Media+Production+Tools+for+Elementary+Science

=**Media Production Tools for Elementary Science **=

This page provides information and resources for what kinds of media tools would be effective for use in an elementary science class. These are tools that either the teacher or student could utilize. This will be specified in the description of the tool. Clicking on the name of the tool will bring you to the official website.

Most of these fall into two categories: "presentation tools" or "interactivity tools." Presentation tools can be used by students to create presentations or by teachers to present new information. Interactivity tools can be used by students to explore new content or by teachers to present content in a more interactive/engaging way. The differences and similarities between the two will be explored further.


 * = [[image:animoto.png width="141" height="39" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Animoto"]] ||= [[image:Blogs.jpg width="127" height="97" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Blogging"]] ||= [[image:glogsta.png width="136" height="44" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Glogster"]] ||= [[image:Picture_4.png width="130" height="38" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Google%20Apps"]] ||
 * ~ Animoto ||~ Blogging ||~ Glogster ||~ Google Apps ||
 * = [[image:google_docs.gif width="95" height="91" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Google%20Docs"]] ||= [[image:Picture_2.png width="82" height="82" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Google%20Earth"]] ||= [[image:photostory.jpg width="90" height="91" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Photostory"]] ||= [[image:podcast.gif width="99" height="92" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Podcasts"]] ||
 * ~ Google Docs ||~ Google Earth ||~ Photostory ||~ Podcasts ||
 * [[image:prezi.com-logo.png width="155" height="74" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Prezi"]] || [[image:skype.jpg width="89" height="89" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Skype"]] ||= [[image:Picture_8.png width="134" height="38" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#VoiceThread"]] || [[image:wikispaces.png width="153" height="38" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Wikispaces"]] ||
 * ~ Prezi ||~ Skype ||~ VoiceThread ||~ Wikispaces ||
 * ||= [[image:we.gif link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#Wordle"]] || [[image:youtube-logo.jpeg width="124" height="88" link="Media Production Tools for Elementary Science#YouTube"]] ||  ||
 * ~  ||~ Wordle ||~ YouTube ||~   ||

=Animoto = {top}

Animoto is an application that creates videos out of text, images, and video clips. You can choose from Animoto's stock photos and music selections or upload your own. Images are synched to your music choice, so faster soundtracks flash through images more quickly than slower songs. Who needs tedious Powerpoint slides when you can have a flashy, engaging video in a matter of minutes?

Animoto can be used for any level of elementary school for student-created Animotos or presenting student work.


 * This is a teacher blog post about Animoto that provides ideas of how to use the program for various subjects such as English, math, history, and special education.


 * This is a technology blog that provides an explanation of what Animoto is and then includes examples of how to use Animoto in the classroom. Ideas include students making "About Me" videos at the beginning of the year and creating videos as lesson "teasers" to introduce concepts that your lesson will further explain.


 * Here are a couple examples of elementary level Animotos:
 * This is an Animoto made by third grade students.
 * This Animoto was made by fourth grade students.

=Blogging = {top}

Short for web log, a blog is a web publishing tool that features "posts" that are similar to dated journal entries. These posts appear in reverse chronological order, and can feature text, images, or videos. Readers can comment on blog posts. Blogs allow for instant, easy communication and the ability for every student to be a published writer online.

Great for any level of elementary school.


 * Blogger is a free blogging tool made by Google.


 * This is a blog entry listing "33 ways to use blogs in your classroom." Some ideas include communicating with parents, posting lessons for sick students, recording hypotheses before conducting an experiment, and showcasing student work.


 * This is an article about blogs in the classroom that explains what they are, educational benefits of blogs, and tips. It also provides ideas of how to use blogs in the classroom, grouped into classroom management, collaboration, discussions, and student portfolios.


 * This is an article written in 2004 about 7 year olds blogging at school.


 * Here is a first and second grade blog created by a teacher. It features students work posted by the teacher, as well as links to children's blogs in the top right.

=Glogster = {top}

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> A Glog is like a digital poster that can have pictures, videos, and text. It is a digital presentation tool that can feature content created by children, yet is still controlled by the teacher, and is completely viewable by parents. The educational Glogster site is FREE for teachers, and enables full control of student projects. It also allows for instantaneous feedback from both the teacher and students, and allows parents to constantly check in on the content as well.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1em;">Here is an article detailing the use of a Glogster in a second grade class.


 * This Glog is for introducing elementary students to animal life cycles.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A French project Glog. While a little strange, it makes excellent use of multimedia.

=Google Apps= {top}

This is an all encompassing section that includes all Google products. The difference is that it is geared specifically toward educational use. It's free, and lots of universities, high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools are utilizing the services offered by Google. It may be something to look in to.

A quick read advocating the use of Google Apps in education.

=Google Docs= {top}

Google Docs is a collaborative tool that includes a presentation maker (similar to PowerPoint), a word processor (similar to Word), and a spreadsheet tool (similar to Excel) that are all free to use. Multiple people can edit a document at the same time from different computers, making this an excellent tool for multiple students to contribute to while still allowing the teacher to monitor activity. This is a tool that can be utilized by all levels of elementary school.

Tom Barrett made this excellent presentation on 34 ways to use Google Docs in the classroom.

An article detailing some simple uses of Google Docs, as well as some ideas for using it with elementary grade levels.

=Google Earth= {top}

Google Earth is an incredibly powerful application that allows the user to explore a 3D representation of the earth. Think of it as a big virtual globe that can be adjust to a huge scale (seeing earth from space) down to a micro scale (looking at your back yard). Even cooler, there are images on Google Earth you can click that will show you a picture of the place you are looking at. There are even programs that can be opened using Google Earth that display diagrams over the basic application. Some examples of this include looking at earth's tectonic plates, glacier movements over time, and looking at migration patterns of birds. Google Earth has a variety of uses both as an interactive tool and as a presentation tool.

The downside to Google Earth is that it takes time to learn how to use. It is definitely not for early elementary students to use by themselves. There is also a plug-in you need to download that is required in order to use Google Earth.

This is a presentation on 26 ways to incorporate Google Earth into the classroom.

Excellent resource on Google Earth for earth science teachers

A Wiki-type entry on how to teach with Google Earth, with plenty of links to explore the possible uses.

Google's own ideas on classroom applications for UK primary schools (elementary schools)

A tutorial on creating Google Earth models in Google SketchUp. This is just a way to enhance the capabilities of Google Earth even more.

A lesson plan for third to fifth graders on endangered species around the world.

One way ARKive utilizes Google Earth.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Photostory = {top}

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Photostory is a presentation tool that allows children to create stories out of pictures by narrating over them. Think of it as if every student could be Ken Burns. This is a great tool for all levels of elementary learning.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This Slideshare presentation details how Photostory can be utilized in elementary classrooms.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Click here to download Photostory for Windows.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's a tutorial on how to use Photostory.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is an example of a Photostory book report.

=Podcasts= {top}

Podcasts are like a radio show that can be played at any time, and they are an excellent learning tool for all ages. Students can take part in the creation of a podcast in a variety of ways, from hosting the podcast, writing a script from a unique perspective, voice acting, editing, or giving the podcast some kind of presentation value. Teachers can also utilize podcasts to enhance learning outside of the classroom. It's a lot easier than it looks, and the final product can be very impressive.

This YouTube video does a great job of breaking down the podcasting process.

Audacity is a free program for voice capturing and editing that works for PC and Mac.

A very cool podcast about the cities that children live in, recorded by elementary school students around the world!

=Prezi= {top}

Prezi is an alternative presentation tool. It does what PowerPoint does, but in a completely different manner. Prezi has been described as a more engaging presentation experience that enables "big picture" aspects to be communicated more effectively. It takes some getting used to, but the potential uses are very intriguing.

Upper elementary students may be able to utilize Prezi, but it would be best suited for teacher presentations.

This presentation explains the power of using Prezi... In a Prezi presentation! Click the play button and follow along with the arrows on the screen.

This is a blog post advocating the use of Prezi in the classroom over PowerPoint. It also has some ideas for using Prezi.

Here's a Prezi on ecosystems that does a good job of displaying the interconnectedness of living things.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Skype = {top}

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Skype is a free online chat and video chat tool. It works for both Mac and PC, and is an excellent way to stay in contact with students outside the classroom. Even better, it can connect students to people and places all around the world. Finding and planning Skype sessions can be difficult when the other party is halfway around the world, but it is an amazing opportunity to see other places, talk to foreign students, or have an interview with an expert.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Skype in the classroom is Skype's official community for teachers across the globe. Join using your Skype user name and immediately get connected to thousands of classrooms around the world.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here is a blog entry of a class of second graders talking to students from New Zealand.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This list of 50 ways to use Skype in the classroom should offer plenty of ideas.

=VoiceThread= {top}

VoiceThread is a multimedia tool that can display images, videos, documents, and any other kind of media, and allows you to lay your voice over what's happening on the screen while you control a cursor that can write over the media. It's like PowerPoint, on steroids, with voice and interactivity. The introduction video on the VoiceThread page does a good job of explaining what's capable with the technology.

Upper elementary students could use VoiceThread to create interactive presentations or tell stories through different media, while a teacher could use it to present information both in and out of class.

Tom Barrett goes over 26 ways to use VoiceThread in the classroom.

These are a series of instructional videos on how to use VoiceThread. Very useful with voice and video to guide you along the way.

Here's a Wiki that is all about VoiceThread and how it's used in education. Contains dozens of VoiceThreads, some made by K-5 students.

This VoiceThread video explains how a class was taught and shows some of the features in use.

A VoiceThread made by fifth graders about a biologist.

=Wikispaces= {top}

If you don't think creating and using Wikis can be useful, think again: you're on one! Wikis are great ways to document information and keep it organized so everybody can view it. Just the process of managing a Wiki can develop good organization skills. Anybody can edit a Wiki and view it's pages, making it a very collaborative project that can be used anywhere there is an internet connection. It's also a great way to include parents in their child's education and display their work.

Creating a Wikispace is quick and simple. Users aren't required to have a user name, but it is required to upload files. The settings on a Wiki can be changed extensively to make it so only certain people can edit or view pages.

This article runs down how to use a Wiki in K-12 education.

This article contains five strategies for using Wikis in the classroom.

This is a nutrition Wiki made for an elementary class.

=Wordle= {top}

Wordle is a word cloud generator that can be created in seconds. All you need to do is paste in a bunch of text and you have a word cloud. The cloud generator automatically removes common English words, so the clouds won't be filled with "the" and "a."

This is an excellent tool for understanding concepts and thinking about what we focus on when writing. The tool is so easy that it practically begs to be used in some way!

Another presentation from Tom Barrett, offering 52 ways to use Wordle in the classroom.

A quick blog post on using Wordle in science education.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">YouTube = {top}

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You've used YouTube before. It's essentially the TV of the internet, filled with educational content, hilarious and time-wasting videos, and any other kind of video you can think of. It's also an excellent tool that you can take advantage of for easily posting videos of in-class exercises or preparing videos for use in and out of the classroom. One recommendation could be to create a "classroom channel" where videos can be posted and watched at home, showcasing student work to parents.

The YouTube Teachers page offers a great explanation of the possibilities using YouTube in the classroom.

An article detailing how YouTube can be used, as well as ways to download videos directly from YouTube so you can watch without being online.