November 25: Advent and Web 2.0 Tools

1. Classroom Spotlight Project: Brochures with 5th Grade

Fifth grade students are using Microsoft Word to create a brochure about states! Using a rubric from http://rubistar.4teachers.org  makes the planning process easier. 

• View the rubric here: http://www.edline.net/files/_WSJw6_/51622651b9fe0d463745a49013852ec4/5th_States_Brochure_Requirements.doc 
• View a tutorial about using Templates in Office here: http://www.microsoft.com/mac/templates 

2. Student Websites: Advent Resources

It's so easy to get wrapped up in the Christmas spirit a little early, but as Catholics we do treasure the Advent season! Consider using the link below for an entertaining way to teach this season in the liturgical year:

• https://sites.google.com/site/ihmhighpoint/advent 
• For teachers and older students: http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Seasonal/Default.aspx?id=3 

3. Teacher Productivity Tool: Web 2.0 Tools

• Virtual Bulletin Board (great project idea!): http://linoit.com/users/guest/canvases/bb61e78d31c0297f82a71d424bd89de9?dispLang=en_US 
• Timer/Stopwatch: http://www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch/ 
• Quickest Website Ever! Use Wallwisher to quickly make a website for students: http://www.wallwisher.com/build

Video of the Week: What is a "Flipped Classroom? 
This short video features Salman Khan, creator the Khan Academy website

Coming next week... Distance Learning

Fantastic Fridays: October 21

Fantastic Fridays: October 21


1. Classroom Spotlight Project: Photo Books with 4th Grade

Fourth grade students are using iPhoto to create a picture book about North Carolina! Patty K. has completed  whole-class versions of the book before, but this year, students are each creating their own! Using new albums, it's a snap! http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iPhoto/9.0/en/pht6e159147.html 

2. Student Websites: Basic Skills

 Educational research indicates that using a wide variety of methods increases student retention of concepts. We can use books, auditory instructions, and paper-based activities seamlessly... let's include multimedia, as well!

• BBC Resources
• Early Learning: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/ 
• Primary: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/bitesizeprimary/ 
• Secondary: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/ 
• ABCYa (Grades K-5): http://www.abcya.com/ 
• Middle Grades Multimedia Resources (I can't stress enough how amazing this is!): http://www.khanacademy.org/ 

3. Teacher Productivity Tool: Grab Bag

• Extra 5 minutes? Don't let them have "free time", send them to http://www.freerice.com 
• Well-written article about a "Healthy Faculty Environment": http://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-faculty-teacher-healthy-environment-jac-de-haan 
• Parents asking for practice websites? Send them here to pick their favorite skills: http://www.internet4classrooms.com/parents.htm

Video of the Week: PowerPoint Tutorial for Open House


Powerpoint can be a great tool for helping structure learning in your classroom. Now that our K-5 classrooms have computer-TV connections, you can show these well-organized lessons on your TV! Enjoy the following tutorial about PowerPoint 2011. Consider making one for Open House in November!
http://mac2.microsoft.com/help/office/14/en-us/powerpoint/item/e1d2665d-765d-4a7f-901c-5bf9d172cdc8 

Fantastic Fridays: May 27

Fantastic Fridays: May 27


1. Classroom Spotlight Project: Documenting and Remembering the Year

Our 8th grade students are treated to a film recapping their time at IHM, courtesy of our middle school teachers. Jim L. does an awesome job of compiling and finalizing that film. As we wrap up the year, how have you documented and remembered it with your students? Some classes make memory books or photo books. As you plan for next year, how could you use technology to make the year meaningful for your class?

2. Student Websites: End of Year Reflections

 Educational research indicates that reflecting, drawing connections, and evaluating prior learning is key in "concreting" concepts in our students' minds. The end of the year, in all of its anticipation of the relief of summer, is a natural pause to reflect on our year. The "sharability" and engaging nature of technology can encourage deep reflections from our students. Here are some great resources

• If you haven't used http://www.wordle.net/ yet, it's a great way to present concepts and language visually. I have used it with students as young as 2nd grade.
• Create a timeline of the year! http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/timeline-30007.html 
• Compare and contrast subjects, grade levels, or experiences with a Venn Diagram: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/venn-diagram-circles-30006.html
• Create a comic strip to summarize your favorite parts of this grade level: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/ 
• Create a personal goal statement for next year-- "Begin with the End in Mind". Students can use PowerPoint or Keynote to write 3-5 personal goals, narrate it, save it as a video, and take it home!

3. Teacher Productivity Tool: End of Year

• Free certificate creator: http://www.certificatecreator.com/main.cfm 
•  Great EOY article from Scholastic: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3756 
• Printable "Summer Packets" for K-6: http://school.familyeducation.com/back-to-school/skill-builder/62428.html
• Parents asking for practice websites? Send them here to pick their favorite skills: http://www.internet4classrooms.com/parents.htm

Videos of the Week:

First, a video presentation of Taylor Mali's "Miracle Workers": 
http://www.taylormali.com/index.cfm?webid=56 (Poem Text)




Also, as we move forward on planning for the new building, here is a reflection on learning spaces for children.

Fantastic Fridays: April 8

Fantastic Fridays: April 8


1. Classroom Spotlight Project: Creative Use of Your MacBooks; Online Travel Journals

On St. Patrick's Day, Susan H. was treated to a surprise visitor, but didn't have a camera handy. She used her MacBook's "PhotoBooth" to snap a quick shot before the leprechaun vanished. We sometimes forget that these tech tools can be used to record sound, video and pictures!

Also, 4th grade Spanish students are taking advantage of an awesome, free Travel Journal activity at http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/globaltrek/tguide.htm. Ask Ellen about it!  

2. Student Websites: Easter (K-3) and Online Projects(4-8)

Easter (K-3): This Easter Scavenger Hunt and accompanying "worksheet" make a great lesson for grades K-3! For K-1, you might want to skip the worksheet, or complete it orally. I'd be happy to add a link to the website to the dock for your grade-- just let me know!

• Easter Web Tour: https://sites.google.com/site/ihmhighpoint/easter
• Document to Print: http://cid-dc10914a0bf7cf2d.office.live.com/view.aspx/IHM%20Documents/Easter^_Scavenger^_Hunt.doc
• Older students may also appreciate this Stations of the Cross presentation from Loyola Press: http://www.loyolapress.com/assets/lp/stations-of-the-cross-powerpoint.swf 
  

Online Projects(4-8)  

So, you've tried Prezi. You've tried Glogster. What's next?

• Animoto: This online tool allows students to create and publish a 30-second video on the web. http://animoto.com/education 
• Voki: Voki is a free service that allows you to create personalized speaking avatars and use them on your blog, profile, and in email messages. http://www.voki.com/Voki_for_education.php   If you're not sure how to start, click here: http://www.voki.com/voki_faq.php#4
• BigHugeLabs: http://bighugelabs.com/ I used this last year with 5th grade science. They created magazine covers of famous scientists for a quick 1-day activity. There are many other possible uses. To log in, please use the following:

Username: abragg@ihm-school.com
Password: IHM123

Keep in mind that links to the students' projects can be added to Edline-- what a great way to showcase the awesome things happening in your classroom! Let me know if I can help you add them to your Edline pages.

3. Teacher Productivity Tool: Lesson Planning Tools

The traditional lesson plan book is a standby for many teachers. We may have a whole closet full of them! In the last 10 years, many other resources have become available for lesson planning. Please take a minute to check these out! Professionally organized lesson plans are shared easily with all of our school stakeholders, and allow parents to see what a fantastic job you are doing in the classroom. You might also enjoy being able to adjust your lesson plans from previous years without having to re-write them completely.

1. IHM Lesson Plans By Period: http://cid-dc10914a0bf7cf2d.office.live.com/view.aspx/IHM%20Documents/Weekly^_Plan^_By^_Period.doc 

2. IHM Lesson Plans By Day: http://cid-dc10914a0bf7cf2d.office.live.com/view.aspx/IHM%20Documents/Weekly^_Plan^_By^_Day.doc 

3. TrackStar (by the same creator as Rubistar, one of my favorites!) http://trackstar.4teachers.org/ 

4. North Carolina 6 Point Lesson Plan: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jrbusby/TED%20207/6pointlessonplan-1.doc  

Video of the Week:

Here's a great idea for using your Macbook with a projector as a document camera! Very cool!

Fantastic Fridays: March 11

Fantastic Fridays: March 11


1. Classroom Spotlight Project: Grandparents' Day... Technology-Style?
Our official theme for Grandparents' Day next Friday is "Decades", celebrating the decades of America. However, the committee has done an amazing job of integrating technology throughout this special event!

• Skype Stations for remote chats with grandparents (http://www.skype.com )
• Compiling photos using our new "SkyDrive" through Windows Live Photos (http://photos.ihm-school.com)
• Bringing those photos together using iMovie to create a video
• Adding an audio track (of OUR STUDENTS!) using Garage Band
• Students are creating Glogster online posters for each decade to present at tables (http://edu.glogster.com/))

2. Student Websites: Time and Money for Lower Elementary, Dabbleboard for 5-8

Time and Money for Lower Elementary (REPEAT!): Technology does a very good job of allowing students to work at their own pace and providing instant feedback for simple problems. These skill-rehearsal websites for lower elementary students allow you to monitor each student's progress, while not requiring a lot of teacher involvement for differentiation. You can access this site (or I can add it to your dock!) at https://sites.google.com/site/ihmhighpoint/time-and-money

Time

1. Identifying Time to the Hour: http://www.kidsolr.com/earlychildhood/page4.html
2. Time Travel:http://abcya.com/telling_time.htm
3. Another Telling Time: http://www.primarygames.com/time/question1.htm
4. Telling Time: Stop the Clock!: http://www.teachingtime.co.uk/draggames/sthec1.html
5. Willie the WatchDog Game (Play with a partner!): http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/willy/willy.html

Money

1. Toy Store! Find coins to make your purchase: http://www.smartygames.com/igre/math/learnMoney.html
2. Fish Money http://abcya.com/counting_money.htm
3. Counting Money: http://www.hbschool.com/activity/counting_money/
4. Discovering Coin Values - drag coins into the cup to equal the amount in the blue area.: http://www.toonuniversity.com/flash.asp?err=569&engine=

Dabbleboard for 5-8: http://www.dabbleboard.com/ 

When we plan group projects for 5-8 grade students, it's a challenge to help them effectively organize their time and plan their method. Dabbleboard is a collaborative learning tool, useful for organizing and charting concepts. Take a minute to explore it, and challenge our 5-8 grade students to use it in an organizational task of any sort!

3. Teacher Productivity Tool: Values.com
Values.com is from the organization responsible for bringing us the touching TV and billboard ads such as this one:

The short commercials and billboards are a great for writing prompts, inspiring conversations, or to encourage values which are important in your classroom. Please take a minute to visit http://www.values.com

Video of the Week:
Please enjoy this short clip from http://www.values.com: 
http://www.values.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/70-Everyday-Heroes 

Fantastic Fridays: Friday, February 18

Fantastic Fridays: February 18


1. Classroom Spotlight Project: Pop Art in the Art Room! 

We all know that Photo Booth (on the Macs) is a LOT of fun... but is it educational? If you ask Ann J. and the 6th graders, the answer is "YES"! This Warhol-inspired style of photography was made famous in a series of prints including Marilyn Monroe, and was re-invented in portraying President Obama. The Mac computers make it very easy to create a thoughtful example. Ann will use the large copy machine to print the photos in color. Please see me if I can help you with printing instructional materials! 

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=PhotoBooth/1.0/en/bth1000.html

2. Student Websites: Virtual Science

Science experiments in the classroom are a vital part of the curriculum, and there is no substitute for hands-on learning. However, there are experiments which are either too costly, lengthy, or dangerous to conduct. Consider using internet resources to augment your science curriculum. Instead of describing an event orally, a projector is a great way to show students actual footage of science concepts.

• Owl Pellet Dissection:http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4/index.htm 
• Virtual Circuit Board: http://jersey.uoregon.edu/vlab/Voltage/ 
• Weather Simulator: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/sim/index.htm 
• Virtual Plant: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/living_things/life_cycles/play.shtml
•  Interactive Swamp: http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/interactive/greenswamp/greenswamp.html 
• Coral Reef: http://sea.sheddaquarium.org/sea/interactive_module.asp?id=7#

3. Teacher Productivity Tool: High Point Public Library

Have you been to High Point Public Library's website? They offer some amazing things free, and online. 

http://www.highpointpubliclibrary.com/ 

• Worldbook: Full-featured online encyclopedia (Great for up-to-date MAPS!): http://www.worldbookonline.com/?subacct=M4949%20target= 
• Tumblebooks: Free, interactive books: http://www.tumblebooks.com/library/auto_login.asp?U=highpoint&P=libra
• Mango: Free online language learning: http://libraries.mangolanguages.com/high-point/start
• NC Live: Free, online access to books: http://www.nclive.org/
  

Fantastic Fridays: February 4

Fantastic Fridays: February 4



1. Classroom Spotlight Project: IHM Mail

This week, I'd like to spotlight our teachers using the new IHM Mail system. Jim L. is having a good time formatting his weekly update emails-- love the bold, italics, and underlining, Jim! I think we're all enjoying the ease of communicating with each other using the distribution list address. Gerry B.. is also forwarding her best pictures of events to us. Being on a unified system allows us to function more as a community of educators. What are your needs for professional development with this new system? Please email me or post your request on the blog, and I'll be happy to create tutorials or meet you for in-person sessions to learn the new system.

2. Student Websites: Dental health, The Underground Railroad, Presidents and African-American History

February is African-American History Month and Dental Health Month as well as our month to celebrate the presidency. Please take time to evaluate the following websites for use in your classroom!

K-2

• Visit the Dentist with Marty: http://ada.org/379.aspx 
• To Tell the Tooth: http://ada.org/380.aspx 
• Toothbrush Patch: http://www.colgate.com/app/Kids-World/US/Games-And-Activities.cvsp?Game=Toothbrushpatch
• The White House for Kids: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/white-house-101/

3-8

• National Geographic's Underground Railroad: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1.html 
• Scholastic's Underground Railroad: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/underground_railroad/ **Note -- this is a truly interactive website. I highly recommend it. They also have a fabulous Harriet Tubman Reader's Theatre.
• Presidents of the US: http://www.potus.com/
• The White House for Kids: http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/white-house-101/
• US Presidents (more advanced) http://www.history.com/topics/the-us-presidents  

3. Teacher Productivity Tool: Edmodo

Edmodo is a free web-based classroom social learning network. If you have ever wished you could send students assignments online, have them complete them and return them to you digitally, and grade their work on your computer, Edmodo is a perfect fit. I'm very impressed by it and would love to help you set up a class. To experiment with it:

A. Go to http://www.edmodo.com . There is an introductory video at the righthand side of the page.

B. To try it out as a teacher:

• Teacher Username: ihmtech
• Teacher Password: ihm123

C. To try it out as a student:

• Student Username: ihmstudent1
• Student Password: ihm123
  

4. Tech Video: Screenagers

What is a "Screenager"? Watch this video and read the accompanying article to view education from a "Screenager" perspective!

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/Screenagers@-Making-the-Connections.aspx 

 

SUPER Fantastic Friday: January 21

SUPER Fantastic Friday: January 21-- IHM Mail and Microsoft's Live@Edu

Welcome to our blog entry for Jan. 21, 2011 -- it's a big one! This entry includes information about our new IHM Mail accounts. You all received a notepad with your new email address, and a letter with your login information. We have an in-person training session on January 21, but I wanted to provide you with these resources immediately to help you integrate our new Live@Edu services into your teaching life!

 

To begin, here is an introductory video for our Live@Edu services. It's about 4 minutes long.

Some questions you may have:

Why do we have to all use the same email system?

•  We all need to use the same system for three reasons. First, we want to be consistent within our building. This allows us all to have a standard email address. Second, this system allows us to use groups. By typing in schoolstaff@ihm-school.com , you can send an email to everyone on staff! Teachers@ihm-school.com will go just to teachers. Finally, we are able to keep a more complete archive of all of our emails using this system, which is a legal requirement for schools.

Do I have to use this address, or can I just keep using my personal, Gmail, or AOL email account?

• Once you begin using this system, you will find that it's more professional and powerful than your personal email system. It has features which will enable to you to communicate more effectively with our faculty and your students' families. We do understand that you'll have to let your students know about the new address and change your email address on Edline and other publications, but having a standard, professional email system at IHM will benefit us all.

Are there other features of IHM Mail or Live@edu which I should know about?

• YES! Here are a few of the powerful features of this communication system
• It's FREE. 
• You will be able to access your email with most cell phones.
• Using Office 365 or Office Web Apps, we get FREE access to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for all users. That will save IHM approximately $50 per user in software costs.
• IHM Mail will allow us to share a common calendar
• Using SkyDrive, you can store your documents online, to be accessed from any computer!
• Using Contacts and IM, you can "Chat" with other users in the building if needed.
• The "Photos" feature allows us to share online photos. Check it out at http://photos.ihm-school.com . 
• If, in the future, we would like to offer safe, monitored email accounts to students, it would be possible using this service. However, we are not implementing student accounts at this time.

Fantastic Fridays: January 14

Fantastic Fridays: January 14

1. Classroom Spotlight Project: Internet Research in Lower Elementary

Diane D's class has learned a new phrase for homework-- "Google It"! These second graders used the Internet with parent supervision at home to research an inventor. Parents helped students summarize their information, and print a picture of the inventor. Internet research in a large group can be a challenge, but allowing students to research with a parent at home is great way to broaden their exposure to information in all forms. Diane provided an excellent worksheet to structure their research, keeping kids and parents "on track" (instead of blindly copying and pasting too much information) when researching.

2. Student Websites: Charting and Graphing Data, Timeline Tools

Charts and Graphs

• Chartle.net is a kid-friendly template for creating online charts and graphs. Try it as an introductory lesson, using a projector to display your findings to the whole class!
• http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx Create-A-Graph is another visual, guided website for creating graphs with younger (2-5) students.

Timelines

• http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/timeline/ Is a fantastic, web-based time lining tool. No more squished, erased notations on a piece of notebook paper!
• http://www.dipity.com/ Timline application for older students
• http://www.xtimeline.com/ More advanced timeline application for students needing additional use of details, images, and sources

3. Teacher Productivity Tools: Creating a Seating Chart Using Gradequick

Did you know Gradequick has a built-in Seating Chart tool? Follow the instructions at this link to create seating charts without drawing your own tiny boxes and writing each name by hand! An example of a seating chart created in Gradequick is below. Give it a try!

http://www.edline.com/docs/gqdocs/WebHelp/Seating_Chart.htm

 

Your video this week describes changes in the way Americans (and our students!) absorb information. As teachers, we strive to bring information to our students in many different forms, always evaluating for the best media for our classroom goals. Sometimes, there's no better way to learn than touching, doing, or seeing. However, this video points out the variety of media available to our students and how this affects their learning styles and preferences!