PE4_Kidoz

Welcome back readers. Today I will be delving into a brand new web 2.0 tool that I am researching for a Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario, otherwise known as RILS. I am creating a lesson plan that is relevant to a group of fifth grade students that needs to be innovative and allow the students to be creative in the way they acquire information. My RILS involves students learning about the 50 states. I would like the students to build on information they know without first dictating the information to them. I would like them to be able to research the information independently and inform their classmates of the information they learned.

While researching the site gotoweb20 (http://www.go2web20.net/), I came upon a great way for students to learn about the states using a kid friendly researching tool. The web 2.0 tool I found that can do this is a site that is called Kido'z (http://kidoz.net). Kido'z is a safe, easy and fun internet for kids.

In order to know how this site works I have to get started on learning how the site works, so that I can relate this information to the learners.

So the first thing I need to do to get started is to download the application on the computer by clicking on the Start Here button. There really wasn't much to the download. The application automatically started downloading and I only had to select two options during the installation. 

Once the site downloaded, it launched without needing to do anything. The other way to access it is by locating it in the location you approved it to download to and then launch it from there. Once you have the site open for the first time you are prompted to create a parent account. Since this application will be used in the classroom, each computer will have to be created using a teacher's information to access the parental controls. You are then prompted to input the child's name, in this case we would just put the computer numbers to identify what computer is being used for ex. computer 1. For the birthdate we are just going to put the school start year. 

Once the account is created, you are prompted to pay the site fee, or start the free 7 day trial. I of course selected the free trial.

Okay so I have started the process, next time I will let you know how the rest of the exploration went.

Until next time.