Pixton Examples

Here is an example of a Pixton comic one of my students made about the novel Breathing Underwater. They have to complete an art project representing some element of the story, and Pixton was one of their options.

Pixton! the Online Comic Maker

I know there are a lot of online comic makers out there, but I've found Pixton to be one of the most user friendly versions that kids can use in and out of the classroom. Pixton is a Web 2.0 tool that creates comic strips to display certain items in your class. This site is good for creating summaries of a text such as in English or foreign language or recreating events such as in history and science. I've used them in my classroom for students to create comic strips about plot events in stories. I've even made an example for our class: http://Pixton.com/ic:09s5elah

Pixton is so user friendly that you just create a free profile and start from there.

You can first choose which Comic Format you'd like to use. If you are not super creative, you can start with a Quickie that does all of the basic maneuvering and placement for you. If you are super good with the technology, you can make a classic and put in everything yourself. There is even a poster feature.

Once you choose your format, you choose a template for your setting (I was creating this in the Quickie section, so you should also be able to make your own template and background):

Next, you choose your character. (I was making this is the Quickie section so you should be able to create your own characters as well):

And then you get to work:

You can select and add in any prompts, dialogue, background elements, etc.

It can be as easy or complicated as you want it to be. That's why I like Pixton so much. I've never really had to give a tutorial for my students because it is so user-friendly that they figure it out on their own, but I did find a youtube video that could help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QCnIbteHbw

Has anyone else used Pixton?

This Web 2.0 tool would be great to give some students who aren't necessarily artistic a way to be able to creatively express themselves about something in your class. For English, you could have them map out plot elements of a story. For science, you could have students lay out the procedures necessary for a lab or for a process in science. In math, students could layout the process to completing a problem. In social studies, students could map out elements of time and progression of historical events.

This technology would also fulfill the ISTE Student Standard 1 of Creativity and Innovation that states:

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students: apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products and processes create original works as a means of personal or group expression use models and simulations to explore more complex systems and issues identify trends and forecast possibilities

Penzu revisited

I was playing around with Penzu today and brainstorming how I would use this site with my students. Instead of having each of them create their own Penzu journals (which would be totally possible if the assignment called for it), I would create a class journal with posts and entries that students would have to respond to outside of class. They would leave a comment on a question that I post on Penzu to receive credit.

Penzu provides you with an individual link to each post that you make in your journal. For instance, I made up a pretend discussion for the novel Night, a holocaust memoir by Elie Wiesel (a novel my students are currently reading). I would provide them with the link to the post: https://penzu.com/p/84abfff0 and then they would go to the site and leave their response in the form of a comment. Students wouldn't even need a Penzu account to leave a comment which is pretty awesome. They can also see other comments which would be great for an ongoing discussion (see below).

Has anyone else played with Penzu? How would you use it with a younger level of student?

GAFE Calendars - If you have a website already...

Continued from the last GAFE post, I forgot to mention how to post your calendar to your website. Most have their own GAFE or just Google websites for their classrooms. It took me a while to transition from a Weebly website to a GAFE website, but I've accepted the change and like how everything is set together. If you'd like an example of a website, check out my GAFE website:
Ms. Schleupner's English 9 Website

If you've already set up your calendar (following the steps in my last post about GAFE), you now need to know how to post your calendar to your website for easy access of students and parents. My students never have an excuse as to not knowing what their homework is because I post it daily on this site with minimal effort.

Here's what you do to add your calendar to your website:
1. Make sure you're logged in on the Public side of https://hcpss.me
2. Click on "Sites" at the top of the page in the black toolbar
3. Select which website where you'd like to add the calendar
4. Click on the page where you'd like to add the calendar (i.e. you have separate pages on your website for different things - you may not (check out my website for an example))
5. Click on the PENCIL icon at the top for "Edit Page"
6. Click in the box where you'd like to add the calendar
7. Click "Insert"
8. Click on "Calendar"
9. Select the box for the calendar you'd like to add (it should pop up a list of all calendars you've created)
10. Click "Select"
11. Change your view (if you don't want it on month) and Title (at the bottom)
12. IF YOU WANT TO DISPLAY MORE THAN ONE CALENDAR's events on the same calendar, click "Display another calendar" and repeat steps 9-10
13. Click "Save"
14. Click the BLUE BOX "Save" at the top of the page

Here's how to add assignments to your calendar:

1. Make sure you are logged in on the Public side (you should pop up to your personal calendar)

    2. Click on the date you want to post the assignment on (either assignment date or assignment due date, whichever you prefer)

    3.     In the pop up box, type in what you’d like the assignment to be called

     4.     In the pop up box, select which calendar where you’d like to post the assignment

(For example, if it is an assignment for English 9, I’d choose the English 9 calendar – if you want the same assignment to go on to more than one calendar, you just have to follow these directions twice)

     5.     Click “Create Event”

Here is also a screencast I made demonstrating how to complete this, step by step:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5Zcuij9RpH-YzFXMHUxcDZUQ0E/edit?pli=1

GAFE aka Google Apps for Education - Calendar Edition

One of the biggest features of GAFE that I think is most beneficial for teachers is the Calendar feature. I was really against Google calendar at first, but when I started using it, I started using it religiously! It is so user friendly and well organized that you can't help but fall in love with it. Here's an example of what my calendar looks like:

Notice mine looks a little crazy. I have several different calendars that I manage, some that are personal just for me, and others that are shared with other staff members, students, and parents. For instance, I have separate calendars that I use for posting homework for my different classes. I also have a calendar for the Senior class that I sponsor. There is a calendar where I post my Grad School homework, and there is a calendar where I post events for Hammond's 9th grade team. Not only can I view these calendars on my home screen, but I can also post them on my website or have them appear on other people's home screen calendars. Students can also upload your calendar to their GAFE along with other teachers' calendars and have all of their homework assignments on their own calendars.

Here's how you get started:
1. Login to https://hcpss.me ON THE PUBLIC SIDE as stated in my previous post's directions
2. Click on the Calendar tab on the black toolbar
3. Create your calendars (Note: everyone starts off with a basic calendar named Your Name that is private to you. This should be your personal calendar. If you want to make a calendar to share with your classes you'd need to create a new calendar and make it public.)

How to create a calendar:
1. Make sure you are logged in on the public side
2. Find "My Calendars" on the Left Hand side and click the drop down arrow
3. Select "Create new calendar"

4. Give your calendar a name

5. (IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THIS A CLASS CALENDAR or ONE PUBLIC WITH OTHER STAFF MEMBERS - IF YOU WANT IT TO BE PRIVATE, SKIP THIS STEP) Click the box for "Share this calendar with others" and "Make calendar public" 

6. Click the "Create Calendar Button" - if you get a warning, click OK

***If you'd like to make your calendars different colors, click on the drop down menu next to the listing of calendars and select the color you'd like:

***If you'd like to share your calendar with other staff members, click on share this calendar in the same drop down menu and type in the email addresses or GAFE logins of other staff members (BONUS: they are already programmed in - just start typing their name)

You can make as many calendars as you'd like! Enjoy this awesome feature.

SIDE NOTE for organization freaks:
There are also several apps for the iPhone that will sync your google calendar with your phone. I use an app called Calendars 3.5.0. It costs $6.99 but it is some of the best money I've spent. There are other apps out there for free that I've tried, but I've found this one to be the best!

Blabberize in Practice

So, after completing our Class Summary using Blabberize, I started to realize that it is a pretty user friendly platform. It would be easy to bring in the mobile labs or have students create them at home for presentations or reports. Here's an example I made for one of my previous grad projects:
http://blabberize.com/view/id/684404

Here is mine and Liz's example for our class summary:
http://blabberize.com/view/id/909694

 I started to brainstorm some ways to use the Blabberize platform in your classroom:

• Group or Individual presentations - instead of having students make overheads or posters, have them make a Blabberize
• Individual writing projects - instead of having students "speak" and present their writing, they could have a fun character or image present it for them
• Summary or Reports - have students create a Blabberize to summarize how to complete a task or to summarize a report they must give to the class
• Make a Blabberize for directions for students - Instead of you BLABBING up in the front of the room, make a Blabberize to BLAB for you

These are just a few ways to use Blabberize in the classroom. Are there any others you can think about?

Blah Blah Blabberize!

Another cool Web 2.0 you can use in your classroom is www.blaberize.com! This is a website that allows you to animate a mouth of an image of your choosing with any voice that you either record or upload. This would be a cool way to lecture your students in a more fun and interesting way. This would also be a cool way for students to do presentations in class too. Here is an example of a blabberize I made for one of my past grad school projects: http://blabberize.com/view/id/684404

I thought it would be fitting to use Blabberize today as we will be using it for our class summary tonight. You can also add comments to any Blabberize!