Want to quickly set up an online discussion with students?  Try Shout’em. Similar to Twitter or an online chat room, students can create online discussions monitored by you.   Jenny Johnson recently had her students use Shout’em as an online class discussion of thesis statements.  The following links show the discussion between her students in Block 1 and Block 3 classes.

http://bvwjohnson1.shoutem.com/

http://bvwjohnson3.shoutem.com/

For more information about Shout’Em – 15 Minute Guide to Microblogging in Education

All students logged into the blog and a few students at a time entered their thesis statement.  Students used valuable communication and critical thinking skills as they collaborated with their peers to provide suggestions and input for how each student thesis could improve. 

Students were able to receive instant feedback from their peers and exchange ideas.  The interactive nature of the activity provided an engaging and relatable process for students to connect with the curriculum.

Pixton http://pixton.com/  Make your own comics.

Jeopardy Template  http://jeopardylabs.com/build  Build a Jeopardy template online.

Viddler http://www.viddler.com/ Another place to find and post videos.

Mashups, Remixes, and Web 2.0: Playing Fast and Loose with Shakespeare

Honors Communication Arts I
Matt Bolch, April Burkhardt, Joe Geist, Kim Lilley

By collaborating with the HCAI teachers, the library media specialists converted the library into a museum-type experience for all HCAI students.  Students were able to explore artwork (prints) from the Renaissance as they begin their Shakespeare unit. 

Students downloaded provided podcasts (The National Gallery, London) to their iPods or library mp3 players.  They also explored online museums and the art books to gain a deeper understanding of the culture.