Last week, our school participated in Spread the Word to End the Word day of awareness. The day is about eliminating the "r-word," teaching person first language, and showing respect for people with disabilities. You can learn more at http://www.r-word.org/ and the Disability is Natural website. |
In library classes last week, we talked about how the internet can help us impact change in society, and how we can join together for a cause. We learned all about the cause and took the pledge online (making sure to discuss our online safety rules as well). Then, we did several digital projects on the topic, using some tools we already knew like Flipgrid and Animoto. I had a great group of 5th grade students work on a video during their lunch recesses (totally volunteer!), and they used Movie Maker to put it all together. Check out these projects with a great message! How do you celebrate Spread the Word to End the Word in your school or library? Please share in the comments below!
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Collaborating with younger grades can be a challenge because the Common Core Standard is for SHARED research in the primary grades. Many of the teachers in my building use the RAN chart to collect shared research and the students use post-it notes to collect new facts, record prior knowledge, monitor their learning, and to ask questions. This strategy was developed by Tony Stead and is discussed in his books Reality Check: Teaching Reading Comprehension Through Nonfiction and Explorations in Nonfiction Writing. To make the research process more collaborative and portable between the computer lab, library, and classroom, I created RAN charts on 3-panel display boards. This way, teacher are able to bring their shared research to the library where students can add to it, and then fold it up and carry it back to their classrooms. I've done a few trials and it works great! Here are the headings I created, then I just taped them to the board. I can't wait to use this tool for a larger research project. How do you handle shared research in your library or classroom? Share in the comments below.
I'm starting to think about engaging lessons to begin the school year, and I was doing a little reminiscing. Last year, I was fortunate enough to recruit Evan Liab, the music teacher in my building, to write a song about the acceptable use policy. We discussed the important parts of the policy for students, and he took those concepts and created lyrics and music! What a talented fellow! I taught the nuts and bolts of the policy, and he taught the students the song during his music classes. To culminate our learning, the students created their own music video. Each grade choreographed their own dance and I tried to put it all together (disclaimer: my video editing skills need work). Here was our final product. How do you teach about the acceptable use policy? Share your ideas in the comments below!
One of my favorite new activities was inspired by a treasure found in the back library office. A box of old book jackets. I'm not sure what they were used for, but my mind starting buzzing with center possibilities for them! Since I was working on lessons for fiction/non-fiction, I decided they would be perfect for a fishing game. I like using the book jackets because the students could read the back and inside blurbs about the book to help them decide if it was fiction or non-fiction. First, I laminated the book covers for durability, and hot glued strong magnets to the inside of the book jacket (holding the two covers together). Then, I bought some wooden dowels and drilled a small hole in one end. Next, I used fishing line and tied it through the hole on the dowel and attached a super strong magnet (a 9+ strength magnet) to the other end. Lastly, we made a "pond" with the book jackets on the floor and started fishing! When the students "catch" a book, they determine if it is fiction or non-fiction. If they get it right, they keep it. If they get it wrong, they throw it back. It was a super engaging way to practice this skill! I did it with both kindergarten and 1st grade classes. What would you do with an old box of book jackets? Share your ideas in the comments below!
I feel very fortunate that I have a district subscription to VoiceThread. It is a great tool for digital storytelling, collaboration, blogging, and providing student feedback. You can upload images, videos, pdf, document, presentations, and audio files, making it really versatile for many different projects. Then, you can share your VoceThread and student can comment or provide feedback using voice or text! It is great for younger kids because the typing doesn't hinder them, and it is motivating to all kids because they ALL have a voice.
Here is an example of a class VoiceThread. 3rd grade students each created their own instrument on the New York Philharmonic Kids' website, then wrote/recorded about how sound was being created (a social studies standard).
Here is an example from a 2nd grade class. Students created animals on Switch Zoo, and then wrote about the adaptations using their science knowledge:
Here is a VoiceThread example from a 4th grade class. This video was produced by a group of students showing their understanding of Native American clothes then and now:
This is a kindergarten example. The students each wrote a book about how they changed. We scanned it in as a pdf, and they recorded their voice to make a digital book.
This is a 3rd grade example of a video that was shared using VoiceThread. Students produced videos in groups to show what they had learned about different continents, then shared them with classmates.
This is another example of how you can use VoiceThread. These 4th graders used VoiceThread to explain how they solved this math problem. It was great way for me to assess their understanding of different strategies.
VoiceThread can be used in many ways with many different grade levels. It is not a free tool, however, I believe worth the money. How have you used VoiceThread in your classroom/library?
ISSUU.com is great tool for sharing class books or individual student projects. You simply create a free account, upload a pdf, and your digital book is born! To share, you can get a direct link, share via many different social media sites, or embed it on your website. I use this site frequently to share class books (where you may only have one copy, but you'd like to send it to all parents), or to an audience that is not in our area. Here is an example of a class book 1st graders wrote after their landform research (they typed and added the photos themselves): Here is another example of a class book kindergarten students created after visiting with author Jennifer Ward: I've used this tool with other students as a way to elicit feedback from others. They upload a pdf of their draft to our class blog, and everyone is able to view it at the same time. They can tell each other what they like about their project and any suggestions for improvement. It is powerful to get peer feedback and it easily done digitally. Here is a sample of a 5th grade project, where students did research and created their own "Who Would Win Books" based on Jim Pallotta's series. Then, they uploaded it to issuu, and shared it with their classmates for feedback, giving everyone a voice! ISSUU is a simple, but very effective tool. How have/could you use it in your classroom or library?
Skype is a great way to connect with authors! Author and Educator, Kate Messner, has a great website where she lists authors that are willing to Skype for free. Or, you can contact authors through their websites to see if they are willing to visit with your students. Last Spring, my kindergartners visited with author, Jennifer Ward, via Skype. I was excited for them to read her books because she has a great collection of fiction and non-fiction books. She talked about being an author, read one of her new books, and answered LOTS of questions. After visiting with Jennifer Ward, the students in Mrs. Meschke's class were inspired to write their own book. They followed the pattern of Ward's books and created a book titled, "There was an Old Farmer." They wanted to write a books about animals that live around North Dakota. So, they brainstormed all the animals they could think of and sorted them by size, to create the order of the story. Then, they did some math and art lessons. We printed pictures of all the animals and the students studied the pictures to find shapes they could use to recreate the image. They practiced a lot, then added color. Look at these great Kinder Artists! The students researched each animal and added a fact page to the back of their book (just like Jennifer Ward does in many of her books). Lastly, the kids groups the animals together and thought of rhyming words to make the sentences. Their final product was adorable, and they were so excited to send it to Jennifer Ward. The best part of this project was that the kids were so motivated and had complete ownership of the book. They did many rewrites and re-drawings, until they all were pleased. Along the way, they studied parts of a book, learned shapes, practiced rhyming words, researched, and became writers. At the end of the year, I asked the kids to write about their favorite thing about Kindergarten. Many students wrote "Meeting Jennifer Ward." This is a project they will remember!
To learn more about using Skype to connect with others, read this inspiring article by Shannon Miller. http://www.iste.org/explore/ArticleDetail?articleid=10 How can you use Skype in your classroom? Flipgrid has become my most favorite web tool for ALL grade levels! Students can respond to a question or prompt by using a webcam. It is great for younger students because they can share by recording themselves, instead of typing. Only the teacher is required to have an account (no student accounts), so it is easy to manage. Students find it really easy to use as well. Even my first graders were able to independently use it after a mini-lesson, and they were highly motivated to share what they know. There is a yearly subscription of $65, but you can try it out free for a few weeks. You can use it with as many students as you want and can use it with any grade level, so it is well worth the money! Check out this example from some first graders, sharing some key details from the book, What Do You Do With a Tail Like This by Steve Jenkins. All students were able to share their favorite poem during Poetry month using this flipgrid: Click here to try it out and see how easy it is! Respond to this question: How could you use flipgrid in your library?
Go to www.flipgrid.com to create your own account! |
AuthorMisti Werle is the newly hired Library Media Systems Innovator in Bismarck, North Dakota. Archives
June 2015
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