Top Tech Tips #3- Kidblog in the Classroom

The third most popular post this year was Kidblog in the Reading Classroom.  This post highlights many of the great ways you can use Kidblog in your classroom and it also includes some great resources to help you get started using this tool.  I have also prepared some instructional videos to help you get started as well.  They are located on the Kidblog organized technology resources page. 

This site is a great tool for the classroom and we will be offering a session on it at our Ed Tech Camp on June 10th.  Matt Hardy the co-creator of Kidblog is joining us to share why blogging is important, how to best use Kidblog in the classroom, and to highlight some of the new features.  Please sign up for this session to take part in this great learning opportunity. 

Also, please let me know if you are interested in using this tool next year.  I would love to plan how this could be utilized in your classroom.

Primary Docs, Live Stats, and Game Based Vocabulary

This week we are taking a break from iPads and I found some resources that focus on some specific areas and grade levels.  I will list the grades and skills I would recommend using each of these sites for.  If you have any implementation questions let me know.

Social Studies - 7-12

I came across this presentation by Richard Byrne about using primary sources in your classroom.  He gives some great suggestions in his presentation of various sites that you can use.  I would highly recommend checking these out.  If you view his presentation you can click on the slides and it will take you directly to the site he is talking about.  Here is his Link to information and presentation 

Math - 5-12 - Stat Silk
As you are teaching various levels of math I am sure you have searched for real life data to analyze in your classrooms.  I came across this interactive map site called Stat Silk which allows you to select the data you want to analyze and it will create a graph and data table for you to use.  This site seems really easy to use and allows you to quickly sort and analyze data on the fly.  Please leave a comment below on how you have been able to implement this tool.  

Here are some implementation ideas:

• practice reading graphs (great for MCA practice)
• critically analyzing data and brainstorming cause and effect 

Vocabulary Building K-12:

I also found this great site on Richard Byrne's site Free Technology for Teachers.  This site is a game based learning site based on the foundations of the dictionary.  This site blends interactive video vocabulary with word-based learning games.  Teachers can measure progress and performance through this site and students can learn through games.  Check out this site at Wordia

 (adapted from posts by Richard Byrne - Free Technology for Teachers

Educational Video Sites

Over the past few weeks I have posted ways in which you can use YouTube videos safely in your classroom.  This week I want to share a few alternative video sites that you can utilize in your lessons.  These sites allow you to search by standards, content, and grade level.  Video is such a powerful instructional tool and I hope these sites can save you time while you are trying to find videos to use in your lessons.

PBS Learning Media:
PBS LearningMedia provides you free access to videos, interactives, audio, photos, and in-depth lesson plans.

WatchKnowLearn:
WatchKnowLearn has thousands of K-12 educational videos which are organized and free to use in your lessons.

Knowmia:
This site has over 8,000 video lessons which are tailored for high school students.

2 sites full of K-12 Interactive Resources for SMART Board

I usually do not post huge lists of resources, but this Livebinder and website are definitely exceptions.  We have so little time in the day and sometimes finding time to create our own resources can be difficult. These websites have tons of interactive resources organized by topic that you can use on your SMART Board.  I would highly recommend checking these out!

1. http://bit.ly/SIVXCI
2. http://bit.ly/S5IIuR

Scholastic Thanksgiving Resources for K-12

Scholastic has developed a collection of many great resources to help students learn about the Pilgrims, Native Americans, and the first Thanksgiving.  The first step is go to the Sign-Up/Home page and register your class.  You will receive a diary letter from different Thanksgiving characters in your email inbox during the month of November. 

The voyage on the Mayflower section allows students to take an interactive journey that the pilgrims experienced or they can tour the ship. 

 

Scholastic also provides implementation plans for K-2, 3-5, and 6-12 to help teachers use these resources effectively in their instruction. 

Finally, Scholastic has partnered with Plimoth Plantation to produce three video tours of Plimoth Plantation, a Wampanoag homesite, and a Pilgrim homesite. They will also be adding a Mayflower virtual fieldtrip.  This is a great set of resources which will bring Thanksgiving to life in your classroom through technology.

 

This following video I found on History.com.  It shows the Pilgrim's route they took and deconstructs the Mayflower.  



2 Tools to Help Eliminate Distractions Around YouTube Videos

YouTube is wonderful tool to use in your classroom.  What isn’t so great: all of the garbage that can come along with it (i.e. advertising, comments, related videos…in short-distractions). Here are two resources that will allow you to safely view and share YouTube videos without all the garbage.

YouTubeXL- This is a service that YouTube provides that lets you watch videos on large screens without the ads and comments.

Safe Share TV is a fantastic way to share You Tube videos with your students. Safe Share TV removes all distracting and offensive elements that surround a video on You Tube and allows you to share the video with a unique link. Safe Share TV also gives you the option to crop videos before sharing them.

Implementation:

• Spark interest in certain topics
• Make real world connections to various topics
• Explain concepts to students

(adapted from original post found on http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=4695)

Utilizing YouTube and Discovery Ed Videos in Your SMART Notebook Lessons

Video is a powerful tool that you can use within your classroom for many purposes.  Today we are going to focus on how to put these videos into your SMART Board lessons so you can easily access them during your instruction.  Our distritct has access to Discovery Ed and the other type I will show is YouTube.  I will show how these videos can be downloaded and embedded, and also include some implementation ideas.  Please remember when you are using a video this way that you should give credit within your lesson to the original video creator.  This is a great way to model digital citizenship to our students.

YouTube:

Discovery Ed:

Implementation Ideas:

• Create lessons utilizing videos for discussion or to build anticipation for the content
• Build your SMART Notebook documents to include these videos to avoid buffering/having them become unavailable
• A great way to have students create presentations so they can use video without having to wait to view it during the presentation (remember to cite the video)
• A way to include only the segments of a video you want within your instruction instead of having to search and find the exact spot within the video

13 Colonies Resources

In our 5^th grade Social Studies standards in Minnesota students learn about the 13 colonies.  Below I listed a few of the resources I found that may be helpful with these standards.

SMART Exchange 13 Colonies Lessons

13 Colonies Resources on Claco

The Thirteen Colonies  

Original 13 Colonies  Resources

Profiles of Individual Colonies

Thirteen Colonies Live Binder

Hamden Public Schools-13 Colonies Resources

Overview of the 13 Colonies

YouTube Playlist for 13 Colonies

Hopefully these links will provide resources for you and your students as you study the 13 Colonies.