Picnik & Smilebox

Picnik
This is a fun tool for editing images, this would be a cool thing to use in the classroom to get students imaginations moving. I would use this in class for numerous activities, you could use it to have students create fun pictures of themselves for projects, or edit pictures for different subjects like science and social studies.

Smilebox
This is a cool activity to use. This might be better than picnik because you can also edit videos as well as pictures. As a teacher you would probably be more likely to use this in the classroom, than just using picnik. 

Wordle and Timetoast

This would be a fun activity for students, you could do a writing activity and then have your students do a wordle for it. You could have students describe themselves, and do a wordle on that. You could do a science lesson, and make a posterboard to hang on the walls! Its a really fun and interactive way to get students more interactive with text and words! I made a wordle of my blog! Here is the link for it:
http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4215422/Untitled

Timetoast is a really cool program to use for any subject. However, I think it would be serve students for social studies because it does focus on chronological order. I like that you can view the events both in a horizontal and vertical display, which allows students to view the information in whatever way works better for them!

Delicious & Glogster

Delicious:
I don't know if I would use Delicious for personal use, just because I am not sure that I would necessarily think about it while on the internet. I would have to train myself to think of it and use it. It seems like a good program to use for educational purposes, I would want to explore it more, and feel more comfortable with the concept before actually using it in my classroom. However, that is not to say its not a good program! It could be fun to create the "stacks" to use on a subject you are teaching for all different websites that you want your students to use and refer to.


Glogster:
I could definitely see myself using this! I love that there is a tool for school videos, I think adding in a video to a lesson, short or long, is a great way to incorporate technology into teaching, and it is fun for the students! I like all the colors and graphics of the site. I love that you can use it for classroom projects, and that it is paperless!Would be a great thing to use for a group activity for students to post their projects and present using this program!

Webquest

This is a great webquest for first grade science. It is all about penguins, the goal is to learn all about the different kinds of penguins and their habits, locations, and creating a worksheet of all the information! Web quest's are a great way to get students engaged and use technology! I love this activity, and would definitely use it in a classroom! I like how it breaks down the lesson into the different things the teacher wants the students to learn about Penguins. Students construct a Penguin mobile, a penguin food chain, and an experiment to find out how penguins stay warm in the cold temperatures.



http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/webquest/penguins/index.htm

Examples of Website Evaluation

This is a good example of a website evaluation site. It is really simple and easy to follow. There are four steps, and you can access more information on each step, by clicking the main word that has a link attached to it. This is user friendly, and easy to understand!  http://liblearn.osu.edu/tutor/les1/


This is a step by step process for evaluation a website, it is very user friendly and would be great for kids to use. When you read one step, you have to click next to get you to the next step. At the beginning you can select what grade you are, so the site is adjusted to your level. There are three options: grades 1-2, 3-5, and 6-8. http://www.eduplace.com/kids/usingweb/index.html

website evaluation

Website evaluation:

I would recommend this site. I have heard of the publisher, and would feel confident that it was a good source to use. I liked how the website seemed fun by using bright colors and fun fonts. I feel like this would keep students attention, and they would feel like they were playing a game just for fun, but would be practicing academic subjects at the same time!

I learned that it is important to check out websites thoroughly before using them in the classroom for your students. I now know you should really check all aspects of the site out, because it could have a very negative impact on your students, and you as an educator, if you send them to a site that is inappropriate in any way. I will make sure that I do check out all websites before using them in my classroom.

Using a Wiki

I have never used a Wiki, so this is a new experience for me. So far, I have found everything on the Wiki extremely useful, and well thought out. I like how you can edit a document, and others can go in and edit the same document and it will update it. There are some many possibilities for using this in a classroom, and I could definitely see myself using the techniques I have learned and will continue to learn in the future!