Internet Tools
For my Internet Tools research assignment, I explored Glogster.com,
Webquest.org, and Learnoutloud.com. All three of the websites promote literacy
and after exploring them, I will utilize all three of the websites in my
classroom. They are all very different but effective. Glogster is good for creating
projects or resources. Webquests are great for research or supplementing
lessons. Learn Out Loud is a library of resources to support reading lessons.
Glogster (www.edu.glogster.com) is a
digital bulletin board where students can combine multimedia content such as
text, photographs, videos, and other digital resources. There are many
ways that Glogster can be used in the classroom. Students can publish projects or teachers can
create fun and engaging resources. It can also be an opportunity for advanced students to expand upon lessons. There are different price options which offer
various levels of special features including number of student accounts
available and limited or unlimited editing. Besides being able to create a Glogster
board, there are many existing digital bulletin boards to choose from on topics
which include, science, literature, math, art, and many more. The free option gives
access to one teacher and thirty students. As a middle school teacher that does
not allow enough access for all my students. However, I could make five or six
small groups for each class period and have them work together on one laptop or
tablet then all students will be able to access the material or use it for
supplemental projects for a few advanced students.
I created a free Glogster account and made a
presentation. It was fun to choose my background and graphic items and add
links. There is a large library to select from in many different styles. The
downside to the free account is that you can only add six elements. Someone
might have a background, a title, a couple of paragraphs, an image and a link
and then you are done and immediately directed to link suggesting you to
upgrade. Presentations can be made with this limited number of elements. Here
is a link to a simple Glog that I made with a free account: https://edu.glogster.com/glog/
A
paid account is limited only by how many elements they can fit onto a page. Here are examples of Glogster boards on
Alice in Wonderland and Sugarcane to Sugar made with paid accounts: https://edu.glogster.com/glog/alice-inwonderland/22ngw9p9k4c?=glogpedia-source
and https://edu.glogster.com/glog/sugarcane-to-sugar/20pfaewsnj8?=glogpedia-source.
I have decided to purchase a year subscription
to the site for several reasons. I think it is a great way to engage students
in research and sharpen their presentation skills. I also believe I can create engaging
material to complement my lessons. Finally, there is a wide variety of existing
Glogs that I can use or share with other teachers on my team. Either way,
Glogster promotes literacy in a fun and interactive way. The price for an
elementary account is $39 a year and includes 30 accounts. The package I will purchase
is a secondary grade level account and is $95.00 a year and it comes with 125
accounts. I recommend teachers sign up for a free account and experiment with
the features. Teachers who are interested in engaging their students in
producing quality projects will quickly agree that paying for the subscription
will be worth it.
Webquest.org (www.webquest.org) is a free website that offers a library of pre-made
quests on various topics and grade levels to choose from. Quests focus around a
task created by the teacher. Students must complete the task by visiting pre-selected
websites for information, which is typically recorded in a journal, or on a
worksheet, and then move on to the next part of the task. They emphasize on
critical thinking skills. Traditionally, webquests consist of an
Introduction, Task, Process, Evaluation, and Conclusion. An example of a
webquest could include sending students to a website to read information on a
topic or place, then off to another site that features a virtual tour, another
website might offer a game that helps them study important terms and definitions.
Their next location could offer video clips to watch which they can write an entry
or video review in their journals. They could be directed to a blog and
instructed to leave a comment which can serve as both interaction and documentation
of the visit. Perhaps one of the final stops on their quest is an online
assessment. Webquest.org also offers the tools and guidance to create your own
webquests and the means to share your quest with others. Aesthetically, the
website is simple but it is user friendly and filled with resources. My
students have access to class sets of tablets or laptops and webquests is an
activity that would engage them in the lesson. I love that they can experience
the material at their own pace. Here is an example of a Webquest on the topic
of the novel, The Hunger Games.
Figure
3: Excerpts from a Hunger Games Webquest. https://english12block6.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/0/4/24045782/new_webquest_--_hg.pdf
I would refer my
friends and colleagues to webquests.org however, I would suggest that use
existing webquests that correspond to their lessons but create their own for
skills and lessons that they cannot find quests for because it is a fun and interactive
strategy that promotes literacy.
Learn Out Loud (www.learnoutloud.com) is a website that offers a large library
filled with over 50,000 audiobooks, podcasts, and videos. Over 10,000 of their
resources are free. I would like to offer my students audiobook versions of
stories because I think it will build their confidence, especially for
ESL/SPED/Struggling readers. Most of the audiobooks available are older but as
a secondary teacher these literary classics are probably the stories that
students need the most help with. While the characters and stories may still be
relevant, the language is hard for them to understand and hearing it spoken makes
it easier to pick up on than reading it alone.
Although as a Reading teacher, Literature
is at the top of my list, this website offers resources on so many topics that
include history, biography, art, entertainment, science, and travel. I do have
a subscription for an app where I can buy audiobooks, however I cannot give all
my students access to the audiobooks simultaneously. I usually read to my
students in the beginning of a novel to establish pace and pronunciation but
this site can help me out when I have a sore throat, allow students to move at
their own pace, follow along even if they are sick at home and all at no cost
to me.
Comments
Post a Comment