Well, here I am.... My students are studying the American Revolutionary War. I've decided that I want my students to create a webpage from the era of the French & Indian War through the American Revolutionary War. For an authentic problem, I told them we would send the webpage to my friend who is a teacher in Texas so his students would be able to learn about this important American History.
I found creating a webpage in school to be very difficult. The software was not available. I thought I would load NVU onto a jump drive. It worked! Problem: The amount of time to have students put the information onto the computer with NVU loaded... Plus the added work of me having to go home and make it viewable online...
I decided to create a Wiki page. The information is flowing so much faster and it is definitely less work for me as the teacher. The students don't need accounts - they can just edit the page I created under my account... It is less maintance on my end too of loading the web pages!!!
Has anyone else found using WIKIs to be easier than students created web pages??!?!?!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Future
It's amazing the different types of technology I am beginning to use in my classroom. For 7 years now I've done novel reading with groups of kids in my class. At the end, I would just give them a test or a book report they would complete on construction paper. As we just finished a novel, I decided I wanted to integrate some of this new found technology I've learned about the last two years . . . I decided to have the students create book commericals using a FLIP camera. The enthusiasm and excitement each group had as they created a design document was amazing! I had a teacher walk in and say should could feel the learning in the atmosphere.
This brought me to think about the usage of WIKIs in my classroom. I've decided I am going to attempt to create an American Revolutionary War wiki with all the famous people my students have been learning about! I am not sure how the first one will go, but like everything else, I'm sure I'll make adaptions and changes as I do my second. I feel the days of ceral boxes, and mobiles, and construction paper book reports are out for me!
This brought me to think about the usage of WIKIs in my classroom. I've decided I am going to attempt to create an American Revolutionary War wiki with all the famous people my students have been learning about! I am not sure how the first one will go, but like everything else, I'm sure I'll make adaptions and changes as I do my second. I feel the days of ceral boxes, and mobiles, and construction paper book reports are out for me!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Teaching About Weather
Well, I'll admit... The best part of teaching fourth grade is the Virginia Studies curriculum. Anyone that is a history buff would love teaching fourth grade in a Virginia Public School System. As a teacher, time is my enemy... I have my reading groups.... I have my math groups.... I have my writing groups... I have my lunch groups.... I have my recess groups... No, just kiddin... Enough is enough with groups!!! But.... If there was one subject that really gets put on the backend in my classroom.... It's Science!
Now, I love teaching Science. When I taught 3rd grade - there was nothing better than covering all the many SOL standards. In many ways, the fourth grade Science SOLs are a review of third grade. Really, the only difference is teaching about WEATHER!
Many of my co-workers taught weather back in the fall. I did not. I saved it for this time of year. Think about it?!?!? This is when we care about weather. This is also when the kids care too! They want time off just as we do. Well, why not take their excitment and build it around what SOLs I need to teach...
With this so called "HUGE POSSIBLE STORM"... it made it into a science lesson. We watched video clips, looked at different sites, looked at maps, talked about key vocabulary... we made predictions... it was about 10 different lessons wrapped up into one hour!
After the lesson, I thought... Wow. A blog could really be useful. I'm excited about this... The kids are as well. It would be great to build on tomorrow. Oh darn! Tomorrow is Saturday... By Monday, the "moment" is gone. There HW over the weekend was to watch the weather patterns, view the websites, and keep a journal log of the changes from Friday to Monday.... Man, a blog could of made this fun!
Now, I love teaching Science. When I taught 3rd grade - there was nothing better than covering all the many SOL standards. In many ways, the fourth grade Science SOLs are a review of third grade. Really, the only difference is teaching about WEATHER!
Many of my co-workers taught weather back in the fall. I did not. I saved it for this time of year. Think about it?!?!? This is when we care about weather. This is also when the kids care too! They want time off just as we do. Well, why not take their excitment and build it around what SOLs I need to teach...
With this so called "HUGE POSSIBLE STORM"... it made it into a science lesson. We watched video clips, looked at different sites, looked at maps, talked about key vocabulary... we made predictions... it was about 10 different lessons wrapped up into one hour!
After the lesson, I thought... Wow. A blog could really be useful. I'm excited about this... The kids are as well. It would be great to build on tomorrow. Oh darn! Tomorrow is Saturday... By Monday, the "moment" is gone. There HW over the weekend was to watch the weather patterns, view the websites, and keep a journal log of the changes from Friday to Monday.... Man, a blog could of made this fun!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Snow Day
Well, here we are - the first snow day of the school year. I was beginning to worry. We only have about 3-5 weeks left for this little white stuff. I am glad we're off today. Now I am already getting greedy for tomorrow. If we are going to be off tomorrow, I hope they cancel today. It would be nice to stay up past 8:30pm! :)
As I was shoveling the driveway today, I began to think . . . . Is there a chance that someday on a snow day I am still going to be required to teach my students? Sure, they have assignments they could be doing from home today. But besides www.studyisland.com I don't really "know" what they are doing.
In a few years, who knows? Maybe I could be teaching my fourth graders from home on a snowday. Or maybe even on a sunny day... hmmm... what do you think?
As I was shoveling the driveway today, I began to think . . . . Is there a chance that someday on a snow day I am still going to be required to teach my students? Sure, they have assignments they could be doing from home today. But besides www.studyisland.com I don't really "know" what they are doing.
In a few years, who knows? Maybe I could be teaching my fourth graders from home on a snowday. Or maybe even on a sunny day... hmmm... what do you think?
Monday, January 26, 2009
The BLOG World
Well, here I am. My first ever post on my own BLOG. I'll admit, I'm not much one of a blog user or poster. In fact, I am not sure if "poster" is the correct terminalogy. I've used newsgroups before, and I've been on mIRC (Internet Relay Chat) and message boards - but blogging will be a new adventure.
The purpose of trying this out is to see if I can gain meaning for using this in my profession. I am hoping to gain the insights on how having a blog can improve me as a teacher, but also improve my students as learners.
I'm sure this will be a new adventure. I look forward to previewing other BLOGS, but also creating mine to be something of value.
The purpose of trying this out is to see if I can gain meaning for using this in my profession. I am hoping to gain the insights on how having a blog can improve me as a teacher, but also improve my students as learners.
I'm sure this will be a new adventure. I look forward to previewing other BLOGS, but also creating mine to be something of value.
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