Monday, September 24, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
New Ideas
I'm always on the lookout for fun new websites to integrate into my teaching repertoire. I like to find a balance of using technology in class. I don't want to over use it, or neglect skills that students will continue to need, like writing or presentation and conversational skills. Thats why I love finding websites that help me to integrate technology without skimping on these "traditional" skills.
In the upcoming weeks my students are going to be learning about explorers. I'm collaborating with the other grade 5 teacher at my school to try and make culminating project for the unit. In the past, I have had the students research a famous explorer, write a report and then present what they learn while dressed up as the explorer in "Wax Museum." I wanted to continue with this project as it has been a success in the past and the kids always love it. However, usually this is a unit at the end of the year. As it has been moved to the beginning of the year, the students aren't yet ready to write full reports. But while working with the other teacher, she recommended we use Museum Box instead of writing the full report to have the students show their learning.
Museum Box (http://museumbox.e2bn.org/) allows the students to collect "artifacts" and display them in a virtual box. It is a free resource that all the students can use. So now, they will collect their writing, maps, pictures and a variety of other "artifacts" to display on this website with the work of the other students in the class. During our Wax Museum, they will be able to actually hold a cube that displays everything they collected for their Museum Box.
My students will be working on this over the next 3 weeks. I will be sure to post the final results for you all to see!
In the upcoming weeks my students are going to be learning about explorers. I'm collaborating with the other grade 5 teacher at my school to try and make culminating project for the unit. In the past, I have had the students research a famous explorer, write a report and then present what they learn while dressed up as the explorer in "Wax Museum." I wanted to continue with this project as it has been a success in the past and the kids always love it. However, usually this is a unit at the end of the year. As it has been moved to the beginning of the year, the students aren't yet ready to write full reports. But while working with the other teacher, she recommended we use Museum Box instead of writing the full report to have the students show their learning.
Museum Box (http://museumbox.e2bn.org/) allows the students to collect "artifacts" and display them in a virtual box. It is a free resource that all the students can use. So now, they will collect their writing, maps, pictures and a variety of other "artifacts" to display on this website with the work of the other students in the class. During our Wax Museum, they will be able to actually hold a cube that displays everything they collected for their Museum Box.
My students will be working on this over the next 3 weeks. I will be sure to post the final results for you all to see!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Letting the Technology Speak for Itself!
Using Animated Video in Class by aubrey928 on GoAnimate
Video Maker - Powered by GoAnimate. I'm always looking for fun ways to engage students in my classes. A friend showed me xtranormal.com the other day (similar to goanimate.com) and really, the possibilities are endless. I prefer xtranormal to goanimate, but you have to pay for it (though they have an educators option). I do think that I will use this website with my students when we begin to learn about using dialogue in our writing. I will probably try to make a generic log-in for all the students to use and then have them post their videos to their blogs as soon as they finish them. I have often found that dialogue can be a monotonous topic to teach and website such as this would help to spice it up a bit for my upper elementary kidos! :)
Video Maker - Powered by GoAnimate. I'm always looking for fun ways to engage students in my classes. A friend showed me xtranormal.com the other day (similar to goanimate.com) and really, the possibilities are endless. I prefer xtranormal to goanimate, but you have to pay for it (though they have an educators option). I do think that I will use this website with my students when we begin to learn about using dialogue in our writing. I will probably try to make a generic log-in for all the students to use and then have them post their videos to their blogs as soon as they finish them. I have often found that dialogue can be a monotonous topic to teach and website such as this would help to spice it up a bit for my upper elementary kidos! :)
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