Welcome to today’s session on Information Technology and the Supervisory Officer. Three workshops have been prepared for you, each one featuring a 21st century outlook to education in a Web 2.0 world. Today’s generation of student is often referred to as the digital native; they have grown up in a constantly evolving digital society. In turn, the tools of the digital generation provide new perspectives on both teaching and learning. The web-based world is a true collaborative environment where students can express themselves and be heard by vast audiences. Today, we will be looking at: Digital and Visual Literacy through the use of Bitstrips for Schools; Web-based Literacy and Numeracy Programs; and social networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, which have provided a powerful forum for student expression and voice.

Your Digital Agenda

Digital Literacy: Bitstrips for Schools

Bitstrips for Schools is an educational and safe web based program empowering students to create and collaborate on comic strips. Teachers can create engaging assignments in interactive and collaborative comic strips. Bitstrips for Schools is a great media literacy educational application. Create avatars and comic strips like students and see how this application can be an effective use of technology in the classroom. Learn what to look for in a differentiated instruction classroom using this technology application.

What are Bitstrips?

Bitstrips for Schools is an online comic strip / cartoon / graphic novel creator ideal for reading, writing and media literacy. This tool allows the imagination to run wild with easy-to-use graphic tools at your fingertips! Imagine, create and publish online!

There is an integrated student / class management system that simplifies the sharing of ideas within a classroom.

–Resources/Handouts—

Technological Applications (.pdf file)
Bitstrips for Schools – How to sign up (.pdf file)

Classroom 2.0: Web-based Literacy and Numeracy Programs



This session will introduce a variety of web-based tools and programs to assist teachers and students to acquire literacy and numeracy skills. Reference to differentiating instruction, providing on-going assessment and feedback, and other high-yield classroom strategies will be addressed.

Google Docs in Plain English
Google Docs: A Love Letter (really shows collaborative nature)

Let’s Collaborate!


–Resources/Handouts–

Web URLs

Destination Learning – Reading & Math (Login HERE)
Library of Virtual Manipulatives
Gizmos
Blogging (Google Blogger)
Collaborative Documents (Google Docs)
Clips
Knowledge Ontario Research Databases

Blogging in the Classroom

Click Here for the Blogging in Education PowerPoint (Adobe Breeze Presentation)
Blogging Information and Resources (Blog Post)

A Grade 8 Reading Blog Example (Elementary Blog Posts w/ embedded assessments)

Music Copyright Assignment (EMS3O – with student discussion )
Celebrity Worship Assignment (with student discussion)

Engagement of Male Students
(Video Blogging [vlog] Example – Grade 11)
Masculinity in Hip Hop from a Female student’s perspective (Grade 11)

SMART Boards

A blog on using Electronic Whiteboards in the classroom (Blog Forum)
SMART Boards and Differentiated Instruction (.pdf file)

Social Networking and Student Voice

During this session, participants will be exposed to several of the most popular Social Networking sites including: Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter. This session will involve: hands on experience with these sites, discussion around the potential for learning and possible implications of these sites, examples of how students are gaining a voice through these sites, and a demonstration of how school boards are tapping into their potential. Along with this, participants will also have the opportunity to explore several “gadgets” that are currently being used in education.


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