Explorations

See other possiblilities to incorporate within class work here.

Students could store video clips on their lockers and link to it. Here is an
Download

You can convert Excel files to pdf. Here is an example.

This can be done on in the labs here but an even easier way is using Document Converter Express. Neevia Document Converter eXpress makes it possible for anyone to instantly convert their files to PDF or Image without the need of installing special software.

This is an example of a podcast. It is done on Audacity. Students could learn to use this and upload as mp3 files.

Here is a sample (it’s on another topic but you will get the idea).

Here is information from edublogs.org on space limitations and work arounds.
An edublogs.org user that I’m particularly happy to have is my dad who today, asks a very simple question “How do I podcast”? Good question… unfortunately whoever he spoke to did not give him a good answer though so, drumroll, here’s how you podcast using edublogs.org:

1. Record and create an .mp3 file (Audacity is free and good for this)
2. Upload your mp3 using the ‘Upload’ tool in your posting window.
3. Drag and drop it to your posting window
4. Write some stuff and click ‘Publish’

Not that hard eh!

Now all anyone who wants to subscribe to your podcast needs to do is to subscribe to your URL, i.e. username.edublogs.org

Technical notes (feel free to ignore): WordPress automatically converts the .mp3 file into an enclosure in your RSS feed consequently meaning that if you’re subscribed to it using a podcast aggregator it will automatically download the full ..mp3 onto your hard drive / music device
[NB: At the moment there’s a 25MB limit on upload space so you’ll probably only be able to fit 5 or 6 podcasts there for the moment,however, if you use OurMedia.org you can set yourself up with infinite bandwidth and storage]

Scanning can be done in Photoshop in the lab and students can learn to resize and compress the files.
Also you can scan to Acrobat. Directions are here.

Pertinant information could be posted as it is collected, with a descriptive title.

If you like, posts that include their thinking, questions they may have, thoughts, etc. could be included throughout.

This post could contain introductory info. A brief intro to the course and assignment could be stated. Then general info could be provided about the adolescent reader who they are going to tutor, in addition to any other info you felt should be included.

This blog was created to test drive possible uses of blogs for classes. I plan to make a type of “dummy” outline of what could occur in the blog so professors can visualize the project. I may include several different ways of doing the same thing so they can have choices.

Currently I have one professor who is interested in putting one of her class assignments totally online. During the semester her graduate students tutor an adolescent reader. They gather reading data throughout the semester such as fluency reading and comprehension, as well as running records of the student reading aloud. Then the students analyze the data they have collected during the semester and write a professional report detailing the student’s strengths and areas for improvement, with specific strategies to achieve the reading goals. In the past she has had students write their report/paper and then attach selected work examples to the back which support their conclusions. She wants to strengthen this project by requiring that students include artifacts such as audio sample of the child reading (which will support their analysis), a spreadsheet of a fluency chart (timed reading from a selected passage each week), writing samples from the student, and possibly a video clip of one literacy session with the child. The professor told me that in previous classes most of her graduate students had the option of completing everything electronically and most of them did. However, none of them was really able to create a final document in which the artifacts could be linked with the report.

The main components of the case study are scanned artifacts of the student’s work, audio files of the student reading, photographs and video clips, spreadsheets of the test data, fluency chart, and other assessments given during the semester, and a Word document of the actual case study which ties it all together.

The great thing about this project is that the professor wants to learn how to do it herself. I welcome suggestions and ideas. I’m looking for ease of use, short learning curves on the web tools, and a product that will be useful for all the students in the class as well as others who are interested in the content.