My Blog

Interactive Whiteboards!

2007-10-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

We currently have an underused Smart Board at my school. As I always think about ways I could, in fact, use this technology here are three lesson ideas:

1. Inspiration! Another great technology resource I don't use enough is Inspiration. What a great tool to great webs and organizers with elementary school kids. Using the interactive board with Inspiration would be a student-centered, student-created endeavor. Okay, let's say the kids need to do a web about crayfish using information they find on the Internet. I could start them off with the subtopics of structures, behaviors, and habitats. Every time a student found a piece of information for the web they could come up to the interactive board and add it themselves. When all was said and done I could save the web and print out a copy for everyone. This could be used at several given times during the course of our crayfish unit. It would allow students to synthesize information while immediately using that information in a useful way.

2. Microsoft Word Scavenger Hunt! With Office 2007 my kids are having a hard time finding things on the ribbon and appopriately using the new features. It would be great to somehow create an interactive version of a Word document that could be used as a scavenger hunt.
I would ask students to find certain features. They would use the interactive board to point to the feature they think I'm talking about. If it was right, a bubble would appear to confirm their guess. If it was wrong, a bubble would appear and tell them to try again. This could be used in many other programs as well and would allow students to become more comfortable with program we use frequently in school.

3. Angles! We do a lot of work with angles; types of angles, measuring angles, drawing angles. I found this oh-so-cool website ( http://www.active-maths.co.uk/whiteboard/) that offers a free trial (or subscription - it's from the UK so prices are in pounds) which allows you to do a variety of sheets. One the sheets was a place to measure angles with a huge protractor on a white board! This would engage the kids so much that I believe it would help them better understand how to measure angles.

Output devices

2007-10-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

After exploring output devices in class, three I would like to/plan to use in my classroom are iMovie, iPod, and DVD.
I loved dabbling in the uses of iMovie in class last week. With 4th graders I could see using iMovie with a variety of projects. One specific one I was thinking of was our Living Author's Museum. Students research an author and do a presentation as that author. How cool would it be for students to still do this portion of the project but also add real video footage or photographs of their author in an iMovie? This would be a great way for students to do a few kinds of research and intergate technology at the same time.
As for iPods I actually use my iPod quite frequently in my classroom already however we basically use it for fun. I have playlists for when we clean our desks, work on projects, have writing workshop time, etc... I don't think podcasts are in my near future but I think a better use of music from my iPod is possible. During a particular unit in social studies we talk about different types of music (jazz, blues, bluegrass, etc...) and what influences impacted the creation of that music. To make better use of my iPod I could upload different examples of that music and do some kind of listening activities with it. I could even use the iPod for part of the assessment of that unit where kids would have to listen to and identify the different kinds of music we studied.
DVDs are an output device that can be easily used at any grade level for a variety of activities. Obviously there is the advantage of using DVD over video for the simple fact that you can show specific chapters of a movie/show instead of showing the whole thing or worrying about fastforwarding. Actually, for a point-of-view writing project last year, I did just that. We watched scenes from 4 different movies and then wrote from the point-of-view of each of the characters. Aside from viewing options, I could use DVD to create a classroom set of something where each kid had their own chapter. For example, we sometimes include explorers in our social studies curriculum. Each student could present their explorer, which we could record, then put in chronological order on a DVD. It would be a student-centered historical timeline!

Technologies I Can't Live Without!

2007-09-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

Although not as dependent or as efficient as others at intergrating technology into my classroom, it is certainly something I have grown to absolutely need! I currently teach 4th grade as I have been for the last seven years. I love my school, and I as often say I thank my lucky stars that I got job there when I did! My school currently has approximately 470 students serving kindergarten through fifth grade students. We are part of a fairly affluent community with much parental involvement and support.

It is safe to say that my school, while ahead of many, is far behind in terms of educational technology. Yes, it's great and wonderful that my 4th graders can create PowerPoint presentations and know basic terminology, but there's so much room for growth it's overwhelming! With that said, there are a few things I CANNOT live without in my teaching life. I can't live without the Internet. We do several research projects throughout the year and several of the topics are rather obscure. (Most 4th graders don't do biographies on people like John A. Logan or Robert Wadlow!) Without the Net, a lot of information would not be available to them. Other than research, my class and I use the Net for creating rubrics, developing lessons, communicating classroom happenings, playing educational games, and using educational sites like United Streaming.

Additionally, I can't live without my overhead! Yes, I recognize that in the coming years this piece of "technology" will probably be obsolete. But for the time being, as someone who hates chalk and chalkboards, I have to have to have my overhead. I use it everyday when the kids come in, most of the time for math, and some of the time in all other subjects. My LRC director and I have an ongoing joke that I burn out overhead lightbulbs more than anyone else! But seriously, I love my overhead and I am not ashamed to admit it.

Evidence-based posting #4

2007-06-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Evidence-based posting #4: Virtual Worlds for Kids!

As an elementary school teacher I am often introduced to things by my students that I am not familiar with. Webkinz and Club Penguin are two of these things. Webkinz and Club Penguin are two virtual world sites that my students have been talking about for months. In light of the discussions our class has had about the validity and role of Second Life in education, I thought this would be a good topic.During our last few minutes in computer lab today I had a few students come and share with me how Webkinz and Club Penguin work. Both these sites involve creating characters that are then able to function in a virtual world setting. The Webkinz involves purchasing a stuffed animal from Hallmark to obtain a code to use, while Club Penguin requires registration to create a penguin character. On Club Penguin there are different levels of registration; parent permission is required to become an actual member of the site. Both sites allow interaction between characters; Club Penguin allows actual dialogue between characters where Webkinz only allows the use of pre-written text. (My students were quick to inform me that this helps stop people from saying mean things.) I asked about ten of the students how often they visited these sites and for how long they usually visit. On average it seemed that most went about three times a week for about an hour each time. They also shared the activities they can do with their characters such as attend parties, go shopping, and play games.In previous sessions of Second Life we have discussed how it could be used with students and if it had a place in education. After talking with my students today and seeing what could be considered primary versions of Second Life, I think virtual worlds will have a place in education in the near future. Again, how it can be used and the safety issues must be considered, but if a group of fourth graders are already using virtual worlds during their free time, I’m sure teachers will be able to find a way to incorporate them into their instruction in the future. I thought it was very interesting that kids can only “talk” in Webkinz using predetermined phrases – this kind of feature can be helpful in monitoring what the students are actually saying. Club Penguin also has its own safety features for this kind of thing too- one of my students was actually banned from Club Penguin for a day for typing in a curse word.There are a lot of things that would need to happen for students at my elementary school to be able to use virtual worlds at school but after talking to my students I feel that it is something that can happen.
http://www.clubpenguin.com
http://www.webkinz.com

PowerPoint

2007-05-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

My PowerPoint can be found using the PowerPoint link on my web page:

http://page.bps101.net/web/T4000/TIE542

Sites of the Week

2007-05-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

Site of the Week #4 (May 28th)
http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/
This site has so many fun reading and writing activities that it has definite appeal to students of varying ages. There are also some great resources for teachers and parents. One of the best tools on the site is the Book Zone. In the book zone you can browse different book lists, post and read reviews, listen to stories, and find out about your favorite authors. Another great feature is the Activity Lab. This area of the site allows you to explore several different language arts activities. The search feature in the Activity Lab allows you to look for activities within specific topics and age groups. I simply typed in "story" with "9-12" year olds and many activities came up. Of course students will probably most enjoy the Game Station area of the site. The games I looked at included a poetry activity, a story-maker, and several word study games. The only drawback to this site is that some of it requires membership. But even with that, there is so much to do and explore that it is a valuable site.
Learning Standards: 1a Apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections. 1b Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency. 3c Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.

Site of the Week #3 (May 14th)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/
This website, which is part of Education World, offers many lessonplans, tips, articles, games, and templates for teachers to use in theclassroom. The site, which focuses on technology integration, has manythings for teachers to explore as they look for more effective ways toinclude technology in the classroom. One article I found interesting was about 5 technology lessons toimplement in the classroom that focus on teaching about technology.These lessons include activities to teach students about surfing theInternet, word processing, and using e-mail. In addition to this onearticle, there are also hundreds of links to other technology-orientedlesson plans for all grade levels from kindergarten through high school. I think this website can be a great resource for anyone - fromcomplete novices to those people who regularly integrate technology inthe classroom. It is definitely a site worth exploring.
NETS standards: all

Site of the week #2 (April 30th)
http://www.infoplease.com/states.html
This website has information on all 50 states. This information includes facts about states' geographic features, history, economic activities, and government. It is also has games that help students learn the names of states and their capitals. I use this site with my fourth graders as we learn about each region of the country. The especially like playing the games to learn the states because each set of games comes in a variety of levels. That way they can challenge themselves as much as they want.
Learning Standards: 17a Locate, describe and explain places, regions, and features of Earth. 17c Understand relationships between geographic features and society. 17d Understand the historical significance of geography.

Site of the Week #1 (April 16th)
http://www.aaamath.com
Website description: This site provides practice for several mathconcepts over several grade levels. It is organized for students ingrades kindergarten through 8th grade with a variety of options forgames and math practice. Games can also be accessed by math conceptinstead of grade level. Some of the math concepts that students canpractice with are: algebra, comparing, counting, decimals, division,equations, estimation, exponents, fractions, geometry, graphs,measurement, multiplication, naming numbers, patterns, percent, placevalue, properties, ratios, statistics, and subtraction. The site isalso available in Spanish.
Learning Standards: 6a Demonstrate knowledge and use of numbers in their representations ina broad range of theoretical and practication settings.6b Investigate, represent and solve problems using number facts,operations and their properties, alogrithms and relationships.6d Solve problems using comparison of quantities, ratios, proportions,and percents.7a Measure and compare quantities using appropriate units, instrumentsand methods.8b Interpret and describe numerical relationships using tables, graphs,and symbols.8d Use algebraic concepts and procedures to represent and solveproblems.9a Demontrate and apply geometric concepts involving points, lines,planes, and space.10a Organize, describe, and make predictions for existing data.

Evidence-based posting #3

2007-05-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

Evidence-based posting #3: “One Laptop per Child”

Last night on 60 Minutes, there was an interesting piece about a man who was working to provide every child in the world with an affordable laptop. “One Laptop per Child” is the vision of a man named Nicholas Negroponte whose dream is to supply $100 laptops to all children, even those in poor, underdeveloped countries. “One Laptop per Child” sounded like a worthwhile program that had no reason to be challenged or questioned. As I kept watching, I learned that thought was not entirely true.
When Negroponte’s program began, the vision was simple – have cheap, easy-to-work laptops available to any child. His vision grew into a nonprofit organization that produces laptops that are cheap, reliable, and easy to use. These laptops began popping up in both industrialized and developing nations and seemed to promise at least one equity amongst the world’s youth. As his program became more successful, new challenges arose. These challenges came in the shape of Intel and other giants of the computer industry. How did these major companies challenge Negroponte’s program? These companies developed their own inexpensive laptops to market which directly affected Negroponte’s efforts. How could large for profit corporations come in and undermine one man’s dream to help children?
The answer was debatable. Negroponte feels like the corporations saw the millions of children that would need laptops and that translated into dollar signs. The corporations feel that they are expanding a new market and therefore choice benefits everyone. There is validity to both sides of the discussion, as long as both sides don’t lose sight of the original vision. I think Negroponte’s motives are of the best intentions, but can he really be mad if other products come out that are similar to his? The large corporations have every right to produce products for whatever need they find, but did they really need to target a not for profit humanitarian effort? Like so many things “One Laptop per Child” is composed of ideals that are almost impossible to reach. But as the argument between Negroponte and the corporations presses on, it is only safe to assume that the goals of “One Laptop per Child” will become completely impossible to reach, and instead one man’s dream will crumble, and corporations will be faced with the “what ifs” of failed business venture.
Stahk, L. (2007, May 20). What if Every Child Had a Laptop? Retrieved May 21, 2007, from cbsnews: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/20/60minutes/main2830058.shtml

Hot List

2007-05-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hotlist

Math
1. www.aaamath.com
This website is a great resource for math practice in grades kindergarten through eighth. It includes a variety of math subjects organized be grade level and skill.

2. http://www.coolmath4kids.com/
This site offers a plethora of activities and on-line instruction for a variety of math concepts. One of the great things about this site is that it has a link that shows students the exact steps involved in lattice multiplication.

3. http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/index.shtml
On this page are several interactive math activities. The activities cover a broad range of topics and age levels.

4. http://www.mathgoodies.com/students.html
This website was originally designed to provide students with homework help. Now it not only offers math homework help, but also many activities for parents and students.

5. http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html
This is a very cool site where students can work with virtual manipulatives at several grade levels. Geoboards, base 10 blocks, pentominoes, graphing tools, and tangrams are just a few of the things that can be found here.

Learning Standards:
Standard 6 Demonstrate and apply knowledge and sense of numbers, including numeration
and operations, patterns, ratios, and proportions.
Standard 7 Estimate, make and use measurements of objects, quantities and relationships
and determine acceptable levels of accuracy.
Standard 8 Use algebraic and analytical methods to identify and describe patterns and
relationships in data, solve problems and predict results.
Standard 9 Use geometric methods to analyze, categorize, and draw conclusions about
points, lines, planes and space.
Standard 10 Collect, organize and analyze data using statistical methods; predict results;
and interpret uncertainty using concepts of probability.

Science
6. http://www.mackers.com/crayfish/
The Crayfish Corner is a site all about crayfish which my class studies as part of our Structures of Life science unit in the fall. It includes information about crayfish structures, habitats, behaviors, and other links about crayfish.

7. http://www.schoolsnet.com/educate/teacher_zone/classroom/science/5d_book/index.htm
Another one of our science units is Water. Here a story about Dropletta is told to help students learn about the water cycle.

8. http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/PhysicsofSound/index.html
Physics of Sound is another 4th grade unit. This page from FOSS science contains information, vocabulary, and activities that have to do with sound.

9. http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/Variables/index.html
Another FOSS site for another unit. This time the unit is on variables.

Learning Standards:
Standard 11 Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to
investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems.
Standard 12 Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the
life, physical and earth/space sciences.

Social Studies
10. http://www.teachtci.com/resources/ssa/socDefault.aspx
We use the Social Studies Alive program from TCI in my district. The 4th grade curriculum involves learning about the different regions of our country and about the five social studies strands. This website is a link for the TCI site and has links specific to each social studies lesson in the 4th grade curriculum.

11. http://www.infoplease.com/states.html
An informational site on all states including details about geographical features, history, economic activities, and government. The site also includes games that help students learn the location of states and state capitals.

12. http://www.50states.com/
Another site with information about all the states. Each state has its own page with several links to other sites for information on any given state.

13. http://www.eduplace.com/geonet/
Students can use this site to learn about geography. Options include games about the United States and the world.

14. http://www.online-springfield.com/sites/
Our grade level takes a field trip to Springfield every spring as the culminating event to the studies of Illinois we do throughout the school year. What better way to get the kids excited than giving them a sneak peak at the sites we will visit?

15. http://www.alplm.org/home.html
Obviously the study of Illinois is not complete without learning about Abraham Lincoln. The presidential museum in Springfield that opened a few years back is now the highlight of our annual Springfield trip. This site offers information on Lincoln, and also let’s students preview the exhibits.

16. http://www.state.il.us/kids/learn/default.htm
We study the five social science strands during the course of our Illinois unit. Here students can learn about everything from state government to state symbols.

17. http://www.alohafriendshawaii.com/keiki.html
As we “tour” the United States, we do activities in each region. One of our activities takes place in Hawaii. The students become travel agents and create travel itineraries for other students. This site is kid-friendly and offers information on different activities to do in Hawaii.

Learning Standards:
Standard 14 Understand political systems, with emphasis on the United States.
Standard 16 Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of
Illinois, the United States and other nations.
Standard 17 Understand world geography and the effects of geography on society, with
emphasis on the United States.

Language Arts
18. www.school-house-rock.com/GrammarRock.html
This is a fun website that offers all of the songs and lyrics to the Grammar Rock songs of the famed School House Rocks series. Music is a powerful tool in helping students recall important facts.

19. http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html
This is a site I recently discovered when preparing computer lab activities for our family reading night in April. It contains all kinds of information about children’s literature and resources for teachers and parents.

20. http://www.bookhive.org/
This was another site I had up and running at family reading night. This is another online resource for information about children’s literature and literacy in general.

21. http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~leslieob/pizzaz.html
A neat resource of poetry and other writing projects. There are also printable handouts and writing links for teachers.

22. http://page.bps101.net/web/t8165/Six%20Traits%20of%20Writing.htm
This page is actually a local one – it comes from a fellow teacher in my school district who developed it for a writing class. It has lots of good information about the 6+1 Traits of Writing including a great annotated bibliography.

23. http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_4.html
We use Harcourt materials for reading in our district. This is a page from the Harcourt site that offers a lot of great language arts activities for 4th grade students.

24. http://www.rif.org/readingplanet/
This is a fun site where students can do everything from creating stories and poems, to playing reading games. The layout of the site is kid-friendly and will appeal to both primary and intermediate elementary school students.

Learning Standards:
Standard 1 Read with understanding and fluency
Standard 2 Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras, and
ideas.
Standard 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.

Technology
25. http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson285.shtml
A great resource of links, lesson plans, and activities to enhance teacher and student knowledge of technology in general.

26. http://www.ivyjoy.com/rayne/kidssearch.html
Having reliable kid-friendly search engines is an important piece to using the Internet safely in the elementary schools. There are a dozen or so search engine choices linked to this website for students to use.

27. http://www.computerlab.kids.new.net/keyboarding.htm
Keyboarding is an essential skill that students need to start developing at a young age. As a 4th grade teacher where keyboarding is officially introduced, this website offers links to a variety of keyboarding practice sites.

28. http://www.techedlab.com/
This site contains all kinds of technology-related information for teachers. This includes grant information and grade-level specific resources.

29. http://www.netsmartz.org/resources/nsresources.htm
Internet safety is a top priority when taking kids online and this website is devoted to educating kids about Internet safety.

NETS Standards: all

Teacher resources
30. http://www.sitesforteachers.com/
This fabulous site has links and information on anything a teacher could possibly think of. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of sites listed that offer information and activities for elementary, middle, and high school teachers.

31. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html
Enchanted Learning offers many activities and print-outs to teachers and students alike. Students can find information on a variety of topics that have to do with science, social studies, reading, and writing.

32. http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK
We get Time for Kids every week in my classroom. Not only does this website offer a glimpse of upcoming issues, it offers resources for teachers and students.

33. http://www.abcteach.com/
A great resource of printable worksheets and lesson ideas.

34. http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/
This site is so fun! It offers teachers many great ideas on how to help students in the classroom.

35. http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_4th_original.htm
This site offers dozens of interactive sites for all content areas.

36. http://www.readinga-z.com/
Another great site for teachers that has multiple resources. The resources here all have to do with reading and reading instruction.

37. http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/kidstuff.html
Part of the Discovery website and Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators, this page has all kinds of different links for students. Some of it is directly related to curriculum and some of the links are just for fun.

38. http://www.brainpop.com/
TONS of resources are available here for a variety of subjects. When a subject is clicked, a new page comes up with many, many options for students to explore.

39. http://www.funbrain.com/index.html
A favorite amongst all elementary students is Funbrain! The games offered on this site are both educational and fun. I often allow students to go to Funbrain for the last 10 minutes of computer lab as a wind down activity before we head back to our classroom.

40. http://www.bestedsites.com/
A vast list of links and sites for every subject. Teachers can find great ideas here and online activities for students to do.

Standards: all

Evidence-based posting #2

2007-05-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

Addressing Cyberbullying in Schools
While technology has opened many doors for students that lead them in a positive direction, there are avenues in which students can now travel down that do not lead to such experiences. Today’s students use a variety of technology tools to enhance their educational experience and their personal relationships with peers. Chat rooms, text messaging, and virtual world websites have taken precedence over note-passing and phone calls, empowering students to explore a new world of communication. With this evolution comes one constant; bullying. No matter the age, sex, or generation of students, there are always those who make some students’ lives absolutely miserable. While schools and teachers have developed ways to deal with everyday teasing and harassment, the “cyberworld” has offered a new set of challenges.
Addressing Cyberbullying in Schools, an article published in the quarterly magazine TechEdge and posted on the website Tools for Teks, offers educators a list of suggestions of how to handle cyberbullying in their school communities. These recommendations include classroom, school, and community actions to help educate against and prevent cyberbullying. By taking a proactive initiative against cyberbullying, school communities can help foster a safe and responsible attitude towards communication amongst students.

Evidence:
Fryer, W. A. (2006, November 20). Addressing Cyberbully in Schools. Retrieved May 4, 2007, from Tools for Teks: http://www.wtvi.com/teks/06_07_articles/cyberbullying.html

Evidence-based post #1

2007-04-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

Evaluation of Technologies in Education
Technology is a big buzz word in the world of education that is often thrown around with little understanding of its purpose or function. Yes teachers may use e-mail for communication, PowerPoint for presentations, or Microsoft Word for developing daily worksheets, but how often are “technologies” successfully implemented as they were designed to do? How often are new programs and hardware brought in to enhance a teacher’s curriculum or improve students’ understanding of a topic, only to be tossed aside as they do not fit the needs they were designed to meet? These kind of issues arise in the wake of the evaluation of available technologies. Evaluation is a crucial component in deciding what is needed and wanted for any given educational setting that requires a technology. Unfortunately, these evaluations are not fullfilling the job they were designed to do. With technology being a quick-moving, forever-changing field, the evaluation processes have not evolved as quickly. Therefore schools run into the issues of unprepared teachers avoiding new technologies, improper funding for advancements, and inconsistent student improvement.
In the article Evaluation of Communication and Information Technologies in Education these issues with evaluation are addresed. Within the discussion of evaluations, there are several reasons stated as to why current evaluations “don’t fit” the technologies need and new evaluations need to be implemented. These reasons range from the roles of teachers and students to the inequities school districts face when it comes to funding. These are hurdles that must be recognized and conquered, not ignored and pushed aside. By facing issues such as these with innovation and a desire to gain a deeper understanding , educators can improve the evaluation process and implementation of technologies in their schools.

Evidence:Bruce, B. (1999, March). Challenges for the Evaluation of Communication and Information Technologies in Education. Retrieved April 22, 2007, from Reading Online: http:/http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=/electronic/jaal/March_Column.html

Hmm...

2007-04-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well now that I have had to create a new blog for the most ridiculous of reasons, I suppose I should start using it...

Our first chat in Second Life was very strange. I have never used such a program, and could see the validity of concerns raised by other members of the class over it's use. Having said that, I do believe that there is value in exploring things such as Second Life as educators. How children use technology evolves much faster than the ways teachers implement technology in their classrooms. By exploring things that seem so out of the norm, I think teachers might be able to close the gap, if only by a little, between themselves and students.
During our chat there were a few of us who approached the subject of simulation activities using programs such as Second Life. One person brought up Oregon Trail (which, let's face it, everyone loves for some reason) and I was thinking of a colony simulation I used to do with my fourth graders. How cool would it be to do things such as this in a virtual world where the kids could really develop and explore things as characters?
The bottom line is I think using Second Life as a means of having class is totally weird but potentially valuable to us as educators looking to what could be a future tool in the classroom.