Jing Video Demonstrates Wiki Site’s Slide Show Feature

The versatility of a wiki-hosted classroom web site allows teachers to empower students to create many wonderful learning experiences. An embedded slide show is just one example of a myriad of modules that some wikis provide.  

Although it’s not part of the wiki, a Jing video screencast can be linked or embedded on the wiki-hosted classroom web site, demonstrating how other tools, like the slide show are used. The example below is a Jing video I created in minutes and linked on my classroom web site, in order to teach my students how to create and embed a slide show on their student web sites, as part of a research project.  

The students enjoy these instructional videos, which they can view as often as they need. They love creating slide shows even more.  

Vodpod videos no longer available.

  

more about “Slideshow on a wiki classroom websit“, posted with vodpod

  

Post assignment guidelines to your wiki

Another excellent use for your wiki-hosted classroom web site is the assignment guidelines page.  I create assignment guidelines pages for all activities and place them on my unit pages.

Not only does the assignment guidelines page help to eliminate paper, but because it is readily available, both students and parents can access guidelines anytime from any computer with Internet access.

Create a guidelines page today, link it to your classroom wiki. Your students will appreciate your effort.

Smart Board’s export to PDF enhances classroom web site

If you have a Smart Board and a wiki-hosted classroom web site, you have a perfect opportunity to provide wonderful enrichment for your students, as well as a powerful communication tool for parents.

All you have to do is complete a lesson like this one on your Smart Board and export it to a PDF. Once you’ve done this, save the PDF and upload it to your wiki. Now, your students can access this lesson anytime as a review. This is also great for absent students. When they ask what they missed, tell them it’s all just a mouse click away and guide them to your linked Smart Board activity.

It’s also nice to guide your parents to any Smart Board lessons you upload to your classroom web site. It keeps them updated, and best of all they’ll love you for it.

The unit page is a key part of a classroom web site

A wiki-hosted classroom web site has many functions. One that is often unnoticed is the unit page.

The classroom web site unit page consists of all of all the necessary items a teacher would keep in a folder on a unit of study. What is particularly nice about a unit page on a wiki site is that any item can be linked. So, if other lesson pages relevant to a specific unit have been created, the teacher simply links to those pages on the unit page.

Other forms of enrichment for the unit, such as video, audio or guidelines, can also be maintained on the unit page for quick reference for students and parents.

With a wiki-hosted unit page, the need for folders and paper is eliminated.

Welcome to a truly all-inclusive wiki and to the paperless classroom.

Embedding video makes wiki hosted classroom web site come to life

One of  the best parts of a good wiki-hosted classroom web site is the ability to embed video. Any classroom teacher can find video on YouTube, TeacherTube or other places that is relevant to the subject matter.

The wiki classroom web site allows the administrator to not just link to video but to actually embed the video directly into web pages, like this one on my classroom web site. While working on a drama unit, built around Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,  I found this awesome slide show on the industrial revolution. The T-Rex music was a powerful addition for this enlightening video.

If you didn’t click the above link to see the video embedded on my classroom web site, here’s what it looks like.

What is the new Paperless Classroom?

So, I’ve got a classroom web site.  Who doesn’t? Actually, most teachers use blogs or something like Moodle or Blackboard. The right wiki-hosted classroom web site is something entirely different.

Take a look at the video at this link, and you’ll see what I mean.