Category:

Wordles of the Middle Ages Quest

3/25/2011

Thanks to all students at Beachwood and Chardon who used a google doc to pick five words for each topic to build wordles. Grant, choose to do this for his independent project. We will use these wordles after SpringBreak. Fell free to click them and make it big and then take a screenshot and put it in your blog.

This is Grant typing:

Wordle is an online program that allows you to type words into the system, and it will automatically come up with an image showing the words used the most often in that document in the largest sized font, then the next largest, than the next, etc.

I chose to create Wordles for my Independent Project to see how members of my class would describe various topics of the Middle Ages. Wordle is a great program to use in order to see this.

1 Comment

We all made Voki's.

2/10/2011

5 Comments

My name is Grant and today in class, each of us created a Voki avatar of our self. We started our class with Mr. Holman asking us questions about our Middle Ages person, and then we added this information for our Voki to speak.

My Voki talks about three interesting facts in general, the type of food that he eats, information about where he lives, and how interdependence affects him.

Mr. Holman: Several other Voki's are added in order of the Middle Ages social order. As four Kings (of the six) were absent, we are missing the King and Clergy member---Chardon maybe you can add them. Thanks to all for working hard.

5 Comments

Beachwood and Chardon Skype and the Middle Age Webquest

1/28/2011

4 Comments

Students please comment and let Mr. P and Mr. H know what you think about this webquest, skype, google doc, and the computer side chats.

I want to thank Mr. Pennington for the first part of this blog--It is his words.

Today all but one (2 for Mr. H) class had the opportunity to Skype with students from Beachwood Middle School. Mr. Holman's and my students are learning about the Middle Ages using the same WebQuest. Today students had the opportunity to meet the students at Beachwood and learn what social class they had received for the Middle Ages WebQuest.

Students have also been collaborating and engaging in GREAT! conversation via several GoogleDocs embedded in the WebQuest. A GoogleDoc is like a "live" word document stored online. Students can ask questions, share images and websites and create real-world Learning Communities with fellow students at Chardon and at Beachwood. This is an amazing learning experience that isn't taking place anywhere else in the country (to my knowledge). Your students are using GoggleDocs as social media to learn in a responsible and safe manner. Mr. Holman and myself are very proud of the work our students are completing.

Now, More from Mr. H
The webquest got off to a slow start, but I think the students are getting the hang of how it works. It is designed by Mr. P and myself (borrowing some questions and links from David Carpenter--a teacher at the American School in Morocco) We have changed this webqeust a great deal and we believe students will learn a great deal from this. I think we all need to remember an important difference in education: Preforming vs. Learning. I can see all students learning and at times the test does not show that.
1. We build podcast "computer side chats" where Mr. P and I discuss the material and ask some thought providing questions.
2. We have built a blog or journal component to this project that requires students to reflect on what they are learning.
3. Student can see the design is made to meet individual needs. It is self paced (with a time line), but students who move at a faster pace will be able to continue to work forward.
4. It is mastery based, so after each quest students can take a short quiz to show mastery of their learning. If they do not earn an 80% they will continue to work on the topic.
5. We gave all students at Chardon and Beachwood the same pretest on the material and we will compare the post-test data to see student learning or growth.
But most of all it is fun, hands on exploring a time long gone. Enjoy.

Below you will see a few images of the students work (only day two). Images of the Google docs, a sample podcast, their classroom social structure and the project can be seen at this link.

4 Comments

Who are You?

1/25/2011

0 Comments

Today students picked from a hat the title they will hold during the Middle Age Webquest. Each class has one king, several nobles, a few more knights, one priest, and many peasants.

Here is a link for "real" middle ages names. Take a look and pick out your name for the historical fiction blog you will keep about the middle ages. Remember this is your new life.

What will happen?

0 Comments

Wordles of the Middle Ages Quest

We all made Voki's.

Beachwood and Chardon Skype and the Middle Age Webquest

Who are You?

Mr. Holman Beachwood Middle School.

Archives

Categories