October: The Month of iMovie

This month, I have been a part of numerous teachers forays into the world of iMovie, an easy to use, convenient, AMAZING app that is loaded onto all of our student iPads. 

What is iMOVIE? 

According to Apple's website, "iMovie.. lets you enjoy your videos like never before. Browse your clips more easily, instantly share your favorite moments, and create beautiful HD movies and Hollywood‑style trailers. And when you’re ready to premiere on all your devices, iMovie Theater rolls out the red carpet." And this information is all completely legit - our students are creating movies to demonstrate learning, to teach peers, to address a concern they have, and these movies look like Hollywood productions! See this page for an example: STEM Video Padlet 

How can I use iMOVIE?
Basic instructions and ideas of what you can do with this app can be found at the following link:  Knowing What You Can Do with iMovie

Georgia Educational Technology Conference

Teachers and support staff here at River Eves had a blast at this year's Georgia Educational Technology Conference (GaETC). The three day event served as a fantastic resources for lesson plans, gadgets, apps, websites - all things school tech related. We are so thankful for Fulton county's Vanguard committee, the school, and our wonderful education foundation (REEF) for supporting us in our pursuit of further knowledge and professional development. Below, you will find some pictures from the event. Enjoy!

September: The Month of the Padlet

Good morning, River Eves! This month has been an exciting month back in the classroom. And our teachers and I have fallen in love with the web resource PADLET. I began taking advantage of the awesome features that Padlet offers at the end of the previous school year when we used it for our "So You Think You Can Hip-Hop Dance" PE lesson. Below, you will find the "Fragale 5" as an introduction to this amazing Technology Treasure. Enjoy!

1. What? (A brief overview of what the resource does)

In the words of Shaun Takenouchi, "When you first start to use Padlet you have a blank page where you can do a variety of things. You can drag and drop documents, images, and PDF’s from your desktop to your wall. You can also copy and paste links to videos or websites as well as use your computer’s (or tablet's) camera to take a picture to put up. Lastly, you have the option to just start typing on your page and create notes on it." When it comes to privacy on a Padlet, the teacher can make a page public, password protected, or completely private. In regards to sharing a link to a page, Padlet even creates a unique QR code for you - eliminating that extra step! It is also important to note that Padlet is a WEB resource, not an app. Therefore, it is accessible on any device with internet access.

2. Who? (Audience, which grade levels can really benefit from this resource?)

All grade levels can benefit from using Padlet, even all subject areas. Because it is a quick and easy website creator that pairs well with iPads, the possibilities are endless in our school! 

3. Where? (In what learning context would this resource be relevant?)

This resource would really work in all classrooms. A teacher could you Padlet to provide students with a WebQuest, a research assignment, in Social Studies (see below in 4th Humanities classes):

A teacher could use Padlet as a password protected writing portfolio for collaboration and peer feedback (see below in Ms. Dearborn's class):

A teacher could use Padlet as a ticket out the door or reflection piece of some sort (see below in Ms. Newton's first grade class - I know Ms. Schechter has used this in her ELA class as well!):

A teacher could use Padlet to track student progress in writing, speaking, really any skill. AND the beauty of Padlet is this can be shared with parents, relatives, any person who has the password. Those individuals have the option to leave feedback too! (see below in Ms. Donnell's Kindergarten class):

A teacher could take a video of herself in the classroom teaching, reviewing, introducing a topic, anything, and easily share this video with the class, even the world (see below in Ms. Moss's video introduction):

4. Why? (How can this REALLY help me?)

Padlet is fantastic because it eliminates unnecessary steps while communicating and collaborating with others. As teachers, we want to meet the needs of all learners, and the idea of blended learning and the flipped classroom become more attainable with a fantastic resource like Padlet.

First graders working on literary response entries; some type their
sentences while other take a picture to post of their written word.

5. How? (Basic Instructions)

For basic usage directions, follow the link below! I hope you enjoy getting acquainted with the wonderful web resource Padlet. How to Use Padlet

Welcome Back, River Eves!

Good morning, River Eves Elementary!

It's your Technology Teacher Coach, Ms. Lizzie Fragale, here, and I am very excited for the year ahead! I am thrilled to be back and happy to report that we are off to a fantastic technology start. We are SO excited to have a STEM lab in our school with a great teacher, Ms. Ally Baker. Ms. Baker and I have already been planning and researching to make this unique opportunity truly special for our kids.

In other news, Kindergarten teachers (and other grades) have been using the wonderful web resource Padlet to create student portfolios for their work to track their progress in the classroom. Padlet makes uploading videos and pictures from the iPad EASY and includes special features like QR codes and password protected sites.

Additionally, I have enjoyed getting to know our new Media Specialist, Ms. Neubauer, and we have already collaborated on a great lesson for our third graders - I just love watching these kids take the technology to research and create something special (I even get to learn a thing or two about our National Parks).

Furthermore, the grade-level iPads and BYOT program have empowered teachers to give students access to technology and the possibilities that go along with the devices. For example, 4th grade humanities teachers worked with me to create a WebQuest where students learned more about the Indigenous People of our country. Second grade teacher Ms. Schechter created a "Choice Board" for students as they learned about characterization - her kids loved the refresher course I provided on using Educreations - so pumped up about learning!

Though I have only been back for two weeks, I am quite impressed with this amazing school. From teacher QR codes to iPad centers, it's incredible to watch how our staff has really stepped it up with technology. I look forward to a GREAT year ahead!

Summer Parent Night: [undercover] Learning

Happy summer, River Eves! I hope this post finds you excitedly looking forward to our summer vacation. To prepare you for the upcoming months, I have created two lists. The first is a list of apps that will engage our students during the summer months while still challenging them academically. The second is a list of web resources that perform the same tasks. I call these resources....

[undercover] learning

My Top 5 Summer Learning Apps

1. Mad Libs - test their grammar skills and create super funny stories in the process - it's an oldie but a goodie to me. 
   
2. Sushi Monster - this monster is hungry for sushi - answer the math questions correctly and keep him fed! 
   
3. Brain Pop - App that provides students with education videos on a WIDE variety of topics and even includes supplemental information, quizzes, links, etc. Many teachers use this already, and kids LOVE it!
   
4. MoMA Art Lab - App from the Museum of Modern Art that allows students to create their own masterpieces, learn more about famous artists, even create sound compositions and shape poems! 
   
5. Wonderopolis (This Day in History) -So, the last app is actually two apps because I couldn't choose which one was better and they somewhat work together. An easy idea I had to get kids learning every day, is to share these two apps as they provide information on a daily basis. Wonderopolis answers a question (or wonder) of the day with video, pictures, etc. This Day in History gives students just that - a list of events that happened on that day. Perhaps a good first thing in the morning activity while eating breakfast or a way to spark dinner conversation!
   

My Top 5 Summer Learning Websites

1. Wonderopolis (web component - see above for more information)
2. Brainpop (web component - see above for more information)
3. Free Rice - began as a tool to learn new vocabulary but has now expanded to include many different subject areas (math, science, social studies, even SAT prep!). The cool thing about this website is that for every answer your students gets correct, the website donates 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Programme! So you can talk about physical science AND philanthropy! 
   
4. Scholastic Family Playground - website that includes games, videos, puzzles, etc. for Scholastic books and programs like 'I Spy,' 'Clifford,' and 'The Magic Schoolbus.' The English teacher in me LOVES the fact that there are online stories as well. 
   
5. Funbrain - website that includes word and math games, interactive online texts (even web version of 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'), and some less academic online games as well. I feel that with some parental supervision, this could really be a great online resource for those stormy summer days.     
   
   
   
   
   

*Another thought: Your students have really become masters of Educreations and (some classrooms only) iMovie. These apps are more creative, like a blank canvas for our kids to create a video/presentation all their own. I would encourage students to chronicle their vacation - from airplane rides, road trips, even day by day activities. These apps are FANTASTIC for letting your student express him or herself in a truly unique way.

So You Think You Can HIP-HOP Dance?

This week, fourth grade will be dancing in the gymnasium! It is "So You Think You Can HIP-HOP Dance" week in PE, and we are blending PE, Technology, and Dance to create a unique, interactive lesson that will get our 4th graders moving. Use the links below to help you research, explore, document, and present your project. Good luck!

STEP ONE: Research - Visit each of the links listed below to create FIVE FACTS you learned about Hip-Hop Dance.

• The Origins of Hip-Hop Dance
• What do you know about Hip-Hop Dance?
• History of Hip-Hop Dance

STEP TWO: Explore - Watch the following video that gives you a choreographed dance to Pharrell Williams' song "Happy." Pay close attention and get into it - this is the dance you need to learn! Every group member must be up and dancing.

*The BEST dancer from each group will be asked to film your group's dance routine.

Here is the link: "HAPPY" DANCE VIDEO

 

STEP THREE: Document - Now that everyone in your group has mastered the "Happy" dance, it is your time to film. The assigned group member will be in charge of using the camera feature on the iPad to film the group dancing to the song. We will only be filming through the first refrain of the song (until around the 1 minute mark).

STEP FOUR: Present - To document all steps of the process, you will create a Padlet wall. Simply, follow this link, and select "Build a Wall." On this "wall," you can type your five facts about hip-hop and upload your group's video. Be sure to include all group members' names! For an example Padlet wall, you can click here.


And you are finished! Remember to fill out your worksheet that includes the QR Code to this blog and space to take notes on the three websites. 

From Sketches to the Google Homepage: Live from Google Headquarters

Today, Wednesday, March 5, select 4th grade students will be attending a VIRTUAL field trip to Google Headquarters in California! This field trip, sponsored by Discovery Education, is in support of the Doodle 4 Google contest (find more information about THAT here). This AWESOME opportunity is interactive as students are able to ask the Google Doodlers questions about their job, their doodles, and life at Google. We are all very excited about his opportunity. You can learn more about our field trip and even watch the broadcast at the following link: From Sketches to the Google Homepage



 

NETS Standard: Research and Information Fluency

Today's Instructional Technology Committee Meeting will focus on the third NETS standard, "Research and Information Fluency." Below you will find information and notes to help teachers meet this standard. Documentation will be due by the end of February.

The ISTE Standard for Research and Information Fluency (#3) includes the following description:

•  Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

1. Plan strategies to guide inquiry.
2. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media
3. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks
4. Process data and report results

Most of us teachers will complete some sort of research project with our students at some point in the school year. This is a great way to meet this standard. Below, you will find some FABULOUS resources to help you in the process.

 

* Infotopia ( http://www.infotopia.info/ )

According to their website, "Infotopia is an academic search engine accessing only trusted websites previously selected by librarians, teachers, and library and educational consortia. Infotopia is recommended for students, teachers, and, especially, homeschoolers." This is a great way to minimize those moments where students find inappropriate material by just using google to search.

 

* iBrainstorm App

The iBrainstorm App is simply a blank canvas that can serve as a way to prewrite and plan essays, projects, etc. You can simply draw with your finger or you can add sticky notes. Once you've completed your brainstorming, you can easily share your plans via email or saving the image as a photo on your device. I really see this as beneficial for upper grades in collaboration and group work.

 

 

 

* WebQuests ( using Zunal )

In my classroom, I was always a big fan of WebQuests as an easy way to meet the research standard on a more regular basis and introduce a new subject matter in a more exciting way. I have since discovered Zunal which is an online WebQuest builder and even better, a source for finding WebQuests that have already been made for you! You can search by grade level (either K-2 or 3-5) AND subject area. I would suggest browsing around to see if one can work for you. Love, LOVE it. Also, listed below, I have three other EASY WebQuest ideas. As an ELA teacher, I get so excited about March and Dr. Seuss's Birthday. Hopefully, you do too :)

1. Dr. Seuss WebQuest for Non or Early Readers - I was inspired by this link which requires students to simply use Google image as a search engine to match the Seuss character with the appropriate book title. If this seems like something that would be of interest to your class, just let me know, and I can create a worksheet for the kids.
2. The Rhyming Man: Dr. Seuss and His Books - This WebQuest is already linked to the standards and completely finished for you. The focus of this WebQuest is 1st-3rd Language Arts. It is well-planned but seems like it would need quite a few days to complete the entire project.
3. Dr. Seuss WebQuest for Older Students - Here is a link to a WebQuest that is already created that looks at the biography of Seuss and has students answer questions. Link: Seuss WebQuest

 

* Wonderopolis ( http://wonderopolis.org/ )

I am new to Wonderopolis, but I think I am in love. Every day, the site poses an intriguing question and explores it in a variety of ways. According to the website, "with multi-disciplinary content that purposefully aligns to Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the STEM Educational Quality Framework, and Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy, we’ve earned a place in K-12 curriculum and in classrooms worldwide. Teachers can use the daily Wonder to jumpstart their students’ critical thinking, or dip into our ever-growing collection of Wonders for content that relates to specific themes and student interests." There is even an educator resource ( here ) where teachers can search for content based upon common core standards and grade level. *I thought this one would be great for today: http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/have-you-ever-been-in-a-spelling-bee/

My idea for a quick and easy way to incorporate this resource into your classroom would be to have a "Wonder Wednesday" every week where you explore questions the students have or simply open the website and see what the wonder of the day is. Then, you can have authentic conversations with students in which you discuss how to find answers, brainstorm, and even research. Pretty cool!

 

Here is an example from a teacher's classroom that she uploaded on her Twitter account.

 

 

 

* Evernote

I know that I seem to keep coming back to Evernote, but it is just because I LOVE it. In regards to research, Evernote is a great way to keep track of information and easily share it with classmates, teachers, and parents. A teacher can simply create a folder for each child in which she can take notes, copy links, etc. At the end of the period, these notes are sent to parents or a partner if collaborating, and saved in the Evernote folder. Or if the student has a unique login, she can access her notes from iPad, computer, or any other device with the Evernote app.

 

If you have any other research resources that you want to share, please send me an email at Fragale@fultonschools.org. Have a great day!