Online Technology Tool #4: del.icio.us

Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking web service.  It allows individuals to store, share, and discover web bookmarks.  It frees up your "favorites" on your web pages.  Del.icio.us allows you to tag a website.  By doing this, others can simply search for a topic and be taken to the website you tagged.  It is a search engine as well as a bookmarking service.  This website is useful to teachers because it allows one to organize all the bookmarks.  As a teacher, I am constantly looking for ways to save resources I come across online.  Del.icio.us helps you create custom content feeds for things such as product mentions and news stories.

The best part of this website is that these services are all offered for free.

Image source: http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/delicious-1.jpg

Online Technology Tool #3: LearnOutLoud

LearnOutLoud: http://www.learnoutloud.com/

Audio books, podcasts, and video learning are all available at the LearnOutLoud website.  When you first enter the website, there are tabs to view a catalog, search audio books, browse free material, listen to podcasts, explore material for children, or subscribe to the website.

There are choices for different book genres ranging from science and travel to business and literature.  The website shows what titles are new and available, lists the top 10 bestsellers, displays free featured audio and video titles, as well as free podcasts.

Its sister site, KIDS LearnOutLoud, has options for the user to browse through audio books, videos, and podcasts appropriate for young individuals ages 8 and under, ages 9 to 12, and older.  On this website, there are options to download free material as well.

I believe this website would be good for the classroom because of the fact that it has material that lends itself to multi-sensory learning.   I enjoy reading books, but I cannot sit down for more than an hour reading.  I tend to lose focus.  I remember listening to an audio book and following along with my paperback text.  I read and followed along for three hours.  I believe this would also happen if I exposed my students to audio books, podcasts, and video learning.


Image source: http://www.masternewmedia.org/LearnOutLoud.jpg

Online Technology Tool #2: Prezi

Prezi: www.prezi.com

Prezi is a presentation tool.  I first used Prezi in one of my technology classes last year.  I loved it.  It is an alternative to Microsoft Power Point.  I enjoyed viewing the finished product.  I personally think presentations are more engaging when completed using Prezi.  It is, however, more time consuming to create.

To create a Prezi presentation, you would need to sign up for an account.  Once you enter your account, you may create the "new prezi" button which will allow you to create a new presentation.  The tool also saves presentations you previously created.  You can go back at any time and modify certain presentations.
There are ready-made templates for people to use or you can create your own, which may take a considerable while longer to do.

You can add music and overlay it with voice-overs.  This is something you may not be able to do on other presention tools.  You may also add videos from YouTube.  You may insert files (including Microsoft Power Point presentations).

Prezi is now offered offline.  There is a free 30-day trial for those who are interested.  I believe you have to pay a fee after that.

I love how engaging Prezi is.  It makes content come alive for the audience.  It allows presenters to be as creative as they want with their presentations.  Students may also create their own Prezi presentations to reflect what they have learned about new content.

Image source: http://dml.wikis.bgc.bard.edu/local--resized-images/prezi/prezimenu.png/small.jpg

Online Technology Tool #1: Wordle

Wordle: http://www.wordle.net/

Wordle is a website where individuals can create word clouds.  Word clouds are visual displays of a variety of chosen words.  This website is very simple to use.  When you enter the home page, there are tabs at the very top where you can easily navigate the website.  You can create your very own word cloud.  There are pictures in a gallery you can browse through.  The news tab links you to the Wordle blog and there are also tabs for questions and answers.

To create a word cloud on Wordle, all you have to do is click on the "create" tab and type your choice of words in the specified box.  After pressing "go", you can edit the font type, size, color scheme, and layout design.

Wordle can be used as a way to summarize information learned in the classroom.  For example, students may be studying ecosystems in a science class.  They can put together a word cloud reflecting terminology related to ecosystems.  It can work with almost any subject.  It is a creative way to summarize information as opposed to simply creating a power point presentation or notes with bullet points.

Students love working with technology.  I remember I used to love playing with the different fonts on word documents as a child.  I loved changing the styles, colors, and sizes.  Wordle allows students to do this.  It is a fun way for them to build upon literacy skills.

I can imagine how beneficial it would be to use in the ESL classroom.  Students who may not know the English language very well may learn new words by engaging themselves in creating word clouds.  Teachers can guide them through this process and introduce more words to them.

After a student creates the word cloud, they may enhance the size or it and make it into a poster.  Teachers can display their work around the classroom so that other students can see what their classmates have accomplished.  The can take turn commenting on posters and give feedback to what they see.

Image Source: http://www.technologybitsbytesnibbles.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/dexo_wordle-300x184.png