I know that I've skipped two things, but it's too late to start something complicated and time-consuming, so here I am. I'll go back to 19 and 20 when my mind is fresh and rested.
For some reason, I always seem to be drawn to the Free Technology for Teachers blog when I stop in at my reader. I don't know why I continue to torture myself. I already have enough to do with the technology available through this course, so why do I want more? Why? Why? It's the nerdy, love-to-learn optimist who believes that she can do anything, and so she keeps going back.
So, my first tip from FTFT (free tech for teachers) was a slide show that offered 21 ways to use comics in the classroom. It does have some creative suggestions: comics for research, story telling (a reflective piece, creative piece, retelling literature piece), interview between characters, interpreting poetry, and many, many more.
This slide show led me to another comic link, a classic comic book site that creates graphic novels--yes, just like the ones in our libraries. What's really cool about this place is that they have 4 levels/versions of the novels, much like Holt's 3 levels/versions of the interactive readers. One version is the original text, the second is written in modern language, the third model has reduced text for a quicker read (and for those struggling with language), and the forth is text free--just empty bubbles in which the students or teacher can add the dialogue. The downside is that only some classics are free to educators. The free works could easily be used as a resource/example for students who wish to create their own graphic novel as an interpretation of the literature they are studying in class, especially works with lots of dialogue.
Finally, I found another slide show of suggestions titled "Zero Interesting Ways to Use Audio in the Classroom?" Wow... Tom Barrett has recommended 17 ways to use Voicethread in the classroom, and his ideas seem very doable and rather exciting.
The only problem...I need mucho dinero to fund a class set of computers. I'll even take those little purse-size computers...not picky at all. Any offers?
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Careful, Rhonda. It actually sounds like you're trying to make class . . . gasp! . . . fun. You can get fired for that, you know. And I thought you were a proficient teacher (I'm so disappointed). :)
ReplyDeleteDoesn't making education fun equate to heresy this century? Or is that merely trying to make the TAKS fun. Can that be done? What about this idea: if we blitz them with technology, maybe they'll get sick of it. This follows my theory that if we all start wearing saggy pant, it won't be cool anymore.
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