Create your free account (it only takes a minute) and check out gonoodle.com!!
You can either play in the demo mode or it can track your class progress.
Watch this short tutorial for GoNoodle below. You can also find lots of them on YouTube.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Miss Unruh's Kindergarten Brain Breaks-Gonoodle.com
Miss Unruh uses a fabulous website to "get the wiggles out" of her Kindergartners! Gonoodle.com is a free, easy way to have structured brain breaks (or for those yucky indoor recess days). The activities are tailored and structured for kids and teachers to use. Their favorites? Have a dance party with Kid Bopz or have your kids run a race (they think they are actually influencing the program, however Miss Unruh is making their character run faster or slower based on taps on the keyboard). They have a blog full of free resources and ideas!
Create your free account (it only takes a minute) and check out gonoodle.com!!
You can either play in the demo mode or it can track your class progress.
Watch this short tutorial for GoNoodle below. You can also find lots of them on YouTube.
Create your free account (it only takes a minute) and check out gonoodle.com!!
You can either play in the demo mode or it can track your class progress.
Watch this short tutorial for GoNoodle below. You can also find lots of them on YouTube.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Ms. Bisoni-Lais 3rd Graders use QR Codes
Ms. Bisoni-Lais had her kids use the QR Code Scan app to check their answers while practicing homophones. QR codes are a great way to quickly get students to websites without them having to type in a big, long web address. High school teachers could have it posted on your door and the students could scan it on their way in and already have it loaded for when you need it in class. You can link about anything to a QR code so it is a great way to get resources to your students quickly and easily. They are great for checking for understanding, scavenger hunts, and can easily be created through a website such as qrstuff.com. Students could even create their own QR codes to link to a video project they created and works great with the Carousel Feedback structure.
Mr. Richardson's 8th Grade Science EduCreations Projects
We love EduCreations! We have been using it in 3rd grade for several projects on the iPad and now are using it in 8th grade Science. The students first project was to create a video lesson discussing mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and symbiotic relationships using graphics, text, and recording their voices explaining the relationships. The next project included a discussion of the different biomes. It is an easy and fun app for the kids to use...there are some setup tricks that can help your classroom run smoothly, let me know if you would like to use it!
Teacher YouTube Channels
I'm not sure if everyone is aware that they have a free YouTube account that comes with your Gmail account. If you are in your mail and you click on the App Switcher button (9 squares located in upper right same one used to go to your Google Drive), you will see YouTube. Click on the YouTube button and it will take you to your school YouTube account. You can easily upload videos to your account and make them public (a great way to share what is happening with parents!) or private and could share them on your teacher webpage on the school website. There is limited space, I think the largest video you can upload at a time is 2GB or 15 minutes, but most class projects won't exceed that amount. Let me know if you need any help using this tool!
Below is an example of how Mrs. Jaso used it to share and communicate with her 2nd grade parents. The students love to show their families what they are doing!
"Good Evening Families -
By now I'm sure you have heard about the WONDERFUL performance that your student participated in today. Our 2nd Grade class had the opportunity to perform the play, "The Strongest One" for the Hesston Elementary 1st graders. This play was based on a story from our Scott Forseman reader. Each and every student did a FANTASTIC job creating their costume, preparing and performing the play. I wanted you to be able to enjoy the same performance. Follow the link in this email to YouTube and enjoy!! Congratulate your student on a JOB WELL DONE!!"
Kindergartners on Study Island!
Kindergartners are logging onto Study Island this week! We practice typing in their own logins (which are not short!), how to scroll using the track pad, and had them take their first pre-test using the audio feature to have the questions read to them. The students are learning to use the MacBooks and where letters/numbers are located on the keyboards! Great job Kindergarten!
Ms. Bisoni-Lais 3rd Grade Modio App Figurine Creation
Ms. Bisoni-Lais had her students problem-solving and creating with the Modio App on iPads! The students first wrote a narrative story in Study Island about a superpower they would like to have, then fielding into a description of a superhero they would like to be. The students were then able to put their ideas to life with the Modio App on their iPad. They were able to build figurines by problem-solving the parts of the figurine or create their own from scratch. With minimal instruction on use of the app students quickly figured out how to change colors, designs, and make the figurine talk. The engagement level was high as you saw their little brains working to create and several wanted me to take pictures and send them to their parents, or "Post on FaceBook!".
Dreaming big disclaimer: With a 3D printer, these students could print their figurines and have a toy they created themselves!
Watch this short video to learn more about Modio or visit their website at www.modio3d.com
Dreaming big disclaimer: With a 3D printer, these students could print their figurines and have a toy they created themselves!
Watch this short video to learn more about Modio or visit their website at www.modio3d.com
Monday, November 17, 2014
Rubrics for Digital Projects
I'm going to start a page of rubrics for digital projects. One of the most frustrating and time consuming parts of a digital project is sometimes coming up with the way to grade it. Here is a great link for some very good rubrics from the University of Wisconsin. I will continue to add to the Rubrics Page at the top as I come across good ones, so check back if you are in need of one.
Twitter Organization & Resources
I have spoken about it before and I'm going to say it again...if you aren't on Twitter, you are missing out on some really good professional development for teachers! Twitter is a fabulous network of educators with opportunities and answers right at your fingertips!
Thought about getting started but don't know how?
Here is a link to a really good article on helping teachers get started on Twitter!
Already on Twitter but feel overwhelmed?
I LOVE TweetDeck.
It helps my sequential brain make sense of a sometimes unorganized Twitter.
It creates columns in which I can organize my "Message" column, my "Notifications" column, but what I love most is I can put in a hashtag such as #miamidevice (a tech conference held a couple of weeks ago with great resources) and anytime somebody mentions it, it streams into that column. You can organize a column for work, a column for personal, etc.
Thought about getting started but don't know how?
Here is a link to a really good article on helping teachers get started on Twitter!
Already on Twitter but feel overwhelmed?
I LOVE TweetDeck.
It helps my sequential brain make sense of a sometimes unorganized Twitter.
It creates columns in which I can organize my "Message" column, my "Notifications" column, but what I love most is I can put in a hashtag such as #miamidevice (a tech conference held a couple of weeks ago with great resources) and anytime somebody mentions it, it streams into that column. You can organize a column for work, a column for personal, etc.
Another good Twitter resource I love is MagicRecs. Just follow them on Twitter and it will notify you (by your choice of email, etc.) of tweets that pertain to you. It lets me know when someone has followed me, or when a tweet has been favorited by several people in my network.
It is also fun to Tweet about projects you are doing and "Mention" the company/app, etc. A lot of times they respond and give a shout out!
Here is an info graphic about Twitter and an article on 50 Ways to Use Twitter in your classroom...thank you to my friend and Tech Integration Specialist for Burrton schools, Michelle Armendariz, for sharing these awesome resources!
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Miss Gaston's HS American History Videos
Miss Gaston's HS American History classes
created videos by being able to demonstrate these themes:
- Choices have consequences.
- Individuals have rights and responsibilities.
- Societies are shaped by beliefs, ideas, & diversity.
- Societies experience continuity and change over time.
- Relationships between people, place, idea, & environment are dynamic.
With these topics:
Westward Expansion--Railroads, Indian Wars, Custer, Manifest Destiny, Dawes Act and other relations with Indian tribes, Homesteading, etc.
Women's Rights Movement--Temperance movement, Carrie Nation, Suffrage, Seneca Falls Convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, 19th Amendment, etc.
Big Business-Trusts/monopolies, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Bessemer process, Philanthropists, J.P. Morgan, Social Darwinism, effects on economy/public, relationship with government, etc
Politics & Political Corruption--Boss Tweed, Tammany Hall, political machines, weak presidents (Grant-McKinley) spoils system,Populist Party, Panic of 1893, bimetallism, William Jennings Bryan, Progressives, etc.
Immigration-Who came, nativism, numbers, life/problems in the cities, limits, Jacob Riis, Jane Addams, Hull House, etc.
The Rise of Organized Labor--working conditions, labor unions, Great Railroad Strike, Mother Jones, Haymarket Riot, Samuel Gompers, Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, Pullman Strike, etc.
Inventions--Electricity & Thomas Edison, Wright Bros & flight, George Washington Carver & ag, Garret Morgan (traffic signal), Alexander Graham Bell & telephone, Model T & Henry Ford, significances these have had throughout history, etc.
American Expansionism--Acquisition of Alaska/Hawaii, Spanish American War, Philippine American War, Mexican-American War, Roosevelt and the Rough Riders, Pancho Villa,
Panama Canal-Who started it? When did the US become involved? Panamanian Revolution, Theodore Roosevelt, William Gorgas, French,yellow fever, etc.
Women’s Rights--Alex, Amelia, Kaitlyn, Tessa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
American Expansion--Saul, Robby, Kenny
https://docs.google.com/a/
Organized Labor--Taylor, Kylie, Katelyn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Westward Expansion--Freddie, Austin S., Chanse https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Big Business--Juan, Garrett, Levi
https://docs.google.com/a/3rd Grade EduCreations App on iPads
3rd Grade was introduced to the EduCreations App on the iPads recently. They used it this week for their decimal practice by charting the decimal on their 100's chart they took a picture of. They then had to write the decimal as well as the fraction. Sage and Scribe was used by Mrs. Boese and Mrs. Lafferty in Math to talk through the problems. The students can also record their voices working through this to turn into a video lesson that can be published on the web (see their video below). Mrs. Bisoni-Lais used EduCreations by having the students take a picture of a possessive noun around the school and then either typing or writing with the picture to show the ownership. The students love the app and it is easy for them to use!
https://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/whit-and-macy-decimal/26261348/?s=BpB9iY
How to use YouTube and Google Forms as a Formative Assessment
How many times have you assigned a video to watch and you never know if they actually did it? This is a AWESOME way to take 2 great tools and turn them into a quick formative assessment for your students!
Mr. Rhodes shared a cool way you could create a quick assignment using YouTube and a Google form.
Mrs. Simpson's HS Productions Class
Mrs. Simpson's Productions Class now has a Google+ page with all of their productions on it. Along with live-streaming games they have made commercials for area businesses, produced interviews, and Pit Stop news. Click here to go to their page or search for "Hesston Productions" in your Google Plus account.
Mr. Rempel's HS Interactive Media Class Webpages
Mr. Rempel's HS Interactive Media class made webpages using the Weebly App
See the links below to few some of their webpages.
Digital Writing
This past several weeks Darla has been meeting with elementary teams to focus on writing. Teachers have spent time developing rubrics and practicing scoring writing assessments. With these meetings, we have started to discuss the role of digital writing. Writing does not look the same as it did for most of us when we were students. Writing has taken on a new form as "digital writing". Why does digital writing matter? I like this graphic below from San Juan USD. It summarizes the writing standard with the technological piece using words like "variety of digital tools, produce & publish, collaboration, digital resources, different medium: digital text, video, multimedia". Writing is no longer producing a piece of text that is printed out and handed in for only one teacher to read. Writing is now often a collaborative process as well as a shared product, sometimes even globally. Have you thought about having your students create a webpage? Writing incorporated into a video? Writing with another class in another country? Think about the possibilities with social media as well. Let your students blog and receive comments, use Twitter to share and collaborate, use an app to let them create! Click here to read a fantastic article by Jeff Grabill on "Why Digital Writing Matters". Here are some good, free apps for digital storytelling:
StoryKit is an awesome free app that allows you to easily create an electronic story book.
This highly engaging app allows you to move “puppets” and record your voice to create a story. It's fantastic for all sorts of things such as public service announcement, telling a story from different characters’ points of view, and sharing information. (Richard Byrne)
AudioBoom allows you to record and share your voice online.
ScreenChomp is an awesome way to use screencasting for storytelling with our youngest learners. Just put up a picture and have your student talk about it, draw on top of it, and record. This app allows for authentic communication of learning as students are able to show process and understanding. (Richard Byrne)
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