Final Reflections: Voice Thread

Now that I've explored all the stories individually, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the anthology as a whole. I chose to use VoiceThread to do so. I've heard a lot about VoiceThread and its use in K-12 classrooms, but had never had the chance to create my own.

You can also view a larger version at http://voicethread.com/share/1192434/

I should note that for this assignment, I chose to shift my perspective back to a teacher examining this anthology as a teaching tool for her students. My reflections on each story thus blend my personal reactions with thoughts about how each story might be used within a classroom. Obviously, I think that students could easily create a similar VoiceThread (without the teaching ideas, of course!) to share their reactions to the story. Or the teacher could create a VoiceThread and require each student to comment on one, several, or even all of the stories, creating a single product that encompassed the reactions of all the students.

VoiceThread was a very easy-to-use tool, and I think it could be easily incorporated into a classroom. I liked how there were text and audio options for commenting, which makes the tool more accessible. It is also easy to send a direct link or to embed the thread into a web site or blog, which allows students and teachers to share their work with families. I've seen some great examples where grandparents and other relatives have left audio comments on the work. Having an authentic audience is such a key aspect of web 2.0, and it really adds to reading and writing assignments.

There are so many possible uses for VoiceThread that I couldn't begin to list them all. I'm glad I finally had a reason to experiment with the tool!

Follow Up to Out of Bounds: Comparison of Mapping Tools

In my last post, I tried Lovely Charts as a way to visually organize text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections. While I liked the webbing approach, I did not like the tool. So I decided to recreate the web using three other mapping tools: Bubbl.us, Mind42, and Webspiration. Here's what I found. Note that all three tools are free, and that I'm comparing them with the lens of a teacher interested in using them with her students.

Bubbl.us

http://bubbl.us/

Bubbl.us was much easier to use than Lovely Charts. Small icons would appear each time I added a bubble, allowing me to easily add, change, remove, or move what was already on the screen. You can also invite friends to collaborate on your web (termed a "sheet") with a friends list. A menu allows you to send a read-only link, embed (a dynamic object!) in a blog or web page, and export or import items. The downside? The result is not nearly as visually appealing as the finished product in Lovely Charts. It's also very easy to forget to name and save your work, as this is not something you are prompted to do.

Mind42
http://mind42.com/

I had a little more trouble setting this one up, although it still wasn't as difficult to figure out as Lovely Charts. I also had trouble figuring out how to embed the map into the post, although I eventually found the correct option for doing so (look under "Open Publish Dialogue" to do so). I do like that, as with Bubbl.us, you have the ability to embed a dynamic object into a web page or blog and that you can manipulate the map from the blog. I also like that you have the ability to collaborate and that you are prompted to name and save your work from the start. However, I don't like the layout and don't feel that it is very student friendly. The shapes of the bubbles in Bubbl.us much more closely matches what we present to students as mind maps, webs, or graphic organizers. I also couldn't find a way to manipulate the entries so that the text was not all displayed on one long single line. This makes the web much harder to read, in my opinion.

Webspiration

http://mywebspiration.com/

The embedded version isn't very attractive. You can also view my map at http://mywebspiration.com/view/457127a6684.

Webspiration is a web-based version of the Inspiration software. I had used Inspiration when I taught several years ago, so I was able to create the web much more quickly. The tool offers the most flexibility in terms of customization of images using various symbols, line and arrow thickness, and a wide variety of non-bubble images to use within the web. Finished products can look quite sophisticated if sufficient time is given for students to experiment with all the options (something I didn't do for this post). I also found from past experience that students could learn how to use the tool fairly quickly. Webspiration also allows users to collaborate, chat, and comment - features that can greatly extend the utility of the assignment. The lack of an attractive embed option is a definite drawback, although it may not affect many teachers who do not publish to a class blog or web page.

Overall, I would recommend Webspiration as the most robust tool, with Bubbl.us as a good option for teachers looking for a quick and simple approach to webbing. Mind42, while still useful, would not be as helpful for use with students, particularly those in the elementary and middle grades.

Out of Bounds and Lovely Charts

"Out of Bounds" is the story of Rohan, a presumably Indian boy living in Durban. He isn't happy when squatters set up camp down the hill from his house, destroying his hideouts in the process. His parents aren't happy either, but for different reasons. Rohan eventually goes "out of bounds," making a new friend and learning some valuable lessons about the universal nature of humanity in the process.

One of my favorite stories in the anthology (along with "One Day, Lily, One Day"), I felt this was a prime opportunity to encourage students to make connections to the text. I chose to use the popular and research-based strategy of making text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections. And I decided that a webbing tool would be an interesting way to visually organize those connections. I'm familiar with several web 2.0 tools that can be used to create webs, and I decided to try out Lovely Charts to do so.

Here's my connections web for "Out of Bounds":

That's pretty much impossible to read, but you get the idea of the layout. (Updated: After I published, I learned that you can click on the image and view a full-sized version.) Unfortunately, the free version of the tool does not allow you to embed or share via a web link - you can only export as a jpg or png file. So here are my connections, written out in case you are interested:

Text-to-Self

• My siser and I used to create hideouts in the woods near our home when we were younger. I would have been sad and upset if they had been taken away, just like Rohan was.
• I remember visiting Durban when I went to South Africa. Just like all the other cities, there was a big difference between the rich and the poor houses and neighborhoods.
• I also remember seeing wire crafts and visiting African Craft stores at the malls. It seems odd (and sad) to think that the people who actually made the crafts wouldn't be allowed in.

Text-to-Text

• The idea of taking a risk and befriending someone outside of your culture reminds me a little of the novel Summer of My German Soldier that I read for class in 7th grade. Even though it was a very different story, it was still about going "out of bounds" and the power of friendship to work against stereotypes and prejudice.

Text-to-World

• A cyclone is just like a hurricane. I remember when Hurricane Katrina caused all the damage and flooding in New Orleans. The cyclones in the story must have been like that.

While I do like the webbing layout for making connections assignments, I can safely say that I won't be using Lovely Charts again, and wouldn't use it in my classroom. First of all, there's a fairly high learning curve with the tool. I consider myself pretty web savy and I had to refer to the "Help" menu four times as I created this simple web. Students would become easily frustrated and I can only imagine the classroom management issues that would occur as a result.

I was also very frustrated with the limited functionality offered to free account holders. With so many web 2.0 tools out there, I expect to be able to embed and share, even if I haven't paid for a subscription. Other free tools (such as Mind42, Webspiration, and Bubbl.us) also provide the ability to work collaboratively on a single web. I think that this really underscores the collaborative nature that is so essential to the web 2.0 concept, and also lends an effective social dimension to the assignment. I can imagine that the number of connections made would grow exponentially if students had the ability to work collaboratively and share ideas.

In my next post, I will try out the three other mapping tools - Mind42, Webspiration, and Bubbl.us with the same assignment and discuss their pros and cons.

The Playground and Blabberize

"The Playground" is the story of Rosa, a young black girl who will be the first to integrate the previously all-white Oranje Primary School after the end of apartheid in South Africa. The story explores her thoughts and feelings prior to and on her first day of integration. It also introduces other significant characters: her mother (Mama), the son of her mother's employer (Hennie), and "Trigger Boy," a white boy at Oranje Primary School.

I decided to explore characters and their feelings and motivations for this particular assignment. To facilitate this exploration, I selected Blabberize as my web 2.0 tool. Blabberize allows you to upload a picture of your choosing and then add recorded sound to give the picture a "voice." You also define the mouth to create the animation of the picture actually talking.

Here's my interpretation of Rosa at the start of the story, as she's looking ahead to her experience at Oranje Primary:

Photo credit: vagawi (Flickr)

You can also view this by following this URL: http://blabberize.com/view/id/238785.

There are many applications of this tool as a means to study a character. A teacher might assign characters from a novel and ask students to write a narrative and then use the tool to create animated versions of the characters to share with the class or display on a web page or blog. One student might create several animated photos of the same character to reflect changing feelings and attitudes over the course of a story. Or a student might select two opposing characters (foils) and create animated photos as a variation of the standard compare/contrast assignment.

One of the most intriguing possibilities for Blabberize, in my opinion, is the ability to give voice to lesser characters or those who lack a voice within a text. It could be used to retell a story from a different point of view (similar to the True Story of the Three Little Pigs that we read earlier in the quarter) or to explore the impacts of gender and/or ethnicity on a particular tale.

Now for some technical considerations. Using the tool was free; saving the image required the creation of a free account (which could be done by the teacher). The user first must upload a photo stored on his or her own computer, which adds a level of complexity to the assignment. Teachers could use this opportunity to teach and practice web searching skills and copyright awareness, or simply require students to search within the Creative Commons. Or teachers might preselect a variety of images and allow students to choose from the smaller set. While this is definitely a timesaver, I feel that image selection is important as it forces students to visualize their character and look for an image that fits their understanding.

The second step is to define the mouth area, using a free form shape that can be enlarged, shrunk, or otherwise modified to fit the picture. (I didn't do mine correctly the first time - I selected her entire mouth instead of just the lower portion - and had to go back and redo it after previewing the image with the audio.) It is also helpful if the image has a clear view of the mouth, which facilitates the selection of the correct area in this step.

Finally, the user must record audio. I recommend preparing a script first, so that students can practice and have a coherent recording the first time. You may use a pre-recorded message that you've saved, record using a microphone, or record by calling in from your phone. I used the phone option and found it very easy to use. You are given a phone number and PIN, and it's not any more difficult than setting up a voicemail greeting.

From there, it's one quick save to generate the final product. You can edit as needed, or save and share via a web link or by embedding in a page. You also can make your product private, or mark it as mature as needed.

While the finished product is kind of goofy and silly at first glance, I think students would really enjoy using this tool. Based on the technical requirements, I'd use this with students in fifth grade and up.

The Gun and Fodey

"The Gun" is the story of Esi, a black boy who lives with his family on a white (Afrikaaner) owned farm near the homeland of Mapoteng. Esi's father and mother oversee the farm for "Boss" Mackay, the director of a mining company in Johannesburg. As Esi grows up, he witnesses police raids and becomes frustrated with both the apartheid system and his father's role in preserving the status quo. While out in the bush hunting with Mackay's future son-in-law, Williams, Esi makes a choice that will change his life forever.

For this story, I chose to focus on the reading comprehension strategy of summarizing. Students often have difficulty with this skill and want to include every single detail from a story or passage in their summary, rather than focusing on the main points. Teachers need to explicitly teach and model the skill, and provide many opportunities for guided and independent practice. One excellent activity for developing the ability to summarize is writing newspaper articles.

I chose to use a newspaper clip generator from the web site Fodey. The tool is very simple to use - enter the name of the newspaper, title, date, and article, and click generate. The resulting picture can be downloaded, saved on a computer, and embedded in a web site or blog, like this:

As with any tool, I see both pros and cons to using Fodey with students. On a positive note, the tool is quite simple and easy to use. I wouldn't anticipate upper elementary or middle school students having any trouble with it. It also generates a very realistic looking newspaper clip, which can be motivating for students. It also generates the clip as a picture (jpg file) which is a standard file format that works with blogs, web sites, and even word processing or presentation software.

However, there are cons to the tool as well. One of them is that Fodey does not provide an option of storing the work in an online gallery, which means that teachers who wish to share or showcase student work on the web must have another site on which to do so. The generator also cut my text slightly when I first generated the clip, so I went back and shortened my article. This would mean that students would be limited to short compositions - and potential limit the use for short stories or articles as opposed to novels. Even with these limitations, however, I still see value in using a tool like Fodey with students as they learn to summarize text.

The Typewriter and Prezi

"The Typewriter" follows the story of Nandi, an eleven-year old girl in Soweto in the wake of the June 16, 1976 Soweto uprising. Even though she sneaks out to join the older children in a demonstration at the funeral of a peer killed in the riots, she doesn't quite understand what is going on around her. She finds herself in a dangerous position when her cousin, Esther, needs help in hiding a typewriter - used to create leaflets supporting the student protests and a symbol of the resistance movement - from the police.

Because this story relies so heavily on actual historical events, I decided to create a timeline as a sample project. This is a good example of a pre-reading activity that students could engage in to help them better understand the context of the story. Each student could research the history of education in apartheid South Africa and create their own timeline to demonstrate understanding, or a teacher might consider making the timeline a collaborative assignment for small groups or even the class as a whole. I created my timeline using Prezi, an online presentation tool, and embedded images and video to supplement the text.

I had trouble embedding this into the blog, so you can view my timeline within the context of the Prezi web site.

While I love using Prezi as a presentation tool, it was not my first choice for this particular project. I first tried to create the timeline using xtimeline, a free tool for creating web-based timelines. However, the site was running so slowly that I gave up after waiting 20+ minutes to add my first event. I don't know if the site always runs that slowly (although it has both times I tried to use it), but it was a prohibitive feature in my opinion.

I decided that Prezi would work well as a "plan B" given the ability to create a path from event to event within the presentation. The only downside that I can see to using Prezi as a timeline creator is that you lose some of the ability to view the timeline in its entirety as with traditional timelines. It is possible to zoom out to see all of your entries while working in Prezi, but the words become impossible to read. I do like that the tool allows you to upload images and video to include. As I hope you'll agree, in this case the media really enhance the educational value of the timeline.

Of course, teachers could also have students create timelines of the events in the story itself, or they could add the events to the historical timeline, blending fact and fiction in the process. Those would become more a during-reading or post-reading assignment, and I wanted to focus on the activity during the pre-reading phase.

This particular project also demonstrates the importance of testing the web 2.o tools out before giving students an assignment. If I had taken a class of middle school students to the computer lab and asked them to work using xtimeline, my entire lesson plan (and possibly classroom management) could have been derailed if the site continued to not work. Teachers should also consider whether having 30+ students on a site at the same time will impact the speed at which students are able to work. It's a good lesson for all of us!

One Day, Lily, One Day and Tagul

"One Day, Lily, One Day" is one of my favorite stories in the anthology. It is set in 1960 and explores the confusion and mixed emotions of a young white girl whose parents are supportive of the black South Africans (called Africans or natives in the story). Her father is jailed for his efforts and she encounters difficulty at school with other children whose parents are not sympathetic to the cause.

For this assignment, I used the reading comprehension strategy of determining importance. As I read, I kept a list of phrases and words that I felt were important to the story. I then used the list to create a word cloud in Tagul.



I also customized the cloud to include many of the colors from the South African flag. Even though it didn't exist it 1960, I thought it was a fun and colorful way to personalize the cloud!

I think word cloud tools like Tagul and Wordle are great for helping students determine importance or analyze the theme of a piece of writing. Teachers might choose to use this assignment as is, or to create a word cloud for the students by copying and pasting an entire story (or passage) into one of the tools. Students could use the word cloud to make predictions and analyze the text in a visual way. In addition to promoting comprehension, I think these types of tools can increase visual literacy skills.

There are a few differences between Tagul and Wordle. Both are free. Wordle is more simple (and student friendly) while Tagul is more sophisticated. Wordle allows you to save your cloud to a gallery or print, while Tagul saves your work in your own account and lets you embed the cloud in a web page or blog. I'd recommend experimenting with both to determine which tool will best meet your students' needs.