Inspiration

I love the inspiration program. I used it a few days ago when I was working on my concept map and it didn't take me long at all. It was so easy to set up and modify. I'm normally not great at creating things like this and I thought it was going to take a long time, but it didn't. I picked a template that I liked, I added pictures and more bubbles to it, and moved it around to organize it better. This was the first project that I've done on a computer that didn't frustrate me. It was so easy. I wish I would have known about this program before I had to make my unit plan for my secondary methods course.

Wordle

I liked the wordle website that we played around with as a class. I think students would really like to use it because it's kind of like an art project and I thought of some ways to incorporate it into a lesson. You can use this as a before and after comparison of a lesson. For example, if you're teaching geography, you can have the students use wordle and type in as many countries they can think of before you teach the unit. After the unit is over, the students can do the same thing again, and compare how many more countries they now know from before the lesson. It's a great way for them to see an improvement in their work but have the freedom to be creative with the design and colors. This could also work for elements of the periodic table, famous authors, for younger children, animals, colors, state capitals, etc.

What is a blog?

A blog is an electronical journal that enables people to share news, ideas, opinions, and communicate with others from all around the world using a website. It is a great tool to use in the classroom because it would motivate students to do research because what they post onto a blog, anyone could read, not just the teachers. It is a great way for students to express their opinion, use technology, and research and debate.