Gloriann Curley's RDNG 654 Blog of Awesomeness

  Tik-tok How-to Speech Assignment for a Speech or English Class:  I chose Tik-tok because it checked so many of the boxes for a multimedia/multimodal project: * Audio * Visual * Text/Reading and Writing * Verbal/Narration * Social/Social Media It also shows students that speech is not reserved only for a speech class or a formal speech.  So much of what we teach in a speech class can be used on social media platforms.  This project moves away from in-person, PowerPoint presentations and applies scaffolded skills to a new medium.  Enjoy!  Student Assignment and Rubric Document Completed "Student" Sample Here is my completed Tik-Tok project:   https://vm.tiktok.com/ ZMdvR9oaX/   

Social Media in My Classroom I have used several social media platforms over my ten years in the classroom.  First, I used Edublogs as my classroom communications website when I worked for Detroit Public Schools.  I would post homework and communications to be sent to the parents.  I find that the needs for a site like this has been diminished by implementation of LMSs like Google Classroom or Rediker.  For Yearbook, I used Pinterest for aesthetic creation.  Students add color palettes, print ideas, and even things like architecture or nature that could inspire the look of a yearbook page. Here is an example of our aesthetic board from 2018 when we won an award for our typesetting-themed yearbook. We have also used Twitter and Instagram for Yearbook advertising and surveys.  However, our school cut back on who could have an account tied to our school, and we were asked to shut down our unofficial accounts for PR reasons.  Behavior Management Programs ...

I appreciated the differentiation of multimedia vs. multimodal in Dr. Lewis-White's PowerPoint.  I copied her list of multimodal learning so I remember it:  Linguistic – oral and written language; vocabulary and grammar Visual – still & moving images, colors Auditory – music & sound effects; use of volume, pitch, and rhythm Gestural – facial expressions and body language Spatial – layout and organization of objects and space While it mirrors learning styles, I find it a bit different.  For example, I didn't think about the implications of using gestures in multimedia learning- the difference between a stiff delivery and making meaning with your body on screen.  I also appreciated bringing attention to spatial intelligence, a skill that my yearbook students develop as they design pages.  Spatial intelligence is one of those skills that a teacher may model, but it takes practice to develop an eye for how to arrange objects in a space that is visually appea...

I published all of my reviews from this week's modules in entries titled "Digital Literacy Side-Entry."  Clicking on the icons in each award category will take you to all of the reviews in that category.  Here are my awards for top Digital Writing Apps!  Click the pictures for my reviews.  Best Storyboarding App: Best App for Writing Review: Best App for Editing:  IT's A TIE!  and   Best App for Publishing: Overall, this module has been valuable for finding new tools for digital writing.  One downside to using so many different tools would be confusion and time spent learning new platforms that could be used for instructional time.  That said, strategic, purposeful, and curated use of digital tools could open students up to new ways of looking at their writing beyond a word processor, peer editing and teacher feedback. 

  Flipsnack :  This is a tool that I would use to create a class publication.  I would expect students to use this tool, unless it is part of a high school creative writing class.  This site allows the user to upload a PDF of the pages that they wish to publish and it creates a flipbook-style magazine that can be published on a website or can be downloaded and printed.  This site allows the user to create a cover and design their publication so it looks professional.  As a yearbook teacher, design is important to me, and this would aid in publishing an eye-catching class book. Wordfaire:   This is not an app that I would use in a normal classroom.  This is a free liveblogging platform, meaning that whatever the students write gets published in real-time.  That said, I could see this type of site being useful for sports journalism.  I imagine that students could liveblog a sports game and link it to the school's Twitter feed. This would t...

  Noredink :  Our 9th/10th grade English teacher used Noredink with her classes a few years ago before she left to be a full time mommy.  Unfortunately, this site was rather "buggy" and I would hear no end to the gripes from students who were asked to use this site for grammar practice.  It's one of those "too good to be true" free sites that promises a lot but does not deliver an engaging experience for students.  Instead, many just learned how to "game" the way it was set up and didn't end up learning much. I do not recommend the free version of this app, but I hope that the paid content offers a better experience. HemmingwayApp :  I am a bit obsessed with this app.  There is no sign up or logins to create.  It is a free tool that allows students to copy and paste their work into a blank field.  Then, the app will highlight places where sentences can be simplified, adverbs can be omitted, and that use passive voice.  I like that it is ...

  NaNoWriMo  YWP:  I have done National Novel Writing Month with my creative writing students before, but this resource was not yet available!  I love that they have made a NaNoWriMo site that is accessible for k-12 students and their teachers.  This website writing platform allow teachers to create "classrooms" and track student writing progress.  The challenge is for students to write everyday for 30 days.  This would take a chunk of instructional time, but would be invaluable in a creative writing class!  This could also serve as student homework for a month while we work on other things in the classroom. 826 Digital:   This is a website of free lessons from a successful after school program.  My favorite part of the site is a section of student writing samples that one can search by grade level.  So often, it is hard to find writing samples that reflect a teen voice.  These are vetted from 826 projects across the country....

Prewriting Apps: Looking at these apps really got my creative juices flowing!  I noticed that these sites are excellent mentors and their ideas can be adapted to self-created lessons, instead of having students make tons of accounts.  However,  using the actual sites may break up the Google monotony. Here are my reviews:   StoryPlanner -  This site seems to be geared toward professional writers or those who aspire to be.  The paid version could be an excellent addition to a creative writing course if your school is willing to foot the bill.  That said, there is free content that is an AMAZING resource for teachers looking to make organizers for storytelling or character development.  Students can work on one project at a time using the free plan.  I could see myself using the content on this site as a mentor to develop pre-writing organizers on GoogleDocs. Makestoryboard : This site would be excellent for students who are making a visua...

Graphic Organizers are a GO! I used two graphic organizer software programs that were linked to our school's Google account, but that I had never used: Lucid Chart and MindMup.   Both are great alternatives to pen-and-paper mind mapping, and both can be linked to Google Classroom!   I made two different charts to help my students map characters for creative writing.   Here is one that I made with MindMup: And here is one that I made with LucidChart: My Review:   I like MindMup much better than LucidChart.  I think that Mindmup was much easier to use, and I think that it would be much easier to use with my students.  LucidChart was a lot more "free form," and I think you could definitely do more with it, but the ease of Mindmup has more applications when used with students. Mindmup also makes things look nice without trying too hard.  LucidChart is free, but for the "nice looking" templates, you have to pay. Both can be used as an add-on to G...

My husband has been a podcaster for a few years (check out Draft the Universe here if you're a total nerd.)  This assignment had me pumped!  I am also an avid podcast listener, and I have used podcasts as part of my lessons for years.  For example, I have a fairy tale research paper that I do with my seniors where I require them to listen to The Myths and Legends Podcast as part of their research.  We learn how to listen to a podcast and how to cite it in a paper.   I also use podcasts in my AP Lang class, as AP Lang is mainly a non-fiction/rhetoric class, and podcasts lend themselves well to the genres I cover.   Here is a list of excellent podcasts that I follow or use in my classroom: Up First from NPR This American Life Consider This The Hemmingway List It's Been a Minute  The NPR Politics Podcast Shmanners  RadioLab The Daily Cautionary Tales Revisionist History Freakonimics Radio Citations Needed Sawbones Code Switch Hidden Brain...