Instructional Technology Specialist

Here we are at the end of the year.  I just saw a ustream that sums up a year as a teacher.  It is very touching so I thought I’d share.  The singer is Kevin Honeycutt with Essdack.

Image Source http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/341792

Here is an idea of how a teacher can use a flip camera in the classroom.  This is a second grade classroom doing an animal presentation.

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Did you know that the games available through BrainPop are free?  You have to have a paid subscription for most of their educational videos, but the educational games are all free.  They are listed in order of content.  It is a great resource!

Image Source: http://www.brainpopjr.com/games/

This virtual dice give you options on how many faced you use and what you put on those faces.  Yes, you can customise your dice.  I can see the possibilities in language arts (figurative language, story elements, vocabulary etc), science/ss (content vocabulary), and of course math.

Image Source: http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/maths/dice/

Have you ever wanted to integrate technology but don’t know where to start?  Here is a wiki done by a computer teacher.  She has some fantastic ideas on here.  If you don’t find an activity that will work for you hopefully it will help spark a new idea for you.

http://computerkiddoswiki.pbworks.com/Interactive+Lessons

If you don’t find an activity that will work for you hopefully it will help spark a new idea for you.

I have caught the GPS bug.  GPS hunting (also can be called geocaching) is great fun!  I’ve even purchased a unit for my family to use.  The traditional geocache is a great way to teach latitude and longitude.  Teachers can hide containers with objects for the students to find.  Teachers supply the students with coordinates and a GPS unit.  Children use the coordinates to find the containers.

There are many ways this technology can be integrated into the various curriculum areas.  Here are a few.  I welcome more ideas!

Traditional geocache
Treasure Hunt – Each container gives the next set of coordinates to find.  The treasure can be a creative writing prompt.
Hide and Seek – one class/group hides a set of math problems.  The other group/class find them and answers the problems.
Logic Challenge – children have to find coordinates in order.  Each find gives them a clue to a logic problem they have to solve.
Mystery Person – similar to the logic challenge but with clues to the identity of a famous historical figure.
GeoTrooper – Each container has a puzzle piece that when all found and put together create a geographical location the class has been studying such as a region of the US
Figurative Find - The children have the task of finding one example of the various types of figurative languages.  Each type of figurative language is in a container at a different location.  The examples are on strips of paper.  The children collect one strip from each container.
Amazing GPS hunt - take off from the Amazing Race.  Children have to find details about the type of habitat/biome they are studying.  Each group has cards of a different color.  Each container has a card for every group.  When the child finds the coordinates they have to do a physical fitness challenge in order to get the card in that container.  This is done on the group’s honor. It is just a fun way to incorporate fitness into the activity.  When they have all the details the kids take the information inside and create a powerpoint about their habitat/biome.

For details on how to set up your own hunt you can check out this fantastic website.  http://www.alicechristie.org/geocaching/steps.html