Audacity

Audacity is a Web 2.0 Tool that provides free, open source software for recording and editing sound. You can use Audacity to record live audio; cut, copy, or splice sounds together; add effects; and much more. All you need is an external mic and the downloaded software. Since April was Poetry Month, I had 5th grade students use Audacity to record two voice poems from Paul Fleischman's collection titled, Joyful Noise. It took some practice for each set of partners to record successfully, but they had a lot of fun. After each pair recorded their voices, I edited and spliced the individual recordings into one performance and posted it on the library website. Audacity is a great motivator for students to perfect their performances, in order to use this great tool. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Wikispaces

Wikispaces is a Web 2.0 tool that educators can utilize to set-up a safe environment to facilitate student communication and collaboration. Public wikis allow large communities to communicate, while private wikis limit the community to invited-only individuals. As the manager of your wikispace, you set-up the pages, edit pages, and manage the space. I created a Flat Stanley wikispace for 2nd grade students to communicate with students from other districts and/or states about their Flat Stanley's adventures (adapted from the Flat Stanley project). The pages include photographs of the students with Flat Stanley on the playground and in the classroom, video of Flat Stanley's road trip to Ohio, and discussion posts about their school environment and community between students. I monitor the site and students' discussions, editing or deleting any inappropriate content. Wikispaces are an easy way for students to participate in a wider community. http://www.wikispaces.com/

Wordle

Wordle is an application that generates “word clouds” from provided text. Greater prominence is given to words that frequently appear in your text. Wordle allows users to format their cloud with different fonts, colors, and layouts. This is a versatile tool that can be used by anyone.

I used Wordle with a group of first graders to publish their rhyming books which they created using word families. We used WordleAdvanced to weight each line of their poem so they could read their jumbled poem by following the text as it gradiates from largest to smallest font. The students were able to use the program with ease and were very excited with their finished product.

If you’d like to play with Wordle, go to http://www.wordle.net/.

Jitney by August Wilson

If you're looking for some entertainment this weekend, I highly recommend Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company's production of Jitney by August Wilson. The seventh play in Wilson's ten-play cycle on the black experience in 20th century America, Jitney is set in the 1970s in Pittsburgh's Hill District. Many relateable stories are told by the jitney cab service drivers and neighbors, as the building is scheduled to be demolished by the city in the name of urban renewal. The play has something for everyone - it's humorous, thought provoking, and touching. The acting and direction are perfect, making the production amazing. The theatre is very intimate with only 91 seats. The tickets are sold with open seating, so arrive early and get a seat practically on the stage. It was the first play I've attended that my feet actually touched the stage. If you get a chance to visit the cultural district, the play is in production through May 30, 2010 and is definitely worth the visit.