SKYPE I've done video conferencing in my classroom. The children and I enjoyed the experience, but it is very time consuming and not every child is engaged with the process. I like the idea of sharing information with other classes. Every year we get letters from various classes requesting information about being a third grader in Houston. It would be nice to share experiences.
WORDLE There is nothing like color and visual interest to grab attention. I often have my students read an article from NASA or another internet site to focus the day's learning. Some third graders really struggle with the vocabulary even though they are able to understand the concepts. I'm really going to enjoy using Wordle to introduce the vocabulary for the day and start great classroom discussions.
VOICE THREAD WOW! Voice Thread will be a great collaborative tool for the classroom. I can see students using this as a final project for a research project or as a way to have different classes give input into student learning. I really learned a great way to use voice thread from “Letters from the Internment Camps” found on the Voice Thread blog. The class from Prairie Elementary used it as a way to demonstrate comprehension of the information they received from a classroom speaker and receive feedback from a man who had lived in the internment camp. Voice Thread has the potential to be a powerful classroom tool.
ANIMOTO This is lots of fun! I spent the most time choosing music. This decision might slow down a class. There are plenty of ways a class could use this: back to school night, sharing projects, making a thank you card for speakers, a visual bulletin board, a jazzy focus as students enter the room. This could keep the room hoppin’!
BOOKR This is a great visual scrapbook! Is there a way to keep your post private? That would make a great difference in how I could use this in the class. As it is, it makes a great way to share research information in a visual format.
