Kid-cast.com

Kidcast is a podcasting tool that is intended for kids to use; for kids, by kids. It’s purpose is to allow kids a place to post their podcasts or vodcasts. The files are submitted and reviewed by an adult before being posted. The website has a rating system that the webmasters compare to the rating system for video games. Uploads need to be in a universal format, MP3, MP4, .MOV, or M4V files. All uploaded files must be original intellectual property and must be at least one min. in length. To use the service, you must make an account. I am not sure what kind of spam you would get after signing up for this service. I think this would be difficult to manage, if each child had an account, it would be impossible to manage. Because of that, I doubt that the County would ever unblock this particular site. Although this seems like a nice site, I am not sure that it would be easily used as an instructional tool.

PS: Thanks Dorothy for your help with finding the correct site

CreateAGraph

• What is it? What does it do?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), is part of the U.S. Department of Education. It has a “Kids Zone”, filled with a variety of free games, challenges, and math activities. One of these activities is called CreateAGraph, which allows kids to create different types of graphs. It is extremely user-friendly; it includes a tutorial, but it is possible to learn what you need to know to create a graph just by experimenting with it.

• What are the infrastructure and technical requirements for this tool?

This can be accessed using Windows; the site uses Macromedia Flash Player

• How can you use it effectively in instruction?

This is a great opportunity to move kids away from pencil and paper graphs to computer-generated graphs. This is especially exciting for kids who have difficulty drawing a straight line, even with a ruler. It takes the emphasis away from merely creating the graph without error to focusing on the parts of the graph and understanding what it shows.

• What are other education applications for this tool?

Students can use this during the math unit that focuses on creating and interpreting graphs. They will also be able to use it when working on their required STEM Fair project—a graph is one component of the final project.

What are the limitations and cautions related to use of this tool?

Students need a color printer to take full advantage of this website’s product.

• What are the management considerations for this tool?

Students need to save their work via an email to themselves or by bookmarking it.

Diigo

What is it? What does it do?

Diigo is a free, interactive, web-based method of highlighting and taking notes. It allows you to highlight passages within an on-line text, to post “sticky notes” to a page with your own comments, and to share your findings with your “friends” on Diigo. These notes and comments are saved for you on Diigo, so whenever you access that text, your notes and highlights return.

What are the infrastructure and technical requirements for this tool?

System requirements:

Windows XP/2000 SP4+, Red Hat Linux 9.0+, Mac OS X 10.2+

How can you use it effectively in instruction?

As my intermediate students complete the research project we assign, this will be a terrific way for them to match note-taking skills with technology skills. However, it will be vital that we first discuss “copying” versus “note-taking” so that they don’t learn to rely on highlighting as their primary method of taking notes for their paper.

What are other education applications for this tool?

We complete a research report with note-taking project in class so that students are prepared for the research report required in their STEM (Science) Fair project. Every one of our students has to complete this assignment, so they will be able to apply the on-line note-taking skills at home.

What are the limitations and cautions related to use of this tool?

It takes practice to learn how to read the information and then go back to highlight what is important. Each user also needs to set up an account on Diigo, which each student will need. Finally, it takes practice learning how to use Diigo, which will also take time.

What are the management considerations for this tool?

· time to set up accounts

· time to teach students how to use the website

· time to teach students how to take notes

· instruction on the difference between taking notes that are then put into your own words and highlighting / copying words that should not be just put into your text as if they were your own words (which is necessary regardless of the form of note-taking)