Thing 2: Generation Image generators

Wordle an Wordsift. Since playing with words is what writers do (and by nature of the relationship, readers do this too), These two applications are a multipurpose tool for writers and readers . Kinda like that Leatherman gadget my husband can't live without. Need a word? Wordsift it. Want to know more about that word? Wordsift it. Need to find the main idea? Wordle it. Need to find common ideas between two texts? Wordle them together. These would be great tools for word study portfolios.

That is my grandmother and my nephew. She is our eldest family member, and he is our youngest. She collected black and white photos in a paper book. How will he collect photos? She wrote letters to friends and family with a pen and paper, sent them using a stamp, and waited for days and weeks to receive a reply. How will he "write" to friends and family?

A story from my Grandma's life: Tropical Storm Allison flooded her home to the roof. Most of her pics and videos drowned, and letters turned to mush.

With the web 2.o tools in this Thing, this kind of loss is preventable. Also, these tools apply to the classroom seamlessly.

With Voicethread, we can share our photos, comment using authentic voice, and even use a drawing tool to highlight parts of the photo. The way I will apply this tool? Students could scan in work that they have done, upload it to Voice thread, and have others comment on what they see. I could post content related photos and ESL students can hear my comments as well as others' comments on photos that they see. The pen can "talk" them through images in the photo.

With glogster, students can publish pieces of writing with graphics and photos. They can insert an "about the author". Then this can be a place to share and comment but mostly to get positive feedback. This differs from a handcrafted publishing poster in that students from other communities can see it, AND students are working with the parameters set by the application. Handcrafted posters, of course, allow for more creativity. I found it hard to find just what I was looking for. The categories could use some expansion. I see why this would be popular with preteens and middle-schoolers as a social playground.

Animoto brings life to still photography. At the SBISD Convocation, Animoto was used to show pics of SBISD goings on. The choreographed slide show set to upbeat music evoked an energy never found with a powerpoint. Kids can create content Animotos. Pics of Texas regions set to some classic country, snapshots of classmates during a lab coupled with some popular tunes. Fun ways to share learning on a blog!

Finally, there's Bookr. This screams self-made ESL books. Content pics with simple text. I can also see many ways to apply this to writing publication. I wish there was a better way to colorize the cover and create borders and backgrounds, but the flipping pages is fun!

So back to my grandma and nephew. How will her memories be stored? In our hearts and on the few photos left behind. How will his? As of today, the possibilities prove to be countless..I can't imagine what the possibilities will be for him when he is an adult!