3.3 Reflection: Using Web 2.0 Tools

3.3 Reflection: Using Web 2.0 Tools

Kelly Hughes

We have been studying the water cycle, so I decided to create a few activities for students to take part in that shows their knowledge of what they have learned. 

Common Core Standards:

RI.7

Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

W.4

Produce clear and coherent writing (including multiple-paragraph texts) in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.8

Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.

RL.7

Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

W.7

Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

CA Science Standards 5th grade

Earth Sciences 3.a

Students know most of Earth's water is present as salt water in the oceans, which cover most of Earth's surface.

Earth Sciences 3.b

Students know when liquid water evaporates, it turns into water vapor in the air and can reappear as a liquid when cooled or as a solid if cooled below the freezing point of water.

Earth Sciences 3.c

Students know water vapor in the air moves from one place to another and can form fog or clouds, which are tiny droplets of water or ice, and can fall to Earth as rain, hail, sleet, or snow.

Earth Sciences 3.d

Students know that the amount of fresh water located in rivers, lakes, under-ground sources, and glaciers is limited and that its availability can be extended by recycling and decreasing the use of water.

Students will read the text for understanding by accessing our Collaborize Classroom site at http://www.mshughes.collaborizeclassroom.com (you can access by using username Demo Student and password room36).  Students click on the PDF file attached and can access their textbook to complete the reading assignment.  After reading, they can then evaluate what they have read and apply this knowledge to the writing prompt answer.  Other students can then comment on other student’s answers giving feedback and information that may be missing.

Each student will then create an individual presentation to share with the class.  These presentations will be uploaded or embedded into our class blog for viewing.  Students may use iMovie, keynote, Voki, ShowMe, or any other creation site or software they are comfortable using (computer or iPad).  If they feel ambitious, they can also create a video to post on YouTube.

This project will work well with attached rubrics defining the learning goals and how each presentation will be graded.  The teacher will always be available to look over projects as they are created to give feed back and steer students in the right direction.  Students can use the class blog to ask each other for help or guidance when questions arise.  My class also uses texting to get immediate responses from both teacher and other students or email for those without a cell phone.  Our class also has access to the computer lab each morning before school for those that need more face-to-face time to evaluate and create their projects.

For our first project, I think they will all be successful and happy with their creations.  They are all very competent using the Web 2.0 tools stated, so the next step of creating a project should not be too difficult.  As with any other project, we can change our direction as we proceed for each individual student.  The ability to change our course or add components is key to any blended classroom for success.