Voice Thread - Twitter for Educators
OneNote
Here is an evaluation of various social networking sites made using OneNote: W506 Social Networking Evaluations .
Mystery Skype and Mystery Hangouts
One of the great aspects of technology in the 21st century is its ability to shrink the world and connect people from all over the nation and globe in ways never before possible. Mystery Skype and Mystery Hangouts allow this to happen.
Mystery Skype allows students from different classrooms in different states to video conference using Skype. Using a series of prepared questions, students attempt to guess where the other class is located or some other fact about their Skype partner. Here is a website that talks about the benefits of Mystery Skype.
Mystery Hangouts is very similar in structure. Again the goal is to connect people from different parts of the globe. Mystery Hangouts utilize Google+ in order to arrange the Hangout. Here is a link to a forum that connects teachers looking for Mystery Hangout opportunities.
Either of these formats would work well in the classroom. Using video conferencing technologies, geography students from different parts of the country could guess their partners' location using only geography terms. AP students could review for exams by discussing topics they learned about throughout the year. I think it would be great if students were able to talk with the author of book, a scientist, or some other professional that works in the field they are studying.
Mystery Skype allows students from different classrooms in different states to video conference using Skype. Using a series of prepared questions, students attempt to guess where the other class is located or some other fact about their Skype partner. Here is a website that talks about the benefits of Mystery Skype.
Mystery Hangouts is very similar in structure. Again the goal is to connect people from different parts of the globe. Mystery Hangouts utilize Google+ in order to arrange the Hangout. Here is a link to a forum that connects teachers looking for Mystery Hangout opportunities.
Either of these formats would work well in the classroom. Using video conferencing technologies, geography students from different parts of the country could guess their partners' location using only geography terms. AP students could review for exams by discussing topics they learned about throughout the year. I think it would be great if students were able to talk with the author of book, a scientist, or some other professional that works in the field they are studying.