journal about each place. You could also use Google maps to show students the location of current events, such as the BP oil spill.

My Map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=us&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=116285065877252172889.0004885514af2d7e371a9

My two favorite **mashups** are mapping your photos and exploring the 7 Wonders of the World.

I am fascinated by Google Earth and Google Sky. There are so many ways to incorporate these into a lesson. Google Sky can be used when the students are learning about planets or constellations. Google Earth can be used to tell a story. My students had to write biographies on historian figures. They could use Google Earth to map the places from their life and tell the important events along the way. 6th grade studies ancient Egypt and ancient Rome in Social Studies. Using Google Earth, they could travel to Egypt and see where the pyramids are located. They could look for the Roman Colosseum. Teachers can take the students on a tour, prior to an upcoming field trip.

__**Podcasting in the Classroom**__

I have a limited experience with podcasts. I have heard the word buzzing around for a while, but have not taken the time to explore what it actually means until now.

I have to say that while many of the podcasts I surfed through, seemed interesting, I found it very difficult to focus on strictly audio versions. Maybe I am a visual learner. :) I also think that many of my students who have auditory processing issues would also find this a bit challenging. I may need to focus on more of the video podcasts for my students. I explored both types.

While browsing through the podcasts on iTunes, I came across several podcasts on autism. Being a special education teacher, I am always looking for ways to understand and educate students on the autism spectrum. One of the podcasts that I found on this topic is called "Autism Toolkit Podcast". Each episode provides tools and tips for successfully working with students with autism. The episode I listened to provided strategies for keeping the child calm.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/autism-toolkit-podcast/id371804966

I spent a couple of hours browsing through podcasts created by students and teachers. One of the podcasts that I found and enjoyed was on podbean.com. It was titled "Mr. Stubbart's 5th grade class". The students created skits about history topics, including slavery and witchcraft. I found the students skits to be very engaging. They incorporated music and spoke very clearly. It was like listening to a well-read story.

http://mrstubbart.podbean.com/

I also found many podcasts by teachers, for students. One of the podcasts I found was by Mary Wieseman, a language arts teacher. She begins each of her podcasts with the same bit of music. The podcasts include her lectures from class. She also tells you where to find a powerpoint with the notes available from the lecture. These podcasts and powerpoints are great for absent students or for students needing to study for an assessment. The students have also created podcasts on different topics throughout the school year.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gold-team-language-arts-podcast/id328568781

I plan to use podcasting as one of my reading requirements. The students have to complete an activity after reading books on their own. I will add a podcast to the list of activity choices. The students will be required to choose a part from the book that they think would make someone else want to read it, and read this on a podcast. After a while, I will have a great collection of these for students to listen to when they are trying to choose a book. It is also a great way to monitor whether children are indeed reading.

Another idea would be creating a podcast for parents. At the beginning of the year, I can podcast about myself, my expectations, and some of the things that will take place over the course of the school year. Then I can do a weekly podcast, telling parents about what projects have their children have completed and things that are coming up. I can alert parents to assignment due dates, topics that will be covered, and anything else that may be important for them to know.