Digital Storytelling

Storytelling.  It is an age-old art form, and most people love to hear or tell a good story.   

Digital storytelling encourages students to :work collaboratively, use new technologies, and develop skills they will be required to have in the workforce of the future." The necessary tools are already available on most computers, and students can "use text, music, sound effects, videos, and more to create a multimedia presentation that links them to the world beyond the classroom. Storytelling has the potential to unleash creativity, engage, and motivate."

Denis Koegel is about to embark on a Digital Storytelling adventure in the 7th Grade Language Arts classroom.  Will you give it a try? 

Visit this site for more information: Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling

Sources
http://www.iste.org/store/product?ID=270
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/

Prezi: The New and Improved PowerPoint?

Prezi is a tool to help organize ideas--and it's really great to see an overview of the whole presentation.  I've used it a few times in class, and my students seem to enjoy the movement of the prezi.  It takes a little trial and error to figure it out--if you're interested in learning, I'm happy to show you how to set one up.
Prezi Home

And for a real-life example, here's a link to a Prezi I put together for my grad class this week:
Say Something Reading Strategy

Check out this useful site :)

http://www.snowdaycalculator.com/calculator.php

Too Noisy

Too noisy is another free app that can be a fun visual (if you have a projector to use) to gauge the noise level in the classroom. We have used it to better understand levels 0-3 and hold them accountable during quiet work time.

Pic Jointer

Liz showed me this handy app for posting pictures on your blog. Rather than posting individual shots, you can join them into different collages. Here's an example with the 5th grade solar system projects.

Sites worth visiting!

Here's the list of sites that are useful if you have any extra time or can't find your list.

Class DOJO

Until Monday, I had never heard of this cool website.  It's called Class DOJO and it's a great tool for classroom discipline.  Lisa Pierce introduced me to it.  Jeff also said he's used it in the past.  It's so cool!  Here's a link to check it out: http://www.classdojo.com/
There is a Demo Class you can play around with if you are interested.  If you choose to add your class, you can give each student an alien-like picture and they earn points for positives and loose points for negative behaviors.  You can tweak the points as you see fit.  I'm sure there is plenty I still need to learn about it, but it's exciting for our class now.  :)

Who doesn't love Pinterest??

There are lots of educational Common Core Standards available. Just search under people (rather than pins or boards) for GVSU CSO. It's amaaaazing! 😍

Hink Pinks

What's a Hink Pink you ask? 
Hink Pinks are fun rhyming word riddles.
The answer to the riddle is a pair of words that rhyme with each other. 
For example:  Large Feline would be Fat Cat.

Check out these websites to encourage your students to think "outside the box."

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/brainteasers/hink-pink-a_WQRWN.pdf
http://www.wuzzlesandpuzzles.com/hinkpinks/
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/brainboosters/wordplay/hinkpink.html

Map Math

Take your students to the computer lab and have them practice their math skills.  Here's the MAP math link:
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/

This is also great for early finishers.  Start out with students completing tasks at their level and then challenge them by having them increase their target score.

Here's a link to MAP Reading:
http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm

*When you have your students use the site, tell Carrie Pifer.  She will give you a sweet treat for trying something new!*  :)

Thinking maps

Here are some great websites that show examples of thinking maps, hope they are helpful!

http://www.thinkingmaps.org/

 

http://www.mdianeharrison.com/Thinking%20Maps.htm

 

http://teachinginroom6.blogspot.com/search?q=Maps

 

http://alwaysfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2011/12/thinking-maps.html

 

http://madeintheshadeinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2012/01/behavior-management-with-33-pages-of.html

 

http://glitzyinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2012/04/thinking-maps-gone-wild-so-other-day-i.html

I found a website that gives many examples of things that we can do to put more technology into our classroom.  I know that many of us are a little scared or are uneducated ourselves with all the new technology that keeps coming out...but it is in the Common Core Standards.  Many of theses I was required to use for my Masters classes, they just take a little time to explore.  Have fun!

http://commoncore.org/maps/resources/digital_resources

Copyright Basics

What you should know about Copyright and Fair Use

Please don't panic!  I am not about to tell you that you can never show a movie again, please keep reading.

At our professional development meetings in August, a handout was shared with guidelines for using copyrighted materials in the classroom.  It was my intention to present this information to you live so you could ask questions.  Since I wasn't able do this, here is some of what would have been presented.

Copyright Basics:  Anything created by someone is copyrighted and in general, can only be reproduced with permission from the creator.  Educators get a bit of a break on seeking permission under the "Fair Use" guidelines.  They do not, however, get a free rein to copy or use anything they desire at all times of the year.

What does this look like in your classroom?  How does this pertain to you?  Here are some highlights:

• Printed materials that are short (like a poem), can be copied from a legally obtained original.  One copy per student in your class is allowed, no extras.  This may be done 9 times/year for each teacher.
• Printed materials that are long may be copied one time for archival purposes.  This copy must include the copyright information.  Copies of this nature are usually only made by a librarian in an attempt to keep a copy of materials in case of loss or destruction.
• Video use for student viewing is allowed if you have a legally obtained copy (purchased or rented), used in a classroom environment that is "dedicated to face-to-face instruction," and if it is instructional in nature.  Videos may not be used for entertainment or rewards.  If you want to show a video for entertainment or reward purposes, a one time site license must be purchased.  Here "one time" refers to showing the movie only once, not purchasing the license only once.  The last time I checked, this cost about $100 per license.
• Video and music use in student  and staff projects is allowed, but limited to 10% or 30 seconds of a piece, whichever is smaller.  These multi-media projects must have an educational purpose (for example, not a copy of the Talent Show or 8th Grade Celebration).

This is just the beginning.  I hope it helps, calms fears, and/or clarifies what questions you want to ask.  Feel free to comment here, email me, or ask me in person if you need more details.

Carrie

Welcome!

Welcome to our newest Tech feature for Vanderbilt!

The Technology Committee is creating this blog as an additional information-sharing space for all staff members at Vanderbilt.  We will update it periodically, and answer questions that surface here or in email.  Please note:  this blog will not create more work for you.  It is meant to share tech information in a convenient manner that can be accessed from any computer, at school or at home.  We look forward to a new opportunity to share best practices and improve technology integration at Vanderbilt.

Technology Committee