Week 12
Glogster allows users to create an interactive online poster called glogs by adding images, videos, audio and text.  Glogster helps students build knowledge by allowing them to create their own meaning of the content and displaying it to others.  Teachers are drawn to glogster because it can be applied to any content area particularly in ELA. For example, you can easily add text and a rubric that students can see.  You can also create a glog that includes all the assignment information for the students to access.  Glogster can also promote collaboration and higher-level thinking by engaging students to address their needs regardless of their levels and allowing you to differentiate assignments.  It also allows students to express themselves in an artistic way and encourages collaboration amongst students to help each other.  

Link to glogster:

https://edu.glogster.com/glog/hb/343tf0md1jc

Week 11 Assignment #1

The article “Using VoiceThread to Promote Learning Engagement and Success for All Students,’’ examines how VoiceThread has created opportunities for teachers to discover new methods for teaching and new ways for students to show their understanding of the material.  The article focuses on explaining VoiceThread and how it can be used in all grades and subjects.  It also concentrated on three students’ profiles and how it helped those students, all who have different learning styles and needs.  It showed that VoiceThread allows students to practice listening and speaking and provides the teacher the ability to hear every student.  It also gives students the ability to hear themselves speak which can lead to better articulation.  VoiceThread also allows you to integrate several media such as pictures, audio, video and text to improve and support language.  It can also be used to support students with learning disabilities and special education services by encouraging participation, they can work at their own pace independently and gradually provide information rather than all at once.  VoiceThread can help create a positive learning environment for students that are beneficial to their individual learning style and support them in their success.

Week 10

https://drive.google.com/open?id=13bOcAXvAshvMoX5-UOq6XPtpmReJcSTm

Week 9 assignment #1

New literacies that evolved from new technologies including text-messaging, blogging, social networking etc. has changed our communication skills not just with students but adults as well.  Blogging is one form of interaction that can be beneficial for developing conventional and new literacy skills.  Blogging can be a good way for teaching and learning literacy because it can be used in all subject areas and it showcases our creativity.  According to the article “The Impact of Using Blogs on College Students Reading Comprehension and Learning Motivation”, the results of the study conducted did not support that using blogs enhanced new literacies, but it did have a positive effect on the way students interact with each other.  The article also touch basis on how important it was for not only students but adults as well to learn these new technologies in order to be successful now and in the future with our changing technologies.