Food for thought...

“Any teacher that can be replaced by a computer, deserves to be.” 
-David Thornburg

Thoughts, anyone?

Jigsaw Planet: Create your own puzzles

This online tool is great for our youngest students. Because you can create a puzzle with any image, they can complete the puzzle to find a familiar image. Choose the difficulty by choosing the shapes of the pieces and the number of pieces. You can even link to the puzzle from a blog or website, as shown below:


6 Play

Analyze and create: Magnetic Poetry

Magnetic poetry is a great tool for using with the IWB, or a computer and projector. The teacher can create a sentence, then analyze it with the students' help. Or the students can create their own sentences on the board.

Triptico has the possibility of creating your own word magnets. This is perfect if you need specific words.

But if you just want to play with different words, try Magnetic Poetry online. There are two sets - First Words and Kids' Kit - that will be perfect for English language learners. Click on play and off you go!

Why use ICT in our classes?

I think this video gives us dozens of reasons to use ICT in our classes. We need to teach in a way that shows students how to learn and that allows them to fulfil their potential. What better way is there to prepare them for the future? After all, we can't possibly teach them all they'll need to know for life!

Triptico: IWB tools

Triptico is a small program that can be installed on your computer that offers several useful IWB tools. 

It includes the following tools: 

–Randomly choose a student

–Word magnets

–Team scores

–Timer

–Order sentences

–Spinner

Create: Remix

Remixing is gaining a lot of popularity lately, and many young people are already familiar with it (and may have even done some of it themselves!) Allow students to show their creative sides by remixing any video they find on YouTube or creating their own videos.

They can use MovieMaker if they use a PC or iMovie on a Mac to edit the video that they've filmed or captured. They can add music to create the mood, or add subtitles to tell a story. Subtitles can be added using an online tool at http://www.overstream.net. (Registration is free.)

They can even record themselves telling the story using a program like Audacity or the Windows audio recorder and add it to the clip.

Get inspired with some of my favorite remixes of movie trailers:
Mary Poppins as a horror film
The Shining as a romantic comedy

Evaluate: Glogster

Glogster can be used for dozens of classroom activities. Use it to…

–Convince people to do something

–Present an idea/place/person/thing to the class

–Give advice 

Glogster is an online tool that students and teachers can use to create a poster with text, images, videos and more. Ask your students to create one regarding whatever you are studying and have them present it to the rest of the class. Glogs can be embedded into blogs to share with other classes and parents.

Check out this example I created as instructions for students to create a glog on the environment: