Thursday, December 15, 2011
Blogging with Students Using Kidblog
Last week I talked about the Edublog Nominees for 2011. Looking at the list of nominees is a great way to see how teachers are using blogs. There are a few teachers in our district who have classroom blogs and use them as a "window into the classroom" to keep parents informed. They post about new learning, units of study, field trips, school events, etc. Several teachers have taken blogging a step further and are blogging with their students. Many students are using their blogs to post about their reading, similar to a reading response journal. Students then comment on each other's posts to encourage further thinking and provide positive feedback.
Kidblog (our preferred student blogging tool) is a popular site designed for elementary and middle school teachers. It is kid friendly and can be set to private. Here is a link to a LiveBinder about Blogging with Students. (Visit Kimberly's Secondary Learn and Earn Blog to learn more about LiveBinder.) Under the Setting Up a Blog tab there is a sub tab with a tutorial to get you started with Kidblog. Also, there is a sub tab called Learning to Blog Using Paper. If you are planning to start blogging with your students, I recommend that you do this lesson with them first. It will give your students a better understanding of blogging. I also recommend visiting the Leaving Comments tab. This will allow you to have a conversation with your students about how to write a quality comment.
If you would like to start blogging with your students, please take a look at these helpful hints, guidelines and other policies through Sharepoint (Intranet, Teaching and Learning, Technology, Teacher Technology Resources, Blogging) and contact Christine for support. You will want to send home the AUG for Student Blogging (Kidblog version) as well as a Parent Letter.
This week, tell us how you might use Kidblog with your students. Tell us how your colleagues are using it with their students. Who would you connect with to plan the management and use of Kidblog?
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Best Blogs-2011 Edublog Nominees
Some of you may be wondering either a) what are the benefits of setting up a classroom blog or b) how you can improve the classroom blog you already have in place. Edublogs.com is a website designed specifically for educators who are interested in using technology as a tool to communicate with students and parents. Each year they choose the top blogs for several different categories such as Best Student Blog, Best Teacher Blog, and Best Class Blog.
For those wanting to know more about the benefits of blogging, you should check out the Top 10 Ways to Use Blogs to Teach. Technically, this link will lead you to the top reasons to use “edublogs” to teach, but they are applicable to any blog you may create from any site. Many of our staff members use Blogger. (This is our prefered bloging tool.) After looking over these reasons, check out the Nominees for the 2011 Edublog Awards by clicking on the various categories and scrolling down to see all the nominees.
By the way, you don't have to search far and wide to find good blogs; just take a look at what our very own Melissa Morlock has created for her fourth grade class at Lake Wilderness! You can also view my classroom blog from 2009 to see a first grade example. (Click through the Blog Archive on the right to view older posts.)
For the post this week, please tell us about which blog you found to be your favorite and why. In your post, please include the link to that blog. By the way, you don't have to search far and wide to find good blogs; just take a look at what our very own Melissa Morlock has created for her fourth grade class at Lake Wilderness! You can also view my classroom blog from 2009 to see a first grade example. (Click through the Blog Archive on the right to view older posts.)
Although the discussion for this class takes place on a blog, the primary focus for this class, ironically, is not blogging; we are merely using this blog to foster discussion and unearth new technologies that may be useful in your classroom. If you currently have or are planning to create a classroom blog, please take a look at these helpful hints, guidelines and other policies through Sharepoint (Intranet, Teaching and Learning, Technology, Teacher Technology Resources, Blogging) and contact Christine for support.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
iPod/Cell Phone Flash Cards
One day Kimberly and I were talking and somehow the idea of creating flash cards came up. She suggested creating flash cards for students to access using their iPods. While searching online she came across Mr. Coley's website. (Unfortunately Mr. Coley moved into an administrative position and will no longer be updating his website. But lucky for us all his wonderful work and ideas will live online forever!) Mr. Coley has been kind enough to give us directions on how to create flash cards for our students using PowerPoint. It's so easy that you could have your students create them! He also has a library of flash cards that he has created. I was eager to try it myself and realized that in addition to parents/students putting the flash cards on an iPod, I could e-mail the PowerPoint presentation or JPEGs to parents and they could then open the attachments on their cell phone and allow their child to practice their vocabulary, math facts, and/or spelling words in the car or grocery store. They could also access them on their home computer. There are so many ways to help our students succeed!
For this weeks post:
Explain how you could see yourself using/creating flash cards for your students. How would you provide access to your cards for parents/students? Give it a try using his directions/tutorials and let us know your successes and challenges.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Why Reinvent the Wheel?
Hello Bloggers,
There are times when I come to a lesson and think one of two things: 1) How can I make this lesson more relevant for this year's group of students or 2) I have taught this lesson roughly five million times and I want to change it up a little. In an attempt to remedy one, or both, of these dilemmas, I often get on the web and open up Google. I always think I can quickly search the web for a simple addition to a lesson plan, but more often than not this consumes much more time than originally planned. This leads us to the focus for this week.
Teachers First is a teacher resource site that can eliminate the pain and agony of investing a great deal of time trying to figure out how to spice up a lesson. The resources found on this site are endless; from entire grade and subject-specific lesson plans to the "Featured Sites" section. This is a website that should be on your favorites list.
Your assignment for this week is to check out the website and post about a tool, lesson plan, or idea from the site you found useful or that you could possibly use in the future.
There are times when I come to a lesson and think one of two things: 1) How can I make this lesson more relevant for this year's group of students or 2) I have taught this lesson roughly five million times and I want to change it up a little. In an attempt to remedy one, or both, of these dilemmas, I often get on the web and open up Google. I always think I can quickly search the web for a simple addition to a lesson plan, but more often than not this consumes much more time than originally planned. This leads us to the focus for this week.
Teachers First is a teacher resource site that can eliminate the pain and agony of investing a great deal of time trying to figure out how to spice up a lesson. The resources found on this site are endless; from entire grade and subject-specific lesson plans to the "Featured Sites" section. This is a website that should be on your favorites list.
Your assignment for this week is to check out the website and post about a tool, lesson plan, or idea from the site you found useful or that you could possibly use in the future.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Discovery Education Streaming
Discovery Education Streaming (or as you may remember it United Streaming) is a great resource for integrating media into our curriculum. DE is not just videos. There are images, songs, sound effects, presentations. The list just goes on and on!
The first step is logging in to the site. If you do not remember your username, click on forgot username and try entering your old wednet.edu e-mail address IF your current e-mail address is not recognized. If you have never used DE before, there are directions here. Click on the Discovery Streaming new account setup document.
Once you log in to the site , click on SEARCH without even putting anything into the search bar. On the left you will see multiple ways to refine your search. Not only can you search by subject and grade level, but you can refine it even more by selecting the media type.
Once you begin to find media you would like to use, save it to "My DE" for future use. I created folders for reading, math and integrated units. Within integrated units I created three seperate folders for each unit full of age appropriate resources! Teachers can download these resources and insert them into PowerPoint presenations or other software/Web 2.0 tools. You can allow your students to access DE from home by requesting usernames and passwords. Students can download resources and use them for presentations as well. (Please Note: Teachers and students may NOT post any of DE's media resources online such as on blogs or websites. DE's resources are for classroom use.)
When sharing DE videos in the classroom, you will want to make sure you have your Ethernet cord plugged in or that you have downloaded the video to a CD, DVD or external drive to play the video from your computer. Otherwise your video may not buffer properly. (For instance, your audio and video may not align.) View the video in segments instead of full video so that the video will stop and allow you to discuss information with your students. We all know how important it is to stop and process information.
For this weeks post, tell us how you use or plan to use DE in your classroom. Explore the site first and search for various subjects and/or integrated unit topics. Ask your colleagues how they use DE and share their ideas with us as well!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Using Your Teacher Website to Provide Information and Resources
Every teacher in our district has the ability to create a teacher website. Teacher websites can be used to communicate information to parents and students, provide information and resources as documents or links, and to create discussion through a discussion board. Also, photos and videos of students can be added for families to view. (Check with your building secretary to make sure that your students have the electronic permission form on file. Never label a photo with the student's name.) Events can be added to the calendar, practice quizes can be created, and grades can be shared as well.
Did you know that there is a SWIFT user guide online? It is located under Programs & Services, TSD Staff Access. (Check with your BTS to see if there is a printed copy of the guide in the lab.)
The great thing about SWIFT is that you can decide what you want on your website. When you first login, you see your Profile. On the right you have the option to turn on or off each tab/section. Once you click save changes you will have the tabs at the top of your screen. (Be sure to update your e-mail address to @tahomasd.us.)
Did you know that you can lock a document? Any file that is uploaded to the documents section can be locked by clicking on the padlock to the right. You will be prompted to create a password. This password can be shared with individual parents so only they can access the file (audio, video, word document etc.). When someone clicks on the file, they must enter the password in order for the file to open. Remember, when uploading files it is a good idea to change them to a PDF so that parents can open them without needing Word, PowerPoint etc.
For this weeks post: Look at how other teachers in the district are using their SWIFT site. Look at other teachers in your grade level/specialty. Report back how you currently use your site and what you would like to add to enhance your site. (Consider adding links to the sites you explored from the Technology Resources for Tahoma Elementary Teachers website and to the new Tahoma Parent-School Partnership website!)
Visit a few SWIFT sites to see a variety of uses:
Glacier Park
Glacier Park
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Welcome to Learn and Earn Thursday!
Welcome to the Elementary Learn and Earn Blog! Each week I will be posting ideas for integrating technology into your elementary classroom. (Some posts will be from last year and some posts will be new.) I hope that you will explore these ideas and leave comments to enhance our discussion of new technologies. If you are taking this class for clock hours, be sure and review the FAQs on the tab at the top of the blog.
To start the class, I would like to share the Technology Resources for Tahoma Elementary Teachers website I created containing websites and blogs for teachers and students. The online resources are divided into K-2 and 3-5. There are sub groups by subject. Once you click on the link you will be taken to my Diigo page (social bookmarking site). You can view all the K-2/3-5 bookmarked sites or refine your search by clicking on the subject under your grade level. Each bookmarked site has a short description. Click on the link to be brought to the site for further exploration. From time to time I will highlight some of these sites and show you some of the key features as well as describe how you can integrate these tech tools/ideas into your curriculum.
For this weeks post, explore several sites from the resource page and leave a comment describing a site of interest and how you see yourself using this technology in your classroom. (Tell us your grade level.) If you are taking the class for clock hours remember to type a thoughtful comment that will further the conversation AND type your first and last name with "CH" in the name field.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Learn and Earn 2011-12 Starting Soon
Tune back in on October 27th for this year's first Elementary Learn and Earn post. Looking for something to do in the meantime?
- Read the FAQ page so you'll be all set to be one of the first people to participate in this year's class.
- Scroll through some of last year's posts and get some inspiration.
- Send an idea you have for Learn and Earn to Christine.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Google Earth: 360 Cities
Google Earth may be one of our most underutilized resources available for teachers. Today's post hopes to change that a little.
Did you realize that Google Earth is much, much more than just flyover satellite imagery? It seems like each time I check it out, I discover new content and features. Today I'm featuring just one: the 360 Cities layer. Layers in Google Earth are just that--layers of content (Wikipedia entries, photos, National Geographic articles, realtime earthquake data, etc.) and information (boarders, places, labels, etc.) you can turn on or off. The 360 Cities layer allows you to "fly" into a specific location and look around with a 360 degree view from the ground. By turning on this layer you'll see where in Google Earth there are 360 Cities you can explore. They are indicated by red circles marked 360. When you double click on one of these magic red circles you'll be transported inside a 360 degree photograph. The video below gives you a brief little peak at how it works.
Google Earth 360 Cities Layer from 10Tech on Vimeo.
Want to learn more about Google Earth?
(I hope so!) Check out these resources:
- Google Earth's very own educator page
- Teaching with Google Earth from the Pedagogy in Action website (this focuses on use in the geoscience classroom, but has overview information that would be valuable to anyone.
- A LiveBinder for using Google Earth in the Classroom included tutorials and links to other resources.
- Google Lit Trips--a great resource for linking Google Earth with literature and history.
- Sign up for What a Trip! Getting Started with Google Earth in the Classroom at the 10Tech Summer Conference.
Google Earth is an advertised program. You can install advertised programs by following the steps explained in this demo: http://vimeo.com/9865333. NOTE: You must be at school to download and install advertised programs.
One final note about using Google Earth in the classroom:
It's a bandwidth hog. You can mitigate the possible negative effects this could have (e.g. slow response/loading times, etc.) by doing the following:
- Use an Ethernet cable, not wireless, to connect to the Internet.
- Avoid our highest Internet demand time: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m..
- Do what you're going to do with students before or after school (low Internet demand times) and most of the information will be cached on your laptop and Google Earth won't have to go to the Internet for it.
Thank you Kimberly for sharing your blog post!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Pete's PowerPoint Station
This resource can be found on the Technology Resources for Tahoma Elementary Teachers website.
Pete's PowerPoint Station contains a HUGE collection of FREE presentations in PowerPoint format. The site has a primary feel but has resources for K-5. To the left is a snip of the various categories. Once you select a category you will be given a description of what is included in that category. Click on Free Presentations in PowerPoint Format & Activities for Kids to be directed to the list of sub categories. Finally, click on the name of the presentation and you will be given the option to open or save the PowerPoint presentation.
The great thing about this free resource is that you can edit the slides if necessary (Some presentations are text heavy so you will want to take some time to explore.) and it makes learning visual through the use of images. And did I mention it's FREE!
For this weeks post: Choose one or two categories and explore the presentations. Tell us what you found and how if fits with your grade level curriculum.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Google Apps and Google Teacher Academy
The Google Teacher Academy is held in a different city each year and, although they accept applicants from outside the area, priority goes to those within a 100-mile radius. This year, that could be you since it is being held in Seattle and I hope it will be! Google isn't just a search engine. Google tools (Docs, Sites, etc.) and other Google products, like Google Earth, offer a lot of opportunities for teachers and students, and you could be on the cutting edge of this as a Google Certified Teacher. (Does that sound cool, or what!?)
Interesting in applying? (Pretty please?) Great--head on over to the Google Teacher Academy site, read all about it and get started on your 1-minute video. Application and video are due June 16. Let me (Christine) know if you have any questions or need any help.
Not interested in applying, but wondering what all the fuss is about with Google Apps in schools? Google has numerous tools for educational use such as Blogger, Google Maps, Google Earth, Custom Search Engines, Google Docs and more!
For this weeks post, review the two e-books (Google for Teachers, Google for Teachers II) and/or Google for Educators-Tools for Your Classroom and share with the group one or two ideas you have for using Google as a teaching tool and/or with your students.
Check out even more tools here!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Making Learning Visual
Today I am going to highlight three websites that can be used by teachers and students as a tool for learning about animals related to our integrated units. Photos and videos are so powerful when it comes to teaching students about animals because it allows them to come alive! Students are always amazed when they are able to see animals in action, especially when they have never seen the animal before.
Arkive is a website which contains videos and images of the world's endangered species. You can explore the site by categories such as species group (mammals, fish etc.) or geography (continent and country). You can even type habitats such as Amazon Rainforest or Coral Reef into the search. There is a small library of resources categorized by age (7-11, 11-14) with games, PowerPoints etc. When you search by category you have the option to sort your list by Top 50 Species, Common Name, or Scientific Name. When you type a specific name into the search you can sort by Species, Video, or Image. Once you click on a specific animal you can view the images as a slideshow as well as read information about the animal (facts, description, habitat etc).
Ocean Footage and Nature Footage each contain a huge collection of animal videos. Each video is a preview of a full video available for purchase, so each is less than one minute. Search by category or type in a specific animal. Students love exploring numerous clips. The only down side is that there is no audio, but students don't seem to mind.
Arkive is a website which contains videos and images of the world's endangered species. You can explore the site by categories such as species group (mammals, fish etc.) or geography (continent and country). You can even type habitats such as Amazon Rainforest or Coral Reef into the search. There is a small library of resources categorized by age (7-11, 11-14) with games, PowerPoints etc. When you search by category you have the option to sort your list by Top 50 Species, Common Name, or Scientific Name. When you type a specific name into the search you can sort by Species, Video, or Image. Once you click on a specific animal you can view the images as a slideshow as well as read information about the animal (facts, description, habitat etc).
Ocean Footage and Nature Footage each contain a huge collection of animal videos. Each video is a preview of a full video available for purchase, so each is less than one minute. Search by category or type in a specific animal. Students love exploring numerous clips. The only down side is that there is no audio, but students don't seem to mind.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Scholastic News Interactive
Did you know that with your order of 10 or more subscriptions to Scholastic News (Grades 1-6), you get a FREE digital edition of the magazine?!
These interactive issues allow your students to read and learn in a whole new way! Teachers and students can hear text being read, highlight text, add digital sticky notes, view videos, define words, and explore additional resources. Teachers can use the mask tool to show students the focus area of the magazine. Teachers can also select an alternate level (in some magazines) for easier text. The "show what you know" quiz page gives you instant feedback on your answers. Comprehension skills sheets are available to print to check for understanding.
For this week's post: Go to the site to watch a demo or take a tour! Tell us how you would use Scholastic News to enhance your curriculum. Would you use it with your home class or your reading class?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids is a great site for finding information, images, and videos related to the K-5 integrated units. Teachers can use the site as a teaching tool during instruction. Students can visit the site to explore and learn. Students can also use information from the site for research projects. I recommend visiting the site and looking at three sections:
3. Community (4th-5th)
Hover over the tab and click Blogs. There are several blogs written by students. Click on the title such as Dog Eared, Green Scene, Hands-On Explorer, etc. and view current and previous posts. Leave comments as well!
National Geographic has a magazine for K-1 teachers and students called National Geographic Young Explorer! Their website has interactive versions of their current and past issues for free! When you visit the site, click on More Issues to view the most current issues and scroll to the bottom to find a second page of Past Issues. There are frogs, butterflies, coral reef, habitats and more! So many connections to our curriculum!
For this weeks post, visit the website and tell us how you plan to use it with students. What connections did you find to your grade level curriculum?
1. Animals & Pets (All grades)
Hover over the tab and click All. Use the tabs to the left to sort the animals by type such as Dinosaurs, Invertebrates etc. or by habitat such as Forest, Ocean etc. Once sorted, click on an animal and click on the arrows to scroll through the text and images. Visit the Video & Sound tab as well as the Map tab for more learning. Older students can click on Print this Creature tab to view facts for research projects. In order to get back to the library of animals, teach students to use the blue back arrow in Internet Explorer and click to resort the animals.2. Countries (1st-4th)
Hover over the tab and click All. Select a continent to sort the countries. Select a country to view facts, images, and videos. Older students can click on print this feature to view facts about geography, history, people & culture etc. for research projects. 3. Community (4th-5th)
Hover over the tab and click Blogs. There are several blogs written by students. Click on the title such as Dog Eared, Green Scene, Hands-On Explorer, etc. and view current and previous posts. Leave comments as well!
National Geographic has a magazine for K-1 teachers and students called National Geographic Young Explorer! Their website has interactive versions of their current and past issues for free! When you visit the site, click on More Issues to view the most current issues and scroll to the bottom to find a second page of Past Issues. There are frogs, butterflies, coral reef, habitats and more! So many connections to our curriculum!
For this weeks post, visit the website and tell us how you plan to use it with students. What connections did you find to your grade level curriculum?
Friday, April 22, 2011
iPod Flash Cards
One day Kimberly and I were talking and somehow the idea of creating flash cards came up. She suggested creating flash cards for students to access using their iPods. While searching online she came across Mr. Coley's website. After looking at his site we figured he must be single because how could he maintain such a wonderful classroom website. (His website shows he is married with children. How does he do it?) Mr. Coley has been kind enough to give us directions on how to create flash cards for our students using PowerPoint. He also has a library of flash cards that he has created. I was eager to try it myself and realized that in addition to parents/students putting the flash cards on an iPod, I could e-mail the PowerPoint presentation or JPEGs to parents and they could then open the attachments on their cell phone and allow their child to practice their math facts or spelling words in the car or grocery store. They could also access them on their home computer. There are so many ways to help our students succeed!
For this weeks post:
Explain how you could see yourself using/creating flash cards for your students. How would you provide access to your cards for parents/students? Give it a try using his directions/tutorials and let us know your successes and challenges.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Finding Resources Through RSS Feeds
I love RSS feeds! I subscribe to several and I am always finding new ideas for the elementary classroom. (To learn more about RSS Feeds, click here.) My two favorite blogs are Free Technology for Teachers and iLearn Technology. Recently Richard Byrne, author of Free Tech for Teachers, blogged about a fabulous resource. It is full of Web 2.0 tools organized by function such as podcasting or blogging as well as by topic such as fair use or privacy. Click here to read about the STHS Library Guides' collection of Web 2.0 tools.
I also enjoy free e-books. Richard Byrne has posted several e-books. One of my favorites is The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators. It is written by bloggers, teachers, and school administrators. Click here to read his blog post about the book and links to the authors' website/blog. Two of the authors, Kelly Tenkely (former elementary teacher, current technology integration specialist) and Lee Kolbert (elementary teacher) have blogs that I follow as well. (Click on their name to see their blog.) All three have wonderful ideas and resources for elementary classrooms. For this weeks post, explore the Web 2.0 tools OR read through The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators. Read about the resources in the Elementary School section and the Blogging in Elementary School Classrooms section. Tell us your Top 3 resources for classroom use. How could you use these tools with your students?
I also enjoy free e-books. Richard Byrne has posted several e-books. One of my favorites is The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators. It is written by bloggers, teachers, and school administrators. Click here to read his blog post about the book and links to the authors' website/blog. Two of the authors, Kelly Tenkely (former elementary teacher, current technology integration specialist) and Lee Kolbert (elementary teacher) have blogs that I follow as well. (Click on their name to see their blog.) All three have wonderful ideas and resources for elementary classrooms. For this weeks post, explore the Web 2.0 tools OR read through The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators. Read about the resources in the Elementary School section and the Blogging in Elementary School Classrooms section. Tell us your Top 3 resources for classroom use. How could you use these tools with your students?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
King County Library System
Did you know that the King County Library System has numerous resources on its website for adults and children? By visiting the main page you will see many options for you and your students. Do you have a unit coming up? Don't be limited to the books at your local branch. You can place a hold on books from any location online. You will receive an e-mail when they are ready AND you can decide where you would like your books delivered. Choose from any of their locations!
There are so many ways you can use the King County Library website as a teaching tool and with students. Click on Databases then Kids to access several paid websites for free. Just use your library card number and pin! Visit the Kids Page to access book lists and reviews. Visit Good Books for Kids and rate the stories you have read as a class. Visit the Kidreads blog to comment on the librarians' reviews. Encourage families to read your ratings/comments and to use the site at home.
For this weeks post, explore the website then tell us what you found and what you plan to use in your classroom.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Using Your Teacher Website to Provide Information and Resources
Every teacher in our district has the ability to create a teacher website. Teacher websites can be used to communicate information to parents and students, provide information and resources as documents or links, and to create discussion through a discussion board. Also, photos and videos of students can be added for families to view. (Check with your building secretary to make sure that your students have the electronic permission form on file. Never label a photo with the student's name.) Events can be added to the calendar, practice quizes can be created and grades can be shared as well.
Did you know that there is a video tutorial for SWIFT on the staff access page? There is also a user guide. (Check with your BTS to see if there is a printed copy of the guide in the lab.)
The great thing about SWIFT is that you can decide what you want on your website. When you first login, you see your Profile. On the right you have the option to turn on or off each tab/section. Once you click save changes you will have the tabs at the top of your screen. (Be sure to update your e-mail address to tahomasd.us.)
Did you know that you can lock a document? Any file that is uploaded to the documents section can be locked by clicking on the padlock to the right. You will be prompted to create a password. This password can be shared with individual parents so only they can access the file (audio, video, word document etc.). When someone clicks on the file, they must enter the password in order for the file to open. Remember, when uploading files it is a good idea to change them to a PDF so that parents can open them without needing Word, PowerPoint etc.
For this weeks post: Look at how other teachers in the district are using their SWIFT site. Look at other teachers in your grade level/specialty. Report back how you currently use your site and what you would like to add to enhance your site.
Visit a few SWIFT sites to see a variety of uses:
Glacier Park
Glacier Park
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Pixie
Pixie is a K-5 software with many capabilities. At its basic, it can be used as a drawing program. Some advanced features include audio recordings, creating slideshows and publishing videos. Pixie offers a variety of activities/templates for use with students. (While in the program select Open, Activities, and then select a subject) Teachers have the ability to create their own activities for students as well. Tech4Learning, the company that makes Pixie has an image website called Pics4Learing. These images can be accessed through Pixie.
Tech4Learning.com has some great resources for teachers using their software. You can visit the Trading Post to access activities/projects that have been created by other teachers. (You need to register to access them.) You can visit the Connect tab to read their blogs and forum. Here they also provide ideas for using Pixie as well as their other software.
While exploring the website I found some helpful pages regarding features, integration, training, and videos. They also have a website, Recipes4Learning, made up of full and partial tutorials. Read a recipe when you want to learn all about the application OR read a snack when you want to know about an individual feature. Click on Recipes or Snacks, select your level by clicking on the diamonds (1, 2, or 3) and then select Pixie 2. Finally, choose your tutorial. (I would suggest clicking on the PDF icon or Get Printable Version so you can view it full screen. Otherwise it opens in a small window that cannot be maxamized.)
For this weeks post, visit Tech4Learning and explore the resources available. Use any of the links provided above and share how you plan to use (or have used) Pixie with your students connected to your grade level curriculum. (Remember Pixie is available on classroom teacher laptops and in the computer labs.)
Tech4Learning.com has some great resources for teachers using their software. You can visit the Trading Post to access activities/projects that have been created by other teachers. (You need to register to access them.) You can visit the Connect tab to read their blogs and forum. Here they also provide ideas for using Pixie as well as their other software.
While exploring the website I found some helpful pages regarding features, integration, training, and videos. They also have a website, Recipes4Learning, made up of full and partial tutorials. Read a recipe when you want to learn all about the application OR read a snack when you want to know about an individual feature. Click on Recipes or Snacks, select your level by clicking on the diamonds (1, 2, or 3) and then select Pixie 2. Finally, choose your tutorial. (I would suggest clicking on the PDF icon or Get Printable Version so you can view it full screen. Otherwise it opens in a small window that cannot be maxamized.)
For this weeks post, visit Tech4Learning and explore the resources available. Use any of the links provided above and share how you plan to use (or have used) Pixie with your students connected to your grade level curriculum. (Remember Pixie is available on classroom teacher laptops and in the computer labs.)
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Discovery Education Streaming
Discovery Education Streaming (or as you may remember it United Streaming) is a great resource for integrating media into our curriculum. DE is not just videos. There are images, songs, sound effects, presentations. The list just goes on and on!
The first step is logging in to the site. If you do not remember your username, click on forgot username and try entering your old wednet.edu e-mail address IF your current e-mail address is not recognized. If you have never used DE before, there are directions here. Click on the Discovery Streaming new account setup document.
Once you log in to the site , click on SEARCH without even putting anything into the search bar. On the left you will see multiple ways to refine your search. Not only can you search by subject and grade level, but you can refine it even more by selecting the media type.
Once you begin to find media you would like to use, save it to "My DE" for future use. I created folders for reading, math and integrated units. Within integrated units I created three seperate folders for each unit full of age appropriate resources! Teachers can download these resources and insert them into PowerPoint presenations or other software/Web 2.0 tools. You can allow your students to access DE from home by requesting usernames and passwords. Students can download resources and use them for presentations as well. (Please Note: Teachers and students may NOT post any of DE's media resources online such as on blogs or websites. DE's resources are for classroom use.)
When sharing DE videos in the classroom, you will want to make sure you have your Ethernet cord plugged in or that you have downloaded the video to a CD, DVD or external drive to play the video from your computer. Otherwise your video may not buffer properly. (For instance, you audio and video may not align.) View the video in segments instead of full video so that the video will stop and allow you to discuss information with your students. We all know how important it is to stop and process information.
For this weeks post, tell us how you use or plan to use DE in your classroom. Explore the site first and search for various subjects and/or integrated unit topics. Ask your colleagues how they use DE and share their ideas with us as well!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Digital Cameras-A Tool to Teach Skills & Assess Learning
Monday, Kimberly and I attended a professional development session hosted by OSPI. During that time we were able to look at the DRAFT EdTech Assessments or CBAs. (Districts are not required to use the EdTech CBAs.) It was a great opportunity to see how the state is approaching the assessment of student progress toward the technology standards. This experience will help us as we begin to plan how we will assess students in our district in the future.
In Mr. Carson’s Kindergarten class, students have been learning about shapes (triangles, circles, and squares). As part of his assessment of student learning, he gives pairs of students a digital camera and asks them to take pictures of triangles they find on the playground.
Using digital cameras is a great way to assess student learning. (You can accomplish this with one digital camera using either the photo or video setting!) Their use by students is also a great opportunity to teach students the correct vocabulary to describe digital technologies-GLE 2.2.1, use digital equipment effectively (Use the strap!)-GLE 2.2.2, identify and solve common problems related to digital equipment -GLE 2.2.2, and to share their learning through a digital product-GLE 1.3.3. What a great way to teach so many skills!
For this week's post, explain how your students could use digital cameras to demonstrate their learning in any content area. (Remember, you can still earn clock hours!)
During our session we reviewed the Educational Technology Standards (Quick Reference). It's a great way to see all the state tech standards for K-12. (Can you believe it's only 4 pages!) After, we were given 3 scenarios and asked if each was aligned to the educational technology standards. Here is one of the scenarios:
In Mr. Carson’s Kindergarten class, students have been learning about shapes (triangles, circles, and squares). As part of his assessment of student learning, he gives pairs of students a digital camera and asks them to take pictures of triangles they find on the playground.
Using digital cameras is a great way to assess student learning. (You can accomplish this with one digital camera using either the photo or video setting!) Their use by students is also a great opportunity to teach students the correct vocabulary to describe digital technologies-GLE 2.2.1, use digital equipment effectively (Use the strap!)-GLE 2.2.2, identify and solve common problems related to digital equipment -GLE 2.2.2, and to share their learning through a digital product-GLE 1.3.3. What a great way to teach so many skills!
For this week's post, explain how your students could use digital cameras to demonstrate their learning in any content area. (Remember, you can still earn clock hours!)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Best Practices
Last week I shared the Technology Resources for Tahoma Elementary Teachers website which is full of links for finding tools, ideas, and resources to help you integrate technology into your lessons. While teaching any lesson, we have strategies we implement which allow our lessons to run smoothly. This week I would like to to help teachers understand what strategies will be highly effective when teaching tech skills to students in the lab and/or in their classroom. The Best Practices for Teaching Technology Skills document contains many of the strategies you already implement in your lessons such as labeling the learning, modeling, reinforcing the learning, and classroom management strategies. But there are additional strategies which will help you as you teach tech skills to your students. Once these strategies are in place, you will find that your lessons are more efficient and effective.(This document will be added to SharePoint under Elementary Curriculum, Technology.)
For this weeks post, read the Best Practices document and comment on the 5 practices you feel are the most important in your grade level and why. Then share with us 2-3 practices you don't currently implement but plan to implement in the future. (Remember, if you would like clock hours please click on the FAQ tab at the top of the page for further information.)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Welcome to Learn and Earn Thursday!
Welcome to the Elementary Learn and Earn Blog! Each week I will be posting ideas for integrating technology into your elementary classroom. I hope that you will explore these ideas and leave comments to enhance our discussion of new technologies. If you are taking this class for clock hours be sure and review the FAQs on the tab at the top of the blog.
To start the class, I would like to share the Technology Resources for Tahoma Elementary Teachers website I created containing websites and blogs for teachers and students. The online resources are divided into K-2 and 3-5. There are sub groups by subject. Once you click on the link you will be taken to my Diigo page (social bookmarking site). You can view all the K-2/3-5 bookmarked sites or refine your search by clicking on the subject under your grade level. Each bookmarked site has a short description. Click on the link to be brought to the site for further exploration. From time to time I will highlight some of these sites and show you some of the key features as well as describe how you can integrate these tech tools/ideas into your curriculum.
For this weeks post, explore several sites from the resource page and leave a comment describing a site of interest and how you see yourself using this technology in your classroom. (Tell us your grade level.) If you are taking the class for clock hours remember to type a thoughtful comment that will further the conversation AND type your first and last name with "CH" in the name field.
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