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Summer review websites for kids | Kindergarten - Technology. SLJ Reviews Gobstopper and Subtext: Apps that Enable Interactive Classroom Reading. “If you think about math teachers, they’ve always been able to give assignments in which students are required to show their work. That makes it easy for them to check individual understanding, pretty much on a daily basis. English and humanities teachers who give extended reading assignments have never had that luxury. Instead, they’ve comparatively been flying blind, taking it on faith that most students have done the required reading, without knowing for sure, and moving along daily without solid evidence that kids are really ‘getting it.’” That’s what Jason Singer, the CEO and founder of Gobstopper, told me was the central issue his product is designed to address: the challenge of ensuring that every student is meaningfully moving forward in a given reading assignment—and not just faking it.

Gobstopper is an ereading application that also promotes ongoing feedback between teachers and kids. How does it do that? Mirror iPad, iPhone, iPod to Your Screen for Free. ABCmouse.com is free to public schools. A lot ... | Kindergarten - Te… Interactive Word Wall Activities | Smart board Activities | Readyteacher.com. Recent Mobile Learning Findings. Over 25 Links Uncovering Project Based Learning Resources On The Web. Welcome to this first in a series of PBL Mania Posts.

For the next few weeks I am celebrating Project Based Learning by hosting a webinar at Edtech Leaders Online, and by presenting a PBL session at the NICE Conference in Chicago. In this post I will introduce you to some awesome places on the web containing some of the very best PBL resources. Before reading, please take a moment to subscribe to this 21centuryedtech Blog by email or RSS and also give me a follow on Twitter at mjgormans. You will not want to miss this series or future posts involving STEM, Flipping the Classroom, Technology Integration, Common Core, and 21st Century Skills, So Sign Up Now! As always… thanks and have a great week. - Mike Gorman (21centuryedtech) Welcome to the land of PBL knowledge. BIE – BUCK Institute BIE – Also known as the BUCK Institute for Learning.

BIE Videos – What Is PBL Video – A great collection of videos that demonstrate PBL and its best practices. West Virginia Teach 21 PBL Learning Reviews. Three competing visions of educational technology. Which is yours? Early Connections. Technology and Kindergarten: Is It Possible? Technology and writing go hand in hand in the lives of students today. They are texting, Facebooking, Tweeting, blogging and more on a daily basis. This is our students' reality; they are comfortable functioning in this manner. As teachers, rather than fight societal changes, and exclude students' reality from school, we benefit if we embrace technology and make it work to our advantage. For pedagogical reasons, if technology tools are the most effective tools to use, why not use them? Doesn’t this make sense?

As teachers, we have an ever-changing job because the students who enter our classroom doors today will not be the students who enter tomorrow. And the Questions Arise... This is the story of one kindergarten teacher and her class of kids. It was not always smooth sailing. Through my learning process, the administration and college professors supported me, but some of my colleagues doubted me—and still do. And before the technology even comes into place, the writing happens. How Can Technology Be Beneficial in a Kindergarten Class? In Action! Classroom Q&A With Kindergarten Teacher Sharon Davison | Kidblog. Sharon Davison (@kkidsinvt) is a kindergarten teacher in Vermont with a ton of experience. She’s been teaching for 28 years (kindergarten for five of those years) and has seen a lot technological change. Sharon proudly integrates tech in her classroom – including Kidblog! We consider her a cutting-edge leader among fellow 21st-century teachers.

It was an honor to interview her this week, and we’re excited to share her insightful responses here with you now. Read on for some awesome classroom inspiration! Kidblog: Hi Sharon! Sharon Davison: I use a variety of technologies that help to engage, enhance, and inspire children to want to pursue their ideas. I value collaboration and innovation. I believe in innovation and collaboration. Kidblog: That’s really inspirational! SD: I have 18 energetic and enthusiastic 5 and 6-year-old children who care about each other and the world. Kidblog: That is very neat! Kidblog: Awesome, way to go, Bonnie! SD: Sure. 1. 2. 3. SD: Wow! Kidblog: Very neat! Technology in the Classroom, What is the Focus? This is a repost from last year.

I think this is a good time to share again as many prepare for the start of school (or for those just beginning) In college I remember learning about how important it was to always mention the child first when discussing special needs. They are children first so it was important to say a “child with autism” rather than an “autistic child”. I had never thought of the importance of that before discussing it in class but that really hit home with me and I have always tried to make sure not only mentioned the child first but made sure to recognize the child before the disability.

That lesson came to mind this week when I was asked about technology goals. Someone mentioned to me their goal was to use more technology in the room and asked what I suggested. Click each one for an example: - Helps my students connect with the outside world - Helps us document learning - Allows us to do or see things we couldn’t without the tool - Encourages creativity Like this:

11 Ways to be an Inquiry-based Teacher. It’s hard to run an inquiry-based classroom. Don’t go into this teaching style thinking all you do is ask questions and observe answers. You have to listen with all of your senses, pause and respond to what you heard (not what you wanted to hear), keep your eye on the Big Ideas as you facilitate learning, value everyone’s contribution, be aware of the energy of the class and step in when needed, step aside when required.

You aren’t a Teacher, rather a guide. You and the class find your way from question to knowledge together. Because everyone learns differently. You don’t use a textbook. And then there’s the issue of assessment. Let me digress. So how do you create the inquiry-based classroom? Ask open-ended questions and be open-minded about conclusionsprovide hands-on experiencesuse groups to foster learningencourage self-paced learning. In the end, know that inquiry-based teaching is not about learning for the moment. Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-8 technology for 15 years. Digital Kindergarten: #Kinderchat and special guest @PBSKids discuss Math and Technology in Kindergarten. Incorporating Technology in the Daily 5 by Matthew Radowski on Prezi. Daily Five and Technology. As of this moment, one of the bigger movements in my school district at the elementary level involves The Daily Five, by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser.

“The Daily Five is a series of literacy tasks (read to self, read with someone, writing, word work, and listening to reading) which students complete daily while the teacher meets with small groups or confers with individuals.” The book “explains the philosophy behind the structure,” and it shows teachers how to train “students to participate in each of the five components.” As teachers begin to implement different aspects of the Daily Five into their classrooms, many teachers have been curious as to how one would integrate technology with the Daily Five.

Here is a quick list that might prove useful (and I will probably refer back to this during my own literacy instruction): Read to Self: There are countless websites that students can use in order to record themselves while they are reading. Kinderchat. Mrs. Wideen's Blog: I Created A Class Twitter Account, Now What? Each morning as we start our day together, I draw attention to things that my students may have missed or mentions from our Twitter feed. This short time together each morning discussing our Twitter feed has resulted in rich discussions that prompt thinking, cause us to wonder and lead us to seek out further information. There are many opportunities during the school day to incorporate the use of twitter. A good place to start is to read the tweets from the other classes you follow, ask questions or provide comments as a whole class. The following examples will give you some ideas on how to involve Twitter in literacy, math and science.

All of the Twitter activities explained can be done as a whole group, small group or by individual students. Wonder Questions I encourage students to continuously ask questions and be curious about their surroundings. Fairy Tale Riddles Once Upon A Tweet Erin Mastin, a grade 1 teacher in Michigan created the hashtag #1uponatweet. Post A Daily Word.