Non-blah #11: Five Tips for Using Webquests in the Classroom

Here are some tips/ideas I thought of regarding how to use the technology of webquests in the classroom/in teaching:
1. Use a Webquest to introduce a new unit of study, particularly if the unit has extensive support from internet resources (as many units do).
2. Have students create a webquest for an individual or group project.
3. Pair with a teacher in another subject to create a cross-curricular webquest that can connect related lessons or units.
4. Have student include a narrative aspect to give the webquest a plot/storyline if the webquest's subject lends itself to this.
5. It would be best to use .edu and .org (instead of .com) sites whenever possible.

Non-blah #10: Webquest on the Five Themes of Geography

TO BE USED IN A WORLD GEOGRAPHY (9TH GRADE) UNIT ON INTRODUCING THE STUDY OF GEOGRAPHY. . .

Webquest on Five Themes of Geography

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Non-blah #9: Five Tips for Using Videos in the Classroom

Here are some tips/ideas I thought of regarding how to use the technology of videos in the classroom/in teaching:
1. Encourage students to use videos as a part of group or individual projects, in part by offering additional points for video use.
2. To make sure that students are familiar with how to make their own videos, take a small bit of class time to show them how to edit video in a video-editing program such as Windows Movie Maker.
3. Within lessons, utilize relevant videos from TeacherTube, a site designed for educational use.
Also, in the social studies realm,
4. Have students film reenactments of historical scenes related to a unit of study. Include period-like clothing whenever possible.
5. Have students record a visit to a historical site—complete with narration or voice-over by the student—to then share with the class.

Non-blah #8: Video 2

Non-blah #7: Video 1

Non-blah #6: Five Tips for Using Prezi

Here are some tips/ideas I thought of regarding the use of Prezi presentations in the classroom/in teaching:
1. Since it so visual, and since it is relatively new in the realm of classroom technology, it should be used whenever possible in the place of PowerPoint.
2. Since some students may have sensitivity to motion sickness, the use of movement in Prezi should be used for emphasis and focus, not excessive movement for movement's sake.
3. Many suggestions that apply to PowerPoint presentations could be used with Prezis as well.
4. The program is ideal for stretching students' imaginations, and students should be encouraged to use it for both indivdual and group presentations.
5. The search capability at http://prezi.com can be used to find already-made prezis to use in the classroom, to avoid "reinventing the wheel" where resources already exist.

Non-blah #5: Prezi on Judaism

TO ALSO BE USED IN A WORLD CIVILIZATIONS (10TH GRADE) UNIT ON WORLD RELIGIONS . . .

Judaism, 2nd try on Prezi

Non-blah #4: Five Tips for Using PowerPoint Presentations

Here are some tips/ideas I thought of regarding how to use the technology of PowerPoint presentations in the classroom/in teaching:

1. To supplement or replace traditional lecture with something visually stimulating.
2. Use the slides to lead students through small group discussion.
3. Have students use PowerPoint to present research (as an alternative to writing a paper), either individually or in small teams/groups.
4. Have students use PowerPoint to demonstrate what they have learned in a unit (as an alternative to tradtional assessment).
5. To add a visual aspect to difficult-to-understand concepts.

Non-Blah #3: PowerPoint on Judaism

TO BE USED IN A WORLD CIVILIZATIONS (10TH GRADE) UNIT ON WORLD RELIGIONS

It looks better with the transitions working correctly, something which seems to get lost with using SlideShare . . . but here it is . . .

Judaism

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Non-Blah #2: Five Tips for Using Weblogs in a Classroom

Here are some tips/ideas I thought of regarding how to use the technology of weblogs in teaching:
1. Post links to optional/extra credit activities on the blog.
2. Provide an (additional) avenue for parents to be informed, by frequently updating the blog with posts about class activities.
3. Use in class as part of an instructional strategy or activity, by directing students to read subject-related posts and questions on the blog and then directing students to post comments/replies to the posts (this would be be especially good for questions at higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy).
4. Have students collaborate, share, or compare (or alternatively, compete) with other same-subject classes through posting, reading, and/or responding to other class' blogs.

Also, in the social studies realm,
5. Have students take on a historic or geographic role (e.g., Abraham Lincoln or Germany) to create their own blog about, writing as if they are that person, group, or entity.

Blah, Blah (actually, Non-blah Non-blah) 1: Weblog post (a.k.a. part 1 of Module 1)

Hello all !

Over the last several years I have enjoyed looking up information about a host of topics on Wikipedia, and I've got to say that it seems like, amongst teachers and some others, Wikipedia gets a bad rep for reliability. I don't think the reputation is deserved, at least not completely. There are many Wikipedia pages that are insufficiently cited and referenced, to be sure, but there are also many pages with strong citations and referencing that backs up those pages' material.

So, my series of questions is this: Do you see Wikipedia pages as a reputable source of material? If so, does this depend on the citations and/or sources used? If not, why not? Also, whether or not you see Wikipedia pages as reputable, would you ever allow students to use Wikipedia as a source of research material, with certain conditions attached? Why or why not? If you would allow its use, with what conditions would you allow it? (My thought is that it could help teach students about primary and secondary sources and reliability, especially in the area of social studies.)

Let me know what you think.