Clouds and Getting the RIGHT Fit

 This week has taken me to new places with technology.  My technology Project Launch buddies met on Monday and Tuesday with Ken, a trainer from Apple, to discuss Challenge Based Learning.  It was a wonderful two days.  (More will come from those days than this post.)

Student showing that he picked the
"right size" book!

Yesterday, my first day back in class my students took a benchmark test.  It was in reading.  As they were taking it, I was thinking about things I can do to improve their love of reading.  After school, I brainstormed with two of my techno friends about what we were going to do to relate reading and writing to their lives.  We want to help them develop that love while still bringing out the concepts of context clues, setting, character traits, summary.....(the list is quite long.)

Picture captured from Pinterest

Today, I began implementing one of the many things that was brainstormed by the three of us last night.  I began with a youtube video on how to pick the "perfect fit" book.  It details that you need a book that fits the purpose, one that you seem to enjoy, and one that fits you.  For example - Green Eggs and Ham is a wonderful book, I could summarize it, I could read it and look through it for 30 minutes, and I LIKE it - but it isn't a good fit for me because I really need something that has more depth to it.  The teachers in the movie compared picking a "right fit book" to picking the right pair of shoes.  After watching the video and discussing what WE thought might be ways to look for good fit books we came up with this:

• Good fit books for our classroom and this project probably need to be found in the chapter book section of the library.
• I Spy books and comic books would not work for today.
• Good fit books might be ones recommended by our friends.
• Good fit books would be something that we could read the first page or two and not stumble on more than five words.

Excited to go pick out their new books I walked my class down to the library.  We searched high and low to find the right fit books for us.  Some searched keywords in the computer, others asked each other or me if we knew of any good books.  Some kids even went and found old books that were their favorites.  One child when walking back into my room held a book up to his foot and said, "Look - this is a good fit book for me!" 

Google Doc App Picture

Picture captured from Pinterest

Back in class I decided to use Google Docs as the "app" they will use.  Google Docs is also on a website and available everywhere.  All they have to do is log in.  They created their document with their first name, title of the book, and the words "book journal."  Then they shared this document with me.

After giving my students time to read today, they were asked to open their Google doc and write a summary of what they read.  They also had to answer the question, "What about this book was interesting to you and made you want to read it?  How did you pick this book today?"  As their little fingers fly over their ipads I am noticing how engaged they all are.  They WANT to share what they read.  They know I am going to hold them accountable and care about what they are typing.  In a few days I will allow them to share their document with a friend and they will begin to peer edit.

Picture captured from Pinterest

I am excited about this teaching in the cloud.  Google Drive saves everything into a "cloud" so that it can be accessed anywhere.  This account will not just be on the ipads in my room everyday.  It can follow them wherever they go.  One student even asked as they were typing in my email if they could type in the email of their parent's email!  The kids like to share and to get feedback!

I found the picture to the right (of the clouds) one day on Pinterest.  It got my imagination going.  Everyone's cloud is a different size.  Some are more full with information than others.  Everyone can just instantly pull information down wherever they might be (as long as they remember their passwords).  It might be difficult for some to visualize where their information is going- this picture might make it a little bit more visual. Before, we stored information on disks and flash drives.  Now - it just goes up and somehow someone knew how to make the information come back down on command!  WOW!  I love this!

The point is - we need to keep pressing forward.  Moving onto things that work with new tools that are given to us.  We will engage learners, partner with families and communities, and change the future with just small steps...  Today's step was a new found book and sharing in "the cloud".

Love is.... (edited with directions)

Love is... edited (directions)

Love is Video Link

Picture with our background.
Picture was taken with book buddies
and glyphs we made.

My students love to video things.  When handed an ipad - they turn on the camera and smile!  My students have created bullying videos and public service messages even during recess.  They are trying to save the world through movies!

How did I get them there?  At the very beginning of the year we read a book called "How to Be Perfect in Just 3 days."  After 3 days of reading and trying out what the author suggests - my students create a video on their reflections.  It is amazing that each year children step forward - without me asking and naturally jump into the director and film maker.

After this first video I have an application for jobs.  The kids get to "apply" and convince me that they need specific classroom jobs.  Technology Gurus are always on the list.  Some years I take 3 some years I have more.  I use the kids who are interested and try to get the others interested in the technology process.  The Gurus are usually taught first and/or they are on the front row when we work with different technology tasks.  These children help others when I am teaching small groups.  They are thought of as experts.  Although - we ALL know about technology - if we don't know something - these are the kids to ask.

So, for the Love is movie - I looked on Pinterest and found a link to the letters for LOVE.  We needed a good background for our film.  Here is the link for the letters:

Banner Letters Link

Animoto App Picture

Next, we created our "set" and set up the flip camera.  The students filmed.  We didn't go in any specific order.  The students had brainstormed what love was to them before we began.  As the discussion went on - the thoughts got deeper.

After filming, the students went back through the clips and cut the ones they didn't need or were not audible.  They then used the video creating site called Animoto.  You can go to www.animoto.com
This can be a free site for teachers, but you have to apply for the free account.  Videos can be shared on any mobile device.

How Big is a Foot?

In class we studied measurement.  We were reviewing inch, foot, and yard.  I showed the kids Keynote.  I asked them to create a "presentation" showing pictures on the slides that could be measured by inches, feet, or yards.

My students were VERY excited!  We talked about how an inch is about the length of your first finger between the middle and top knuckles.

Student work - just a piece.
This shows  "about" an inch.

We said how a foot is about as long as from your elbow to your fist - closed.  Last was a yard and if you stretch one arm out and the other arm is in a fist by your shoulder (elbow down) - that is about a yard.

The kids learned to copy images from the Internet (and give credit to sources).  For today we used www.pics4learning.com.  It is a site with many free pictures to use.  They also were encouraged to go around the classroom and find things that measured by an inches, feet, or yards.

I found that setting them up for the project took almost no time at all.  I modeled how to add pictures from the Internet or how to find the pictures once inside of keynote that are from the camera roll.  I also showed them how to add pages and text.  Then - I set them free to find the objects.

This is a visual project.  When the kids get to a question like:

Which would you use to measure a bathtub?
A) inches
B) feet
C) yards

I would hope they could visualize the bathtub.  Visualize about what an inch, foot, or yard looks like and then make the correct choice.

Last, we read the story by Rolf Myller entitled How Big is a Foot? It is about a king trying to make a bed for his wife's birthday.  Beds had not been invented in the story.  He measures around her walking with his feet.  BUT - the apprentice is making the bed and he is a boy with very small feet.  Even when he follows the kings directions - the bed is the wrong size.  It is a humorous story about why units of measure came to be.

As you know - I am still learning.  I will have to edit this blog later.  I have tried emailing and a few other things - but I cannot seem to send the student work to this computer OR work on it from the student's ipad.  You will know when I edit - I will add it in the title.  Sorry.  More to come....

The Wonders Of Wixie and Snack Time

Wixie App Picture

In Math this week, we covered area and perimeter.  This can always be fun.  Today we used one of my favorite apps - WIXIE!

My kids have been counting around tiles in the hall to add perimeter.  We have used cheese-its to make a shape and find both perimeter and area.

For those that don't work with these terms everyday, perimeter is the distance around a shape.  Area is the square units inside of a shape.

When we were working with area, on the second problem- one of my kids figured out that you can multiply the height x width to find the area of the shape as long as the shape is a square or rectangle.  I was amazed that after only one problem he had figured this out.  So today my kids also learned a formula.


Wixie is a great app!  The app is free, but the subscription is through a company called Tech4Learning. As a teacher, I am able to set up accounts and passwords for my kids.  All of the work I push out to them, or that they create is stored in the cloud.  The kids are able to access Wixie on the computer, ipad, at home OR at school.  This is a great way to continue to bridge the home-school worlds.

In Wixie, my kids used the square shapes in the sticker box to create their own unique shape.  They then glued the shapes to the screen.  Next, they took the pencil and figured the area and perimeter of each shape.





My students enjoyed area and perimeter SO much they decided to get their snack involved.  We had some Cheeze-its.  A few kids built a shape on construction paper and took a picture.  Then they used an app we used earlier called Screen Chomp to import their picture.  Next, they took the tools on the app to figure out the area and perimeter of the shape.

We all enjoyed today so much!  We were able to show what we learned about in a fun way!

"Beginnings are always messy." ~John Galsworthy

I ran into a problem last week and have wondered since then how exactly to fix it.  I am a fixer.  I find that my kids know what to do once they get to a website but they forget their password.  OR they cannot find an APP.  So today we are going to work on getting things organized.  I have some ideas.

1.  Bookmarks on Homepage - The websites we use the most need to have their own bookmark on the homepage of our iPads.  I would like this bookmark to be cute.  I am not sure how to send a cute picture of a self made icon out to everyone.  BUT - Here is the place where I found step by step directions on how to make a website have a bookmark on the home screen of your iPad.

How to bookmark MOST used websites on your iPad.

After following the easy directions above, I have found that sending the "CUTE" app that I created - may take time.  It IS easy to create a bookmark with a screenshot of the page.  It takes minutes.  Cute takes time.

2.  Digital Access Folder - Even with the shortcuts to the websites, my students are having a difficult time remembering ALL of the passwords they need to remember.  I try to encourage them to use the same passwords for things, but sometimes it isn't possible.  I also wanted something that was portable.  They cannot take their ipads home, but they can take a folder home if they need to.

So, today in my classroom we made a "digital access folder".  I used brightly colored file folders and had the kids make a chart inside.  They glued the QR code, wrote their personal username and password.  The QR code is included in case they just want to scan the code to get to the site.

QR Code Card for the Wall

3.  Resource Wall - As with everything - teachers like things up on the wall.  I am adding a larger picture of the QR codes we use most often on a bulletin board on the wall.  If a child cannot find their folder - they can use the QR code wall to navigate quickly.  I will also have hints to the passwords for the site on the back of the QR code card.

4.  Edmodo - There is always more than one way to organize.  Another way I organize my kids is to put links to sites inside our private classroom Edmodo page.  Edmodo looks like Facebook.  It is more like a digital backpack for my students.  They are able to go in and see newsletters, bookmarked sites, respond to questions or discussion, and even earn badges.



5.  Finding Apps - We are going to put our apps in the same order on our iPads.  This will make everything easier to find.  Also, if a friend helps - they know exactly where to look.  To move apps, hold one app down until they all wiggle and then touch and drag it to where you want it to be.

It is also ok to use the search.  If you open to your homepage and swipe your finger to the right - you will see a search box.  Type in the app you are looking for and the ipad will find the app for you.