Read the article and tell me what you think about using technology to connect.
FLIPGRID APP
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Friday, December 11, 2015
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015
Is it Really Free Time?
As my kids get older, I realize the importance of teaching them how to jump into extracurricular activities to grow and foster healthy lives. This week was a wonderful reminder that my students have interests outside of school too. My job is to encourage critical thinking centered around those interests.
Given time to choose activities this week (aka Free Time), one class of 1st Graders asked for websites, videos and games on the following topics:
WWE
Dude Perfect
Hello Kitty
Dora
John Cena
Minecraft
Makeup tutorials
HashtagSisters #sisters
NFL
Funny Golf Videos
Spongebob
Disneyland
Google Maps
They've seen how the blog process works now and how to reflect on our own posts. I can't wait to see how they begin to use blogging for their own purposes.
Happy Teacher Today!
Given time to choose activities this week (aka Free Time), one class of 1st Graders asked for websites, videos and games on the following topics:
WWE
Dude Perfect
Hello Kitty
Dora
John Cena
Minecraft
Makeup tutorials
HashtagSisters #sisters
NFL
Funny Golf Videos
Spongebob
Disneyland
Google Maps
They've seen how the blog process works now and how to reflect on our own posts. I can't wait to see how they begin to use blogging for their own purposes.
Happy Teacher Today!
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Monday, November 23, 2015
Friday, November 6, 2015
First Week in November
I found this wonderful visual of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards for Students to guide our work in the technology lab.
Throughout the last two weeks, we have been dealing with a switch to new computers and slow network issues. We're a little out of sync with lessons being "the same" across grade levels and classrooms.
With 2nd grade we worked on logging into The Typing Club program. Each student had their own account and were able to log in, but we had issues with the program that we thought were network related. It is a process of elimination to find out if it's the program causing problems or the network. Our technicians asked me Friday morning to switch to another program. So we'll have to step back a bit.
The 2nd plan for this week was to get into eBooks, this hit the "FIND IT" standard. All students were introduced to the eBook link on the SVT page. However, because of network slow downs and time, we were hit and miss with the amount of books and sites we were able to access. For the most part, students were excited to find sites that read to aloud.
Next week, we plan to use the "MAKE IT" standard and create something based on information we "FIND". Time and network willing, the following step will be to "SHARE IT". Ultimately, I'd like students to be able to use the Blogger Jr. app. This will allow them to start sharing what's happening in their classrooms. Cross your fingers!
Throughout the last two weeks, we have been dealing with a switch to new computers and slow network issues. We're a little out of sync with lessons being "the same" across grade levels and classrooms.
With 2nd grade we worked on logging into The Typing Club program. Each student had their own account and were able to log in, but we had issues with the program that we thought were network related. It is a process of elimination to find out if it's the program causing problems or the network. Our technicians asked me Friday morning to switch to another program. So we'll have to step back a bit.
The 2nd plan for this week was to get into eBooks, this hit the "FIND IT" standard. All students were introduced to the eBook link on the SVT page. However, because of network slow downs and time, we were hit and miss with the amount of books and sites we were able to access. For the most part, students were excited to find sites that read to aloud.
Next week, we plan to use the "MAKE IT" standard and create something based on information we "FIND". Time and network willing, the following step will be to "SHARE IT". Ultimately, I'd like students to be able to use the Blogger Jr. app. This will allow them to start sharing what's happening in their classrooms. Cross your fingers!
Monday, November 2, 2015
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
My Apologies
We had a student blogger take a video and write for you today. The video did not load. My apologies to that student!
In the picture below the girls got creative with their iPads. Enjoy!
In the picture below the girls got creative with their iPads. Enjoy!
Kinder Students Are Teaching Me!
We've spent this last week truly focusing on watching the students tell us what they can do. In the technology lab, we don't have the time allotted to know our students the way classroom teachers do. Observation helped me to learn how to differentiate instruction for students.
By the end of the week, I was asking students to tell me what level they were at. The task was to write their name, highlight it and change it's size. Next, add stickers and re-size those as well using the "hotboxes".
If students couldn't identify their letters on the keyboard, we had them write their name in all caps or all lowercase three times:
SUZY
SUZY
SUZY
If they could already write their name, we had them type an initial capital letter:
Suzy
If that was easy, we had them write their first and last name with a capital in the appropriate place:
Suzy Carney
It'll be fun when the kids are blogging about their progress on their own. Say tuned!
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
First Week Target
Kindergarten is using a generic login. But they are learning to do it themselves. This is tough when some of them don't know what a "KG" looks like on a keyboard. They are powering through and show they want to learn!
First and Second grade have their own cards with logins they will use through high school. They love it when I tell them they are learning high school stuff!
Some Secong Graders have understood the term "mastery". Super Cool!
Friday, May 29, 2015
June 2015
Here are the last few projects we worked on in technology:
If there is no link related to your student's class, we did not make it to the sharing stage.
I'm sorry. After I calculate the amount of hours I spend with students, it translates into about 6-6 hour days. This does not include all the interruptions schools encounter (testing, assemblies, nurse exams, fire drills, computer issues....). With that said, I'm very proud of what we accomplished.
While some finished up these projects, others participated in "Create Day" instead of "free time". Here are some responses to the question: What did you create today?
What will you remember about Technology Classes?
If there is no link related to your student's class, we did not make it to the sharing stage.
I'm sorry. After I calculate the amount of hours I spend with students, it translates into about 6-6 hour days. This does not include all the interruptions schools encounter (testing, assemblies, nurse exams, fire drills, computer issues....). With that said, I'm very proud of what we accomplished.
Kinder
|
First
|
Second
|
Third
|
Fourth
|
Kerslake
|
||||
Jump
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Hussell
|
|||
While some finished up these projects, others participated in "Create Day" instead of "free time". Here are some responses to the question: What did you create today?
What will you remember about Technology Classes?
Friday, May 22, 2015
Thrills Come With Exhaustion
Thrilling new programs this week: Pikage/Thinglink/Padlet/Flipgrid/Scribblemaps.
In addition: server crashing, files lost and flash flooding.....Exhausting!
Kinder, First Grade and Second Grade students explored scribblemaps.com on their own.
With me, students planned and recorded a little message to their teachers using flipgrid.com. I found this site by following other professionals on Twitter.com.
Third and Fourth Grade Students used Pikage.com to create a collage of their teachers. They uploaded that collage into Thinglink.com and tagged each picture with a little message. Finally they uploaded their Thinglink into Padlet.com to share collaboratively on one classroom wall.
A handful of students also figured out how to share their thinglink pictures in their blogs too! #problemsolving :)
In addition: server crashing, files lost and flash flooding.....Exhausting!
Kinder, First Grade and Second Grade students explored scribblemaps.com on their own.
With me, students planned and recorded a little message to their teachers using flipgrid.com. I found this site by following other professionals on Twitter.com.
Third and Fourth Grade Students used Pikage.com to create a collage of their teachers. They uploaded that collage into Thinglink.com and tagged each picture with a little message. Finally they uploaded their Thinglink into Padlet.com to share collaboratively on one classroom wall.
 |
| Padlet.com |
Friday, May 15, 2015
Timelines & Photos Collages
This week's tasks included creating timelines and photo collages. Student engagement at an all time high when given choices. :)
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/timeline_2/
http://www.pikage.com
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/timeline_2/
http://www.pikage.com
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
It Took All Year....
I feel like I'm just getting started with the possibilities of what my students can do with technology. Having had a year of learning the ins and out of programs and tools we are finally creating like we should be.
Kindergarten -
Learned how to take selfies on their computers. Then we learned how to delete and move picture files as needed.
First Grade-
Went a step further and used their selfies and other pictures to add to an internet safety poster and a Mother's Day Card.
Second Grade-
Created poems using the Scholastic Poetry Machine and blogged them.
Third and Fourth Grade-
Created a Haiku Deck using another person's poetry. This week we learned how to put those Haiku Decks into our blogs!
Kyleigh mother's day - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires
Kindergarten -
Learned how to take selfies on their computers. Then we learned how to delete and move picture files as needed.
First Grade-
Went a step further and used their selfies and other pictures to add to an internet safety poster and a Mother's Day Card.
Second Grade-
Created poems using the Scholastic Poetry Machine and blogged them.
 |
| http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/poetry_engine.htm |
Third and Fourth Grade-
Created a Haiku Deck using another person's poetry. This week we learned how to put those Haiku Decks into our blogs!
Kyleigh mother's day - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires
Thursday, April 23, 2015
THINK
Kindergarten
Students watched Internet Safety Video Clips by Netsmartz.org.
First Grade
Attempted to take pictures of themselves using PhotoBooth. We'll work on adding those photos to an Internet Safety Poster.
Second Grade
Focus was on how to comment on another's blog posts. THINK before you write for the public.
Third Grade
This was the last week of test preparations.
Fourth Grade
Some classes got to watch our school district bus video.
We brainstormed reasons why someone would go to the trouble of producing something like this. We used the website called bubbl.us.
Students watched Internet Safety Video Clips by Netsmartz.org.
First Grade
Attempted to take pictures of themselves using PhotoBooth. We'll work on adding those photos to an Internet Safety Poster.
Second Grade
Focus was on how to comment on another's blog posts. THINK before you write for the public.
 |
| https://fortna.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/social-media-think-poster/ |
Third Grade
This was the last week of test preparations.
Fourth Grade
Some classes got to watch our school district bus video.
We brainstormed reasons why someone would go to the trouble of producing something like this. We used the website called bubbl.us.
We also looked at blog comments that were written last week to see if each student used the article to back up their opinions.
Friday, April 17, 2015
April
Kinder and First Grade used KidPix this week to focus on conveying a message with proper use of capitals, spaces, returns, punctuation, etc....
First Grade also got their first taste of real keyboarding. We talked about posture, home row keys, space bar and the return key. It's difficult for these little hands to reach the return key without looking!
Second Grade wrote a paragraph about their spring break. Then they joined a private Kidblog account and transferred that writing into their blog. Next week we talk about how to comment on someone else's work. Digital safety and conveying messages to an authentic audience is a part of our daily lives today. Don't worry, I look at all the posts and comments of students this age before other students can see them. :)
Third Grade did more test tools prepping. There are a lot of features that are unfamiliar to our students. It'll go much smoother next year having had a year of instruction under their belts.
Fourth Grade read an article and took a stance for or against the question proposed. They were supposed to back up their opinions using information from the article and close with a personal connection to the question.
I'll put up some of the great responses after I get a chance to read and review them on the weekend. :)
First Grade also got their first taste of real keyboarding. We talked about posture, home row keys, space bar and the return key. It's difficult for these little hands to reach the return key without looking!
Third Grade did more test tools prepping. There are a lot of features that are unfamiliar to our students. It'll go much smoother next year having had a year of instruction under their belts.
Fourth Grade read an article and took a stance for or against the question proposed. They were supposed to back up their opinions using information from the article and close with a personal connection to the question.
 |
| Stephanie Santana Newsela Tuesday, April 14, 2015 edition |
I'll put up some of the great responses after I get a chance to read and review them on the weekend. :)
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