Reflection on the self-chosen project kiosks

Technology I'm most likely to use in my future classroom:
I was such a huge fan of Glogster -- but maybe I'm biased because I chose it myself.  I also liked the interactive features of Prezi and thought there was a lot that could be done with it in a classroom setting.  For younger students, I thought Kerploof's story-telling features were engaging and fun.

Technology I would be least likely to use in my future classroom:
While Animoto's paid features were really cool, I thought that the lack of interactive features and the limited free options were a big limitation.  If money were no object, I would use animoto.  However, there are other free options that have more functionality.

What I learned about instructional strategies from my classmates:
The more interactive features (IE: links to click, audio to hear, video to see, etc.), the more engaging the project.  I found stations that had a lot of ways to interact were the most interesting regardless of the service they were discussing.

Glogster

To view the glog I created for my self-chosen project, click the image below.  It explains the features and uses for this technology.

I am a reflection

Here is my personal perspective video:

I used iMovie to complete this project.  It was fast, easy-to-use, and intuitive.   The simplicity of drag-and-drop video editing makes iMovie a great  option for elementary-aged students.  This technology could be used, as I have done here, to create a visual "I Am From" poem as I have done here or to create trailers for books, how-to videos, and more.

Blog Post 2: Intellijoy's 'Kids Learn to Read' (Android OS)

Intellijoy has an entire line of educational apps that are compatible with Android OS devices available in the Android Market.  Intellijoy's 'Kids Learn to Read' app is available available here.

Kids Learn to Read is designed for children aged 3-7.  This review is for the lite version, which is free.  The paid version is available for $4.00 in the Android Market, however the only difference between free and $4.00 appears to be the addition of fifteen new vocabulary words.  This app contains three games that are designed to help children with reading in three separate areas:

(Image via Android Market)

1. LEARN TO BLEND:
In this game, children help a turtle across a word bridge.  There are three different speeds -- walking stick, sneakers, and skateboard.  The child picks a vehicle and traces across the word.  As they trace, a friendly teacher voice sounds out each letter in the word -- very slowly if the walking stick was chosen, almost fluently if the skateboard was chosen, or somewhere in the middle if the sneakers were chosen.  Then, at the end of the bridge the voice repeats the word fluently.  This game is designed to help with blending of sounds.

Select the turtle's speed...

(Image via Android Market)

A gentle woman's voice reads the word parts, and then blends them...

(Image via Android Market)

2. TRY READING:
Now, the turtle and his friends are all getting ready to go skateboarding.  A skateboard in the middle of the screen has the name of one of the turtle's animal friends on it.  Around this, there are four of turtle's pals.  The child must select the corresponding animal.  On the next screen, the animal is shown on the skateboard and helmets are displayed around the edges.  The helmets have names of animals on them and the student must this time select the corresponding word to the animal. 

Help figure out which animal the skateboard belongs to...

(Image via Android Market)

Then help them get their helmet on

(Image via Android Market)

3. MAKE WORDS:
An image of a common three-letter word is in the middle of the screen.  At the bottom there is an empty block followed by the last two letters of the word.  Students must spin the block until they find the correct letter on it and then hit "OK!"

An image of a common three-letter word appears...

(Image via Android Market)

Note:  The screenshots on the Android Market page for this app show a version of 'Make Words' with two letters missing.  In my time playing the game, I could not get it to take away two letters.  I am not sure if that is because this feature is only available in the paid version or if I just have less patience than a four-year-old.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What level of words are used in Kids Learn to Read?
The words used in Kids Learn to Read are all simple three-letter words.  They are high frequency words including animals and everyday objects.

How does this application facilitate the principles of Universal Design for Learning?
Kids Learn to Read facilitates the following principles of Universal Design for Learning:

• Representation of Information (making content available and comprehensible to students using a variety of modes):  This game uses text, images, and voice to present content.  
• Expression of knowledge (provide options for students to express their knowledge and demonstrate their learning):  In the 'Try Reading' and 'Make Words' games, there are opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning.  The first game only shows students information as opposed to allowing students to show knowledge.

What are the limitations of Kids Learn to Read?
Although this app provides a fun environment for students to learn in, there are some limitations.  The first limitation is that there are only three-letter words and the list of them is pretty short.  I only played for fifteen or so minutes until I had cycled through all of the words on 'Make Words'.  If this app had an option for parents or teachers to input vocabulary, audio, and/or images, it would be appropriate for a much wider audience.

Do you have any suggestions for using this app?
I would not suggest the paid app unless the developers add more options to customize the app or at least a wider range of vocabulary.  Furthermore, this app is only useful if students already know and understand letters and the sounds they make.    If students do not yet understand this, Intellijoy has simpler phonics apps available.