Lauren+Handley's+Cool+Tools+Review+and+Application+Plan

Cool Tools Reflection

Wii in the Classroom The first session I attended was about using the Wii in the classroom. I recently received a Wii as a gift and have yet to embrace it. I thought if I could find a way to use it in my classroom then maybe it would get used. I was also quite interested to see how Angela Wiseman was going to pull this one off. She began by having us play a Wii game and asking us to try to figure out a way to use it, after giving us a few ideas that she came up with. Instantly I was hooked. I was totally engaged in the game. I also was playing with a partner whom I had never met, but right away we had to work together and communicate clearly to pass the level of the game. When our play time was up, I had a hard time putting down the remote. Angela then led us in a brainstorm discussion about what ideas we had about using the tool in our classes. The ideas were coming so easily. I thought about using it with teaching cause and effect, team work, story mapping, summarizing, and problem solving. It was amazing! I really think that if this game system could hold my undivided attention, then it will surely to be a big hit with my students.

Voice Thread

The second session I attended was Voice Thread taught by Bethany Smith. Voice Thread is a free tool that allows you to make a slideshow including narration that you can record with a mic or type. It also allows others to comment on your show. When I first walked in I had no idea what Voice Thread even was and the explaination was moving very quickly. I wasn't sure if I was following it. I saw others in the class using their internal mics to record their voices and make little slideshows. I didn't have a mic so I figured that Voicethread just wasn't for me. Later that day, I had some time and I wanted to check it out again. As I experimented with the program and realized that I didn't need a mic to use it. I was able to easily make a little slide show and include text narration with it all on my own. For me that was an accomplishment because I am not usually very technologically advanced. Now I realize the real benefit of this tool and the simplicity of it. I would have liked a little longer session with this cool tool.

Digital Video and Fizz

The Third and Fourth sessions I chose were Digita Video which then lead right into Fizz. To me these sessions were the most useful because I can really see myself incorporating them into my lessons this upcoming school year. Digital video, especially the Flip Camera is an amazing tool. It's no more complicated than using a digital camera, that most of us already are comfortable with. The camera can be used to enhance the process of learning or be the product of it. I would use this one in my reading class. It is simply a video camera that is small, durable, and easy to operate. All you have to do is push one button to record, and then push it again to stop it. It has a thumbdrive built right in and can be easily popped into any computer. The Fizz network then allows you to share your students creations on a safe and protected Youtube-like network. This gives the students a real sense of pride to share their work with other people outside of their classroom.

Here is how I would use the Flip camera in one of my lessons.

Day 1: I would introduce the story for the week which would be the play, "The Book That Saved The Earth." This is a story that is in my curriculum and I have taught for the past 3 years. I would activate the student's prior knowledge about the style of writing; plays. I would then have the students break up into small groups and assign each a role in the play. Their homework would be to read the play and be ready to discuss some personality traits of their character in the play.

Day 2: I would have the students discuss with their group the type of charater they are playing and have them plan out what kind of voice would their character have and what type of costume would help the audience to understand the character better. Day 3: Students would rehearse the play with their group.

Day 4: The students would, instead of acting it out infront of the class like I have done in the past, use the digital video camera to record themselves acting out the play.

I think this would work better because in the past I have seen great acting in the rehearsal stage of the assignment, but when the students get up in front of the entire class they get a little shy and usually just read their part in a monotone voice, forgetting that the way a story is read can change some of the meaning, especially in a play. With the video camera, the students would have some pressure off, allowing them to deliver the story in a more theatrical way.