Tech & the Beanstalk

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2011-07-19T19:23:00.003-04:00

Are you old enough to remember when Art Linkletter or Bill Cosby hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things? The show featured interviews with young children. Many households tuned in to listen to their unfiltered responses. Children want an opportunity to express themselves and be heard. It's up to us to give them the opportunity to share their messages or tell their stories.

Kiln Creek Elementary hosted a video contest at the end of this school year. Students worked individually, in pairs, small groups, or as a class to plan, write, film, and produce their message. We received many many videos based on the themes provided. It was a delight watching and listening to their messages!

Themes:

Survival Guide: How to Excel in ___Grade!
Kid Talk: What changes would you suggest to improve Kiln Creek Elementary?
Time Capsule: What did you learn this year that future students should know?
Staying safe during summer break (internet safety, water safety, theme park safety, mall safety, etc…)

How to Behave in 1st Grade!

Summer Safety Lessons

Ways to Improve Kiln Creek Elementary

Theme Park Safety Tips

How to Have a Super Safe Summer

Are you interested in hosting a contest or film festival? Need a starting point? Feel free to modify the form in the Box below.

Part 2 Imagination + StoryBird = Collaborative Storytelling

2011-06-21T13:22:00.000-04:00

We had a great Summer Institute session! Below are the resources, ideas, and stories you created!

Learning Goal 1: Research elements of creative writing. What were the common themes?

Learning Goal 2: Create a collaborative story or poem using StoryBird.com.

How can you use StoryBird.com?

I’m teaching third grade next year, and I think that this would be a great way to get the students to interact and work together so they learn to work and cooperate.
If I am in kindergarten next year, I would love to do an “All about Me” story, where each of my student have a page to write about them, I could also use it as an introduction to Kindergarten or a summary of something we have done in class. I think my students would really enjoy seeing what they wrote in a book.
I teach LD resource grades 1-3. Storybird will be great for first and second grades to make books with repeated patterns for students that are low readers. It will also be helpful for students who have trouble generating ideas for writing.
I think this will be a great activity to use with my 2nd grade class this upcoming year. They will be creating stories, and using and developing the elements of creative writing without knowing it! These stories can then be used to further develop comprehension of what the students read. The skills they gain from this activity can be carried over into all other subsequent reading they will do. The fact that they can invite someone to look at/edit their story means they can work with a peer, and it won’t come across as the teacher making all these changes to their creation.
I teach inclusion so with 10 below level readers I think it would be great to have these pictures to have them create stories. It’s difficult to have my lower level readers create from just a topic, but most of the time they are visual learners and the pictures will be great.This is good for introducing the class routines. It could be used whold group to have the children get used to writing. Then Have the children work in smaller groups as the year goes on.
You can use Storybird as an independent writing station (at the upper-elementary grades), as well as a way to teach peer-editing, whole-group writing pieces, or just having fun with creative writing. My kids really enjoyed using it this year, and most of them made their own accounts at home (with their parent’s permission). It’s also a great way to collaborate with other classrooms/grades…even in other states, etc. (For example, using it for READ AROUND THE PLANET)
Storybird would work well for introducing writing. It would also be good for an introduction with at the first of the year. This would also work well whole group at the beginning, and then have three or four collaborate. Finally have one child write each story and trade to help the other one edit.
Ways to use Story bird with elementary aged students having speech/language delays:

Working on:

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION: grammar, sentence structure, topic maintenance, sequencing (first, next, last), spelling (writing the sounds that are there-not by the way they say the sound), organization, commenting, vocabulary (tie in from class or grade level)
PRAGMATICS: determining audience, topic maintenance
ARTICULATION: reading the story orally and practicing the sounds they mispronounce; making a story that has words which have the target sound they are working on

For more information on getting started with creative writing and collaborative writing click here.

Imagination + StoryBird = Collaborative Storytelling

2011-06-21T05:39:00.003-04:00

What would a student do if you gave them a blank sheet of paper? Would they fold it, draw on it, cut it into pieces? One of the best things an educator can do is give students the opportunity to imagine and create.

I am glad you picked this session for Summer Institute! Even if you are not joining us face-to-face, you can still interact with the Prezi below. Join the conversation and post comments.

StoryBird on Prezi

How to Pick a Great Video Conference Provider

2011-02-16T10:36:00.000-05:00

(3rd Graders connecting with MOTE (SeatTrek) Sea Turtle Program)

Classrooms across the country are reaching out to museums, experts, and authors through video conferences! Students are flexing their questioning, listening, and critical thinking skills through these connections. It is important to know that all video conference providers are not alike. Consider how much time you spend selecting a doctor, babysitter, or contractor for your house. You should put the same thoughtfulness in selecting an appropriate content provider. What should you look for when you select a video conference provider?

Top Ten Questions to Ask:

Does the content of the program align with my instructional standards?
Is the video conference interactive (student involvement)?
Do the students get to interview the expert or ask questions?
Does the content provider show artifacts and images that are easy to see using a slide show or document camera?
Does the content provider work with the teacher to customize the program?
Does the content provider offer supplement material (lessons and online resources)?
Does the content provider have good reviews from other educators?
Does the content provider accept payment with a purchase order after the video conference has taken place?
What is the cost of the program?
Is my equipment and connection compatible with the content providers?

Click here to find a recommended content provider! Leave a comment and share your favorite video conference provider!

Do you need help funding a video conference with a content provider? If you are a Newport News Public School teacher click here to apply for funding. Fill out the form and check back to see if your video conference was funded!

Below are a few pictures from some of my favorite connections and content providers!

(4th and 5th Grade Youth Development group connecting with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

(1st Graders connecting with St. Louis Zoo)

(3rd Graders connecting with NASA, Our Magnificent Sun Program)

Glogster Edu Student Accounts Made Simple

2010-11-01T15:15:00.000-04:00

Are you ready to have your students start creating digital posters? This year Glogster Edu has made it easier to create student accounts. You can customize the nick name (username) and password.

What do you need to get started?
1. Your username and password to Glogster.

2. Download this spreadsheet courtesy of GlogsterEdu.

3. Watch this video to see how to use the spreadsheet.

You have until November 7, 2010 to create up to 100 free student accounts! Tic-toc-tic-toc! Don't miss out!

Building Community One Piece at a Time!

2010-09-07T13:38:00.003-04:00

Welcome back to school! Many of you are starting off the first week of school discussing classroom rules and building a sense of community in your classroom. Help your students visually see that they are a part of their classroom community by creating a digital puzzle of your class. Use your SMARTBoard to have students manipulate the puzzle pieces!

First, take a digital picture of your entire class.

Second, go to http://www.jigsawplanet.com/ and click Browse to upload the photo (no larger than 2048 x 2048 pixels*) . Select the number of pieces and shapes. Then click Create!

If you get a message telling you that the file size is too big scroll down to the highlighted section of this post to find out how to make the image smaller. Once you have made it smaller continue with step 2.

Third, click Play.

Have students take turns coming up to the SMARTBoard and dragging and dropping the puzzle pieces. Remember to discuss that each piece is a valuable part of the entire classroom community!

What if I get an error message stating that my picture is too big, what do I do?

Right click on the picture. Select Resize Pictures.

Select "Small" and click OK.

The image now appears in the same folder, but the image name has (Small) in the title. Now upload that image.

What Do You Blab About?

2010-04-22T14:20:00.002-04:00

Would you like to make a virtual museum…go back in time and hear Abraham Lincoln or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. give a famous speech? Perhaps rewrite history. Students will sharpen their writing skills, speaking skills, communication skills, oral fluency skills, and storytelling skills while using Blabberize. Blabberize is a free online tool that can be used to create a Blabber. A Blabber is an animated (mouth) digital picture with voice narration.

Below is an example of a Blabber created by one of Mrs. Kent-Johnson's students.
So, how do you get started?

Teacher creates a class account.
Teacher sends home a permission slip (click here for generic permission slip). Blabberize is only available to students over the age of 13, unless you have parent or guardian permission (click here for their terms of service).
Students research a person, animal, or object.
Teacher and students find copyright friendly photos to upload.
Students write, revise, and edit their script.
Students will login to Blabberize with the class account and create their Blabber.
Follow the tutorial below.

Going Goo Goo for Glogster Edu!

2010-04-20T09:21:00.003-04:00

Are you looking for an exciting way to engage your students, use multiple types of media, and focus on 21st learning skills? What is a Glog you ask? Glogs are digital posters! There is no special software needed…just a browser, internet connection, and tons of creativity! Check out some of the sample Glogs below from students and teachers at Riverside Elementary.

Ms. Hack creates a weekly Glog...aka class newsletter. She can send the link to parents each week.

Mrs. Lane sponsors a group of students who create the Riverside Tide Newsletter each month using Glogster.

3rd graders from Ms. Hack’s class worked independently to create Glogs about an endangered species.

5th graders from Mrs. Buchanan’s Science class worked in small groups to create a Glog about the Plant and Animal Kingdoms. Check out their rap video!

4th and 5th graders from Mrs. Derbaum’s “Real Men Reads” enrichment group worked in pairs to create a Glog about the novel they read. Click the Play buttons to hear their narrations.

So, how do you get started? Click on this ShareTab to visit different Glog Edu tutorials. The best way to introduce Glogster to your class is to share a couple of example Glogs, do a mini-lesson (10 minutes) on how to login and use the tools, and then provide them at least 20 minutes to practice.

When you are ready for your students to create a Glog based on a specific content area, then provide your students with a rubric ahead of time! Click here for a rubric from Butler Area SD Tech Integration Department.

Read Around the Planet Wrap Up!

2010-03-25T09:39:00.002-04:00

Read Around the Planet keeps getting better and better each year! This is the third year I have had classes participate. The student presentations ranged from skits, raps, songs, poetry, book elections, and more! Students are hoaning their 21st century skills by writing, speaking, presenting, listening, and storytelling!
Click on the push pins to view the schools we connected with this year!

View Read Around the Planet 2010 in a larger map

World Math Day Results

2010-03-19T13:41:00.000-04:00

A snow day in early March didn’t prevent our Mathletes from participating in the 48 hour World Maths Day event. Students from both Kiln Creek and Riverside competed. Check out our stats!
Kiln Creek Elementary

Total Correct Answers: 24,453

Total Participants: 120

Total Points: 24,453

Total Questions: 27,846

Top Student’s Points: 809

Riverside Elementary

Total Correct Answers: 29,796

Total Participants: 180

Total Points: 29,796

Total Questions: 32,216

Top Student’s Points: 1,263

Our students contributed towards a new World Record! 1,133,246 students from 235 countries correctly answered 49,732,613 questions!

Eye of the World Update

2010-02-16T16:07:00.002-05:00

Mrs. Coon's 3rd grade class emails the crew frequently. They enjoy participating in guessing the creature. The students loved receiving a post card (snail mail) from the crew at New Years and again at the beginning of February.

Mrs. Palmers 5th grade class participated in a web conference with the crew via Windows Live Messenger. The crew had great Wi-Fi reception, so they got to have a face-to-face chat!

Mr. Joy-Hogg's 5th grade class reads the crews blog each week. They have been using StrataLogica to track the crew's location and type interesting facts about their trip.

Another App Bites the Dust!

2010-02-01T19:08:00.002-05:00

Today GCAST, a favorite educational podcast host and player is closing their upload and register buttons to new content. Teachers are scrambling to find new FREE podcast hosts and players. Did GCAST have the same fate as www.searchme.com, one of my favorite visual search engines or www.bubbleshare.com, a popular photo sharing site? Teachers are resilient; we are great at finding the next FREE tool that will keep our students creating, collaborating, and sharing.

What are alternatives to these apps that have passed on?

Before I used www.searchme.com. Now I use www.sharetabs.com.

Before I used www.bubbleshare.com. Now I use www.slideshare.net.

Before I used www.gcast.com.

Now I will try www.podbean.com.

Did you have an app that passed on to Never Never Land? What app did you turn to in its place? Post a comment and join our web 2.0 support group.

Last Minute Gift Giving

2009-12-18T11:21:00.000-05:00

I often get asked, "What is a great tech gift to give kids?" You probably think I am going to say an iPod or Wii. In fact, it is neither. I have two recommendations!

The first is a FREE gift...it is the perfect stocking stuffer. Go to http://marsparticipate.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/sendyourname and fill out the form with the child's information. Their name will appear on a microchip on the Mars Science Laboratory rover that is headed to Mars in 2011! You can print out the certificate and put it in their stocking!

The next gift is the perfect tech gift that involves the whole family. Drum roll....I invite you to checkout the Geomate.jr at http://www.geocaching.com/geomate/default.aspx. In a nut shell geocaching is the techie version of hide and seek mixed in with a bit of treasure hunting. This GPS device is designed for youngsters...it's already pre-loaded with geocache locations across every state in the beautiful USA. My nine year old daughter loves her Geomate.jr. We had a great time this summer at York River State Park in Virginia looking for travel bugs, coins, etc! The only problem we ran into was the high tide along the shoreline. The Geomate.jr will only set you back about $70.00, but it will provide you with quality family time, outdoor adventure, and and endless hours of hide and seek!

Snowman Descriptive Writing Video Conference

2009-12-18T10:59:00.001-05:00

If you didn't try the monster writing video conference, you may want to give the snowman descriptive writing video conference a try. The students will design a snow person, animal, or thing...and then they will write a descriptive paragraph. Encourage your kiddos to include geometry terms, such as sphere and cone to describe different parts. Then send your writings to a partner class and swap papers. The students draw the snow person or animal based on the descriptive paragraph. The teachers arrange a time to video conference and share their drawings. Your students will notice that the pictures match if they used very specific details and descriptions.

Check out a photo from Mrs. McGehee's video conference! Then click below to download the lesson plans, rubric, and more!

Free Rice Challenge!

2009-11-24T09:31:00.000-05:00

Helping others while motivating your students to learn muliplication facts and vocabulary! Share the video below in your class. Then challenge your students to earn Free Rice at http://www.freerice.com/. You can use a spreadsheet to track the amount of rice your class has donated. Are you looking for another challenge? Have your students create a commericial promoting the website using Photostory or MovieMaker!

Eye of the World Project...Set Sail Today!

2009-11-02T14:30:00.003-05:00

Are you looking for a new interactive project? You can participate in the Eye of the World project anytime http://www.eyeotw.org/. Join the crew for a three year…that’s right…a three year cruise around the world. Mrs. Palmer’s, Mrs. Coon’s, and Mr. Joy-Hogg’s classes are already on board for a wonderful adventure!

The crew launched today out of Hampton Roads area…our backyard! The students can follow the crew’s blog at http://www.eyeotw.org/ and track them using SPOT Satellite Messenger. Teacher’s can access their Twitter and Facebook pages. Get a copy of the Teacher Participation Packet at info@eyeotw.org!

Below is a SMARTNotebook you can use to introduce the trip!

SMART Stocking Stuffers!

2009-10-27T15:18:00.000-04:00

Now that you have your SMARTBoard in your classroom, you need some stocking stuffers to go with them. Check out Forty-Two Interesting Ways to Use Your Interactive Whiteboard in the Classroom, compliments of Tom Barrett.

SMARTNotebook and SMARTBoard Two-Minute Tutorials! Click the link http://www.sharetabs.com/?smarttutorials to access the SMARTBoard ShareTabs. The videos will appear as tabs at the top of your window. Click on the tab and push play.

Who Says There's No Such Thing as Santa?

2009-10-27T15:06:00.000-04:00

I get to play Santa today and pass out the new SMARTBoard pens and projector remote controls. All of the classrooms at Riverside Elementary are officially outfitted with new SMARTBoards, SMARTSpeakers, and ceiling mounted projectors! The teachers and students have been waiting so patiently to start using them!

Our school will be open to the community November 17, 2009 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. in celebration of American Education Week. Join us for our Smart, Safe Schools Expo that day! You will see many of our students and teachers using the new SMART tools in their classrooms.

Monster Writing Video Conference

2009-10-09T13:10:00.005-04:00

Your students will love this Monster Writing video conference! You will need to get started now, if you want to share your spooky monsters with another class. In a nut shell two classes agree to participate. Each student designs their own monster, and writes a descriptive paragraph or two about their monster. The descriptive writings are scanned, ponied, mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered to your partner class. Each student reads the descriptive paragraph and draws the monster based on the details in the writing. You don't have to be a Picasso to interpret the writing. The teachers arrange a time to video conference and share their drawings. It is helpful if you have a document camera, so that they can place their drawing on the document camera instead of holding it up to the camera. The students give a thumbs up and thumbs down based on the similarities and differences. Students will notice to a trend...the more detailed and descriptive the writing the more accurate the drawing. It is also helpful to have each student share one piece of feedback about the writing.

Click below to access the lesson plans, compliments of Kristen Gilligan. Use the contact form if you are looking for a 3rd-5th class and I will try to match you up!

Going to the Polls with Google Docs!

2009-10-09T12:15:00.001-04:00

The last five years I have used www.zoomerang.com or www.createsurvey.com to generate the SCA student ballots for online voting. The downside to using these sites was that I was always having to sign-up for the trial account or I only had a limited number of days to view the data. This year I have fallen in love with Google Docs (Forms). The form was easy to create and easy to save to the secure student desktop. Check out a photo from Election Day and a tutorial on creating Google Forms.

Warm Wishes for Riverside Teachers

2009-10-03T06:45:00.000-04:00

The teachers at Kiln Creek Elementary just received new Dell laptops this week. They came outfitted with Microsoft Office 2007! Kiln Creek teachers wanted to let you know how the swap went down. Check out the posts on the wall.

What's Up Roos?

2009-10-02T01:36:00.001-04:00

Mrs. Boone's kindergarten class participated in a FREE video conference with the Cleveland Metro Park Zoo. This distance learning program was aligned with our Virginia Science Standards of Learning (SOL). Plus...it doesn't hurt that our school mascot is a Kangaroo! Three classes from around the US participated at one time; taking turns answering and asking questions. Mrs. Boone brought their K-W-L chart to the video conference, so that they were prepared to ask questions. Do you know what a baby kangaroo is called? "A joey", one of Mrs. Boone's students answered!

Who Got a Face Lift? SMART Exchange!

2009-09-23T04:05:00.001-04:00

Ten days ago SMART launched their new and improved SMART Exchange website. You are going to love the upgrades! Bookmark this site now! In minutes you can search their database for SMARTNotebooks. The preview interface is unbelievable, so you can quickly get a sneak peak of each page in the notebook file. You'll even have the option to download individual questions from SMART-Created Senteo files instead of the entire Senteo file. Need clip art for a SMARTNotebook? You can also download clip art. They have pumped up the functionality of the website...watch the video below for all of the new enhancements!

My Name Is...

2009-09-22T13:08:00.003-04:00

What are some alternatives to introducing yourself to a new class or classmate? The first two weeks of school I saw a variety of ideas!

Mrs. Panko and Mr. Langley, the principal and assistant principal at Riverside Elementary used a Google Earth tour to introduce themselves to their staff. Mrs. Panko encouraged her staff to also create a tour to share with their students.

Mrs. Coon, a 3rd grade teacher at Kiln Creek Elementary introduced her students to Glogster. Each student created a poster about themselves.

Mr. Phillips and Mrs. Cowley, 4th grade teachers at Kiln Creek Elementary had their students use Wordle to describe themselves using adjectives.

What are some creative ways you have introduced yourself to your students or classmates? Please post your ideas!

Make a Wish!

2009-09-17T10:48:00.000-04:00

Not enough technology resources to go around? Then make a wish. Register online at DigitalWish . Describe a project that you would like to have funded; but are lacking the technology resources. This website has everything you need to share your wish. Send an E-mail or print flyers to pass out to parents, teachers, PTA, and community! Let me know if your wish gets funded!

From Tech and the Beanstalk

Kiln Creek Elementary's Virtual School Tour

2009-09-08T00:07:00.001-04:00

Mrs. Cowley's 4th grade class (2009) created a virtual video tour of Kiln Creek Elementary school. The tour features Flat Stanley who is visiting our school. The students took digital pictures, wrote their script, and narrated the photos in PhotoStory.

See how many ways we can use the video!

The NNPS webmasters will post the video on our homepage for new families to view.
Teachers will show the video at Open House.
Teachers will show the video on the 1st day of school.
Kindergarten teachers will show the video before their students go on a school-wide scavenger hunt.
The office staff/counselor will show the video to new students or students who transfer in during the school year.
The teachers will show the video to other classes around the country when they participate in Read Around the Planet (video conferences).
Kindergarten teachers will show the video again as they introduce a "Birds Eye View".

Open House 2.0

2009-09-03T04:58:00.001-04:00

Are you ready to spice up your Open House? It’s not too late to create a catchy presentation. This year go beyond the regular Q & A time. Interview or poll your parents using cell phones, Senteo clickers, CPS, or whatever response system that strikes your fancy. They will love the interaction too; while also giving them a sneak peek into the classroom tools you will use throughout the year.

Sample Interview/Poll Questions:
Is this your first child in school?
Are you a new family to our school?
Does your child have access to the Internet at home?
Does your child participate in extracurricular activities outside of school?
Would you being willing to volunteer?

Open House 2.0 Ideas and More!

View more presentations from Shannon Pipkin.

"Ni hao" (Hello) from Second Life

2009-08-31T10:28:00.000-04:00

Last night I participated in a discussion and presentation of China’s people, culture, and diverse ancient country from a teacher’s perspective. This event was hosted by Spiff Whitfield and the Virtual Pioneers. We did tai chi as a group, sipped on tea at the tea house, listened to traditional music, and enjoyed the slideshow presentation from Austen and Xavier. Second Life (SL) is a wonderful platform to connect and collaborate with other educators; while virtually exploring different cultures. You can bring back interesting information and resources to share with your students. Check out the pics from the presentation…that’s me…Zii Trellis.

Hooah (pronounced "OohRah!")

2009-08-29T19:10:00.001-04:00

Wrapped up Tech Boot Camp this week...Hooah (pronounced "OohRah!"). Combined we had eight new teachers to the school division at Riverside Elementary and Kiln Creek Elementary. Many of the teachers have had previous teaching experience or they are returning back to the school division. It's going to be a pleasure coaching them this year!

Tech Boot Camp

View more presentations from Shannon Pipkin.

Around the World in 180 Days

2009-08-28T20:52:00.001-04:00

The kick off theme for the new school year at Riverside Elementary is "Around the World in 180 Days-The Virtual Learning Journey". Before we embark on our journey, let's reflect on Matt's journey! He will put a smile on your face and inspire you to RISK more than others think is safe, CARE more than others think is wise, DREAM more than others think is practical, and EXPECT more than others think is possible. Now...put on your dance shoes and shake a leg!