BP_9 DoInk

This week my Web 2.0 tool was DoInk.   http://www.doink.com/ This is a  fun, interactive site that caught my attention right away with it’s super logo(see attached, cute pink octopus)…..(picture from doink.com)

This was only the beginning!  

The site was easy to navigate, free to sign up for, and kind of addicting once you started animating your pictures… and I am NOT an avid artist, as any of my students will tell you!

This is an evolving site, currently there is no direct link to sound with your animations or importing photos to add but according to a review by Kyle Psaty in BostInnovation(bostinnovation.com/2010/05/11/doink…/).  Aaron White, the CTO, is looking at ways to add both of these features. 

So, to begin you have a blank slate with  a brush, pen or fill in option.  You choose your tool and then your color.  After you have drawn and colored  an image, you can copy it to the next frame, adding to it or changing it.  The basic principle is a digital flip book,  you make small changes in each frame and when put together the end result is motionJ  You are then able to publish your creation to Facebook, Twitter or get the embed code to move your creation around and really put it out there. 

I paid $5.  and got 400 coins which I can use to buy other creations to use, to upgrade color/shape options or to download my image as a Mp4 which I then put into iMovie.  See my One Minute Movie.  

My students figured it out in about ½ the time I did, which is no surprise and only fueled their interest in the site,  “here let me show you how to do it, Mrs. Jones” was a common theme of the dayJ  I watched the excellent tutorials and was pleased they were clear and easy to follow.  I will be adding this tool to my classroom Moodle and can’t wait to see what my artists create.  Tune in for future animations! 

W2 Reading

This week I read more articles, researching the topic of Moodle and how it is a beneficial tool for Middle School Classrooms.  I am hoping to find some articles that oppose my ideas because I find that sometimes the opposing view can help me to not be biased and get a full picture of Moodle.  I have yet to find that opposing research, that is my mission for week 3.
As I did a synopsis last week of the articles I read, I decided to mix it up and used MindMeister, and excellent web 2.0 mind mapping website that you can use to collaborate ideas with others.

BP_8OMM Quizlet.com

This is my One Minute Movie (OMM) on Quizlet.com  I was amazed by how much you can learn at this site.  I hope you check it out and tell me what you think.

BP_7Comment to Cherie Hellenbrand

Come find out how to make your own animations and make your movies come to life!  Follow me to Cherie Hellenbrand's blog and learn about Animate Me.

http://chellenbrand.blogspot.com/2010/10/bp5go-animate.html

BP_6 Comment to Jim Farmer

Follow me to KnowledgeFarm and find out how to build vocabulary skills while helping feed the world!

http://knowledgefarmer.blogspot.com/2010/10/bp4discovering-web-20-tools.html#comments

BP_5 Quizlet

Quizlet is an AWESOME web 2.0 tool that helps students of all kinds learn and study just about anything! It is an interactive flashcard site that has a large group of flashcards made up, but also allows you to make up your own.  Whether you are a teacher or a student, most of us have some experience with using flashcards as an excellent study tool, but have you tried it online?  If not, Quizlet is the site for you.

This interactive platform really draws you in with self-tests and games.  A graduate student, Andrew, at MIT who is actively working on making this site better and more user friendly all the time, started this site.  In a recent blog post (Sept. 9, 2010), gave the statistic, “if you add up the length of each quizlet visitor’s study sessions in a single day, you get 1008 days, or about 2.9 years.” (The Quizlet Blog, 9/9/10)   That is an amazing statistic and speaks to how engaging and interesting this site is.  I found myself looking at Spanish word flashcards and then taking the “tests” to see how much I learned, or what grade I could get.

 I ultimately found a set of wonderful cards, which I will be attaching to my class site Moodle, the Fertile Crescent.  The existing card set matches perfectly with the chapter the 6^th grade social studies class is learning and this tool will hopefully only enhance that learning.   I also plan on continuing this connection throughout the year and encourage the students to explore this site and test their knowledge on whatever might peak their interest.  I have to go now, get back on Quizlet; I may have found a way to study that inspires learningJhttp://quizlet.com/

Pictures: Screen shots of cards made by Tiffany Jones on quizlet.com

W1 Reading

The following 4 articles are just the beginning of what I am researching to support my Action Research Project:  Moodle Doodle.  I am looking into how using Moodle in the classroom can be an inspiring, motivational tool that increases productivity. 

1.Attitudes Toward eLearning Using Moodle: A Qualitative Approach

   By:  Yusniza Kamarulzaman, Azian Madun and Farinda Abdul Ghani University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This study looked at what students’ attitude was towards eLearning, what factors influence students’ adoption of eLearning and what motivates students to continue to use Moodle in the learning process. 

This study provides a clear explanation of what Moodle is and how to use it. As well as the reasons that Moodle is highly motivating to students. 

The conclusion shows that Moodle is a useful tool for students at all levels.  It was found to be easy to use and user friendly to students.

2.Comparison between Two Learning Management Systems:  Moodle and Blackboard

By:  Momani, Alaa M.

This is a specific list of both Moodle and Blackboard and compares how the two compare.  They look at six factors; Pedagogical Factor, Learner Environment, Instructor Tools, Course and Curriculum Design, Administrator Tools, and Technical Specification. 

3.  Curriculum Integration:  The Use of Technology To Support Learning

     By:  Jackson, Allen, Gaudet, Laura, McDaniel, Larry, and Brammer, Dawn

This article discusses Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences takes into consideration the different learning styles, therefore, the use of technology is ideal to support the multiple learning styles.  By using technology, differentiation is much easier and allows students to use their strengths and different styles to learn and master the same concepts.

4.  Moodle Habitudes

     By: Angela Maiers

    This book opens with the definition of “habitudes” as the combination of habits and attitudes.  This seems to be a perfect combination to analyze and look at how Moodle can be used in the classroom. 

There are specific tools discussed such as: Questionnaire, Book, OUBlog, Lightbox Gallery Resource, Learning Diary, Exabis ePortfolio.  These are explained and then told how to install.  I will be referring back to this to add new options to my Moodle and compare them to existing classroom practices.  

These four articles have given me a great foundation from which to build my Moodle investigation.  I am looking forward to adding new tools to my Moodle and having students log in to begin their new journey.