Overall I found this class to be very useful.  I always say that I need to spend time looking at different sites and different digital story telling tools, but always put it on the back burner.  This class forced me to make the time, and I found many useful sites.  I am planning on trying one or two of them out next year.  Hopefully this summer, I will have time to play around with them. 

After the last semester’s intense workload, I really appreciated having the chance to work on an activity that I will use in my classroom.  Even though the site I chose for the project was a disaster, I really liked the idea of the activity and will be doing it next year.  I have learned to be flexible and to have a plan B and sometimes even a plan C.  I also learned which sites not to use next year and found many that I can try.  It was a great semester for me and I look forward to testing what I have found this summer and next year.

After looking at many different Web 2.0 tools this semester, I have come to realize many different things.  One thing that I realized is that there are some really great sites out there for teachers and students. However there are many sites out there that are not so great for sixth grade students.  Another thing that I quickly realized that there is no possible way for me to use all of the great sites that I found.  I feel as though I barely have time to teach all that I need to as it is, but if I tried to add too many new tools I would not have time to get everything done.  With that being said, I would like to try one or two new tools out next year. 

There seem to be new sites every day that I go on the web, so even though I have found a few that I want to try next year, I cannot limit myself to only them.  If I find one that works well with the students, I can only hope that it will still be up and running the following year.  There are so many tools and so little time, but I plan on making time to try something new.

There are many different tools out there that could be great to use for digital story telling, but what I think is even more important that finding the right tool is having the “right” assignment.   Each site that I have found has both positives and negatives.  Trying to work around the tool could be confusing for both the instructor and the students.  The assignments may seemed “forced” at times.  By creating the assignment first, the teacher can then find the tool that is right for the assignment. 

For me, digital story telling should be an enhancement activity to practice a skill or skills that students have learned.  After looking at many different tools, I really like One True Media.  There is a lot that students can do with it.  There can add music, picture, text, and effects, but it is not too overwhelming either.   Next year, I would love to try this when I do creative writing.  It would give students a chance to show just how creative they can be.   

I never realized how beneficial it was to have students “test” out a lesson or activity.  By spending thirty minutes today before school, I probably saved myself hours of frustration.  The feedback during the lesson was very helpful.  I realized that I could have given more detailed instructions in the beginning of the activity.  Some of the questions that the students asked made me think that I could have a frequently asked questions page so that if students were working independently they would have the answers to some questions they may have. 

One of my goals during each school year is to encourage students to become more independent.  By testing a lesson or activity, I can see what if anything needs to be done differently for students to be able to do the activity on their own.  By doing this, I am increasing my students’ chances for success and therefore increasing their ability to work independently.  I know that I am more confident in myself when I am successful at something and that is the way most students are as well.

Story Top is a go!  I was able to create a sample product and save it for me to show students before they create one of their own.  I purposely made my sample very simple.  I want my students to show me how creative they can be.  I have noticed in the past that students tend to copy example ideas.  I know that it is the end of the year and some of their brains are fried, but if I give them a challenge to see if they can do better than me, I am hoping they will rise to the occasion.

What I need to decide now is which students to ask to “test” this activity out.  I would preferably like  a girl and a boy who could stay after school for a half hour.  I do not know how computer savvy each student is, but I do not want two students who are whizzes on the computer.  Some of my students I am sure could complete this activity without any instruction from me, but I want students that will need some guidance from me since that would represent most of the students who would be doing this as a whole class activity.

I am looking forward to filming this sample activity as well.  I will be able to watch it back and reflect on what went well and what needs to be changed.  I am so busy that I know I would forget details of the activity if I did not film it.  I do not have to rush and do my reflection immediately afterwards.  I can wait until I have time to watch the film and take my time to really assess how the activity went.

When I first discovered Comiqs, I was so excited to have my students make comic strips.  Then I realized that the site was blocked from and had some inappropiate material on it.  So I then decided to go with Plan B which was to use Story Top to have students create  a comic strip.  I planned the whole lesson, developed an instructions sheet for the students to use so that they could work independently, and was ready to make my sample to show the students what they would be creating.  This is where the frustration comes into play.  The website began freezing on Tuesday night so I decided rather than getting myself worked up, I would stop and work on it when I had time this weekend.  Well, long story short, the site is continuing to freeze.  What do I do now?  Do I wait and hope it works better a little later?  Do I find another site to use for my students?  The bottom line is the Web 2.0 technongy is great, but we as teachers need to be flexible when using it.  Things are not always going to go as planned and it is important to have a Plan B or in my case have a Plan C.  I think my PLan C  to spend the day on the beach and try to come up with a solution tomorrow

Back to the drawing board.  I thought that I had figured out what I wanted my students to use to make a comic strip.  Then after planning it out, I realized that it was blocked  for them to use in school.  After examining the site further, I saw that there were some inappropriate comics on there. 

I found another site www.storytop.com that allows students to make comics.  It is not nearly as advanced as Comiqs, but I think that it will work for my students.  They are not able to insert their own photos which may actually make it easier for students to focus their ideas.  They also can only write text in one size and one color, black.  After thinking about it, my objectives are not how creative the text size and color is but what is written.  My concern with using Story Top is that it may be too simple for some students.  I guess I will not know whether or the students enjoy using it after I try it out with a small group.  Hopefully, this site will not become blocked anytime soon.

Looking at all of the different Web 2.0 tools can be confusing and overwhelming. I began to look at many different tools, but I was becoming confused so I decided to focus on one tool and examine it more closely.  Comiqs is a site that allows its users to create a comic strip and share it on the web.  It is free to join.  I did not join yet, but plan to do so in the near future.  This site allows users to import their own pictures and text to create the comic.  There are many different fonts and styles to use.  There was a YouTube video posted on the site that demonstrated how to use comiqs.  I found this very helpful and cannot wait to have time to explore the site even more.

  I can see myself using this in the classroom for creative writing.  My students would enjoy being able to express themselves in a different way.  It is also a great way for them to share their work.  I will have to look into this site further to be able to see how I would be able to monitor student usage, and also to make sure that all of the material is appropriate for my sixth grade students.

http://comiqs.com/

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