Blog 19: Using videos for teaching and learning

https://ed.ted.com/on/gDLldCwW

Above is the link for my Ted-ed lesson. This lesson is for third grade students in the science content area. For my final project I will focus on the solar system as the unit of study. The video in the Ted-ed lesson is about the solar system and includes interesting facts about objects in the solar system. I also shared some links for the students to further investigate the planets and look for more facts to learn about their solar system object. I included various discussion questions for the students to think about their planets in a deeper context. 

One idea I have for the video, is for my students to watch it and to learn about all of the different planets. For the project they will be completing, they will be focusing on only one planet, so this can be a good opportunity for the students to gain a little bit of background knowledge on all the planets. 

This video can also be good for the teachers of third grade students to watch so they can also have a bit of background knowledge and be able to better help their students on their path to learning about the planets. Teachers can watch this video to learn about specific facts and can watch the video and brainstorm creative ways to teach their students about the planets. 

A third idea that I have that can be used in my classroom is for my students to create their own video about the planet they have been learning about. I think this could be a creative way for students to share what they have learned. These videos can take place of an oral presentation of what they have learned. This idea can be beneficial to shy students and students who are not comfortable presenting in front of the class for any reason. 

The Ted-ed lesson I created, in addition to other videos, can be an excellent resource for students to understand information in a different format than just reading or listening to information being given to them. Videos from YouTube can be an excellent resource because there are videos available on almost any topic possible. It is very simple for a teacher to search something they are teaching about and find a free resource to reinforce a concept for their students understanding. Videos are a fun way to introduce new or complex information!

Blog Post 18- Google Photos

Google Photos is another tool offered by Google that allows users to store and share photos online. This tool is good for someone who might want to store their photos online to have access to them wherever the person might be, it can also be good for sharing photos with someone online, like a family member who does not live in the same city as you. Most importantly, Google Photos can be a great tool to use in the classroom! Teachers can use Google Photos for teaching and learning by having students create visual projects and portfolios, to have students participate in visual storytelling and essays and for vocabulary building activities.

I am a third grade teacher and I think my students would do well with photo sharing and creating projects using Google Photos. The first activity I would do with this tool is have students create visual projects and portfolios. I think this could be great to use with a science unit based on elements. The students would create a project about different elements that are in different foods and can use pictures to illustrate that along with what the elements actually look.

Another way I would like to use Google Photos with my third grade class is for my students to have the students participate in visual storytelling by creating essays with pictures. Much like we did in blog 17, I would like my students to take their own pictures over the course of a weekend and then use those pictures to tell a story. For example, in my blog 17 I created a story about a busy teacher trying to decorate her house for Christmas during Thanksgiving break. Using pictures of a wreath, ornaments, Christmas lights, hot cocoa and slippers, I was able to illustrate my story with photos and I was able to share that story with my classmates online.

A third way I would like to use Google Photos in my third grade classroom would be to use it as a tool for vocabulary building. An idea I had to build vocabulary through pictures is to use a weekly vocabulary word. For the weekly word, students will have homework on Monday night to take a picture of themselves or something in their home that represents the meaning of the word. For example, if the word of the week is compassion, they would go home and look up the meaning of the word and then can take a picture of themselves doing something compassionate, like giving their dog dinner. They can add a note to their picture explaining why the action shows compassion.

Google Photos is a great tool for teaching and I look forward to using it in the future!

Blog post 17

Here is my photo story: A Busy Teacher's Attempt at Christmas Decorating!

https://goo.gl/photos/zPP5QV47j9CzTBWG7

Social Bookmarking- LiveBinder

            Using the social bookmarking website, called LiveBinder, in the classroom can be easy to set up, use and track the use by students. For my third grade classroom, I will share three ideas that I think my students could benefit from using social bookmarking in their studies.

            The first way students can use LiveBinder is to use it as a place to save information and links for future reference. For example, if they are working on a science project on the solar system, the can link all the websites they will be using for the project so that they can go back later and use the same website. This could also be useful if they want to continue their work at home. They will be able to access the same sites that they were using in the classroom very easily. Going with this same idea, they can store different websites that we use at school like Tumblebooks and AR to access them from any location.

            Another way my students can use LiveBinder is to create a web link portfolio. To complete a web link portfolio, students can save sites they have visited and online work they have completed. This will allow students to go back and see what they have visited to refresh their memories and can see all that they have accomplished online. By allowing students to creat a live link portfolio, they can go back to show their teacher, parents and themselves what they have learned. It can allow the student to feel very accomplished with their work and can also serve as a review for an exam or an end of year review. It can be a true treasure to have all of this information in one area that can be easily accessed.

            A last way I would use LiveBinder with my third grade students is to do a data grab. This is when students can find information on a give topic then share the link on their LiveBinder. By doing so, they can share the information with classmates and they will all have all the links on the given topic and are able to have a full, comprehensive list of information on any given topic. Then, if they complete an assignment or a project, all students in the classroom with have equal information and will all be on the same page.

            LiveBinder seems like an interesting online tool. I do think that it would be more useful to high school students and maybe even middle school students. My third grade students would be able to use it but after lots of guided practice.