Concept+Mapping

Concept Mapping - Ann & Lynn =__**Wordel**__= =Wordel.net= Wordle is a Web 2.0 site for brainstorming “word clouds” This site is free allowing you to use the main ideas and key points of your text to create posters, maps, and other works of word art!
 * Create an operational definition for the tool. **

**Does the technology promote student engagement or merely entertainment? ** Wordle promotes student engagement as well as entertainment! Using wordle students can create “works of word art” using what they have just learned. This not only reinforces what students have learned but gives them a fun and entertaining way to present the information!

**Analyze whether this technology adds some demonstrable pedagogical value to traditional instruction. ** A few of the ways you could use wordle in the classroom would be…as an interactive tool to start a unit rather than the traditional KWL chart. You could follow up at the end of the unit and compare wordles from the beginning and end to see what students have learned. Another way they could be used would be to have students create wordles on specific topics or people, because every wordle is unique and different students would have many ways to look at the same idea.

**Assess the use of this particular technology to aid students in the acquisition of knowledge and not just information. ** Wordle is not used as a research tool but more as a tool for channeling their knowledge into a different format. **Pluses **-
 * Suggest some educational uses for this tool in the K-12 classroom. **
 * Unit overview: vocabulary, key points, important people, important ideas, important dates
 * Journaling ideas
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Beginning of the unit KWL chart…end of the unit compare
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Used as an assessment tool
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Discuss the pluses and minuses of using this tool with students **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Students can work individually or in group
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Student can “customize” their word art (change font, color, design)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Can be imported into many different programs
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Not limited to only viewing on the computer screen (can be printed and published)

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Minuses **-
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Wordle gallery not very well filtered
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Once a wordle is created you don’t have the option to go in and change or customize the word list
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Limited printing options unles you capture the image using a different tool such as jing

=__**Webspiration**__= =mywebspiration.com=

<span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; msolist: Ignore;">1. **** Create an operational definition for the tool. ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> Webspiration is a web 2.0 online visual thinking, learning and collaboration tool for students, teachers, and people everywhere. Webspiration is free to use and allows for collaborative visual thinking. Webspiration is perfect for planning, organizing research, and completing projects successfully from beginning to end. Brainstorming and outlining tools help students organize thoughts for papers and research projects. Collaboration on Webspiration documents is simple and allows for same document contributing, posting, comments, and viewing changes. Concept maps and diagrams are created easily with Webspiration. Visual diagrams and graphic organizers, such as those created with Webspiration, help students retain information. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; msolist: Ignore;">2. **** Does the technology promote student engagement or merely entertainment? ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> Wespiration promotes both student engagement and entertainment. It is a fun creative way for students to demonstrate learning while collaborating with others. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; msolist: Ignore;">3. **** Analyze whether this technology adds some demonstrable pedagogical value to traditional instruction. ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> Webspiration is a collaborative tool for teaching and learning. Traditionally teachers use direct instruction and then set the assignment for the students to work on independently of in a group. Webspiration allows the teacher to use direct instruction while the students work “real-time” on their own or in a group. This “real-time” hands-on approach to learning is a great addition to the traditional classroom. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; msolist: Ignore;">4. **** Assess the use of this particular technology to aid students in the acquisition of knowledge and not just information. ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> Research shows that people gain more knowledge when they apply what they are learning as they are learning it. Sort of a practice makes perfect approach. Webspration allows students to apply their learning as they are learning it. It is not just a matter of learning new information but actually utilizing it as you learning it. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; msolist: Ignore;">5. **** Suggest some educational uses for this tool in the K-12 classroom. ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> 1. Introducing a new concept or vocabulary <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> 2. Creating storyboards for presentations, books, etc. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> 3. Life Cycles (plants, animals weather ect.) <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> 4. Comparison Activities <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> 5. KWL charts <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"> 6. Organized writing tool <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;">** <span style="font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; msolist: Ignore;">1. **** Discuss the pluses and minuses of using this tool with students. ** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">**__ Plus  __** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Collaboration tool for students. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Can require whole class involvement- not just the select few who choose to participate. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Can be accessed from home. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Allows for many different types of learning styles. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"> <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">**__ Minus  __** <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Management with younger students would be difficult at first. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Getting computer lab time to meet the needs of a whole class. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Some student may not have access at home. <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Student absence <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">