Mr. S

Hi Guys,

Adding a podcast to your blog is simple. All you have to do is use the website Podbean, and you can't go wrong.

I've been playing around with a very intersting "group conversation" tool called VoiceThread. The purpose of VoiceThread is to allow multiple people to share their views on a specific topic. For example, I posted a Budweiser commercial called the "Troops Coming Home" to my VoiceThread page that I would like the rest of the class to comment on. 

Obviously, we want to try and use this tool in a responsible manner that will allow us to learn from one another. For example, I posed some questions in my thread that I would like you to try and respond to in a thoughtful and critical manner. Let's try it out and see what happens. Follow the steps below to contribute to my VoiceThread, and let's also think about how a group might use this tool for their final projects.

Step 1: Listen to my comment by clicking on my icon

Step 2: Think about how you want to respond -- it might help to write out your answer first.

Step 3: Set up a microphone on your computer. Some computers have internal microphones, which means you don't have to use an external microphone at all.

Step 4: Click on the record button. The program will then prompt you to register.

Step 5:Once you are registered all you have to do is record your comment. Good luck!

As I was reading your posts this week, I started thinking about all the great work you guys are putting into your blogs. Not only are you all writing about what your experiencing in the class room, but you are then going out on the web and finding interesting and though provoking resources to back up your ideas. Some of your are going two steps further by trying to make sense of the hyperlinks you added, and how those links connect to the ideas you are writing in your post. This is high-level blogging that you should all be proud of.

With all the great writing happening on this blog I think it's important that you all have a chance to read as many posts as possible. One way to do this without having to constantly check the homepage of our blog is to use RSS Feeds (Really Simple Syndication). The main reason I champion RSS technology is because it allows the user the opportunity to control how they read the web. No longer do you have to go to sites; but now you can bring the sites to you.

According to an article from Wikipedia, "The technology behind RSS allows internet users to subscribe to websites that have provided RSS feeds; these are typically sites that change or add content regularly."

RSS FEED ICON

Another reason why I like using RSS Feeds is because it saves me a whole bunch of time. Once you figure out how to set up your aggregator all you have to do is start subscribing. The aggregator I use is called Bloglines, and the reason I like it is because it is web-based which means I can check the feeds (websites) I subscribe to from any spot that has wifi. A lot of people favor the Google Reader as well, and this will be real simple to get started if you have a google or gmail account.

Check out this great tutorial on how to get started using RSS feeds today and then take the Mr. S Challenge.

The Challenge:

1) Go to the main page of our community blog.

2) Find the Recent Posts section, and click on the "RSS" Icon.

3) Copy the URL from the RSS feedb for "Recent Posts" and subscribe.

4) Then go to the hompage of your blogging partner and subscribe to their page as well.

5) Leave a comment on my blog and  Ms. Carlson's blog to let us know that you were successful.

Check out this photo montage I put together using Rock You.

I have to say that I am extremely impressed with the progress all of you have made in designing your blog spaces. It's clear that your designs and color schemes reflect who you are as people inside and outside of the classroom. I am really excited to see how this class portal develops and look forward to learning from you all.

From time to time, I will be posting blogs about new tools I am experimenting with, and hope some of you will find ways to integrate the tools into your blogs. The idea is to envision new possibilites for incorporating these tools into the portal. Some major goals I have for adding interactivity to the portal/classroom is so we can liven up our school lives, learn from each other, and express thoughts about what we are studying in class.

Today I experimented with Voki, and think it has the potential for some interesting dialogue, literally. Take a look, and if you have a chance jot down a few comments to me about ways we might be able to use Voki in class.

Storchan Challenge 1:
A) Create a Voki account
B) Design your avatar (virtual image)
C) Using the "text-to-speech" tool answer and post a response to following question: So far, what do you like or dislike about blogging? Use a specific example from class or your own blogging experience to back yourself up.
D) Don't forget to copy the code and paste it into your blog.

Get a Voki now!