Thursday 13 March 2014

Thing 2: Chrome apps and extensions

Which 3 apps and 3 extensions did you install? What do you think of them?  

The three apps I picked were Lego builder (to use for when we teach structures), Translate language (to use anytime as a translation tool for the many languages in the classroom), and the last is istorybooks (to add to our resources that we read as a class or independently.)
For extensions, I will experiment with HD (high definition for youtube because it won’t hurt to have quality videos), My Scrap Nook (because I love creating scrapbooks using all sorts of image makers) and the No Ads (it removes unwanted pop up adds).

Which do you recommend for teachers? For students? Will you remove any? I would recommend Translate (although most teachers have that on IPads) and Pinterest for teachers to use a resource for supporting lessons. I can’t recommend these new apps or extension since they are work in progress.

If you have already been using Chrome apps and extensions, do you have any favorites that you wouldn't want to live without? Gmail, Facebook, Skype, Pinterest

I commented on the blogs of Sue Kidder (ES) and TJB (HS). All aboard, Alicia!


 

Monday 3 March 2014

Thing 1:Voicethread

It's way more fun to post a voicethread with my favorite 'pug' shots! I took the poem, "Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?" and played around with some neat photos of pugs. Who can dispute their cuteness? unless you are a cat lover?
Enjoy the Voicethread!

Reflection:
This is not my first time to use voicethread to support learning with ESL students and also during inclusion lessons. It's good for a reflection piece like having students make comments about each other's work on voicethread. I also used it for poetry reading and having students hear themselves read expressively. The older students may find it easier to work with voicethread independently; however, with the primary grades, logging on can be difficult especially for spelling purposes. Since I have a smaller class size,  I prefer to work one-on-one with students- recording their voices and helping them choose individual photos that they may want to comment on.