Helping Teachers Make the Grade! provides an overview of the educational application Quizlet. In 3 sentences: Quizlet is a free online tool that allows users to create flashcards, study games, and tests to help study vocabulary. It benefits both teachers and students by making it easy for teachers to create interactive review materials, and allowing students to study on their own or play games to practice. While it requires internet access, teachers can print materials for students without it, and it helps promote learning vocabulary and self-testing.

1. Helping Teachers
Make the Grade!
Lonnie Cochran, Krystle Horton,
Kimberly Cing, Kristi Reynolds,
Rachel Ashwood

2. Table of Contents
Lonnie
Cochran 3-8
Krystle
Horton 9-11
Kimberly
Cing 17-22
Kristi
Reynolds 23-27
Rachel
28-32
Ashwood
Summary 33

3. What is
Quizlet is a free easy to use Web 2.0 application that allows
users to create and master vocabulary using a variety of
interactive games.

4. Getting Started
Getting started on Quizlet is easy! View the video below:

5. Examples from my

6. Benefits of for...
Teachers Students
Easy to create sets
Ready-made flashcards, Practice online at home
review games and Check accuracy of class
quizzes using a variety of notes and data by
formats (multiple choice, comparing to teacher
fill-in, matching) posted Quizlet definitions
Track student progress etc.
Ready-made class review Immediate feedback
activities Track individual progress
promoting metacognitive
skills
Fun activities for pratice
Audio provides correct
pronounciations for ELL

7. Potential Frustrations/ Limitations
Limited to students who have internet access, but printable
flashcards and quizzes make it accessible to all (teacher prints
and distributes)
Short Answer and Fill-in's
must be typed correctly to be
recognized by the program
as correct, but site provides
an override option to
accommodate for this.

8. for
I love Quizlet! It is easy to use and access. It is free! Quizlet
is a great way to integrate technology in the classroom and
homework habits of my students! The interactive nature not
only allows my students to practice, study, and quiz
themselves, but the comments feature allows students to pose
questions of their peers and of me, the instructor, for
clarification! In addition, Quizlet is a tool my students can use
to generate flashcards for any course they will study! It is a
great tool for promoting lifelong learning and study skills.

9. SnagFilms.com is a website devoted to providing
full-length documentary films to a wide variety of
people across the world.
This website also allows people to do what is called
“snag a film” and post it practically anywhere on the
Internet.
The best part about this site is that it is FREE!

10. SnagFilms.com also has an educational section
called SnagLearning.
Selected films that are appropriate for students
grades six and up from the SnagFilms’ collection.
Films cover almost every discipline and include
films from PBS and National Geographic.
Teachers can collaborate with one another by
submitting lesson plans, activities, quizzes, and
homework.
The goal of this site is to share educational films that
open the class up for participating in discussions.

11. What does look like?
Take a look at my class wiki page to see just how it can be
used.

12. What Does SnagFilms Look Like?

13. How Do I Use & ?
SnagFilms
Search for what you are looking for
Choose from: What’s Hot, Topics, Channels, or search A-Z
Use MovieMatcher to connect you to films that interest you
Choose from topics: arts, campus, environment, health, history,
international, life and culture, music, political, religion and spirituality,
science and nature, short form, sports and hobby, war, and women’s issues.
SnagLearning
Choose from: grade level, subject, or channel.
After you choose your film, just press play!

14. Benefits of &
Free Connects students to real
Easy to use world problems
High quality, Award- Increases student
winning documentaries engagement
Teacher collaboration Involves critical thinking
New films added
weekly

15. Frustrations and Barriers
There are none!

16. Conclusion
SnagFilms and SnagLearning are great Web 2.0 Applications
that should be used in the classroom. They are a great
alternative solutions to YouTube and are more about what is
going on in the world rather than random people uploading
whatever comes to mind first. This tool allows students to learn
about different disciplines in relation to their world.

17. “ PicLits.com is a creative writing site that matches beautiful images with
carefully selected keywords in order to inspire you. The object is to put the
right words in the right place and the right order to capture the essence, story,
and meaning of the picture.”
Users choose a photograph from a large gallery of beautiful,
inspirational, humorous, and thought-provoking photos
Users may utilize a list of words (divided into nouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, and universal words) that the website offers
related to each individual picture (sort of like “magnetic refrigerator
poetry"), or the users may choose to freewrite poetry or descriptive
paragraphs.
Users can then post the finished poem to their Facebook or
MySpace page, their blog, or a wiki or other website. They can also
email the finished poem to any address.

18. Setting up an account on PicLits.com
PicLits.com is absolutely free!
Just go to www.piclits.com
Enter your e-mail address, a password, and a pen name
(under which your work will appear)
You will immediately be directed to a page where you can
start composing your poetry!

19. A Sample PicLit that I wrote myself!
Link to my PicLit

20. Benefits of using PicLits
For teachers: For students:
Has poetry and creative It's free!
writing lesson plans Can be accessed from any
incorporating the website computer with internet use
Lesson plans have Simple to use ... students can
suggested worksheets and use keywords to inspire them
quizzes and help them to write poetry
All keywords for each Drag-n-drop option helps
photograph are divided into students change the tense
parts of speech (helps teach and forms of the keywords
students grammar) A wide variety of inspiring
"Coming Soon" to the site: pictures to choose from
search tools and tagging to Students can post their
aide with finding examples poems to their Facebook
to use in class page or email it to their
You can also browse the teacher
gallery for good examples

21. Frustrations and Perceived Barriers
Students would need There are only 72 keywords
internet access per
You cannot mix drag-n-drop photograph on the "drag-n-
with freewrite (i.e. if you drop" option
choose to use the drag-n- You cannot print your work
drop option, you cannot add unless you do a screenprint
words that aren't already in (yet ... this is listed in the
the keywords) "Coming Soon" info!)

22. Final Thoughts on PicLits.com
I'm excited to use this Web 2.0 site in my classroom. The
lesson plans provided on the site are an outstanding
resource. I have my students write poetry when we do
our poetry unit and they're always asking, "What do I
write about?" and "How do I get started?" PicLits really
gives students some inspiration and some ideas to get
started. Students could complete the assignment and
upload it to the class wiki or they could email it to the
teacher. It would also be a wonderful extra credit
assignment. Or I could also have students write
descriptive paragraphs on the photographs instead of
poetry. This site is a literature teacher's or creative
writing teacher's dream!

23. What is
Glogster EDU defines itself
as "A Web 2.0 platform that
allows users to easily upload
photos, videos, text, audio
and more to create a unique
online, interactive
poster."
This is an example of a glog.
The neat thing about a glog is
that it is interactive.
See interactive glog

24. How to get started
1. Go to www.Glogster.com/edu
2. Click on register and sign up for an account.
3. Do NOT add any students at this time, you can add them
later.
How to add students to your class.
Click on Download File not add
accounts
Watch this detailed video for
extra help with setting up an
account.

25. Benefits of Glogster EDU
From Glogster.edu
A fun learning experience
A new way to express creativity
Private, secure, safe virtual classroom monitored by teachers
Drives new interest levels around subjects that may have
been seen as “boring” before
Adds audiovisual aspects to traditionally text-oriented
subjects
Fosters teamwork and collaboration with classmates
Increases drive to be independently creative
Unlimited shelf life
Improves student-teacher relationships by allowing both to
explore Web 2.0 & learning concepts together
Keeps teachers and students up-to-date with modern
technology

26. Barriers of Using Glogster EDU
I think Glogster should simplify their "Dashboard" because it is
hard to find things at their site. It has a lot of "Junk mail" and other
things that are not useful included that make it really hard to find
your own glogs.
Make sure to add your students using the "Excel" option.
To add sound, data and drawing options, you must purchase the
premium edition.

27. Try Glogster for your next class project
I would definitely suggest using Glogster EDU in your
classroom. It is so easy that you don't really need to spend
much time teaching your students.
I plan on using Glogster this summer in a class I am teaching.
They are really easy to embed into other formats such as
wikispaces too.
SEE MY GLOGSTER

28. PortaPortal
Portaportal is a bookmarking site that is
free and server based
Convenient to bookmark all online links
using categories and subcategories
Easy for parents, students, and other
teachers to access
Share links with others
Search other people's portals for specific
things you might want to know more about

29. How to Get Started on PortaPortal
Go to www.portaportal.com
Click the 2nd button down on the lefthand side that says
"Signup," enter your basic information, then click "Join
portaportal"
Note: The username you choose will also be the guest
name of your portal. Keep it simple so guests can easily
remember and access your portal
Once you have your account you may begin
adding/editing/deleting categories, bookmarks, or basic
quick links by using the tools on the top right
So that guests may view your portal, you must go to the
preferences page (top right), then you will seee the menu
"Guest Access" and you must change it to "Allow Guest
Access"

30. Portaportal Classroom Benefits
Quickly pull up links on the projector to pull up websites
from categories or quick links
Helpful since bookmarks can be opened from any computer
like the one in the classroom, the computer lab, or your
students' home
Parents can access easily to see what are good websites
for them to use at home
Students can access easily at home
Categories can be specific like: "Parent Links," "TCAP
Practice," "Phonics Skills," or links to other skills that have
been studied in the classroom
There is no limit to how many users may access your portal
at one time

31. PortaPortal Frustrations
Aesthetically unappealing color
schemes, icons, and advertisements
Cannot aggregate and separate: If
you want a link in two categories, you
have to enter it twice; If you want to
remove it from your categories, you
have to remove the link from
whichever categories it is in
individually
It is not difficult to search other
portals, but it isn't very social because
it is not networked
There is no notification or feed to let
you know when things have changed
on the site

32. Additional PortaPortal Thoughts
Many teachers at my school use portaportal. Our school's website
has all of our individual teacher links to portaportal. This is helpful
for parents with more than one child at our school so they do not
even have to remember our portal username.
I like how I can share links easily with fellow teachers and parents
My students are only in kindergarten so they do not access it
themselves, but I often pull it up on the projector to quickly open
bookmarks. I like it because I can use it in the library, computer
lab, another classroom, etc.
I like portaportal, because it is what many people at my school
use. However, I think Delicious is overall a better bookmarking site
Check out my portal:http://guest.portaportal.com/rkashwood

33. Summary
Web. 2.0 applications are definitely useful for educators and students
alike! Technology can be used to engage students because it's such a
huge part of their lives. The learning can be more relevant to students
if they can somehow use it with technology. In our research we've
found that ...
Quizlet is a great resource for any subject and grade level. Teachers can
create vocabulary lists, flashcards, quizzes, and review games promoting
both in class and independent study skills.
SnagFilms and SnagLearning offers educational films at your fingertips. It
also offers activities and quizzes to accompany the films.
PitLits is a creative outlet for students. It gives them inspiration to be great
poets and writers and offers them a place to publish their work to Facebook
or their class wikis.
Glogster allows students and teachers to create interactive posters with
photos, video, and audio. This would be an innovative way for students to
do group projects in any subject area.
PortaPortal is social bookmarking for the classroom allowing quick access
to links and teachers, students and parents to share bookmarks.