TechBabble

Picture by vinduhl 

Overview:  Pageflakes is a wonderful way to create your own content, all in one place.  Accessing widgets and “flakes” is intuitive and user-friendly.  I love being able to apply my knowledge of the different tools, and then filter them through one space for optimal use by me and my students. 

Pagecast:  The Giver

Students in my English 7 class are starting the novel unit The Giver.  Instead of posting links on my homework page, I created a one-stop-shop of tools, bookmarks, calendars and more.  The coolest part is that the students can keep up with Lois Lowry’s personal author blog, and they can learn about her travels, frustrations, and script writing for her upcoming movie of the novel.  Go RSS!

Classroom Themes: 

• Current events could pull different news feeds on various countries in Africa, if a World Cultures class was following African news.  Related bookmarks and videos could round out the content on the page.
• A language arts classroom could create a themed page for a particular author, genre, or novel.
• Math classes could post a challenge problem on a sticky note, a sketchcast or how to solve a similar problem, as well as links to real world applications of the math.