Reflections at Pi

I liked the program of Flashcard Friends. I could see recommending students use it for vocab review. I’d want them to make their own cards, though..because I think the act of writing or typing and seeing words helps add a layer to remember. I could see it coming really in handy for a kid to quiz themselves before out Monster test in the spring…and they wouldn’t have to worry about losing their index cards.

LibraryThing I’m staying away from. As a complete bibliophile I could get WAY too into it and never come up for air. I like the idea of having an outside inventory of my collection, but I think I need to focus on minimizing my book stash rather than documenting it right now.

Jing seems like it would be really useful for explaining steps…like when we teach the kids how to do Powerpoint presentations. I could give them handouts with really specific directions and kid-oriented notes and comments, instead of my current way of trying to explain. I’ve seen friends use it (or something like it) informally in the journalling community to out trolling or inappropriate behavior.

We are doing a lot of work around political cartoons this year. Pixton seems like a prime tool to use later this fall to have the kids create their own political cartoons. It would level the playing field for the kids that cannot draw well or feel that their drawing skills aren’t up to the task. With this tool, that complaint is moot.