Replacement+Ideas

Student blog’s can replace daily creative writing journals and a variety of other written assignments. Blogging can also replace a traditional book report or essay by allowing students to write, post, and even comment on other students writing assignments. All student blog entries should be teacher guided with clear assignment guidelines or even writing prompt. Teachers can create blog assignments that allow for students to respond to questions on classroom reading assignment and allow for teacher feedback on student blog responses. A common in class group assignment could be replaced by a blog activity that would allow students to work together in a small group, where they can respond to each other. Blogs allow for students to practice the writing process. As a replacement to a traditional character study report, students could create a blog entry from the perspective of the character. Blogs can serve as a replacement to any written assignment where students will be encouraged to write and share their thoughts.
 * __Blogs__**

**__Wikis__**
One of the most talked about uses of wikis in education is its use as a collaboration tool. Wikis can be used by districts, schools, departments or classrooms in order to foster collaboration professionally or as a teaching tool. As professional collaboration tool for example, a department or a professional learning community can develop a wiki and share curriculum by having members post lessons or units, research, data, meeting agendas, questions, work samples, videos of lectures or classroom lessons. Imagine being able to participate in peer observations without having to take time off from your own classes.

As an instructional tool, teachers may set up wikis to make spaces for group projects or individual portfolios. Teachers can post assignments, rubrics and resources for students to find in one place. Each year, in order to prepare my students to read //In the Time of the Butterflies,// I assign a project that requires a group of three or four students to research some aspect of history or culture relating to the Dominican Republic. They must write written responses to particular questions and create media (such as videos, slide presentations, animations, or music) that is informative. Students usually save their media to a drive, present it to the class, and turn in printed copies of their written pieces. A wiki would allow me to create a project page for each group and have them post all of their work on in one place accessible to them and me. They might also consider creating an interactive poster by inserting one via Glogster or they could add pictures or maps of the Dominican Republic. Posting their work on the wiki would also allow group members to comment on work as it is being created. Students could give each other feedback on drafts or media pieces before they are completed. In other words, the project page could be a space to post finished work or work in progress. As their teacher, I could also monitor their progress and make comments to guide them. I addition to groups, portfolios could be created by individual students on a class wiki since teachers can create individual accounts for each student. Those portfolios could also be either working portfolios, with students seeking feedback for revisions as they work, or they could be polished portfolios for final display. As an added benefit, parents could even be invited to participate in viewing or even commenting on students work. Ultimately, thanks to social media, most students are familiar with visiting a site and uploading documents, pictures, or video. Doing so for school will fit in with what they already know how to do and hopefully show them a new use for such activities aside from sharing fun pictures with friends.

__**Museum Box**__ Museum Box can definitely be used to replace an outdated assessment, especially in History/Social Studies or Science, although it has potential to be used in other disciplines. It can be used to upgrade dated assessments such as a poster, written research report, or Power Point presentation while still incorporating the same content. Likewise, it can replace traditional cut and paste activities, dioramas, etc. Museum Box allows students to use online databases and websites to locate and analyze information, images, and primary sources to include on their cubes, which will give them practice with researching online. Additionally, podcasts can be used to narrate the information and images found in the box which provides students practice in recording and uploading audio files. This can replace the traditional oral report. Lastly, the Museum Box site is visually appealing for users, and, with the control that students have in creating the final product, provides for a very engaging learning experience.

__**Glogster**__ Glogster replace physical poster assignments because student interest is peaked. Since most students are familiar with computers and applications, this resource is one that would make a project exciting for them to complete. Students have a wide variety of tools that are embedded in the site for them to use. Students that are not visually creative, have several themes to choose from. This type of project could replace a typical pencil/paper research paper, science fair project, or book report.