authenticity
"95-99% of what our students produce in school is academic exercise. There is an audience of one or two people experiencing student work. If no one looks at your work, it is hard to see the relevance. Significance and audience are intertwined. I get the impression sometimes that students have been conditioned to think of their teacher as the only plausible audience for their classroom work. This is a trend that thoughtful podcasting classroom can break."
parent resource
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/parents/
Engineering
December Resources
Santa Net http://www.santas.net/
teaching the history and looking at how different cultures celebrate December.
http://www.the-north-pole.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/
http://faculty.usiouxfalls.
http://www.newbedford.k12.ma.
you can use with students. Could be done as a station or maybe with the white boards.
http://www.henry.k12.ga.us/
Eduction World Internet Scavenger Hunts- Provide hunts for each month of the year. They also have
printable worksheets that the students fill out as they do the hunt.
http://www.educationworld.com/
snowflake Factory-it lets you make virtual snowflakes.
http://www.apples4theteacher.
Hanukkah History
http://www.do2learn.com/
Do 2 Learn website Helps children with disabilities both physical and emotional.
http://www.ixl.com/math/
#1 math practice site
It is broken down by grade levels. right now it doesn't require a login. It did in the past.
Be sure to check it out soon.
http://www.armoredpenguin.com/
Armored Peguin.com this site will allow you to make your own puzzles.
http://www.kwarp.com/
This site allows you to download the game Grammer Ninja which can be used on the white boards. It has a limited set of
sentences to use but it provide the option of adding your own sentences.
http://funphotobox.com/
This site allows you to add effects or change your pictures that you have taken. It can be used with facebook.
writing
Toy Theater
http://www.toytheater.com/index.php
Science Grades 1-4
Catch the Science Bug Foundation, Inc. launched a new website, www.sciencebug.org, filled with science content that is presented through video, interactive on-line activities, and downloadable worksheets! Most content is found through the Science Files link. The site is geared towards children in grades 1-4 but children younger and older than the targeted age group have enjoyed using this site.
Educators will find printable science activities with data collection worksheets for use in a classroom or on the school grounds. Recently, a teacher’s guide was posted listing what topic each science activity teaches and how this activity could relate to other topics. Science career information is being added to continuously as we aim to present a great diversity of scientists and job descriptions under the Meet Our Scientists page.
This website just received an American Library Association’s Great Websites for Kids award.
Would you have means to distribute this website to the teachers in your state?
This foundation is a 501c3 and our children’s science series currently airs on PBS out of Providence, RI. We would appreciate any help you could provide for us in helping to reach more children and teachers. Please contact me at 508-854-1681 if you have any questions.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Kim Bent
Founder
Catch the Science Bug Foundation
PO Box 321 Holden, MA 01520
508-854-1681
Amaze your colleagues
http://www.sciencegeek.net/lingo.html
Amazing Microscopic Photos
Handwriting on the mimio
This blog talks about using a SMARTBoard, but the mimio does the same thing.
http://edte.ch/blog/2009/11/13/teaching-handwriting-using-an-interactive-whiteboard/
Handwriting on the mimio
This blog talks about using a SMARTBoard, but the mimio does the same thing.
Teaching Handwriting using an Interactive Whiteboard
We still practice handwriting at school with the children. Since having SMARTBoards I have been using the software to transform the way we teach it and the way we support the children.
I don’t think that handwriting is that important, what is written is more important to me – however the practice does encourage some structure, which can improve legibility.
Instead of just using the board to model the different joins (replace) I use the SMART Recorder to make a little movie of the joins as I model them and play them back, on a loop (tranform). Most IWB software (if any good!) has some sort of video screen capture tool. This allows me to step away from the board and go and support he children as they are working. As the class work they can easily look up and see the modelled join/word playing back on the board.
Before I explain how to do that, here is my routine for teaching any handwriting session. When we begin I remind the children about the 5 Ps.
Position - I encourage them to think about the position they are in and where there book should be.
Place - are they cramped or squashed? Make sure they have enough room on their table.
Pen - I talk about the tripod grip, to watch out for the power grip where the wrist and lower arm is too tense and encourage the precision grip with a freely moving wrist etc.
Posture - Can you feel the back of the chair in the lower back. Don’t be too upright and tense, be comfortable and relaxed.
Peace - We all need some to do our best.
When talking about the actual joins or words I ask the children to trace them on a giant scale in the air with their fingers, talking about the movements as we complete them. I then ask them to do the same join on the palm of their hand. We repeat the join on our wrists where it is all tickly and then a final time on the back of someone sat next to them. This helps to feel the shape of the letters.
Megan’s Present / Hand by Aeioux
Attribution-NonCommercial License
Before the children go on to practice in their handwriting books, I complete a modelled example using the video recorder. Here is how you do it:
Open you handwriting page. We created a template on a blank page with the guidelines that suited our scheme.
Open your video screen capture application – we use SMART Recorder.
Select just the small area that you are going to be writing in – not the whole screen or page.
I find it really useful to have the join/word already written with it’s transparency turned down. So that it is just visible, allowing you to trace over the top. If you are doing a simple 2 or 3 letter join model it more than once.
Hit record and complete the modelling of the join or word.
Hit stop and save your capture using the join or word as the file name.
Playback your movie and set it to loop. Move away from the front and sit with children as they are working. With different movies open in different small windows you can have multiple joins so that children can work at their own pace through the work.
This is a good example of how technology can transform what we have been doing for decades. It breathes life into a common task, providing the teacher the opportunity to support the children at the point of writing. If all we do is write them up on the IWB we are just replacing old ways, we may as well do it on a dry-wipe board, or even just a blackboard or find a cave wall and some berries. The video playback is there if the children need it – they don’t need to remember what was done, they can just watch it, that has transformed the way they learn the joins and the behaviours that support that learning.
Within my handwriting sessions there is that important balance between technology and other approaches, a blended take on it all. Tickling the words on our wrists or a partners back is just as important.
Flip Video Camera
Here are 42 (and counting) ways to use the pocket video cameras we have in the building. Kelly has two Flip cameras she may let you borrow. Also, digital cameras can take video. Let me know if you want any help with this or other ideas you might have.
good resource
http://edorigami.wikispaces. Check out the starter sheets section Educational Origami is a blog , and a wiki, about the integration of ICT (Information and CommunicationTechnologies) into the classroom, this is one of the largest challenges that I feel we as teachers face. It's about 21st Century Learning and 21st Century Teaching. Marc Prensky coined the now popular and famous phrase "Digital natives and digital immigrants" in his two papers by the same name. Ian Jukes talks about Digital Children.The world is not as simple as saying teachers are digital immigrants and students digital natives. In fact people fit into both camps. We know that experience, like using a computer, will change the structure of our brain, This is a concept called Neuroplasticity. We also know that, the more intense the experience, the more profound the change. Our students, who often have a greater exposure to technology, are likely to be more neurologically adapted, but adults can as easily be "Digital Natives".
I made this wiki on request from Miguel Guhlin after I blogged about matching ICT tools to traditional classroom practice and Bloom's Taxonomy.The wiki has grown a little since then.
Rewards
Constructivist Ideas:
http://www.learnercentereded.org/constr_strat.html
Google Docs in the Classroom
Google Docs is a free, Web-based word processing, presentations and spreadsheets program. Unlike desktop software, Google Docs lets people create web-based documents, presentations and spreadsheets that anyone in the group can update from his/her own computer, even at the same time. Instead of emailing around files and having to deal with the confusion and extra work involved in managing different file versions and manually aggregating input from others, anyone in the group can edit the document online from anywhere -- all you need is a Web browser. And, since your docs are all stored safely in Google's servers, you don't have to worry about losing data from a hard drive crash or nasty virus. We've heard many ingenious ways that teachers have used Google Docs in the classroom. Here are just a few: Thankfully, using Google Docs is easy. Below, we've added a few sections providing an explanation, and basic how-to tips for different areas of Google Docs. Just click on a link, and learn! The first thing you'll need to do is create accounts for you and your students. These are your key to accessing Google Docs. Before you get started, here are two important points to remember: If your students have email addresses provided by the school If your students already have email addresses If you need to create email addresses for your students Once you're logged in to Google Docs, creating and sharing your documents is easy. A few things to remember: To create a doc: To share a doc: *A note about Advanced permissions: In the "Share" tab you'll notice a couple of options below the invite screen that bear further explanation. Editing and adding content to your docs is as easy as opening the doc and starting work A few things to remember: To edit your docs: It's that easy! Working with version control: If you don't like the changes you or a collaborator have made on a document, or if you simply want to see the progress of a doc over time, you can do this via the "Revisions" tab, at the top of each doc. All of your revisions will be listed in order, and you can browse through them at leisure. If you'd like to return to an earlier version, simply click the "Revert to this one" button, at the top of the selected revision and, voila! If you're going to be working with a lot of students, a number of classes, or simply managing many docs, organization is key. Here are some ideas for keeping your Docs list manageable, and your docs instantly accessible: To create a folder: This folder will now appear in your list of folders, in the sidebar of your Docs list. To add a doc to a folder: If you'd like to add one document at a time to a specific folder, simply right-click on the doc title and drag it to whichever folder you'd like, in the Docs list sidebar. If you'd like to add a number of docs to a folder at once, follow these instructions: To name or rename a doc: Note that the initial naming process works differently between documents, spreadsheets and presentations. To find a doc: When searching for a specific doc, there are a few options. To delete a doc: At this point, the document is deleted from the Docs list, but remains in your trash, and accessible to collaborators until you empty the trash. To empty the trash, continue with these instructions: This short guide just skimmed the surface of all the cool things you can do with Google Docs. To get more information, check our some of our other resources, including tips and tricks for educators. Visit the Help Center for step-by-step info Chat with other uses in our Help Group Keep up to date with our blogIf interested in using Google Docs in the classroom, let me know. I have a system for creating usernames and passwords for your class. Since we work with younger children, I do not feel comfortable giving them an email account but it is possible to create several generic accounts for your class.
What is Google Docs?
How can I use it in the classroom?
Now, how can I get started?
Create an account for yourself and your students
How to create accounts for your classroom
For an introduction to Google Apps Team Edition, and to see if it's right for you, watch the video.
While you'll need to compile a list of email addresses from your students, we recommend that you don't ask for their passwords, since these will now be connected with their personal Google Accounts.
Please note: Students must be 13 or over to use Google Docs, in compliance with Google's Terms of ServiceCreate and share your docs
How to create and share docs
Note that when inviting a mailing list to collaborate on a doc, you'll need to have this option checked.Edit your docs
How to edit and manage your docs' content
Organize your docs
Since you can add one doc to multiple folders, you can cross-categorize as much and as often as you'd like.How to create an organized Docs list
From your Docs list, enter the name of the doc you'd like to find in the search box, near the top.
Select her or his user name from the "Shared with..." section of your Docs list sidebar. All of the docs shared with this person will appear, listed.
From your Docs list, under "Items by type" in the sidebar, select "Document," "Spreadsheet" or "Presentation."
Select either "Trash" or "Hidden" from the "All items" section at the top of your Docs list sidebar.Get more Google Docs help and information
Free Resource Library
create any size wall posters from any size images
From Mr. Elzey
Internet Coach Puzzle Maker - A free online service for teachers after you agree to their terms
and complete the user registration information Tramline.com - a collection of online virtual field trips as well as a propriety tool for generating virtual tools
Connected Libraries - contains a collection of instructions for using web 2.0 tools in schools.
Funbrain.com - a virtual quiz lab where students can complete your teacher generated quizzes from anywhere that has an internet connection.
Schoolnotes.com - allows teacher to create and post notes for their students. Students and parents can access the notes online.
Filimentality - a step-by-step, fill-in-the-blank guide for researching and compiling sites on the web.
Citation Machine - an interactive web tool designed to assist high school, college, and university students, their teachers, and independent researchers in their effort to respect other people's intellectual properties.
Quickmind.net - a more robust online application for virtual learning and assessment
Keebook Creator - create and publish your books online
NoteStar - has the ability to allow students and teachers to take notes as they visit sites on the net. Teachers can access and monitor individual student's progress and provide feedback.
Boolify - a front-end to the Google search engine that allows students to see the visual of how their search was created
Brochure, Newspaper, Flyermaker - student-friendly, interactive site that takes you step by step through their templates to make fun learning projects. I had my students make a travel brochure with this and they turned out great.
Response-o-Matic- Put an online contact form on your site in about 8 minutes. No programming required.
(Not even a little bit)
FCRR
Reading Center Activities: K-3
PBS Teachers
PBS has launched their new Teachers Site as of Friday, Oct. 23.http://www.pbs.org/teachers/ PBS Teachers is the national Web destination for preK-12 educators to access PBS' educational services and a searchable database of more than 9,000 free local and national standards-based teaching activities, lesson plans, on-demand video assets, interactive games, and simulations. Many of the resources feature PBS' award-winning programming and content, including on-demand streaming video from select PBS programs.
PBS Teachers hosts an online learning community for educators to share ideas, collaborate, and discuss technology and digital media integration in the classroom. Within the community, educators can search for instructional resources that fit their needs; then easily bookmark, annotate, share, and manage their tagged content. New digital media resources are regularly added to the PBS Teachers site and designed for use in school and home-based learning environments.
Google Blog
Since we are unofficially Wood County's "Google School," I always make sure I stay on top of what is new with Google - especially Google Docs. The best way I do this is by checking http://googledocs.blogspot.com/ every day. You may also want to stay on top with what is new.
iPod Touches
Comics and Docs
Create Your Own Comics - http://superherosquad.marvel.com/create_your_own_comic
Introducing Google Docs in the Classroom. We are not here yet but some teachers may be ready sooner than I think - http://tbarrett.edublogs.org/2009/10/21/introducing-google-docs-to-the-class/
Ideas From TIS Training
Live animal cams: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/WebCams/default.cfm
drop box: http://www.getdropbox.com/
ballot bin: http://www.ballotbin.com/
bibme: http://www.bibme.org/
tutorials: http://technology.usd259.org/
free software: http://freesoftware.wetpaint.com/
online games: http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/
whiteboard resources: http://bgfl.org/15.cfm
http://bgfl.org/
