Thursday, March 20, 2014
Thing #9 Online Image Generators
Thing #9 Online Image Generators
Wow there is a dizzying array of generators out there! Though I found it difficult to pick through them and it seemed the ones I saw were all for one image (though I did find some that used your own photo, this would be easier). However, they were very easy to use. I used signgenerator.org to make this road sign to stop students in their tracks!!! Mwaaahhahahaaaaa!!!
Thing #8 Flickr Mashups
Thing #8 Flickr Mashups
How Fun!!! So many fun things to see and do with the Mashups!! I learned how to make a comic strip using open source photos and Bubbl! These could easily be incorporated into the classroom! Students love this sort of thing. I also found a gif maker called Gickr.com that I am looking forward to exploring later. I can see so many possibilities here that it's dizzying!Liquid Molecules
Thing #7 Explore Flickr
Thing #7 Explore Flickr
I enjoyed Flickr. I have used a couple of photo sharing sites in the past. When I was selling my art I used photobucket a lot. Now I use shutterfly and have a shutterfly account for my classroom. BlogSpot has been having some error difficulties and Flickr was unable to deprecate the image (flickr link to photo image that will not post right now). I will certainly try again to get a link to it from flickr as I'd like to be able to use that part of the program.
I enjoyed Flickr. I have used a couple of photo sharing sites in the past. When I was selling my art I used photobucket a lot. Now I use shutterfly and have a shutterfly account for my classroom. BlogSpot has been having some error difficulties and Flickr was unable to deprecate the image (flickr link to photo image that will not post right now). I will certainly try again to get a link to it from flickr as I'd like to be able to use that part of the program.
Thing #6 Discovering Web 2.0 Tools
Thing #6 Discovering Web 2.0 Tools
I chose PowToon because it came up in a "Teacher" search on GoToWeb20. (It was the only "toon" app that came up in an education/teacher search). I have been looking for an animated "short" program for some time now, so I thought I'd give it a try. The program seemed easy to navigate and you could use your own images or images from the web. The downside is that the best "characters" were paid images and the characters did not move around like I wanted them to. While they were animated, in that they kind of had a little movement to them, they would not walk from place to place or speak. So while this tool would make a nice little static movie with images, text, and video sliding in and out it would not produce a "cartoon" like those for which I have been looking.
I chose PowToon because it came up in a "Teacher" search on GoToWeb20. (It was the only "toon" app that came up in an education/teacher search). I have been looking for an animated "short" program for some time now, so I thought I'd give it a try. The program seemed easy to navigate and you could use your own images or images from the web. The downside is that the best "characters" were paid images and the characters did not move around like I wanted them to. While they were animated, in that they kind of had a little movement to them, they would not walk from place to place or speak. So while this tool would make a nice little static movie with images, text, and video sliding in and out it would not produce a "cartoon" like those for which I have been looking.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Thing #5 Web 2.0 To be or not to be.
Thing #5 Some Perspectives on Web 2.0/School 2.0 and the Future of Education
Well, not one to be without an opinion about things, I find myself "uncomfortable" with the pronouncement of "Web 2.0". Perhaps it is merely the syntax of the title, but it is also the concept. Generally in programming a 2.0 version would be a complete rewrite and revamp of the system with upgrades and new thingamabobs. I perceived the change in the internet to be a slow progression over time; with new and innovative uses appearing as each step of programming became more and more elaborate. To suggest that there was a sudden "revamping" or 2.0izing of the internet seems capricious. "2.0" did not suddenly appear out of thin air.
Nonetheless, regardless of the correctness of the term, it is true that the internet holds infinite possibilities for education. From information gathering, to idea sharing, to collaborative conferencing with students around the world, we are yet to even scratch the surface of the possible uses of the internet in education. However, free and easy access to the very technology needed to facilitate this "connectedness" is difficult for most and impossible for many. Even our own school district cannot provide each student with their own tablet. Until we are about to resource our students we will not be able to utilize the internet to it's fullest capabilities. I do believe that when that time comes the educational experience will be fuller and more robust. For now we utilize that for which we have time and equipment and hope for a better funded educational path in the future.
Well, not one to be without an opinion about things, I find myself "uncomfortable" with the pronouncement of "Web 2.0". Perhaps it is merely the syntax of the title, but it is also the concept. Generally in programming a 2.0 version would be a complete rewrite and revamp of the system with upgrades and new thingamabobs. I perceived the change in the internet to be a slow progression over time; with new and innovative uses appearing as each step of programming became more and more elaborate. To suggest that there was a sudden "revamping" or 2.0izing of the internet seems capricious. "2.0" did not suddenly appear out of thin air.
Nonetheless, regardless of the correctness of the term, it is true that the internet holds infinite possibilities for education. From information gathering, to idea sharing, to collaborative conferencing with students around the world, we are yet to even scratch the surface of the possible uses of the internet in education. However, free and easy access to the very technology needed to facilitate this "connectedness" is difficult for most and impossible for many. Even our own school district cannot provide each student with their own tablet. Until we are about to resource our students we will not be able to utilize the internet to it's fullest capabilities. I do believe that when that time comes the educational experience will be fuller and more robust. For now we utilize that for which we have time and equipment and hope for a better funded educational path in the future.
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