Primer
Primer to my views of the “Best of the Internet” for Teachers
This page has been designed specifically for the teachers undergoing training by Ayles-Anne Wilson (M.A. Ed. Tech. Concordia University) in Trinidad and Tobago at the University of Southern Caribbean (July-August, 2006). It will continue to be a work in progress as I come across new tools, utilities, and readings that are of significance - at least to me.
This page is designed to present to teachers what I have experienced and seen to be “the best” of what is out there to help educators design lessons and projects for students. No doubt I will leave out some great stuff. It is by no means comprehensive - there is way too much out there available on the Internet to stumble across it all….
First - Note that learning objectives drive design of lessons - The ASSURE model of instructional design:
Analyze learners
State objectives
Select instructional methods, media, and material
Utilize media and materials
Require learner participation
Evaluate and revise
A new book available for free online - Coming of Age: An introduction to the NEW World Wide Web
For Lesson Plan Ideas : Education World, Teachnet
Internet Tools : Rubistar (rubric builder) , Citation Machine (tool to create MLA and APA citations for bibliographies), thesis builder (to build a thesis statement)
Knowledge Media Laboratory (Carnegie Foundation)
BackFlip: Online bookmark organizer that permits shared folders - great for collaborative projects!
Google now offers more than just GMail - calendar, notes, spreadsheets, google talk instant messaging, blogger and much more!
Multimedia Presentation Tools:
Photostory 3 - free download from MS site - creates a video slideshow of photos using the Ken Burns effect
Some examples of slideshows : Grace’s community service trip to the DR, Nat’s Class Graduation Slideshow
Dropshots - free video hosting - will attach to a blog
PhotoShow - free, very cool built-in animations and web album hosting
Great resources from other educators: Kathy Schrock, Janet Barnstable, Edutopia, David Warlick, wwwtoolsforteachers (weekly updates - well worth signing up for!), Patrick Crispen (really terrific PowerPoints for free!)
Webquest Portal - constructivist lesson plans (usually collaborative group projects)
About blogging: Educause article by Stephen Downes
Blog search engines: Google Blog search engine, Technorati
Free blogging services: Blogger, about.com list
Free educational blogs for schools: Class Blogmeister - by David Warlick - good stuff!
RSS: What does it mean for the Classroom Teacher - by Stephen Rahn at NECC 2006
Educational Podcasting: Podcasting and All That Jazz - by Julie Lindsay at NECC 2006 (Podcasting Bangladesh)
Software Canadian educators can’t live without
Wiki to describe the software from February 2006 conference
Wiki from Laptop Institute Conference July 2006
What is a wiki and how to use them
Free, pass-word protected wiki - PBwiki
How PBwiki is useful for educators
Moodle - what is it?
The Good Teacher - moodle docs
Global Project Portals : Global SchoolNet Projects, IPoPP (also GSN, but a new portal not quite active), Taking IT Global for Educators, Technospuds Projects, Israeli Pedagogical Network for Collaborative Learning
Completed Projects - Just what do these things look like??
Presentation to the Illinois Online Conference in February 2006
Gr. 7 Collaborative Projects on LCC website
Global Virtual Classroom Team 12 2005-06 - Web Design Contest
Global Virtual Classroom Team 20 - 2004-05 (Bronze winners) - From Our Lockers Into the World
Global Virtual Classroom Team 34 - 2003-04 - (Grand Prize Winners) - Progression through Time
Highly Recommended Reading (I would even say compulsory!):
The World is Flat (book) by Thomas Friedman
MIT video appearance of Thomas Friedman lecturing on The World is Flat
Computers as Mindtools by David Jonassen (seminal article on social constructivism)
Educating the Net Generation by Diane Oblinger et al
Pew Internet and American Life Project - cannot be ignored for its importance in understanding trends of Internet use
