Conference Session Proposal
Ancient Civilizations & Creative Online Tools
Audience member will learn about five different online tools that will help elementary students share their knowledge about ancient civilizations. The five online tools shared are infographics, audio, digital storytelling, word clouds, and video. These tools will help make given tasks enjoyable and allow elementary students to share their creativity. Also provided are many ideas on how to use each tool in various elementary grade levels and with all subject areas.
Presentation
Ancient Civilizations and Creative Online Tools (references included)
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lqXlrD4FaFeyquPm9RKZNiT4gjby89Gi1TliBK_wnfI/edit?usp=sharing
Script
Slide 1—30 sec. [Show first slide—title page]
Hello, my name is Constance Padden. Welcome to Ancient Civilizations and Creative Online Tools! Today, I’m going to share a few online tools that you can use in your very own classroom. These online tools really can work for all grade levels, but I will be focusing on how to use them in elementary grades.
Slide 2—1 min. [Show second slide with my information]
Let me tell you a little bit about myself before we dive into the online tools. I received a Bachelors of Science in Political Science from the University of Mary Washington. That is also where I received my Masters in Elementary Education in 2007. Currently I am earning my Masters in Library Science with a focus in School Librarianship at Old Dominion University. I plan to graduate in the summer of 2024. I have 17 years classroom experience, mostly in 3rd grade. I have been able to expose my 3rd grade students to the online tools with great success and I am eager to share the pros and cons of each.
Slide 3—30 sec.
Alright, let’s begin! Here are the online tools we will focus on today [showing the table of contents—slide 3]. We will explore Infographics with Canva, Audio with Voki, Digital Storytelling through BookCreator, Video through Flip, and Word Cloud through WordArt. The theme for each example shown today is ancient civilizations, which is a 3rd grade standard of learning in history (SOL 3.2, 3.3, & 3.4).
Slide 4—2:30
The first online tool we will look at is an infographic [show slide 4]. Infographics allow users to share information in a creative and organized way. The infographic I created using Canva gives information about how salt was used in ancient Mali [click on the infographic for the audience to see it in full]. Salt was extremely important for survival in the desert environment of Mali and as part of the SOL for 3rd grade, students need to understand its importance. Using Canva makes creating an infographic simple for students. Students can choose one of the many templates offered by Canva to help start creating their own infographic. The various templates are easily customizable, so if a student likes the layout of a particular template, it is simple to modify the color scheme, and change out the images and of course the information. Now, almost all of my classroom experience has been in various Title I schools. It is very common for Title I schools to have students from other countries. Canva has a great tool that allows the user the ability to translate their project into another language. It is common to have students new to the United States attend a Title I school and the translation tool would allow those students to participate in the infographic project. They could simply make an infographic in their own language and then translate it into English for others to read. Any project could be translated into another language making the projects more accessible to every student in the class. While Canva offers much through its free subscription, users cannot access the premium content without a paid subscription. Although, I have found the free subscription more than sufficient for my students’ needs. Canva is a great online tool for more than just infographics. Students can use it to design many other project types, they simply need their imagination.
Slide 5—2:05
Infographics made with Canva can be created for a variety of subjects and topics [show slide 5]. I have come up with a few ideas that would be ideal for infographics. The first is the infographic example on the ancient civilization of Mali and its salt use which I created. Infographics are great for comparing and contrasting information. Third grade students could create an infographic differentiating between fiction and nonfiction, which happens to be a 3rd grade English standard of learning (SOL 3.5l). A mathematics idea for creating an infographic is sharing the various multiplication or division strategies (SOL 3.4a). Students would be able to use their created mathematics infographic to teach others those strategies and they could also share which strategies they like to use best when solving multiplication or division problems. Second grade students could create an infographic on weather (SOL 2.6 & 2.7). They could choose one type of weather-giving characteristics of that weather, how it is tracked, and how it can affect living things and their environment. Infographics help make information and data more interesting to review and share with others. Hopefully, after learning more about infographics through Canva, you have been able to come up with some more ways to use infographics within your own classroom.
Slide 6—3:30 (including time to play the Voki video)
The next online tool we will look at is audio [show slide 6]. Audio tools allow users a unique and fun way to share information or even opinions. I created this audio project using Voki [play the Roman senator Voki]. I chose a Roman senator for the character in my audio project. The background was not quite what I wanted because it is more Greek than Rome, but it was the best option. The Roman senator describes Rome and its many contributions, which is a 3rd grade history standard of learning (SOL 3.3). Voki is a splendid online tool that allows students to create unique audio projects like the one you just viewed. When creating with Voki a user can choose an available character that will do the “speaking” in the audio project. Users are able to make small changes to the character, depending on which character is chosen. The character can be placed in a background that matches the character and topic of the project. After the character and the background have been decided, then comes the fun part–the audio! Students can record their own voice explaining their topic and the character “talks” along with the voice. If you are shy or do not like how you sound on audio, like me, then you can use a computer-generated voice, which there many options to choose, both female and male, and even different accents. One aspect of Voki that I truly adore is the ability to change the language in which a character speaks. This feature will benefit students still learning the English language. Voki offers many character choices for student use on the free subscription, but there are a lot more choices available with a paid premium subscription. I suggest sticking with the free version, but be sure to warn students that the options with a black graduation hat next to it cannot be used in their projects.
Slide 7—2 minutes
Students can use audio to show what they learned in any subject area [show slide 7]. I have already shown you the example for history in 3rd grade, but let’s look at some other ways to use audio. Second graders can pick a character to describe the story elements of a fiction book, which is an English standard of learning (SOL 2.7d). Voki has some common storybook characters, like the three little pigs, that students can choose. Fifth grade students can choose any character to share their very own created mathematical practical problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division (SOL 5.4) in an audio project. Voki has various mathematical symbols, such as an addition sign, and so on. Third grade students can create an audio project using an animal character to share that animal’s adaptations (SOL 3.4b). Voki has many animals from which students can choose to create their adaptations audio project. They will love putting their voice to a panda or even a frog. Perhaps this has sparked some of your own ideas in how to use audio through Voki.
Slide 8—5:30 (including time to listen to my created book)
Now, I will talk about digital storytelling, which is one of my favorite online tools [show slide 8]. Here is an example of digital storytelling using BookCreator [click on the book cover to show the book on ancient Egypt in full]. In my experience, students absolutely love digital storytelling, especially when using BookCreator. Students are able to feel like true authors when using BookCreator. BookCreator has everything a student needs to create their own book. They can choose the shape of their book; I chose a square for mine. Text can be added and so can images–BookCreator uses a collection of images gathered from creative commons. Students can record their voice reading their created book, so anyone who views that book will have the read aloud option available. If a student does not want to use their own voice, the read aloud option is still available, just with an immersive reader voice, like you heard in my example. BookCreator makes it very easy for students to share their newly created books with their teacher and their classmates. A teacher would simply create an ‘invite code’ that students can use to join their class, then they have access to share their own book and read their classmate’s books. I wrote my book about ancient Egypt, which is a 3rd grade history standard of learning (SOL 3.2). But 3rd grade students could write about any of the ancient civilizations to show what they have learned and/or read the books by other students to review the ancient civilizations they did not write about in their book. One aspect to be weary about when using BookCreator is that it can be a little time consuming to learn exactly how to use all of the features. However, students do not seem to have any issue jumping right in and creating books. When students do not know how to use a feature on BookCreator, there is usually a classmate that can help because they have figured out what to do just from exploring.
Slide 9—1:45
Aside from ancient civilizations, BookCreator can be used in many other ways and with every subject [show slide 9]. Fifth grade students are required to write a personal narrative for the English standard of learning 5.7. They can take their personal narrative and create a book depicting their story. Then, the students can enjoy reading their classmates personal stories. For mathematics, 2nd grade students can create books about the fractions they need to know (halves, fourths, eighths, thirds, and sixths) and fair sharing [SOL 2.4]. This would allow students practice creating situations involving fractions and bring about a good review when reading classmate’s books. For science, 3rd grade students can create a book about the six simple machines and compound machines (SOL 3.2c,d). They can describe each machine and give examples. When creating and reading through the simple machine books, students will be able to review the previously learned information in an enjoyable manner. I’m sure you can think of many other ways to use digital storytelling through BookCreator in your own classroom.
Slide 10—3 minutes
The fourth online tool I will be discussing is Word Clouds [show slide 10]. Word Clouds are great for students to show their knowledge of a particular topic through carefully chosen words. I created this word cloud using WordArt [click on the word cloud to show it in a bigger size]. This word cloud is all about ancient Greece and one of its contributions, the Olympics, which is part of the 3rd grade history standard of learning 3.3. I chose the shape of a runner because a short foot race marks the very beginning of the Olympics in ancient Greece. The words I chose go with my topic and I made sure to pick the few most important words so they could be easily seen in my word cloud. The more words you put, the more challenging they can be to see. The colors I chose go along with today’s Olympic rings, which was my way of connecting the past with the present, showcasing how this great Greek contribution benefits the world. WordArt makes creating word clouds very simple. Students get to choose a shape, which they feel best represents their topic. They will need to think hard about which words they would like to use; using too many words could make the word cloud challenging to read. All features, like colors, fonts, and layouts are easily customizable by the student, allowing them to make a unique word cloud which shows off what they have learned. WordArt allows users to put their word cloud on items, which they may then purchase. This aspect could be daunting for some, as it might guilt some families into purchasing expensive items. However, others might appreciate the ability to preserve their child’s work on a mug or a t-shirt.
Slide 11—1:30
There are, of course, other subjects where WordArt word clouds can be used [show slide 11]. Fourth grade students can create multiple word clouds on WordArt depicting the different literature genres, which is an English standard of learning (SOL 4.5d). The shape chosen can help describe the genre along with the chosen words. WordArt can also help 4th grade students share common multiples and factors in mathematics (SOL 4.5a). They could pick a number as the shape to show common multiples and factors. Students could decide to write any numbers in word form or simply use standard form or a combination for an artistic flair. A science idea for 5th grade could be creating a word cloud about energy conservation. Students should pick words to show if the energy is renewable or nonrenewable and how technology has transformed the chosen energy. Color choices need to go along with the topic and should be ledgible.
Slide 12—4 minutes
The final online tool I will be sharing today is video [show slide 12]. Here is a video I created on Flip about ancient China, which is a 3rd grade history standard of learning (SOL 3.2) [play the video]. Flip allows the user to split their screen, so the user can show an image and their face at the same time. For my video, I created an image montage about ancient China using BookCreator. Then, I uploaded the montage onto my video screen in Flip. I recorded myself describing the important information about ancient China and the viewer is able to look at the montage while I talk. Flip makes creating a video extremely easy, no matter the topic. As the teacher, you will create a topic with a question or task for the students to complete. The students can log into the class Flip and create a video answering the question or complete an assigned task. Flip allows users to type or draw on the screen during a video. A user can also easily customize any video by adding stickers, GIFs, a filter, a board on half of the screen or an image. If a student is too shy to show their face on the video, then they can record their voice while only showing their screen. If a student messes up while recording their video, it is very simple to retake the video until they are happy with their end product. Student videos will save under the topic and they can view their classmate’s videos there too. Videos are limited to 10 minutes, which should not be a problem for most elementary school students. Students will love creating and watching videos on Flip!
Slide 13—2:10
Of course, there are more ways to use videos with Flip [show slide 13]. Second grade students can make predictions about a specific book on Flip and watch the prediction videos made by their peers (SOL 2.8b). Then, they can make another video confirming their prediction after reading that book. First grade students are required to count forward orally by ones to 110, starting at any number between 0 and 110 (SOL 1.1 a,c,d). Given a specific number for a starting point as the topic, students can record their counting skills and the teacher can view the video at a later time to see who has mastered oral counting or who needs more practice. Another mathematical video idea is for 3rd grade students. First, they would to create a new polygon by combining polygon shapes. Then, the students would record a video describing the definition of a polygon, how many sides their new polygon has, and a good name for their new polygon (SOL 3.12). Fourth grade students will have fun creating videos about interrelationships and food webs in various ecosystems, which is a science standard of learning (4.3a,b). The fourth-grade students will benefit from viewing the Flip videos of their peers as a review.
Slide 14—1 minute (including taking the audience to my website/blog)
Ancient Civilizations and Creative Online Tools has concluded! Be sure to visit my website and read through my blog posts in order to learn more about the online tools I have discussed here with you today [click into my website and show how to get to my blog]. You will also find blog posts on other online tools that I was unable to speak about this time.
Slide 15—5-8 minutes (including time for questions)
Thank you so much for joining me today! I hope you have enjoyed learning about these amazing online tools and how to use them when teaching ancient civilizations and more. Hopefully, you feel equipped to use these online tools with your students in your own classroom. I know they will be excited to give any one of them a try! I also want to encourage each of you to take these ideas back to your schools and share these online tools with your colleagues. Any of the tools discussed today will help make lessons and tasks much more fun.
Now, if there are any questions about the various online tools, I would love to answer what I can.
Also, if you would like to view any of my references, they are included on slides 16-18.
References
ArtTower. (2018). Colosseum-rome-italy-ancient-old [Image]. Pixabay. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/illustrations/colosseum-rome-italy-ancient-old-3693647/ CC Zero.
BookCreator. (2023). Features. https://bookcreator.com/features/
Canva. (2023). Infographics. https://www.canva.com/create/infographics/
Clker-Free-Vector-Images. (2012). Plus-sign-green-mark-icon-symbol [Image]. Pixabay. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/vectors/plus-sign-green-mark-icon-symbol-24844/ CC Zero.
DavidZydd. (2017). Zoom-out-button-metallic-metal [Image]. Pixabay. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/vectors/zoom-out-button-metallic-metal-2486853/ CC Zero.
Dimitrisvetsikas1969. (2020). Parthenon-acropolis-athens-greece [Image]. Pixabay. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/illustrations/parthenon-acropolis-athens-greece-4960616/ CC Zero.
Flip. (2023). https://info.flip.com/en-us.html
Macdonald, R. (2017). Illustration of classic children’s literature characters [Illustration]. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/08/the-surprising-complexities-of-reading-childrens-literature-as-an-adult
Padden, C. (2023). Ancient China [Image Collage]. BookCreator. https://app.bookcreator.com/read/library/-NiRppCJ9DchuvleJ9NE/aLVom5fG6NPPyvqGYnhCQDIQefr1/nar5IocGR2CDY1coyJvjtA/40a1vlDvQOCXnrAQYgIgSQ?from=editor CC Zero.
Padden, C. (2023). Ancient China [Video]. Flip. https://flip.com/s/9UkT5j3y7zND CC Zero.
Padden, C. (2023). Ancient Egypt [Book & Cover]. BookCreator. https://app.bookcreator.com/read/library/-NiRppCJ9DchuvleJ9NE/aLVom5fG6NPPyvqGYnhCQDIQefr1/W22QpVpQRLKpqYm7nH874Q/twTFVFjET86mssCX-UgVUQ?from=editor CC Zero.
Padden, C. (2023). How was salt used in ancient Mali [Infographic]. Canva. https://www.canva.com/design/DAFvVNdH25I/Mt3Hsrr40pBCITbRgFTPSQ/view?utm_content=DAFvVNdH25I&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink CC Zero.
Padden, C. (2023). Roman senator [Audio Recording]. Voki. https://www.voki.com/site/pickup?scid=19861039&chsm=916ecb448f0fa525bf3eeac766895fbc CC Zero.
Padden, C. (2023). Runner word cloud [Image]. WordArt. https://wordart.com/mrornqmf2b4z/untitled CC Zero.
Virginia Department of Education. (2022-a). English standards of learning for Virginia public schools-grades 2-5. VDOE. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/english-reading-literacy/standards-of-learning
Virginia Department of Education. (2022-b). 2016 standards of learning documents for history and social science-Adopted 2015-grade 3. VDOE. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/history-and-social-science/standards-of-learning
Virginia Department of Education. (2022-c). 2016 standards of learning documents for mathematics-grades 1-5. VDOE. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/instruction/mathematics/standards-of-learning-for-mathematics
Virginia Department of Education. (2022-d). 2016 standards of learning documents for science-Adopted 2018-grades 2-5. VDOE. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/science/standards-of-learning
Voki. (2023). https://l-www.voki.com/
WordArt. (2023). https://wordart.com/