Today's Meet

Today's Meet

UEN:

Science 6th Grade

3.1.b. Using references, compare the physical properties of the planets (e.g., size, solid or gaseous).

EdTech (3-5):

Standard 5
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.

ISTE:

Global Collaborator

Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.

Reflection:

Today's Meet is a simple tool that I can use with my students to connect with them inside and outside the traditional classroom for group discussions on topics we are studying. This is a great tool to use in a "flipped classroom," where a topic is introduced and studied online, and then reinforced with activities and projects during school hours. This could also be a fun way to study for an upcoming exam, as students can hop on and discuss topics together. I like that the public can also join in. This is an exciting way to connect with others globally and develop new insights through discussion. Using Today's Meet puts global collaboration is at my students' fingertips. 

EDpuzzle

UEN:
Elementary Library Media (K-5)
Differentiate between literary (fiction) and informational (non-fiction) text.


EdTech:
Standard 5
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.

ISTE:
Standard 5
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.



Reflection:

EDpuzzle was a fun tool to play around and become familiar with. I was hesitant about this tool, because it seemed intimidating shortening videos, pausing and adding in questions, but it was very simple to learn and create these clips. I liked how easy it was to choose a video to use, as it accessed videos from the internet right there in the first step. Because it was so simple, I see myself using EDpuzzle in the classroom where my students can create short assessment questions to cover different topics they are watching videos of. Also, they can make their own video presentations and supplement them with these assessments in their presentations. This is a fun way to assess and see if the students are grasping a concept. It could easily be used in a presentation with the group working together as a whole to answer the questions in a large group setting, as well. I really enjoyed this tool.

Google Slides

UEN:
2nd Grade Integrated Core
1.c. Relate behaviors that can help prevent disease (e.g., hand washing, good nutrition, fitness, universal precautions).

 EdTech (3-5):
Standard 6
Use telecommunications efficiently and effectively to access remote information and communicate with others in support of direct and independent learning and for pursuit of personal interests. (4)

ISTE:
Empowered Learner
Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.


Reflection:
 

I really enjoyed working with Google Slides. I felt it was less complex than Power Point, so an awesome choice for students to learn the Power Point basics and be able to create great slide show presentations. I can see myself using Google Slides because it is so easy to access. Anyone with a Google account can quickly pull up their projects they are working on from any computer. A student can work on their assignment from home or at school, easily. As an assessment tool in the classroom, I can see creating slides with questions on them that the students can answer on their own. This would take some of the testing anxiety away when I move away from a traditional test passed out on a paper. Seeing questions and pictures on a colorful, non-intimidating (and even humorous) format can alleviate some testing anxiety. I really like what Google Slides has to offer.

Google Forms

UEN:
Social Studies 3rd grade
2.a  Describe the major world ecosystems (i.e. desert, plain, tropic, tundra, grassland, mountain, forest, wetland).

EdTech:
Standard 5
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.


ISTE:
Creative Communicator
Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

Reflection:

I have never created a Google Form before, but it was easy to figure out. Within a few minutes, I was able to create a simple, professional-looking quiz that my students can take before I teach the unit. This will be very helpful to know what students already understand about a topic so I can focus on what they do not understand yet. I can also use this tool to communicate with parents. I've recently filled one of these forms out for my own children's classrooms to rate their teachers. I didn't know how easy they were to create until now. It is a great tool to collect data. This is also a fun tool I want to expose my students to so they can easily make their own quizzes for the class to take after book report presentations, etc. 

Google Doc

Brushing Chart

UEN:
K-2 Integrated Core: 1st Grade
Standard 1a.
Practice appropriate personal hygiene (e.g. bathe, wash hands, clean clothes).

EdTech:
Standard 8
Use technology resources (e.g. calculators, data collection probes, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities.

ISTE:
Empowered Learner
Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

Reflection:

Google Docs is one of the most basic tools used now days. It is great for teacher teams to collaborate and build upon documents together. Google Docs would be a great tool to use when a team is coming up with a grade level syllabus they each will use. I can see myself using it for creating field trip reminders, quick notes I want to go home  with students that day, and then sharing them with my team. It can also be a tool used to communicate with parents if I want them to add their name to parent helper lists so all can see who has signed up. Also, its a helpful way to share with the principal or other mentor if I have different groups I am keeping track of. Giving them viewing or editing access is a great feature. In the classroom, students will love how easy it is to collaborate on a project. They can easily work on their own assigned portions of a group project, or all help edit a project. I will use Google Docs in the classroom a lot.

Tiki-Toki Timeline

Beethoven's Life

UEN:
Fine Arts
Standard 6.M.CO.3:
Experience and explore music which connects us to history, culture, heritage, and community; identify connections between a music genre and cultural or historical contexts; and explore and explain how musical works are influenced by a composer’s heritage and experiences.


EdTech:
Standard 5
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.


ISTE:
Creativity and innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

Reflection:

I created a Tiki-Toki timeline to introduce the life and accomplishments of Ludwig van Beethoven to my students. Tiki-Toki was simple to use. I was able to figure everything out by playing around on it, and it offers a 2D and 3D view (which I thought was pretty neat.) I like how it is capable of incorporating media options into the presentation. I was able to add a video of Beethoven's most famous work, Ode to Joy, for my students to listen and recognize. I also included several images of Beethoven growing up, and people who were key to his success. This is a great tool to use to show the big picture and individual fragments. In the classroom, I will use Tiki-Toki to introduce historical events, author highlights, and anything that can be displayed in a timeline form. I think students would have fun creating Tiki-Toki's for presentations, as well.

Animoto

UEN:
Science 2nd grade
Standard 2.1.c
Sort rocks based upon color, hardness, texture, layering, particle size and type (i.e. igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary).


EdTech 3-5:
Standard 8
Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5, 6)



ISTE:
Empowered Learner: Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

Reflection:

I loved working with the Animoto tool! When I first saw the tool, I was very intimidated by it, but quickly found out it is very simple to use and it creates some great video clips. I love that there are so many song options to choose from to add some fun vibes and feel to the videos. I tried to match the song with the type of content I was creating. Because of how simple Animoto is to use, I would definitely have my students use Animoto to create presentations and teach each other. These videos could also be shown before a pre-assessment or post assessment. I think it would be a big hit with students because it incorporates song, video,  audio, and content all in one. I can see using Animoto several times throughout the school year.

Mind Mapping

Body Systems and their Functions

UEN:

Health Education- 3rd Gr

Standard 3

Objective 1a. Name the major body systems and their basic functions.

EdTech:

Standard 8

Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities.

ISTE:

Empowered Learner
Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

Reflection:

Mind mapping seemed to be a complicated tool. I did not love it. I can see its value in seeing the big picture and how things branch off and relate to each other, but it was difficult to put together. If I were to use it in my classroom, it would be for presenting information that I wanted to break down. As far as encouraging my students to use it, I think that upper elementary grades could play around with it and could create simple reports for presenting to the class. It might also be a good tool to map out a book review, showing plots and sub plots. I can see students enjoying exploring it and seeing how the different subjects branch out into more detailed topic. I will have to search up other mind-mapping options to find one I really like. There are some cool projects that can be done with mind-mapping. 

Storybird

Exploring Seasons

 

UEN:
Objective 3
Compare changes in weather over time.
3a. Observe and record that weather changes occur from day-to-day and weather patterns occur from season to season.

EdTech:
Standard 7
Use telecommunications and on-line resources (e.g., email, online discussions, web environments) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.


ISTE:
Creative Communicator
Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

Reflection:

Storybird is an exciting tool! One of my goals is to become a children's author, so this was a fun project to work on. In the classroom, I can use Storybird to introduce new concepts and read to children. It's a fun thing to show students books that I've written myself. Children of all grades will love using Storybird to create their own unique stories accompanied with beautiful illustrations and share them with peers and family. There is something so exciting about viewing your own work online in story form. It also encourages them to pursue their creativity and imagination. Storybird is simple to use. I love the artwork to choose from that brings the story to life and adds a magical feel to the work. I'm glad to be introduced to this new tool.





Emaze 3rd Grade Presentation

UEN:
Objective 2
2a. Describe the major world ecosystems (i.e. desert, plain, tropic, tundra, grassland, mountain, forest, wetland).

EdTech:
Standard 5
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.

ISTE:
Knowledge Constructor
Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

Reflection:

Emaze is a great tool! I love that I am able to spruce up presentations with some neat features that catch the eye. I'm also impressed with all the different themes I can choose from. Emaze will be a tool that my upper grade students can play with to feature their reports and presentations in unique and creative ways. It's always fun to see the diversity in projects that students come up with. I could use Emaze in each of the grades, K-6. For younger grades I can keep things very simple and make some of the pictures/ words pop out or twist. And for the older grades, I can offer fun presentations and they can learn to use and create great projects. This is such a great improvement to the typical Power Point presentation, as it brings the presentation to life and keeps things interesting.  

Newsletter

Newsletter

UEN:
Not applicable

Ed Tech:
Standard 5
Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.


ISTE:
Creative Communicator
Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

Reflection:

Knowing how to create and use a newsletter is a necessary tool. I see the value in it as a teacher because it is a simple way to keep students and parents informed of activities, news and assignments. I'd like to keep my newsletters to one page and give my students a hard copy as well as email a digital copy to parents. From a parent's standpoint, monthly newsletters are appreciated, especially the digital versions that don't get lost coming home. My students should also be able to contribute to a newsletter. They could use a newsletter to collaborate on different jobs in a group assignment and create interesting projects to read.

Brochure: Author Highlight

Author Highlight Brochure: Dr. Seuss

Template

UEN:

English Language Arts Grade 3

Reading: Literature Standard 2

Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

EdTech:

Standard 5

Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)

ISTE:

Creative Communicator

I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats and digital media.

Reflection:

 I chose to make a brochure using Word. This is a fun and creative  way to display information. It helped me to become more familiar with Word. When I use this in my classroom, I will create a template with specific sections or categories my students should include. For example, in this author highlight brochure, I had 6 sections: Picture, Simple Biography, Famous Works, Interesting Facts, Favorite Book, and Book Characters. They will then do the simple research, design the brochure, and share their creation with the class. I think finding different ways of displaying reports is important. Not only does it expose students to a variety of possible assignments, it also helps to reach students in different ways, allowing different learning styles to take place. I enjoyed this project because I am a visual learner, and I love to see things laid out in front of me. It tapped into my creative side as I played around with the designing tools.



Flyer: Battle of the Books

UEN:

Elementary Library Media (K-5)

Strand 3 Library purpose and function

3.3 Contribute to a reading and learning community, including recommending reading materials to peers and respecting others’ reading choices.

EdTech:

Standard 7
Use telecommunications and on-line resources (e.g., email, online discussions, web environments) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (4, 5)

ISTE:

Creative Communicator

I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats, and digital media. 

Reflection:

 I used Word to create an informative flyer encouraging students to join Battle of the Books. Word is a versatile tool that can be used in so many different ways. I chose Word because I was familiar with it. I think most students have used Word. However, it also was a little frustrating because I haven't explored the drawing/creating aspect very much. I suppose as I continue to use Word for different projects I will become more familiar with what Word is capable of. Students can use Word not only to write reports, but also create book report brochures and flyers. Allowing them to explore Word will be helpful for them in their futures.

Answer Garden: Health Education 6th Grade

I created an AnswerGarden and asked my students

"How do you manage stress in a positive way?"

UEN:

Health Education 6th Grade

1. The students will learn ways to improve mental health and manage stress.

EdTech:              

7. Use telecommunications and on-line resources (e.g., email, online discussions, web environments) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom.

ISTE:

Creative Communicator

I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats and digital media.

Reflection:

I'm so glad I was introduced to AnswerGarden! It is a fun and interactive way to begin a discussion and include all students. I love how it displays the answers. I found myself responding several times, and each time I was excited to find my answer displayed and see if it was ranked in the top answers. I will definitely use AnswerGarden in my class! One thing I love about it is how it can spark conversation. It allows students to bring all of their ideas into one big whole, and breaks up a topic into several different avenues. AnswerGarden is a fun way to take the stress out of assessing. Asking a question and seeing how many students get the answer right or seeing the variety of answers is exciting for everyone participating. One thing I wondered about, was if my students will have the technology at their hands to participate. The school I work in currently doesn't have 1:1 ipads for each student. Hopefully, with time, that can happen.



  

Pinterest: Mathematics

Basic Math Skills Pinterest Board 

UEN:
Standard 1.MP.1                 
Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Explain the meaning of a problem, look for entry points to begin work on the problem, and plan and choose a solution pathway. When a solution pathway does not make sense, look for another pathway that does. Explain connections between various solution strategies and representations. Upon finding a solution, look back at the problem to determine whether the solution is reasonable and accurate, often checking answers to problems using a different method or approach.

EdTech:
8. Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem-solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities.

ISTE:
Computational Thinker
Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.


Reflection


Pinterest is a great tool to share/find fresh ideas to incorporate into the classroom. It's easy to use, and very addicting. I have found that I have to give myself a time limit when I use Pinterest so I don't get carried away.

I will use Pinterest in the classroom to find other ways of teaching a subject and to get new ideas and approaches to learning standards. I believe that being willing to collaborate and having an open mind to new ideas a powerful approach. There are so many ways to learn and different learning styles, and Pinterest exposes me to new ideas.

This Pinterest board offers a variety of ways to teach basic math skills learned in first grade. These pins are blog posts using manipulatives to play math games, songs that help the student with memorizing, worksheets for math practice, visuals to help the student visualize the math concept, and many more ideas. There are also a few pins about flexible seating which is a concept I am very excited to introduce into my classroom. I feel that flexible seating could greatly aid in my students grasping and learning of a concept.