Wow- I can't believe I didn't know about this before! What an excellent way to share resources...
I created an account on delicious and started searching by tags. I found several interesting sites. At first I searched using "second grade" and I found this website. It seems to have a lot of great math games for second graders that could be used on either the computer or ACTIV board.
http://www.allentownsd.org/EETT/secondgrade.htm#A.__Numbers_and_Operations
Next I searched using more specific tags. I've been wanting to do a book study with Magic Tree House, so I used those tags. I found some things but most of it was more "cutesy." I'll have to look into that some more. I also read aloud a lot of Kevin Henkes books at the beginning of the year, since they go along well with making connections. I've been thinking this year I would branch out and do a more formal author study. I searched "Kevin Henkes" and found several helpful sites, especially this one.
http://hkidshighlights.blogspot.com/2009/03/kevin-henkes-so-much-to-talk-about.html
This is actually another teacher's class blog, and it has some great information and ideas on a Kevin Henkes author study.
I'm so excited to use social bookmarking this year! It will help me find great resources and keep track of them in one place!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Cool Google Tools (Tool #4)
I think Google Documents could be a great way to share roadmaps and lesson ideas with team members. It seems this would make it easier to make revisions or suggestions to a document. I would like to use this with my team this year!
I set up my Google Reader and I am now following several other teachers' blogs. It makes it easy to see it all in one place!
So far I am not sure how my students would use these tools, but I know they will be helpful to me as a teacher!
I set up my Google Reader and I am now following several other teachers' blogs. It makes it easy to see it all in one place!
So far I am not sure how my students would use these tools, but I know they will be helpful to me as a teacher!
Image Generators and Mashups (Tool #3)
First I used Spell to create the "2nd Grade" banner under the header of my blog. This website was easy to use and it could possibly be used in my classroom as a spelling activity/workstation. It didn't take much time and I know second graders could use it!
Next I tried Wordle. I made this word cloud.
I think this could be used at the end of a unit. Students would have to recall everything they have learned about a particular topic and then could present their creation to the class. Since it is pretty easy to recall words I would want them to explain their thinking a little further. Again, this was quick and easy so it is something students could hopefully do independently as a workstation or follow up activity.
Next I tried Wordle. I made this word cloud.
I think this could be used at the end of a unit. Students would have to recall everything they have learned about a particular topic and then could present their creation to the class. Since it is pretty easy to recall words I would want them to explain their thinking a little further. Again, this was quick and easy so it is something students could hopefully do independently as a workstation or follow up activity.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
PLNS (Tool #2)
I think personal learning communities are great, for both teachers and students. It's an easy way to feel connected to other people and share ideas. In the past, I have found a few teachers' blogs on my own and gotten a lot of great ideas this way! I can't wait to explore this idea with my students.
I read the advice on how to increase comments. I liked that the writer pointed out that in order to receive comments, the blog needs to be worthy of them. I think this will help motivate my students in their writing. I know that I am putting a lot more thought into what I write on this blog simply because I know others are going to read it!
I think these suggestions would be a good starting place to model how to invite commenting, and make appropriate comments in return. Students typically have a hard time critiquing the work of their classmates, so this will be an important lesson. I think that over time this will come naturally to my students, but in the beginning it will be very important to set guidelines.
I am off to comment on some other blogs!
I read the advice on how to increase comments. I liked that the writer pointed out that in order to receive comments, the blog needs to be worthy of them. I think this will help motivate my students in their writing. I know that I am putting a lot more thought into what I write on this blog simply because I know others are going to read it!
I think these suggestions would be a good starting place to model how to invite commenting, and make appropriate comments in return. Students typically have a hard time critiquing the work of their classmates, so this will be an important lesson. I think that over time this will come naturally to my students, but in the beginning it will be very important to set guidelines.
I am off to comment on some other blogs!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Getting Started!
I am so glad to finally get started with 11 Tools. I wanted to wait until after summer school was out to get started, and so here I am finally! It wasn't that difficult to get my blog started, and I actually had fun making my Avatar. Hopefully later on I can get a little more creative with my layout, etc.
I would love to use Tool #1 in my classroom. My second graders love it when I use Morning Messages; they get excited about reading when it is a personal message with meaning to them. They also enjoy communicating through dialogue journals. I think blogging would be a way to take that to a whole new level while emersing them in technology!
I would love to use Tool #1 in my classroom. My second graders love it when I use Morning Messages; they get excited about reading when it is a personal message with meaning to them. They also enjoy communicating through dialogue journals. I think blogging would be a way to take that to a whole new level while emersing them in technology!
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