Exciting Times

January has been a busy month with much excitement! I am expecting to go out on maternity leave within the next two weeks and as a result have been working to get in one final lesson with many teachers and provide them with professional development they can use to continue their technology integration while I'm gone. I've supported teachers in their use of PicCollage, SMART Boards and Notebook 14, Seesaw, Kahoot, and navigating the new TestNav 8 software that students will use to take their SOL tests beginning in May. Additionally, I've worked to get student iPads on our new management system so that hopefully they can be more easily maintained while I'm out and limit the number of password and update pop ups that students have been experiencing. Oh, and we can't forget the three snow days! Below are some of the lessons I've been fortunate enough to be a part of this month.

Map Skills
Second grade teachers have been working to incorporate social studies and science content into their reading centers. As a result, I've created a couple of webquest type activities that help students explore these concepts further and deepen their understanding. I worked with Mrs. Davidson's second graders on a map webquest where they looked at how a legend, compass rose, and title provide information for a map. Students used Google Earth to locate major geographical features in the United States such as the Appalachian Mountains and Great Lakes. Students compared the location of major mountain ranges and practiced labeling features on maps.

Story Retelling

First grade students have been working on retelling stories by identifying the beginning, middle, and end of books they have read during guided reading. I had the opportunity to work with Mrs. Ahladas' and Mrs. Dingman's classes helping them create digital retellings in Seesaw. This learning experience allowed the teachers to hear each student retell a story and share the work with families. Additionally, saving the work to Seesaw allows teachers, families, and students to revisit the work throughout the year to monitor student progress.

Passion Projects

Mrs. Davidson's second graders have been working on their passion projects for several weeks now. This month they finished up their presentations - which range from posters, to Pixie projects, to booklets - and will have the opportunity to share with others next week. I loved being a part of this project because providing students with this opportunity built on their natural curiosities and created an experience that made learning meaningful for them. 

A student working on her Pixie presentation

Students working on their final products

Digital Citizenship

Four of the five fifth grade classes have completed their three digital citizenship lessons with me where we've focused on Acceptable Use, Private Information, and Netiquette. Students should now be aware of the impact sharing information digital can have on themselves as well as their family and friends. I've emphasized the notion that information shared digitally is easily spread. Students have been encouraged to err on the side of caution when sharing digitally and to consider if they would like the information they're communicating shared publicly. We've also explore the importance of clarity in digital communication. Without the help of body language and voice it can be challenging to interpret the tone of a digital message. While our lessons are "finished" these are concepts that students need continual reminders of at both school and home. 

Graphing

Kindergartners have been learning how to create tally charts and bar graphs to represent a set of data. To practice these skills independently, Mrs. Sinsabaugh and Mrs. Wagner's classes were given a series of winter images and a blank tally chart which they took a photo of in Seesaw. They then drew on top of the chart to create a visual representation of the data. After creating the tally chart, students then followed the same steps and created a bar graph. Using the information they recorded in the bar graph, they included an audio recording sharing information. A student sample can be found here. 

A tally chart in progress

A student constructs a bar graph

Animals and Ecosystems

Mrs. Hanneman's third graders have been learning about animals and the ecosystems in which they live. To apply concepts such as habitat, community, population, and environment and practice their writing skills, students conducted a brief research project where they learned about the ecosystem of an animal and then wrote a paragraph sharing their learning. Students were required to include some of the key terms to deepen their understanding of these concepts. Additionally, they practice paraphrasing while taking notes and developing thoughtful endings to their paragraphs. Here is an example of student work.

Students typing their paragraphs as a caption in Seesaw

Hard at work

Geometry Scavenger Hunt

Mrs. Gillam's fourth graders applied what they've learned about geometry to the world around them by completing a geometric scavenger hunt. Students were given a list of terms studied in class to find examples of in their classroom and the courtyard. They created PicCollages that included photos of the terms with the example highlighted and a label. Here are two examples of completed student work Student Sample 1 and Student Sample 2 This was a great way for students to review the terms and make connections between the content learned in class and real world. Additionally, it was a formative assessment for the classroom teacher to determine what concepts students had a firm grasp on and which needed additional instruction. 

Searching in the courtyard

Drawing on a photo to identify a term

Skip Counting

In younger grades, learning how to count is a basic skill that is essential to future math development. But how does a teacher have time to listen to 20 or more students count by 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s? Seesaw provides a great platform for students to practice their counting skills that their teacher can review during planning or even while relaxing at home. First grade students took a photo of a hundreds chart and then used the drawing and record feature to demonstrate their ability to skip count by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Here is a student sample. In addition to providing a formative assessment for students, sharing the work with families on Seesaw allows them to see how they might be able to provide additional support to their children. All work, even that with mistakes, was saved so that student progress can be monitored over time. 

Digital Storytelling

Students in Ms. Hoggan's second grade class have been learning about the elements of fairy tales and crafting their own stories. I was fortunate enough to join them in class and teach them how to use the app Toontastic that they'll work with to tell their original tales. This learning opportunity was especially powerful to some of the reluctant writers in her class. They are excited about crafting a toon that will showcase their writing. Additionally, with the ability to create their own characters in the app, students are excited about putting themselves into their stories. 

Creating original characters

More original characters

Developing Communication Skills

Across the grade levels, developing communication skills was a common theme in the lessons that I supported teachers with over the last two weeks. Students have been working to improve their written and verbal communication not only in reading and writing, but also social studies, math, and science. 

Most classroom teachers are using the app Seesaw as a way for students to create as well as a communication tool between school and home. It's amazing to see how much even our youngest students can do when we give them the opportunity! 

American Symbols

First graders are learning about American symbols including the Statue of Liberty and bald eagle. To share what they've learned and become familiar with the app Seesaw, students drew a picture of their favorite symbol and then recorded themselves sharing their new knowledge.

Did you know using a plastic container can help block out background noise and amply a student's voice when recording?

The Statue of Liberty

Where in the World?
Third graders should now be able to locate the seven continents. As an informal assessment, students took a picture of a world map and then created short videos showing where each continent is located. This was a great review of content while teaching students how to use Seesaw. Afterwards, the classroom teacher could use the recordings to guide future instruction.

Labeling the Continents

Going on a Sound Hunt

Kindergartners are learning about letters and the sounds that they make. To help reinforce this skill, students went on a beginning sound hunt around the classroom. They took pictures of different objects that started with a specific sound and either recorded themselves sharing what they had learned about the letter and its sound, or created a Pic Collage of several pictures of objects beginning with the same sound. 

Books starts with "B"!

Recording a Finding for the "T" Sound

Students Creating Pic Collages of Objects that Start with the Same Sound

Fact Families
Second grade students reviewed their knowledge of fact families by rolling a die twice and then using unifix cubes to create a number "train" with those numbers. Afterwards they used Seesaw to take a photo of their train and then write down the four facts associated with their family. For example, if they rolled a four and seven their facts were 4+7=11, 7+4=11, 11-7=4, and 11-4=7.

A Student Writes Facts on His Photo

I Wonder... 
Have you ever wondering how big the largest piece of hail was? Or maybe where the biggest hurricane was located? As an introduction to a unit on weather, fifth graders brainstormed questions they have about the topic. They then used the app Shadow Puppet to create a short video of their "wonders". Work was then shared with families and classmates via Seesaw. As they dive deeper into their study of weather they'll hopefully be able to answer their questions.

The Weather was Great, so We Worked Outside

Students Used Library Books in the Creation of Their Projects

Writing with Google
Our district "went Google" last year giving students access to the Google Apps for Education suite. This week fourth graders logged into their accounts for the first time and learned the basics of word processing. They learned about features unique to Google apps, like not having to save your work and the revision history, as well as traditional features like how to indent a paragraph and center your title. As the year progresses, students will share their work with others and receive constructive feedback on their Docs.

Behind the Scenes

Writers at Work

A Gingerbread Man on a Pirate Ship...

Second grade students worked on identifying a character and setting through creative story telling this week. They selected a character and setting from a stack of cards and then developed a short story which include a problem. While writing can be cumbersome for some students, this activity allowed them to voice record their stories so that they could focus on the elements of the story. Students developed some unique stories that they'll be able to share with their families and classmates through Seesaw. 

Recording a Creative Story

Good Citizens 

What makes a good citizen? First graders considered this question as they were introduced to Seesaw. After completing a sentence about what they can do to be a good citizen, they photographed their work and then recorded themselves sharing their thought. Students worked on their writing and verbal communication skills while considering how they could contribute to their classroom and school. 

Photographing Work

Developing Good Digital Citizens 
Fifth grade classes have continued to engage in digital citizenship lessons aimed at teaching proper "Netiquette" and keeping students safe. Parents, it's not too early to start talking to your parents about their digital interactions. Do you know what apps your child is using to communicate? Are you monitoring their interactions? What about your own interactions? Are you sharing private information that could put you at risk? Talk to your child about your digital lives.

Students Discuss a Scenario to Determine if it Demonstrates Good Digital Citizenship

Creative Storytelling

Third grade students developed their creative storytelling skills by planning and creating a cartoon. We used the app Toontastic which gives students a structure for adding backgrounds, characters, and the ability to record voice. Students loved working on the iPads while cartooning. They learned about the parts of a story (setting, problem, resolution, etc.) and improved their storytelling skills through this lesson. 

A Student Places her Characters

A Student Records and Moves His Characters to Tell a Story

Book Trailers

One class of fourth graders has been working to create book trailers aimed at developing excitement for reading. Each student worked to plan a narrated slideshow with the app Shadow Puppet that includes images relevant to the story, without giving away the ending, related to the book they chose. This was a fun and creative way for students to practice their summarizing skills. Stayed tuned as projects will be housed on a website to be enjoyed by the entire JGES community! 

A Student Selects Images for her Book Trailer

Learning at All Levels - Tech Take-Out

While most of my focus in this blog has been at the school level. ITRTs are also responsible for district initiatives and trainings. This week our ITRT team spent a day at the school board office to help district leaders with their technology use. During this "Tech Take-Out" day we worked in one-on-one and small group settings to share what we know about Google Apps, Microsoft Programs, Twitter, Facebook, and more! 

One of the Twitter Sessions Led by Tamara Letter

Love is in the Air

With Valentine's Day approaching kindergartners used the app Seesaw to share what they love. Students used the drawing tool to illustrate something that they love and then added a caption with a sentence, "I love...". Students were able to practice their writing skills through this Valentine's Day inspired activity. 

A Student Draws a Picture of her "Mommy"

Students Work on Their Illustrations

Comparing and Contrasting Seasons

Many first graders have used iPads to take photos illustrating and explain the signs of fall and winter. One class, expanded on those activities by completing a Venn diagram which compares and contrasts fall and winter. After a brief group brainstorming session, students set off to work. I was impressed by their ability to think of many different things affected by season change including clothing, animals, foods, plants, and more!

Students Work on Their Venn Diagrams

An Example of a Completed Venn Diagram

Snow Much Learning

School days have been a bit disjointed with unusual snow fall in central Virginia. In first grade we harnessed student excitement about snow with two winter themed lessons. Many students had the opportunity to take pictures of signs of winter and write about their photographs. We used the app PicCollage to create and then shared with Seesaw.

Students Help One Another Use PicCollage

Students Write about Their Photos

One class of first graders compared and contrasted fall and winter using the app Venn Diagram (and then shared via Seesaw). Students considered how weather, animal behavior, human behavior, plants, and more are impacted by the change in seasons. 

Students Create Their Venn Diagrams

After several days off due to the snow, a class of third graders used Seesaw to review alternative energy resources. Students were assigned an energy type, illustrated the energy, and then wrote several sentences sharing their knowledge. Once shared with the class via Seesaw, students viewed one another's work before learning new energy concepts.

An Student's Finished Alternative Energy Drawing and Writing

Teachers have been busy learning too! Over the last couple of weeks teachers at JGES and HCES have worked to improve their knowledge and use of educational technology by choosing to attend Seesaw and SMART Station Creation professional development sessions with me. Several teachers began putting their new learning to work the very next school day! Kudos to those teachers who demonstrate their commitment to learning and providing meaningful learning opportunities for their students. 

I personally used the time off to grow professionally (and of course spend time with my son!). In preparation for an exciting book trailer project at JGES I became SymbalooEdu Certified. Learn more about Symbaloo here. Through the certification process I learned how to create a webmix that will house student projects to be shared with the entire JGES community. Finding and evaluating educational technology can be a daunting process. Graphite has been an invaluable resource to me in this process and over the snow days I received notification that I have been accepted as a Graphite Certified Educator. Check out my profile, reviews, and lessons here.

Writing, Illustrating, Evaluating, and More!

After two weeks' rest, third graders were ready for an exciting learning opportunity this morning! After reading the book "Snowmen at Night" by Caralyn Buehner, students wrote their very own "If I Were a Snowman at Night" stories sharing what they would do in the cover of darkness if they were snowmen.

A student illustrates his writing

Using the app Seesaw, students typed their stories using the "Note" feature and illustrated a scene from their writing using the "Drawing" feature. After completing their work, students then read their classmates' writing and made comments. I worked with students to create thoughtful comments that were specific and constructive. 

A student reads a classmates' work

Students practiced their creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills in this activity that took less than 30 minutes from start to finish. I know I've said it before, but I can't reiterate enough how great this app is for young learners. Students easily pick up on how to create work, save it, and view the work of their classmates. Enabling students to comment on one another's work creates an authentic experience for teaching digital citizenship and empathy in a safe environment.

First Grade Curriculum Night

On Thursdsay, November 5th first graders had the opportunity to bring their families to school to learn what it means to be a first grader at HCES. Attendees rotated through three rooms focused on math, reading, and technology integration. In each room, teachers shared what students have been and will be learning this school year as well as strategies that can be used at home to help students be successful.

Mrs. Davidson, Mrs. Trent, and I shared examples of student work that demonstrated how students are using technology to transform their learning. Parents viewed student work that integrated science and writing, heard students demonstrate their understanding of number concepts, and witnessed how technology can be used to enhance creative storytelling.

In addition to learning about how technology is supporting learning, students had the opportunity to teach their parents how to use the app ChatterKids! Using a picture of topics recently learned about (bats, pumpkins, apples, and American symbols) families worked together to create a movie showing what they knew about a topic.

I enjoyed meeting families and sharing about the meaningful learning happening in first grade at HCES. Enjoy the pictures below of families working to create ChatterKids!

Writing

Google Docs has become an unparalleled writing tool for first and fifth grade students. In Docs students are able to type like a traditional word processor. However, it allows for powerful collaboration that transform the learning experience. 

Multiple students can be in a file working on it at the same time. For example, in one fifth grade class, students were group and assigned different cell parts. They then researched the cell parts and collaborated in a Doc to share what they learned about their assigned part and learn about the other parts of a cell. 

Fifth grade students have also been using Google Docs to improve their reading comprehension skills by writing book responses. Once they've completed the responses, students share with one another and give feedback. Students are working to construct meaningful comments that help others grow as readers and writers. Examples of good comment beginnings include "I agree with you because...", "I disagree because...", "Can you explain ___ more? I am wondering..." In addition to students providing comments, I and the classroom teacher can provide instant feedback as students are working. 

Last week first graders began using Google Docs to type their writing and will spend time this week reviewing and commenting on their classmates' work. They will be working to provide constructive comments to improve their classmates' writing.

I have enjoyed collaborating with classroom teachers and students in getting their "Schoogle" accounts set up and their writing started. I am excited to see our students transform as writers with these great educational tools! 

Students are constructing their reading responses

A student reviews comments posted on her reading response

An example of a student's response and comments

Fall is All Around Us!

I've got a lot of catching up to do with blog posts, but I couldn't wait to share this meaningful learning experience that two first grade classes have participated in over the last couple of days. As we've all noticed, the temperature is dropping, leaves are changing color and falling, animals are preparing for winter, and many other changes are occurring. First graders have been some of the most keen observers of these changes!

In science, first graders have been busy learning about the changes that fall brings. With the help of iPads and the app PicCollage, students took pictures of signs of fall and then wrote about their photographs. What a great way to tie science, writing, and technology into a lesson!

                                                

Students capturing signs of fall

A student writes about the sign of fall shown in his photo

A student writes about the sign of fall shown in her photo

A student's finished work