I have been having a great summer of golf...not that I am a good golfer but I love to be out there doing it! Teachers at my school have shared some great Apps on our Edmodo Tech site, so I used them to interact with my photos!
The first idea is based on an article in The Reading Teacher (May issue) called 'Every Word is On Trial; Six-Word Memoirs in the Classroom'. The article suggests having students create 6-word memoirs and then incorporating technology in the classroom by using www.flickr.com for some free photos...or you can use your own. Then use www.phixr.com to edit photos.. Great idea. I included mine below but the article includes even more examples! Here is a link to the article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trtr.1267/abstract
Thinglink ThingLink allows you to use any photo and create links on the image. This can be used to link photos, images, text, websites, sound, and youtube videos. Students can use a photo and link all the research that they have found related to the photo. Here is my ThingLink using my summer golf photo! Click to check it out! An Intro to Golf - ThingLink
ChatterPix is a great and engaging app! It can be used for any short speaking activity. The students have 30 seconds to speak! It can be used for a short story summary, to tell a fact and opinion about what they read, talking about the main idea, or discussing something new they learned. Students can take a photo of themselves, use one provided, draw a picture, or take a picture of something in the classroom or a character in the book. It is easy to use ... The app actually walks you through the steps so it is user friendly for students of all ages! What a great engaging technology activity for students!
Technology gives us the opportunity to have amazing "brain breaks" at our fingertips...and easy to use with a whole classroom. There are many ways to do a brain break. Some are listed in the article from ASCD attached below. Checkout the research and add them to your classroom routine!
Brain breaks are such an important part of the day. My favorite thing to say...you need to get up and move around so the blood can move from your bumper to your brain! And seriously, students are always ready to go back to their work, only with a smile on their faces. It takes a few time to practice and learn to enjoy brain breaks. And always try to keep doing new things so it doesn't get old. BUT always continue to repeat some favorites!!
Three of my tried and true favorite videos are below...for some singing and dancing in the classroom! Koo Koo Kanga Roo - What's That You Say?
Koo Koo Kango Roo - Dinosaur Stomp
Boom Chicka Boom - The Learning Station
And a new great find!! Easy to use and free! Fun characters engaging students in fun brain breaks that are about 3 to 5 minutes! You do need to sign up...but no cost!
One great way to do retells of the stories you are reading in class is to use Book Creator. It is easy to use and creates a great finished piece.
The first step is to take the photos. I use the retell, sequencing cards that are part of our reading series. But you could also just use pictures from the story. Students can go to the camera app and take four photos from beginning to end. (They do not have to be perfect pictures...it's the process that is most important!)
Open the Book Creator App. Use the + button to add pictures and text. See the video below. ENJOY!
I use technology in my classroom every day! I have some favorite Apps and programs that I like to use so I decided to start a blog...so it was easier to share with the teachers at my own school and any others that are interested!!
How do I use it?? I have the students say their spelling words and then spell them while they write them. After each word they erase the board and do the next word. They record all their spelling words and then go to the recorded screen and...like a teacher... And check to see if they have spelled them all correctly!
Voice Memo...free and probably already loaded on your iPod and iPad...ready to use!!
How do I use it? I have the students read their leveled reader story by recording themselves. Then they go back and listen while they follow along with in the book. If they struggled with a word, or misread it, they use highlighter tape to mark the word in their book! They love this! The recording and the highlight tape! (It could be blue!?!)
How do I use? It has a collect of Dolch word list that you can pick from...However, I have them select the 'Movable Alphabet' and they can practice spelling their words. It gives the sound for each letter as you move it to the board. You then sweep the board and spell your next word. I use it for spelling words and high frequency words.
Puppet Pals...Free to get started...Paid App to have all the features!
You can use Puppet Pals to create a story, retell a story, create a screen play...so many options! Mostly I have used it as an awesome Choice activity! Students get creative with story parts and Beginning, Middle and End! Includes an option to edit photos of themselves of classmates!
Here's one of my Puppet Pal creations!
Spelling City...free
Easy to set up your spelling words...on the computer! Then they are on the iPad/iPod for your students to practice!
Talking Apps...was free...some are free....This one is now 99 cents.
Find one that works for you...I like Talking Gina. But there are lots of them! Students can practice fluency. They read one sentence...stop at a period. The app reads it back. They will hear if they have read it correctly. Practice the beginning and end of a sentence. And if they don't read quickly enough, the app starts talking without waiting for them....Great, FUN practice. Motivation! Read and then play with the fun parts of the App!
Digital Books...Usually about $2.99 but some are free
These books are so engaging for struggling readers. They can read along with the text and then there is usually some action that withers engages the reader or aids in comprehension.
Two of my favorites!!
(Both available in the iTunes Store.)
