Observations

So we just got done turning in the learning tool's that we created using Kid/Inspiration or a spreadsheet, and I just got done with my first day of classroom observations at St Pius X Catholic School in Urbandale.... Let me tell you the amazing things I saw...!

An entire hallway filled with projects done on Kidspiration! It was so cool to see something in use that we had just learned about. I was able to see how students actually use the program. These particular 2nd graders were using it to solve a story problem. They had to describe what they did in each step, as well as provide pictures done with the mathematical blocks on Kidspiration. It was very neat!

Here is the tutorial for Kidspiration, if you navigate the site you can find the tutorial for Inspiration as well. Kidspiration is for younger kids, and since that's what I saw being used I figured I'd share that here :-)

  Another program the company has is called InspireData, which is a wonderful tool for graphing data. I wouldn't necessarily say younger students can't use it, but there are many things the middle and high school students could use it for - history, social studies, mathematics.




(pictures and video's from YouTube or Inspiration.com)

Lesson Plans

I found this today, I put it on my twitter page too, I'm always interested in lesson plans. I'm a huge planner, and any help I can get with setting out lessons is always a good thing. Even though this information is from a home schooling parent, it's still good tips to remember!

Over here is an entire database of lesson plans. Free to use, download, and adjust, from elementary through high school. Lesson plans are crucial to classroom organization, especially on that nasty occasion where a substitute has to handle the class room for you. If you have it planned out, piece by piece, it's not only easier for them, but easier for you because you know what will be happening.
You can use something like what is pictured to the top, a simple calendar, or you can get detailed day by day setting each day in a folder, giving easy access and portability as well as interchangeability if you want to easily switch topics/plans for the day.

(image used with permission)

After thought....

Also wanted to share this! :-)

Outlines....

Okay, so I am always struggling with ways to keep track of everything in my classes. I am the kind of student that works ahead because I'm a speed demon of sorts. I KNOW I will have those kinds of students in my classroom when I start teaching, so I have to think of ways to help them stay organized either at the same time as me, or if they work ahead.

Technology makes this easy!

I found thinklinkr which is basically an online outline for classes. Best part? Totally FREE! :-) Nothing is better then free!

Giving students access to technology, and allowing them to use it readily in the classroom is a fabulous way to incorporate hands on learners that just can't handle being lectured to. And didn't our most recent video mention something about this generation being the multitaskers of the world? :-)


(Image used with permission)

First Blog

I haven't blogged since high school... so this is interesting to me. I have found almost everything I have learned in the UNI Educational Tech & Design class to be interesting.

The videos we watched this week piqued my interest so much I actually shared them with my FB friends. And of course, this got conversations going on how old we are... The two videos that were most interesting to me are posted below (just in case someone either didn't watch them or wanted to watch them again)



(while getting the above video I realized that YouTube allows you to post videos to your blog, fabulous!)

All the things that you can use in your classroom to help teach students astound me. I was just teaching a friend of mine how to use DIIGO  for her research paper, she was amazed! All these tools we have available to us that we have no idea even exist!