Reviews

 = = =How to Setup and Use **Wall Wisher** for Educational Purposes ......... Paul Pascoe =

=
Wall Wisher is very easy to use, and a great way to set up a quick and easy set of weblinks and resources for yourself, or your students , on the net. Eg. This week at my school we are starting a new unit in Geometry in Y9 Maths, and so I have set up a resources wall for the students here:======

(Next I need to figure out how the students can do a little assignment or two using Wall Wisher).
= **What is Wall Wisher ?**=

=
Everybody else can then go onto the internet and stick post-it notes electronically onto the wall, (and include linked Pictures, You Tube videos, PowerPoints, PDF documents, Excel Spreadsheets, or web page links). It was originally designed for birthday, anniversary or get well soon etc wishes. A whole group of people could add their messages for someone; and that person could then read them on the web. However, Wall Wisher can be used for educational purposes as well.======

=
If post-its are overlapping on the page, you can move them by grabbing their title bar with the mouse. Mousing over notes highlights them, and brings the note forward. You can delete notes in edit mode by clicking the top right hand “X”.======

=
However, the big drawback is that young people could set up a wall for the sole purpose of posting all sorts of horrible messages about someone they do not like (eg. Cyber Bullying). Also “open” or “public” walls could be “flamed” and “spammed” with inappropriate and unwanted post-its at any time, so it is probably best to regularly monitor walls that you have created, and close any wall down to the public, (by setting it to private), if it starts getting “grafittied” or attacked.======

Sample Wall Wishers for Teachers

St Francis Xavier College Berwick


=How to Setup and Use **Wordle** for Educational Purposes ......... Paul Pascoe =  Here is a write up on Wordle that I have done recently on my blog at: [] I am currently really enjoying using Wordle to make bits and pieces for PowerPoint Title and Summary Slides. WORDLE is a Web2.0 app that makes pictures called “Word Clouds” like this one: [] The above "Word Cloud" was created using the "Wordle" application at: [|www.wordle.net/create] Wordle is a Web 2.0 tool that is 100% free to use, and does not require input of an email address, or any signing up. Basically anyone can go to the website and use Wordle immediately. Note that the web address is .net and not .com, eg. http://www.wordle.com is an entirely different site altogether. The text that was used as input to generate the “Matrix” movie “Word Cloud”, came from a synopsis of "The Matrix" movie, that was obtained from "IMDB" - the Internet Movies Database. IMDB ( [] ) is a magnificent site that has information on just about every movie ever made. Check it out sometime. The only potential difficulties for using WORDLE might be if your computer's Firewall blocks the Wordle Java applet from running, or if your Internet Browser is not setup to allow Java to run. Both of these problems are easily solved by reading through the information at: [] How to Use Wordle The Open Office Flash SWF Presentation in the link below gives step by step information about How to Use WORDLE.

(Click on the current slide to advance forwards each time.) [] If you would like to download the full 7meg Powerpoint 2003 (higher quality resolution) version of the above presentation, then click here: (Be warned that it takes a good 2 minutes, or longer to load in) [] Using Wordle in the Classroom

The following Slideshare presentation has some great suggestions about how to use Wordle in the Classroom: [|http://www.slideshare.net/JenniferW/wordle-ideas?type=presentation] and here are 20 more ideas about using Wordle: (from: [] ) 1] Convert a sonnet or Shakespearean play; or children's book (Dr. Seuss anyone?); 2] Paste the contents of an online discussion to coalesce the main ideas; 3] Combine student 'Who Are You?' introductions, or 'Superhero

Traits' to develop a class composite; 4] Condense survey data by dumping content of questionnaire responses into the Wordle engine; 5] Combine news articles or RSS feeds on a given topic; 6] Turn an essay into a poster; 7] Combine blog posts over time into a simplified represetation or use it to compare the ideas of competing ideas; 8] Use font, colour and arrangement strategies to appropriately represent content; 9] Automate the creation of word poetry; 10] As an introduction to a unit or course, combine key words; themes; curriculum expectations to provide learners with a visual overview of content; 11] Convert nutritional content of one's weekly diet or of a group's menu preferences; 12] Condense a Wikipedia article into it's essence; 13] Paste the results of a Google search (Can you guess the keywords I used?); 14] Convert social bookmark tags; 15] Enter keywords from weekly weather reports to obtain a seasonal picture; 16] Distill song lyrics like "Stairway to Heaven"; 17] Find out what you've been up to by summarizing To-Do lists; 18] Represent the results of a brainstorming session or the minutes of a meeting visually; 19] Show "Today in History" stories in a new way; 20] Convert past or current email messages into a composite of your correspondence;

Enjoy,

Paul Pascoe IT / Maths Teacher St Francis Xavier College Berwick mppascoe@bigpond.com