Educator and Lifelong Learner, Asst Principal at @cmslions, #NBCT, #EdD from @ucumberlands, @Google Educator Lvl 1 & 2, Google for Education Certified Trainer
Not only did Denise of Sunny Days in Second Grade host a fantastic giveaway, she gave the prize rave reviews. Read her review {here}. If you haven't checked out Sunny Days in Second Grade, you are missing a great teaching blog. She offers great ideas while infusing her passion for education.
Thank you, Denise! I can't wait to rave about my new projection camera, too!
March 30 is National Pencil Day! Could we really do without this yellow, wooden writing utensil? I have created a WallWisher, so we can collaborate with ways that we use pencils. This would be a great activity for your students to take part, too. Let's see how many different uses for pencils there are.
Fun in Room 4B: 200+ Follower Giveaway!: So excited to have surpassed 200. To celebrate, I gathered a few bloggy friends to help me out: You could win ALL of these items...so hu...
I recently had the opportunity to view the Promethean ActivTable in use. Not only did I get to see a group of children use it, but I got to use it, too. I must begin by saying it is SO COOL!
At first glance, the ActivTable looks like a giant iPad. However, it is so much more. The ActivTable is a collaboration tools where up to six users can interact at one time. There are build in activities that cover math, science, writing, social studies, reading, etc. A teacher can also create tailor made activities just for her students. There are built in tools like keyboards, calculators, web browsers, etc. Each user can select what he needs.
In the above activity kindergartners and first graders were sorting animals by their size. You can see the number of hands on the board. It will hold up to 60 touches at one time. So, it easily allows for interactive learning.
One of my favorite activities was the sentence building activity. With the build in keyboard, the students could type words and sentences that automatically became word cards. The students could join the word cards, and the ActivTable would read it to them. You see five children and an adult working together to create a story. The cool part is that each child could work individually or collaboratively as a group.
The screen on the ActivTable is 46" which is plenty of room for six students. Above, you see six 4th graders working together. The height of the ActivTable is made to support students in wheelchairs. The ActivTable is on casters for easy mobility.
The ActivTable will not be available for purchase until summer. It is definitely worth its price of $7999. You are receiving an interactive tool that promotes collaboration as well as individualized learning. If you price six stand alone computers that are interactive and collaborative, you can see how cost effective the ActivTable will be. I can't wait for the release. Maybe, I'll be one of the lucky ones that will get one of the first ActivTables!
The Everything's Intermediate Virtual Teaching Expo is scheduled to launch on Saturday, April 11, 2012. You will be involved in great professional development activities from the comfort of your own home. The topics discussed in this Expo are Integrating Technology into Your Classroom, Modifying Math Instruction to Increase Student Understanding, Successful Strategies for English Language Learners, and Interactive Student Notebooks.
It is time to announce the winners of my ticket giveaway. There are three winners! They are Elizabeth from Fun in Room 4B, Andrea from Cheers to School, and Ms. D from 6th Grade Science Rocks. Congratulations, ladies! Be watching for an email from me for some information.
If you weren't a lucky winner, don't fret! You can preregister for this event for only $14.95. That is a great price for four sessions! {Click here}for information on registration. Also, if you are suffering financial hardships, you can apply for a scholarship to the event. Scholarships are subject to approval and should be directed to scholarships@virtualteachingexpo.com.
I look forward to a great day of professional development!
A video story problem is a great way for students and teachers to bring more of the "real world" into the classroom through the use of video. I was introduced to this concept by my friend, Tyler Hart. Recently, my students created video story problems on elapsed time.
Their task was to create a video that included an elapsed time word problem. The key is that they did not provide the answer to the problem. That is for the viewers to figure out. I divided my students into five groups of four students each. The group was responsible for writing the script, bringing any needed props, and recording the video. To view there finished products, {click here}. While there, please comment with your answers. Better yet, let your students watch the creations and figure out the answers.
This project took all of 30 minutes to complete from beginning to end. The educational value was amazing. The kids worked together. They can up with creative ideas and implemented those effectively. Most importantly, they know how to figure elapsed time. Rather than a worksheet, this activity made it real world.
A video story problem can be easily adapted to any area of the curriculum. In reading, the students could ask comprehension questions. In science and history, the students could create video story problems of the specific topic of study. In math, you could practically do anything. Mr. Hart has some great video story problems that he created at the grocery story. {This site} contains lots of ideas of video story problems. Have your students created any video story problems? If so, please link them here for us all to see. I know we will find some new ideas!
