Tool # 5

I visited Delicious and Diigo. In Delicious, I located two sites: Writing Fun and BookRix. Writing Fun dealt with using graphic organizers in the writing process. It had examples of different genres. This can be a site to visit to review different genres now that TAKS writing will change. BookRix allows for students digitaly publish books and have others critique the writing. It is free. All students have to do is upload their work and share it with others. This would be a way to have students revise their writing based on the comments of the reader. Check it out for yourself!
BookRix link:
http://www.bookrix.com/
Writing Fun link:
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jeather/writingfun/writingfun.html

Dingo seems to have many applications for the educational organization that would be perfect on several levels. For teachers, it offers the ability to link to, or create a PLN (Personal Learning Network) by reviewing articles or sites and posting thoughts/opinions on the site iteself! Then allowing them to bookmark the site and share it with others who would have the ability to add their thoughts/opinions on the article/site. Great opportunity for ongoing professional development! Now take that same concept and visualize it occuring with our students working on a research paper! Whether it's an individual research paper or a group research project, imagine a school filled with students who are working collaboratively with others, sythesizing the information and making notes online, saving those sites, and then taking information from several sites and evaluating it before putting it all together! And all of this with the ability to have peers or teachers giving them online feedback! One of the sites that I found through Dingo was a YouTube site by wittcowittco. I think you'll enjoy everything that he has to offer!

Here is the hot link for Pod Cast 1 what, why, how:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwGPKm2VZEI