Resource #2 - PebbleGo!

Underhill School is fortunate to have several subscription resources when it comes to providing differentiation for our students. I will highlight a few of these my next series of posts.

Ask your librarian for User Name and Password

Finally ... a research resource that is accessible for younger students! Pebble Go is carefully designed to present high interest information in a format that emergent readers will find easy to understand. This allows them to answer their questions, find information and discover facts from a reliable source, and see that citations are given - all the marks of good research.

Features include:

•  videos for engaging students, and you can 

  • click on any selection to hear it read aloud

    • games and voting (poll) options

      • article of the day

        • educator resources

Underhill School subscribes to this database, so please check it out and let me know what you think.  Better yet, begin using it in your classroom to help your students practice elementary research skills.

 

 

Resource #1 - Discovery Education

Underhill School is fortunate to have several subscription resources when it comes to providing differentiation for our students. I will highlight a few of these my next series of posts.

Resource #1 - "Discovery Education"

Ask your librarian for User Name and Password

For videos, video clips, photos and images, you can't do much better than Discovery Education. I really like the ability to download videos and clips right onto my computer so I don't need to access the internet to show them. One click on a video and it is there for whenever I need it.   Everything is searchable by Grade Level, Subject and/or Media Type.

For example, a recent search by grade level K-2, and the words "Reading Rainbow" led me to a wealth of Reading Rainbow episodes. You can show the whole video, or just clips of the part you want students to view:

In the Discovery Education section for teachers, you can find lesson plans, puzzlemaker, worksheets, interactive resources, and connections to state standards. You can build a "My DE" page where you can link into upcoming webinars, access content, tap into an educator network or learn more about how to best utilize all that Discovery Education  has to offer you.

One of my favorites is a link to Kathy Schrock, Librarian and Technology Specialist Extraordinaire! You will find her blog and columns to be invaluable for useful, practical and fun resources for your classroom.  
Once you begin using Discovery Education, you'll wonder why you waited.

They say:

          "Discovery Education transforms classrooms, empowers teachers and captivates students   by leading the way in providing high quality, dynamic, digital content to school districts ...

Teachers say:

"It is essential for students to have multiple and varied exposures to content in order for them to truly learn and understand it. Discovery Education is an invaluable resource in this respect, helping me to provide interactive media, visuals and videos that depict things that these students may never be able to see or be exposed to otherwise."      

~  Nicole Wagner, Teacher, Tavan Elementary 

Check it out and let us know what YOU have to say about Discovery Education!

Which Step Have You Reached Today?

Zombies in Plain English

Happy Halloween! 

Although it is the kids who are excited by "spookiness" at this time of the year, adults also enjoy the twists and turns of the normal to the slightly strange. I hope you enjoy this twist on the "How To" videos we've all been using to keep current with technology.

Click here to play--->:  ZOMBIES IN PLAIN ENGLISH

Are You Pinterested?

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Lately I have been seeing lots of posts on Facebook by my teacher friends, raving about the great finds for educators on Pinterest. It seems to be "the next big thing" fueled by easy access, practical application, and that elusive touch of addictive quality that makes good ideas take off in the digital world.

So what exactly is (click for website) "Pinterest" and why would you use it as a resource for teaching? 
Read what

Eric Sheninger Principal at New Milford High School had this to say on his (click for website)Edutopia Blog:

"After hearing about all the hoopla surrounding Pinterest, I decided to check it out and see if it had any value to me as an educator. Up until this point I really didn't have a clue as to what it was all about except that it was a social media tool that functioned like an electronic bulletin board. After requesting an invite, I was all set to go a day later and began to create my first pin board. The tutorial video that you are directed to upon signing up was short, to the point, and made it incredibly simple to dive in and start creating. I dragged the "pin it" bookmarklet into Google Chrome and off I went.

I quickly became fascinated with the idea of "pinning" together all of my professional interests. As I began to piece together resources on Personal Learning Networks (PLNs), I lost track of time and ended staying up well past my bedtime. The point here was that I was engaged. My excitement carried over to the next day as I created another board on Web 2.0 Tools. This led me to begin to brainstorm many ways in which educators could utilize this resource to enhance teaching and learning."

EdWorldSarah (click for website) recommended the following on her Education World Community Blog:

"The key is to follow others who actively use Pinterest to collect great classroom and education related resources and ideas. Who you follow really matters because it directly influences the quality of the content you see when you visit Pinterest. It's great to follow friends and people who you respect, but you also need to make sure you are following some power pinners who will make the whole experience even better. We've put together a five of five must-follow Pinterest users to help you get in the pinning groove. Ready?

Not sure what Pinterest is or how to get started using it? Check out Pinterest 101 for Teachers: Getting Started for help.

(click for websites)

Amanda Plum
Boards: Classroom Behavior Ideas, Classroom Decor, Teaching Math, etc.>

Why We Love Her: Amanda’s pins aren’t just bright, colorful and exciting (they are!), but she also annotates them with why she’s pinning them or a little description that gets us thinking too. Her Pinterest pins could make for a really exciting and engaging classroom.

Rachel Friedwich
Boards: Substitute Teaching Ideas, Character Teaching Ideas, Anchor Chart Ideas, etc
Why We Love Her: With 65 boards and more than 2,000 pins, Rachel is a highly organized pinner whose work really digs deep into the possibilities of Pinterest. There’s so many great ideas held within her boards that we can’t help but wait excitedly for what comes next from her.

Charity Preston
Boards: Character Building, Bullying Resources, Leap Year, etc
Why We Love Her: It’s no secret that we think Charity Preston is a rock star in the online educator’s realm. She blogs for us here on the Education World Community and also runs the Primary Grades group. On Pinterest, she has more than 4,000 pins on 61 boards covering everything from special days (National Punctuation Day, anyone?) to Classroom Freebies. Her pins are thoughtful, useful and well-selected.  She’s totally got her finger on the pulse of everything education.

Melissa Alonzo-Dillard
Boards: Dr. Seuss, Classroom Themes, Smartboard, etc
Why We Love Her: Melissa has pinned a lot (nearly 7,000 pins!) and has curated an amazing collection of ideas that are well organized on more than 80 boards. It’s easy to dig through and find dozens of fabulous ideas from her pins. And her Dr. Seuss content? Love.
Rockabye Butterfly
Boards: Human Body Study, Sensory Activities for Kids, Math Play, etc
Why We Love Her: Rockabye Butterfly is a homeschooling mom who has created a fabulous Pinterest collection covering the gamut from the core subjects to specialized interests (Space!). Her pins are perfect for any educator of early childhood, preschool and primary kids. And we especially love that she keeps track of the pins she actually does in real life too -- pretty cool to know she’s really doing the projects offline.

Do you have Pinterest links, tips or ideas to share?  

Comment here to let everyone in on the action!

"What's the Big Deal About Blogs?"

You may be asking yourself that question, as everyone seems to have a blog about something these days.  What exactly is a blog?  And why should you have one?

Lee Lefever of CommonCraft explains blogs in his usual straightforward fashion in the video "Blogs in Plain English." Lefever notes that in the 20th century, news was reported by professionals through mainstream news outlets such as newspapers, radio and television.  But in the 21st century, news has become "both professional AND personal" with specialized content that may target specific audiences.  In this way, blogs allow anyone to be a reporter and publisher (often for free).  

It strikes me that this is yet another way that the Internet has opened up our world to a more democratic view.  Like wikis, blogs allow many people to communicate and comment on the news, as opposed to being simple recipients of whatever news a select few decide is worth reporting.  This gives people like YOU incredible power.  You can blog for family, for friends, for colleagues, for parents, for your students. 

If you want to know more about it, take 2 minutes and 59 seconds to watch this video:

  Blogs in Plain English 

Then, get started blogging!  And if you need help, let me know... I'm curious about your blog, too!

21st Century Teacher/Learners

The phrase "21st Century Learning" has been used a lot this past year in our school district.  Some of us are still defining what that means. Some of us realize that we are, of course, already 21st century learners and want to bring that experience to our teaching as well.  

In fact, the terms "learner" and "teacher" are not mutually exclusive.  In the 21st century, you are not one or the other; you must be both. And you need not be in a school building - teaching and learning can take place any time, anywhere. This is all enhanced by technology, and the ways we use technology to both learn and teach.

Are you a 21st Century Teacher/Learner?  Below are some indicators from a blog that I monitor. Although not all of them apply to the grades we teach, I wonder what we can add from the Hooksett School District. 

 Post your suggestions and let's find out!

21 Signs You're a 21st Century Teacher/Learner

Written by Lisa 27 October 2010 279 Comments

1. You require your students to use a variety of sources for their research projects...and they cite blogs, podcasts, and interviews they've conducted via Skype.
2. Your students work on collaborative projects...with students in Australia.
3. You give weekly class updates to parents...via your blog.

4. Your students participate in class...by tweeting their questions and comments.
5. You ask your students to study and create reports on a controversial topic...and you grade their video submissions.
6. You prepare substitutes with detailed directions...via Podcasts.
7. You ask your students to do a character/historical person study...and they create mock social media profiles of their character.
8. Your students create a study guide...working together on a group wiki.
9. You share lesson plans with your teacher friends...from around the globe.
10. Your classroom budget is tight...but it doesn't matter because there are so many free resources on the web you can use.
11. You realize the importance of professional development...and you read blogs, join online communities, and tweet for self development.
12. You take your students on a field trip to the Great Wall of China...and never leave your classroom.
13. Your students share stories of their summer vacation...through an online photo repository.
14. You visit the Louvre with your students...and don't spend a dime.
15. You teach your students not to be bullies...or cyberbullies.
16. You make your students turn in their cell phones before class starts...because you plan on using them in class.
17. You require your students to summarize a recent chapter...and submit it to you via a text message.
18. You showcase your students' original work...to the world.
19. You have your morning coffee...while checking your RSS feed.
20. You are reading this.
21. You tweet this page, blog about it, "like" it, or email it to someone else...

What makes you a 21st century teacher/learner?