For my
third Learning Unit, I decided to continue with the election concept and go further with it. My third learning unit focused on the issues of the election. I made the format similar to the second learning unit, but changed the scope of the project to focus on the issues rather than the candidates.
I had difficulty with the Wall Wisher tool. My first mind map I created in class would not load on my home computer. I inserted the embed code while I was in class and the application was showing correctly, with all the "bubbles" I created while I was using the classroom computers. When I pulled up my Google Site to work on the learning unit at home on a later date, the application was still available on my Google Site, however, none of the bubbles were there. I believe that once a user makes their Wall Wisher public, anyone can edit it - which could present a possible problem with using this tool in the classroom.
I had difficulty coming up with a valid and useful example using TestMoz. I could not come up with very many ideas to use this particular tool in the classroom.
I loved using Animoto, it created a very professional and classy video that I could see used in the classrooms. The best feature of Animoto was the simplicity in creating the video, which is important when working with students' with disabilities. I wished that the video could be longer than the .33 seconds.
Learning Unit #3
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Learning Unit #2 - Reflection
For my second Learning Unit, I came up with the idea to create a unit based on the election. This concept was very relevant in light of the 2012 Presidential Election. This unit would be intended for a high school aged student with mild intellectual disabilities in an inclusive, general education Government class. My second unit focused on getting to know the election candidates.
At first, I didn't think I would find any of the brainstorming tools useful in this learning unit, however, once I discovered that I could share the KWL template that I generated myself, I understood how useful the Google Templates could be.
I really enjoyed using the Tagxedo word cloud once I figured out how I could turn my word clouds into custom shapes by uploading an image that was in the basic shape. I created word clouds that were in the shape of a donkey and an elephant, which represent the two different and most prominent political parties.
My worry with this learning unit would be the student response to the Go!Animate tool. I worry that the students would consider this to be too immature for them, but hope that once they realized how much fun they can have - and still learn, they would become more interested in that animation creation tool.
Learning Unit #2
At first, I didn't think I would find any of the brainstorming tools useful in this learning unit, however, once I discovered that I could share the KWL template that I generated myself, I understood how useful the Google Templates could be.
I really enjoyed using the Tagxedo word cloud once I figured out how I could turn my word clouds into custom shapes by uploading an image that was in the basic shape. I created word clouds that were in the shape of a donkey and an elephant, which represent the two different and most prominent political parties.
My worry with this learning unit would be the student response to the Go!Animate tool. I worry that the students would consider this to be too immature for them, but hope that once they realized how much fun they can have - and still learn, they would become more interested in that animation creation tool.
Learning Unit #2
Learning Unit #1 - Reflection
All of my learning units are meant for high school aged students with disabilities that have been placed in an inclusive, general education classroom.
For my first learning unit, I decided to create a project that included tools a student with mild intellectual disabilities would be capable of and would find useful as real world skills. My unit had the student working as a travel agent that would brainstorm, plan, and budget a vacation. The student would use web-based tools to brainstorm vacation destinations. The students would also have to research online how much their selected vacation would cost and create a budget for that vacation. After creating a budget, as the travel agent, the student would then need to make the planned vacation appeal to customers by creating a virtual tour of their vacation destination using Google Maps and an advertisement using Glogster.
For this first learning unit, I found it difficult to come up with an initial idea as the focus for the projects / web-based assignments. Once I was able to brainstorm my initial idea, choosing the tools and incorporating them into assignments became easier.
The only thing I would consider changing on this Learning Unit would be the tool used for the student to create the budget. I would prefer if the student could use a more math based tool, such as Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet, or something similar to show off their math skills.
Something I was surprised about was the features available on Google Maps to create your own points of interest and basically, a virtual tour, as I used it in my assignment.
Learning Unit #1
For my first learning unit, I decided to create a project that included tools a student with mild intellectual disabilities would be capable of and would find useful as real world skills. My unit had the student working as a travel agent that would brainstorm, plan, and budget a vacation. The student would use web-based tools to brainstorm vacation destinations. The students would also have to research online how much their selected vacation would cost and create a budget for that vacation. After creating a budget, as the travel agent, the student would then need to make the planned vacation appeal to customers by creating a virtual tour of their vacation destination using Google Maps and an advertisement using Glogster.
For this first learning unit, I found it difficult to come up with an initial idea as the focus for the projects / web-based assignments. Once I was able to brainstorm my initial idea, choosing the tools and incorporating them into assignments became easier.
The only thing I would consider changing on this Learning Unit would be the tool used for the student to create the budget. I would prefer if the student could use a more math based tool, such as Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet, or something similar to show off their math skills.
Something I was surprised about was the features available on Google Maps to create your own points of interest and basically, a virtual tour, as I used it in my assignment.
Learning Unit #1
Personal Learning Network (PLN)
My personal learning network is mostly comprised of links that I came across during the course of the semester while I was researching Web 2.0 tools and using some of the tools provided in class. The blogs, websites and twitter accounts featured in my PLN are mostly collections of educational technology tools that other educators and professionals are sharing for teachers to use in their own classrooms. These websites, twitters and blogs appear to be regularly updated and feature tools that teachers can use to help organize their classrooms, tools to be used with students in the classrooms, tools that students can use on their own and tools to give teachers ideas for new lessons and curriculums.
Web 2.0 Tools Research
The web based tool Popplet is another mind mapping tool that students could use to brain storm and organize their thoughts. This tool is similar to bubbl.us, webspiration and creately.
This mind mapping tool offers some of the same key features as the others that we have used in class. It allows the user to create bubbles to input their ideas and organize them around the screen by click and drag. The user can add as many bubbles as they like to create their "popple". There are some simple ways the user can customize their "popple" by changing the color of the background and the bubbles.
This mind mapping tool offers a few unique features that the other aforementioned tools do not provide. In this tool, the user can input words, videos, images and user created drawings all within the browser. The tool allows the user to search flickr, facebook, youtube and the computers hard drive within the browser to find images and videos that are instantly uploaded inside the bubbles. Users also have the ability to draw MSPaint style within the confines of the bubbles.
The only down side I can find with this tool is that it requires an account to sign up, although it is free.
I would suggest this tool be used in similar ways as the other mind mapping tools. It could also be used to create presentations as students have the opportunity to insert images and videos.
EXAMPLE:
This mind mapping tool offers some of the same key features as the others that we have used in class. It allows the user to create bubbles to input their ideas and organize them around the screen by click and drag. The user can add as many bubbles as they like to create their "popple". There are some simple ways the user can customize their "popple" by changing the color of the background and the bubbles.
This mind mapping tool offers a few unique features that the other aforementioned tools do not provide. In this tool, the user can input words, videos, images and user created drawings all within the browser. The tool allows the user to search flickr, facebook, youtube and the computers hard drive within the browser to find images and videos that are instantly uploaded inside the bubbles. Users also have the ability to draw MSPaint style within the confines of the bubbles.
The only down side I can find with this tool is that it requires an account to sign up, although it is free.
I would suggest this tool be used in similar ways as the other mind mapping tools. It could also be used to create presentations as students have the opportunity to insert images and videos.
EXAMPLE:
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