Monthly Archives: April 2011

Click to go to Voki

Voki allows students to create an “avatar” and add voice (via microphone or typing) to the image.  There are many “character” options for you students to choose:  animals, people, VIPs, and many more.  Students can also personalize their “avatar” with different clothes, facial features, and backgrounds.   It is educational and just plain FUN!

Check out this Welcome message from ACE Notebook made with Voki.  Notice that this Voki has an ad, but there is an Educational Voki that is ad-free.  Make sure to sign-up for the Educator Voki if you are a classroom educator.

Voki Examples  (Scroll the entire page for Voki examples and class suggestions.)

How might your verbal learners use this? Or maybe the better question, is how might any of your students use this? Reciting a poem – giving a short report – pronouncing new vocabulary words – introducing themselves – practicing their foreign language exercises, explaining a concept?

Please use the Comment link below to share your own ideas for using Voki in the classroom.

Click on the "fish" to go to Tagxedo.

Educators (K-12), who have used this site with their students or personally for a professional development activity, continue to praise its possibilities.  Tagxedo is a word cloud Web 2.0 tool.  A word cloud (word picture) is generated a number of ways at the site.  Typically, words are typed, copy/pasted, or a URL is identified.  The generated word cloud can then be manipulated by changing font, positions, colors, and shape.

Also, check out Tagxedo on Facebook  to see true works of art from some of Tagxedo‘s “friends” and greatest fans.

These are just a few examples of how educators have used Tagxedo:

• Before discussing a political speech or historical document, copy/paste the document into Tagxedo.  The more often a word is used, the larger the word will appear in the word cloud.  Students will be able to SEE the theme or message more clearly.
• Introduce a new unit of study or piece of literature with a word cloud.  Encourage students to discuss”expectations,” based on the word image, before the content is studied.
  
• The first week of class, have students create word clouds using words that describe themselves or their interests-no names allowed.  Post the pictures around the room, so students can learn about their new classmates and try to guess “who is who.”
• Create “visual” book reports or a title page for a report or PowerPoint presentation.

If you have used Tagxedo is class, please share your experiences with other educators by leaving a Comment below.

Click here to go to PicLit

Are your students learning prepositional phrases?  Do you encourage students to write more descriptively?  Is someone in the class struggling with writing a poem?  These are just a few possibilities as your students become inspired with PIC-LITS.  

Experiment with the sample PIC-LITS, by selecting the title link above. At the home page, select a picture from the scrolling banner.  Then begin by dragging/dropping words onto the picture.  Words can be rearranged.  Bump one word against another and sentences can be created.  (Look for the drop down arrow next to each word, to find variations of the word.)  There’s also an option to type your own words by selecting the “Freestyle” link.  Spend some time  and “Explore the Gallery.”  For variations of using PIC-LITS, follow this link:  Learn about PicLits

Potential class uses:

• Descriptive writing – Start with a picture and a simple sentence.  Then have students add stronger adjectives, adverbs, or prepositional phrases.
  
• Create similes or metaphors with the pictures.
• Practice alliteration
• Translate descriptions into a foreign language
• Explore ESL activities