Intermediate Engagement

Previously I shared some primary literacy and technology integration projects and promised that the intermediate ideas would be shared in the near future.  Well, here they come...

The first project that pops into my mind pertains to a fourth grade project using Google Docs as a collaboration tool.  The idea for the project was generated by the students themselves.  While they were reading about Yosemite National Park in class, their teacher was struck by the enthusiasm and engagement the students showed about the topic.  Students were questioning the locations and attractions of other national parks and sharing their personal connections to parks they had visited.  It proved to be a perfect time for some research.  When planning with the teacher, she shared that she would like her students to research 10 different national parks in partners and share their research with others.  I brought up using Google Docs...and we decided to try it!  I was lucky to find a teacher that was willing to jump in and try something new with me...we were heading into new territory for both of us. 

The classroom teacher chose the parks and assigned the partners.  I contacted our district GoogleApps administrator to set up accounts for the students.  Then we planned the research portion of the project by brainstorming a list of things (location, topography, attractions, etc.) that we wanted the students to research about the parks.  After we decided what the students would need to research, I set up a template for each park in Google Docs and shared it with each student and the classroom teacher.  HINT:  USE TABLES when setting up documents that students will use for collaborating.  I learned that when two kids are typing in a table at the same time there isn't as much cursor confusion...or frustration!

Through this experience, we saw first hand the excitement and engagement that occurs students are creating and collaborating in real time.  It was great to hear all the "oohs" and "ahhs" from the students as they worked on the same document at the same time from different computers!  Once the research was done and templates were filled in, we needed a way for the students to share and present the information about their parks.  Hmmm...I wonder how we utilized technology to accomplish this?

New Year...New Post

Okay....Let's just get it out there.  I realize I haven't posted since September.  The pressure is on to share just how we have been linking literacy and technology in our building.  I promised ideas, so here they come. 

As I look back over the past few months, the first word that comes to mind is "impressive."  We are using technology to achieve our building literacy goal in some engaging ways for our students.  If you haven't tried having your students record themselves on vocaroo.com or in GarageBand yet, it would be a great time to do so.  Our specialists and teachers have used these tools to check and progress monitor fluency, create listening centers, and record retellings.  When I introduced vocaroo.com at a building professional development session, I had no idea to what extent it would be used.  I have seen numerous students recording themselves reading in small groups, with buddies, and individually. 

Since I have so many ideas to share...I will include some primary ideas in this post.  I promise the intermediate integration ideas will be posted soon.  This will keep me motivated to post sooner rather than later!

Let's start with our youngest techies in the building.  Our kindergarten students were recorded in PhotoBooth reading a book (or two) of their choice.  These video clips were compiled into an iMovie, burned to DVDs and given to parents as Christmas gifts.  Parents now have the memory of their child beginning to read captured as a keepsake.  Note...the video images in PhotoBooth were flipped.  I know how to flip still images, but had no luck with the clips.  Anyone out there have a fix for that?  Please share!

First grade is overflowing with integration ideas.  We currently have first graders finishing up a "Family Album" as part of their social studies curriculum.  They have used KidPix to draw a family portrait.  We connected the project to language arts by having the students record their voices while telling us about their pictures.  This language experience was completely unscripted and therefore...very creative!  Primary students love hearing themselves on a recording.  It never fails...they always say, "That doesn't sound like me!"  Along with their recordings and pictures created in KidPix, parents have sent in family photographs that will be scanned into our KidPix Slideshow.  We can't wait to share this slideshow with our first grade families. 

Although decoding tends to be a large focus in first grade, our young readers have been learning the importance of comprehension.  "Creating Mental Images" has been a focus in January.  One classroom is currently using poetry to help students create and share vivid pictures in their minds as they read.  After reading a poem, students drew their mental images in Kidpix.  These mental images were then shared and compared as a class.  As a conclusion to this project, students are going to be recorded using flip cameras while reciting their poem and sharing their Kidpix drawings. 

Poetry and technology have been integrated in another first grade room with the help of Class Blogmeister.  In this classroom, students have composed acrostic poems about snow.  These poems will be published by the students on their blogs.  If you haven't checked out classblogmeister.com, it's a great blog engine to use when setting up a classroom blog.  Students can have their own blog pages linked to the classroom blog page.  We currently have 2 first grade classes, 3 second grade classes, and 2 third grade classrooms blogging using Class Blogmeister.  Want to be inspired to blog with your students?  Go to the literacy wiki (http://elemliteracy.wikispaces.com/) and check out the blogs that are being written by students in our district.  Our primary students at Kelly School are blogging up a storm!

Also in our primary grades, our Promethean ActivBoards have become an essential tool during guided reading instruction.  Our teachers have been downloading and creating engaging flipcharts to use as literacy centers.  The students are working at the board to reinforce the literacy skills that have been presented while teachers are reading with students.  The confidence these primary students have when working in ActivInspire is amazing.  They are using the ActivBoard to collaborate and problem solve numerous times throughout their instructional day...not just with literacy, but across the content areas!

Wow...I could go on and on!  That's what I get for putting off writing this post.  I can't catch up on (or keep up with) all of the great technology things that are happening @ Kelly School.  Just wait until I start sharing what's been happening in our intermediate classrooms!

Shelfari and The Daily Five: Linking Technology to Literacy

This week I added Shelfari to my blog.  I intend to place books on my shelves that I have used as part of a technology project in a classroom or as a professional resource to help me integrate technology into daily reading and writing instruction.  After reading The Daily Five by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser this summer, I was excited to collaborate with the teachers in our building to see how technology could be used within this instructional program.  In order to improve comprehension, accuracy & fluency and to expand vocabulary, kids need to read...read...read.  Read to Self, Read to Someone, and Listen to Someone Read are all key parts of the "Daily Five."  The list of five is complete when Word Work and Work on Writing are added.  I met with 2 of my "techie" friends this week, and we brainstormed a list of ways technology could be used as part of The Daily Five.  Not implementing The Daily Five?  Doesn't matter...our list of projects could be used with any literacy program.  We ran out of time...but not ideas!  If you'd like to plan a project-contact me for a planning session.  I am excited to try some of these literacy/technology lessons with students!

Kindergarten Students and Computer Literacy

When planning kindergarten technology projects, we have to remember that in most cases, our kindergartners are coming into our classrooms with some impressive technology skills.  I have seen toddlers effectively manipulate apps on an iPod touch and heard preschoolers share that they skype with their grandparents.  Our kindergarten students are ready to jump in and use technology, but where should we start with them (technology-wise) in a formal educational setting?

This fall, I collaborated with kindergarten teachers, and we decided to begin with "computer literacy."  It is listed on the wordle at the top of my blog, but just what does it entail?  NCREL (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory) states that computer literacy is the "ability to accurately and effectively use computer tools such as word processors, spreadsheets, databases, and presentation and graphic software." I see computer literacy as a foundation for many of the other literacies listed on my wordle. 

Our technology planning session started with the focus of letter recognition.  We wanted the students to be able to name and recognize the letters of their names and create a project that would be displayed in a class book. Chunking the curriculum at any age is important, but especially so with five and six year-olds.  We broke down our lessons like this:

1. Introduction to KidPix:  Students were introduced to the pencil tool, erasing options (Uh-Oh guy, erasers, and firehose) and the paint bucket. Keep in mind that planning some exploration time for kids is just as important as the modeling/demonstration of the software. 
2. Self Portrait:  Students created a self-portrait using the pencil tool and paint bucket.  The classroom teacher and I were amazed at the students' ability to manipulate the mouse (some did choose to use the trackpad) and the creativity they tapped to design their portraits.  We weren't sure what the final portraits would look like, but trust me-they really looked like people!  Only a few students needed some hand-over-hand assistance with the mouse. 
3. In our final session, I introduced the animations and showed students where to find the alphabet.  A template of a palmtree was provided and students used the paint bucket to fill in the tree and background. To complete this Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom project, they used the animated alphabet to place their names down the coconut tree's trunk.  Note:  The students had created a paper copy of this project as a literacy center prior to this technology lesson.  We did have a handful of students use the paper copy as a guide to spell their names, but most did so independently. 

When reflecting on this experience as a curriculum technology partner, a few things come to mind. No matter what techology lessons we are planning with teachers, we need to remember to:

•  keep curriculum as the focus
•  plan well in advance
•  chunk the curriculum that we need to present
•  allow kids to explore and be creative!

Pay Attention

As I started thinking about how we can link literacy and technology together, I found a video on YouTube that had some pretty impressive stats.  After watching this, it's clear that our students are already reading, writing, researching, communicating...etc. using technology on a continuous basis.  Now, it is up to us as teachers to find engaging ways to use technology to present our curriculum. According to the research presented in the video, our students are already digital learners.  The question seems to be...how can we be effective digital teachers?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT2E2F0DmyE

What does literacy mean for students of the 21st century?

Literacy is reading and writing.  Plain and simple, right?  It seemed challenging enough as a classroom teacher to teach the five components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency & comprehension) and the six traits of writing (ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice & conventions).  The terms in the image above add a whole new dimension to literacy.  Yes, teaching and learning in the 21st century is a whole new ballgame.  How do we cover the content and teach our students to be digital learners?  The intention of this blog is to share ideas about how classroom teachers and curriculum technology partners can incorporate technology into reading and writing instruction. Any ideas are welcome...please share!