Bubbl.us

Bubbl.us www.bubbl.us //** --a graphic organizing tool **//


 * Description of Technology **
 * Bubbl.us is a simple, but effective graphic organizing tool which allows a person to create, save, and share bubble maps on any topic or idea.
 * All someone has to do is click on the "start here" box and type in their main topic/idea to begin. From that first box there are options to create adjacent boxes for other main topics/ideas or smaller boxes to connect content/examples to a main topic or idea. Any box is easily deleted by clicking on a large "x" icon in the upper right hand corner and any box can be linked to another by clicking and dragging the icon in the lower right hand corner to another box.


 * What Makes Bubbl.us a Web 2.0 Tool? **
 * The main feature that makes Bubbl.us a web 2.0 tool is its ability to create and share unique presentations of ideas and knowledge with other users. This feature gives the tool both a creative and social component that is often seen in web 2.0 technologies.


 * Strengths **
 * It allows for online collaboration.
 * Creators can link the maps to other websites or blogs.
 * It displays the progression of ideas in an organized and concise manner.
 * The clean, simple online or printed text makes it practical for those with sloppy handwriting to use in place of traditional pen and paper.
 * Graphic organizers can be accessed digitally and projected for or distributed to large groups of people.
 * The interface has a very simple design.
 * It is easy to use.
 * It has a help window on the home screen that explains various functions of the tool to the user.
 * It is free to use.


 * Weaknesses **
 * It does not allow image import.
 * It does not allow link attachment.
 * It does not allow the user to change the font in any way (only the zoom and print area).
 * For some users, it may not be apparent how the tool works at first because there are no initial instructions on how to start (only the "start here" box which has several small icons in it).


 * Special Features **
 * The user sees and hears an explosion when a bubble is deleted if the sound and visual effect settings are turned on.
 * The user can zoom in to see specific parts of their organizer(s) or zoom out to see "the bigger picture" of all the connections between the topics and ideas in their organizer(s).

**Comparison to Similar Web 2.0 tools**
 * Mind42: This can be found at [|www.mind42.com]. It allows for image import and link attachment, which Bubbl.us does not. In Mind42, the user has the ability to change the font size and color of the text added. The user can also attach a number or an icon to an idea. The Mind42 application has a much more sophisticated design. However, the maps created are not as visually organized as those created using Bubbl.us.


 * Wisemapping: This can be found at [|www.wisemapping.com]. It also allows the user to change the font color of the text entered. The Wisemapping application is as easy to use as Bubbl.us, but it does not show a progression of ideas. Wisemapping does not allow the user to organize the ideas themselves; there is one main subject with all of the ideas surrounding it, but it does not allow the user to expand on the ideas—a major drawback for this application.


 * Glinkr: This can be found at [|www.glinkr.net]. It allows the user to change the color of the idea boxes themselves. Glinkr also allows users to attach links to the idea boxes. However, it takes a little more time to get used to than bubbl.us. It is not immediately apparent where and how you add and connect your ideas. Because the application was created by a French company, some of the wording for the features is confusing. For example, to connect idea boxes, there is an icon that says “add edge between selected boxes.” Once the user understands how to use the application, it is also easy to use. However, the learning curve for bubbl.us is much shorter.

Learning Connections **// Activity 1 //** Students will work in groups to research the current economic aspects of life for the six nations of the Iroquois.
 * Each group will research the goods and services produced by a specific Iroquois nation, as well as how they are produced and for whom.
 * Once students have found the necessary and relevant information, they will use Bubbl.us to organize that information by product—with the production method and consumer listed underneath each individual product.
 * Then, each group will present their maps to the entire class so that the class can discuss the economic similarities and differences between the nations.
 * Using the similarities and differences discussed, another Bubbl.us map will be created by the entire class to demonstrate how the economies work together and any flow of goods and services among the different nations of the Iroquois.
 * Additionally, this activity could be expanded to include the current economic aspects of the Algonquin and/or New York as a state.

** Role of Bubbl.us **
 * The role of Bubbl.us in this activity is to organize findings and present information such that certain connections between the different Iroquois nations can be highlighted to show economic patterns. As a tool, it allows the students to work collaboratively within their group and with their entire class.

** Core Curriculum Area & Education Level **
 * This activity relates to the Social Studies core curriculum at the intermediate level.

** New York State Learning Standard Addressed **
 * Social Studies Standard 4, Key Idea 1: The study of economics requires an understanding of major economic concepts and systems, the principles of economic decision making, and the interdependence of economies and economic systems throughout the world (New York State Education Department, 2006b, p. 20).

** AASL Standard for the 21st Century Learner Addressed ** (American Association of School Libraries, 2009, pp. 25-27)
 * Standard 2.1.2: Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
 * Standard 2.1.4: Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
 * Standard 2.1.5: Collaborate with others to exchange ideas, develop new understandings, make decisions and solve problems.

** ISTE National Educational Technology Standard Addressed **
 * Standard 3 for Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students b) locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media and d) process data and report results. (International Society for Technology in Education, 2007)

**// Activity 2 //** Students will work in groups to organize and present the major characters and plot events, as well as the basic structure of a Shakespearean play.
 * Each group of students will be assigned one act of a play their class is studying. They will read the act and take notes on the major characters involved, any important plot events that occur, and which scenes those characters and events are involved in.
 * Once students have gleaned the important aspects of their act, they will use Bubbl.us to map both the act's structure and the important characters and events within that act. Their map should include separate boxes for the act number, scene numbers, major characters, and major plot events.
 * Then, students will present their maps to the class (groups will go in the order of their acts to show the progression of the play's structure, characters, and plot). They can do so by simply talking about their map or get more creative by acting or drawing out some of the most important characters or events.
 * Regardless of their choice, each group will project the map they created for their fellow students to read and hand out a copy to each student during their presentations so that all students end up with a class-created guide to the play.

** Role of Bubbl.us **
 * In this activity, Bubble.us acts as both an organizational tool and a starting point for an entire class to investigate the structure, characters, and plot of a Shakespearian play, share individuals' and groups' understandings of that play, and ultimately combine their efforts as a class to create a useful study guide for all students.

** Core Curriculum Area & Education Level **
 * This activity relates to the English language arts core curriculum at the commencement level.

** New York State Learning Standard Addressed **
 * English Language Arts Standard 1: Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas; discovering relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and using knowledge from oral, written, and electronic sources. (New York State Education Department, 2006a, p. 4)

** AASL Standard for the 21st Century Learner Addressed ** (American Association of School Libraries, 2009, pp.24-27)
 * Standard 1.1.9: Help to organize and integrate contributions of all group members into products.
 * Standard 2.1.3: Combine ideas and information to develop and demonstrate new understandings.
 * Standard 2.1.5: Use online environments or other collaborative tools to facilitate design and development of materials, models, publications, and presentations.

** ISTE National Educational Technology Standard Addressed ** (International Society for Technology in Education, 2007)
 * Standard 2 for Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students a) interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media and b) communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats

** Conclusion **

Bubbl.us makes the educational standards above easier to address because it is such a strong organizational, visual, and collaborative tool. It is first and foremost an organizational tool, allowing students to link pieces of information to see a bigger picture of how those pieces relate and connect—much like putting many small pieces of a puzzle together. Its visual aspect makes it easier for students to demonstrate the flow of ideas and relationships between pieces of information in a way that students can understand; students and their teachers can see at a glance the progression of ideas or research. Lastly, it allows students to work collaboratively to research and share the ideas and information. It demands that students work together to look past the words on a page and formulate ideas and conclusions about what they have read.

Bubbl.us also makes the educational activities above more meaningful and relevant experiences for students. It makes the activities more meaningful because the students are part of the creation process and they can take ownership of their work. It brings their ideas and their research to life in a way that will have a more lasting impression than simply reading literature or facts out of a book. It makes the activities more relevant because students are able to present and evaluate the work of their peers instead of the work of distant experts whom the students have never met, seen, or particularly care about. Projects like the ones above let students teach themselves and each other in ways that books or computers by themselves never could. It is these precise advantages that web 2.0 technology brings to the classroom.

Tutorial

References, Articles, etc.

American Association of School Librarians. (2009). //Standards for the 21rst-Century Learner.// Chicago: American Association of School Libraries.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2007). //ISTE's Educational Technology Standards for Students//. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">New York State Education Department. (2006a). //Learning Standards for// //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">English Language Arts Revised Edition //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">New York State Education Department. (2006b). //Learning Standards for Social Studies Revised Edition//. Retrieved from []