Virtual Service Learning

The presentation from class is available here:

http://scribe.edu.glogster.com/service-and-engaged-learning/

When I was creating it, it was in between a basement bailout, so there are so many things now that I'm thinking 'gosh, I should have done this' or 'music would have been so cool -- I'm sure I could have used a Van Halen song even if it fit the presentation poorly just because they ROCK'.

Maybe Friday night was a poor choice to write this entry...

In the presentation, I highlighted four possible tools that could somehow be incorporated into the service learning portion of the curriculum. I've only used freerice.com before, but I think since twice the students have chosen to hold a book drive that I might try using bookcrossing this semester as a trial run on it. I have a contact at a local coffeeshop (Moondance Cafe --- WONDERFUL food, Alterra coffee, and he makes almost everything fresh) that I think might be amiable to the idea of having his place be a point where the bookcrossings can happen.

Anyhow, this is definitely something I can use in my class, and I've already started to think of other things that I can do with these tools. One of the first items that the students do is create a powerpoint (it's ungraded; they get the points for the attempt) to a) demonstrate how much they know about technology and b) show me how comfortable they are with asking questions when they don't know something and c) get a feel for the public speaking abilities of the class.

I've always let them just use whatever they want as a topic, but I've got an idea in my head on how to make it a little more exciting, incorporate some research components, and utilize not just powerpoint, but also glogster and animoto to do it. Hopefully it will be fun *crosses fingers*. I'll probably blog here about it... I mean, I hate to abandon this after just five weeks. Especially considering the failed first attempt on the blog. Then, I'd have abandoned two of them, and I think it's like a policy that if you abandon too many blog, the information superhighway sheriff takes away your blogging license.

Also, now that Tuesday afternoons are free, I need to find a Voki Addiction Support Group.