For this week's Class Science web post , the students created their site entries using 4 different tech tools instead of just brainstorming , writing them on paper or typing directly on the blog. The apps we used were : Puppet Pals (which I posted about here last time) , Pic Collage, Powerpoint and Makebeliefscomix.com. Each station has a clear description of the gadget they are using, the software/app and instructions:
For my research project in graduate school , I am measuring our students' knowledge of plants when they learn through a text book based method versus a technology enhanced experiential learning based one. It's a pretty exciting adventure in third grade. We had randomly selected the groups where our students will belong . We launched the plant unit last week . I'm leading the technology enhanced experiential learning group. This is a video I showed my group on the launch . This video set the stage for all of our learning tasks for the group. All the students realized that they were all a part of something greater than themselves - and that everything they will be creating and doing in our Science class will not only be for themselves, but for this (Big Thanks to Mr. Jarred Kalweit) : We are in the process of building our website now. Here's how we do it :
Every Science session , a group of students will have different jobs to contribute to our site. The kids are always excited to do their jobs ! We review the job description for a while so that we are all reminded of what we have to prepare for the blog. During the last 15 minutes of class, we come together and decide what to put on our blog site. Here are the jobs we have : Today my students did differentiated activities in Math. Our topic was rounding off numbers. I grouped the class according to their levels of understanding and prepared activities for them to do. For those who needed more guidance and practice on the topic , I set up a computer station where kids work with a program called MATH IXL. For those kids who knew the topic very well, I set up an IPAD station where they worked with an app called PUPPET PALS. MATH IXL Practice makes perfect, and IXL makes math practice fun! IXL motivates students through interactive games and exercises while keeping teachers and parents informed and involved. IXL offers a dynamic and enjoyable environment suitable for any learning style. Students who use IXL are succeeding like never before. -www.ixl.com PUPPET PALS My students loved Puppet Pals ! Not only was it interactive, it also allowed the kids to think beyond the topic. Their task was to create a puppet show using the app to create a story that would teach kids how to round off . They broke into groups of four and brainstormed away ! They had so much fun putting the show together. I will upload the show soon !
The third graders are looking forward to take their first ever MAP test . For first time test takers, online testing can be stressful . Thanks to www.prepdog.org our students are now more prepared to take the test . The website Prepdog.org gives free access to online practice tests from second to ninth grade . It also has other features but we used the site mainly for online practice. Our students had a great time practicing . I am positive that they are all now motivated to do their best !
The third graders are off to a great adventure ! What better way to start the year than to create a personal VISION BOARD . A vision board is a collage of goals, pictures, words, affirmations and anything a person wants to achieve or receive. The board becomes a positive reminder for the students. For this activity , we used a free and easy online photo collage maker called Photovisi. It runs on Adobe Flash so make sure you have an updated version of that. You can create your own collage in three easy steps - It's as simple as choosing a design, adding photos then saving and sharing. To start the activity , we talked about our goals for the year and our long term goals for the future. We then looked at how vision boards can help us get closer to our goals and stay focused during the year. I gave my students a planning sheet and we brainstormed together on what contents we would like to put on our boards. This activity was followed by a trip to the computer room where the kids had to do the actual collage. The planning sheet was awesome as it kept me sane while kids were creating their collages online - students knew what images and texts they needed on their boards . It took only 20 minutes for everyone to be done ! Now the vision boards sit on their desks and serves as a reminder for them to never give up and reach their goals ! Here are some examples of their work: It's nice to be back in school after a long summer ! All the students were excited to be inside the classrooms - the third graders were particularly excited about their new class website and the Quick Response (QR) code for the site that was glued on their Student Planners .
What is a QR Code and Why do we need one ? QR is short for Quick Response (they can be read quickly by a cell phone). They are used to take a piece of information from a transitory media and put it in to your cell phone. How does the cell phone read the code? The cell phone needs a QR code reader, like this one from Kaywa. It takes literally 1 minute for someone with an iPhone or Android phone to find and install the reader. How do you generate a code? You can easily generate a QR code using a site like qrstuff.com .To add design or logo to your QR code, try Visualead.com How could you use a QR code in teaching ? Your classroom, no matter what level or subject , could use QR codes in a number of ways. Here are a few ideas : Hi All !
Having learned about all these great innovations in education technology around the globe has inspired me to start a personal project where I will document the different ways I'll be using technology across the curriculum. One of my goals is to provide insight to the wide range of technology integration possibilities that our school may want to consider in the future. Through this personal project , I also hope that I can share some insight and data with the school to help make future decisions for technology investment and integration . I am looking forward to discover new ways to teach, better ways to learn and develop a vision of how I can utilize all our existing technology resource to promote lifelong learning. This project will not only help me move forward with my in Education technology but it will also help me grow as an educator and aspiring integrationist - to move forward in the best direction for my students and colleagues. Peace, Lianne |