Digital tools class, Week 2

Writing tools
A selection of what was provided (I didn't have time to look at everything!)


Creative writing tools 
Creative writing prompts - a site providing thought provoking questions to stimulate writing. Could equally be used for discussion. For me they could be expecially useful in the journalism classes, but less applicable with my business students although with some guidance they could be used to highlight the different registers used for different types of writing.


Zooburst - a site to create 3D pop-up books that can have information attached to them. I think this would be an excellent site for young learners but I am not sure if my business adults would be so enthusiastic about it. They would prefer to work with Prezi I think. 


Oh life - this site sends you an email each day asking you how your day was which you reply to with a story about your day. You will end up with a collection of stories similar to diary entries posing as a chronical of your day to day life. I see how this is a useful tool but don't think that my students are commited enough to use it! I think I could have more success with this (which actually reminds you to write each day) than with the likes of  Penzu  where students would have to remember to write. I am not sure if there is a function to make diaries collaborative, but students could email their stories to me every two weeks for checking and comments.


Storybird - Create stories using pictures and words. The pictures are big and look great on your screen, and there are lots of already made stories which could be used in class. Again I see lots of potential here for younger learners and teen learners, but I am not sure that my business people would be so impressed. Unfortunately creative writing isn't something that we usually focus on in our business courses, where if there is a focus on writing it is a focus on using the correct register for different types of texts. Nice site just for a play though!

Collaborative writing tools
GoogleDocs - I already use this extensively for work and sometimes in class. Love it. I hadn't though about doing writing using other forms, but one of the group participants has set up a collaborative writing exercise using powerpoint (so that you can add pictures). What a fantastic idea! With my classes we could write collaborative business reports... using an imaginary business that we explore all parts of (marketing, sales, accounting, risk etc) to creat one massive report that is a summary of our entire business course!


Bubbl.us - a really easy to use brainstorming site. I have used 'visio' from the MS Office collection before for flow charts and brainstorming and I find this tool infinitely easier. I am not sure if it is collaborative  - that would make it really powerful for revision of ideas studies in class. These images are easy to export and could then be used in a collaborative ppt such as suggested above.


MixedInk - I had a look at this site and it looks useful if you are managing multiple projects and classes. I haven't got my head completely around it yet, and for my needs Google Docs are probably sophisticated enough (I am not managing big classes of students or significant numbers of projects). 


Writeboard - this is a simpler tool than MixedInk. It also leaves a diary of who has comtributed what which is one of the weaknesses of using Google Docs in the classroom as a collaborative writing tool.


Entri - another simple collaborative writing tool that I like because it leaves a log of the different versions fdown the right hand side of the page. For straight collaborative writing this would be the tool I would choose.


Although writing is rarely a focus in my classroom, there are tools here that could be used for homework (I am thinking of students using smartphones on the metro) to improve register and foster more collaboration in and out of the classroom. Thanks ClassDigitools for all the ideas!

Digital tools class, Week 1.

Week 1. Task 3.
To introduce myself I created a short presentation about myself using Prezi. I was impressed with the tool, a much more interesting and visually relveant way of making presentations. It is far from perfect (I have some serious time constraints right now) but I hope to do some more work on it when I have some time. Enjoy!
Karen's Prezi presentation


Week 1, Task 5.
 Prezi Flavors About Me Animoto Edmodo

1. Think of how you could use one of these tools with your students.
2. Add your ideas to your own digital portfolio. (consider language goals, digital tool to be used, time frame, steps)

I have had a really busy week with work so it has been a challenge to find time to explore these tools sufficiently, but I got really stuck into Prezi the other night when I was making my intro and I loved it. I teach busy business people so getting them to do anything outside of class can be challenge, so I will have to be very selective of anything that I attempt to bring into class in order to not waste time. However, I can see the relevance for this tool in the business world immediately. Given the number of presentations that I have helped students write describing company processes or company structure, I think this tool would have plenty of new fans in any of my classrooms.

In terms of actually using it in class, I teach from a more unplugged approach so it would probably be something that I would add to my 'box of tools' if you like. Stemming from conversation we often come up with mind maps of different uses of new vocabulary, for example you could see the lesson plan about weather below. This could easily be transformed into an interactive moving presentation using Prezi. 

It could also be used to keep a class list of 'verb, noun, adjective' that most of my students have in the back of their notebooks. I can imagine one of the word collections that came up today (compete, competition, competitive) being illustrated with either pictures or short film clips to help them remember the differences (perhaps the pictures popping up first followed by the words).

From an Academic Director point of view I could use this tool to more easily illustrate the procedures for starting classes, where it depends on the type of class you are teaching what paperwork is required. It could really 'pimp' my boring old flow chart!

My one concern with this tool is that it could be quite easy for students to waste a lot of time using it, and not conversing in English. I think I would try and set them the task of at least finding some electronic pictures to illustrate whatever point we were working on to bring to class before we launched into the tool. Ideally we wouldn't spend too much time on the construction of the presentation (they are all computer literate adults), but the chances of them completing it for homework are also slim. This could well be the downfall of this tool in my classroom.

As I said, I don't feel I have had sufficient time to explore the other tools, but I have them noted in my delicious stack for perusal when I have time!