Jing

Jing is a tool that allows you to capture images or videos of your computer screen and share them fast.  It can be downloaded for free onto any computer and is user friendly.  If you are interested in exploring this tool I have hyperlinked a great website that dives into the different features of Jing.  What is the purpose of Jing?  Well, for one, if you are a teacher or professor and you are teaching an online class this tool can be great to capture images or videos of your computer screen and share them with the class.  It makes the process of following allong with the teacher and understanding what is being explained a lot easier.  I have had the experience of using this tool in grad class a couple different times and I highly recommend it.  Another great way that Jing can be used is to help explain how to use other online tools.  For instance, I am assisting other teachers on how to create a website from sctrach.  During the times when we meet face-to-face I am able to show them how to do this live but when they leave the meeting and need a reminder of how to do this, they can use the Jing videos or images that I have emailed to them.  These are just a couple of basic ideas on how to use this tool but there are many other ways that it can be successful whether it is in the classroom, for a business, or for personal use.

It's downloaded, now what?  This is a link to a video that explains the steps on how to use Jing.  Have fun exploring and becoming familiar with this tool!

Google Drive in the Classroom

I thought it would be interesting to attach a video of how to specifically use Google Drive in the classroom.  I know I find it much easier to understand something if I can view the steps while they are being explained.

Here are a couple examples of documents that have been made in Google Drive:

Google Form

Google Form 2

Google Doc

Everything in Google Drive has the ability to either be kept private, shared with specific individuals, or shared with the world.  Everything is private until the user has chosen to share information.  Another great aspect of Google Drive is that there is no need to worry about saving anything.  Everything that is created is saved automatically.

I recommend experimenting with Google Drive!  I would be willing to bet once you discover the many great uses of this tool that you will be hooked!

Google Drive

There are a number of different things that you can do with Google Drive including make a website, create documents and forms, develop spreadsheets, etc. all while collaborating with others in the process! I have linked a website for your convenience if you are interested in browsing how to use all of the wonderful aspects of Google Drive.  This is a perfect tool for teachers to use in the classroom with students.  I have created a website for my health education class for students to access documents related to instruction.  I also have a website for my volleyball team that includes a Google Form which is another awesome tool that can be used in many ways.  For example, I have used the form to collect player and parent contact information but it can also be used to create quizzes, surveys, RSVPs, etc.  I highly recommend using Google Drive; it can make your life a lot easier whether you are a teacher, a coach, planning an event, running a business, or simply organizing personal information.

Pinterest in the Classroom

Teachers can use Pinterest for a number of things in the classroom.  For one, they can follow other teachers and share ideas on a wide range of topics.  For two, they can have their students use Pinterest to gather and share ideas with other students.  Some specific ways that Pinterest can be of assistance in the classroom include:

1.  Students can create a collage of information on a specific topic with brief descriptions for each pin.

2.  Teachers can get ideas on how to decorate their classroom.

3.  Teachers can create a board to share student accomplishments.

4.  Teachers can get ideas for different projects and activities to use in the classroom.

5.  Teachers/students can share notes, lessons, videos, etc.

Pinterest can be used at all grade levels including elementary, middle, high school and even colleges/universities.  I have started my own board for education on Pinterest and you can access it here.  

Other sites that can be beneficial if you are considering using Pinterest in your classroom...

Ideas for use in the classroom

Teachers guide to Pinterest

Pinterest Possibilities!

Pinterest is a virtual corkboard where images and videos can be shared with others.  It allows you to search through other users corkboards and “pin” it to your board.  There is an endless amount of categories that one can search through including gift ideas, videos, animals, art, vehicles, celebrities, design, education, and many, many more!  A user may have as many corkboards as they want and can categorize them by different topics.  For instance, I have 8 different boards with a bunch of different pins under each board.  My two favorite boards are “Yummy, yummy, in my tummy,” where I pin a bunch of different recipes, and “For the home,” where I pin ideas about how to decorate my house.  I found Pinterest very helpful when searching for ideas to plan a wedding shower for my best friend.  Pins can be created by users, posted from the web or from a specific place such as a restaurant.  Similar to Twitter and Instagram users can follow one another to share ideas and interests. 

Pinterest can be very useful for teachers and students.  As I mentioned before there is an education category in which teachers can search for different ideas of things to do in their classroom, from decorating to lesson plans and activities.  I will dive deeper into how to use Pinterest in the classroom in my next blog.  Until then, if you are interested in exploring Pinterest consider using the help center to assist you.

Twitter in the Classroom

Twitter in the Classroom

Twitter can be a great way to keep students engaged and motivated to learn.  This social networking site makes it very easy to communicate with others, organize class materials and information, find different resources to use on assignments, practice writing skills and many more!  The following is a list of specific ways Twitter can be used in your classroom:

1. Post a response to a discussion question
2. Post due dates for assignments/quizzes/tests
3. Have students collaborate with one another about assignments
4. Search for hash tags about a specific topic
5. Follow information/people related to class
6. Post questions
7. Share notes
8. Connect with other classrooms
9. Involve parents and the community
10. Post a summary
11. Provide instant feedback

The following is an example assignment that I created for my Health Education class:

Discussion Prompt:  This discussion will include a total of three responses that will be completed on Twitter.  The first response should be posted by (enter specific date here) at 10 pm, the second response by (enter specific date here) at 10 pm, and the final response by (enter specific date here) at 10 pm.  When posting the first response use the following hash tag #initialreponse; for the second posting use hash tag #secondresponse, and for the last response use hash tag #finalresponse.  Be sure to include the class hash tag for each response as well, #TAOD.

#TAOD, #initialresponse:  What is a drug?  Name some ways that drugs can be beneficial for you and some ways that they can be harmful to you.  Name three drugs that can be beneficial for you and three drugs that are harmful to you and explain your selections.

#TAOD, #secondresponse:  What are some reasons that people take drugs?  What would you do and how would you response if someone asks you if you wanted to try a drug that you knew was bad for you?

#TAOD, #finalresponse:  Read and respond to at least one other person’s second response.  What advice would you give to them on how they responded to using a drug that they knew was bad for them?  Where/who can you suggest how to get help in this situation?

To view this assignment on my Twitter click here

Features and Functionalities of Twitter

Twitter is a free social media tool that can be used for many different things including connecting with people, advertising, expressing oneself, sharing ideas and information, etc.  Many people have a Twitter profile for personal use but businesses, schools, and universities can also utilize it professionally.  This tool gives you the option of creating a private or public account that allows you to choose who can view your profile.  For instance, a teacher may have two accounts, one for personal or private use and another for educational or public purposes. 

There are many different features of Twitter which include:

• Ability to search for people and "follow" them
• When you follow a person you are able to view their activity on Twitter (tweets, retweets, followers, etc.)
• Tweet - a test comment of 140 characters or less that posts to your page and is shared with your followers
• Retweet (RT) - re-posting a tweet that was created by another person
• Direct message (DM) - a private tweet between 2 people
• @ - this symbol is used to identify another user in a tweet
• Example: @username is the link to the profile of the user
• # (hashtag) - this symbol is used to identify key words in a tweet and links to another page of similar topics
• Examples: #ET630, #ilovecooking, #NFL, etc.
• All tweets that include the same hashtag will appear together on a separate page
• Favorite - a bookmark of tweets that you like

Twitter is very user friendly and can be understood by simply exploring the website and experimenting with the functions.  This makes it a perfect tool for teachers to use in the classroom to increase student motivation and engagement.  Stay tuned for examples of how to incorporate Twitter into your classroom in my next blog…

Links for help with Twitter:

Twitter

Twitter Help Center

Twitter Terminology Help

Welcome :)

I am a 9th grade health education teacher at Hammond High School in Columbia, MD currently working towards earning my master's degree in educational technology at Loyola University.  The class that I am taking right now is Digital Communication in the Classroom and we are exploring different aspects of telecommunication in the classroom. This blog will be used to discuss the educational uses of the following Web 2.0 technologies:  Twitter, Google Forms, & Pinterest.