It's Okay to Be Different

Kindergarten students created their own version of "It's Okay to Be Different" by Todd Parr. Students finished the sentence "It's okay to be..." with their own idea. We used Pixie in the computer lab, but any drawing program could be used. If you have only one iPad, students could draw their picture on paper, take a picture with the iPad when they are done, and then record their voice with app like Explain Everything or Book Creator.

Wampanoag Poster Project Using Prezi

What is a Prezi? A Prezi is an online format to create presentations on a "zoomable canvas" rather than the traditional linear format of presentation tools such as Powerpoint.

A third grade class used online Prezi for their poster project. Working in small groups students used both computers and iPads during the project depending on what was available. By creating the "Prezi" on the iPad, students were able to add movies from pre-selected sources, as well as create their own images in the app "Drawing Pad." Students could also draw and paint on paper and take a photo of the image with the iPad to use in the Prezi.

Students learned about copyright issues and checked google images "usage rights" before selecting a searched image. Students used their google docs to keep track of resources used.

Visit the classroom site for the complete set of the students' first Prezis! Just be aware they may take a while to load--

Illustrating and Differentiating with Google Drawings

Google Drawings is a drawing program accessible right within Google Drive. The process of illustrating ideas activates creative, comparative, and analytic cognitive functions. Using technology for illustrations is engaging and can enhance your differentiation efforts. Drawings might be a hook to the content for some students.

Since the files live in Google Drive, students can access them anywhere. They can be included in Google Classroom assignments and inserted into Google Slides or Docs projects. They can even be used in Explain Everything or iMovie!

Drawings can be used in any content area. Here are some ideas:

• illustrations
• diagrams
• flow charts
• pictographs
• digital posters (think Glogster without the hassle)

Here are examples from a 3rd grade Google Drawings exploratory activity that happened between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

Wetu Explain Everything

Students used Explain Everything to tell all about the different parts of a wetu that they created. Students took pictures of their wetu as they were building it. They then uploaded the pictures into Explain Everything, labeled them, and explained the importance of each part they created.

Studying the Growth Mindset in Literature

In this project, students studied the growth mindset. After an introduction to the topic, the class read "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds. The classroom teacher created two charts to use throughout the lesson. The first contained common words and phrases that could indicate either a growth or fixed mindset. The second contained different ways to use effective effort if one should get stuck in a fixed mindset.

For the next part of the project, students were put into groups of three. Each group was assigned a book in which the protagonist used effective effort to get out of a fixed mindset. Students used an iPad app called Explain Everything, which is a slide-based app that allows users to easily manipulate many different kinds of media and record the visuals with narration. Students photographed pages and underlined, circled, or used arrows to point out words, phrases, and expressions that indicate fixed and growth mindsets. Students then photographed each type of effective effort on the chart that the protagonist used to persevere.

Sharing on Google Slides

During this group project, students watched a video about a topic while taking notes. They then worked with their team to create a presentation to teach the other students in their class about their topic. One group member created the Google Slide and shared it with the other members. They then collaborated to make a plan to organize the work. Each student created a slide or two. It took one class period to watch the videos and take notes. And one class period to create the presentation.

Where I Live (Google Maps and Pixie)

First-grade students learn about where they live using Google Maps and Pixie. Students type their address into Google Maps, which places a red marker on their street. They use the “Prnt Scrn” button to take a screenshot of the map. Next, students switch to Pixie using the Windows Taskbar and paste their map. Once the map is pasted, it can be resized (using the corners) to fit the page.

Students repeat these steps zooming out further each time. Each page has a sentence starter (e.g., I live in the town of ____________.), which tells students what to look for next. By using the zoom out button, the map marker stays pinned to their address, making it easy to see their address from any zoom level as they identify town, state, country, and continent. On the last page, students glue down the world map and draw a line from their address to the next country they will study.

The project has taken about 3-4 class periods to complete. The process may seem a little complicated, but students are eager to learn new tools and stay engaged throughout. Students’ addresses can be written on slips of paper and distributed to students early in the activity. We also found it is helpful to pair students. The final project is a PDF or ebook, which can be sent home electronically or printed. 

Tellagami for News Reports

Tellagami is a movie making app using an animated avatar. Students created news reports telling about the Boston Massacre. First they wrote out their script. Then they uploaded a picture to use as the background, and finally recorded their script.

Biographies Using ChatterKids

Second grade students used the app ChatterKids to create talking biographies. They simply took a picture of the cover of the book they read, recorded their information, and edited the video for publication. Afterward we combined their individual projects using iMovie and uploaded them to YouTube for viewing.

Kids Make the Quiz

Kids Make the Quiz is a great way to prepare your students for taking multiple choice tests. Oh, no! More tests? Well, yes. However, this activity is much more involved than kill and drill.

First, students need to design a question. Second, they need to develop both correct and reasonably wrong answers choices. Third, some questions may involve creating illustrations. Using visuals is a powerful reinforcing tool for both the quiz maker and the quiz taker.

Students can create their quiz slides using various slide-based programs and apps, including PowerPoint, Google Docs, Pixie, 30 Hands, etc. The teacher can compile the slides using various quiz making tools, including TurningPoint, Beyond Question, Kahoot, Socrative, etc.

See how much fun your students will have making and taking their own quizzes!

Examples:

Math Terms Quiz - Grade 3

Literary Terms Quiz - Grade 3

The above examples were made in Turning Point. A Kahoot example coming soon...

Mystery Skype

Fourth-grade students are always excited for mystery Skype! During a mystery Skype the objective is to try to guess the location of the other class. Some classes participate with other classes from around the world; in Winchester, we focus on the United States which follows along with our curriculum. We start off with an introduction class, and then a practice class. When it is time for the real Skype, every student has a role/job. The students need to work as a team to ask yes/no questions in order to narrow down the other class' state. Once we guess each other's locations there is usually time to tell some interesting facts about Massachusetts and learn facts about the other state by asking questions. Communicating with other students from a particular state is a favorite way of learning about different regions and states in the US. Check out the iMovie trailer below: