Using Web 2.0 Tools to Enhance Learning

Target Audience: Alloway Creek Intermediate School grade 5 students in

Mrs. Ulrich’s homeroom

Unit: Weather Unit developed by 5th grade science team members

My Role: provide adaptations and modifications to instruction to ensure all students

can meet the objectives for the unit

Step One

Create Student Accounts

Before the start of the school year, I anticipated needing specific Web 2.0 tools.

Student Accounts

• *Edmodo

• *Animoto

• * Gmail accounts• Glogster• Moodle• Quiz Star• Kidblog

* Accounts used by students for weather unit.

Edmodo

• 5U class created

• User names: first name, last initial, 2010

• Password: same as student ID number used for lunch account

Gmail Accounts

• Why? Students need an email address to log on to Animoto

• I created 17 Gmail accounts using my name plus a number. examples: mmheuer1@gmail.com mmheuer2@gmail.com

• I used the same password for all gmail accounts but did not give students the password

Students began by logging on to and using Edmodo accounts.

1. Whole class demonstration using projector 2. Student practice3. Glogster poster created and embedded on Edmodo for students to use to link to other websites

Animoto

• Students viewed teacher created Animoto slide show

• All students opened Animoto using the link on the Glogster on Edmodo

• Students entered one of the gmail accounts to log in

• All students used the same password: acbolts

Science : Weather UnitVersion: State Standards Version 2 - Assessment Anchors Subject: Science and Technology Grade: Fourth Grade

S4.D.2   - Weather, Climate, and Atmospheric Processes Anchor Descriptors:

S4.D.2. 1. Identify basic weather conditions and how they are measured.

(Reference: 3.5.4.C, 3.7.4.B, 3.2.4.B)

1. Identify basic clouds types (cirrus, cumulus, stratus, cumulonimbus) and make connections to basic elements of weather (e.g., changes in temperature and precipitation). 2. Identify weather patterns from data charts or graphs of the data (e.g., temperature, wind direction, wind speed, cloud types, precipitation). 3. Identify appropriate instruments (thermometer, rain gauge, weather vain, anemometer, barometer to study weather and what they measure.

Key Learning(s)

Weather is a complex system made up of interacting components.Unit Essential Question(s):

●What causes weather, and how do scientists make forecasts?Concepts:

Earth’s Atmosphere

Clouds InstrumentsWeather vs.

ClimatePredicting and

Forecasting

Lesson Essential Questions:

●What are the layers of the atmosphere?●What are the processes that make up the water cycle?

●How are the different cloud types alike?●How does the composition of clouds affect their appearance?

●How do scientists collect data about the atmosphere?

●What is the difference between weather and climate?●How does the jet stream and air pressure affect weather?

●How is data about our atmosphere organized and interpreted to predict weather?●How are weather maps interpreted?

Vocabulary:

1. Atmosphere2. Troposphere3. Stratosphere4. Mesosphere5. Thermosphere6. Exosphere7. Evaporation8. Transpiration9. Condensation10. Precipitation11. Infiltration12. Runoff

1. Water Vapor2. Cumulus3. Stratus4. Cirrus5. Nimbus6. Fog

1. Thermometer 2. Barometer3. Rain Gauge4. Wind Vane 5. Anemometer6. Hygrometer7. Sling Psychrometer8. Doppler Radar9. Compass10. Weather Balloon

1. Weather2. Climate3. Jet Stream4. Air Pressure5. High Pressure6. Low Pressure

1. Meteorologist2. Predict3. Forecast4. Weather Map5. Temperature6. Humidity7. Dew Point8. Warm front9. Cold front

Weather Instruments● How do scientists collect data about the atmosphere?

1. Thermometer 7. Barometer2. Rain Gauge 8. Wind Vane 3. Anemometer 9. Hygrometer4. Doppler Radar 10. Compass5. Sling Psychrometer6. Weather Balloon

Advanced Organizer

Saved scanned learning map, graphic organizer, study guide, and test to Google docs so that I could access them easily from any computer.

Samples of the 40 images students had to select from for

their Animoto slide shows.

Weather Unit Test

Sample Page

Student’s Weather Instrument

Animoto

A little student feedback!

Other ways we have been usingEdmodo

What I am most proud of….

Character Education wiki for teachers.

Character Education Wiki

• Gained support of the principal• Set up the wiki• Requested and received a list of all teachers’

students in a document in an email from the principal’s administrative assistant

• Presented at inservice before the start of the school year

Request and Responses

• Mary HEUER 08/13/10 10:50 AM >>> If it is okay with both of you I would like to set up a wiki for char ed. It would be used by teachers to submit nominees and by the committee to share information. Let me know what you think. It would take time to set up but I think it would save time in the long run. From:Teresa Ader-doumontSaturday - August 14, 2010 10:20 AMTo:HEUER, Mary Subject:Re: wiki for char ed

• Mary-This year we are looking at putting files on the share drive to put info such as student of the month, tbolts, monthly reward, etc...

•From:Natalie WhiteSaturday - August 14, 2010 1:49 PMTo:HEUER, Mary Subject:Re: wiki for char edSounds great!  What is it exactly and how can I assist?

Teresa Ader-doumont is the building principalNatalie White is a 4th grade teacher. Together we are co-chairs of the character education

committee as of this school year.

Plan B: Use a wiki for character education committee members to collaborate • did not receive approval from the principal to use a wiki with all teachers to list character ed nominees• Co-chair willing to try out using a wiki • Sent an email to the Character Ed committee members with cc to principal

• email: Hi Char Ed committee members, I am sending you 2 links. One is to a wiki that we will use to collaborate. The other is to a video that demonstrates how a wiki can make collaboration easier than using email. You can request to join the wiki when you go to it or reply to an email I sent inviting you. If you have never used a wiki before, I can show you all you need to know in about 15 minutes.Link to wiki: http://boltsgrade5.wikispaces.com/Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLYLooking forward to working together in the new school year!Mary

Aug. 18, 2010want this on the aug 24 agenda? showing wiki?

September 13, 2010 I was thinking...should we add student of the month also that way everything is on one page?

Oct. 6, 2010Mary- I have an idea.  Since we know the character ed pizza party participants ahead of time, their pics can actually be taken before the pizza party and posted before the pizza party

Oct. 8, 2010   (to all staff)T-Bolt & Character Ed names due on wiki 10/15

Emails from the principal regarding Char Ed wiki

Bolts Grades 4 & 5

http://acbolts.wikispaces.com/

The wiki is now used for Character Education, Thunderbolt Society, and Student of the Month

Oct. 20, 2010 A teacher asked for help setting up her own classroom wikiEmail to me: Thanks for taking time to help me.  I have my page up and running.  This will greatly help me to keep things in line.

And we are just getting started!

Quiz Star

Word Clouds

Social Studies Moodle

Kidblog