Thing 6: Organizing and Saving Content Online

I briefly used Evernote several years ago, but I didn't stick with it.  I am someone who loves using technology, but I am frequently finding myself to be a luddite when it comes to many organization programs.  Similarly, I prefer to write stories by hand, initially, rather than on the computer using a program like Scrivener (despite my terrible printing).  For me, typing on a computer lacks  something that I get from writing notes down on a piece of paper.  I am slowly transitioning away from this, but I don't know if I will ever be able to do so completely.  I tried to start using Evernote again, and I ran into the same issues that I had before.  It just doesn't seem to fit my lifestyle.  I forced myself to clip items, make notes, type ideas and thoughts, but at the end of the day I rarely referred back to these things.  My life and the way I use the internet just doesn't seem to be conducive to a program like Evernote.  Yes, I am one of those people with several thousand tabs open.  I am typing this in a tab that is one of many in a browser window I have dedicated to this course.

Pocket serves me better than Evernote.  I like the simplicity and lack of features of pocket.  Evernote is a bit bloated.  However, I run into the same issue with Pocket as I do with Evernote.  I am not a clipper.  I just don't do it, and I have tried.  I think that both of these programs are great for students, though.  If they existed when I was in university, I may have found a better use for them.  Next year, I can see introducing Pocket (since it is the simpler of the two) to my sixes during their research projects.  It is intuitive enough, and with a little demo I could see them clipping/saving articles that they want to read more fully later.

Thing 5: Screencasting

I have played around with screencasting before, but mostly through Google Hangouts.  Screencast-o-matic is pretty easy to use, but I had to download the program due to the Java problem that Alicia mentioned.  The interface is simple and purposeful, and it is a very easy-to-use program.  The one caveat to that it that the screencaster has to be well-rehearsed.  This particular screencast is one I made for the beginning of next year, highlighting two websites (classroom blog and Common Sense Media) that I want parents to know about.  It wasn't the first one I made, and it probably won't be the last.  Practice makes perfect when doing screencasts, as it is very easy to lose track of where you are, or what you are saying or doing.  There are a couple of issues with this one, but it is serviceable for the moment.

As a practice, I like screencasting.  However, I am unsure how frequently I will use it in class.  It is probably best used as a flipped classroom or review tool.  I can imagine covering a topic, or introducing one, and then posting screencast tasks or instructions on the blog, and having students watch and complete them at home.  I think that could be a valuable tool for repeated experiences with the material, and, hopefully, it would help it "stick" to a greater degree.

This week I posted comments on Rena and Neil's blogs.

Thing 4: Online Quizzes & Student Response Systems

Kahoot! is a simple, intuitive program, most of the time.  The process of making a quiz is not demanding, nor is it complicated.  However, I think that the developers need to expand the abilities of the program and focus on what it is trying to do/be at its core.   You can't create a variety of question types, but you can add video for some odd reason.  If you create a question and then make a second one, the program forces you to delete or enter in information for Q2 before you can go back to the first one (which I needed to do in order to adjust something).  It is a minor quibble, but it is part of a larger usability and interface problem.  I think there might be too much flash and not enough substance here.  As it stands right now, Kahoot! is almost too basic for me to use, but I could see my students using it to work together on review or other activities.  My quiz can be found here.

Socrative is a great program, however it has its own set of frustrations.  Currently, they have two versions of the program/site running: the "classic" one and a beta.  If you create a profile and quiz within the beta version, no one can open the quiz unless they too navigate to the beta website.  The beta site can be accessed by going to b.socrative.com and not socrative.com.  I spent quite a while trying to figure out this odd issue.  

Having said that, the beta version is great.  They have added another feature (true/false questions), and the design is beautiful.  The site is intuitive, clean, and does exactly what I want.  I love the idea of using it as a review tool or a brain break activity.  The exit ticket idea is nice, but not as necessary for Grade 6 students (some of whom don't have phones).  I really like creating tasks in in Socrative, and I plan on using it more frequently in my teaching.

I commented on these blogs:

Meg

Courtney

Thing 3: Mind Maps, Diagrams, and Flow Charts

Both programs were new to me, so I am glad to have had some time to play with them.  For both, I looked at how it could be useful for my students and myself.  I think that Lucidchart is a full featured program that probably has too much functionality for what I, or my students, would need.  I can relate it to Photoshop.  I need to be able to edit my photos, but I don't have the need of all of the complexity or depth of that program.  Similarly, Lucidchart has a lot of options that simply clutter the working space.

On the flip side, I think that Mindmup is a great alternative.  It is simple, intuitive, and it does what I, and my students, need.  Visually, it is much nicer looking (both the program and the final products) than Lucidchart.  I could see my students using this to help them brainstorm for their upcoming short stories, or their essays earlier in the year.

I posted on the following blogs:
Pao V
Bill Laulo

In Grade 6, we have a unit where the students learn about different types of governments and societies.  Their performance task sees them working together to create their own ideal society and then justifying it.  This MindMup is an example of the prewriting they do before writing their essays justifying their choices.

Government: Theocracy on MindMup

This Lucidchart was created as a simple example of a story string.  Grade 6 students are exploring short stories in their last unit of the year, and they will be creating their own story strings.