Lexipedia

http://lexipedia.com/english/boring

Description of and rationale for how the technology might be used with and preferably by students (Bloom's)
Lexipedia is a language tool used to reference the meaning and use of words. I would use this tool in a number of ways. I would first use it to show students how the alteration of one word can change the tone of a sentence. I would give them a simple, boring paragraph and ask them to use Lexipedia to change the sentences and make them more complex and exciting to read. Each person would then share his or her new paragraph, so the class can see the various combinations the of the same paragraph they could come up with. I would also use Lexipedia is to give students better understanding of complex words. I would then give the class a complex paragraph and have them make it simpler. I believe this exercise touches on all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. The use of this tool will give them a better understanding of words, while helping them to remember meanings because they are not just given a definition of a word; they are given numerous words that relate to a word and ways to use it in different parts of a sentence. They apply their understanding of the word by using it correctly in a sentence. They analyze and evaluate the sentence when choosing which word best fits the sentence and its intended purpose. And finally, they are creating new sentences and newfound knowledge that will help them become better writers and readers in the future with a helpful resource at their fingertips.

Consideration of struggles for implementation (student, systemic, and/or hardware)
The main struggle for this technology is the use of Internet. Technology is great when it works, but, let's face it, it doesn't always cooperate when we need it to. In this particular activity, it will require students to look up a lot of words, and if the Internet connection is not fast, this project will take a lot of unnecessary time.

Consideration of the biases and trade-offs of the technology
A bias of the technology is students' dependency on the technology. It is assuming that all students understand the parts of sentences and when and where to replace certain words. Ideally, most high schoolers should know the difference between an adjective and an adverb, but not all students take time to remember these terms. A trade-off is that students may take advantage of having this information at their fingertips. It will most likely prevent them from trying to figure out the meaning of words and phrases on their own or search for a better understanding of concepts.

Explanation of how the project meets the selected teacher standard and students standards
INTASC Standards:
This project best meets #5 of the INTASC standards. I would be giving students the tools necessary to apply their understanding of different parts of sentences and create new sentences from the original ones I give them. They are figuring out how to change and better a sentence with my guidance.

ISTE Standards:
This is a fun way to get students to understand and create something not so exciting. It meets ISTE standard #1. Not only will this tool better students' writing, but it will help them to communicate more effectively because they will gain a broader vocabulary and be able to understand more difficult concepts.