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!
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