Can You Pass This Test?

8th Grade Affix/Vocabulary Test » Make Your Own Quiz

BP12_2010033_One Minute Message2

BP11_2010033_Link to my commemt on Collette's Blog Post

Click here for link

BP10_201011_Link to My Comment on Karmiko's Blog

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BP9_2010033_Web2.0Tool_Quizlet

I used my students to research the Web 2.0 tools. Although I discovered Knowtes during the last exploration and began incorporating the site into the classroom, one of my students discovered Quizlet.com, which, like Knowtes, is a site where you can create sets of flashcards or use the ones already created. Quizlet proves to be a superior site for several reasons.

What you can do:
Create Flashcard Sets: Import from your computer, cut and paste from other sets, or type them
Group Studying: Create groups to study, discuss via live chat
Teacher Features: Share materials with online groups, host discussion groups, student notification via email
Ways to Study:
First and foremost, Quizlet has games! After you create the cards there are seven ways to study your cards and four of them are games. They are Familiarize, Learn, Test, and the games are, Scatter, Play Race, Voice Scatter, and Voice Race.

Scatter, scatters definitions and words across the screen and as you match them correctly, they disappear. The students love it.

Space Race: Students kill the scrolling words by typing in their corresponding term and pressing enter. You may kill them in any order, but to win, you have to make sure they don't scroll past the screen. Be alert; the words go by quickly. However, after a few tries, you remember them.

Both of the games have a voice counterpart. The voice component can aid in facilitating phonemic awareness for those students who may have a deficient in that area. However, the site requires access to the microphone in your computer to run it with their program. I’m unwilling to give them access to my Mac; however, I will try to activate those games with my Dell laptop.

Watch the Screenflow. It demonstrates how to utilize the site.


View the video to see how this Website works



Screenflow compliments of Quizlet.com


Reference
2010. Quizlet. Retrieved March 21, 2010 from http://www.quizlet.com

BP7_2010032_Linkto yourcommentonanother'sblog

I listed both comments under BP6.

I commented on Josh's blog.
Click here for the link

BP8_2010032_One Minute Message - #1

Please view the one minute message from my Merritt Brown Middle School B-O-Y-S!!

BP6_2010032_Linktoyourcommentonanother'sblog

I commented on Jeinine's blog.
Click her for the link

I commented on Josh's blog.
Click here for the link

BP5_2010032_Web2.0Tool2 (WordSift)

WordSift is a product of primarily Stanford University Doctoral students using a grant and was designed to assist teachers “manage the demands of vocabulary and academic language in their text materials.” Because of its visual connection to words, the tool is especially helpful in supporting English Language Learners.


One simply sifts through texts by cutting and pasting it into WordSift and you can engage in a “verbal quick-capture!” The program quickly identifies important words that appear in the text. Although this function is available in Tag Cloud programs on the web, Wordsift has added the ability to mark and sort lists of words important to teachers. The authors have also integrated the Visual Thesaurus (brought to FSO students in our library at the behest of Dr. Deason). And when a student clicks on the cloud Tag, the program displays instances of sentences in which the word is used. I’ve prayed for a program that would create sentences using the vocabulary words I assign.


This program will perfectly dovetail my ABC book assignment. The students can use this program to check the sentences they create and the site is a visual resource to help them comprehend the meaning of the word. Once they’ve seen images on this site, they’ll be better equipped to exactly know the type of graphic they want to choose from Flickr to represent the meaning of the words they’ve chosen to include in their ABC book.

To try the program, I used a recent vocabulary word my students learned, androcracy, and its definition, government rule by men. The first screen shot is the composite screen I received which includes the Visual Thesaurus and the second two shots are of specific images the program generated.t rule by men. The first screen shot is the composite screen I received which includes the Visual Thesaurus and the second two shots are of specific images the program generated. 

    Screen Shot courtesy of WordSift:http://www.wordsift.com/visualize 

   Screen Shot courtesy of WordSift:http://www.wordsift.com/visualize 

  Screen Shot courtesy of WordSift:http://www.wordsift.com/visualize  

I posted on http://jeinine-jusblog.blogspot.com
 blog

BP3_2010031_Web2.0Tools1(Knowtes)

Based on the findings of the National Reading Panel (2000), Bay District Schools adopted a Reading Frameworks program for use when remediating students in reading.  Vocabulary is one component of the Frameworks program.   Consequently, my students receive extensive exposure to affixes: prefixes, roots, suffixes, and the vocabulary words that emanate.  Students are exposed to the words and their parts in several ways.  For those of the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (Gardner, 1999), students manipulate affixes and words on a wall to uncover the word’s meaning.  In addition, students use a computer software program that allows them to build a city using the word parts.  However, their experience with the words and their parts does not carry over to the home.  Even when they know an assessment is forthcoming, rarely will they study the words outside the classroom.  Knowtes offers an avenue by which the students can engage with the material outside the classroom.

         Screenshot courtesy of: http://www.knowtes.com

Knowtes is a Web 2.0 tool that promotes itself as a flashcard-based learning community.  Knowtes permits access to a database of flashcard or an individual can create his own.  The Knowtes Adaptive Learning Engine adjusts how frequently the user should to study the cards based on previous performance.  The program allows the user to view his learning progress by watching the cards move from short to long-term memory as they’re studied.  The program also sends reminders when it’s time to study.

This tool will allow me to establish a group (students) and a deck (affixes and words) for the students to study individually or collaboratively.  More importantly, each student can create their own cards, study program and ultimately, their own personal learning environment.  As such, students now move learning out of my classroom, take it into their own environment, and hopefully begin to own and use the information beyond my class period.  And finally, students can collaborate with classmates or others in the Knowtes community to effectuate their own learning or that of others.

                 Screenshot courtesy of: http://www.knowtes.com

My students begin a new set of affixes and words later this week after our state’s standardized testing is complete.  I plan to introduce this Web 2.0 tool to them at that time.

References

Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21^st century. New York: Basic Books.

National Reading Panel (2000), Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction.  (NIH 00-4769).  Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

BP4_2010031_RSS Feeds

I've chosen the following sites because they provide teaching/classroom resources, professional development, offer gaming information and updates, and/or are discussion forums.

Free Documentaries.org

http://freedocumentaries.org

This site provides non-main stream documentaries and will serve as an excellent resource to generate discussion in the classroom.

                       Courtesy of: http://freedocumentaries.org

g4tv

http://gtv.com/thefeed

As I want to incorporate gaming into my classroom, this site will help keep me up to date with the latest gaming tools.

                        Courtesy of: http://g4tv.com/

MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching)

www.merlot.org

MERLOT provides peer reviewed online teaching and learning materials.

                        Courtesy of: http://www.merlot.org

     

Google Earth Design

This is a how to blog on using Google Earth to create tours. Using Google Earth offers virtual field trips for my students.

Top 50 Education Blogs

http://bestonlinemastersdegrees.com/2010/top-50-education-technology-blogs/

This site offers discussion and exchange of ideas with other educators on a myriad of topics.

Mashable The Social Media Guide

http://mashable.com/Social%20Media/

This site provides information on how to incorporate social media platforms into the classroom.

BP1_2010031_iGoogleScreenShots