QR Codes

What is that jumbled square picture popping up everywhere?  It's a QR code which stands for Quick Response. QR codes create a fast way to get information to your cell without typing. This is a simple technology that is easy and affordable for educators and students.  Use a free smart phone app like QR Reader for iPhone to take a picture of the code. 



Kaywa QR-Code is a free code generator that creates a permalink and embed code. Next year I am adding a QR code similar to this one as the first frame of my Back to School Prezi.  Parents can instantly access the presentation anytime they need it.  Try this one out--it will take you straight to my classroom blog!  How could you use QR codes to make information more quickly accessible?

Phonemic Awareness Resources for K-2

Parents and teachers wants reliable games for students to practice reinforcing skills they are learning in the classroom. For my Kindergarten class, I want them to have daily, independent practice.   Phonemic awareness skills are strong indicators of how well children develop reading skills.  The Internet has over a million "educational" gaming sites, but only some live up to the expectations of being rigorous and relevant.  At Professor Garfield, students have six choices for reinforcing phonemic awareness skills such as rhyming and phoneme manipulation. Each game reteaches the skill using examples and non-examples and offers immediate feedback. 

iPads in the Classroom

Need more ways to use your iPad in the classroom?  Check out 58 Interesting Ways to Use an iPad in the Classroom by Tom Barrett (found on Kleinspiration--an awesome resource!).  I am looking into Story Buddy, Finger Count, and iTranslate TODAY!

Add a Little Silly

This month in Kindergarten, we are learning how to name physical attributes (hair color, eye color, freckles, etc.) and be proud of our differences.  Build Your Wild Self is sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Society in partnership with New York Zoos and Aquariums.  Children can begin by choosing attributes that most resemble themselves, then they can go wild and add alligator snouts or butterfly wings--or both! After making choices in over 15 categories, students can send their creation to a friend (or the teacher so you can save the jpg), print, or start over.  This could be a great beginning to a creative writing piece.  So go ahead, and build your wild self!!

10 Internet Technologies Educators Should Know About

Emerging Ed Tech published a great article this month by K. Walsh outlining 10 technologies educators need to know.  Each point has multiple Web 2.0 resources and ideas listed.  HERE is the article, and here are the 10 Internet technologies you need to know about.  What are you already using?  What do you want to learn?

1. Video and Podcasting Resources 
2. Digital Presentation Tools
3. Collaboration & Brainstorming Tools
4. Blogs & Blogging
5. Social Networking Tools
6. Lecture Capture
7. Student Response Systems & Poll/Survey Tools
8. Educational Gaming
9. Open Educational Resources
10. The iPad and other tablet devices

         

Clickers in the K-2 Classroom

Who says Clickers can only be for the upper grades?  Not me!  I started using Clickers with my five-year-olds on Week 2 of Kindergarten.  Only three of them can already read, but they all know A, B, C and 1, 2, 3.  This year I took extra time to make sure they really understood the backspace icon (curly arrow) vs. the enter icon (angular arrow).  Yes, that is a big set back if you don't take the time to frontload.  I started out slow by having them answer color questions as a group.  I use Power Point for CPS (v. 6.71 is the latest) to create all of my sessions because I can easily copy and paste images from Google into the slides.  My goal is to use Clickers with my students at least once a week for an informal assessment.  All day I lunch I heard, "When are we doing the remote things again?"  Have you tried in your room yet?

Borrowed from UNF

Teaching Blog Addict: A+ Teaching Blogs

I stumbled upon a new blog this morning.  Here, Teaching Blog Addict has organized tons of blogs by grade level and subject area.  Have you found a new one to follow?

Borrowed from Teaching Blog Addict

Teaching Blog Addict: A+ Teaching Blogs: Join TBA as we travel the world through teaching blogs!

Podcast: Words Are Like Puzzles

I have created a podcast series called Practice Play. You can find my first episode (from a previous class) here. My second episode is called "Words Are Like Puzzles," and it focuses on breaking words into syllables and deleting parts of words. It is designed for Kindergarten students to reinforce basic phonemic awareness skills.

PBL: Problem- or Project-Based Learning?

This fall I joined a book study for project/problem based learning.  The focus is on creating meaningful essential questions to guide students to learn.  We are following the Buck Institute for Education's (BIE) ideas about how to get PBL going at our school.  Check it out HERE.  Learn more by watching this quick Common Craft video that explains what PBL is.

Google Earth in the Classroom

When I started looking at Google Earth as a resource, it was difficult to imagine exactly how to use it.  This short set of slides gave me a great starting place.  Next week, I am beginning my Me on the Map unit.  Each morning, the students will see a well-known local landmark on Google Earth on the Promethean Board.  They can explore the area and try to figure out where it is.  Beginning with the school playground, I will eventually zoom out to the golf course or high school football field.  We will use it to discuss vocabulary including near, far, local, rural, urban, suburban, borders, communities, cities, states, and countries.

26 Interesting Ways and Tips ...

More PowerPoint presentations from aSGuest113318
  
How will you use Google Earth in the classroom?

How Will You Use a Tech Ed Blog?

Don't know where to start with your own tech. ed. blog? Edublogs is a great place to get started. This video and article highlight some great ways to implement your blog.

Xtra Normal

Here is something I have come across for upper grades. It's called XtraNormal. The students type in what they want the animated characters to say. They can have accents and even move around! I am thinking Grade 3 students and older could use this, but teachers in K-2 could use it to introduce a new concept. I am planning to use this to create a Brain Pop-like movie about families for my Kindergarten classroom (minus Mobi and Annie).