Posted by David Wetzel
Are you searching for a way to share documents, presentations, slideshows, or a series of photos or images with your students?
Then Voice Thread is the free Web 2.0 tool for you and your students (teachers can register for a free education account).
Voice Thread allows you and your students to add audio, video, and text as part of conversations concerning science or math content.
Comments can be added using a pre-recorded audio file, microphone, call from a phone, or webcam and microphone.
A Voice Thread allows group conversations to be collected and shared in one place, from anywhere in the world. This is great when your class is collaborating on a project with students in another time zone or other locations around the world.
Strategies for Both Science and Math
The following are examples which work well in either math or science
1. Students create a presentation about a concept and then embed their presentation in a Glogster poster.
2. Students use Voice Threads created by both teacher and other students which are embedded in a class Wiki or Blog for use to review concepts or examples:
- prior to a test or exam.
- work missed after being absent.
3. Students create a recording of a debate using one slide for pro and another for a con position.
4. Students watch a video related to a concept and add their comments, ideas, or suggestions related to the video.
5. Students use Voice Thread to create digital stories to explain ideas.
6. Students integrate documents created – presentations, word documents, spreadsheets, polls – in Google Docs within their Voice Thread presentations.
7. Back to School Night – take photos of your classroom and students working, then post on your Wiki or Blog for parents who are unable to attend.
Math Teaching Strategies
Students show multiple strategies for solving a problem. This strategy promotes student ownership, while using the language of mathematics.
For example – using a digital image of data within a table, several or all students record a different strategies or make comments about how they solved the problem using data analysis.
Have students explain a new math concept using images to support their explanation.
For example – students create a collection of geometric digital images. Then compare and contrast the images by adding their comments.
Additional math ideas:
1. How to write and solve linear equations.
2. Provide examples and explanations of various forms of display for data sets, including a stem-and-leaf plot or box-and-whisker plot; use the forms to display a single set of data or to compare with sets of data.
3. Provides examples and explanations for percents as a part of a hundred; find decimal and percent equivalents for common fractions and explain why they represent the same value; compute a given percent of a whole number.
Science Teaching Strategies
Students are studying arthropods which have an exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They create a digital Voice Thread of examples of these insects with explanations.
For example – Digital Insect Collection
Students create a Voice Thread presentation to communicate their findings in a science project. This strategy ensures each student within a group participates, because every student must contribute to part of the presentation using their own voice for facts and comments.
For example – Road Kill Project
Additional science ideas:
1. Provide examples of reflection and refraction along with explanations.
2. Provide examples of each type of biome found around the world.
3. Debate the issue of global warming using facts and data presented in a Voice Thread.
Using Voice Thread creates an interactive classroom which can be used in almost any science and math grade level. Teachers can use this Web 2.0 tool for digital storytelling of concepts by students, causing critical thinking, student project presentations, and even a tool for assessment.
Posted by David Wetzel
Have you ever wanted to create short “how to” video for your students to use for homework, remembering facts, and solving math problems.
How often have your students stated, “I could not complete the homework assignment, because I could not remember the steps and no one could help me.”
Well the answer is to create a screencast or video for posting on your class wiki or blog for students to view at home or anywhere else they have web access.
An Online Tool: Screencasting Made Easy
Jing is an alluringly addictive little piece of freeware that allows you to make screencasts (as well as screenshots) of whatever is appearing on your computer screen.
It is an excellent Web 2.0 tool for teaching using short five-minute-or-less “how to” videos in science or math. It is also compatible with PC and Macs.
To watch a screencast, you or your students only need a viewer capable of showing the appropriate file format. This normally means using Windows Media Player, QuickTime, or Flash.
Screencasts can be streamed over the Internet or downloaded and watched later.
Another option is to save screencasts on a digital portable device with video capability, such as a video capable iPod, MP3 Player, or smart phone (often referred to a videocasts).
Science and Math: Ideas for Use
Using Jing to create screencasts which can be used in science or math to:
- present a standalone lesson or class orientations.
- clarify complex concepts using images, videos, and audio.
- capture brainstorming ideas of entire class or groups.
- post lecture notes, concept maps, or math procedural steps on class wiki or blog.
- support rote learning of facts or “skill and drill” applications.
- create a video clip of you, or a guest speaker, talking while displaying PowerPoint slides or other visuals.
- create a how-to video for math project, science project, or laboratory investigation.
- create a lab safety video.
Educational Value: Teaching Strategies and Techniques
This educational technology tool is useful for teaching:
- content in a more engaging manner for students, rather than reading written instructions and viewing photos or illustrations.
- due to ease in sharing information in an intuitive and effective way.
- by easily publishing and distributing information via blogs, wikis, and social media services which opens the door to greater collaboration among students.
- difficult concepts which cannot be explained easily through words alone.
- different learning styles.
Creating a Screencast
Launch the program, whose icon (the Jing “sun”) will then lurk at the edge of your screen until you are ready for Jing action.
Hover over the sun and select the crosshairs, so you can set your screen capture dimensions.
Select the video icon in the toolbar that appears under your capture zone.
After the 3-second countdown, now you’re recording! Move your cursor, type, click, etc. Your video can be up to 5 minutes long.
To stop the recording, click the rectangular stop button on the toolbar.
Once you are done, you can view your video. You can save a copy (it’s in Flash) or better yet, “share it” to Screencast.com (it’s free) so you can send a link for viewing. You can determine who can and cannot view your screencasts.
Your video can also be embedded or a link provided within a wiki or blog.
Other Considerations
Other points to think about when creating a screen cast:
- You have the option to record audio along with your video.
- You can upload images from Flickr or other sources for integration in a video.
- You can also upload PowerPoint slides for conversion into a video.
Other Free Online Screencasting Tool Options
- CamStudio – an open source PC program for capturing your on-screen video and audio as AVI files.
- Copernicus – is for Macs and focuses heavily on making quick and speedy films. Program does not offer audio support.
- ScreenToaster – is compatible with PCs and Macs and used for capturing videos of onscreen action, tutorials, how-to’s, lectures and more.
A screencast will bring a new dynamic process to your science or math class. Students are more engaged in the learning process and they have access to information presented in class 24 hours a day.
No longer will students be able to complain they could not remember the steps or procedures, because they are posted on the class wiki or blog. They can also download these videos to their iPods, MP3 Players, or smart phone.
Posted by David Wetzel
Wikis are the most popular Web 2.0 tool being used in science and math classrooms. Based on a survey of readers – 45 percent use them to support their teaching and student learning.
A Wiki is appealing, encourages participation, supports collaboration, and promotes interaction by students who love to use technology.
By the way – this includes most students today!
The following are a collection of ideas and strategies for using Wikis in your classroom!
Both Science and Math Classrooms
Specific pages within a Wiki may include:
Study Guides – these are created by you or assigned to groups of students. Examples include study guides for chapters, units, or semester exams.
Podcasts – like everything dealing with education technology in the classroom there are always tips and tricks to ensure success – this includes Podcasting!
WebQuests – an inquiry-oriented online lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web.
Projects – both a collection of resources for students and an online tool for facilitating completion of project based learning activities. This includes teacher created and online project resources such as the National Math Trail and Global Water Sampling Project.
Tips for Students – this includes are variety of ways for helping students, such as tips for:
- creating and uploading a podcast.
- using and uploading Google Docs.
- using WallWisher.
- uploading images.
- creating links to pages within the Wiki or external resources on the web.
- frequently asked questions regarding classroom and homework procedures.
Careers – a selection of teacher or student interviews of people currently employed in careers related to science or math. This may include written statements from professionals who are given the same set of questions to answer, along with online links to career resources.
Math Classrooms
Specific pages within a Math Wiki may include:
Calculus – a collection of problem solving exercises for students to collaboration in solving.
Algebra – a collection of problems for students practice such as inequalities, linear equations, quadratic formula, or graphing.
Graphing Calculator – tips and tricks for using graphing calculators. Also may include a links to an online graphing calculator.
Real World Math – a page for students to write about and/or provide examples of places where they actually used math outside the classroom.
Class Notes – a collection of step-by-step procedures used in class to solve math problems such as multiplying fractions, geometry, algebra, trigonometry, or calculus.
Science Classrooms
Specific pages within a Science Wiki may include:
Glossary – a collection of scientific terms with illustrations and definitions added by students using Flickr and other non-copyright resources. This may also include online links to detailed information.
Taxonomy – classification of a variety of organisms by kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
Experimental Design – procedures and steps for following the experimental design process such as defining independent variable, dependent variable, control variables, or developing experimental questions.
Discrepant Events – sample videos or procedures for students to follow when completing discrepant events, which allow students to witness scientific events with unexpected outcomes.
Field Observations – sample procedures for collecting water data at local streams, weather observation data, wildlife observation data, or collecting plant data.
Concept Descriptions – a written or pictorial description of scientific processes such as earthquakes, water cycle, friction, pollination, ozone depletion, light, rock cycle, physical and chemical properties, force, and photosynthesis.
Chemistry Equations – procedures and practice for learning how to balance chemical equations. This may also provide links to web resources for student help.
Physics – a list of formulas and equations, along with step by step-by-step procedures for solving. This may also provide links to web resources for student help.
The time is right as you close out this school year and have the summer to build a dynamic Wiki in preparation for next year or make changes to your current class Wiki to include these and other ideas. Your students will benefit from the integration of this Web 2.0 tool in your classroom, as they develop a greater understanding of math or science.
Additional Resources
Using Wikis in Math Class
Using Wikis in Science Class
