Educational Website

I would use my website to teach a science lesson about transportation to kindergarten or 1st graders. I would also have my students complete the paint assignment I posted on one of my links about using paint to make the vehicle the student gets to school in. I would then post my classes pictures on the website as a link that said How Miss Lisco's 1st grade class gets to school. I would have them write a sentence with their picture.

I think creating a website for students to use is very resourceful. By creating the website yourself the teacher can ensure that the students are learning all that the teacher wants them to know. It would be cool to get the students involved in making a lesson after it was over. You could get the students involved by asking them about what they learned that was important about a given topic. After making a list of what they thought was the most important information that they gathered about the given topic, together, the teacher and the class could create and informative site. I think that for 1st grade the website would need to me created as a group because they are so little.


Transportation Website

Video

I would use this video to teach kindergarten or 1st graders the vowels. I had my students help me create the video. After learning the song and doing the video I hear them singing the vowel song during class. Since we shot all the scenes they have all been asking me to see the video.This shows me that they enjoyed making the video, singing the song, and I know that they know what the vowels are in the alphabet.

I think having students be involved in making a video is a great idea. I think it is something different for the students to do. You can create a video project involving any subject and it integrates technology.

I will say it was very difficult to have my 1st graders be involved in this video. We had to take numerous takes to get each scene correct and it took up a lot of time during the day. The timing may have been partly my fault. I planned everything out before I got my students involved but then when it came down to actually filming the video there were some things I had to change because it wasn't working out. For instance at the beginning of the video, originally I wanted my students to stand in a line one behind the other. Then I was going to have them introduce their letter and then sit down. That was very confusing for them so I changed the beginning and I just had them sit on the floor to introduce the letters. Also I originally was trying to film the whole beginning as one shot and that didn't work. The students had a hard time remembering what to do and paying attention in that time span. I ended up filming each line of the video separately and that worked out better.

Overall making videos with your class can be very successful if you are able to set aside a significant amount of time to film the video and if you plan it with lots of details.

Click here to see my Vowels Video

Virtual Tour

On my virtual tour I have my students visit an apple, orange and cranberry farm. I would do a lesson on cropping.  I would teach the students about where we get produce from and how its shipped to us from different places.  To accent the lesson I would show them my virtual tour where they can learn about the palce that each of the above friends is produced the most.

I think it would be hard for 1st grades to create a virtual tour on their own.  I had a hard time with navigating the site and creating my own tour. I would use my tour as something we view together.

After you click on the link below hit open, then click on doc.kml, then open again.

Click here to view my virtual tour

K-12 Wiki Lesson or Project

I created a social studies lesson on transportation and posted it to the class Wiki page. I would have the student click on the link provided to take them to the lesson.  I would write the procedure and then have them watch the video, located under websites, as a class.  Once the video is view I will read them their assignment. Their first task is to fill out a web to organize information they will include in a story they will write about how they get to school. After their web is complete they will write their story using Microsoft office.

When the students are done with their stories I would add their stories to my Wiki link.  Then, as a class we would view each students story.  They can read their story straight from the Wiki page to the class.

Click here to view my Wiki lesson

Podcast: Rhyming word assignment

I created a podtcast that assigns students to create sentences with rhyming words in them and then record their sentences using aviary.com.  I would share my podcast first as an example.  The students would first have to come up with three sentences with at least two rhyming words in them.  I would have the students write down their sentences so they don't forget them when they go to record their own podcast. The students would probably need assistance when going to record their sentences.  After they are finished I would have the class listen to everyones podcast.  By sharing each assignment the students will hear numerous sentences using rhyming words.

I think podcasts could be fun for students.  Its something different for them to do and it incorportates technology. 

First click where it says "click to hear my podcast" then click on the circle in the middle of the picture to begin the podcast.

Click here to hear my podcast

Screencast: Beginning sounds game

I created a screencast to show 1st graders how to play a beginning sounds game online.  There are written directions on the website that I read for them in case they are unable to read the words themselves.  I then walk them through each question to show them how to play.  I would use this screencast as something to accent a lesson I taught on beginning sounds.  After I taught the lesson I would show my students the screencast to make sure they understand what to do on the website and where to click.

I think it would be hard for a 1st grader to create a screencast.  I feel creating a screencast would be an assignment for older students.  First graders are still in that stage where they need to be taught every detail and how to do things. It might be difficult for them to create something where they are giving the directions.

I think screencasts are an excellent way to show students how to do something but for the little ones I probably would never have them create their own. I would use a screencast to show to the class or create one together as a class.

Click here to view my screencast

Evidence of Networking Participation

Throughout this semester there were assignments I needed help with or advice on.  It was helpful to talk to some of my peers and my professor when I was confused or needed some suggestions on certain class assignments. Here is some evidence of me communicating with my peers and professor.

Sarahs Blog

Samanthas Blog

Emails between me and Mr. Dunlap

Sarah Sroka and I talk often on the phone and text message back and forth discussing details about our midterm, online slide show, and website concept map. She has been very helpful and a great resource for when I was confused or needed advice.

Photo Album and Slideshow

I would use this slide show to teach a geography lesson. I would probably teach this to a 3rd grade class because they would have to do some research online to find the answers to the clues that are given in the slide show. The pictures shown in the slide show are of places I have visited. After watching the slide show I would have the students research the clue that was given on each slide and try to figure out the place the picture was taken.

The students could then do the same thing. They could upload pictures of places they have been and give clues to the class about each place. If the students haven't traveled they can include pictures of places they would like to go some day. After all the students present they each will have learned about numerous places around the world and a fun fact about each place.

I used animoto to create my slide show. I liked the program because you could add music and change the background of your slides. The only downside to it was you could only make a 30 second video and if you wanted to make it longer you had to pay money. Overall though it seems like a really neat website to use. If I could get my school to pay for it, I would have my students use it all the time.

Click here to view photo album


Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

PLN

I created a PLN web to organize all the information I learned from EDU 514.

I think that bubble.us is a resourceful website to use to have students brainstorm about a given topic. I think you can have them go there to help them organize ideas for a project such as book report on a president. In different bubbles they can include facts like where they were born, what they were famous for, how long they served as president. Another way teachers can use this site is to help students organize information on parts of a story. They can put the title of the book in the middle and then have webs coming off that with the setting, plot, and characters.

Webquest

For my webquest I created a habitat project. I teach 1st grade. I found it hard to come up with an idea for a project to have 1st graders do independently. I think for any webquest students in 1st grade would need a lot of assistance from the teacher or parents, especially when reading and exploring the information sources. I think I would assign this project to students in second or third grade but not 1st.

I found it hard to edit my project. I kept getting confused with where to save it, but I figured it out in the end. Overall  I think using webquests in the classroom seems fun and a good way to get the students involved using technology.


Click for my webquest

Google Doc Assignment # 2

For my second google docs assignment I created a PowerPoint to help teach my students steps to follow when they are angry. One of the common characteristics of autism is lack of social skills. To help children with autism teachers often use social stories to help demonstrate appropriate social skills in a given situation. I have one little boy who is very violent when he gets mad. I would use this presentation to teach him how to calm down when he is upset. On the last slide I created a quiz for him to take to show me what he remembered from the presentation.

I found using PowerPoint on google docs to be easy for the most part. To add pictures I saved clip art from Microsoft word in to paint. After I saved it in my paint program then I was able to insert the picture. I'm not sure if there is an easier way to do this. If there is, can someone show me next time we are in class? Other then that I found PowerPoint easy to use and a good resource for creating presentations. I really like how in google docs it automatically saves you work!

Click here to see my PowerPoint

Online Quiz

For my online quiz I created a quiz for 1st graders. The quiz tests them on their calendar skills. Calendar time is a very common part of of a 1st grade schedule. In the current classroom I'm in now calendar is the first thing we do after the announcements. It is part of states standards for children to know how many days are in a week, months of the year, and how to read a calendar.


Click here to take the calendar quiz

Google Doc Assignment #1

I created a form to help me get to know my students. I would have my students fill this out the first day of class. In the form I have them tell me their favorite subject, least favorite subject, and some of their favorite things. I think its important to know these things about your students to help create lesson plans that are centered around their interests.


Click here for my form

Web 2.0 Assignment

Click here to view my popup book ---> The Zoo Book

For this assignment I created a popup book using zooburst.com. On this website you are able to create a book and add pictures that pop up when you turn the page. I think that this website would be fun for any grade but especially the younger ones. If I were to assign a project to my class I would have them brainstorm on paper some ideas of a story they would like to write. I would have them write a rough draft. After I have edited their rough draft I would allow them to use zooburst.com to create their own online popup book. Before they got started on the computer I would show the students, using a smart board, how to navigate the website to create their book. I would have criteria for the assignment such as the book must be 5-10 pages long, each page in the book must have a picture that goes along with the sentence, and all sentences must be complete with no grammatical errors.


I found this website easy to use and very fun! You are able to save your work, which is nice because you could spread this assignment over a few days if you wanted to give the students plenty of time to complete their project.