All About Seuss! Digital Story

All About Seuss! from Abbey Menard on Vimeo.

Here is my digital story I was FINALLY able to upload.  I created this video and showed it to my students to honor and celebrate Dr. Seuss for Read Across America Day.

Literacy Project

Here is the link to my literacy project.  I used an iPad app called StoryKit to launch our new unit on opinion/persuasive writing.  We worked on the project as a class.  Each student chose a kind of shoe they believed to be the best; sneakers, boots or flip flops.  Each student then drew a picture of their opinion and gave a reason to match.  The students wrote their own "scripts" which they recorded to go along with their picture.  Each student had their own page.  While we did go over some specific vocabulary, much of this activity was also used as a pre-assessment.  This is app is not only awesome because its free, but I was also able to email our work to parents.  The students and I really enjoyed this, and I found it very user friendly.  I will definitely be finding more opportunities to use this app again!

Dr. Seuss Cam!

Tried this fun and inexpensive app out today! I highly recommend it as a fun way to celebrate Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss's birthday!

Here is the link to my diigo library!  Hopefully you'll be able to access it through this link.  While I am still get accustomed to using diigo, I definitely can see the value in it.  Most of what I have saved to my library are resources for first grade or primary grade students.  I have a few technology resources and websites mixed in with some blogs and more.  I have added labels within the library, but my next task will be to organize it better through the use of lists and more detailed descriptions.

Alternative to Starfall

While I love Starfall.com just as much as the next person. It's great to have some additional resources at your finger tips. I am always looking for new site for my students to try out, so they don't get bored going to the same ones, week after week. Here is a list of some alternative sites. The one big plus is that these sites are both interactive and free :)

Teaching Keyboarding

One of my main goals this year is to help my students improve on their keyboarding skills. With a new standardized test, complete with writing prompt, all to be completed on the computer in their near future- keyboarding is an essential life skill for them!

Here is a site with LOTS of free sites to help teach keyboarding. I use some of these with my students when we visit the laptop computer lab once a week. Enjoy :)

iPhones in the Classroom

I use these iPhones with my students during word work time.  They choose five words to write in the text message lines.  Then, they read/type/spell each word they chose 5 times.  I laminate them so students can use dry erase or vis-a-vis markers.  My students could use these all day if I let them!  Great for sight words, word wall words and spelling words :)

You can download these templates for FREE on the Teachers Pay Teachers website :)

Digital Song Stories!

Found some great digital "song stories" on youtube from havefunteaching.com Check this one out on skip conting by 10's. My first graders would totally love this!  If you search youtube, you'll find plenty more!

Great to use for random motor breaks throughout the day without feeling guilty too!

NETS and Reading- Double Dipping

If you're anything like me, you are CONSTANTLY stressing over your students reading progress and development. In an attempt to stay calm and keep my head above the water, I am always looking for ways to "double dip."  Here you will find some great iPad apps that are reading specific.  Hitting both reading standards and NETS all at once :)

Too Young for Technology???

In this day and age, does it make sense to argue that preschoolers, kindergarteners and first graders are too young for technology? This is definitely something I used to think. However, now that I have become more confident in my own technological abilities and have explored many of the great resources that are available to young children, I have to say, I think my mind has changed. It's really quite amazing at the amount of programs and resources that have become accessible to young children and their families. Something else that also ccontinues to prove my previous notions and sentiments wrong is watching my 4 year old nephew use an iPad with greater ease than some adults! 

While I think I still encounter aaccesssibility issues in terms of enough computers/ipads for individual student use, it is still great to have some go to resources for those breif opportunitites and for eager parents as well. Starfall is a GREAT resource to have on hand for both parents and teachers. It's a resource that caters to those early readers. Visit both the web and  app version of this wonderful resource :)

Diigo

Here's some great additional tips, tricks and information on Diigo.  This video does a nice job describing how the Diigo tool bar is used in a clear and concise manner.  It really helped me better understand all Diigo has to offer.  Being able to have more resources right at my finger tips at all times, will only help in my quest to integrate technology into my classroom on a more regular basis!

StoryKit- An awesome app for digital storytelling

So over the past few weeks, this class along with the lack of technology that is available to myself and my students, I have been trying to pool my resources to better meet the NETS.  I have to admit that I do feel guilty at times when I think about how much my students are missing out on, in regards to adequate technology instruction due to accessibility issues.  With that said, I have been "attempting" to use my iPad to teach my mini lessons for Writing Workshop.  I have been using a FREE app called StoryKit.  So far it's been great, and I haven't had any "technical difficulties" at all with it!  This app is not only great because it's free but it allows you to write an unlimited amount of text across each page.  You can also draw the pictures or upload photos from your iPad library.  Additionally, you record your own voice reading the story aloud (which is also great fluency work).  One of the reasons I am so excited about this app is because, year after year I find myself scrambling at the beginning or Writing Workshop to rewrite and create my own mentor texts to use with the students.  StoryKit is a great place to save and update my work year after year!  Which means... LESS WORK :)




Here's one of my stories that I have been using in our realistic fiction unit.  I specifically used this piece to teach building suspense and adding in some description to people, places or things.

Character Spies Hard at Work!

Here is my very first animoto! I decided to make one to reinforce character feelings.  We have been working on "spying" and studying the characters in our books at reading time.  During this time we are trying to look for clues to find out all we can about the characters.  This unit facilitates students in retelling as well as some critical literacy skills.

What Makes for an Awesome Digital Story?!

Here's a quick video on the 7 elements of a powerful digital story.  It makes me rethink my definition of a digital story and what actually qualifies as a digital story.  Any thoughts?

Digital storytelling- A new adeventure

Digital storytelling is definietly something I would like to try out with the students in my classroom.  So far I have found a bunch of iPad apps that are great for students to use, but am wondering what would be the best way to implement this using laptop computers.

Here is a link to FREE digital storytelling tools/resources.

RSS Feeds- Easier than you think!

Using RSS Feeds was WAY easier than I had originally thought.  Here's a video (just like the ones we've been watching in class) on Google reader.  It talks about/shows what it is and how it works.

Whoa!

The title of this video says it all... "Little Kids... Big Potential"

These young students do it all!  From blogging, to creating webpages to skyping.  This teacher has implemented the use of technology VERY effectively.  Just to hear the students speak about all they do and WHY they do it is amazing.  There is definitely some very meaningful learning going on here :)

Flipped Classroom...

Over the past few years the district that I work in has made some big steps to improve upon the implementation of technology, as well as the accessibility of technology for k-12 teachers, classrooms and students.  We now have a new and improved school website where teachers can create blogs and other useful tools (i.e. drop box, grade books, etc.) to make teaching and planning more effective.  There are number of teachers, primarily grades 4-12 teachers, who are experimenting with the Flipped Classroom.  Basically the whole philosophy is the initial teaching is done at home, and the practicing (the most important part of learning) is done in the classroom with the teachers supervision and guidance.  As part of their homework students are able to watch a brief video of their teacher to learn something new.  Then the next day, students come in ready to participate in activities that reinforce concepts learned/taught in the video.  Many of the teachers report great success with this.

Here are some FAQ's on flipped classrooms answered by a teacher who supports this philosophy and way of teaching.

Enjoy :)

Charts, Charts and more Charts!

Awesome RW and WW charts here :)

I use this site to get ideas for new charts, mini-charts and teaching points for my first grade Reading and Writing Workshop! 

Here's a few of my own :)

Technology- With big changes, come BIG expectations

As I was reading the first few pages of Will Richardson's book "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for classrooms. I couldn't help but reflect on how quickly the internet and technology in general seems to change. Without a significant amount of time, the changes that are made seem to have such a monumental affect on our daily lives. As Richardson mentions, from politics, to businesses, education and even the average person, technology has such an impact on how we live and what we do.

I can't help but get nervous when I think about the task as hand, when it comes to educating our students in the realm of technology. I feel guilty at times, as I feel I don't know enough or am not confident enough with technology to lead them in such a quest to achieve the NETS for students. One thing that also keeps popping into my mind as I reflect back on the past two chapters is the technology that must be readily available to facilitate students and teachers on this endeavor. Teachers and students would need internet access through the use of smart boards, computers, laptops, iPads, etc. on regular basis in order to fully immerse students in a current technologically savvy environment. It also seems like a daunting task when more always seems to be being added as opposed to the "new" replacing the "old" when it comes to curriculum, standards and expectations. However, as Richardson alluded to and as it was mention in the videos, I believe the key is becoming technologically inlined so that this new kind of literacy can be integrated into other academic areas and other parts of the day. This will hopefully create and balance and connection between new literacies and more traditional terms/expectations of literacy.

As I explored some of the websites throughout the first few chapters of Richardson's book, I found I was familiar with a few of them. The one that really caught my eye was the "Weather Recipes" book his daughter made on Flickr. I thought it was a great way to show how technology can be easily accessible and meaningful in a primary grade classroom, as most assume kindergardeners and first graders are far to young to be worrying about technology. However, technology is just as relevant to them as the average adult or teenager, just in a different way.

http://tinyurl.com/2nfw64/

Thinking about new literacies and NETS

New literacies is a term that is hard to define. Just as the term literacy and what it means to be literate is hard to define. One of the biggest reasons for these difficulties is because literacy and what it means to be literate is constantly evolving and changing. A literate person needs to be able to read, write and navigate the world around them. New literacies requires students to utilize a variety of different mediums to report out on and access a wide range of information. Students must now be literate in the are of technology. And within the realm of technology, there is a revolving door of changes that are constantly being made, causing the term literacy to change. Overall, new literacies is and should encompass all parts of the world, not just more traditional technologies.

NETS for students requires students to be more than familiar with technology. It also requires students to know more about the technology and resources they have available to them on a deeper level. Students need to be technologically savvy. They need to be ready, willing and able to navigate the online world that is constantly growing and changing around them. Students need to be able to acquire foundational computer and technological skills that will help them search, find, evaluate and synthesis all that they have at the tips of their fingers.

NETS for teachers requires teachers to have the same technological "savviness" as their students and then some. Teachers who are comfortable and confident in using and teaching with/about technology will help reinforce that same sentiment in their students. Its is the teachers role to integrate this imperative part of literacy into the current curriculum so students can become literate in all senses and meanings of the word. The successful implementation of technology education will breed success in our students.