Forever Blowing Bubbles?

A few months ago, I stumbled across a service called the Awesome Highlighter. After using it in a number of classrooms, I became an immediate user and fan and posted my experience with using the tool. The service is a godsend for educators, students, and parents because it allows anyone to highlight text on web pages and subsequently receive a small link to the highlighted page. Reading a page that has been touched with the magic of the Awesome Highlighter is a quick means of zooming in on pertinent information.

Well, there's another service I'm about to add to my teaching toolbox that, like the Awesome Highlighter, will be extremely helpful to me. Bubble Comment is a (currently) free service that makes it possible for anyone to share video comments with others on just about any web page. After signing up with Bubble Comment, using the service is a simple three step process:

1. select a web page,
2. record a video comment, and
3. share the video comment with others.

Spiffy!

(High)Lighten Up!

Yes, yes, I know: my postings here have been less than consistent. I apologize for that. Allow me to make up for my laxness by suggesting a resource that dedicated teachers and students will appreciate. It's called the Awesome Highlighter. It's such a wonderful resource. Why? Allow me to demonstrate.


I've got a friend who is teaching a lesson on a state of matter known as plasma. She wants her pupils to read a webpage in order to gain a better understanding of the concept. My friend wants to help her students make the most efficient use of their time. She also wants to use technology to modify instruction for special needs students. Recently, I taught her how to use the Awesome Highlighter. My pal now uses the Awesome Highlighter to accent the most salient facts on sites her class will visit. By doing so, she's able to focus her learners' attention on important details. She can show them the essence of a concept's that buried with the context of a webpage.

Case in point: My friend wants her students to read the text in a site about plasma. Look at the page BEFORE she highlighted the important information.


Now look at the webpage after it has been highlighted.


Which version will most useful to her pupils? For students who need a nudge in the right direction, this resource helps the learner immediately attend important text. I think the Awesome Highlighter could be monumentally helpful to both teachers and students. Check it out for yourself!

Here's what my highlighted post looks like: