A Global Community

    Ever think the world wide web is just too dangerous or risky for your classroom?   We all have!  But ePals is a great site that can change your mind in an instant.  It offers many different features and ideas for your classroom and is great for teachers or students. 

     For students, there are links to other pages, such as National Geographic or the Smithsonian.  These are great educational tools for students to have at their fingertips!  Furthermore, there are pages about black history, digital storytelling, the Earth, and biodiversity.  There is also a student forum to talk about issues they are interested in and a book club where students can talk about the books they have read.

     The teacher page has some similar features to the student page, such as the link to National Geographic or other educational sites.  In addition there is a teacher forum (like the student forum) for teachers to discuss topics of interest to them.  Also, there are pre-made projects that teachers can use for their classes. 

     I think this program could be very useful for a classroom, in that it give the students some freedome to explore different topics but in a safe and educational environment.  Also, the projects available to teachers are a great source and would be fun and interesting for students to do!

Digital Storytelling for Teaching

     Until recently I did not even know what digital storytelling was, but now I see how easy and useful it can be for teachers, not to mention fun.  Using sites like  Animoto, Slideroll, or Stupeflix, teachers can create a story with pictures, text, and music about anything they want.  The basics of these sites are free, making it even easier for teachers to use it. 

     The site that I tried out was Animoto.  It took me at most five minutes to log in and begin creating a digital story.  I was able to add my own pictures, and then put in text, and select the music from the site.  It was a very simple process and could be used to teach anything, from culture, to grammar, or vocabulary.  Below is the digital story that I created about Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). 

Give one of these sites a try and you will see how easy, fun, and education they can be for you and your students.