My first technology that I am going to discuss is called Free Mind. This is aneducational tool that is free of charge for students to construct concept map’s for brainstorming a topic for a project or paper. This tool could be very useful in an English classroom where paper are written and will allow students to critically think about different ideas and topics. Also, the free technology will help save paper which in turn can teach the students about how to be green and help save this planet. When you first type in the URL that will link you to this page you then look for the Clickable download which is depicted near the blue arrow on the screen.
Once you click the download option this window will automatically come up and you have to then click on the Free Mind link that is next to the blue arrow on the screen. By clicking this option it will begin the process of installing this free program on to your computer.
This screen will come up next and you then must click the green download box that is underneath the blue arrow on the screen.
Again this screen will appear, but this time a tool bar will pop up on the bottom of the screen showing that Free Mind is being downloaded on to your computer at this time. You then must click on that box located in the tool bar next to the blue arrow on the screen.
Once you click in the download toolbar this file will appear in order for your computer to have your permission to run the program. You must click “Run” or Free Mind will not continue its download process. Once you click “run” a new screen will appear that asks you to Select a set up language to use during the installation. This screen is a drop down menu and will have a list of languages to choose from. Once you have selected the language of your choice you then will click “OK”. The next screen that will open up is the Setup Wizard screen. At the top of the screen it will say “Welcome to the FreeMind Setup Wizard”. You will then have to click the “next” on the screen to move you the next screen of the installation process. The screen that will appear next will have The License Agreement which you will then have to read through and click the option of “I accept the agreement” and then again click “next”. The next screen that will open have information that you must read through before continuing the installation of FreeMind. You will then once again will click “next” to move to the next screen which will bring up the “Select destination” window where you will pick your option of where you would like Setup to install FreeMind into a Folder; one such as “Program Files” will likely be the default option. If you would like to change this you then click “Browse” and pick the folder you would like FreeMind installed to. You must then click “next” and the screen that will open is to give you the option of if you would like FreeMind installed onto the start menu folder of your computer, you either check the check box if you do not want it on your start menu or you leave the box unchecked if you would like it in that menu. Once again, click “next” and a window will open up asking you to select additional tasks for Setup to perform while FreeMind is installing. Once you have this screen completed you click “next” for the final time and another screen will come up asking if you are ready to install the FreeMind program, here is where you will click the “install” button on the box.
Once the installation process is complete you will then be able to find the FreeMind icon on your home screen. Where you will then click on icon to open up the program.
Here is a closer view of what the icons will look like on your home screen.
Either icon that you click on will bring up this screen which is a new mindmap that you are able to complete the concept mapping to build ideas. You then will begin to insert different components that will form your concept map and make bridges off of ideas and connecting others.
This is what your concept map will look like as you continue to insert the “nodes” which are the lines that branch out that are depicted on the screen. Here is just a quick example of how the FreeMind can build a concept map to organize all of your thoughts in a quick and easy way. This is a good technology to utilize for educational purposes especially in the classroom. Students are able to more efficiently and effectively organize their thoughts rather than having to complete concept maps on worksheets as they have in the past. This technology involves 2 of Bloom’s Taxonomy levels; being Application and Analysis. Both of these are equally important with FreeMind and the development of the students concept maps because it allows the students to apply the concepts from the old worksheets and they now can build a model in a way that is unstructured. For example in the classroom when you give students a worksheet that already has the concept map formulated and they just have to fill in the blank spots and mold their story/idea around a piece of paper rather than being creative and creating the story they want rather than trying to make the one the worksheet wants the student to make. Giving students the empowerment to build their own concept map allows for a more unique and enjoyable setting for them and also for the teacher because you get to see the individuality and creativity of each student individually which is better than having the same concept being seen over and over from the worksheet just with different elements compared to the student who is filling in the concept map. This technology reveals educational use in the Analysis level of Bloom’s taxonomy because FreeMind gives students the ability to generate or brainstormcriteria for the completion of their concept map in this program. Also, with learning the program the students will have to identify problems that arise and be able to effectively work through those problems in order to reach their full analysis of the concept map. Also, FreeMind allows the students to outline written material in a way that is manageable and user friendly and gives the students the ability to make deductions based off of the information that is formulated in their concept map. Most importantly, FreeMind gives the students the ability to compare and contrast ideas as they begin to formulate their concept map. Having the power to click a button and add or delete concepts or move them around gives the students more opportunity to make the best story/idea they can rather than a worksheet where there is no room for growth outside the map and branches that are already formulated for the students. This program allows the students to have a more hands on and meaningful experience with learning and that makes teaching that much more enjoyable.
Next, I am going to talk about my next technology which is called Book Builder. This is a free educational website where teachers can build books to go with their lessons and/or teachers can have students build their own books about a lesson and how they observed it. This website will also allow students to think deeper into their understanding of the lesson and how to use cognitive thinking skills to plan the book. Book builder has the capability of working hand-in-hand with FreeMind because you have the ability to allow the students to transform their concept map into a book utilizing this program. Once you open up the URL to this site you will find that this window appears. You are able to do many things with this site and the possibilities are endless. For the purpose of this project I am going to demonstrate how a program such as FreeMind were the student makes a concept map has the ability to tie into this technology to allow a transfer of knowledge and being the student’s idea to real life by making it into a book by using book builder. Under the create and share category you will click on the Create and Edit My Books. Or if you are not signed in and/or do not have an account the arrow in the upper right hand corner will direct you to a new window that will help you create a Free Book Builder Account.
Once you complete the steps to making the account a confirmation will get sent to your email where you can then retrieve your username and password which will allow you to access the site. Once you are finished with this screen you then click the “home page” link which takes you back to the original page that was shown a little bit ago in the presentation.
You then log in with the user name & password that was sent to your registered email.
Once logged in this screen will appear. You must then go to the create & share category and click the create and edit my books that is to the right of the arrow depicted here.
This screen will then appear and there are countless options that you can decide on depending on the purpose you have for utilizing this technology. For the students to transform their concept map into a book you would have them click the start a new book box.
This screen with a blank book information form will appear. This is now where you would fill in the information as it relates to the concept map formulated prior. Once you have the information filled in there is an option on choosing coaches for your story. If you click on “preview coach voices” that is by the arrow on the slide it will bring you to a screen where you can hear all the coaches and it will aid in choosing a coach for your book based on the content and voice in which you want it portrayed in.
This is the screen that will appear once you click the preview coach voices. Once you have picked the choices in which you think would deliver your story in a manner that you want it to you then can close the window taking you back to the previous screen.
Once you have selected your coaches you will then click the submit button down at the bottom of the screen.
This screen will then open up once you have clicked on the submit button. This screen is where you are able to begin to create your book. You have the ability to edit your book information, the layout & content, and add pages.
Once you have completed your book and added all the information & ideas from the concept map onto the book builder you then will click the book completed button depicted next to the blue arrow on the screen.
A screen will come up asking if your book is complete and it will give you some other options to consider before completing your book. Once you have decided to complete your book you then would hit the “save” button in this pop up window on the screen.
Once the completed book has been saved this screen will appear and it will have the student’s or your book located a box where you have the options of printing, downloading, deleting, sharing, reading and publishing that way you are able to have your selected audience be able to look through the book you created. This is good to have students do because it is an easy and effective way for you as a teacher to read through all of your students books online and not have to worry about lugging around the paper copies. This site also gives you the ability to leave comments about the book which is where the teacher will then have the ability to give feedback individually for the students which is nice for the students because it will allow them to have immediate access to their feedback rather than having to wait for the teacher to hand back the hard copy to see what needs to be done to make the book better. This has much educational use as discussed throughout this presentation. It allows you to assign students projects that are fun and easy for them to complete. Since these technologies are unique it is nice for the students to access them because it gives you the ability to really engage them in their assignments that you have given them. This technology utilizes 3 levels of Bloom’s taxonomy as it relates to the educational use of this technology: Book Builder. The first level that this technology addresses for student projects is Comprehension because the students have the ability to dramatize their book in a way that is individualized to them. With building a book the students would have to make predictions on what is going to happen and where the concept map fits into the pages of the book. Also, the students will have to give examples and paraphrase in order to transform the concept map into an actually readable document. This technology also gives teachers the capability to have the students form small groups and make a project where they have to collaborate and take their individual concept maps and combine them all to form one book and then they must all work together to utilize Book Builder and complete a book which would then be submitted for grading as a group project. This technology also relates to the Bloom’s taxonomy level of Synthesis & Evaluation. When the students use this technology they will have to synthesize and develop a plan as well as defining the problems and identifying the goals and objectives of building the book. The students will most definitely have to organize and developan original product because book builder is a blank slate for students to use and make their on creations. Once the book is completed students will have to use Bloom’s taxonomy level of Evaluation. They will have to evaluate their own book and make sure that it is up to the standard of the teacher. Also, as a collaborative activity you could have the students complete evaluations of their peers books and give them feedback before they make their final submission for grading. With peer reviewing it will tie in the students developing the skills to evaluate a book other than their own and have to develop constructive feedback in order to help the peer better their book. Not only is it important for each student to take the time and evaluate their own products and ideas it is also important to make it a learning process and the best way to do that is involving them in the challenge of reviewing and evaluating someone else work.
