Global connections in the classroom teach meet

Global Connections in the Classroom

About Bob Heinrich

http://Del.icio.us

• Online social bookmarking destination where users can save bookmarked sites on a personal Bookmarking Website

What you can do with del.icio.us:

• Save and access your bookmarks from any computer

• Share your bookmarks and access other people’s bookmarks

• Search del.icio.us to find other people who are interested in the same topic and check out their research

Diigo

• Bookmark website

• Index them with tags

• Annotate web pages with highlights, comments, and sticky notes

• Skype is a free and easy way for teachers to open up their classroom and their students to a world way beyond their campus.

• With Skype, students can learn from other students, connect with other cultures, and expand their knowledge in amazing ways.

• Teachers and parents can also benefit from Skype in the classroom

• http://education.skype.com/

Getting up and Running with Skype

• Hardware/software required:– downloaded skype software,– higher bandwidth connection– web camera– desktop microphone and earphones, or headset– Interactive white board for display or a white wall,

and data projector if videoconferencing with a class.

Blogging – What is it?

• A blog (short for weblog) is a web-based journal that is typically updated frequently and open for anyone to read.

• Entries are created in journal style and usually displayed in reverse chronological order

• Blogs can be hosted by dedicated blog hosting services or they can be run using blog software

How could a Blog benefit your course?

• Personal Introductions• Study guides and online learning and teaching (OLT) sites

for each course unit. • A download facility where students can access PowerPoint

lecture slides, WWW links, solutions to problems, past examination papers

• Students make contributions based on the subject matter they students are studying

• Dissemination of Important Classroom Information beyond the Classroom

Blogs in Education

• Easily Updatable Content• RSS Feed (Bloglines)• Podcasting• Vodcasting• Screencasting• Homework• Announcements

• Tools– No Downloads– Easy to Update– Easy to Navigate– Easy Linking– Simple Design

Wiki

• Similar to a blog; however, ownership of the wiki is distributed to numerous individuals who collectively add and edit web-accessible content.

• A webpage that you can edit, is easy to use and is perfect for collaborative learning.

Wiki in the Classroom• Use Wiki’s as a tool to enhance learning.• Don’t use in isolation.• Make it relevant to what is being taught in

class.• They are a great motivator.• Easy to monitor.• Allows for creativity and innovation.• Encourages participation.• Promotes communication between

students.• A new, interesting way to learn.

Personal Learning Network

• Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging site that enables users to send short, concise messages to each other

• It is a means of disseminating information quickly to a large amount of people; it allows people to express their thoughts and have their opinions heard quickly– Follow Hashtags

Benefits of Using Twitter in the Classroom

• Twitter is a way to record thoughts and ideas that you search – it’s a history

• Twitter connects you to a larger world outside of the classroom and even the country

• Students can follow people who do what they want to do or who they admire and get a sense for their job and life

• Twitter can improve writing and punctuation

Step 1: In your web browser address bar, type in http://twitter.com

Step 2: Since you are a new user, you will need to create a’new account. Click the button on the screen labeled “Sign up now”

• Help teachers find collaborative learning partners and appropriate projects

For more information please address all correspondence to:

Robert R. HeinrichDirector of Academic ComputingThe Richard Stockton College of NJ

609-626-6039Email: robert.heinrich@stockton.edu