Brandi J. Clark

By this time, you have settled back into your classroom.

As you go through the seven layers of the candy cane forest

you wonder…

Why are some really cool, Web 2.0 tools, blocked in my school?

Why is antipasto so expensive?

While I can’t help you with the antipasto…here is an alternative option for some of your Web 2.0 discomfort!

Specifically the…

Creating a Painless or (Less Painful)Web 2.0 Classroom by Josh Flores

This LiveBinder is the answer to your dreams…

Here is the

Table of Contents, as listed under Tab 1:

Tab 1: Because Classroom Management Isn’t Enough

Start-up advice and help for transitioning into a Web 2.0 classroom. Wiggio, Moodle, EDU Blogs, Google DOCS, Poll Everywhere and Online-Stopwatch will help keep things organized.

Tab 2: Because YouTube is blocked

Free programs to help get some great educational material to your classroom. YouTube, Any Video Converter and Zamzar.

Tab 3: Because PowerPoints are Boring

Are you as bored of PowerPoint slides and endless bullet points as I am? Try something new for presenting directions or concepts in the classroom or let your students unleash their creativity. Prezi, Voice Thread, Glogster, GoAnimate!, EDU blogs and Photo Story.

Tab 4: Because Students Need Study Skills

Here are my favorite sites I promote to get students studying outside the class. Quizlet, Twitter, Lino Pad, Easy Bib, Google Reader and Diigo.

Tab 5: Because we all do Research

The research essay is something all subject areas look forward to each year. Here’s some tools to help make it even more engaging. Google Alerts, Fact Check.org and EasyBib.

Tab 6: Because Computers Break!

Technology is great… when it works. When it doesn’t work, use CCleaner and ensure your hard work isn’t lost with Drop Box.

Please check it out!!!

Until Next Time,

Lit Maven Out!

No Tagxedo

Another awesome tool to inspire even the most cranky learner:

And that’s cranky!

I was going through the feature shelves at LiveBinder again… and guess what I found?

My new favorite LiveBinder…Writing Resources to Inspire Students

Clicked on the tab Tagxedo and my world changed.

Tired of Wordle…try Tagxedo!

This one is easy-peasy to try. Now I will show you the magic…

1) Start by loading words or

2)Just type in any

*URL

*Twitter Id

*De.licio.us Id

*news

*Search

*RSS (look-up)

3)Choose, color, theme, layout, shape..etc and voila…

Here is what my blog url looks like:

Educational Applications101 Ways to Use Tagexdo

Current Events

1)Visit the Daily Tuxedo

2)Scroll to the Daily tagxedo that appeals to you.

3)Click on the INTERACTIVE link below the image.

4)Use your cursor to select a word within the tagxedo cloud and it goes right to an information source.

LOVE THIS!!!

Ice Breakers

Break the Ice At the beginning of the school year,

ask each student to make a Tagxedo about himself/herself

Show a sample (e.g. one about you, or previous class)

What you like, what’s unique about you

Normalize Frequency make the exercise much easier (just give an ordered list of words or phrases)

classic cloud: >40 words/phrases shape: >100

Each student gets a few minutes to talk about themselves

Easiest – each makes a list, teacher makes Tagxedoes

Hardest – each makes own Tagxedo (with shape)

From slide 33

Summarize Chapters of a Book

Use text from the chapter

Highlight selected words to summarize the chapter or lead to the next

Use related shape

Example: Tom Sawyer, steamboat (silhouettes

From slide 50

Try any of these, and I can guarantee that your students will feel like this:

Other posts on this topic:

Digital Textbooks…Like Putting Lipstick on a Pig

Digital Textbooks…It’s a Matter of Definition

Building a Textbook From Scratch…5 Reasons to Try LiveBinder

5 Tips for Starting Your Own LiveBinder

Need Videos for Your LiveBinder…Top 5 Sources

Need Images for Your LiveBinder…Top 5 Sources

Building a LiveBinder…Brick by Brick

Building a LiveBinder…Let it Bloom With These Tools

Let me know how it works out for you!

Until Next Time,

Lit Maven Out!