Xtranormal

Page Middle School is Using Xtranormal!

What is Xtranormal?  http://www.xtranormal.com/
It is a website that allows a person to choose from a variety of scenes and characters.  Once signed on, all you need to do is type the dialog.  You can have a one character monologue or a two character dialog.  Students can write scripts that they then turn into animated cartoons.  Pretty cool…

Mrs. Schmitter had her 6^th grade math student practice their key vocabulary words by creating an Xtranormal movie. http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/8004729/

Mr. Gay had his 6^th Grade science students use this site to demonstrate what they know about anatomy. http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/8004729/

(Got to love the middle school student)

Online Collaboration Tools

Tools For Collaboration!

There are several free web based tools out there that will allow you and your students to collaborate on a document in real time. (Really, Real Time)

Check Out These Web Sites

http://typewith.me/

http://ietherpad.com/  (with this site you can create a login as a teacher and password protect your documents.  This site also limits how many users can be typing at one time.. I believe it is 6)

Benefits:

1.     Increases Collaboration (21^st Century Skill)

2.    Students do not need an account

3.    Really, Real Time. ( Do not need to refresh the page)

4.    Chat option is available

5.    Exports to PDF, Word, Text, etc

6.    Very easy to use

7.    Free!

PD Classes in Technology

Bonnie Feather was just here finishing up her class on "Lesson Building for Student Engagement".  Participants learned about  the Activ Inspire software and how to use this software to design engaging lessons.  The Activ Inspire software can be found on your school's G:Drive. (If you are a teacher at PUSD) Bonnie will be back in February to teach her next class "Using Web 2.0 for Instructional Support".

Blogging with Your Students

I am wondering if anyone has an interest in blogging with their students.  I ran into Shelly Talker on Friday and she shared with me her blog that she began with her 5th grade students.  She is using http://kidblog.org/.  She gave me priviledges to view the blog and student comments.  I am truly impressed!  Let me know if I can help you set this up. You may want to chat with Shelly about her classroom blogging expereince.  I am embedding a quick video you might be interested in viewing.

Video Recording Lessons

http://sites.google.com/site/hibbsmathclass/
Janell Hibbs is video recording  lessons for students to watch when they are out of class.  She is using a flip video camera on a tripod and her website.  Check out her website! 

Linoit anyone?

If you like Stixy, you may also want to check out Linoit.com.  Just another fun way to collaborate.. Hmm wonder how we could use this with students?

Technology Peer Coaches

Using Prezi with Your Students

☻Kristi schmitter has been teaching her students how to use Prezi.  In order to give them access without requiring them to create an e-mail account,  she used the Google +1 trick.  She signed her students up to a prezi account using her gmail account by adding +1, +2,+3 and so on.  It would look like this.. username+1@gmail.com.  This way any account notifications come to her and not her students.  Now we just need to ask Kristi how the prezis turned out.  I imagine we can learn a few tricks from her students.

☻Iily Arreola is using Prezi to present her grade level robust vocabulary words to her students.  Check out what she has created!

http://prezi.com/jqtesvt6a_nr/lesson-6-robust-vocab/